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Post by Marie Legard on May 22, 2009 12:36:46 GMT -5
The trip had seemed to take forever, years at least, even though in truth it had only been a few days. I’d focused mostly on my embroidery and reading, speaking with Henri when the need for conversation took me, and I’d ignored Pierre nearly completely. He was of no more significance than our driver.
The traffic outside the carriage had increased and I took it as a sign that we were near the City. I put my embroidery away and looked out the window. I could see the white walls looming near and felt my heart race.
“Henri, look,” I said, pointing to the city walls and the mass of traffic congregated at the gate, waiting for permission to enter.
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Pierre Legard (D)
Deceased
Member of the Queen's Guard
Son of Phillipe and Henrietta Legard. Brother of Christophe, Marie and Henri Legard
Posts: 318
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Post by Pierre Legard (D) on May 22, 2009 15:09:20 GMT -5
Through most of the ride I slept, when ever I could I would nap, finding it easy to do so as if I had been deprived. It suited me fine as I had nothing to say to my siblings, as resentment boiled over in me each time I was reminded that I was coming here against my will. Henri and Marie kept to themselves for the most part and I was thankful for it, my sour mood did not bode well from good conversation. When Marie spoke, breaking the seemingly perpetual silence in the cab of the carriage I almost found myself grateful to be here. There was much more of a selection of women here in the City, most of the woman I was around in Camlach were simple, plain, and often quite boring. I'd bed two of the day maids from the house once, but that often seemed to breed issues between the very few staff we had and I couldn't be the cause of having to hire new people. It wasn't as if we could afford to trade in our small contingent of servants over my need to fornicate.
I hadn't said anything to my siblings about it... mostly because it wasn't any of their business... but I was hoping to make a few connections with some of the noble families in the city in prospect of finding a suitable wife. I may have not been titled but I had good Camaeline background, and I had managed to convince my superiors to get me a position in the palace guard. I expected to rise ranks and was aiming to become a Chevalier if I could prove myself, certainly there had to be a family with good money looking to marry off one of their many daughters. The thought made me smile to myself as the carriage swayed back and forth, slowing as we neared what was what I assumed were the City walls.
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Post by Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai on May 23, 2009 1:28:28 GMT -5
I had received a letter from my father. That in itself was a surprise. Not only did he respond to the invitation I sent for my union with Malabelle, but he said my siblings would attend. Even Pierre.
So on the appropriate day, I saddled up Kaffee. The palomino picked up on my nervousness, and I calmed myself before turning my attention to my mount as we waited at the West Gate. I waited patiently, passing some of the time chatting with the guards when they wandered over to ask why I was loitering. They promised to send my siblings over when they arrived. To them I was neither an adept nor an abomination, just a citizen. The anonymity was nice, considering what I was about to face in my older brother.
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Henri Legard
Citizen
Son of Phillipe and Henrietta Legard. Brother of Pierre, Marie, and Christophe Legard
Posts: 354
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Post by Henri Legard on May 26, 2009 11:11:52 GMT -5
I spent the remainder of what seemed an impossibly long and silent ride reading the poems in the book Marie had lent me and staring out the window as the scenery passed us by in jolted moving tableaux. But I could tell we were nearing the City, traffic picking up, buildings of a sturdier variety, closer together becoming more a part of the scenery than before. The arrival wa announced by Marie, causing me to perk up and lean forward to glance out the window, my body stiff from inaction. My eyes were wide, and my mouth was slightly agape as I peered out at the other carriages lined up before us and the great walls that surrounded our destination. A smile came to my lips and I chuckled in excitement.
"Finally, it's about time wouldn't you say?" I asked excitedly, looking from Marie to Pierre, who even seemed a little less dour at the announcement, and back out the window.
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Post by Marie Legard on May 26, 2009 12:31:26 GMT -5
“Absolutely,” I agreed with a grin.
We reached the line of carriages waiting to go through the gate, just one ahead of us now.
I leaned further out the window, wondering if I could see Christophe or if he was even here to greet us.
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Post by Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai on May 26, 2009 16:18:33 GMT -5
After my heart stopped in my chest at the mere sight of a dusty carriage the first four or five times, I settled in to wait a bit more patiently, hopping up to sit on the railing to which I had hitched Kaffee. My mind started to wander a bit as I waited, thinking about the wedding, and the impending birth for Soleil.
