rosie-of-beauharnais

[rosie-of-beauharnais]

Madame Rose de Tascher de La Pagerie,

You probably didn't expect to receive a letter from me, and may even be a little reluctant to read it. I will use your birth surname here, because I am addressing you as a fellow woman, not as a wife or an Empress. Our paths have only crossed a few times: the first was in Paris, shortly before your wedding. The second, on the day of your coronation. You already know this : for years, I hated you. I was deeply resentful of your marriage to Bonaparte. I was young and foolish, and today I come to apologize for all the evil I wished you, all the venom I spat, all the nasty things I said or thought about you. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't you who broke an engagement promise and betrayed your word, it wasn't you who humiliated me and my family. But something in the mores of our time and the impulsiveness of my teenage youth led me to forgive the person truly responsible for my misfortunes and to resent you. It was also probably easier.

Today, things are different. We have a lifetime behind us to look back on our past mistakes and judgments. I no longer hate you, on the contrary, I admire you for having remained so dignified, so great, through the most difficult and unjust of ordeals. Consider this missive an olive branch. I hope in the future to earn your appreciation and, perhaps one day, your friendship.

I wish you all the happiness in the world,

Madame Bernadotte {@reine-desideria}

rose, at last, had relaxed after spending time with her lazare, and her heart wasn´t feeling particularly heavy with melancoly for now. it reminded her of caroline in the past, asking for forgiveness. eventually time heals almost, if not, all scars.

madame bernadotte, i am quite surprised by your letter, but all things considered, i hold no animosity for you as i am trying to let go some old grudges, so i hope we can count on each other, whenever needed.

[rosie-of-beauharnais]

hmm... i hope you'll remember your promise when napoleon comes.

after resisting much of his charm, she finally gives him what he wanted, making herself comfortable in his lap. she had missed moments like this. tenderly, her fingers caress his jaw.

general hoche,

how good it is to hear from you, for that i do not forget those who have been good to me in the past. i cannot thank you enough for taking care of my dear eugene. i hope we can still be on good terms in this place.

your good friend,

mme beauharnais.

My dear Madame de Beauharnais, I am delighted to hear from you. May I still call you Rose as I once did? It is you, madam, who have been most good to me.

Of course we shall be on good terms, and I hope you are well. Your children were a delight in my life, and always I will think of them fondly. I hear you have ascended to great heights since I have left the world.

[rosie-of-beauharnais]

her face frowns at lazare's words. she would have to work with the two of them. it wont be a lot, lazare is too gentle with her, napoleon meanwhile.. she puts her hands on his shoulders, fluttering her eyelashes slowly at him.

you shouldnt get ahead of yourself, i need to bring both of you together, and then we can converse the possibility of all three of us living here. regarding napoleon, please don't worry—i know how to get him to cooperate, or at least I used to.

general hoche,

how good it is to hear from you, for that i do not forget those who have been good to me in the past. i cannot thank you enough for taking care of my dear eugene. i hope we can still be on good terms in this place.

your good friend,

mme beauharnais.

My dear Madame de Beauharnais, I am delighted to hear from you. May I still call you Rose as I once did? It is you, madam, who have been most good to me.

Of course we shall be on good terms, and I hope you are well. Your children were a delight in my life, and always I will think of them fondly. I hear you have ascended to great heights since I have left the world.

[rosie-of-beauharnais]

come, let's take a seat.

she then gently takes his hand, guiding him towards her bedroom in a hurry. when they arrive, she politely asks him to sit on her bed, holding his hands a little nervously.

i wanted to be honest with you, there is something i need to confess. as you know, after we parted, i married bonaparte. among other things that I told you, in my heart there is still a corner which loves him, and wants him too. what i mean is,  would you stay with me, even if I decide to try to reconcile with my husband?

general hoche,

how good it is to hear from you, for that i do not forget those who have been good to me in the past. i cannot thank you enough for taking care of my dear eugene. i hope we can still be on good terms in this place.

your good friend,

mme beauharnais.

My dear Madame de Beauharnais, I am delighted to hear from you. May I still call you Rose as I once did? It is you, madam, who have been most good to me.

Of course we shall be on good terms, and I hope you are well. Your children were a delight in my life, and always I will think of them fondly. I hear you have ascended to great heights since I have left the world.

[rosie-of-beauharnais]

in that case, my beloved, there is something id like to discuss, and i need you to be on board with it.

rose swoons, snickering in her head. she then hugs his arm, hiding her face in his shoulder.

general hoche,

how good it is to hear from you, for that i do not forget those who have been good to me in the past. i cannot thank you enough for taking care of my dear eugene. i hope we can still be on good terms in this place.

your good friend,

mme beauharnais.

My dear Madame de Beauharnais, I am delighted to hear from you. May I still call you Rose as I once did? It is you, madam, who have been most good to me.

Of course we shall be on good terms, and I hope you are well. Your children were a delight in my life, and always I will think of them fondly. I hear you have ascended to great heights since I have left the world.

