Noemi de Trevalion
Royal (Staff)
Her Highness, Princess of the Blood; House Trevalion *Voted Character You'd Most Like to Meet 2010*
Sister to Victoire and Cygnus
Posts: 1,119
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Post by Noemi de Trevalion on Jul 23, 2011 20:40:10 GMT -5
For the past couple days I'd tried to figure out what to do. Having Felecian in the house kept me in a smiling face just because I thought that he would be confused trying to figure out why I was upset. The times when he wasn't home I came down from my room and danced, or ate, or walked around the garden, always deep in thought. What was I going to do? I'd read the diary, everything that it said, and the things written there had seared themselves into my mind.
So many pages of things I didn't want to see, mixed with more recognizable things, the sister I knew blended with this half-mad person who'd taken her place. The how, the why, the times, the places, all of it was clear enough if you knew Victoire from years of being her family. How hadn't I noticed this before? Maybe I just hadn't wanted to, or I'd been too selfish in looking after my own concerns.
I'd had it all in my head for days, and at the center of it that bottle I'd picked up from my sisters table, the one I'd stupidly taken a drink from but had filled me with so much fear. There was no way for me to tell what it was, whether it was a product of my sister's thoughts and actions or simply a coincidence that fit in because I had done something completely silly, but I was tired of worrying, tired of the puzzle. I needed an answer. But at the same time who could give me one? If I took this to the Royal Physician or almost anyone else and they even thought it was something awful they could cause a big stir, possibly throwing me into the dungeons, or arresting my sister, and then finding out later that they were wrong. Wasn't that what had happened to the Ruskovian Prince?
No, I wanted to know the truth and if I was wrong- or worse, right- I didn't want to drag my family and everyone else down with me.
Finally an idea had come to me and I'd gone to the Palace, walking through the corridors with the same smile as I usually wore, masking as best I could what I was thinking with cheerful thoughts about Vesta and my cats and my friends. Even the beach in La Serenissima came to my mind, and brought a smile. Anything but thoughts of my sister, which brought back the diary and the bottle and the fear.
Once I'd arrived at the room of the Royal Physician's Assistant I'd wiped my hands on my gown, the bottle securely in my pocket, and then knocked on the door. Just don't freeze, Noemi. Please be here, Jean-Baptiste...
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Post by Jean-Baptiste de Bergeron on Jul 24, 2011 0:31:34 GMT -5
I was supposed to be studying, but I was having a hard time concentrating on the dry book the physician had given me to read. It was a study of the circulatory system, and I was to make a diagram on the way the blood flowed through the body, through the heart, past the lungs... etc, etc, ad nauseum.
I was staring out the window, watching birds flutter through the trees, when there was a knock on my door. I set my quill aside and rose to answer it, massaging one leg that had begun to cramp. I doubted that it was the physician, for he never knocked, though who it was I could hardly imagine.
I was quite surprised when I opened the door to find the Trevalion Princess there, but it was a pleasant surprise. I smiled widely, opening the door further to let her in.
"Your grace, how wonderful to see you," I said, bowing low even though she had told me often enough that such was unnecessary. Still, it was ingrained in me to show the proper deference, not being of noble birth myself. "What can I do for you?" I asked her, thinking that she must be quite glad that her friend the dauphin had finally awoken, and that we now knew what the poison was that had been used.
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Noemi de Trevalion
Royal (Staff)
Her Highness, Princess of the Blood; House Trevalion *Voted Character You'd Most Like to Meet 2010*
Sister to Victoire and Cygnus
Posts: 1,119
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Post by Noemi de Trevalion on Jul 24, 2011 9:48:05 GMT -5
There was scarcely a moment between when I knocked and my friend opened the door, and I simply stood startled for a moment as my thoughts tried to collect themselves. There was a part of me that was actually disappointed that he was here, that I couldn't call this a good try and walk away from what I had to do, but that was so lost amongst the happiness of seeing my friend, the relief of knowing this could be over and the fear that I would hear what I didn't want to that it was lost.
When he bowed and allowed me inside I gave him a smile and stepped through the door, taking a quick look around by habit more than anything. It was a room, regular enough, and hopefully once I was in he would close the door so we could talk more openly. This place didn't have any secret passages for people to listen at, did it? Elua, I hoped not.
