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Post by Queen Coretta de la Courcel on Jan 9, 2011 23:17:08 GMT -5
Marcel was quiet but sure, his presence calming, soothing, but sure, and I leaned on him more than just mentally as we made our way away from the room we'd been in. I clung to him, not trying yet to stand up on my own, not wanting to try to; it was all I could do not to break down into tears as we walked, to try to keep control over myself just long enough to get to my rooms, but I could do nothing for the haunted look on my face, for the way my lower lids were constantly filled with tears. My fingers coiled into the shirt over Marcels waist, I strode next to his side, wishing I could shrink away and hide from everyone who was watching, but the pair of Casselines following us would have given everything away even if I'd been fine and laughing. On alert was a poor description; they looked everywhere at once, their bodies seeping agitation and deadliness, but I couldn't take comfort even in them. Closing my eyes, I let Marcel lead me blindly as I whispered a prayer for Sabrinas soul, and several for Christiens health.
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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 Jan 9, 2011 23:34:37 GMT -5
I had readied an area in the garden just as Sabrina had ordered. She had been under so much stress lately with Prince Alexei's departure that I wanted tonight to be a wonderful time to be with her family so that maybe, just maybe, she could enjoy herself. I'd had the drinks put out before going to the kitchen to double-check that their meal was to arrive on time. Assured that everything was in order, I returned to find everything not in order.
The were guards everywhere, but no one would tell me anything. It sounded like no one knew anything to tell. But then they carried out two people on stretchers. One was the Dauphin, Prince Christien. But the other... the body was covered, no way to tell who it was. Only I knew who was set to meet tonight, and when the princess and her fiance emerged, my hand went to my mouth. Oh no oh no oh no...
"Your highness? My lord? Is it..." My voice trailed away, unable to finish the question as the horror set in.
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Post by King Marcel de la Courcel on Jan 10, 2011 1:00:59 GMT -5
I was holding tightly to Coretta as we tread the hallways to her rooms when we were approached by a lovely blond who was watching the litters being carried out with horror on her face. She was too well bred to be a servant, so it followed that she was a noble of some sort. I wasn't sure what to tell her, how honest to be, but then again, it wasn't as if this was something that could be covered up.
"The Queen," I said, clearing my throat and pulling Coretta in even closer. I wanted to protect her from this pain, but I couldn't. "The Queen is dead and Prince Christien is very ill." He was on his deathbed, in truth, but I could not bear to say that in front of Coretta, who was barely holding on as it was. She had told me about her twin, and I could see her love for him in her words and her eyes, but her grief showed me even more how much he meant to her. I knew that if he passed ... well, it was too much to think about right now.
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Post by Queen Coretta de la Courcel on Jan 10, 2011 9:18:29 GMT -5
My eyes, too wide, watched as Sabrinas Lady-in-Waiting came 'round the corner, horror painting her face in a way that I knew had to echo my own, and I couldn't find the strength to straighten up. I wished I'd faint, wished I'd sink into an oblivion that would take me away from this walking nightmare, but that luxury was denied me. Instead I stood rooted in the path as she the voluptuous woman began a half-unspoken question, and I flinched into Marcels side more as he held me tighter.
The Queen is dead.
Until now, it hadn't really sank into me that Sabrina was dead.. the Queen was gone, and the other half of my soul lay sick, but he wouldn't die! No, gods no, he couldn't, I refused to allow it. A broken sob fell from me as stabs of realizations came home like lightning bolts, crashing through my grief with flickers of clarity that was quickly swallowed by a jelly-like fog. Flicker. Sabrina was dead. Flicker. The Queen was dead. Flicker. The throne was empty.Flicker. Flicker. Flicker.
I couldn't think. My legs wobbled, and I held tighter to Marcel for fear of falling as my blood rushed past my ears. "Christien will be fine," I said suddenly, weakly, as my knees wobbled again.
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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 Jan 10, 2011 12:46:44 GMT -5
It hit me like a punch to the gut. The Queen, my Queen was gone, dead. My mind swirled with questions, and disbelief. It didn't make any sense. I had seen her less than an hour ago, and she had been perfectly fine. I might have become lost in the disbelief, the horror that was sinking into my soul, if it hadn't been for the Dauphine. She spoke, of her brother, her voice weak and thready, her body trembling. "Of course my lady," I assured her, stepping to her other side to help hold her up. I might not have been at my best, but the look on her face had strengthened my spine. "Eisheth willing."
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Post by King Marcel de la Courcel on Jan 10, 2011 13:04:30 GMT -5
I was grateful to this woman for helping us, because the weakness in Coretta's voice worried me. It bothered me to think of servants telling tales about her grief, because such things were private, no matter who you were.
