Hélène de Troyes
Aristocrat
Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen; House de Troyes
Daughter of Jacques and Genevi?ve de Troyes, Lord and Lady of Troyes-le-Mont
Posts: 634
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Post by Hélène de Troyes on Jan 31, 2011 23:45:30 GMT -5
Seventh week of spring, year two of Queen Sabrina's reign
It was the day after Queen Sabrina's funeral, and I had escaped to the south gardens for some time to myself. It was so difficult to have my every tear suspected by the Commander. He thought I might have killed her, but all I wanted to do was grieve for the queen and lady I had lost. That we had all lost.
So I had lost myself in the gardens, and found a bench where I could cry.
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Post by Cygnus de Trevalion on Feb 1, 2011 0:15:06 GMT -5
I was doing my rounds once more, making sure to keep my eyes alert and not get bogged down by such a repetitive and mindless task. I still had to make sure nothing could go wrong, our people were in mourning and much too vulnerable. If we were to have another attack on our royalty, I knew our people's morale would be completely crumbled. It was already barely holding itself up. My ears pricked at the sound of weeping, but it seemed to be one I was getting accustomed to with the dark days we had ahead of us, regardless, I headed towards the noise to find a woman in solitude, hunched over, her tears spilling down her features and into her palms.
"My lady, why do you weep?" I asked, moving over towards her. I did not know if she wanted to be alone, and if she did I would respect that, for now, I kept my distance. "If something ails you, please let me know if there is a way I can ail it." Even though I was here to protect the castle, it seemed that our people needed more than soldiers. They needed sympathetic soldiers to cry on, people who shared their pain.
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Hélène de Troyes
Aristocrat
Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen; House de Troyes
Daughter of Jacques and Genevi?ve de Troyes, Lord and Lady of Troyes-le-Mont
Posts: 634
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Post by Hélène de Troyes on Feb 1, 2011 22:34:49 GMT -5
A voice startled me out of my tears, and I looked up blearily to a very nice face. He must have been extremely handsome, for me to notice in my state of grief. "Only if you can turn back time and dispose of a certain bottle of Namaresse red," I managed, wiping the tears away with a handkerchief even if more replaced them almost immediately. At least now I could see he was in the uniform of the palace guards, their force here increased after the assassination. It didn't make me feel any safer, for the only threat I felt came from their leader. "I'm sorry. The queen's... the queen's death hit me hard, is all."
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Post by Cygnus de Trevalion on Feb 2, 2011 2:06:32 GMT -5
A bottle of Namaresse red? A wine, I knew, but it held no particular significance to me, as I knew few specific details surrounding the queen's murder other than what i needed to know. I was sure when the time came, James would mouth it all off to me until I was sick to my stomach and force me to analyze it for hours, no matter how preposterous his theories were. But for that, he was a great general and he would surely cover all of his bases. "May I sit?" I asked, politely waiting before I sat next to her, sympathy written across my features. "I take it you were close to her?"
I grieved in my own way. I had never been a man to cry much, even for my fallen brethren, yet there was a hole aching in my chest from the events that had just occurred. It made me worry for my own life, but certainly moreso for my sisters. "All we can do is learn from this situation... there is nothing more we can do. And there is no reason to mourn alone, the whole country mourns with you," I said taking her hand in both of mine gingerly as I gave it a reassuring squeeze.
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Hélène de Troyes
Aristocrat
Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen; House de Troyes
Daughter of Jacques and Genevi?ve de Troyes, Lord and Lady of Troyes-le-Mont
Posts: 634
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Post by Hélène de Troyes on Feb 2, 2011 23:03:19 GMT -5
I nodded at his question, moving over so that he would have ample room to rest. "Yes. Well, as close as she would let anyone. She... she closed up a lot after Prince Alexei left." There was no sense keeping secrets now. It wouldn't save her, and it wasn't as if such knowledge would damage her reputation.
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Post by Cygnus de Trevalion on Feb 3, 2011 3:52:08 GMT -5
I never knew the queen well. I had lived in La Serenissima with my sisters for the greater majority of my life, then it was off to the army, yet even so, she was the monarch who represented this country that I loved and to think that anyone would wish ill of her made my heart ache. "I see," I remarked, leaning over to try a few trace tears rolling down her cheeks. I smiled softly. "This will pass, I assure you. Do not worry."
