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[vehcmencias]

––– disa;

As she knelt next to her sister, DIsa felt Friđa tremble beneath her. It was not fair. When were things ever fair for Friđa? Disa took everything in stride, but even she could not imagine the pain of having lost a child. Children were supposed to bring joy and hope into the world, and instead her sister gets…this. This is why I shall never bear a child, Disa thought bitterly. The risk of heartbreak would be too much. Looking at Friđa as her tears finally made tracks down her face, Disa resolved to steel herself. Kristoffer was not here - to offer comfort, or something else? - although she was. She pressed her own cheek to Friđa’s hair. “I know. I know, my dear. You have done nothing to deserve this, do you hear me? Nothing. This was…an unfortunate accident. Please, sister, let us clean you up.”

                  an unfortunate accident. she wanted to know why ––– why god so willingly caused this? was there something wrong with her? was she not to ever bear a child? it was the one task she had been entrusted with and yet, she still managed to fail. “ he is going to hate me, disa. ” she did not specify who she spoke about but between sobs, it was clear who she referred herself to. “ he was finally accepting of me and now - ... ” though she was never able to finish her sentence, hand still getting hold of the small hints that she ever was with child; her small belly. the tears were difficult to stop and vision blurred even thinking of what his reaction would be. 

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––– disa;

Disa knew not what her sister was seeing, but she had to draw Friđa out of it. “Dear heart,” she said. “- listen to my voice. This pain will pass, I promise it so.” She held Friđa’s fingers in her hands and pressed kisses to their tips, for they were so, so cold. Tonight she had been drinking as usual, so her body was hot to the touch. She used her own hands to bring warmth into her sister’s. “I am with you. Please sister, come back to me.”

                   tears threatened to cascade down her cheeks. for a moment, flashbacks of her childhood came back to her ––– when their father had perished and she refused to leave her rooms, eat. but this, this was different. it was her fault, was it not? she could only think of how her husband would react, how her country would react. the thought of losing her own child pained her to no end. had she not suffered enough already? it just seemed as though pests would come one after the other. “ i - i ... lost my child. ” she finally made an attempt to look at her sister, and as promised, tears started to fall down. though her words were quite obvious, the blood that pooled beneath her and wetted her skirts enough evidence. “ just - just when i thought things were getting better and i get this. ”

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––– disa;

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“Friđa? Friđa!” She had been arguing with the guards when some handmaidens came over to call her attention. Irritated, she had paid them no mind. But a faint cry in the corner of the room made her eyes widen, and as she hurried over the ladies in waiting frantically tried to explain what was happening. She could barely hear them over the rush of blood in her ears. As she reached her sister, she gasped and knelt down next to her, caring not for the blood on the ground. Oh god, the blood. Though she cared for the baby, she cared for her sister more. She cradled Friđa’s face in her hands and tried to get Friđa to meet her eyes. “Lillesøster? Please. Look at me.” 

               eyes were vacant, as she sat among her ladies. everyone seemed to be feeling something. some were struck with the fear of the fire, some worried for her, for she was their queen and now her health was simply compromised. she did not look good, in fact, she was pale and it seemed as though it would be any second now that she would faint. she did feel faint, she did feel pain but what she felt inside out weighted everything else. she did not even hear her sister at first, not even as soft hands cupped her face. she could not find the energy to even acknowledge her, for she knew she would cry the moment she even saw her.

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––– pietro;

His concern shifted from his niece to the woman in front of them, noticing the pallor of her face. It seemed that she was pale from more than just fear of what was happening at the palace. He sensed that she was unwell –– such a theory only supported by the fact that she had been seated with women he assumed were her ladies, and covered up in blankets. A frown tugged at his lips. To him, it looked like the woman needed a bed. Pietro, always the compassionate one, glanced towards the guard at the doors before glancing back at the queen, wanting to help, but unsure what he could do in the moment. “Your Majesty––” He hesitated. He had noted her sombre expression and wondered if it was in his place to ask if something had happened, though all he wanted was to see if he could help in any way. “Are you alright?”

Yet perhaps children were always more blunt, or perhaps more curious, as Pia chimed in from behind Pietro, voice soft, still ever so timid, but it was clear –– she had a question on her mind as she stared at the blankets covering the queen. “Are you cold, Your Majesty?”