"It's nice to see you again too, Jean-Baptiste, and you really can just call me Noemi," I said with a smile that was sincere for now, though not the brightest, because it really was nice to see him again. I counted him among my friends, though we hadn't had as much time to spent together as some. He was busy a lot though and I knew that. "I know this is unexpected, and I'm sorry about that. Are you well?
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Post by Jean-Baptiste de Bergeron on Jul 25, 2011 0:10:07 GMT -5
"Oh, I am well enough, Noemi," I said, smiling and leading her further into the room, toward the divan. I gestured for her to sit, then back at my textbooks on the desk. "I was just being bored to tears by some work the physician gave me to do. Busywork, in truth, for he is out having a drink with his peers."
I leaned against the desk and crossed my arms over my chest, smiling at her and relaxing as the urgency of completing the work receded and instead I settled into visiting with a friend, or at least, I liked to think of her that way.
"Can I offer you a drink?" I asked, glad that I had recently had some tea brought. It would be easy enough to reheat over the fire, or if she wished it, there was always wine. "I hope you are well, Noemi, and that this visit is not professional?"
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Noemi de Trevalion
Royal (Staff)
Her Highness, Princess of the Blood; House Trevalion *Voted Character You'd Most Like to Meet 2010*
Sister to Victoire and Cygnus
Posts: 1,119
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Post by Noemi de Trevalion on Jul 25, 2011 8:21:33 GMT -5
When he gestured over at the divan I sat on it obediently, in some ways very used to being directed around in such a fashion and more than glad enough to sit that I didn't even consider objecting. At least it dimmed the urge to run away, or to say I'd forgotten something and had to go check on it immediately. That would have been rude, and probably upset my friend.
Then he continued talking and I watched him with a smile as he leaned back, seeming more than willing to put his work aside, and when he said his piece I felt better and smiled a little wider. It might have been partially influenced by the way we'd first met but Jean's presence always brought me a sense of calm, that everything was going to go alright in the end. "Well, if it's busywork I suppose it might be a good thing I interrupted, though perhaps the physician may not see it that way," I teased.
His offer of a drink was also very polite but I had to consider carefully before I nodded my head, especially since his other question was already making me reconsider why I'd come. Maybe I could just say this was a pleasant visit, have a nice conversation and leave. Just forget all of this nonsense, act as though I'd never found anything, go home- and do what? I remembered my friend Christien, sick in bed, wasting away from how strong and handsome he'd been, and Sabrina's funeral, the cousin who'd died before I could ever meet her.
But then my sister. Victoire. The bottle hung heavy in my pocket. I had to do what was right.
"I.." I said for a moment, casting my eyes down as my smile and tone faltered for a moment before I took a deep breath and started again. "I'm alright I guess. And I'm sorry that I do have to visit you with something professional, but I only came to you because you're my friend and I trust you. But it's not just that, I wanted to visit with you as well.."
It struck me then that what I could be involving him in could be as detrimental to him as to me, or my sister, or anyone else, and for another moment I stopped myself and waited for him to respond.
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Post by Jean-Baptiste de Bergeron on Jul 31, 2011 23:21:59 GMT -5
I poured her a drink, a happy smile on my face at her visit, but when she began to speak, my smile slipped from my face. Whatever had brought her here, I could see her worry and fear writ large on her features and the way her eyes sought the floor.
"It's all right, Noemi," I said, forgetting about titles in my rush to comfort her. I came to sit beside her on the divan and tentatively put an arm around her, giving her a bit of a squeeze. "Of course you can trust me, and I want to help."
I looked at her, noting suddenly that she seemed pale, and suddenly her worry was my worry, for I could not bear to see her so unhappy.
"You're not ... ill, are you?" It was the most frightening thing, even for a physician, to see someone you care about suffering from an illness, especially one that you were powerless against, there were far too many of those.
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Noemi de Trevalion
Royal (Staff)
Her Highness, Princess of the Blood; House Trevalion *Voted Character You'd Most Like to Meet 2010*
Sister to Victoire and Cygnus
Posts: 1,119
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Post by Noemi de Trevalion on Aug 1, 2011 10:50:34 GMT -5
That he came over so quickly to try and comfort me was touching and sweet and I was glad of my friend's caring heart and gentle nature, and I didn't pull away at all as I wrapped his arm around my shoulder, letting his compassion soothe some of my raw nerves. I hadn't been able to talk to any of my other friends since I started to think about this entire matter, since I was too afraid I'd give away something that could cause even more trouble or misunderstanding, so I'd kept to myself for the most part.
