Decimus
1, 1669, Part 2
All
right. I’m back & hopefully sufficiently anesthetized. Between Sylvain’s
words to me last night & the memories of home… Well, I can safely say that
I’ve definitely felt better. I’m afraid that the details will only get
worse, however, so I’ve brought a bottle just in case.
From
the foyer, I led Dio up the broken staircase & down the battered upstairs
hallway to my equally defaced bedroom. Everything was broken or gone, but one
strange thing remained. I was sharing my memories of the closet, where I used to
play doctor with the young Lazare Bisset du Arrent, when I realized my clothes
were still there! I mean they were dull & the jewels had all been torn off,
but they were there! I wondered why & it’s the why that still plagues me.
You see, next I went to my father’s secret room. Every time I was taken to be
punished or receive my allowance I would go to his study, & in his study he
had a secret room. I had never been allowed into it myself, but I knew that he
kept a great deal of money & personal, private things in there for
safekeeping.
Unfortunately,
when I arrived there I found that the room had been discovered. All of the money
was gone, documents were scattered about & a broken frame lie on the floor.
The canvas was still in tact & when I turned it over I recognized it at
once! It was the painting of my mother that had hung in my father’s study for
as long as I can remember (much to Vivianne’s displeasure). She wore a
traditional Montaigne gown in the painting, but her curly brown hair fell wildly
over her shoulders. I realized again, as much as I’d said it & been told
so in the past, I am truly her spitting image! Looking at the old painting
through adult eyes was a unique & painful experience, especially when it
occurred to me how my father must have loved her, to have kept it for all of
these years! I remembered then how he spoke of her, like she was perfection
incarnate. How could I have not realized before?
As
if that wasn’t enough of a revelation, what I found next was the most
devastating of all. I don’t know how I’m going to write it. Perhaps another
drink...
What
I found was a small, cracked porcelain oval frame with a painting of me from
when I was a girl! He’d kept that & he’d kept my clothes! My father
loved me! Oh, Theus what have I done!? Maybe Sylvain was right; maybe I did kill
him! He loved me & I killed him! My father loved me & I never knew it. I
never knew!
Forgive
me Father, I never knew!
I
need another drink.
So,
anyway, when I saw that my knees just gave out. Dio caught me & helped me
down gently, patted my shoulder & very graciously left the room.
And
I lie there on the floor of my father’s secret room crying my heart out.
I
don’t know how long it had been before I came out, but everything felt very
surreal when I did. I showed Dio the artworks & he commented that my mother
was indeed lovely; I looked very much like her. Yeah, he managed a bit of smile
out of me with that one. I guess he knows how to take the edge off. He’s been
my rock on more than one occasion, but I’d never been more glad that he was
with me. My Dio.
We
made our way down the hall again & into what once had been the most
exquisite & grandest room in the chateau, the ballroom. Half of the room was
missing, having been burned away, & most of the floor was gone. From there,
we could see the sunset over the battered grounds & even a hint of the city
in the distance. I pointed around the remaining area of the room to where I’d
first met my betrothed, the dashing Julius Caligari. How gorgeous I thought he
was until I found out we were supposed to marry… That was the last time I’d
been in that ballroom.
My
companion seemed a bit lost in the ambience, replying that it was a depressing
place to be. He had a hard time imagining people being so angry. His comments
brought me out of my memories & back into reality. I asked him to just hold
me, & he did for a very long time.
It
was dark when Dio & I emerged. The others tried not to show it, but both
wore concern in their eyes & looked at me with a pained curiosity. I tried
not to show my sorrow either, but I know I had to have failed miserably. Anyway,
Mr. McKrimmon commented that the commoners who had camped around the grounds had
been growing rather inquisitive about our presence there. Some people of them
were keen on eating the horses as well, he said, but when he offered them a fist
sandwich instead they decided they weren’t so hungry.
I
was admittedly very somber for the rest of that week before the elections &
spent a lot of time touring my hometown, lost in my memories. On occasion
commoners would point, whisper or stare as I walked by, but I wasn’t my usual
self; I didn’t feel like performing. I was far too upset. More than once I
broke down crying & Dio would have to hold me again. He kept telling me that
I didn’t start it, that Montaigne was a powder keg & I had been the match.