"Thank you," I said softly, as we led Coretta to her rooms. I noticed immediately that the security around us was already heightened, there were twice as many Cassilines all of a sudden and the palace guard was out in force. None of them spoke, but their presence overshadowed us. I supposed I should feel safer, but what could even a thousand men do against one bottle of poisoned wine?
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Post by Queen Coretta de la Courcel on Jan 10, 2011 14:18:23 GMT -5
I shrank into myself mentally as I was led out of the gardens and into the Palace proper, though I struggled against it in attempt to keep myself alert. At first I needed both Marcel and Hélène to support me; without them I surely would have been a wreck upon the dirtied ground, sobbing my grief, but their strength bled into me, feeding me the precious few moments that it was taking to get to my rooms. Nobles stared, and vaguely I became aware that the number of Casselines trailing me had grown by one or two, mayhap more, but between one wash of tears and the next I was mainly blind to it all, silent as my legs slowly gained strength again, and I stopped leaning so much upon them.
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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 Jan 10, 2011 21:58:02 GMT -5
The Dauphine's fiance thanked me gratefully, and I realized that we had never met. "It is no trouble my lord. I am Hélène de Troyes," I introduced myself softly over Coretta's head. She was holding more of her own weight now, but I didn't dare let go. "I am her majesty's lady-in-waiting." Gods, even that little piece of normalcy was ruined by an incorrect verb, but I didn't correct myself.
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Post by King Marcel de la Courcel on Jan 11, 2011 0:19:10 GMT -5
"Marcel de Layne," I said, by way of introductions. Even though Coretta's legs were holding her up, I kept on hand on her elbow, and I noted that Hélène did the same. I did not know her, but I was grateful that she cared about Coretta's welfare.
When we reached Coretta's rooms, which I only knew by the way she stopped at the door, I opened it for her and ushered the women inside. Turning to Hélène, I spoke softly, not wanting to upset Coretta. "I'm going to go see what is happening with Christien, and I will be right back, will you look after her?"
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Post by Queen Coretta de la Courcel on Jan 11, 2011 9:28:55 GMT -5
They maneuvered me easily enough, and I didn't fight them as we traversed the last few steps to my rooms. The doors opened wide, and a light, slightly sweet scent greeted us, but I found no comfort in it as I normally did, found no comfort in the gildings and sparkle of my personal chambers. I curled up on a couch and watched as Marcel had a quiet word with Sabrinas Lady-in-Waiting before pulling my feet up upon the cushion and burying my face in the skirts that covered my knees, feeling.. odd, like the grief and the numbness were battling each other. A second wave of nausea came over me, and desperately I fought it back, my teeth gritting together; in the fight to stop from sicking up, I was losing my fight on my tears, and silently I cried into my skirts, my shoulders shaking and freezing by turns as waves crashed over me in turns.
Christiens face transformed into Sabrinas, and to my surprise it stayed this time; I wept for her, for her life and resilience, her beauty and cleverness. I wept for the loss of my sister, for my mother and father, for Ambrose. I wept for Terre d'Ange and her people, bereft of a ruler once again, praying chaos didn't result in the face of this murder. I clung to myself and sobbed, not knowing when my silent tears had transformed into loud wails, not caring. Grief overcame me, became me.
Sabrina!
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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 Jan 12, 2011 12:32:54 GMT -5
I nodded to his question, going to the princess where she had curled up on the couch and putting my arms around her. I didn't say anything comforting, nothing would have been enough. Instead I just held her tight as silent sobs turned into screams of grief. My own tears poured down my cheeks. My queen, my lady, the woman I had dedicated the last year of my life to, who's approval I strove for everyday... she was gone.
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Post by King Marcel de la Courcel on Jan 16, 2011 16:36:22 GMT -5
I hated to leave Coretta at a time like this, for all that we had not known each other very long, I was very protective of her, but I had to know what was going on. More than anything, I needed for Christien to be all right.
People were clustered outside of Coretta's room, guards and Cassilines and servants, and I had to curb my impatience with all of them as I met the same thing in front of Christien's door. I was allowed inside his room only after being searched, which might have been insulting, but under these circumstances I wasn't going to argue about it.
Inside Christien's rooms, physicians were clustered around the bed, arguing amongst themselves and one of them had ... were those leeches? Big, fat slugs lay on Christien's bare chest, presumably sucking the poison from his blood. I suppressed a shudder, barely.
When they saw me, one of the physicians broke away from the others and approached. "How is he?" I asked in a hushed voice.