Hopefully all of Jean-Baptiste's kindness wouldn't vanish once I started to tell him what I'd found.
Glancing back up toward him I reached out a hand and squeezed his knee briefly, trying to reassure him from his own fears that I saw in his expression. "No, I'm not sick, not as far as I know," I told him sincerely. "Though I was, I think. But that's why I'm here."
Reaching into my pocket I pulled out the bottle I'd found in Victoire's room, still carefully stoppered, and I offered it toward him, though I hesitated from setting it down. If I gave it up now would that mean I hadn't thought this through enough? That this was too easy and my sister would be even more angry at me in some way or another? But then, hadn't this made me sick because she'd left it there- for me to snoop through without her permission? I was so confused and distressed about everything that anger simply couldn't get a toehold.
"I went through my sister's room and found this, over hidden behind her perfumes. I thought it would be some sort of cordial, I know she likes some drinks like that, and I tried some, but then I got horribly sick to my stomach and fell unconscious for hours, then woke up and found some.. other things." How could I talk about my sister's diary? At least it wasn't here so I wouldn't have to think of a reason not to for now.
Looking at Jean more intently I waited for his reaction, almost fidgeting from nervousness. "I just want to know what it is, so I don't have to worry about what it might be anymore."
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Post by Jean-Baptiste de Bergeron on Aug 7, 2011 16:50:04 GMT -5
I took the bottle out of her hand and opened it, sniffing the contents as she continued to speak. It smelled sweet, and I could see how she would think it was a cordial, and honestly, had I not only recently been reading up on something, I would have been stumped. But, of course, I had to be wrong, what would a rare poison be doing among her sister's things?
My stomach sank as she described her symptoms, and without even consulting the text that lay open on my desk, I knew what this had to be. It was too much of a coincidence that what had stumped us all until Prince Christien awoke and could be questioned and tested further should now appear in the hands of a Princess of the Blood.
But no, I was being hasty, a sweet smelling liquid that made her ill and unconscious did not have to be the same thing, and I could test it to be sure. Noemi looked so upset that I had to do it, to be certain, before I voiced my suspicion.
"I can run some tests on this..." I glanced toward the other room, the laboratory, full of beakers and solvents and all things scientific. "I can do it right now, if you want to wait?" What would I say to her if I was right? Not just her, but to someone, anyone, because this could potentially be the most damning piece of evidence when it came to finding out who exactly had murdered the Queen and poisoned the Dauphin.
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Noemi de Trevalion
Royal (Staff)
Her Highness, Princess of the Blood; House Trevalion *Voted Character You'd Most Like to Meet 2010*
Sister to Victoire and Cygnus
Posts: 1,119
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Post by Noemi de Trevalion on Aug 10, 2011 15:31:13 GMT -5
Almost as soon as he took the bottle I was having second and third and fourth thoughts about all of this, and I had to fight the urge to make for the door with some sort of excuse. That part of me wanted nothing more than to snatch back what I'd given Jean just moments before and run as fast as I could, go back home and hide behind the curtains in my window seat until the world made sense again.
Then I remembered that the world probably wasn't supposed to make sense, especially since it hadn't in a very long time. And if I didn't find this out it would eat away at my mind until I really was the crying, upset wreck that I was trying not to be.
Besides, he was sniffing the bottle anyway and seemed to be concerned with it, a dark look in his eyes as he looked at it, and then at me, though his tone was as gentle and friendly as ever. He was sweet, and I had a feeling that he wanted to know the truth as much as I did. Was that to mean that he'd recognized those symptom's I'd had, seen something upsetting in them, or that he was simply worried about me?
"I think that would be best," I finally forced myself to say, my voice almost a whisper by this point as I clasped my hands in my lap, even the idea of a smile gone from my features. "How long will this take? You're probably busy with other things, and if you want I can try to come back later, but it's been something on my mind, like a dark secret, and I'd rather know. Will you keep this a secret for me?"
