IMPERIO

“I would be заслуженный to share with you,” Raynor told him as he tried to fight the small smile that wanted to work its way across his face as she picked up the plate again for them to share, even if it was just a bite or two. “I know nothing of running a country- what is required and everything you must do but I do know it is a lot of pressure to wear on your shoulders. налоговый,” Raynor said as she told him of the words shared by those who had upset her at dinner. “But you do it well. You care about your people and country- try to do the best for them even if it would anger some but benefit more. I would not listen to them and their cruel words at all,” Raynor whispered to her. He didn’t know if his words would be any comfort but he believed them and hope she would see that he fully meant each word that came out of his mouth. “I think you are one of the kindest and warmest people I have ever met,” he confessed. “If you do not think it is forward of me.”

     “my country raised me,” she began, ocean hues moving from the view to the man beside her. it was strange how quickly she felt comfortable with the russian -- especially in a place like this where betrayal was often, yet over the weeks they’ve spoken, briélle found that he made her feel most at home. “i was only born because my brother was unfit to rule. and monaco is not a traditional setting to raise a child, i was running around casinos most nights and the regular patrons would often be invited to dinner,” she spoke, grinning at the fond memories. “i suppose it is shameful... a girl in such a masculine place. but-... our economy is well off and our deaths are very low... yet the people here still cannot get past our source of income.” his words spoken in a whisper both warmed her chest and sent a pleasant chill down her spine. no, she didn’t know what they were doing, but it was the first time she’d ever felt such a way. his next confession had a timid smile grace her lips, gaze moving down for a moment before moving back to him. he certainly was a sight which she didn’t want to take her eyes off of. “i believe we are past formalities. i would expect you to speak your mind around me. others certainly do,” her comment was more making light of her situation than anything, but the truth was still there. with a content sigh, the queen kept her eyes on his, smile still lingering as she studied the depth of his ice blue hues. “but i think the same of you. you have been the best thing about this place, raynor.”

if there was one thing that julien never tired of, it was academics. he had been rather busy that day already; with several tutoring sessions and papers to look over. he had yet to have a break or eat lunch. however; the idea of turning someone down because of their status or because he was hungry seemed foolish to him. if someone wanted to learn, then he was more than happy to help. besides, he had been so used to ignoring that growling feeling in his stomach as a child that most of the time he could hold off eating for a few more hours until his brain became foggy and he could hardly think. luckily for the handmaiden, he hadn’t reached that point just yet. 

as she approached him and mentioned having a question, julien offered her the smallest of smiles and listened quietly as she spoke. he took the book from her hands when she held it out to him and scanned the page, not even responding to her comment about not being allowed in the library. he thought such a thing was foolish, the library should be open to everyone but then he wasn’t the one who made the rules. “vitriolic. you almost have it right, except the i in the middle sounds more like an e and the o sounds like an a. so it’s vit-tree-all-ik. it means to be filled with bitter criticism,” he started to say, before lowering his voice. “you could say the propaganda being placed around the palace is a vitriolic attack again the royals.”

     caramel hues frequently wandered away from him to check her surroundings -- hoping that her higher ups wouldn’t catch her there when there was work to be done. but such a thing was done stealthily, éponine hoping she wouldn’t offend him by looking as if there was something else to do. but she was falling behind in her studies. the world bore no sort of bright future for her, but the girl at least wanted to better herself in at least one way. perhaps then the royals and nobles wouldn’t glare at her in judgment whenever they saw she couldn’t read the page before her. are you blind? was a comment that she would often get in these circumstances. the worst part was that she could only reply politely or not reply at all. with such a fiery personality, it was hard to do either. 

