Post by Noemi de Trevalion on Jul 11, 2011 21:01:20 GMT -5
The longer my sister and brother were gone the more quiet my house seemed until I was spending every moment I could in other places to keep myself distracted. Dance lessons and friends kept me busy enough, along with the occasional ride, shopping or just taking in whatever sights I hadn't managed to see yet, but I still came home to the silence and it reminded me of my brother and sister and all of the other people who were away from the comforts of their homes and fighting in a war.
There had to be a way to distract myself here too, so I looked around the house, exploring every room thoroughly, which I'd done many times before. I knew the furniture, wallpaper, pictures, all of it, and it wasn't doing much to keep my mind busy. There was still Victoire and Cygnus's rooms of course, but I was supposed to stay out of them.
But then, what they didn't know couldn't hurt, right?
Moving to my older sister's door I tested the knob and found it unlocked, then peeked inside. The colors were pink and a rich brown, and reminded me very much of her. Everything was so neat and there was the scent of her perfume in the air, as well as the sunlight coming from between the curtains to shine on the various things she'd bought in the time she had here. Knick-knacks and books laid about, some of the latter still open to pages as though she'd been looking up something as she packed, but I didn't want to pry into those. Not when her closet was open with all sorts of beautiful gowns hanging inside!
Once I'd crept inside as though I had reason to worry about being discovered- old habit, I guess- I closed the door behind me and made instantly for her closet, opening the door starting to move though the various things. She always had such elegant tastes and I ran my fingers carefully over the various garments as I looked for anything I may sneak out until her return and wear for myself. There was a good deal of pink, but some other things too, and the fabrics were extraordinary; silk, satin, linen, cotton, brocade, lace, all of it put together in the most beautiful ways. I stored it all away in my mind just in case an occasion should come along to wear them. There was the gown she wore to our welcoming fete, and I smiled to remember it. Then there was the black gown she'd worn to Queen Sabrina's funeral, and I forced myself to smile anyway. That was past and Christien had woken up- it could all therefore be left to history, couldn't it?
Done with exploring there I turned toward the armoire and walked toward it, standing behind the seat where she would have done her hair and whatever bit of make-up she'd have chosen to wear, and there were ribbons and pins there in their neat little boxes. Her perfumes were there as well, and those I recognized easily enough- but what was that new bottle? Too large for perfume and without the spray or dabbing topper, and too large for a wine bottle. Maybe it was some sort of cordial, and my natural curiosity led me to pick it up from where it had been shoved to the back and rested on its side, as though it was trying to hide, or had been hid where no one would notice it. That was probably just an accident though, probably in the rush of packing she'd just knocked it over.
Pulling out the stopper I sniffed the opening of the bottle and couldn't pick up much of a scent at all, but that only made me more puzzled, but I could at least tell it wasn't a sort of perfume and I didn't even hesitate before I raised the bottle to my lips and took a long sip. Oh Elua was it sweet! It was horrible stuff and I liked some sweets! Putting the cork back in I looked over the bottle once more and set it back down, bile rising at the back of my throat at the disgusting taste. Victoire hated sweets, so what was this then? She never kept bubble baths or anything like that in here...
A shock of pain moved through my stomach and I curled up, setting the bottle onto the vanity chair as I nearly fell to my knees, head spinning. Then I fell to the floor, feeling hot and cold and terribly sick all at once before I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. What was this?
Then there were no thoughts for some time.
Once my eyes finally opened again there was far less light coming through the windows but I wasn't feeling like bolting up to check them either. My heat hurt horribly and my stomach was still roiling from whatever had been in that bottle. What had happened to me? I almost thought I was going to die, like Sabrina had, almost like Christien had... But how could poison have gotten in here? Why would it be in Victoire's things? I mean, she wasn't in the usual habit of carrying those things, was she? But this bottle had been here, and hidden in a way...
Slowly I rose and forced myself steady, looking at the bottle as I did so and then picking it up between my shaking fingers. I must have just drunken some cosmetic, something not meant for drinking but perfectly innocent, right? No one but the servants and I had been here since my siblings had gone, and they were all perfectly trustworthy, so how could it have gotten here? It had to have been here all along.
As I thought I paced, my eyes glancing toward the banked fireplace that hadn't been lit since the night my sister had left, burnt bits of paper scattered along the side, many of them with writing. What was this then? Victoire never burned notes or letters, she kept everything- so why these? Why destroy something unless you worry it will be found? What could be so dark as that? She'd always kept her notes in a box, one that looked like... That!
Stumbling over to her bed I reached under it and pulled out the painted wooden box that had always hidden her secrets. I used to look in it when I was younger, playing with her trinkets and tokens, at least until I'd gotten old enough to know it was wrong to do so. It was all still there, except no new letters. But there was her diary, and with the bottle in my lap I sat down to read it.
Oh Elua. This was too private for me to have looked into, but I had and now I knew. The more I read the more worried I became, until I was so confused and bewildered I didn't know what to think anymore. Poor Victoire. Poor everyone.
Hands shaking I gripped the bottle and book more tightly, horrified and shocked. No, I'd have to find out what was in this vessel! Until then I wouldn't think any more on it. What if it was though? Was someone trying to kill me, or her? Or was this something worse that I couldn't even imagine?