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Post by Jean-Baptiste de Bergeron on Aug 28, 2011 19:36:55 GMT -5
Keeping secrets was something I was good at. You had to be, to be a physician, and to work in the Palace. Everyone had secrets and a physician was almost as good as a priest for confessing. This secret, though ... but it was Noemi, and I was probably getting ahead of myself.
"Of course," I heard myself saying. "This should take, oh about an hour, and I can do it now. You can watch, if you like," I offered, gesturing toward the door that led to my makeshift laboratory.
Once in the lab, I poured a bit of the liquid into a beaker and set about choosing different compounds and anything else I could think of to begin the testing. I was thinking about all of the different things I'd learned, and what we had recently learned about the poison that was thought to had been used on the Queen and the Prince. I thought it best to work from the hypothesis that this was the same poison, and see if I could confirm that. If I couldn't, well, that would be a relief and we could simply moving to figuring out what it was exactly.
I didn't speak as I worked, concentrating on the liquid and on bringing to mind what I knew about the poison. I hoped Noemi did not think me rude, but sometimes this type of work had a way of consuming a man, or at least it did for me. Once I was on the hunt, I could hardly rest until I'd worked out a solution, like a hound dog on the scent of prey. This prey, I hoped, wouldn't come back to bite me in the end.
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Noemi de Trevalion
Royal (Staff)
Her Highness, Princess of the Blood; House Trevalion *Voted Character You'd Most Like to Meet 2010*
Sister to Victoire and Cygnus
Posts: 1,119
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Post by Noemi de Trevalion on Aug 30, 2011 7:51:55 GMT -5
Jean-Baptiste really was a good friend, I realized; not everyone would have so easily accepted the chance to keep a secret that could amount to treason if this was what I was afraid it was- but no, I couldn't think like that! Victoire had always done good things, at least as far as I knew, and while they were hard to understand at times she worked for what she thought was best. How could poisoning anyone EVER be the best choice to handle a situation? Even if it was about power or inheritance weren't there other ways?
How could I think the worst of my family on so little evidence?
When he offered the chance to watch I silently moved toward the room he'd indicated, taking a seat in a nearby chair and watching the various things he did with the contents of the bottle. Drops of different things with various colors, powders, some to go on the heat and some set aside- I would never have been able to puzzle it out myself, but it seemed like a bad sort of time to interrupt with questions. His actions were deft though, and almost lovely in that way, and it suited him. Whatever else came of this he'd be a wonderful doctor and scientist.
Now just to wait for the answer and hope for my stupidity being the outcome, rather that something far more vile.
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Post by Jean-Baptiste de Bergeron on Sept 5, 2011 20:56:24 GMT -5
I ran the same test three times to be sure. I'd known it from the start and there could really no longer be any doubt - this was the same poison that had been used on the Queen and the Prince. It had a chemical name that I never could remember, but it was known usually as l'arbre de traƮtresse, as the leaves that were used to make it came from a type of rare tree that grew in Khebbel-im-Akkad and was said to have been used to murder a Khalif by the woman he loved. I didn't know how to tell Noemi this, but I had to.
"Noemi, this is poison..." I said, looking at her closely as I set the bottle on the table. "Are you sure you're all right?" This particular poison was only fatal in high enough doses, otherwise it would make one ill, or in carefully controlled amounts, could be used as it had been on the Prince. The side effects were terrible pain and vivid nightmares, and I wanted to make certain first and foremost that Noemi was not still suffering any ill-effects.
"Not just any poison, either," I continued slowly, coming to stand in front of her, chewing my lower lip softly. "This is the same poison that was used on the Queen and Prince Christien. This is very serious... you have to tell someone, or ..." Or what? I would never tell anyone that she had it, but if someone else found out, she could be blamed. "I don't want anyone to think that you had something to do with this," I finished, my mouth dry. "This is dangerous ground we're treading on now."
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Noemi de Trevalion
Royal (Staff)
Her Highness, Princess of the Blood; House Trevalion *Voted Character You'd Most Like to Meet 2010*
Sister to Victoire and Cygnus
Posts: 1,119
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Post by Noemi de Trevalion on Sept 7, 2011 14:37:10 GMT -5
Jean's answer brought home the darkest of what I'd been thinking and made it irrevocably clear- this was poison, made to kill or sicken people, not incidentally happening to do that while having some other purpose. My sister had this in her room, among the other bottles of perfume and cosmetics, and who could have put it there but her? I wanted to think it was a servant, or some evil villain in a dark cape that might figure in some mystery novel but how likely was that really? I should investigate the house but somehow I had this sinking, sorrowful feeling that it wouldn't make a difference. It matched too well to what I'd read in her journal.