If I hadn’t been, something or someone else would have. I asked him then how
he would feel if he thought he killed his father & after a moment, he said
that it could have been avoided had he only paid attention to the people. The
commoners did it because he didn’t listen to them & take care of them. If
only he had. If only he had listened to me when I came back from school &
told him about how they were living in squalor! If he only had tried to change
& not brushed off my words. I tried to tell him…
On
Nonus 28th, the community gathered at the town square where the
candidates were to give their speeches. Of course, I was front-and-center.
The
first man out impressed no one. He claimed to be the illegitimate son of an
Allais du Crieux, even bearing the family name proudly. (Bastard!) He wanted to
bring back the monarchy & have them work with the citizens for their best
interest. When he finished, many boos & jeers followed.
Next
up was a retired Musketeer who had some very sound ideas about caring for the
people through security, but the poor man couldn’t speak to save his life!
When he stepped down, I think people cheered more out of respect than anything.
A
lady Intendant stepped up next. She favored making a slower change to a new form
of government & with her knowledge of the laws as they stood under the
monarchy, she could aid in making a smooth transition. She received some cheers
& so far she seemed the best option, but then “The One” took the
platform.
Professor
Eugene Suchet du Crieux laid out his prepared papers, put on his glasses &
began speaking. And he spoke SO eloquently, yet passionately & from the
heart! He talked about the method of government of the old Numan Republic &
how he saw that he could aid in making Montaigne work in a similar fashion. He
went on basic human rights & strength of the human spirit before closing
with, “I want a new Montaigne, built by the people instead of on their
backs”. The crowd went wild & rightly so!
The
town was a buzz all day discussing the candidates. Everyone wanted to know who
everyone else was voting for & why. Excited debates could be heard
everywhere in Crieux, which made me very happy & very proud. The people were
freely speaking their minds about politics & were thrilled to be able to
have a say, even to disagree with eachother.
At
dinner that night, word spread like wildfire around the bar that the bastard
Allais du Crieux had withdrawn from the race. I couldn’t help but mention how
downright stupid it was for him to run as a noble when people still wanted
nobles dead! It still boggles my mind why he would choose to take the name at
all! Dio supposed that he thought it would lend to his legitimacy. “But,
he’s illegitimate.” I replied. Oh, the irony! I think I laughed for the
first time since Chareuse.
The
following day was Voting Day & I was elated to be a part of it! I dressed my
best & made sure to arrive early at the courthouse. It seemed that a lot of
other people had the same idea; by the time I arrived a long line had already
formed. Musketeers & local Knights of the Rose & Cross could be seen
everywhere as well, keeping the peace & assuring that the elections remained
on the up & up.
When
I reached the doors, one of the knights handed me a ballot & I entered the
courthouse all smiles. I had to have been glowing when I turned in my vote I was
so excited!
Elections
continued all day & a celebratory feel was everywhere about town. People
were in high spirits, drinking & chatting happily. At the inn, I treated my
men to free meals & the entire bar to free drinks.
The
following day we gathered again outside of the courthouse. Cheerful whispers
filled the air as everyone waited for the results. At mid-morning, a clerk
emerged beside Grand Master of the Knights of the Rose & Cross. He proceeded
to read the results & in the end the Professor had won by a landslide!
Everyone, myself included, cheered wildly at the announcement & cheered even
more as the winner stepped up to accept his position. He thanked everyone for
their vote & support, promising to do what was best & right for the
country. As our representative, he invited us to visit him in Chareuse &
finished with a hearty, “Viva le Republic!”
The
rest of the day was a huge party in Crieux. There wasn’t much food, but people
feasted all they could. Drinks flowed freely & everyone was dressed in their
best. I stayed with them & shared in the merriment, enjoying the company of
the happy, free people of Montaigne. And to think I helped make it happen! I was
so proud!
The
next day I took a walk down to the eerily empty docks for a new tattoo. I’d
never gotten one in my homeport before! And I got a special one, the new
Montaigne flag done crest-style on the opposite shoulder from my Von Drachenheim
crest. I’ll have to make a point to show Hubert whenever I see him again,
being that it’s his design & all. If nothing else, it’d be a good excuse
to let my top down a bit.