     but the tutor seemed kind -- he reminded her of her previous tutor in a way. she shook such thoughts away from her mind as he began to explain, éponine bowing her head politely at his answer. “ i see... “ she replied before a smirk made its way on her lips at his parallel. most staff members did not favor the royals and, in her case, she quite enjoyed the posters. it gave her hope she thought had long vanished. nevertheless, she couldn’t voice an opinion so openly. instead she looked down at the word and mouthed the syllables before nodding once to herself. “ thank you. i’m sorry to bother you, i’ll leave you to your work. would you like anything? “

     after five clear knocks and no voices that told her to come back later, she opened the door to valery’s office and popped her head in before entering with a relieved smile that he was actually there. the way her brows furrowed and eyes gleamed made it obvious that she truly needed him, but the girl tried to keep it all concealed. however, he was the closest person she had. and she loved louis, but even her betrothed couldn’t compare to the person who was there was no one else was. ❝ do you have any time? ❞

@nikotova

      maybe it would go well though. the worst that could happen was a no... however, the servant did not like to think of rejection even though she had practically lived in that state. once she saw the tutor, she took a breath before hesitantly approaching with a bit lip and gaze towards the ornate rug in the library -- a place she was no longer permitted without the accompaniment of her previous tutor who had left. ❝ i am not supposed to be here, but i had a question i was hoping you could answer for me? ❞ and then she searched for a specific book on a nearby shelf, retrieving it and flipping it to a page she’d been stuck on. eyes squinted at the word in confusion. ❝ vi..vitriolic - ❞ éponine tried to recite from the page before holding it out so he could see if he wished. 

@taintedsanity

     she moved to set the silver tray on the table by the window before pouring the boiling water over the tea leaves in the strainer and letting that seep for a few minutes. ❝ i’ve also brought you a few chocolates, i hope you don’t mind. ❞

@ofsovereignties 

     ocean eyes peered out the thick glass once again before finally turning to the bar cart to pour herself her first drink of the night. ❝ i believe dinner is right now, are you not attending? ❞ she cooly asked the other in the room, looking from her glass to the woman with a small tilt of the head. briélle had almost always avoided dinner due to the gossip and down talk about her home, but she never thought anyone else did.    

@mbalenhles

robin merely rolled his eyes when he noticed the cravat. he shuddered to think he knew the man that undressed for his sister. the prince’s attention was ripped from valery’s fabric to his sister’s face. there was a bit of worry there; of course, he worried for her. did he really know valery? how did other people view the princess of new holland? did people know of her affair?

“i feel like you picked that up from that proper gentleman.” he wiped a hand down his face. “perhaps i am just irritable, because i have not had any company since we left our kingdom.” he didn’t think emilie was the type of woman who would give herself before marriage. robin waved his hand. “if he is good for you, then he is good for me.” he walked over to the nearest arm chair and slumped in it. “oh nothing except my betrothal to the driest woman ever.” 

               ❝ oh, don’t roll your eyes at me, ❞ she spoke with a grin before arching her back in a small stretch. ❝ and i’ve said love before... but he is a gentleman, i cannot argue on that. ❞ grace was so obviously smitten that she even nauseated herself sometimes. valery was cold and distant and so intertwined with his work, but grace could get through to him and she adored the person he was with her. they weren’t an obvious pair, but the two were more compatible than she initially thought. 

               eyes followed her brother when he went to sit on that chair, grace tilting her head at her brother’s overly dramatic work. ❝ is she truly that dry? looks more annoying than dry. the voice is what gets me, she just yaps away, doesn’t she? ❞ but she sighed again, sprawling out on her bed while keeping her gaze on robin. ❝ but she is close with valery for some reason... nearly walked in on us once. why don’t you just try to bed her to get her more interested in buzzing around you rather than valery? ❞ she knew she was being selfish in the conversation though, and grace soon looked up to the ceiling in thought. ❝ but really, you are the one set to be king next. you should be able to choose your wife... i’d like an italian sister personally. i like their food. ❞  

“it is terrible, is it not?” he says out loud as he watches yet another tapestry destroyed by blood red paint being taken out of the palais through a side exit in the hopes that no one would spot the offending graffiti, “do you think they aim to terrify the french sovereign or all of the palace’s inhabitants?” he mused, quirking his head curiously to the side.  edward pursed his lips for a moment, “not that it matters — we are all terrified regardless,” he finally said after a moment of pensive silence.

