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Hungarian Nocturne - Ch. 47

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WARNING/Disclaimer: Please refer to earlier chapters : )

NOTE: Sorry for the long wait - busy times plague me.


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*Scene opens to Liszt pacing back and forth in front of a closed door, looking distraught, worried, and on the verge of panic*

*Every once in a while, he pauses to stare at the door*

*Nibbling on his downer lip, he sits down onto a chair, putting his head into his hands, sighing loudly and trying to calm himself*


Delacroix Narration: Marie had gone into labour early – much earlier than they expected.


The day began normally enough. Breakfast passed without any significant events except for a minor food fight between the father and the daughter, who both got an earful of scolding from the Comtesse, whose belly protruded quite notably. The morning was spent inside with Marie knitting a small vest for Blandine, and Liszt sitting in front of the piano attempting to teach his young child one of his compositions, which turned out to be, obviously, pointless as there weren’t even many fully grown pianists who could play his pieces anyhow.

Blandine ended up having a blast from simply slapping her small hands onto the keys.

Lunch was more extravagant than breakfast. A wide range of assortments of vegetables and fruits adorned the table – a feast for the eye as well as the stomach – and long, pleasant conversations went well into the afternoon.

Before dinner, Blandine painted a picture of her father playing away on the piano lost in ecstasy, to the absolute delight of the Hungarian – and perhaps the dismay of the servants of the house as more paint landed on the carpet rather than the canvas – , and Marie knitted more, smiling at her happy little family.

Dinner was another beautiful showcase of the many delectable cuisine Lake Como had to offer. The three had chosen to dine outside in the cooling air, illuminated by many candles and the setting sun. Liszt had to get up from his comfortable seat many times to run after Blandine who'd wandered off from the table to seek curious plants, small animals, and objects glittering in the dark, with Marie chuckling and shaking her head with a content smile on her lips.

However, the peaceful day came to an end when, not an hour after the outdoor meal, Marie, with a shocked and pale face, screamed at her lover to fetch a physician from the living room.

Liszt, who had been working on a project by the piano, almost jumped out of his skin at the sharp, terrified shout coming from the room not far from where he was.


They had an evening of yelling and freaking about like headless chickens before the doctor finally arrived.


Liszt shuddered as he thought back to those events; he thought he’d be used to it, or at least more prepared, as they already had a child.

Blandine was quickly tucked into bed after much crying on her behalf to see her mother so distressed, but calmed to some extent after her father repeatedly offered comforting words – some counseling himself – and had fallen into fretful sleep under Julia’s watchful eyes.


The door swung open, and a maid rushed out, carrying a piece of cloth.

…and there was blood.

Liszt immediately blanched.



Liszt: *Jumps from his seat and rushes towards the maid, catching her arm, voice nervous and shaky* Is-Is she alright? *Looks at the dyed-cloth with worried eyes*

Maid: *Respectfully takes her arm back, notes Liszt eyeing the red cloth, replies in a quick tone* She is bleeding slightly, but the doctor said it is normal and not something to feel concerned about. I must go fetch hot water, signore. *Turns on her heels abruptly with a curt bow*

Liszt: *Opens his mouth to inquire more, but could only watch as the girl runs off* *Face remains pale and clammy, walks backwards and plops down onto the chair*


Not knowing what to do, he got up once more and started to paced. He wasn’t as nervous as the first time Marie had given birth to his child –a rather embarrassing episode as he had insisted upon staying with his mistress, which led to swooning and fainting on his behalf when things became a little too overwhelming – but the current situation was still playing with his nerves.

It wasn’t his fault; he knew nothing of how birth worked! He bit his lips. He had never faced such stressful and frightening situations before!

Hearing the maid return, he looked up; his eyes followed the young woman as she nodded her head at him before disappearing behind doors leading to the room Marie currently occupied.

Why is it taking so long?! He wondered, an anxious frown marking his expression.

The longer he stared at the door, the closer it appeared to his eyes. He was tempted to place one of his ears against its surface to pick up any clues as to what was happening. The door knob was polished and shiny. He bit his lips as his fingers fidgeted.

They itched to grasp onto the knob.

Liszt tore his gaze away, turning around to face the other end of the hall. He took deep breaths, trying to convince himself that it was for calming purposes, but, in truth, he was trying to quell his rising curiosity.

He knew feeling curious was probably not appropriate given the circumstances. His Comtesse was very possibly undergoing pain and straining her last strength to bring a life into the world, and here he was, feeling jumpy on his feet over many wandering thoughts.

