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Post by James de Valois-Burgundy on Jan 31, 2011 0:36:34 GMT -5
Top of my list of suspects was Alexei Romanov, Sabrina's absent husband. Well I remembered his anger when he'd left her, but he was beyond my reach for now. However, he did still have one sibling in the City, Sergei. I had never met the man, and I determined that I was going to have a little talk with him at the earliest opportunity. I had some of my guard watching his home, making sure he didn't try to leave, as they were for other members of foreign royalty that were staying in the City. I trusted no one.
Today I had decided that it was time to feel out this Sergei fellow, and to that end I took a carriage to his house. I had been planning to ride, but just in case things went sour, it seemed better to have a carriage on hand. I brought several of the guard with me, leaving them behind at the carriage in case I should need them. I rapped on the door, waiting to be admitted and wondering what kind of man this Romanov brother would be.
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Sergei Romanov
Royal
His Royal Highness, Prince of House Romanov
Posts: 366
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Post by Sergei Romanov on Jan 31, 2011 0:50:26 GMT -5
That was it, I was done. I'd stayed long enough to pay my respects to Sabrina and her family, attending the funeral as a representative for Ruskovia and the Romanov family, but every last tie that was holding me here was now cut and done. It was over; the only thing I regretted was that I couldn't take all three of my horses with me, but had to settle for one, the sturdiest of them that I thought would fare the best in the cold winters of Ruskovia.
The house was in full swing, servants packing my items, putting together any Alexei might have missed. Food for the trip, both for myself and servants as well as for the animals, a bag of entertainment.. I had my hand in everything, trying to keep myself from thinking about Mercedes, to keep myself from reliving the pain of that day.
I was in the library thumbing through books when a servant came to the door, informing me that the Commander in Chief of the d'Angeline army was downstairs, a Lord James de Valois-Burgundy. I frowned; the Commander in Chief?
Not making him wait, I set down the book I had and made my way promptly to see him, my posture straight and proud, but my brows drawn slightly, confused. "Commander," I said, not bothering to issue him a bow in my own home, especially given our respective ranks. "What gives me the pleasure of receiving you this day?"
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Post by James de Valois-Burgundy on Jan 31, 2011 0:58:18 GMT -5
My suspicions were all but confirmed when I walked in and saw that the man was obviously preparing to flee the country. I felt a chill in my blood when I thought about Sabrina, lying there dead, and for what, the sin of being too forward? These Ruskovians were a backward people, as far as I was concerned, and their notions about a woman's place was ridiculous. Had Alexei had his brother poison Sabrina as a comeuppance for her supposed betrayal of him? That line of thought made me feel even angrier, because in that light, I felt partially to blame, because it was her association with me that Alexei had been suspicious of.
I tried to keep my features calm, however, when the Romanov Prince showed his face in due course. "My lord," I said, by way of greeting, bowing to him, though with perhaps less deference than I might have in other circumstances. "I have come to speak to you about the recent tragedy regarding the untimely death of my Queen. Perhaps it is something you could shed some light on?" I was in no mood to play coy with the topic, I was nearly certain that this man had had something to do with Sabrina's death, and as far as I was concerned, he was lucky I was not drawing my sword without giving him a proper trial.
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Sergei Romanov
Royal
His Royal Highness, Prince of House Romanov
Posts: 366
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Post by Sergei Romanov on Jan 31, 2011 1:04:13 GMT -5
I frowned; the man before me was as high an officer could get, but he acted as if he were a noble, or perhaps even equal to me. Pride, wounded deeply by recent events stiffened, and as he spoke of wanting to question me, I nodded, gesturing curtly to a private study. My servants didn't need to hear this.
Once we were closeted, I moved behind the desk and faced him, giving him the look of a supplicant come to beg coin to buy a heel of bread. "I am extremely sorry to hear of the death of Queen Sabrina; she was a lovely woman, and I am honored to have had the pleasure of meeting her. What might I help you with exactly?"