For a moment I could only look at him and listen with what had to be an expression of nausueous shock before I realized that he was waiting for some sort of answer from me. What could I tell him and why was he he looking to me for answers anyway? I didn't know anything about anything, especially about anything like this, and I couldn't even say whether or not I was alright. Right now I almost hoped that whatever it was just made me seem fine so I could go home, finally fall asleep and die in my bed so I left this matter to someone else. They'd do better than I would at all of this.
But what about my pride, and what had been done, and the fact that crimes should be punished no matter who had committed them? My sister had done something wrong, something that had killed and hurt and sickened people, myself included. She'd been a traitor to the Crown, killed the Queen to who we owed familial loyalty and feudal fealty to. She'd almost killed Christien with this silliness and from her writings was so deluded she didn't realize how weak he was- just like I'd been too naive to see what her relationship to him had really grown into. Maybe I was crazy too. Was this how betrayal felt, and loss? This poison was going to cause Victoire's death as surely as it had cause Sabrina's, but I couldn't let her get away with this either.
Jean still seemed nervous but I couldn't smile and try to reassure him now; no, I looked away and felt tears fall, then tried to brush them away as quickly as I could. "I didn't have anything to do with this, I didn't know," I managed in a half-choked sob. "I was too stupid to see anything, and I didn't want to see it. I still don't. But I know I have to tell. Just.. just please keep it a secret for a little while longer, so I can.." Could what? Make it untrue? That wasn't going to happen, and it felt like a dagger was ripping me open at that fact. "It's not right for me to ask and I won't tell anyone that you know anything about this at all, I swear to Azza, but I promise I'll tell. I just feel like it's my responsibility. She's my sister."
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Post by Jean-Baptiste de Bergeron on Sept 18, 2011 17:47:15 GMT -5
I nodded slowly, nervous for her and now afraid for my own part in this. I could hang for it, that was for certain, or at the very least be turned out of my position. But looking at her, those large eyes, the quivering lower lip, the golden strands of hair... I swallowed hard and nodded again.
"I won't say anything," I promised, remembering Victoire, who had always seemed to take such care with Christien. Why would she have done such a thing? I doubted that Noemi knew any more than I did, so I didn't ask, most especially because it was not my business.
"Please be careful," I added, frowning. If her sister would do this, what else was she capable of. "I ... I would hate to see anything happen to you." My cheeks heated at it, but I did care about what happened to her.
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Noemi de Trevalion
Royal (Staff)
Her Highness, Princess of the Blood; House Trevalion *Voted Character You'd Most Like to Meet 2010*
Sister to Victoire and Cygnus
Posts: 1,119
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Post by Noemi de Trevalion on Sept 19, 2011 13:08:59 GMT -5
It was so kind of Jean to be concerned about me in that moment that I simply looked at him for a moment, wondering how I was lucky enough to have such good friends. I knew what he risked by keeping my secret, and he had to be wondering whether I was trustworthy or in on this entire thing, or even if I'd done it all along and was looking to explain it away- but he recognized that I didn't do it, couldn't have, and he helped me. More, he was worried that something bad would come to me for having this information. Hopefully it was unfounded, but with all of this going on who was to tell? Christien would be so angry, so betrayed about all of this..
Standing up I brushed down my skirts, then moved closer to Jean and leaned in before giving him a kiss on the cheek, a small smile on my features. "Thank you so much," I whispered close to his ear, my voice low but filled with sincerity and warmth for him and what he was doing. "I owe you more than I can say." And I did- for the chance to keep this matter in my family, to save my pride, and to assuage some of my own guilt for my lack of attention by taking the brunt of this onto myself. Already it weighed on my heart but I steeled myself against giving up. I couldn't do that, not and call myself a Princess any longer.
With another deep breath I steadied myself and stepped back slightly, reflexively smoothing down my skirts again. "Don't worry, Jean, it'll be alright," I told him, mustering as much of a smile as I could. "I'll be as careful as I can, and soon... Well, it'll be out of my hands, won't it?"
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