for the most part, elizabeth stayed out of sight and in the library to escape the looks that most gave her due to the english family’s history and accusations. but today she felt like a stroll -- book tucked in her arms, the princess moved towards the garden, taking a shortcut bypassing the great halls when she heard her brother’s voice. after pausing, elizabeth moved to his side with a small sigh. ❝ father always said how the french never knew how to manage their people... that’s why there’s been so many revolutions... ❞

grace was like a warm candle in the back of his mind, always bright and burning. her presence was always known, even if she wasn’t his prime focus. he had greatly enjoyed his time with the princess, even though it still felt odd to have such relations with someone who was of a higher rank. but he really liked her, and he felt like she really liked him. as soon as he heard her voice, valery’s shoulder’s relaxed a bit. he murmured a thank you at the coffee, practically chugging it down despite its temperature. “i feel like i am so close grace, but…it keeps slipping through my fingertips.” the doctor shakes his head, reaching out for her hand. “no wait…perhaps a small break will do me some good.” 

“No need to worry about me- I have already eaten before your dinner. Обед для королевских дворов и титул,” the Russian guard explained though unable to find the words in English and there was no way he could find them in the few French words he had been able to learn. “If you are so worried about me eating then we can split your dessert,” he suggested as he watched her set the plate down, obviously worried he had gotten the wrong piece, though he would have betted all little that he owned that he had been right, or that he had over stepped his boundaries. That was a fear that he constantly had with anyone with a title; he knew his past and knew how easily it could be to rid him of the few achievements he had been able to garner for himself after giving up his job as a stable boy all those years ago. “I do no want to overstep my place with you, Briélle, but you should ignore what they say to you.” He had been watching her- well found his eyes continuing to drift to the queen who had caught his eye the moment she brought him tea when she had noticed him stationed outside. It was a kind act and had allowed them to get to know one another and he found it hard to draw his eyes and attention from him. “You are a good and fair queen.” @incantatcms​

she nodded when he told her he’d eaten before yet kept her eyes down. briélle never understood why he had been so kid to her. their relationship had an unusual, yet tender start but the queen saw no foul motives behind the guard. he comforted her with just his presence -- something she was still confused about, but thankful nonetheless. and of course he’d gotten the right dessert for her, it was her favorite, but her appetite had been demolished after those words muttered to her at the dinner table. it was clear that raynor was disappointed in this though, and briélle felt guilty enough to pick up the plate again with the smallest of smiles as she looked to him -- the smile forced, but she was making an effort. “i would far prefer to share this with you... i’ve seen what they give the staff,” she responded, handing him the plate and fork he’d brought her. but soon enough he was voicing his concerns about her and of course, he was right. she sighed at his words, lightly leaning against his shoulder as she’s done many times before. “he told me that monaco is taking all of the ‘good hookers’. and i cannot help but wonder if that is all people think of at the mention of the country...” she took a few more moments before leaning off of him again to look into those icy blue eyes of his which she found too much warmth in. “how could i be a good and fair queen if people think so terribly of me?” 

@incantatcms

Raynor held the plate close to his chest as he easily navigated through the hallways to reach the gardens. He didn’t need to put much thought into reaching his destination as he has memorized the routes throughout the palais within the first few days of arriving and it has been many weeks since that day. He wanted to make sure the delicate dessert in his hands was undisturbed before reaching the person it was intended for. He knew exactly where she would be as he watched her leave dinner early. He hadn’t been standing close enough to hear the words shared with her or even spoken near her to have her leaving before dessert but he had spent enough time in her presence to be able to read the Queen enough though he wouldn’t admit that aloud since it wasn’t his place to say such things. “Здравствуйте,” Raynor quietly greet to not spook her. “I thought you may enjoy this,” he said as he sat down beside her and gently offered the plated dessert. “I watched you leave before you could enjoy your favorite dessert and thought this could- I might have acted глупо but you do not have to eat if you do want to.” Even though he was far more comfortable in her presence now then he was when they first met but there was always that fear he would overstep his boundaries because he was a son of a farmer who became a stable hand and worked his way up to becoming a guard yet here he was friendly if not something more with the Monaco Queen. 

