Prince Gratien de Somerville
Royal
His Highness the Comte d'Azur and Prince of the Blood; House Somerville
Married to Lola de las Aragonia. Brother of Azabel, Reese & Pierre de Somerville
Posts: 1,486
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Post by Prince Gratien de Somerville on Apr 9, 2008 13:11:12 GMT -5
2 Weeks After the fete
I was drunk, again. I'd been drunk every day, every moment since that night. The night I had broken off my courtship to Juliette.
I had kicked Reese out of the house, banned forever as far as I was concerned.
And now I was drunk, drunk and wandering Elua knew where. A half empty brandy bottle swung from my hand as I walked down the road to obvilion.
Reese, that man had spun me worse then not being with Julie. He spun me like a spool of thread, binding me and twisting me. Here I was, doing the very thing I had chided him over, drinking, whoring about. I was becoming just as bad as he, and in less then a fortnight no less!
I looked up for a moment looking at the estate's I was near. Was I? Was that? I was! Julie's town house was no more then a five minute walk from here. I took another slug of brandy and took a bit of a quicker pace. The darkness did not lend well to my midnight stroll and I tripped more then a few times.
My knees felt raw and were surely bruised, but I ignored them and continued walking in the direction of Juliette.
Elua, was she even home? Had she even returned from the country side? I didn't care, I would go either way and make my sentiments known.
Upon reaching the entrance to her town house I sighed leaning my arm against the locked gates.
Of course they're locked you damned fool! My head leaned against the bars and I brought the bottle to my lips taking another drink. Slowly I leaned back, my hand gripping a single bar.
"Juliette!" I called out hanging off the bar like a lout. "Juliette!" I laughed openly, my fingers loosing their grip. I fell back onto the rough ground making a whoop of laughter as I did. "Juliette." I chuckled softly laying on the dirt floor. I sat up and took another drink.
"Ju..lie!" I sang song her name. "Julie!" I burst out. I crawled over to gate and leaned against it taking another long drink of brandy.
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Post by Juliette L'Envers de Montegue on Apr 9, 2008 15:54:49 GMT -5
It was my first night back in the City since the hunt fête. I had returned a week later than expected, two weeks after the hunt fête. Still it felt too soon, but there was yet another fête coming up, this time for Beltane. I had promised I would be there, and had several things I had to do before it rolled around. Get a gown for one thing. I had nothing that I could think of wearing. All my best gowns were wrapped with memories of Gratien. I couldn’t wear them.
I hadn’t been able to sleep, not a surprise, so I had wrapped myself in a blanket and sat in front of the fire thinking. I had been doing a lot of that lately. Less crying, and no more suicidal thoughts. Just thinking about Gratien and Reese, and what I wanted.
When I heard my name, I thought that I had finally lost my mind. Then I rose and went to the window, and saw Gratien by the light of the lamp at the gate. He was lying in the dirt, calling my name and giggling. Dear gods.
I hurried downstairs, wrapping my housecoat around me. I closed the door quietly behind me, then went down path to the gate. I could smell the alcohol as I drew closer.
“What are you doing here Gratien?"
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Prince Gratien de Somerville
Royal
His Highness the Comte d'Azur and Prince of the Blood; House Somerville
Married to Lola de las Aragonia. Brother of Azabel, Reese & Pierre de Somerville
Posts: 1,486
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Post by Prince Gratien de Somerville on Apr 9, 2008 16:11:52 GMT -5
I heard Julie's voice and started slightly turning against the bars of the gate to look at her. "Julie?" I exclaimed. "You're here!"
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Post by Juliette L'Envers de Montegue on Apr 9, 2008 17:36:37 GMT -5
"Keep your voice down," I told him. As much as it pained me to see him, the last thing I wanted was for him to wake the neighbours.
"Why are you here Gratien?" I asked, keeping out of arm's reach. I looked at him, pressed against the bars of the gate, completely pitiful in his drunken state. I might have had more sympathy for him if my heart didn't hurt at the thought what he had done.
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Prince Gratien de Somerville
Royal
His Highness the Comte d'Azur and Prince of the Blood; House Somerville
Married to Lola de las Aragonia. Brother of Azabel, Reese & Pierre de Somerville
Posts: 1,486
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Post by Prince Gratien de Somerville on Apr 9, 2008 18:12:05 GMT -5
I turned and shifted slowly to my knees. "I'm here for you." I said softly pressing my face between the bars, one hand hanging onto the bar as I swayed slightly. "I've come for you."
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Post by Juliette L'Envers de Montegue on Apr 9, 2008 23:51:09 GMT -5
Why was he doing this? Did he still love me, like I hadn’t let myself believe before? Or was it just the liquor, scrambling his brain? I had so many questions, and so few answers. And from the look of him, I would have little luck getting anything coherent from him.
“You left me,” I reminded him, voice wavering. “You told me that we weren’t going to work. That we should quit fooling ourselves.”
