Manon nó Courcel
Adept
Valerian House
Personal Courtesan of Prince Delauney de la Courcel
Posts: 285
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Post by Manon nó Courcel on Jul 30, 2010 23:48:16 GMT -5
I realized that I was still shaking, I couldn't seem to stop, though I clenched my teeth and tried hard, also trying to ignore the flare of pain in my back, the wetness, praying that I didn't bleed through the bandages. I dimly heard him issuing orders to someone, and then it seemed like I was whisked into a room somewhere ... were we still in the Palace? I wasn't really sure anymore as he lay me down on something, a couch?
I gasped in pain as my back touched the cushions, and I rolled onto my side reflexively, terrified of bloodying the royal furniture.
"I'm really fine," I murmured, "If I could just rest for a moment..." I didn't really even know what I was saying anymore, I felt so miserable that it hardly even mattered.
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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 Jul 31, 2010 0:18:00 GMT -5
I found the Chirurgeon's office and he had me come in and put her down on his couch while he ran to get some supplies from the back. As I set her down she gasped and I was now completely sure there was something injured on her.
"You're not fine." I said as I began to think about what her injury could be. It occurred to me that it might be her back since it seemed that it was touching that area that cause issues. I turned her onto her stomach and pulled at the fabric till I could see down her back. I could seem something midway down her back so I pulled further and tore the gown till it was open.
"Elua..." I cursed, seeing an angry wound seeping something green coloured from her back. "Dear gods, what are you doing you stupid girl." I said under my breath. The chirurgeon appeared with an armful of things then came over to me and saw her wound as well. He gasped then making a 'tsking' sound before and hurried off to call for more things.
"How did this happen to you?" I asked as I pulled the gown further down so that I could see even more of the cut traveling further down. "And what in the gods name are you doing at a fete like this?!"
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Manon nó Courcel
Adept
Valerian House
Personal Courtesan of Prince Delauney de la Courcel
Posts: 285
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Post by Manon nó Courcel on Jul 31, 2010 0:36:43 GMT -5
I tried to answer his questions coherently, but the fiery pain had returned and I was gasping with it's ferocity for several long moments before I managed to spit out a few words.
"Assignation..." I said, and then, "Contracted..." Hopefully he was familiar enough with the Night Court to paint some sort of picture out of those two words, because I wasn't sure I could explain much more right now, especially not with the fear of what the chirurgeon was going to do. Shiloh had been a chirurgeon and quite possibly the devil and easily the most terrifying person I had ever met.
I realized then that I was crying, fat tears born of fear and despair - was I going to die like this, with strangers, a nobody without even the marque on my back to identify me?
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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 Jul 31, 2010 1:06:20 GMT -5
Bloody hells! Of course, she was an adept, everything was making sense now. I also had a suspicion as to which house in particular she belonged to, but I didn't want to think that right now, I didn't want to make those connections.
"You're a very stupid girl." I said again and shook my head as the chirurgeon reappeared with a basin of warm water and a towel.
"Here, apply that to her back." He said as he soaked the towel then handed it over to me. I did as I was told and pressed the almost hot towel to her back where it was seeping. "Did she say how she received it?" He asked as he began to pull out jars and bandages.
"No my lord, but she's... she's an adept." I looked at him and he sighed, knowing what I knew.
"This isn't new, and it hasn't been properly tended to." He continued but leaned toward me. "How ever she received it, I reckon she's trying to hide it." I knit my brows and looked at the back of the dark haired girl... what did she say her name was? M, m, Manon, that was it.
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Manon nó Courcel
Adept
Valerian House
Personal Courtesan of Prince Delauney de la Courcel
Posts: 285
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Post by Manon nó Courcel on Jul 31, 2010 1:33:29 GMT -5
My body jerked against the couch as I felt the heated towel against my back and I cried out, whimpering. I almost said my signale, before I remembered that this wasn't an assignation and this pain wasn't going to go away because of some word that had not really done me much good in the first instance.
I tried to focus instead on the words they spoke, though hearing them speak of me caused the humiliation that I had been trying so hard to avoid to assert itself. It was the reason I had not sought medical help in the first place, I was ashamed of the way the assignation had gone, I felt like a failure for giving in to Shiloh despite the cruel torment he had put me through. The flechette was a tool of pain, but only someone of a truly singular twist of mind would split the wound the way he had, and then rub salt in it, something rather expensive even. All of the money he had spent on his revenge; if he could see me now he would win all over again, this time a victory I had handed him with my stubborn pride.
"Please," I whimpered finally, unable to bear the pain and shame anymore (what kind of Valerian was I, anyway?), "It hurts... can you make it stop hurting, please, just for a moment...?" If I could just get my wits about me, perhaps I could find a way out of this situation that wasn't completely humiliating. Or had that ship sailed by this point?