                         are you alright? the question resonated over and over within her mind, like a never ending tale. she questioned whether she was alright. though she was sure that reality would no longer be feasible for her; not anymore. she did not answer him, unsure what to say. to be honest would be reliving hell, to be a liar would make her that –– a liar, for she did not look alright. but the little girl, how could she lie to her. her eyes gleamed with genuine wonder, and she stared as if expecting a genuine answer. but her smile was not all too genuine, even if she tried her hardest. “ yes i am, little one. ” she stared at her ladies for a moment, who seemed to be worried that they would overstep clear boundaries.

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––– kristoffer;

She looked familiar and he could not pinpoint it at first, but the moment she spoke, he placed it –– one of the French, their gracious hosts, though in their current circumstances, he was anything but happy about their emergency protocols. He let out a frustrated sigh as he looked at the frightened girl. “You’re a Bourbon, correct?” There was probably not much use in asking the young princess, but he did anyway. “Can you do anything about the guards? I must find my wife.” 

                  it was clear how terrified she was. it was a miracle she could even form sentences, while so many things occurred before her. if only he knew, she was as defenseless as him, she had no say in anything –– whether it was her home or not, her own country. she nodded, though to his first question. the latter, would be almost impossible. “ i cannot do anything, do you think they would listen to me? ” she was just a princess, after all. she was not her mother, she did not order them around. “ i am not all too sure we can get out so easily, is it not for our safety that we are here? ”

[vehcmencias]

one word moodboard: victorian for @merflk

By the flickering candlelight

Join the celebration!

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––– pietro;

“Don’t worry, we will see them again soon.” His voice was gentle as he tried to comfort his four year-old niece, who looked to be on the verge of tears at the realisation that she was separated from her mother and her sister. It must have happened in the chaos, and the prince was, at the very least, relieved that he had spotted her in the middle of the crowd and had the presence of mind to carry her to a safer place. He, too, was worried, but Pia needed reassurance. 

He looked around the courtyard. Eyes widened slightly as he felt his niece release her grasp on him, toddling away until she ran into a stranger. Pietro hurried over. “Pia, are you alright?” He extended a hand, pulling her up before he turned to the person she had bumped into, a small apologetic smile on his face. “I’m sorry. She’s just looking for her mother.”

                              the corner of the courtyard she found solace in, the side where everything was kept in shadows, between the openness of it all and the nearest wall ––– all so not many stares would land her way. she was unnaturally pale, eyes vacant as she sat among her ladies who only sought to comfort her in this moment of distress, of sadness. she had fallen asleep several times, out of pain, of out exhaustion. her stained dress was concealed with many blankets and from time to time those would be switched out for new ones, all to make everything possible for everyone else to turn eye somewhere else. no one needed to know the disgrace the queen of sweden had just gone through, let alone without a hint of privacy. ladies had fought with guards, demanding for the queen to be let somewhere else, in a bed where she could properly rest; mourn. but all to no avail. she saw the little girl make her way towards her, and while any other time she would have smiled, lips remained tight as she witnessed the italian prince picking the girl up, though perhaps it was his words that hurt the most. “ it is fine, no need to worry. ” although it was challenging to keep a gleeful tone. 

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––– elia;

Elia wasn’t sure that masquarade balls were her thing, but she had made an exception on this occasion. Afterall a town rid of the plague was worth celebrating. One town ment others could follow, it could mean an end for the punishment that God had sent. Perhaps they would revive forgiveness. If she would not attend a ball to celebrate this, then when would she.

However as the night unfolded before her Elia was unsure if she had been right to celebrate. As the guards hurriedly escorted everyone out of the hall Elia was frozen watching on in horror as the flames engulfed the chapel. “Who would do such a thing, have they no respect?!” she choked on her words whispering furiously as she was guided to safety. “What punishment will we endure for this sacrilege?”

                   “ it was not us who have done it, why - why would we be punished for it? ” in truth, she wondered how low it all could go. revolutionists, revenge, whoever did it would surely pay in the afterlife. but for now, it was not clear who was the culprit of such crime. only god knew if there were any casualties, if everyone got out safe and sound.