"It's too early to say, my lord," the man replied, his brow lined with worry. "The poison is fast-acting and extremely efficient, but it appears that the Prince did not ingest too much of it. We have induced vomiting, and then with the leeches, he will hopefully have a chance to recover. However, it will be some time before we can say for sure if he will live, and then some time after that before he will awaken ... the situation is tenuous, at best."
I sighed, it wasn't the answer I was hoping for, but I'd rather have the truth than some kind of sugar-coated nonsense. "All right, well keep me posted, the Dauphine is beside herself with worry."
I left then, back to Coretta's side where I belonged, though I wished I had better news for her.
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Post by James de Valois-Burgundy on Jan 16, 2011 17:27:15 GMT -5
Sabrina was dead. I couldn't believe it, hadn't believed it until I was staring at her body, already cold in death. She was so pale, so still, at peace, finally? We had started to become close, when I arrived from Akkad, but something had happened, had I pushed her too fast, that night at the hunting lodge? I had meant to talk to her about it, but I had let the time escape me, and now it was too late.
There were no answers, so far. Only that she had been poisoned, and the Dauphin, and if the Princess and her consort had been on time, or if Sabrina had waited to open the wine, we would be left with only a small child left of the royal family. The potential for disaster here was so great that I could barely breathe, and the fact that someone had been able to do this, here in the heart of the Palace, set my blood to boiling. I would get to the bottom of this, no matter what noble feathers I had to ruffle.
I found the Dauphine finally in her room, in tears with her soon to be husband, and someone else... it took me a moment to place her, but then I recognized her as one of Sabrina's ladies-in-waiting. Both of them - the prince to be and the ladies' maid - had access to the Queen, and at least one of them had a motive for getting her and the Dauphin both out of the way.
I beckoned to the lady-in-waiting first, trying to keep my anger under the surface, but I couldn't help wondering ... why hadn't she been with Sabrina when she died?
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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 Jan 17, 2011 12:00:44 GMT -5
I looked up when Marcel returned, the captain of the guards close on his heels. Jaime looked about ready to kill someone, anger in his eyes, and I hesitated when he waved me over. But Coretta had her fiance to hold her now, so my arms tightened around her once before I let go and rose, drying the tears from my face.
"My lord?" I asked in a hushed voice. Even if it felt like the bottom had dropped out of the world, I wouldn't break down yet. Not until I was in private.
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Post by Bryanna Rose Arceneau on Jan 17, 2011 18:47:53 GMT -5
The Palace was in an uproar, and getting to Coretta's room was harder than I would have ever imagined possible. I was stopped several times and by the time I got to her room, my heart was racing with nervous anxiety. It was bad enough that the Queen was dead, and only a little over a year into her reign, some were saying the royal family was cursed! I didn't hold with that nonsense, but it certainly seemed that things were not going well for the Courcels.
Upon finally being let into the Dauphine's room, I had to skirt Jaime, the Captain of the Queen's Guard, who always looked at me like I was some sort of prey, and a woman that I recognized as one of the Queen's Ladies-in-waiting. Coretta was there, with her husband to be, whom I hadn't formally met yet, though I had seen him on a few occasions.
"My lord," I said, curtsying as I glanced at Coretta, who I did not think even registered my presence. "Is there aught I can do for her?" In my time here, I had come to care for the Princess, to almost consider her a friend, if I could be said to have friends, and seeing her in pain made my heart ache. It also reminded me of my own pain, but that was something that I would rather not think on.
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Post by James de Valois-Burgundy on Jan 17, 2011 18:51:22 GMT -5
"Tell me everything that happened tonight," I ordered her, my eyes flitting around the room as the little mouse who followed Coretta around appeared in the doorway. I allowed her in by simply not stopping her, though I meant to question her too. She was a Priestess of Naamah, but that did not exempt her in my eyes, just as being an aristocrat did not exempt the woman before. It could have been anyone who planted the poisoned wine, but I was determined to untangle this mess before any more lives were lost.
"Leave out no details, even the smallest thing could be important."
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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 Jan 17, 2011 22:42:04 GMT -5
His eyes grew no less angry as I approached, and I began to tremble. I wasn't sure how much more emotion I could take right now, especially with Coretta still crying behind me.
"Her... her majesty wished a dinner tonight, for her and her family. I spoke to the steward so that the servants could get the garden patio ready. Sweeping it and such," I told him, my voice unsteady as I tried to wrack my brain for everything. "Then... I told the head of the kitchen, so that she could get dinner ready. I checked in on the patio just before her majesty arrived. The candles were all lit, and the wine was ready. Her... her favourite vintage. I thought it might cheer her up. Then I went to the kitchens to check on dinner. I was just coming back to make sure that her majesty didn't need anything else..." Tears slipped down my cheeks once more. "Elua, how did this happen?" I asked him.