He was…He was worried, that’s all!

He nodded.

Yes, that was it!

Groaning under his breath, he gave up trying to resist the urge to see for himself what was behind closed doors, and, with large strides and an eager mind, opened the way to satisfy his curio-…worry.

Liszt, though it was not his intention, made a rather impressive entrance as he almost threw open the doors and looked in with large eyes and slightly tousled hair, the top of his shirt unbuttoned with his vest completely undone.

The doctor and helping maids looked up, jolting a little out of surprise at the sudden unexpected entry from the Hungarian. Marie shifted a little, and gave him a weak, tired smile.



Liszt: *Immediately rushes to Marie’s side* Comtesse—

Marie: *Holds up one of her pale hands, smile a little brighter* You still insist on calling me that, silly Hungarian.

Liszt: *Gives a small, worried but encouraging smile in return, voice soft* You know of how stubborn I can be.

Marie: *Laughs a little breathily, eyes looking lovingly into Liszt’s* *Squeezes her hand slightly against Liszt’s*

Liszt: *His own hold on Marie’s hand tightens a little* How are you feeling?

Marie: *Closes her eyes and makes a pouty face* I feel extremely uncomfortable; I can barely wait till I am once again one person instead of two.

Liszt: *Laughs a little, leaning forward and kissing Marie’s forehead* You look beautiful, my sweet Comtesse.

Marie: Oh hush, don’t patronize the situation. *Pouts more*

Liszt: *Leans back from the kiss, eyes deep and sincere* I’m not, Marie. It’s true.

Marie: *Turns her face fully towards Liszt, a little surprised* *Blinks a little* …Franz…


It was true.

Marie’s silky, blond curls were spread out on the pillows under her, radiant but soft under warm candle light. A few strands framed her face, plastered against her cheeks and her long, swan-like neck as sweat left her skin gleaming and moist. Her sparkling eyes seemed to glow with life, complimented and emphasized by her flushed state – a rosy hue evenly applied to her usually pale, marble-like complexion, adding gentility the usually cool woman did not exhibit.

Liszt’s heart fluttered, and his hand not held by his lover's reached forward and cupped around her cheek in a loving caress.



Liszt: *Gives Marie another smile* You’re doing great.

Marie: *Chuckles a little, amused and slightly teasing* What would you know about that, monsieur?

Liszt: *Laughs, looking a little sheepish* I-I suppose you are right.

Marie: *Looks about to chuckle a bit more, but suddenly winces in pain*

Liszt: *Jolts in alarm* M-Marie?

Doctor: *Clears his throat, voice a little snappy* I hate to intrude, but please, signore, stand aside and allow me to do what I was called here to do. *Waiting patiently for Liszt to move, yet clearly not amused and a little annoyed*

Liszt: Oh, yes. *Squeezes Marie’s hand once more in encouragement before leaning away* I’m apologize.

Doctor: *Shakes his head a little in dismissal, but does not reply* *Attends to Marie* Alright, signora, we will try once again.

Marie: *Nods, taking a deep breath*

Doctor: *Supports her back and torso, nodding to one of the maids* Support her other side.

Maid: *Rushes forth and mirrors the doctor’s posture*


Marie’s eyebrows furrowed in concentration, and her cheeks reddened immensely more so as she began to push. Liszt could not quite see what exactly was being done as the doctor blocked his view; the way Marie bit on her lips made him wince – it looked quite painful, but he assumed it shouldn’t be his primary concern at the moment.

His fingers curled into his palm, and, as he watched his mistress clench her muscles, beads of sweat trailing down her face from her forehead, his own fists tightened.

Suddenly Marie gave a spasm and a sharp yelp of agony. Her eyes squeezing shut as she quickly muffled her sudden cry.

Head snapping up in fright and compounding worry, Liszt could not decide whether he wanted to see what had caused the suddenly shout or remain where he was as to not get in the way of things.

The doctor called at the maids and gave quick instructions in a somewhat urgent, but leveled voice –
“this is taking longer than normal…” –, and the Hungarian’s heart froze, along with the rest of his body as they became rigid with anxiety.

He knew neither the severity of the situation nor if the doctor had everything under control – it was hard to tell with the grumpy, quick-tempered one.


Oh how helpless and useless he felt!


He could do nothing to ease the way Marie bit her jaws to silence her groans of great discomfort.

A maid, looking quite young and inexperienced with such an ordeal as helping another in labour, was quite pale in the face as the doctor snatched a clean wash-cloth soaked in hot water from her shaky hands. Liszt felt a little bad for the poor girl, who looked like she could use a cup of herbal tea and sit down to calm her heart.