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Hélène de Troyes
Aristocrat
Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen; House de Troyes
Daughter of Jacques and Genevi?ve de Troyes, Lord and Lady of Troyes-le-Mont
Posts: 634
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Post by Hélène de Troyes on Feb 4, 2011 0:14:41 GMT -5
He had taken my hand, and now was wiping the tears gently from my cheeks. It was such an intimate gesture, especially from a stranger, but oddly enough I didn't mind. The anonymity leant it grace. "I suppose it will. But it's very hard not to become emotional," I confessed at a whisper, holding onto his hand as he held it in return.
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Post by Cygnus de Trevalion on Feb 6, 2011 16:17:50 GMT -5
"Indeed, these are turbulent times for everyone," I said with a gentle nod. I knew that I could not linger for long, after all, I still had my rounds to perform and if something happened under my watch, I would never be able to forgive myself. "Unfortunately, my lady, I am currently on duty. Mayhaps I can escort you back to the palace, unless you wouldn't mind going on a walk with me?" I asked with a raise of a brow. It wasn't exactly... professional but I did not want to leave her alone in her fragile state.
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Hélène de Troyes
Aristocrat
Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen; House de Troyes
Daughter of Jacques and Genevi?ve de Troyes, Lord and Lady of Troyes-le-Mont
Posts: 634
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Post by Hélène de Troyes on Feb 8, 2011 0:21:28 GMT -5
I shook my head. "I can't go back in their looking like this. Everyone is already on edge enough, they don't need me looking bedraggled," I whispered, knowing that I was probably looking a right fright at the current time. He didn't seem to mind though, and his presence was actually rather comforting... "You wouldn't mind?"
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Post by Cygnus de Trevalion on Feb 12, 2011 1:53:30 GMT -5
"No, of course not," I said, offering my arm to her, remembering my manners as a gentleman. "I'm sure a walk will do you wonders..." Not to mention a friendly face. It seemed that she had been through a lot and being the one who had the wine.... Elua, I could only imagine what would happen when James found out about this. I was just going to have to make sure I was there when that did happen. When she took my arm, I began to walk out to patrol the perimeter like before. "All will be well in time, I assure you."
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Hélène de Troyes
Aristocrat
Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen; House de Troyes
Daughter of Jacques and Genevi?ve de Troyes, Lord and Lady of Troyes-le-Mont
Posts: 634
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Post by Hélène de Troyes on Feb 12, 2011 16:56:19 GMT -5
I dried my eyes, hopefully for the last time today, and reached out to take his arm as I rose. We walked for a few minutes before he spoke again, and I appreciated the time to gather myself. "I hope so," I whispered. "But the future frightens me right now. I don't know what's going to happen."
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Post by Cygnus de Trevalion on Feb 23, 2011 23:56:18 GMT -5
"Well you cannot be afraid of the future, or you are merely afraid of something unknown, even if that something unknown is good." I nodded at her, offering her a gentle smile. "Whatever happens, even war, Terre d'ange is strong and I know personally that our general is one of the best the army has ever seen. We will make it through this, I assure you."
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Hélène de Troyes
Aristocrat
Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen; House de Troyes
Daughter of Jacques and Genevi?ve de Troyes, Lord and Lady of Troyes-le-Mont
Posts: 634
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Post by Hélène de Troyes on Feb 27, 2011 18:53:35 GMT -5
"It is not for Terre d'Ange that I fear. It is for my own neck. The general you speak of is out looking for the assassin. But he's not looking for suspects based on evidence. I am innocent, but I would also make the perfect scapegoat, he would only have to imagine a motive. I am not a powerful figure at court, or have powerful friends. The only person who could have saved me was just murdered." I shook my head, knowing my situation, should Jaime decide I was guilty, would be hopeless. "That is what I fear. Not the unknown, but being falsely labeled a murderer, and a traitor."