Ah,
the port though! Being there brought back a lot of old memories. I used to
travel down there as a young teen to lure many an Eisen sailor into my bed, or I
should say theirs. My father would have simply died if I’d actually brought
any of them home! As it was had he known what I’d been up to or at least the
extent of it, I may have been tossed head first into a convent! Oh, but those
were the days, the carefree days with no real responsibility, just dreams of
freedom & mischievous enjoyment of forbidden pleasures. Things are much more
complicated now.
Anyway,
Dupré & O’Connel arrived on Le Grande Betê the following day, but it
took a while to restock & hire as many new sailors as we needed. Many of the
old crew had decided to retire after out last take & who can blame them
really? I was glad to be hiring Montaigne anyway; many of them would need work
& food after the recent upheaval.
On
Nonus 8th, I was walking to the ship with my bags, all ready to
leave, when I noticed many, many upset commoners in the street. Yes, they were
certainly incensed about something, so I stopped by a small group & asked
why. I was greeted with a flurry of “Will their arrogance never end?” and
“How dare they!” until someone stepped up with actual information. According
to them Anne du Montaigne & her husband, Jean-Marie Rois et Reines, had set
up a government in exile in Wische. They were staying as guests of the Eisenfürst
& have been inviting other displaced nobles to join them. All I could think
to say in reply was, “I might have to go have a talk with them.”
First,
though, I needed to go to Kirk; my brother’s last known location. Once we were
there, I tried to coerce Willem into telling me where his “friends” were in
hopes that they could tell me something, anything about Sylvain. He refused
& was very adamant, though he remained understanding & offered
suggestions. While I didn’t believe that he would possibly have made for any
other Montaigne nobles, perhaps he went to our uncle’s estate…
Oh
my, what an entertaining visit THAT was! I was stopped at the gate by a guard
who absolutely refused to let anyone in without an invitation & thus began
what could easily have been a comedy sketch in one’s local theater! I asked if
I was on the invitation list & he wouldn’t tell me because if I were on
the list I would have an invitation. I asked him how I would know if I had an
invitation unless he showed me the list, but he insisted that if I were on the
list I would know because I would have an invitation. And so on & so on for
the next 30 minutes! I swear I was about to pull my hair out & laugh
maniacally! In my amused frustration I asked him how HE got an invitation &
when he said it was because I worked there I replied, “That’s no excuse at
this point!” I took a deep breath & we stood staring at eachother for a
while. “So what you’re trying to say to tell me is in order to get in, I
need an invitation.” I said in exasperation. He looked a bit confused, but
finally came out with a very definite “Yes”. What could I say but “Well,
all right then”. And, with that, we left.
At
that point I was stumped. I thought about breaking in, but what good would that
have done had he not been there? I stopped by the office of the charming Reiner
Thorsen in hopes that he may be able to lend some assistance, but he was away on
business, so I was forced to think more carefully. What if he had tried to find
me? He would go to Freiburg!
Within
minutes, I was speaking with the harbor master & 20 guilders later I had
learned that a boy fitting his description had left on a ship bound for Eisen a
week ago! I immediately found Mr. McKrimmon, had my men pulled off of shore
leave & prepared to leave on the evening tide.
On
the evening of Nonus 18th I arrived at my estate & rushed in like
gangbusters, asking if I had anyone had come for me. Nobody had, but there was a
letter & it was from Sylvain! As soon as it was in my hands, I made for the
smoking room leaving orders for dinner & baths along the way. Once I was
alone, things were different. I was almost afraid to open it, I guess. After all
it had been 5 years & well, all things considered. It took me some time to
begin reading & when I did, the world seemed a bit surreal.
He
was glad to hear from me; though it was quite a surprise after all of these
years of thinking I’d been dead. He hoped that I would receive the letter,
though at that point he didn’t know if I were still alive & well. If I
were, he figured I would show up there some time. He realized now why I’d had
him spirited out of the country & appreciated that I had saved him, but he
was very confused. (To be honest, he wrote like wrote rather like someone who
was not all together, rambling a bit. He seemed so very upset, so hurt.) He said
that he now understood why I had him taken out of the country & thanked me
for saving him, but both his mother & father were dead now; his home was
destroyed. He understood that the people weren’t happy, but wondered if his
family needed to die. He remembered what I’d told him about the commoners
& recognized why it happened, but the price was so high he didn’t know if
it was worth it. Finally, he had heard that other deposed nobles were gathering
in Seisburg & was thinking of going there. Again, he hoped that the letter
would reach me & signed it with Love.