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Post by Marie Legard on May 26, 2009 23:13:54 GMT -5
We reached the gates and the driver spoke to the guards. I looked excitedly at Henri and was so caught up I even smiled at Pierre.
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Pierre Legard (D)
Deceased
Member of the Queen's Guard
Son of Phillipe and Henrietta Legard. Brother of Christophe, Marie and Henri Legard
Posts: 318
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Post by Pierre Legard (D) on May 27, 2009 15:00:23 GMT -5
Marie looked at me with such a grin that I thought I would laugh, the look on her face made her seem like a little girl. It was too bad we had to come to the City to have her smile like that. I didn't hate my sister of course, she was just too young to understand anything really, and it made the tension between us more palpable.
I smiled gently back to her, just a flicker before I turned to look out the window. There he was, waiting. He looked older, a little different at least, but he was Christophe alright, the same Christophe that had been my brother, the same that had come to the funeral of our Mother, the same that was ruinning our family's name by being a whore for pain and marrying a Shahrizai. I grumbled something to myself and then sat back. "There he is." I mumbled to myself but loud enough so that the other two would hear. They would spot him soon enough, it wasn't like I was helping to further this madness by being the one to see him first.
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Post by Marie Legard on May 27, 2009 16:05:08 GMT -5
Pierre smiled back at me and if I hadn’t been so filled with excitement I might have marveled at the miracle of it.
His words had me looking back outside again and in a heartbeat I’d sighted him too. Before I was aware of what I was doing, I’d opened the carriage door and jumped out. The street was busy with everyone going in and out of the gate, but I didn’t care. I ignored the cry of ‘Miss! Be careful!” from a guard and dashed across the distance to where Christophe was. I felt the close brush of a wagon wheel against my skirts but ignored that too.
“Christophe!” I cried, throwing myself the last couple of feet and trusting him to catch me.
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Post by Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai on May 27, 2009 17:11:49 GMT -5
A figure in skirts exploded from a carriage and raced towards me. My heart nearly stopped when she narrowly missed a wagon, but then she was free it and I jumped down from the hitching post. I caught her with only a twinge of pain - I was healing well finally - and hugged her to me as I laughed. "Hello sis."
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Pierre Legard (D)
Deceased
Member of the Queen's Guard
Son of Phillipe and Henrietta Legard. Brother of Christophe, Marie and Henri Legard
Posts: 318
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Post by Pierre Legard (D) on May 27, 2009 17:19:50 GMT -5
I gave an exasperated sigh as Marie burst though the door of the moving carriage, and shook my head as I glanced out the window. "Damn that girl." I muttered under my breath as I sat back in my seat. I would wait till it stopped to step out.
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Post by Marie Legard on May 27, 2009 22:56:02 GMT -5
I was smiling so wide my cheeks ached. “You’re here, you came to meet us!” I said, looking up at him.
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Post by Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai on May 28, 2009 0:12:59 GMT -5
"Of course I did, I didn't want you getting lost," I said with another laugh. "Look at you, all grown up. Bet Pierre is having a hell of a time keeping the boys off of you."
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Post by Marie Legard on May 28, 2009 0:18:07 GMT -5
I actually blushed under his compliment. “No,” I said. “He has scared them all off so that none of the local boys will even talk to me.”
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Post by Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai on May 28, 2009 0:27:26 GMT -5
"Then I'll just have to introduce you to some here," I said with a grin. I knew of all my siblings, Marie would be the one to enjoy the City the most. And I was going to do my damnedest to make sure she did.
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Post by Marie Legard on May 28, 2009 0:29:39 GMT -5
“Thank you,” I said, smiling wide again. I pulled him down to me and kissed his cheek.
“I missed you Christophe,” I said, sobering a little. “I thought you’d forgotten about us.”
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Post by Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai on May 28, 2009 1:41:14 GMT -5
"Of course not sis. I just didn't want you to get into any more trouble on my account," I said, looking earnestly into her eyes.
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Post by Marie Legard on May 28, 2009 13:14:23 GMT -5
“You didn’t answer my letters, and I thought you had just forgotten us,” I said. I shook my head slightly as if to clear thoughts and smiled wide again. “It doesn’t matter though, we’re here now. Even Pierre came, though only because he couldn’t think of a way to get out of it since I refused to let them keep me home.”