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Post by Cygnus de Trevalion on Mar 2, 2011 16:36:12 GMT -5
Oh James. No one knew him better than I and well, what she said was perfectly reasonable. There was nothing better to calm down a frantic country than a perfect scapegoat, which certainly she was, after having picked up the wine and being a lady in waiting herself. Even if she had not devised the plan, I was more than certain James would be able to come up with a motive. I moved over and gave her hand a squeeze, stopping a little in my tracks to do so. "I am that General's second in command, and unless I find you guilty as well, I promise you that no harm will befall you as long as I am living and breathing." And I meant every word. I was not only the second in command to the general, but a prince of the blood and I was sure I could at least keep the hounds off of her until more evidence was found.
"Until there is more to convict you, I will protect you. If nothing else, you are either a terribly good liar or a victim to this murderer as well." How would she have known that I was walking by? Surely if she had done such a crime she would not be crying for sport in an unpopulated area.
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Hélène de Troyes
Aristocrat
Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen; House de Troyes
Daughter of Jacques and Genevi?ve de Troyes, Lord and Lady of Troyes-le-Mont
Posts: 634
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Post by Hélène de Troyes on Mar 2, 2011 22:33:43 GMT -5
I was glad that he had stopped, for it meant that I didn't trip over my own feet in surprise, any last colour draining from my face. "Your the general's... oh Eisheth," I breathed. There was something about his presence that made it so easy to speak my mind, to confess my fears. But he wasn't just some nameless soldier. He had the ear of the most powerful man in the army, the man who would probably have me arrested. And not only that...
"Oh Elua," I said, sinking into a curtsy, as deep as I could with my hand still on his arm. "I'm terribly sorry your highness. I didn't recognize you. Please forgive me." A Prince of the Blood, promising his protection? Gods, it was more than I could possibly hope for. Maybe there truly were white knights in this world.
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Post by Cygnus de Trevalion on Mar 2, 2011 22:46:51 GMT -5
When she curtsied and apologized, I shook my head, placing a hand on her forearm to stop her from doing so. “Please, no formalities are necessary, I’ve been out of Terre d’Ange fighting wars long enough to not be recognized by many. It was an easy mistake” It had even been years since I had seen my own sisters for longer than fleeting moments as I rode with James wherever he gone, no matter where that foreign country might have been. Yes, perhaps now I was his second in command but that meant more than waving my power around, I had to make sure he didn’t jump to conclusions. As much I trusted his judgement on the battlefield, these were our own people’s innocence at stake.
I doubted that she even recognized me by my face. It was probably the fact that I had told her that I was second in command of the d’Angeline army, though I had no intention of even letting her know who I really was. It was unnecessary and I wanted her to feel comfortable around me instead of being careful of her every word, though it seemed she had figured out who I was by the simple hint I had dropped, which I had meant to reassure. It wasn’t as if everyone could put those two facts together so easily.
“Rest assured that we are going to have to question some, but it is only for good measure and the protection of our country that we do so. I will not allow any harm to befall you as long as that is all the evidence they have on you. It is not enough to convict you, I assure you.” She was so shaken, as I could only assume, just a person in the wrong place at the wrong time.
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Hélène de Troyes
Aristocrat
Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen; House de Troyes
Daughter of Jacques and Genevi?ve de Troyes, Lord and Lady of Troyes-le-Mont
Posts: 634
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Post by Hélène de Troyes on Mar 2, 2011 23:12:03 GMT -5
More and more relief filled me as I realized that maybe I wouldn't be the sacrifice in this witch-hunt. The way he worded it made it clear that if evidence came against me that I would no longer enjoy his protection, but there couldn't possibly be any, for I was innocent. More tears formed at the corners of my eyes, this time from the relief, and I tried to blink them away. One escaped and rolled down my cheek. "Thank you. That's all I could ask for," I whispered, wiping the tear away. "Thank you sir. Your words, your protection mean so much to me. I've been frightened since he questioned me the day of the attack."