That
was it. I needed to go to Wische. I needed to see him.
I
sat there for how long, I can’t guess. The room had grown dark as the sun set
outside before my thoughts were interrupted by a soft knock. Dio stepped in, lit
a lamp & sat beside me. With a slightly mischievous smile on his lips &
fiery eyes, he mentioned that’d he’d run across a newspaper salesman on his
way home & found something he thought I might like. With that, he held out
the first issue of Montaigne’s new newspaper, “The Republican”, bringing
me instantly out of my morass. He poured a drink & listened as I proudly
read aloud.
The
Parliament had convened for the first time. Present were the elected
representatives of the Council of 8: Major Gilbertine du Muguet, Professor
Eugene Suchet du Crieux, Jean-Marc Navarre, Madeline du Chatelaine, Aristide
Baveux, Arnoud du Chareuse, Citizen Sausseur &… Hubert du Gloyure. (Why it
is that every time I find a man I really like, he gets promoted?!
I mean, what are the odds?)
Anyway,
taxes had been repealed, many harsh laws were overturned & voting rights
were granted to all citizens. The Musketeers had been reformed & the
Republic had been in peace talks with Castille, finally coming to an agreement
for our army’s withdrawal in exchange for war reparations & a garrison to
remain in Barceno. Also, they had managed to secure the return of the soldiers
from Ussura, however officially repeated that Montague had been killed. It was
news that I found to be very sad, knowing the truth. No doubt Posen’s ransom
price had been too high for the fledgling government. She, of all people,
wouldn’t let the Montaigne’s most brilliant military genius go cheap.
Unfortunately, I fear that she wishes to use him for her own purposes.
Lastly,
the former High-Admiral Valoix was scheduled to address the Parliament tomorrow!
Damn! Why couldn’t I have gotten the paper sooner?? It was a week old already!
I simply needed to know what that bastard had to say for himself after his
failure at Valoix’s Folly & there’s no way I could have made it on time
without Porté, which gave me an idea…
Dupré
reluctantly agreed to go. I really had to lay it on, though, & that wasn’t
even what did it. When I told him about Valoix’s upcoming speech, his
curiosity won out. He promised to commit the entire event to memory & share
it with me upon his return.
The
following morning, while I waited for his return, I packed my clothes for the
journey to Wische & gave the painting of my mother to Christina for
restoration with a note to be very careful, “that’s my mother you’re
working with”. I also took my porcelain painting out to be repaired as well.
It will have noticeable lines, but it will always be priceless to me regardless.
While I was out I dropped off a new dress pattern at my clothier & stopped
off at Herr Howenstein’s office to change my name yet again, proudly,
officially, to Zylvainette du Crieux Von Drachenheim. Now that the Revolution is
over, I’m very happy to take the name of my homeland.
When
Dupré returned, the first thing he said was, “Are you sure you want to know?
It may not make you happy.” Oh, what was that but a dare? So, he proceeded to
tell me of how Alasaiz
Valoix Praisse du Rachetisse III stood tall with the flag of the Republic
strategically behind him & explained, in perfect Montaigne double talk, how
the Emperor had duped him! He said that Leon had told him that the port was to
be raided by bloodthirsty pirates & that he was to protect the citizens from
the event. However, when he realized that we had only come to retrieve the tax
money to return to the poor, hungry, downtrodden citizens he felt that he
couldn’t, in good conscience, stand in our way. So, he sailed away &
allowed the “true heroes”, the Pirates, to complete our task! He shared the
people’s anti-aristocracy sentiment & spoke of how much he cared for the
people & considered himself a citizen of Montaigne before any of his noble
titles. Just when I felt as if I were about to vomit, Dupré continued. The
speech was received with a standing ovation & the Council has restored him
to his position of High Admiralty, commissioning him with the duty of seeking
out renegade nobles.
As
one could imagine, the sickening display worked me up into a frenzy! I went off
on a very long tirade, chock full of insults for M. Valoix! I still can’t
believe that the commoners fell for it! The thing is, as a noble, Al (my new pet
name for him) believes that “peasants” are easily fooled &
manipulated… and they just fed that belief! Oh, it was a good thing I wasn’t
there; I’d SO have gone off on him & I’m afraid that wouldn’t look
good for anyone but him.