[rosie-of-beauharnais]

ah, lazare~ you forget that i had two husbands who were part of the army too, that´s unimportant. what matters to me is having you near, as a friend.. and perhaps something else?

she suggests, looking at her feet, suddenly feeling embarassed about her rashness before.

general hoche,

how good it is to hear from you, for that i do not forget those who have been good to me in the past. i cannot thank you enough for taking care of my dear eugene. i hope we can still be on good terms in this place.

your good friend,

mme beauharnais.

My dear Madame de Beauharnais, I am delighted to hear from you. May I still call you Rose as I once did? It is you, madam, who have been most good to me.

Of course we shall be on good terms, and I hope you are well. Your children were a delight in my life, and always I will think of them fondly. I hear you have ascended to great heights since I have left the world.

[rosie-of-beauharnais]

"You know I came to love them fiercely… As fiercely as I loved their mother once."

i.. lazare

in complete silence, she thinks throughly, looking directly into the man´s eyes. years ago that young soldier gave her support in her darkest moment, when she thought she was already dead, he made love to her, held her, surely it wouldn´t be out of place to make a proposal to him.

if you don´t have a place to stay, then maybe... would you consider living with me?

to herself, she says "maybe we could give each other a chance, since there is nothing forbiding us"

general hoche,

how good it is to hear from you, for that i do not forget those who have been good to me in the past. i cannot thank you enough for taking care of my dear eugene. i hope we can still be on good terms in this place.

your good friend,

mme beauharnais.

My dear Madame de Beauharnais, I am delighted to hear from you. May I still call you Rose as I once did? It is you, madam, who have been most good to me.

Of course we shall be on good terms, and I hope you are well. Your children were a delight in my life, and always I will think of them fondly. I hear you have ascended to great heights since I have left the world.

[rosie-of-beauharnais]

Suddenly, Rose would receive the most… Curious gift, at her door.

It was nothing less than a honeypot. It seemed to glow, a soft gold in the sunlight. There were no markings or anything, simply a plain white cloth draped over it.

A few bees were making their way across the top, and they seemed to lift off as soon as they noticed her. It might have just been a fancy, but Rose thought she saw little hearts in the way they flew, before perhaps they went to enjoy themselves among her roses.

And, speaking of which...

Encircling the jar... a bouquet. Of them. Such delicate colors, from the familiar reds, pinks, and whites, to softer hues like lavender, pale yellow, and even a whisper of pastel blue.

Among this bouquet was the following note:

Dearest Josephine:

Good morning, though I hope this humble token finds you well at whatever hour it may reach you. I have always found you particularly radiant in the soft glow of the early light…

This is nothing but a humble gift. It feels inadequate, a mere whisper compared to the boundless affection and devotion you deserve. Yet, it is something that comes from the depths of my heart, a sincere reminder of you, and I can only hope it brings you some comfort or aid.

You are well aware of my lamentable struggles with the written word, a failing that pains me deeply, especially now when I long to convey the depth of my feelings.

But first and foremost… Please know that I profoundly regret everything, absolutely everything, in which I lacked. And at the same time, I wish for you to understand that you have never left my thoughts. Even in my final moments, it was your memory that sustained me.

I find myself constantly longing for your presence, yet I also feel unworthy to even gaze upon your beautiful face again.

Still, solace is my greatest companion at the thought that, within the many realms of the Afterlife, you are safe and sound.

With all my love,

A mere gardener now.

@rulergreenkeeper

when rose saw bees flying around her place, she became suspicious. then she heard noise coming from the main door, and after waiting a bit, she inspected the object.

it could be possible? another bonaparte? it was too different from the last. the letter reminded her of when she just met him. she smiled a little, and hugged it lightly.

..hmm, i didn't know you had it in you.

[rosie-of-beauharnais]

a light blush appeared in rose's cheeks. the endearment in the voice of lazare made her swoon on the inside. and she thought she was too old to be flustered by anything.

however, the mention of his children interrupted whatever giddiness she felt.

my children.. they aren't here, i never saw hortense, i had contact with eugène some time ago but he disappeared, i don't know what could have gone wrong, everyone has his own battle with themselves.

general hoche,

how good it is to hear from you, for that i do not forget those who have been good to me in the past. i cannot thank you enough for taking care of my dear eugene. i hope we can still be on good terms in this place.

your good friend,

mme beauharnais.

My dear Madame de Beauharnais, I am delighted to hear from you. May I still call you Rose as I once did? It is you, madam, who have been most good to me.

Of course we shall be on good terms, and I hope you are well. Your children were a delight in my life, and always I will think of them fondly. I hear you have ascended to great heights since I have left the world.

[rosie-of-beauharnais]

yet i do love him, love is strange, right? maybe because he worshipped me, i was like a goddess to him. even after we divorced, he didnt outright dismissed me. what i am saying, lazare, is that he was also terribly confused.. you know, there were other people involved in this matter. enough of this, i forgot that soldiers as you would be bored by things like this.

general hoche,

how good it is to hear from you, for that i do not forget those who have been good to me in the past. i cannot thank you enough for taking care of my dear eugene. i hope we can still be on good terms in this place.

your good friend,

mme beauharnais.