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Post by Queen Coretta de la Courcel on Jan 18, 2011 11:42:29 GMT -5
Strength.
I had to have it. I had to steel myself, had to curb the numbness that would overtake me into a vast oblivion that sent me rocking into unconsciousness. When Hélèn curled her arms around me, I was but vaguely aware, and I tried to calm myself, to straighten my reeling senses out. By the time the door opened anew and a man I recognized as Jaime entered, I was doing better, though I couldn't ebb the flow of tears completely. Hélèn left me to speak to him, Bryanna entered and Marcel had returned, and I? I forced myself to rise from the couch I'd curled upon, my silken skirts wet with my own salty tears. My fingers tangled with Bryannas; her mere presence was comforting and soothing. Letting go, I looked at Marcel to see genuine warmth and concern writ, and I drink in the silent strength he exuded before the words exchanged between Jaime and Hélèn really became apparent to me.
He was interrogating her, in my own sitting room! Pain washed afresh through me, and I shuddered once before I pressed my face against Marcels chest, inhaling his musky, earthy scent. I listened though, the cloud around me dispelled just enough for clarity. I waited for Jaimes response before deciding whether or not to interrupt, Elua knew there were far better places for this, but answered needed to be found. They had to be, and not only for the pain of the de la Courcel family, but for that of the entire Terre d'Ange.
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Post by King Marcel de la Courcel on Jan 18, 2011 22:08:41 GMT -5
I didn't recognize the man who came in and took charge, but the air of command he exuded made me think "military" immediately. I had served some time in the military myself, so I wasn't unfamiliar with the bearing of a commander. The Queen's Lady-in-Waiting deferred to him, so I did not interrupt, wanting to get to the bottom of this as much as he did. It was only just dawning on me that if the Queen had waited to drink her wine, Coretta and I would have drank of it as well.
I recognized the dark haired girl who entered next, Coretta's own Lady-in-Waiting, a Priestess of Naamah. I found her interesting, but she was always so quiet, and I wasn't sure if it was some sort of breach of etiquette for me to talk to her too much. I appreciated the way her presence seemed to lend Coretta strength though, and for that I gave her a wan smile, something encouraging in the dark.
I held Coretta as she turned into me, listening to this man grill the poor girl in front of him. If the situation were not so grave, I might have intervened, the look on his face was rather terrifying, but things being what they were, well, it seemed best to allow him to do his job. Instead, I held Coretta, who held onto both Bryanna and I, and wondered when this interrogation would turn our way, for I had no doubt that it would, especially with the light this entire mess painted me in: newcomer to the City, an upstart marrying the Princess, who now stood a chance at becoming Queen ... the idea petrified me, truly, but I knew there were those who would think it all by my own design. I just prayed that Coretta would never think it, no matter if no one else believed me.
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Post by James de Valois-Burgundy on Jan 25, 2011 22:52:54 GMT -5
I seized upon her mention of the wine, the obvious vessel for the poison Sabrina and Christien had consumed. "Where did you get the wine?" I wasn't sure if I suspected her, what motive could she have? But she did have the opportunity and who knew who else might be party to this act? The thought made me feel so enraged with helplessness that I noticed my hands were shaking slightly. I needed an enemy that I could fight, not one that skulked about in the darkness, using a woman's weapon like poison. I awaited her answer, trying to keep the anger off of my face, because it wasn't truly directed at her, but rather at my own helplessness.
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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 Jan 25, 2011 23:11:42 GMT -5
His hands clenched, shaking, and I took a step back, fearing he would lash out at me. "The... the royal cellar," I whispered, praying I wasn't saying to wrong thing to set him off.
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Post by King Marcel de la Courcel on Jan 29, 2011 22:21:41 GMT -5
Things were getting tense, fast, and I was concerned about Jaime's demeanor. We were all upset, but there was nothing to indicate that the Queen's lady-in-waiting had been doing anything but her job. I stepped up, hoping that Coretta wouldn't take it amiss and not caring if Jaime did.
"That sounds like a good place to start, then." Hopefully he would go off to interrogate someone else. The look he gave me would have frozen flames, and I knew immediately that I was on his list of suspects, maybe even at the top of it. He must have known now wasn't the time to start in on me, however, so instead he nodded curtly, giving Helene one last searching look before turning suddenly on his heel and storming off. I breathed a sigh of relief at his departure, looking at Helene and shaking my head.