each day she dreaded dinner and tonight was no different except for the fact that something had actually materialized from her fears. it was known that monaco wasn’t regarded as an actual country to others. her country was small and still in it’s early stages given it’s recent independence, but most still ignored it as some rich man’s place to gamble and get tax cuts. briélle had heard it all and she liked to think that she’d developed a thick skin to it, but there were some days where she just couldn’t take it. that night, she sat at a distance from the frech and hoped to remain quiet during the meal until a nobleman leaned over to her to discuss his particular issues with her country - his most punctuated being that the best hookers were moving to her country rather than staying in france. all his invalidating remarks were enough to get her to quietly excuse herself and go out for some fresh air in the clothing she wore which wasn’t fit to stand to the chilly night. but hearing that familiar voice, briélle smiled weakly and glanced down at the moonlit pond before her. and moving to make room for him on the bench, the queen looked up to raynor as he sat to mutter a small thank you. “you shouldn’t be out here though, i’m sure you would rather be at dinner yourself,” she continued, setting the small plate of dessert to the opposite side of herself as the event left her without an appetite. 

@incantatcms

valery didn’t even look up when he heard the door open. he was far too stressed out to see any patients today unless they were quite literally on their deathbed. “i must insist that you wait outside or come back other day, i-” his shoulders were tense as he leaned over his desk. “i am far too busy to see you today.” valery was spiraling once again, like he did whenever he felt like he discovered something. he thought he saw a pattern in the plague and he was driving himself crazy because of it.” curls were a mess, hanging in his face and around his ears. one sleeve was rolled up, tight and proper, while the other hung loose and wrinkled around his wrist. he must have smoked everything he could and his liquor bottles were near empty.

𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐁𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑 a particularly large volume , aldric sat by himself in the palais’ library ; it was his favourite location in the entire estate , being one of the few places where he felt he could relax the facade and somewhat be himself . with all of this propaganda trouble , he hadn’t visited it in quite sometime , plus , he needed a way to briefly clear his mind from said trouble . two birds with one stone . hearing a small shuffle of steps ahead , his head shot up and aldric felt his body tense slightly with caution . ❝ hello ? ❞ he called out , his voice echoing in what he thought was an empty room . ❝ is someone there ? ❞

the library was one of the rooms she frequented more than any given her new tutoring lessons that were set up to benefit her. and they were working -- the girl was doing well in her studies and she could read most things put in front of her. given that she had no more work to carry out, she slipped into the quiet room and moved down to an aisle where the previous novel she was working on was housed. lithe fingers reached up to grab it, but it was far too high for her to take from the shelf before her. not even jumping or trying to climb the thing helped, but a voice was soon heard which tore her away from her ambition. head peeked out from the aisle, she offered a respectful bow to her king. ❝ i apologize if i’ve disturbed you, your majesty... i was attempting to get a book. ❞

“Not as much as I love you,” he whispered, taking her hand in his own. This was where the nerves truly came back to life. True if she denied him he would do everything in his power to free her from their engagement but he knew that wouldn’t be a problem given his brother’s position with England or well his brother’s dislike for England at the moment. He knew his brother wished for a more obedient brother but Louis never was truly the obedient type even growing up. He loved the push the limits.