My dear Madame de Beauharnais, I am delighted to hear from you. May I still call you Rose as I once did? It is you, madam, who have been most good to me.

Of course we shall be on good terms, and I hope you are well. Your children were a delight in my life, and always I will think of them fondly. I hear you have ascended to great heights since I have left the world.

[rosie-of-beauharnais]

you see, general, ever since i married a certain someone *ahem* napoleon *ahem* rarely does anyone call me rose, but don't worry about it. as for my "ascension".. yes, it happened and then my marriage fell apart anyways, i'm happy that status doesn't matter anymore, all i wanted is here.

she sighs. that time she spent inside her "house" made her reflect on every fault she comitted. it kept hurting her. speaking wasn't going to solve anything, but at least it would give her peace, peace for her human self.

i think what i might say it's a bit too much, but i will do it: sorry if i ever came off to you as overbearing or made you feel awkward, i wasn't in a right state of mind in those moments– it's okay if you don't answer me, i used you too much..

general hoche,

how good it is to hear from you, for that i do not forget those who have been good to me in the past. i cannot thank you enough for taking care of my dear eugene. i hope we can still be on good terms in this place.

your good friend,

mme beauharnais.

My dear Madame de Beauharnais, I am delighted to hear from you. May I still call you Rose as I once did? It is you, madam, who have been most good to me.

Of course we shall be on good terms, and I hope you are well. Your children were a delight in my life, and always I will think of them fondly. I hear you have ascended to great heights since I have left the world.

[rosie-of-beauharnais]

𓊆still in the afterlife𓊇 °❀⋆.ೃ࿔:･°❀⋆.ೃ࿔:･

it is a pleasure to announce to everyone (that is, everyone that is hanging on out there) that after being lost inside the "mist" i didn´t lost the fight leave. by now, if you remember yet, that project i mentioned in the past has turned into a full blown out garden! i fear that the space i´m residing has gotten smaller, it seems nature obeys rather different laws than of the living.. in spite of all the unpleasant experiences of the past, i am quite moved to be again in touch with the reality outside my "cloister". i didn´t hope to come out

[rosie-of-beauharnais]

*Eaglet brings some research papers on blue roses*

Here, Maman. Maybe we can get some ideas?

- @frencheaglet

sweetie, thank you for your help, without the aid of housemaids on this task it made me realize the wonders behind arranging every little detail of the plants. on other pastimes, i hope it won't be a bother if i gave you some pain à la duchesse i cooked? i swear it's edible

someday i'm going to show everyone my garden

[rosie-of-beauharnais]

I heard you were working on breeding a new rose variety for Halloween. How is it going?

first, my apologies to anonyme for the date i am replying your inquiry. i have always adored taking care of roses, certainly this still holds true as i am now growing up a garden on the little space i live, partially thanks to the efforts of my family who gifted me some seeds. however this has nothing to do to that "halloween". currently my aim is to develop (as natural as i could) blue roses! though it´s still in rough drafts the project.

[rosie-of-beauharnais]

careful!

panicking, she manages to catch napoleon just seconds before the impact, sighing afterwards.

it seems this has taken a great toll on him.. oh my

aw! as a small child, you were such a cute one. do you remember me, dear? is it okay if i hug you?

she said while petting his hair and smiling endearingly towards him

🌹 @rosie-of-beauharnais

He looks at her very confused why so many strangers are visiting him. Again it was a stunningly beautiful woman. Her wonderful smile making him blush.

Her starting to pet his hair makes his entire body start shaking and breathing heavily. This was really not good for his ego.

Im sorry, I don’t think I’ve met you. . . But please feel free . . . To hug me

He bites his tongue ashamed of his own accent.

[rosie-of-beauharnais]

seeing the boy become stiff, she just gives him a quick hug, thinking how hard it must be to be transformed against your own will.

needn't to worry, i am a friendly stranger. my name's marie josèphe, you may call me rose if you want.

aw! as a small child, you were such a cute one. do you remember me, dear? is it okay if i hug you?

she said while petting his hair and smiling endearingly towards him

🌹 @rosie-of-beauharnais

He looks at her very confused why so many strangers are visiting him. Again it was a stunningly beautiful woman. Her wonderful smile making him blush.

Her starting to pet his hair makes his entire body start shaking and breathing heavily. This was really not good for his ego.

Im sorry, I don’t think I’ve met you. . . But please feel free . . . To hug me

He bites his tongue ashamed of his own accent.

[rosie-of-beauharnais]

If Napoleon had become a girl, would you have been a lesbian couple with her?

what's going on with my correspondence now of all days, sorry @alexanderfanboy

in that case anonyme, as a woman, i am not sure enough if my feelings would even blossom in the first place.. well! that one time we swapped genders there was no trouble at all with the.. ah, love-making. what i want to say is, how we would do it it's not the problem perse, that is another matter.