Messing with the Mind

Paranoia and manipulation is powerful when you know how to use it to your advantage.

Chapter 4:Messing with the Mind

He was sitting in Frtiz's old castle, but it looked as it had the day it was built and he looked as he had however many years ago it had been since he last walked those halls. It wasn't rare to find himself wanting to return there, to those pleasent memories, but memories they were and so he knew this wasn't reality.

A flash of movement took Gilbert's eyes away from the garden below, to look down the corridor. Curious, he went after it. Could it be Fritz in his dream? He stopped at the end of the hall and looked back and forth between the split hall. He guessed at which way whatever it was went and ran. He came to a staircase, looking down over the railing he caught the sight of a black ballgown. 'Definatly not Fritz...,' he thought, and ran down the stairs to catch up to the 'phantom' as he was slowly beginning to think of it as.

The bottom of the stair led to the main hall and from there into a grand ballroom. It was much different from how he remembered it. Rather than the red drapes his Fritz had so adored, it was black, and the chandlier was dim instead of bright and welcoming. It was a much darker atmosphere. A chill went up his spine as he slowed his steps as he reached the center of the room.

"So there was a Fritz in your world too...," echoed a familiar voice. He spun around, not liking the fact that someone may have just snuck up behind him, a trained knight.

Sitting perfectly content on a bench to the side of the room, Abisthine was dressed in head to toe in black with a wide grin on her face. "I told you I'd see you soon, didn't I?" she said, beckoning him closer.

"If you'd call two weeks soon...," he replied, replacing his scowl with a grin. He walked over to the bench and sat down next to her. "How-"

"Did I get into your dream?" she finished for him. "I did the same to Ludwig, was he mad? I didn't get to see him before I left.."

Gilbert laughed, "That explains why we was a little more 'irritable' then usual."

Suddenly music filled the room, reminding him of the parties Fritz would host when Voltaire visited and the fact that Abisthine had hinted at only moments ago about another Fritz? He opened his mouth to speak.

"Parallel universies. Its possible for the same people to exist in different worlds...Kind of like a doppelgänger. Except, I'm getting the feeling that...Maybe our worlds much more closely related than just being alternate worlds," she said before he could ask. "This is technically your mind...Its not hard to hear what you're thinking..."

He frowned.

"I know its not fair, but I highly doubt you'd enjoy being in my mind so much. Its not a pleasent place...," her smile faded as she spoke. She laughed nervously, changing the subject. "Not only that, this is just one of the many things I can do that not a lot of others can. Its also the only way I get to talk to you right now, mein Preußen."

He wondered whether he should bother speaking at all if she was just going to hear his thoughts anyways. Turning his attention to the open ballroom, he noticed that figures had appeared on the dance floor, waltzing or doing whatever dance it was. He hadn't bothered to learn, no matter how many times Friedrich had pushed him into trying.

Looking closer at the figures, he began to recognize some of the faces. He began to look for one in particular.

"You're looking for Friedrich II," she stated, though her voice sounded like she wasn't 'all there'. "These are your memories...But they...Seem so much like my own. Though...the decor is off a little."

The room changed, however subtly. Now this was Friedrich's castle. The warm colours, the laughter the echoed throughout the room and the music that seemed to flow endlessly from the orchestra in the corner. He leaned back against the wall, the take in the sight. It was all to...unreal. He frowned and he glanced back to Abisthine, who seem to have a glazed look over her eyes.

"Abisthine...?" he asked, placing a hand on her shoulder. She blinked and shook her head, and hopefully herself from her stupor.

"Hm,was ist das?" she asked.

"You seemed...Kinda...Spaced out," he replied.

She merely frowned and went back to staring at the dancers. He looked back them as well, but this time it was like seeing double. Ghostly images of the dancers were appearing next to them, the music seemed to have a second, darker tone to it. She seemed to sit up straighter as she noticed it too. "Nun verdammt....I think our memories just merged,"she said, nervously."I think I'll go now...And stop messing with your mind before I do any damage..."

"Du bist nur du mich hier verlassen?!" he asked, worried. "And what to you mean by 'do any damage?"

"Messing around with people's minds' and memories is a dangerous thing to do...Things can happen..."

Then she was gone. Just completely gone. After that everything went black.

 

Odette sat across from him. She was worried, which worried him. It was almost like the time with Joan of Arc alll over again. The siren, or whatever she was bit at her nails, he was ready to do the same. He hardly understood what she meant when she said that her mind had been invaded...But the fact that only the enemy would do such a thing meant they were really gathering insider intel.

She fidgetted. She wanted to tell Lazarus because apparently he could so something about a spy that can read minds and could be anywhere at anytime. In fact, they might be in his own mind right now. He picked up his wine glass with a shaky hand and gulped it down. Now was not the time for manners, not when his country was under the rule of another and when spies were entering their minds.

England...He might be able to do something about it. He knew magic and stuff right? Could he block whoever it was out? Track down their location? Or would it be a flop like every other spell that stupid brit did?

Things were so less complicated when he was in his own world, but there wasn't much he could do about that. He'd talk to Arthur anyways. France wondered for a moment if they could also do some other things....A slight smirk flitted across his face, before he remembered the seriousness of the situation and how if it wasn't fixed soon, they're would be no angry sex with Arthur.

And that did not go over very well with the 'country of love'.

 

She groaned inwardly. France was not as easy to manipulate as she originally thought. To make matters worse he was going to talk to England. 'This just isn't my day,' she thought, scrubbing the dish with unecessary force.

Abisthine had come to hate dish duty. She came to hate cleaning in general and wish nothing more than to return to Berlin where the only thing she actually had to worry about were the orders she was asked to preform and actually protecting her country.