"Are you all right? I don't think he truly suspects you, if it helps ... we're all on edge right now."
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Post by James de Valois-Burgundy on Jan 29, 2011 22:41:56 GMT -5
I didn't like the upstart de Layne fellow, but I knew he had Coretta's ear right now, and I wasn't making things easier on myself by pushing things. And on one level he was right - if the wine was from the cellar, it needed to be thoroughly gone over and all of the other wine tested for poison. I wondered suddenly how long this plan had been in the works; could it have been a bottle of wine that had set unopened for years?
I left the room without saying much else, taking a few of my men with me and heading down to the wine cellar to see what information it might yield.
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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 Jan 30, 2011 0:58:28 GMT -5
My lord de Layne stepped in before the commander could say anything else, and I received only one more passing stare of hate before Jaime turned on his heel and left. The door closed behind him, and my limbs suddenly all felt like jelly. I ignored the empty platitudes, for something much more pressing was on my mind.
"Why was he asking about the wine?" I whispered. If... if it had been...
"Oh gods, it was poison..." My hand went to my throat, my eyes wide. Suddenly the aching grief was sheered through with a much sharper pain. "He thinks I... I..." My knees suddenly gave, and I dropped to the floor. The most powerful man in the d'Angeline military thought that I had betrayed my queen and my country. I clutched my arms around myself, trying to hold it together, trying not to scream with anguish. I had seen it in his eyes, he had decided that I was guilty.
He was going to label me a traitor.
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Post by Queen Coretta de la Courcel on Jan 31, 2011 10:09:35 GMT -5
I watched, grief-stricken as Marcel took charge of the matters, sending Jaime scowling and stalking away, and even in the haze of pain I knew Jaime suspected Marcel. Anger grew in me, battling with the hurt and tears; we were betrothed, but I trusted Marcel already, felt I knew him enough to know he wouldn't do anything like that, and I vowed to protect him against Jaime however I could. Questions would have to be asked, it was inevitable, but they could be done discretely, tucked away in my own chambers where I could oversee things. Jaime would loathe me for it, but in the end he wouldn't have much choice without declaring other things that I knew he wouldn't want to toe in.
The door clipped shut behind him, a curt ending to his explosive nature, and my eyes moved to Helene as she sank to the floor, wide-eyed and horror stricken. Helene I didn't know any more than she was Sabrinas Lady-in-Waiting, but after Jaime suspected Marcel, I couldn't let her just lay on the floor of my receiving room.
Breaking away from Bryanna and Marcel both, I hurried to her and gathered her up in my arms, cooing soft words in a voice still thick with tears that had never stopped falling, that cascaded into her hair now. Whether or not she was guilty I didn't know, and I wouldn't stop Jaime from questioning her further, I had to try to comfort her as I could now.
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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 Jan 31, 2011 23:38:55 GMT -5
Of all the people that came to comfort me when I felt my world was caving in, it was Coretta. I had lost my queen, employer, and was suspected of an assassination. But I had lost nothing compared to the Dauphine. Her sister dead, her twin nearly so... It caused my perspective to snap back into place. My breathing evened out slowly from its near-panic pace, and my spine straightened. "I'm sorry my lady," I was finally able to manage. "I didn't mean for my emotions to carry me away like that."
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Post by Queen Coretta de la Courcel on Feb 1, 2011 15:36:37 GMT -5
She came to quite quickly, and though she was still stricken with obvious shock, she looked at me, her composure obviously strengthening quite quickly. I didn't have the heart to smile at her; I barely had the heart to breathe right now, but she suffered, and I couldn't just leave her to her own devises.
When she spoke I shook my head slightly, reaching to move her hair from over her forehead. "It's a day for high emotions," I said softly, sadly, before leaning to kiss her forehead. My mind felt thick with distraught sadness, anger and a thick layer of shock still, and I rose, my hand catching hers and guiding her to her feet as well. "Mayhap it'd be best if you retired to your rooms for now, Lady de Troyes," I suggested; all I wanted to do was cry, but I had to go to Christien, had to be there for him as much as I could.
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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 22:28:03 GMT -5
My breath shuddered a little as she pulled me to my feel. "Yes my lady," I agreed obediently. It was better than trying to think. If I thought too hard, I wasn't sure I could stop myself from repeating my earlier panic attack. "If... if you need anything, I'm your servant my lady." It was all I could offer to her right now, and I hoped she would let me help if I was able. I curtsied low and then left on still-unsteady feet. But I managed to make it to my rooms without any further incidents.
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