That thought was short-lived as, with a bellowed voice – Liszt had failed to react to previous calls –, the physician hard at work turned fervent eyes to the Hungarian.



Doctor: *A little hot-tempered* Since you’re here you might as well make yourself of use!

Liszt: *Straightens his back eagerly, though a little confused and fretful* Y-Yes? What do I do?

Doctor: *Continues to rub at something to clean it* You know how to boil water, no?

Liszt: *Looks a little offended* Of-Of course I do!

Doctor: Good! *Picks up something from the bed and throws it at Liszt* When the water is boiling, put this into the pot and stir—

Liszt: *Jumps and almost fails to catch the flying object*

Doctor: *Snaps his head back around to face Marie, but continues to address Liszt* -you might need more than one pot; when the water runs clear, allow it to simmer for a good five minutes.

Liszt: *Looks up, eyes wide* W-Why?

Doctor: *Annoyed* My family’s been in medicine and aiding women giving birth far longer than how long you’ve lived, signore! Go clean the damned cloth!

Liszt: *Jumps at the sharp tone* Ahh-hh, y-yes!


He looked down at what he caught in his hand, and all blood drained from his face.

The cloth was wet; his fingers clenched a little, and the fabric made disgusting, squishy sounds.

His eyes widened.

It was red, but parts of it appeared to be diluted by other unknown fluids that Liszt did not recognize and knew was not normally secreted from the human body regularly.

A wave of metallic smell and bizarre scent reached his nose full blast of a discordant combination, and suddenly, the air grew thin.


His head suddenly felt extremely heavy, and the last thing he saw was the ceiling before everything turned dark.



*Liszt, eyes rolling towards the back of his head, plops down unconscious like a potato sack onto the wooden floor in a loud thud of flailing limps*


*Doctor and maids jump at the abrupt loud sound, snapping their heads around to see with saucer eyes, shocked and in disbelief*


*Marie, alarmed and fearing the worse, pushes herself up to a sitting position, eyes round*


*Scene shows Liszt lying on the ground, unmoving and unaware*


Marie: *Rolls her eyes* …Oh for Pete’s sakes- *Falls back onto the pillows* …men…*wipes her face with a hand, exasperated*


*Scene fades away to the doctor directing the maids to move Liszt off from the ground as Marie watches with an unimpressed expression on her flushed face*


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Franz Liszt felt rather comfortable.

He knew not where he was, nor what he was doing. No thoughts disturbed his peaceful mind, and he felt as though he was in an emotional stupor – a pleasant one that was warm and welcoming.

His lips twitched a little into a small smile; his fingers curled a little, and a thought danced across his restful consciousness lazily.


Soft…


…Soft…?


Confusion broke through his momentary freedom from emotions, and his eyebrows furrowed a little. His eyelids felt extremely heavy, and it took a while for him to finally blink them open.

The room was dark, but he quickly recognized it as the master bedroom. He was not on the bed, but resting on the couch. His fingers idly felt around – there were bed sheets placed under him – and, pushing onto elbows, he noticed a blanket on top of him as well.

He watched in fascination as he wiggled his toes, the tents his feet made under the blanket moving along. Sometimes it was strange to think of how easily one can control his body – he pulled up one of his knees – and how easily one can also lose that control.



“You’re awake.”


A whisper reached his ears, and his head tilted automatically to the direction of the sound.

Marie sat on the bed, leaning and almost draping herself over many pillows propping her somewhat upright. Her hair was tied back in a lose bun, and a few curls adorned her face, still a little red, but no longer flushed. A permanent, lovingly proud smile elevated her radiance with more glow and peaceful sublimity as her bright eyes twinkled.

She held a small bundle in her arms.

Liszt’s eyes widened, and immediately pushed off from the sofa and rushed to the bedside.

Marie carefully changed her position as to not disturb what she held with utmost care and love, and, smile widening and sparkling eyes watching Liszt’s expression almost playfully, bid Liszt closer.

The Hungarian complied without question. Leaning closer, his eyes widened ever so slightly, and a breath was stolen.


Wrapped within the small bundle was his child.


Liszt could not tear his eyes away – such a fragile little baby – and a sense of fatherly protection swelled in his heart so quickly he felt his eyes moisten.



Liszt: *Watching the baby, lips slightly apart, eyes unblinking in a moment of blissful surprise* *Whispers* …how strongly my heart beats within my chest…

Marie: *Bright smile unwavering, leans forward and places her forehead against Liszt’s* Her heart beats equally as strong, Franz; the doctor said she is very healthy.