He nodded, closing the carriage door and dismissed the servants. He watched the carriage pull away and looked down to her. “We are, this is apart of the surprise,” he whispered softly. He felt the ring in his pants pocket and suddenly it felt as though it weighed a thousand pounds. He just hoped he knew her as he thought he knew her. He pointed through the trees and looked back to her. “I hope you do not mind, there is no path. Hasn’t been for about 40 years.”

the two of them often went on walks, but these were mostly in belgium. should they take strolls in england, journalists would be hounding them and elizabeth hated that idea. louis deserved far more than that. he deserved a girl who wasn’t chased down and chastised by the news and he’s been given multiple ways out of this from his brother but he always fought it. elizabeth often wondered why he was so good to her- she hardly deserved it. she hardly deserved him. yet here they were, still together. of course, she usually tried to avoid his brother in belgium since she knew his views on her, but other that that, everything was near perfect here. 

she held his hand once they were out of the carriage, glancing over at the carriage as it left before looking back up to her betrothed with a small smile. ❝ i might have to hold on to you if the trail becomes a bit too rocky- ❞ she teased, leaning up to kiss his lips quickly. ❝ and i do not mind at all, i’ve always loved the nature here. at times i think england is far too industrialized... another reason why i would far prefer to move here with you... ❞

that night had not been the best night for sleep. there was too much on maddie’s mind that kept her tossing and turning. so when éponine had come into the room that morning it didn’t take much to wake the young princess. sitting up in her bed, she rubbed away the sleep from her eyes as the bright light shined in. “thank you éponine.” maddie said, her voice still groggy from sleep. once she got out of bed she gave a large stretch above her head. 

she had begun walking over towards a large sitting chair in the corner of her room for her tea but she stopped herself. hurrying over to her bedroom door, she opened it quickly to make sure no one was there. what sounded like a giggle came from the girl as she sat down on her chair, patting the chair next to her for éponine to sit. “come sit, i was hoping i could ask you a question.” she said. “it’s something i think you might know more about. well…it’s about a boy. or well something he did….forgive me if i am making a wrong assumption but i thought maybe you could help, or at least clarify something for me.”

she would never get used to the princess calling her by her given name. most royalty simply called her servant or girl, but madeleine was different. it was a kind thing to do, yet she noticed how others in the court looked at them strangely. as a result, éponine tried to keep a good distance as not to give the princess a bad name. once she put the tray down, she started on her way to the door again yet was stopped by the princess’ proposition. raising a brow, the servant moved away from the door and instead took a seat on the chair besides the other. 

the question came as a surprise, éponine raising a brow at how bold the words were. had she been that obvious? she had only been seen with jonas, and he was her tutor... and of course, there was that one instance in the palace in paris long before, but the princess couldn’t have possibly remembered that. ❝ no, no... i’d be happy to help... i must say, i don’t know much about men. i have never been in a relationship, but i shall try to assist... ❞

robin was not as happy as his sister. in fact, he was rather the opposite. his strong frame easily hummed with angry- he could lash out at any second, but he would try to remain calm. at least for now. at least grace had someone that she care about. robin, on the other hand, had a forced betrothal to a mediocre princess. he never thought he would find love, and this just proved that sentiment. 

robin didn’t mind about valery and grace’s relationship. he didn’t care about what his sister did as long as she was being smart and cautious. the doctor didn’t pose so much harm, but he knew that one day, it might be grace’s turn to marry. he briefly wondered what she was going to do about that. and then he remembered that he was in that situation for himself right now. “love?” he asked, scrunching up his nose. “you must be spending too much time with that doctor fellow.” he rolled his eyes, walking into her chambers. “i expected you to have company, i just didn’t know who it was going to be.” 

grace moved past her brother to sit on her messy bed, lips curling into a small grin when she found valery’s cravat between the sheets which she set on her dresser to deliver to him the next day. of course she’d thought about what she would do if and when she had to marry, but grace usually made herself think of something else quickly after. after all, she never thought that her family was keen on getting her married so there was little to worry over. 

robin’s assumption had her smirking at the thought and shrugging a small shoulder after. ❝ i’ve said love before. and what is that supposed to mean? i never have company- valery is the first i’ve had since leaving new holland! ❞ grace was hardly promiscuous, but then again, any woman who took a lover before marriage was seen in a bad light. she’d tried to conceal her relationship with valery, but that was difficult when half his patients saw her leaving with a grin not associated with doctors usually. ❝ but he is kind. he makes this miserable place far more tolerable... but never mind, what’s gotten you so upset? ❞