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Post by James de Valois-Burgundy on Jan 31, 2011 12:24:41 GMT -5
I followed him, glancing around the room at the servants who were about. No one I couldn't handle if it came down to a fight, just in case he wouldn't go quietly. I didn't know what his answers to my questions would be, but I doubted he was going to say anything to deter me from taking him back to the Palace with me.
"You know about her clandestine marriage to your brother, I assume?" The question was rhetorical, so I continued on without pause. "And how he left, angry over the Queen's supposed 'betrayal' ... I guess my question is, angry enough to do something to get back at her? And perhaps to use you to do it?"
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Sergei Romanov
Royal
His Royal Highness, Prince of House Romanov
Posts: 366
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Post by Sergei Romanov on Feb 6, 2011 22:33:12 GMT -5
I faced him as he faced me; his very nature and mood had me on edge, and I stood leaning forward over my desk, my hands balled into fists and knuckles pressing down into the warm wood.
Every last word out of his mouth was more preposterous than the last, and for a moment after he finished speaking I simply stared at him, waiting for the punchline. When none was forthcoming, I couldn't help myself - I laughed. Laughed at him, at his face, but there was no mirth in anything this madman was accusing me - and my brother - of.
"I think mayhap you need to check your facts, monsieur," I said as I stared at him, my smile gone and in its place a cold light. "My brother and your Queen were not married, but betrothed; I'd think Alexei would have informed me if it were otherwise. Even with her leaving him like she did, he wouldn't have sought to do anything to harm her. We're far more civilized than that," I scoffed, implying that he himself wasn't civilized, and neither was the country in which I was in. How dare he accuse me of such things? I straightened to my full height, taller than this idiot of a man before me, staring down at him colder than a winter morning.
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Post by James de Valois-Burgundy on Feb 6, 2011 22:45:35 GMT -5
I restrained myself from punching him in the face, though it was difficult, because I represented the Crown, but still, this man was grating on my nerves and making me more suspicious of him by the moment.
"Perhaps you should check your facts. Alexei and Sabrina were married, secretly. Your brother could not deal with a woman who had some spine and a mind of her own, and that is why he left in a huff. However, they were still legally wed, until she died of course. Rather convenient for him, isn't it?"
I knew at this point that the meeting was quickly going south, and the best thing for me to do was get this man back to the Palace before he could flee the country, and justice, forever. "I see that you are packing, but I regret to inform you that you cannot be allowed to leave the country until this matter is resolved." Grimly I leaned forward, not intimidated in the least by this man, though he may be cold and unrelenting. I had the guard at my back, and the might of Terre d'Ange. Sabrina had been beloved, and if I let a hint out that this man was guilty, the general populace might just tear him to shreds.
"In fact, I think you should come to the Palace with me, for your own safety, of course."
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Sergei Romanov
Royal
His Royal Highness, Prince of House Romanov
Posts: 366
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Post by Sergei Romanov on Feb 6, 2011 23:19:36 GMT -5
He accused my brother once more of being married to Sabrina, and again I scoffed at it, knowing there was no way Alexei was married. Betrothed, yes, but married in secret? Ridiculous.
This man was mad. Utterly and wholly mad, but from the fire in his eyes he believed everything he said, and when he informed me I was not allowed to leave and I should accompany him to the Palace, I balked, both mentally and physically.
"You cannot detain me," I snapped, glaring at him, wishing he were close enough for me to hit in his smug face. "I'm a Prince of Ruskovia - do you not think your country has hurt relations with us enough already without adding this? Leave now, monsieur; I'm returning home of my own reasons, none of which you have any need to know of."
It was stupid, I knew somewhere in me, to provoke him and not tell him why I was leaving, but I didn't want to tell this bastard anything. I wanted to lay him out on my floor like a bearskin rug and walk overtop of him, grind my heel into the back of his head to push his face in the floor on my way out, but I held my restraint.. barely. Quivering in anger at the atrocious accusations, I waited for him to tuck tail and leave and vacate my home.