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Post by Cygnus de Trevalion on Mar 6, 2011 15:03:11 GMT -5
I brushed a tear rolling down her cheek with my thumb as delicately as I possibly could. "There is no reason you should be afraid of your own people or those stationed here to protect you," I said softly, putting an arm around her shoulders to gently steady her as she cried, hoping that somehow that would keep the tears from flowing. "If nothing else, you should fear whoever has done this, whether it be our own or the devise of another country, but no, you are merely a victim form this crime as well. No harm shall befall you if indeed, you are truly innocent," I said with a gentle smile and pulled my arm away then as I continued on my patrol of the perimeter. "Well, ah, it seems you know my name, would you mind gracing me with yours, milady?" I was hoping in this way that I could at least change the subject to brighter things now that I had reassured her fully.
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Hélène de Troyes
Aristocrat
Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen; House de Troyes
Daughter of Jacques and Genevi?ve de Troyes, Lord and Lady of Troyes-le-Mont
Posts: 634
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Post by Hélène de Troyes on Mar 7, 2011 1:59:54 GMT -5
"I'm sorry my lord, I am Hélène de Troyes," I replied, feeling embarrassed for not having introduced myself without his prompting. I was just feeling so overwhelmed, and then this crashing relief when he offered his protection... Not only that, but he was being so kind and comforting. His arms were strong around me, his touch gentle. Not to mention the fact that he was handsome. It was enough to turn any girl's head.
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Post by Cygnus de Trevalion on Mar 20, 2011 5:21:12 GMT -5
"Do not apologize, I am sure there was much more on your mind that introducing yourself to a mere stranger, Mademoiselle Troyes," I said, giving her a nod as I released my arm from her gingerly, though I gave her one more reassuring squeeze as I did so. "Please do not allow this to trouble you anymore. With these events that have taken place recently I am more than certain we are going to need those loyal to the crown at our side." And with that phrase, I was hinting that I meant her, in a way to try and comfort and wrap up this situation.
"Are you feeling well enough for me to escort you back to the castle? There is a perimeter I have to run on the outskirts and it's hardly fitting for a lady in waiting to be out so far."
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Hélène de Troyes
Aristocrat
Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen; House de Troyes
Daughter of Jacques and Genevi?ve de Troyes, Lord and Lady of Troyes-le-Mont
Posts: 634
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Post by Hélène de Troyes on Mar 23, 2011 0:27:50 GMT -5
Those loyal to the crown at our side. I liked the thought of being at his side. More than I should have. Later it would scare me, like many of the men who I found attractive scared me. But there was something about him... he put me at ease, soothed me in a way that no one had ever soothed me, except for my older brother Éric.
"I am feeling better," I said, surprising myself with the words. What was even more surprising was that they were true. "Where might I find you?" Again I spoke without thinking, and I realized after the words were out of my mouth that I really wanted an excuse to see Cyngus again. "If... if I should need your highness's aid again." Not my best moment, stumbling to cover up my desire to see him again.
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Post by Cygnus de Trevalion on Mar 24, 2011 15:35:07 GMT -5
"I am glad you feel better," I said, flashing her a smile. I gave her shoulder a bit of a reassuring squeeze as I began to head in the direction of the castle that I might be able to continue my rounds at the outskirts of the perimeter. When she asked where she might find me, I chuckled simply. "Where am I not these days?" It had been a busy return to Terre d'Ange, especially with the circumstances that I had returned. I paused for a moment before responding.
"I am currently abiding with my sisters in a home they procured in the North Borough." Though I wasn't there very often, considering I was on duty all the time. "If not, I am likely to be wherever the General is, keeping him out of trouble," I chuckled the last part. "If you need me, I will try not to hide," I teased a little, though I knew it was a serious and grave matter for her, so I added. "If you ever need my whereabouts, General Valois-Burgundy is sure to know." And he wasn't hard to find, considering how much the queen needed him these days.
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Hélène de Troyes
Aristocrat
Lady-in-Waiting to the Queen; House de Troyes
Daughter of Jacques and Genevi?ve de Troyes, Lord and Lady of Troyes-le-Mont
Posts: 634
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Post by Hélène de Troyes on Mar 25, 2011 0:25:54 GMT -5
The day I asked the general for the time of day, much less the location of his second in command, was a long way off. I was still far to scared of him. I knew Cyngus meant for it to be comforting, and so I tried to smile, but I was also glad that he gave me a way to contact him that had nothing to do with the army. "I am glad to here that you're not prone to hide," I said, trying a light jest.
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