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                @artiste-bourbon

                     “ tout va bien, tout va bien, tout va bien... ” the words she repeated, like a sing song. hands kept busy as she tucked on the fabric of her dress. panic was an understatement. to see her own home burn before her eyes, to see it all go downhill from what she new begun to truly affect her. even more when the voices in her head assured her that none of them were safe. she had parted from the rest of her family so quickly, one moment she held her sister’s hand and the next she was completely alone. she looked so helpless as she walked back and forth with no idea as to what to do. hands shook and it was challenging to hide her frantic self.

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             summary: friđa heads to her rooms, without any knowledge of the fire. and some things happen along the way. 

              upon leaving her husband behind, not much had come to mind. in fact, every rational thought that had ever lingered in it dissipated, 

the sickness she now felt overpowering everything; even the sudden chaos that unraveled before her. screams, multitudes running towards different paths; desperation. but her, she stood alongside a window, hands clutching the wall as if her life depended on it. she could see it all, the flames that brought light to the night, fiery and unstoppable. in ways, it resembled what she currently felt. hands would not cease shaking, and the pain –– the pain only grew with time. sweat lingered by her temples, as she struggled to follow instructions, to follow those who fled from the flames. there was not a soul who would notice, not in the middle of the chaos.

she was closest to it all, her path once directed towards her rooms, in search for somewhere to rest and let her illness pass. but her illness was not temporary, at least not this time.

stare became vacant once it hit her, once she felt it. she bit her own dress fabric in an attempt not to scream, for pain overpowered anything else. the warmth that ran down her legs, indication enough of what she first feared. small sobs escaped her lips, little to no effort made as people ran across the busy halls. she simply could not go forth. skin became pale, and for a moment, the thought of staying near the fire did not seem all too absurd. 

she heard her name being called, once, twice but her mind was so gone she paid no mind. the events occurring seemed like background noise, for everything seemed so hazy, as if belonged on another realm; perhaps a dream or a nightmare. hands, they circled around her waist and ushered her towards safety, but she could simply not tell who it was. she did not care, she was not there. 

voices was all she heard; whispers. and after a while all she could hear was nothing at all. she sat in a corner of the courtyard, three bodies finding a way to help her, for now her dress was stained in blood.

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––– athenaïs;

“you don’t think this is coincidence, do you?” she spoke, question posed to a group of three or four people, who all looked at her with appalled expressions in response. nobody had the courage to ask such brazen questions aloud, but maria was curious of the palace opinion. surely she was not the only paranoid one —— granted, her interest was not based off fear. she needed to know the effect rebels were having ( being so associated with them herself ) . even if it was a coincidence, if people were scared: she was winning. “what?” she turned to look at the person beside her. maria sighed. “i’m just asking what everybody is thinking.”

                         athenaïs had been ushered to the courtyard, at first completely clueless as to what occurred. but upon hearing word ( mostly french ) , she came to understand the heaviness of the situation. she did not think of it as coincidence, it had the stamp of the revolution, was it not? if not ––– then who else could it had been? after silence from everyone else, the most shy dared to open her mouth. “i do not think of it to be coincidence, my lady. ”

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––– kristoffer;

Yet another crisis, but this time, his wife was not with him. It was not like the quarantine when he could keep an eye on her, when they were stuck inside the chapel –– the chapel that was now up in flames. Instead, he was forced to wait things out like everybody else. He paced, jaw clenched as he received another apology from one of the guards, it’s simply safer for everyone to stay where they are, they said. 

The scowl on his face he could not hide. He shouldn’t have told Friđa to retire for the night. Even if the air had not been cleared between them, in times of emergency, he’d rather have her nearby, especially knowing that their child was in her belly. Too lost in his thoughts, he only noticed then that a pair of eyes had been watching. He turned to them, patience the last virtue he was keeping in that moment. “What?”

                  all that unraveled before them, she could not believe. her home burned right before her eyes or so they said, but the pungent smell of smoke could easily be inhaled. fear, was what overpowered her and she, momentarily separated from her family, was confined in pure worry. she sat in a corner of the courtyard, refusing to believe that any of this was actually happening. could it be maybe, just a figment of her imagination? all while this happened and she pondered in her thoughts, she stared at one man although it had never been her intention to. “ i did not mean to be staring at you. ”

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––– ava;

blonde curls hung loosely over her shoulders, her facial expression clearly strained. thoughts drifted to her family, to her friends —– where were they? she could only pray they were fine, not lost in the commotion. ava was tired of everything going on. it seemed there would be no end. hands fiddled with a flower she had found in the courtyard, picking at the petals. her head turned as somebody sat beside her, and she offered them the daisy. “penny for your thoughts?” she hummed.