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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 Jul 31, 2010 1:43:54 GMT -5
Her words hurt me and I found myself upset at hearing her voice, of hearing the pain and anguish. It made me hate who ever did this to her, I wanted to track them down and kill them. I mean how was this pleasurable? Who would take pleasure in cutting this beautiful young girl. I turned to look at the Chirurgeon with panick in my voice.
"My lord... the pain." I begged him and he nodded, obviously seeing the look in my eyes.
"Its alright... I have something right here." He came toward us and handed me a glass. "Get her to drink this, its a tonic that will help the pain. And I warn you, she's going to need some one to watch her for a while, she's not fit to travel even for a short distance to the Night Court where she belongs." He looked at me and pursed his lips.
"I'll stay with her, its not a problem." I replied quickly, not willing to leave this girl to the fate of something worse. I turned to Manon now and moved the towel, putting it into the water as I rolled her a little. "Drink this." I said softly as I positioned it at her lips, careful as to not spill the contents.
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Manon nó Courcel
Adept
Valerian House
Personal Courtesan of Prince Delauney de la Courcel
Posts: 285
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Post by Manon nó Courcel on Jul 31, 2010 1:57:38 GMT -5
Grateful, I obeyed, though the liquid was thick and did not taste very well. It did not matter though, if it dulled the pain. "Thank you, my lord," I whispered, tears still falling, but this time of gratitude. Whatever it was began to work quickly, though it made me tired ... the relief from the pain was another source of tears and I felt the tension that had been my constant companion these last two weeks leave me as my body relaxed. "Oh Naamah, thank you..."
I rested back on my stomach, no longer shaking, and while the wound still ached and throbbed, the sharpness was gone and I could breathe again. "I'm sorry to be so much trouble," I murmured again, well aware that I was a mere adept - one who had not even been marqued yet - and this was a royal guard and the royal chirurgeon attending me. When Trinette found out about this, I would be lucky to be allowed out of Valerian House again ever.
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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 Jul 31, 2010 22:33:04 GMT -5
I watched her sip, taking plenty in as she thanked me and I took the glass back when she had finished it. I handed it off to the Chirurgeon who continued to cut bandages while I cleared her wound.
Her words made me purse my lips as I wrung the towel of excess water and returned it to her oozing wound. "Who did this to you?" I asked, unable to help the agitation in my voice that some one would do something like this to another person.
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Manon nó Courcel
Adept
Valerian House
Personal Courtesan of Prince Delauney de la Courcel
Posts: 285
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Post by Manon nó Courcel on Aug 2, 2010 20:22:30 GMT -5
I was relaxing, finally, the relief at the lessening of pain making me almost weak and dizzy.
"A patron," I responded, though of course I could not give his name. Not that I would not love to send justice after him, but it was not the way of an adept to name her patrons, and if there was justice to be dispensed, the Dowayne would see to it. I winced at that idea, I knew now that I was not going to be able to keep this from her. "Though it is my own fault for not having it looked at before now," I added, knowing it to be true, to my own shame. If I had had someone see to it immediately, no doubt the rest of it could have been stitched up and it would have healed fine, as the bottom of the wound had.
"I'm afraid my pride will be the death of me..." I said at last, a heavy sigh on my lips, though I felt so drained that I could not even truly bemoan my fate.
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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 Aug 4, 2010 15:18:16 GMT -5
I grit my teeth so hard I could hear the sound of them grinding against each other in my own ears. "A patron did this to you?" It was a rhetorical question of course but it was though I had to say it for myself to believe it. "Why...." I felt the rage inside me so deep that I thought I might vomit, that some one could hurt this girl this way. But then again, may be she had wanted it, may be it was part of their stupid little game. "Was it worth it... did you enjoy it?"
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Manon nó Courcel
Adept
Valerian House
Personal Courtesan of Prince Delauney de la Courcel
Posts: 285
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Post by Manon nó Courcel on Aug 4, 2010 20:57:00 GMT -5
I shuddered, remembering the pain, the way I had screamed, the way I had barely even been able to remember my signale to utter it, and worse, the fear.
"No," I said softly, the medicine made me feel detached; I knew that I was in pain and there was fear there as well, but I felt detached from it. It was easier to talk about what had happened this way, without the shame overwhelming me. "I wasn't meant to enjoy it." I did not imagine that even the most pain-loving Valerian could have enjoyed this pain, it had been pure torture. I wanted to add that it had been done as revenge, but I was too embarrassed, I felt that I should have left the assignation as soon as I had seen who it was that contracted me, though how could I have known what he had in mind?
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