But the paranoia in France's mind was quite entertaining. It wasn't hard for that to happen, now it was just a matter of giving it direction and making it spread to Odette. The only problem with that; the siren knew she was there. Odette knew more than she hinted to France, or Francis or whatever his name was. Odette knew it was Abisthine. Normally, she'd take this oppurtunity to give Odette a chance. Work with Abisthine and get a little reward or die, either at the end of the war or right then.

It was harsh, but it worked. This wasn't a normal circumstance though. Her breath hissed out. She wasn't near her own nation, she didn't have any back-up if there was a confrontation and she certainly wasn't getting any very quickly if she needed it.

Abisthine placed the clean dish on the counter and picked up the next. She wondered absently if she could just poison everyone and get it over with right then and there. But no.....Her leader wanted the other guardians alive for some odd reason.

She looked to the clock, her shift was almost over. She'd return to her tiny appartment and see what France and Odette were up to, then see if she did any lasting damage on Gilbert.

Her and the other maid beside her finished cleaning the dishes and put them away quickly. Both were anxious to get home, though for obviously different reasons. The streets of London were chilly in the evening air as she walked back to her 'home'.

To her surprise, the door was unlocked and opened just a bit. Gritting her teeth, she pulled the small handgun from her purse, glad to have brought it along for several reasons. Abisthine pushed the door open and peeked inside. Whoever it was that broke in also decieded to turn all the lights on and make themselves comfortable. She felt their mind quite keenly, though they were most definatly attempting to hide their presence from her.

She sighed. Only one person could do that, and that was the one person she really didn't want to see. Odette.

She put the gun away. No need for it. Odette probably knew she was there already anyways.

"Damned siren," she hissed, walking into the living room, where the siren had spread herself on the couch.

"Vous m'avez manqué. Admettez-le," Odette said, smirking. "You can't just enter the mind of a Master Illusionist and not expect to get caught."

"Master Illusionist? That's laughable," she replied. "If you were truly a master, I never would've gotten into your mind in the first place."

The siren merely shrugged. "Loose that stupid disguise...It doesn't suit you."

It was gone in an instant, she was glad to be rid of it.

"If you want insider intel, why don't you just ask next time?"

"Its more fun this way."

"But now I have an excuse to rat you out to the Allies..."

"But you won't, now will you?"

"Non. Savez-vous pourquoi?"

The vampire smiled. "Ja. I'd kill you if you did."

"Excatly."

"So, you're just going to sit back and watch your nation crumble?"

"I'm a lover not a fighter, dearest Abisthine. Unlike you, who's been trained since childhood to fight and be in battle."

Abisthine frowned. "So what if I've been trained to fight? At least I actaully do something for my country and have survived its many tribulations! Unlike you, who is France's uptenth guardian?"

"I've only been around since.....Around...Was it the seventeenth century?" she asked, tapping her lip. "I know I was the guardian for the War of the Austrian Succession."

"I ended up teaching you how to fight for that one and the Seven Years War. Neither of which you did much."

Odette sat up and glared at Abisthine. The vampire tilted her head to the side.

"You're pretending to be angry....Was wollen Sie?"

"Tu..."

"Verzeihen Sie mir?" Abisthine raised and eyebrow at the odd answer.

"You. I want you."

She laughed loudly. The siren frowned.

"I'm not an idiot, Odette," she said, still laughing. "You can't seduce me. I know what you plan to do."

"I begin to wonder if all that paranoia you attempted to give to Francis was also imprinted onto yourself," Odette said, her voice hinting at hurt.

"Oh! You were being serious?" she asked, now surprised.

"It wouldn't be the first time we've been together."

"Nein, but that was also the last time."

"But it was the only-"

"I plan to keep it that way. Now that we've discussed this...Get out of my house."

"Get out of my ally's nation then."

Odette had forgotten how quick Abisthine could move. Her face gave that away. One second she stood in the hall next she was leaning over the siren, fangs bared, poised to pounce and kill if she even moved. The beast-like growl that came from her throat and chest, made the hairs on her neck stand up.

Her heartbeat echoed in Abishtine's ears, loud and fast. That certainly got the adrenline pumping. "Are you threatening me?" she asked, still growling lowly.

Odette could only shake hear head. The vampire smiled. "Gut. You want me? How 'bout we make a deal?" she suggested, leaning away from the siren, smiling. "I believe we can come to some arragment....."

She nodded. "Of....Course...We..Can...."

Abisthine may not be able to seduce any person she wanted, but she could intimidate them to their breaking point. She moved to the chair oppisite the couch were the siren sat. Once seated, she crossed her legs and placed her hands on her knees. Her face still set in a dangerous smirk. A shiver crawled up the french guardian's spine. This meeting could put anything in either of their advantages.

 

She stretched her arms out the next morning. Dispite having promised herself she'd never touch the damned siren again, she found that it couldn't be helped if she wanted the guardian's assistance, which would be quite useful. Odette was very close to Lazarus, she could use that. In fact, Odette could be the very weapon that took him down in the near future if the need arose.

She smiled. All things considered. They were much better than anticipated. It'd should be reported back to Berlin, but she was too lazy to even call the damned spirit familiar to her room from where ever it had decieded to go. Not only that, but the apparment was quiet. Odette had left ealier, saying something about Francis and how he'd get worried by her long absence.

There was much more to it than that, but she was still too tired then to question it. Now she wished she did. Not that it mattered much. Its not like Odette would actually put her life in jepordy. She was the 'save your own skin' type. She also knew it would not be pleasent to die at Abisthine's hands.

All she had to do now was think of a way to get Lazarus out of the picture, by either getting him on her side aswell, which was unlikely, or put him out of commission, if only for a little while, or better yet, permenatly.

Author's Note

Enter! The conspiracy and plot twist...Now watch as I twist the plot twist farther later on!