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Post by Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai on May 28, 2009 19:03:03 GMT -5
"No, it does matter," I said, my brows furrowing. "I never received any letters from you Marie. I wrote a couple of times before Pierre told me to stop. Did you get any of them?"
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Post by Marie Legard on May 28, 2009 19:06:37 GMT -5
My smile faded again. “No, I never got any letters from you,” I said. “And I wrote you every month after you came for Mama’s funeral. You didn’t get any of them?”
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Post by Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai on May 28, 2009 23:42:41 GMT -5
I shook my head. Pierre had a lot to answer for. "Well, I'm glad you wanted to come even without my letters," I said with a crooked smile. "You and Mala are going to get along great."
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Post by Marie Legard on May 29, 2009 12:31:55 GMT -5
“I hope so,” I said, not wanting to admit that I was worried that his fiancé wouldn’t like me.
I glanced over at the carriage. “I wonder what’s taking Pierre and Henri so long?” I asked.
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Henri Legard
Citizen
Son of Phillipe and Henrietta Legard. Brother of Pierre, Marie, and Christophe Legard
Posts: 354
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Post by Henri Legard on Jun 1, 2009 10:43:29 GMT -5
I waI glanced side-long at Pierre as he sighed and fell back against the carriage seat. I worried my hands together, rubbing them with one another, anticipation and excitement rising in me as I chafed at staying in the carriage.
I looked to Pierre, some time having passed and moved to open the door, but our carriage finally came next and passed through without much ado. Stopping inside the gate, I finally gave in and opened the carriage door, hopping out into the busy street, my eyes wide as I scanned the faces and carriages looking for Marie and Christophe.
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Post by Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai on Jun 1, 2009 11:49:40 GMT -5
I bit my tongue instead of answering her question with bitterness. Perhaps Pierre had changed, though I seriously doubted it from what Marie had already said.
The carriage that my sister had burst from had made it through the gate and had pulled to a stop nearby, and out came one of my brothers. It was... Henri. "Gods, you've both grown up," I commented to Marie, waiting for Henri to spot us with a wide grin on my face.
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Post by Marie Legard on Jun 1, 2009 12:05:22 GMT -5
“So have you,” I told Christophe with a wry grin as I raised my hand and waved to Henri. “You look like such a man now. And so…happy.”
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Post by Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai on Jun 1, 2009 13:26:06 GMT -5
"I didn't look like a man when I was home last?" I asked with a teasing smile, adjusting where my sword hung on my belt to be more comfortable. "I am happy now. I've found my place, and I am very much in love."
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Post by Marie Legard on Jun 1, 2009 15:15:46 GMT -5
I turned my gaze from Henri to look at Christophe again. I couldn't help but feel a stirring of jealousy at how happy and in love he was.
"I'm happy for you," I said, keeping my other feelings to myself.
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Henri Legard
Citizen
Son of Phillipe and Henrietta Legard. Brother of Pierre, Marie, and Christophe Legard
Posts: 354
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Post by Henri Legard on Jun 3, 2009 9:12:48 GMT -5
I sighted Marie, waving at me, standing with a man, and when I peered more intently I saw it to be Christophe. My lips widened into a smile as I ran full force towards them. I instantly embraced Christophe, wrapping my arms around him in a brotherly embrace, laughter on my lips.
"My Gods, Christophe! It is really you! It is, right?" I said with a laugh, disengaging and looking to Marie with a smile, then back to Christophe, hoping I had not interrupted, but too excited to have waited.
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Post by Christophe Legard nó Shahrizai on Jun 3, 2009 11:21:03 GMT -5
I hugged him in return, pounding on his back. "Last time I checked," I said with a laugh. "It's good to see you Henri."
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Henri Legard
Citizen
Son of Phillipe and Henrietta Legard. Brother of Pierre, Marie, and Christophe Legard
Posts: 354
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Post by Henri Legard on Jun 3, 2009 11:33:18 GMT -5
Giving him one last pat before separating I smiled.
"It is good to see you too Christophe. It has been far too long. Far too long," I murmured, lookin t the distance and thinking on the last time I had seen him. It was mother's funeral, and it was definitely not the best of times. I sighed but quickly returned t othe here and now, smiling full and broad yet again. "Congratulations, by the way!" I exclaimed.
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