All
right, before I waste any more time sharing how much I despise that man, I’d
best get to where I am now, in Wische. When I arrived two days ago, it was cold
& Seisburg was covered with snow, but besides the winter weather more had
changed there. While the fields were still blasted, there was a LOT of
rebuilding going on! The people were still poor & underfed, but they looked
much happier & most of them were busy working. The second surprise was in
the form of a patrol of Musketeers! They stopped us, welcomed us & asked our
business. I told them that I’d come to see my friend, the Eisenfürst, &
they agreed to escort us.
In
the castle I would discover more changes! The surroundings were much brighter
& cheerier than I remembered AND there were servants, many more servants!
They showed us to our rooms, drew our baths, brought us food & even helped
me dress for my audience with Reinhardt Von Wische!
As
I’d hoped, the Eisenfürst was very willing to help me find Sylvain &
never once asked why I wished to see him. He simply said that he would ask
Jean-Marie to bring the boy to him & that would be enough for them. They were
all his visitors, after all. Unfortunately, that was all the time he had to
visit, but Gizella, or should I say Cornelia, offered to see me back to my room.
As we walked, she shared a bit about the nobles, how they had purchased a block
of buildings in the city & brought food & jobs to the people. The
Musketeers had fought back the ghouls & continued to protect the townspeople
from harm. Jean-Marie Rois et Reines himself patrols the city with them.
Ah, the stunning, honorable Jean-Marie! It isn’t easy for me to be on
opposite sides of a man so truly noble.
Dinner
was brought to our rooms that night, along with word that the meeting was
arranged for the following day. With that news, Serpente, Erik, the Highlander
& I passed a relatively quiet evening. Which finally brings me to yesterday.
I
woke early & when I couldn’t get back to sleep I began dressing. I’d
brought my new black & white striped gown from Freiburg just for the
occasion & once I’d done my hair & perfected my makeup, I topped it
off with its matching red-plumed hat. I wanted to look my best for my brother.
After breakfast, a soldier arrived & led me to a large waiting room, empty
but for two velvet covered chairs. There I waited & there I paced for what
seemed like an eternity.
The
door opened mid-pace. I turned & our eyes met instantly. It was my Sylvain,
but… he was so grown! When I last saw him he’d been only 10, nearly 11,
& here was this tall, handsome teenager, nearly a man!
We
stood speechless for quite some time before slowly walking towards each other
& falling into a hug. And we cried, we cried so hard. We were so happy to
see each other, but eventually everything began to fall apart. We cried & we
fought, we yelled & we screamed. He was so angry, so very hurt & it
killed me to see him so. At one point he accused me of murdering his family.
“You killed my father!” He said. If I could save him, why didn’t I save
our father? I told him how hard it had been for me as well. I told him of
returning to the chateau & finding the paintings &… he called me
self-centered! “It’s all about Zephyrne.” He said. Oh, it didn’t go
well. I told him about the people of Montaigne, reminding them of how mistreated
they had been & telling him how happy they were now. I spoke of the
elections & how their spirits had been so high; they were the reason why I
did it! And we fought & cried some more until the both of us were disheveled
& drained, sitting on the chairs, opposite the room from each other.
I
warned him about Valoix, the “noble hunter”, & he said that he knew.
Actually, the Republic had recently agreed to allow nobles back into the country
if they renounced sorcery & any ties to the throne. Porté had been
outlawed, as had the wearing of gloves, but he didn’t have Porté anyway so he
was thinking about going home. He still wasn’t sure. The Allais du Crieux
estates were out of the question; it would hurt far too much. He just needed to
sort things out & get his bearings, he said. I told him that he was welcome
to my estates, should he wish to go there. He was my heir, after all; they were
his as well. He nodded silently as I stood & walked over to him. I told him
I loved him & he took my hand as I kissed his forehead. As I went to leave I
heard his words behind me. “I just want to know why my father had to die.”
That’s
what hurt the most. I hurried back to my room where I spent the rest of the
night in tears. Dio held me & I fell asleep in his arms. I wish I could have
enjoyed it, but how could I when I’ve hurt the person I love most in this
world? Oh, my Sylvain. Will you ever forgive me? Will you ever understand? Will
I ever forgive myself for hurting you so?
Well,
anyway… this morning when I woke, I realized it was my birthday. So happy
birthday Zephyrne Allais du Crieux; happy birthday & congratulations. I hope
it was worth it to you.
~Z