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Prince Gratien de Somerville
Royal
His Highness the Comte d'Azur and Prince of the Blood; House Somerville
Married to Lola de las Aragonia. Brother of Azabel, Reese & Pierre de Somerville
Posts: 1,486
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Post by Prince Gratien de Somerville on Apr 10, 2008 14:47:15 GMT -5
I pressed my forehead to the bars and scrunched my face in a sour look as I stared up at her. "I'm an idiot Julie." I said softly tears coming unbidden. "I...I never should have done that." I reached up and ran the back of my hand under my nose.
"Please, forgive me." I dropped the bottle I was drinking from, not on purpose mind you, more because I couldn't hold onto it anymore.
"I just want to be with you, I'm nothing without you."
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Post by Juliette L'Envers de Montegue on Apr 10, 2008 18:43:34 GMT -5
Something inside me broke once more. Tears sprang to my eyes as pain lanced though my chest. I clutched at my housecoat, staying upright through sheer force of will.
“Don’t do this to me Gratien,” I whispered brokenly. “Don’t come to me drunk and tell me you want me back. Do you have any idea what I almost did because of you?”
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Prince Gratien de Somerville
Royal
His Highness the Comte d'Azur and Prince of the Blood; House Somerville
Married to Lola de las Aragonia. Brother of Azabel, Reese & Pierre de Somerville
Posts: 1,486
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Post by Prince Gratien de Somerville on Apr 10, 2008 18:46:37 GMT -5
I stared up at her thinking about what she said. "Do you have any idea what I almost did because of you?” I shot up standing in a flash, though it may have been slower then I really was. "What did you do?" I asked concerned for what had happened.
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Post by Juliette L'Envers de Montegue on Apr 10, 2008 19:14:11 GMT -5
He stood up, faster than I would have expected, causing me to take a step back on my week knees. Damn it, I had been so jumpy lately, something I blamed on lack of any decent sleep.
“Never mind,” I said, holding my left arm to my body as I refused to meet his eye. “I don’t want to talk about it.”
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Prince Gratien de Somerville
Royal
His Highness the Comte d'Azur and Prince of the Blood; House Somerville
Married to Lola de las Aragonia. Brother of Azabel, Reese & Pierre de Somerville
Posts: 1,486
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Post by Prince Gratien de Somerville on Apr 10, 2008 19:22:15 GMT -5
It either had to do with Reese of something she had done to herself. She didn't look guilty, so it had to be something she did to herself. "Gods damn it Juliette," I palms came down apon the gate and it shook with the force of impact. "What did you do?" I was practically sobbing in fear that I had drove her to madness.
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Post by Juliette L'Envers de Montegue on Apr 11, 2008 15:23:21 GMT -5
I started when his hands came crashing down on the gate, my anger flaring in the face of his. “I love you, you bastard. I have loved you for years,” I said, voice shaking with emotion. I advanced until we were eye to eye and I could glare at him. “And you threw me away without a single word of explanation. I had to ask Reese why you left me. Do you have any idea how absolutely humiliating that was?” I jabbed him in the chest with a finger through the bars of the gate. I hadn’t realized how angry I was at him until this moment. But now I was furious. “What do you think I did?”
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Prince Gratien de Somerville
Royal
His Highness the Comte d'Azur and Prince of the Blood; House Somerville
Married to Lola de las Aragonia. Brother of Azabel, Reese & Pierre de Somerville
Posts: 1,486
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Post by Prince Gratien de Somerville on Apr 11, 2008 15:39:06 GMT -5
I watched her, the fury in her, the threat of breaking in her voice. I had to work hard to not sob at her words. I reached up and brushed my thumb over her cheek.
"Julie." I whispered. I ignored the thought about Reese and what had happened between them, though I was curious. "I'm so sorry my love. I'm an idiot, please let me make it right."
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Post by Juliette L'Envers de Montegue on Apr 13, 2008 1:02:36 GMT -5
“This is the second time you’ve done this to me Gratien,” I replied, still angry but crumbling before his sad blue eyes. “The second time in as many weeks. Both times I blamed myself.” My voice finally broke and I started to cry, shaking as I tried to contain the sobs. He was the only one who ever called me Julie, and it was like a punch in the gut to hear it again. The emotion it evoked was too strong to stay even indifferent to.
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Prince Gratien de Somerville
Royal
His Highness the Comte d'Azur and Prince of the Blood; House Somerville
Married to Lola de las Aragonia. Brother of Azabel, Reese & Pierre de Somerville
Posts: 1,486
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Post by Prince Gratien de Somerville on Apr 13, 2008 19:09:46 GMT -5
I reached out and caressed her cheek, my fingers catching the falling tears. "Please don't cry my love." I said softly. "I'm trying to make it right."
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Post by Juliette L'Envers de Montegue on Apr 14, 2008 12:18:36 GMT -5
Once the tears started, they weren't going to stop, no matter how much he asked. "By coming here drunk?" I asked miserably.