                   life seemed to have disappeared off her face. she stared at nothing in particular, as they were engulfed in the smell of smoke, the chaos and the uncertainty of it all. it was her home that was burning, the chapel she had known over the years being consumed by the fire. the flower was a surprise, although she accepted it, fingers fiddling with its soft petals for a moment before staring at the woman beside her. “ thank you. ” it was challenging to smile at the moment, “ can you believe any of this? ”

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––– elizaveta;

Dressed in a gown of green, a collar of gold at her throat, Elizaveta surveyed the crowd with an almost bored gaze. These people were all so eager to throw their cares away and party, when there had been virtually no progress toward rectifying the situation overall. There was so much talk, and so little action. And yet here they were, acting as if one town being cleared of the plague was not only significant, but their own doing. It was ridiculous. As she flagged down a passing servant, she picked up a glass of wine from his tray. Turning her fair head, she realized there was someone beside her. “Are you enjoying the festivities?” she asked, more to alleviate her own lack of interest than a real care for their words. 

                 she was surprised to hear such question leave her mother’s lips. between the dancing, flirtations with her own husband, and gossiping among the nobles and royals she had found much enjoyment. although she was still a bit sour knowing that it certainly exceeded what had been of her wedding’s festivities. “ of course i am, mama. we must celebrate, should we not? ”

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––– maria ana;

ah, a wedding: to her knowledge, only one of the russian sisters was married. surely that made her the now queen of england. “your wedding being —– disappointing to you?” she had attended the wedding, of course, being nobility from the country herself. it certainly was dull. “why was that?”

                   “ see, i would have rather spent the evening in england rather than france. perhaps for my sister that would make sense, since she is marrying a french prince after all, but for me? not quite. ” she eyed the woman carefully, as if wondering if she could be a close friend or just simply one of the bunch. “ i do hope your wedding was not as disappointing. ”

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––– kristoffer;

He shifted his stance, hands finding their way into his pockets before he responded with a stiff nod. “I see.” Such news was worrying, of course. Any troubles regarding the pregnancy he always wanted resolved as quickly as possible, to make sure everything was normal. “Do you need one of your ladies with you? Or perhaps Elvira?”

                     she was not sure the company of her ladies would aid her ailments, or anything at all. if anything, at the moment, it would be a nuisance. she wished to be alone, let the discomfort pass and perhaps then join once again the celebrations. although the thought of retiring to her room seemed more enticing the more time passed. she shook her head, eyes locking with the man for a brief moment. “ i am not all too sure that would be of help. ”

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––– the bourbon;

SHE COULD SEE THE look in her daughter’s eyes from across the room. One glance at her, and the motherly instincts in Anne-Sophie instantly warned her that she needed to check up on Thèrése-Marie. “Chérie,” she softly called out as she stepped towards her daughter. With a smile on her lips, she reached out for the other’s hands and gave them a gentle squeeze. “Maman est ici. Ça va aller.”

@xthencbles· @artiste-bourbon· @vehcmencias·

after avoiding some unwanted attention earlier in the night, maddie had gotten back to actually enjoying the party. she had been dancing when something, she didn’t know what it was, told her deep down to find her twin. she was never one to ignore how she was feeling, since it was almost always right when it came to her sister. after excusing herself from the dance, she hurried around the hall trying to spot her sister. when she finally found her she was with their mother. quickly making her way over to them. “est-ce que tout va bien?”

@xthencbles· @vehcmencias· @thcrnsnrcses·

                             the familiar voice brought her sudden comfort. in the sea of unknown, it was refreshing to hear of her, have her by her side. although part of her tried to conceal how much she actually depended on them. her sister who now joined her as well, her mother, the entire french family. she was not like them, not in the slightest. there were times she became jealous of how her sister dealt easily with many things, the social part obviously highlighted. she felt a bit overwhelmed having both of them alongside her, but it was better off than being alone. she gave her mother a look, as if not to reveal to her sister her sudden panic just a few moments ago. “ tout va bien, n'est-ce pas une si belle soirée? ”

@xthencbles​ @thcrnsnrcses​ @artiste-bourbon​