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Post by James de Valois-Burgundy on Feb 6, 2011 23:26:32 GMT -5
"I can do as I please, you are in my country now, and being a Prince of some godforsaken frozen nation will not help you here. As for relations, well, diplomacy is not my concern at this time, rather I am more interesting in discovering who murdered my Queen. If you had nothing to do with it, then you have nothing to fear. Otherwise, well, do not think the nation of Terre d'Ange will take this lying down. Now, you can come along peacefully, or I can clap you in irons, the choice is yours."
I had Cygnus right outside the door, and several other men besides, and it would take only one call from me to have them swarm all over the place. In fact, I thought perhaps it would be wise for this man to see that I was not alone. I strode to the door of his study, pulled it open and grabbed one of his servants by the arm.
"You," I said in a voice that brooked no disobedience. "My man stands outside the door, fetch him, now." I turned back to Sergei and smiled in a mirthless manner. "Again, the choice is yours."
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Post by Cygnus de Trevalion on Feb 6, 2011 23:35:47 GMT -5
As always, I was there right beside James, maybe not literally, but I was outside the door in case anything wrong happened. Not that I suspected anything to, but I was there as his back up regardless. I was entertaining myself by watching those passing the area, but when the servant came to fetch me, I snapped to attention, my hand on the hilt of my weapon as I marched in, back straight and in a few strides I was right beside James. I didn't speak, if James wanted to let me in on the situation, he would give me a quick rundown, for now I was here to look absolutely intimidating as I sized up Sergei, ready to follow James' command within seconds. I knew that whenever the time was appropriate, I would be let in on the situation but an ill timed explanation could be an unneeded distraction.
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Sergei Romanov
Royal
His Royal Highness, Prince of House Romanov
Posts: 366
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Post by Sergei Romanov on Feb 6, 2011 23:48:55 GMT -5
He ordered my own servant in my own home, and my blood boiled at it, boiled more at watching the servant hurry off with only a bare look at me. My face might have been a stone, but it was a heated one, molten lava roiling below the surface, ready to erupt. Everything that happened with Mercedes had driven me, pushing me, and to have this added atop it? I was ready to snap at the drop of a pin.
When the second daft member of the apparently clueless d'Angeline army entered my home without consent, I snapped my fingers as if dismissing the dogs back home in Ruskovia. "Get out of my home. Now!" Barking orders, I was intimately aware of the sword on my hip, but there wasn't enough room to take it out if I needed it. A belt knife lay at the opposite side of my waist, but I didn't want that; one more look at that bastards face, and the pin fell.
Two sweeping steps was all it took to put me in range of that bastards face, and my hand was already up and swinging before I thought; my mind was blank rage, and my fist was bearing down on him, intent on knocking the consciousness from his body.
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Post by Cygnus de Trevalion on Feb 7, 2011 0:07:36 GMT -5
I saw the other swing and I reacted quickly, unfortunately, not quickly enough to keep the other from connecting with James' face, but in a flash I was on Sergei, trying to wrestle his arms behind his back as I pulled out the iron handcuffs. I was trying to give James enough time to recover from the blow before helping me. Sergei, after all, was no slight man, but I was confident that I could handle him on my own. My blood boiled at the audacity that this man had, in our own country, to punch the general of our army, but I still kept a level head, one of the things I was best at and it helped keep my emotions in check.
"You are in our country and you abide by our laws," I barked loud enough so he could hear as shoved my knee into the other to try and press him against the wall so we could get a vantage on him. Once I had him successfully cuffed, we would have him completely under control. This foreign dignitaries seemed to have no idea who they were dealing with. I was a prince of the blood, as well but that did not mean I acted like a complete and utter slattern who lacked respect.
I shot James a glance, asking him with my eyes if he was alright as I worked to keep Sergei under control.