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Prince Gratien de Somerville
Royal
His Highness the Comte d'Azur and Prince of the Blood; House Somerville
Married to Lola de las Aragonia. Brother of Azabel, Reese & Pierre de Somerville
Posts: 1,486
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Post by Prince Gratien de Somerville on Apr 14, 2008 17:47:26 GMT -5
I exhaled deeply and let my arm fall from her cheek, my head pressed against the bars. "I didn't think you'd be here." I replied softly then looked up at her.
"Tell me its over Julie, tell me that I made the right decision by ending our courtship and I will leave...if thats what you want." I looked up at her wondering what she would say.
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Post by Juliette L'Envers de Montegue on Apr 14, 2008 18:07:41 GMT -5
"What I want is for you to come back tomorrow, looking human, with a promise that you'll actually talk to me," I told him through the tears. "I don't want this to be over, but we have to be honest with one another to make this work."
My hand went to where his was resting against the cold bars. "If I can't trust you, it doesn't matter how much I love you." I had to bite my lip to hold in the fresh sobs.
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Prince Gratien de Somerville
Royal
His Highness the Comte d'Azur and Prince of the Blood; House Somerville
Married to Lola de las Aragonia. Brother of Azabel, Reese & Pierre de Somerville
Posts: 1,486
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Post by Prince Gratien de Somerville on Apr 14, 2008 19:31:48 GMT -5
I reached through the bars and cupped the back of her head. "Tell me you love me." I said looking deep into her eyes. "Tell me that you want to marry me, tell me that you don't want anything to do with Reese, that theres nothing there."
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Post by Juliette L'Envers de Montegue on Apr 15, 2008 21:28:44 GMT -5
Irrational fear spiked through me at the feel of his hand at the base of my skull. My hand went to his, pulling it away. “Please don’t hold me like that,” I whispered, closing my eyes against the memories the sensation stirred up. I took in a deep breath, holding his hand with both of mine.
“I’m sorry, it makes me feel helpless,” I told him, opening my eyes once more to meet his penetrating gaze. I looked at him with complete honesty. “Gratien, I do love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. But I’m only human.”
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Prince Gratien de Somerville
Royal
His Highness the Comte d'Azur and Prince of the Blood; House Somerville
Married to Lola de las Aragonia. Brother of Azabel, Reese & Pierre de Somerville
Posts: 1,486
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Post by Prince Gratien de Somerville on Apr 16, 2008 13:46:41 GMT -5
There was something in the pit of my stomach that knew this wasn't going to work out. I loved Julie, every much. But I wondered if we were soul mates or simply two people who loved each other. I looked up at Julie and gazed into her eyes searching for answers.
"May be we should start over." I said pulling back from the bars and rubbing my hand over my upper arm. I was beginning to sober and my reasons for coming here were starting to become less reasonable. "I made a mistake," I said softly. "I've done this all wrong and I just keep messing it up." I looked up at Julie.
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Post by Juliette L'Envers de Montegue on Apr 16, 2008 20:23:30 GMT -5
He looked at me as if to memorize every detail, and I had a sudden presage that he wasn’t going to come back to me. That once he sobered up, his pride would keep him from me. I prayed it wasn’t true, even as I resigned myself to the knowledge that he was going to have to figure this out for himself. Either he was willing to tell me what he was feeling, or this was not going to work. I refused to let him blindside me again like that.
“Then come back tomorrow,” I told him reasonably, trying to hide the hurt I felt when he pulled away. He was obviously still sore over Reese, but both brothers were equally as guilty. “And we can start again. Can you make it home?”
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Prince Gratien de Somerville
Royal
His Highness the Comte d'Azur and Prince of the Blood; House Somerville
Married to Lola de las Aragonia. Brother of Azabel, Reese & Pierre de Somerville
Posts: 1,486
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Post by Prince Gratien de Somerville on Apr 16, 2008 20:29:35 GMT -5
I stepped back from the bars completely looking at my feet that back at her. "Yes, I can find myself home." I said, my tone defeated and tired. I looked back at Julie and sighed.
"I'm sorry, I bothered you. Have a good evening." My voice wias soft and neither upset not happy.
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Post by Juliette L'Envers de Montegue on Apr 19, 2008 0:38:29 GMT -5
He spoke in monotone, and I felt my heart sink even further in my breast. I felt that somehow this should be my fault. But it wasn't. I had to keep telling myself that.
"Good night," I replied, watching as he moved further from me. Please come back tomorrow Gratien. Please.
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Prince Gratien de Somerville
Royal
His Highness the Comte d'Azur and Prince of the Blood; House Somerville
Married to Lola de las Aragonia. Brother of Azabel, Reese & Pierre de Somerville
Posts: 1,486
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Post by Prince Gratien de Somerville on Apr 19, 2008 16:39:48 GMT -5
I turned and walked away stumbling slightly as I did, my steps trying to hurry me as best they could.
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