#oc louise

     (If there are historical inaccuracies, that is because☝️I am making this up 🙂‍↕️ this is MY 1740s france, I am the state, etc etc.)      Pierre's frequent illnesses made their father put a lot of pressure on Antoine to be the "successful son." This caused a lot of resentment between the two as they got older. Louise gets along well with both of them individually, but having to play bridge between the brothers wears on her.

     See, there are two things you need to know about the Montmarins. 1) They very much have a military legacy and 2) They are prone to dramatics. Phillipe, their father, made a name for himself in the military, as had his family before him, and he expects his sons to do the same. But Pierre was born a very sickly kid. He's immunocompromised, or "especially susceptible to miasmas," as they might've said then. It was clear from an early age that was never going to be strong enough to join the military. So their father Phillipe turned to their then-10 year old son, Antoine, and essentially said:      "Looks like you'll be carrying the entire family legacy Antoine!! :DDD You had better do well in military academy when we ship you off!! :DDD Cause if you don't we'll cut you off financially, since we cannot afford two leeches in this household :DDD <333"      Which is a lovely thing for a 10 year old boy to hear!! (Did Philippe mean it? Probably not, but not a very nice thing to say about either of your kids.) Still, at this point Antoine and Pierre get along pretty well. It's only once Antoine is older (18ish) and actually attending military academy that the frustration builds, because Antoine keeps being called home by his (very dramatic) parents who insist that Pierre might be dying, no, for real this time, not like the one time he had pneumonia, we're serious, you gotta come home. Pierre did not die any of the times Antoine was summoned home to sit vigil by his bedside, and you can imagine that constantly being absent from your academy is a good way to not advance. Which only put more pressure on Antoine from his father, so they got a super unhealthy little loop going on there 🥰🥰. Resentment all around on Antoine's side, and by the time Pierre is out of the house, Antoine pretty much has cut contact with all of them except Louise.      Louise's relationship with Pierre is much stronger because they're closer in age and personality. Both are deeply idealistic, highly romantic, and a little petty. Louise is a very smart young woman, but she was also very talkative. She was given novels by her tutors as a way to keep her quiet, and thus she developed a taste for literature very early on. She loved romances, and would often read aloud her favorite books to Pierre. Pierre didn't like reading by himself (its lonely 🥺 he's already on bedrest half the time, he wants someone to talk to him), but he enjoyed Louise's visits. It is largely due to Louise's influence that Pierre has the fantastical and nearly chimerical concept of romance that he does.       When they get older and live their own lives, Louise and Pierre remain close. They correspond through letters regularly and frequent the same social circles, so they're often at the same parties and events. At these events, Louise often encourages Pierre's habit of sleeping around. Mostly because it makes the most delightfully scandalous stories, and they both love stories, but also because she's a little living vicariously through him, you know? Louise is married at this point in her life, so she can't go out and hook up with whichever nobleman she'd like. (Well, she could, but she wouldn't do that.) Her brother can, though, so she's always pointing out pretty generals to him.

     It is ironically Louise who introduces Pierre to Nicolas, who is evil and breaks Pierre's heart. And it is ironically Antoine who hires Pierre's one-day-boyfriend, Étienne, first, as a footman! It's only through Antoine's recommendation that Étienne starts work in Pierre's household. The brother Pierre is convinced hates him is also the one who gave him the person he loves most 🥺