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Post by James de Valois-Burgundy on Feb 7, 2011 0:27:19 GMT -5
I should have expected violence from this utter barbarian, and his reaction only convinced me that perhaps I had been more right about him than I had thought. I shook my head to clear it after his fist connected with my jaw, and resisted the urge to resort to a show of force in kind. Besides, Cygnus was doing an admirable job wrestling him into the cuffs and as I regained my composure, I had to do little more than assist Cygnus in locking them around Sergei's wrists.
"Well said, Cygnus," I growled, looking at our captive and ordering another of the man's terrified servants to retrieve the rest of my troops, who filed in, weapons drawn. "Get this man to the palace - the dungeons, I think, and seize his possessions as evidence. Make sure all of his servants are rounded up as well, they may know something." I looked at this Prince, this man who might have very well murdered my Queen, and shook my head slightly.
"You may as well begin composing your confession, because my method of wringing it from you will not be pleasant."
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Sergei Romanov
Royal
His Royal Highness, Prince of House Romanov
Posts: 366
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Post by Sergei Romanov on Feb 7, 2011 0:34:59 GMT -5
The satisfaction I had at my fist colliding with his face was less than I hoped for, but I had a feeling nothing short of a full out fight would quell the indignation and fury inside of me at these outrageous claims.
"I've done nothing to your Queen!" I spat as the irons were clamped around my wrists, my arms forced behind my back. "You've come into my home and accosted me with accusations! Where is the dignity in that, Commander Burgundy? Where is the honor in retaining me in the City like a common criminal?"
I pulled at the blond mans touch, ignoring him; he wasn't in charge, and given it he was a pup against a full mastiff. "You have no honor, you dog," I spat, infuriated enough to slip back into Ruskovian as I was stripped of my weapons. Wrapping pride around me, my spine was straight as I was shuffled out the door, my eyes meeting the horrified faces of my servants around me before looking onward.
Svaros, what now?
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Post by Cygnus de Trevalion on Feb 7, 2011 2:43:37 GMT -5
Once I had the man fully secured, spitting and cursing at me nonetheless, (it was really not much of a surprise) I gave a glance at James, wondering how much evidence he had found to accuse a man and arrest him. After all, that was the reason why he had called me in here, for the man to be cuffed, that was not something determined by the punch to my general's jaw. I could not help but grind my teeth down a little, not wanting to question. James was an excellent general, I scolded myself, yet I had always been one for the battlefield, not so much these matters on the home front where accusations and evidence needed to be found at all. It didn't settle well with me, but I followed James' third arm.
"Punching the general of the d'Angeline army in our home country was hardly a wise move, now was it?" I said simply, knowing I was young in comparison to this prince of Ruskovia, but he was in our land, abiding by our laws. I shoved Sergei forward to get him to start walking and to head out of his own home, chained, like a criminal.
"What did you find?" I asked when we had rejoined with the rest of our men and I could relax a little. I turned to eye James, wondering indeed, if this man was the one who had killed our queen, more likely than not, seeking war.
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Post by James de Valois-Burgundy on Feb 11, 2011 12:58:18 GMT -5
I wished I could have presented Cygnus with more evidence when he asked me what I'd found, but it did not truly matter. Sergei had simplified matters with that punch, it gave me reason enough to arrest him, which then gave me the leisure I would need to find evidence of his crimes.
"His behavior was extremely suspicious," I said, gesturing around at all of the signs of packing that had been going on in the house. "He's fleeing the country, he claimed not to know of his brother's marriage to Sabrina," I did not usually speak so familiarly of her around others, but Cygnus knew full well about my relationship with her, "and when I questioned him, he became extremely hostile, as you saw with your own eyes. I think we might be on the right track to suspect he had something to do with this. His brother was in such a fury when he left, well, it is no surprise to me that these barbarians would resort to revenge."
Sergei was placed in a carriage under heavy guard and as I mounted my horse, I smiled after it. "I will have fun questioning him, but I think I'll let him cool his heels in the dungeons for a few days first."
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