I didn't have any idea what to do, but I couldn't stay in here any longer. As quickly as I could and still feeling unsteady I rose and walked out of Victoire's room and to my own, closing and locking my door behind me before I curled up on my bed. I had to think. What was going on?
There had to be a way to distract myself here too, so I looked around the house, exploring every room thoroughly, which I'd done many times before. I knew the furniture, wallpaper, pictures, all of it, and it wasn't doing much to keep my mind busy. There was still Victoire and Cygnus's rooms of course, but I was supposed to stay out of them.
But then, what they didn't know couldn't hurt, right?
Moving to my older sister's door I tested the knob and found it unlocked, then peeked inside. The colors were pink and a rich brown, and reminded me very much of her. Everything was so neat and there was the scent of her perfume in the air, as well as the sunlight coming from between the curtains to shine on the various things she'd bought in the time she had here. Knick-knacks and books laid about, some of the latter still open to pages as though she'd been looking up something as she packed, but I didn't want to pry into those. Not when her closet was open with all sorts of beautiful gowns hanging inside!
Once I'd crept inside as though I had reason to worry about being discovered- old habit, I guess- I closed the door behind me and made instantly for her closet, opening the door starting to move though the various things. She always had such elegant tastes and I ran my fingers carefully over the various garments as I looked for anything I may sneak out until her return and wear for myself. There was a good deal of pink, but some other things too, and the fabrics were extraordinary; silk, satin, linen, cotton, brocade, lace, all of it put together in the most beautiful ways. I stored it all away in my mind just in case an occasion should come along to wear them. There was the gown she wore to our welcoming fete, and I smiled to remember it. Then there was the black gown she'd worn to Queen Sabrina's funeral, and I forced myself to smile anyway. That was past and Christien had woken up- it could all therefore be left to history, couldn't it?
Done with exploring there I turned toward the armoire and walked toward it, standing behind the seat where she would have done her hair and whatever bit of make-up she'd have chosen to wear, and there were ribbons and pins there in their neat little boxes. Her perfumes were there as well, and those I recognized easily enough- but what was that new bottle? Too large for perfume and without the spray or dabbing topper, and too large for a wine bottle. Maybe it was some sort of cordial, and my natural curiosity led me to pick it up from where it had been shoved to the back and rested on its side, as though it was trying to hide, or had been hid where no one would notice it. That was probably just an accident though, probably in the rush of packing she'd just knocked it over.
Pulling out the stopper I sniffed the opening of the bottle and couldn't pick up much of a scent at all, but that only made me more puzzled, but I could at least tell it wasn't a sort of perfume and I didn't even hesitate before I raised the bottle to my lips and took a long sip. Oh Elua was it sweet! It was horrible stuff and I liked some sweets! Putting the cork back in I looked over the bottle once more and set it back down, bile rising at the back of my throat at the disgusting taste. Victoire hated sweets, so what was this then? She never kept bubble baths or anything like that in here...
A shock of pain moved through my stomach and I curled up, setting the bottle onto the vanity chair as I nearly fell to my knees, head spinning. Then I fell to the floor, feeling hot and cold and terribly sick all at once before I couldn't keep my eyes open any longer. What was this?
Then there were no thoughts for some time.
Once my eyes finally opened again there was far less light coming through the windows but I wasn't feeling like bolting up to check them either. My heat hurt horribly and my stomach was still roiling from whatever had been in that bottle. What had happened to me? I almost thought I was going to die, like Sabrina had, almost like Christien had... But how could poison have gotten in here? Why would it be in Victoire's things? I mean, she wasn't in the usual habit of carrying those things, was she? But this bottle had been here, and hidden in a way...
Slowly I rose and forced myself steady, looking at the bottle as I did so and then picking it up between my shaking fingers. I must have just drunken some cosmetic, something not meant for drinking but perfectly innocent, right? No one but the servants and I had been here since my siblings had gone, and they were all perfectly trustworthy, so how could it have gotten here? It had to have been here all along.
As I thought I paced, my eyes glancing toward the banked fireplace that hadn't been lit since the night my sister had left, burnt bits of paper scattered along the side, many of them with writing. What was this then? Victoire never burned notes or letters, she kept everything- so why these? Why destroy something unless you worry it will be found? What could be so dark as that? She'd always kept her notes in a box, one that looked like... That!
Stumbling over to her bed I reached under it and pulled out the painted wooden box that had always hidden her secrets. I used to look in it when I was younger, playing with her trinkets and tokens, at least until I'd gotten old enough to know it was wrong to do so. It was all still there, except no new letters. But there was her diary, and with the bottle in my lap I sat down to read it.
Oh Elua. This was too private for me to have looked into, but I had and now I knew. The more I read the more worried I became, until I was so confused and bewildered I didn't know what to think anymore. Poor Victoire. Poor everyone.
Hands shaking I gripped the bottle and book more tightly, horrified and shocked. No, I'd have to find out what was in this vessel! Until then I wouldn't think any more on it. What if it was though? Was someone trying to kill me, or her? Or was this something worse that I couldn't even imagine?
I didn't have any idea what to do, but I couldn't stay in here any longer. As quickly as I could and still feeling unsteady I rose and walked out of Victoire's room and to my own, closing and locking my door behind me before I curled up on my bed. I had to think. What was going on?