Liszt: *Nods quickly, tries to discreetly rub his eyes* That’s-That’s wonderful, truly wonderful. *Scoots to sit on the bed, reaching forward and gently caresses the sleeping baby’s cheek with the backs of his fingers*


*The baby squirms a little, letting out a soft whine, but remains asleep*


Liszt: *Chuckles in amusement, eyes beaming with joy* She looks very different from when Blandine was born.

Marie: *Hums softly in agreement* Blandine was chubbier; Cosima is such a delicate little thing.

Liszt: *Eyes soften, a small, content smile tugging at his lips* …Cosima…you made such a hassle with your arrival into this world; you are a little trouble-maker, aren’t you? *Taps Cosima’s nose lightly*

Cosima: *Jolts a little in fright, awoken, opens her eyes, blinking a few times, looking in the general direction of her father* *Expression suddenly changes as her lips part in a grimace* *Starts to cry in squeals of displeasure at being woken up*

Marie: *Gasps a little* Oh Franz, now look what you’ve done. *Chides Liszt a little*

Liszt: *Looks devastated* She-She started to cry when she saw me!

Marie: *Cooing at the baby and rocking her gentle* *Rolls her eyes at Liszt* Oh come now, Franz, you practically attacked her poor little nose! Besides, the doctor said little ones do not properly see till later on, so to her, you could’ve looked like a big, frightening blob!

Liszt: *Pouts* Then I want to be a big, handsome frightening blob!

Marie: *Muffles her giggles* Oh, you silly man! *Gives Liszt a pointed look but appears amused*

Cosima: *Quiets down and drifts back to sleep*

Marie: *Sighs happily* *Turns her eyes back to Liszt* Now, no more nose-tapping till she’s old enough to understand it as an affectionate gesture; we do not want her to have the notion that we’re abusing her, understand?

Liszt: *Mumbles under his breath, but nods* Then…at least allow me to hold her…? *Looks pitifully at Marie*

Marie: *Laughs a little* Oh stop! You’ll make me feel bad. *Tilts her face and pecks Liszt on the lips* Here you go. *Holds Cosima towards Liszt*

Liszt: *Carefully takes the bundle* *Settling Cosima in his arms, eyes gazing affectionately* *Voice light* …She’s beautiful…

Marie: *Smiles* She’s still a little red and thin.

Liszt: *Shakes his head* No, she’s perfect.

Marie: *Blinks a little before another warm smile lights up her face* *Wrapping one of her arms around Liszt’s shoulders, leans close against the Hungarian* You’re right. She is.

Liszt: *Hums, giving Marie a small nudge* We make beautiful children, Comtesse! We should have another!

Marie: *Leans away, eyes round* You want another child after tonight’s ordeal?! If my memory serves me correct, you fainted on both occasions of our children being born!

Liszt: *Looks away, cheeks flushing scarlet, embarrassed* *Mumbles* I was-I was just worried…

Marie: *Laughs good-naturedly* *Pulling Liszt close and pecking his cheek* We will see about another child, my handsome Hungarian, we will see.

Liszt: *Nods, smile returning to his face, turns his head and catches Marie’s lips in a kiss*


*Scene fades away to Liszt and Marie, lips locked, as Liszt holds the sleeping child safely in his arms, soft shadows dancing behind them as the candlelight flickers*


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LINKS:

Prologue: [link]

Chapter Forty-Six: [link]


Chapter Forty-Eight: [link]


Chopin returns next chapter with a big nasty surprise! =D -which means the next chapter will be rather dark and dreary with a healthy dose of tears and words being screamed back and forth.

I'm having a hard time writing; I'm not very sure why. I think it will go away soon, as the trasition in HN is approaching an end and, with the arrival of the next major section, my muse should return. : )

Franz will be returning to Paris soon to find his Chopinetto not quite the same as before he left - I know I said this a few chapters ago, but this time it is true! :XD:
© 2009 - 2024 Waterfiish
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Deistainte's avatar
Oh my, this chapter had me beaming for various reasons all the way through. What a sweet father Liszt makes, yet such a typical man :D That doctor was quite the character too. What is the term used, stoic? Ah, either way, I enjoyed his small part. You have the lovely ability to bring humour into a situation without making it to silly, or leaving things to dull and serious for that matter.

I must apologize for my abscence! I had been fervently studying for school exams the past few weeks and just now have had the opportunity to finally get back to DA and read your beautiful works of literary art. Forgive me while I catch up. :bow: