[PK] Requiem for the Lily

[bumblefina 2766]

Spoiler

 

 

 

Requiem for the Lily
On a life spent pursuing matters of the heart.

Blanche Thérèse of Helena
1770 - 1814

 

-=-

1784

       It was a cold morning in the ruby city when bells rang out across Helena, announcing the death of her father, Peter III,  and the swift departure of her mother, Renée Antoinette, Maîtresse-en-titre. As her mother’s carriage clattered away on the cobbled streets of the capital, Blanche wrapped her arms around herself. Her twin sister, Héloïse, and elder brother, Leopold, both stood in silence at her sides. In one swift motion, the trio had lost both parents. Each child would suffer in their own way from this unreasonable grief.

-

 

1786

       Blanche stood in the gardens of the Novellen, tears welling in her eyes. Her face was drained of color, lips parted in shock. Wilhelmina, the Duchess of Helena, the woman who had been instructed to care for the girl and who ultimately was her greatest ally in the courts of Oren, spoke to her. Her words sounded distant, like those spoken on the other side of a window, or above the waters of a pool one laid in. Their meaning struck the girl of 16 though. As the scent of lemons drifted through the air around them, Blanche became keenly aware that she had been arranged to wed the Duke of Cathalon, a man 36 years her senior.

 

Six months later.

       Madame Red chattered endlessly as she led Blanche up the steps of the tavern to the second floor, the favored space they enjoyed on many an afternoon. Red kept talking and talking, insisting that Blanche would adore her daughter. Ever the polite young lady, she only nodded along, half expecting a carbon copy of the extravagant woman. Instead, they approached the table where a young Seyami girl sat, her hair like a halo of black coils around a perfectly browned face. Her golden eyes shifted towards Blanche, who found herself stopped in her tracks. Mustering some courage, she managed out a polite greeting, and the two were introduced. She could not keep her eyes off Aidevo Keita for the rest of the afternoon.

-

 

1788

       Outside the doors to the great cathedral in Helena, Wilhelmina wiped the tears budding from Blanche’s eyes, banishing them before they could mar the 18 year old’s makeup. Quiet words of assurance steeled her nerves, and the pair turned to enter the church, a gentle score starting up as the young bride entered the near empty church. It was with great difficulty that Blanche did not stare at the Seyami in the pews for the entirety of her own wedding. The stoic Henry Frederick  slid a plain, golden ring onto her finger, and with that she was the Duchess of Cathalon.

-

 

1789

       In a small, secluded park deep within the Ruby city, Blanche and Aidevo sat together on a bench. Words spilled from the Duchess’ mouth, confessions and truths, heartfelt and longing. The response from the Seyami was that of tears, of confessions of her own. Words of longing, but also of rejection. A stillness passed over the pair. A widening of a gap, a tight grip on both hearts. Tears now, from both parties, as the Duchess rose with flushed cheeks. Heartache and embarrassment overcame her as she fled the park, with only a loveless marriage to keep her company.

-

 

1790 to 1795

        The next few years would pass in a blur. Blanche’s heart was hollow, and she lived out her days moving between the Varoche Palace and their humble home within Helena. In 1790, she bore Henry their first child, a girl they called Margaux. Three years later, they welcomed their second child and heir, Thomas. Blanche managed to foster a warm friendship with Aidevo, and the Seyami never truly left her sights. The Duchess moved from social event to social event, ever the polite and smiling young lady, all the while a deep longing grew in her heart. It was at a rather mundane picnic in the Helenan countryside where she reclined upon a blanket, watching Aidevo and a Norlandic ex-king spar. A lady of the court had leaned over, making some coy comment about Blanche taking on a lover, implying the flirtatious Norlander had an interest in her. The young woman’s cheeks flushed, and she silenced the woman with a wave of her hand. In her mind, and in her heart, however, she imagined just that, only not with the Norlander, but his opponent.

-

 

1796

        Blanche had, until now, lived a life of relative comfort and peace. It was on an ill fated day that she, and everyone else on Arcas, would experience that which has been the fate of so many over the centuries: ruination of their homeland. For all, the end of times had come. Meteors rained from the sky, the very earth below their feet opened up and spilled forth fire and brimstone. From their humble home in Helena, Henry whisked his young wife and two children from the city to the relative peace of the Kaedreni countryside. There they remained with a few other members of court until ultimately all of Oren was forced into the Fort of Man at the edge of their borders. It was a blur for many, and the fair people of Arcas boarded their ships and fled the burning continent, leaving their beloved homeland behind.

        Settling onto Almaris with the rest of the courts, Blanche and her family moved into the Augustine, taking up apartments along with the rest of the nobility. A far cry from the tamed countryside of Kaedrin, palace life became increasingly stifling for many. Blanche found herself often unwilling to attend court events, many times only lured into the sumptuous parties by the presence of a certain Seyami. 
 

-

 

1798

        On a snowy winter’s day, silver bells tolled and merriment was at hand. Donned in a festively colored gown, Blanche had been cajoled into attending an overcrowded, noisy, and rather opulent Tuvsmas Day party. As the children of the court lined up to make their gift requests, Blanche lingered at the edges of the Trissingham ballroom. As her gaze drifted about, her eyes befell the one person she had hoped so very much to see. Aidevo, in a splendid gown of purple and golden silk, seemed to float across the room towards her. For the young Duchess, time slowed. That day suddenly became bearable, the noise and raucous guests fading into the background as all of her focus fell upon the woman. For the first time in years, Blanche had all of Aidevo’s attention, and by the end of the evening, the pair had stolen away into a corner of the Trissingham greenhouse. There, ten years since the ill-fated confession in the Helenan park, the pair finally admitted their love for one another. Finally, after ten years of longing, the pair shared a secret kiss.
       From then on, the Seyami and the Duchess would share a secret love affair.

-

 

1800

       On a frigid morning, Blanche sat in her Augustine apartments in all black, a child at each of her sides. Henry had passed the day before, a stroke at the age of sixty-six. They had been married just twelve years, leaving the thirty year old a widow with two young children. She had inherited everything: their Kaedreni wealth, the vast shipping empire her husband had built, and the plans to an estate in the countryside. As nobles passed through her apartments, offering their condolences to the Duchess-Dowager, she offered up little nods and weak smiles, presenting herself as the stoic young widow she ought to be. Within her mind, her thoughts raced. She could think only of how she was now free.

-

 

1805

        The bright summer sun washed the Orenian countryside in a bath of warmth and light on a resplendent afternoon. The Cathalon estate, named Cheval Hall for the enormous and mysterious horse statue that sat upon the hill beside it, had just been completed. The scent of fresh paint and new linens filled it’s halls, along with a jolly chorus of conversation and laughter. A ball was being held in honor of the young Margaux. Relatively small in nature, compared to the palatial debuts of some other girls of the court, the family was nonetheless pleased with the turnout. All throughout the afternoon and well into the evening, guests paraded through the ballroom of the estate, passing their well wishes onto the Duchess-Dowager. Beside her, Aidevo stood with a pleasant smile and a glass of fine wine in her hand. The pair were inseparable, and as happy as one could possibly be. This time would be the brightest for Blanche, the most beautiful.

 

-

 

       The following nine years passed, not without qualm, but in relative peace. The Duchess-Dowager would pour her energy into attending to her children’s futures, and while she would most certainly encounter strife, she would always return home to the love of her life, the woman she’d asked in secret to be her wife. Their relationship would go unhindered for nearly 15 years. 

-

 

1814

       Blanche paced in her townhouse, one hand at her mouth, nervously chewing a nail. There was a knock on the door, and she nearly ran to open it. The figure outside uttered a few words before departing into the night. ‘Dobrov,’ the woman thought to herself, ‘Aidevo has been seen in Dobrov.’ Half an hour later, a carriage arrived to take the woman to the small Raevir settlement. She hadn’t even changed into her traveling clothes, leaving without a hat or coat.

 

       Some time later, the woman found herself outside the gates to the castle that overlooked the small village. She had searched through the sleepy town before making her way across the bridge, and as she approached she called out for anyone inside. Frigid rain poured down around her, and from within the courtyard she spied the woman she had been searching for. The Seyami’s expression was hesitant, unnerved. Her demeanor was off, but she allowed the blonde entrance, and between strained words she ushered her off to a quieter part of the castle. As the pair emerged onto a secluded rampart, further words were exchanged. Aidevo’s tone grew angry, hateful. Her expression shifted, though briefly, as if she was fighting against the words she was saying. They struck Blanche like arrows to the heart, though. Tears began to fall, and as the name of another woman came from the Seyami’s lips, only to be coupled with vicious words and accusations that made no sense, and the woman’s heart seized in her chest. Pain gripped her, and she was struck with such sorrow that she knew not how to react.
    
       As the rain continued to pour down around them, the now soaked Duchess-dowager stumbled backwards, away from the woman she loved, the encounter overwhelming her. Her white gown, now clinging to her form, wrapped about her ankles. Another step backwards, and her heel struck the low stone ledge. Time seemed to slow, a second passing like an eternity as one hand reached out in a desperate attempt, fingers curling towards the woman. Her form fell backwards, over the wall, and a gentle fluttering of her soaked skirts marked her passing out of sight. Half a second later, the crashing sound of water was carried up the wall as her body struck a shallow lily pond below.

 

Blanche watched as the wall grew taller, the rain seeming to stop in place as her body raced past it. Her heart hurt, in a way she didn’t know it could. And then suddenly, the back of her head struck a low rock in the lily pond. She could not move, she could not breathe. The water around her head grew a red halo, loose blonde hairs floating lazily at the edges of her vision.

 

As the woman faded from consciousness, a memory crept into her mind. The pain she felt seemed to melt away, replaced with the feeling of a gentle breeze on her face. She sat in the high branches of a towering redwood in the lands of Elvenesse, Aidevo at her side. Twilight crept closer as the minutes passed, and the pair of lovers watched as the sun sank below the distant horizon, painting a colorful display upon the sky. Blanche leaned against Aidevo’s side, and the Seyami wrapped an arm around the blonde. As the sun slipped away with a final blip of light, so too did the Duchess-dowager of Cathalon leave the realm of the living.
 

Spoiler

Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to Blanche's story. She's been such a wonderful character to play and probably my favorite noble character I've ever played. Sadly, my time with her has come to an end. Much love to everyone who rped with me. <3

 

[winterblood 11181]

 

 

“She’s-... She’s just gone for a walk.  A lengthy trip, to clear her mind from the noise of the capital.  Yes… That is it, mother will be at Cathalon soon enough."

 

Margaux Helvets looked out the window to view the fields and woodlands of Cathalon, her hands trembling as she mulled over the news of her mother’s accident; yet, she could not come to terms with it.  How could her mother be dead?  She is still so young and healthy, with many years ahead of herself.  Why, the two of them had plans to share lunch and tea with one another quite soon!

 

 A cloud passed under the sun and casted a shadow over the greenery.  There had been many grey clouds in the sky today, and with how the winds swept through the leaves, a storm would surely come soon.  Her mother could not be caught out in such gruesome weather, therefore, Margaux had to seek her out and usher her back to Cheval Hall.

 

“Mother doesn’t like the rain.  It’ll ruin her dress and her beautiful hair, she’s always had the loveliest of hair.”

 

The servants and courier that had delivered the news to her exchanged nervous glances with how Margaux took the news of her mother’s passing.  A tightness began to form in her chest as it nearly became difficult to breath.  The one that delivered the news to her tentatively spoke up, though his words were distant and muffled to the woman's ears.  

 

"She hadn't brought her coat with her?  No, that cannot be right.  This means I must only hasten to find her."

 

By the time she had readied herself to ride out from Cheval Hall in hopes of meeting her mother on the roads, the distant thrums of thunder rolled across the nearby river; the storm was getting ever closer.  She gave her mare both of her ankles to break out into a gallop, as her thoughts raced as feverishly as the winds howled now.  The tightness in her chest made her heart ache.

 

"If- If I just find her, I'll know.  I'll know she's alive, I'll know that she is well.  She must be just past this curve."

 

With blackened clouds looming above, rainfall occurred.  Tears fell with the rain and stung in her eyes.  The Helvetii woman aimlessly raced around the countryside roads as some final desperate attempt to prove that her mother, her idol, her heart, was not dead.  Yet she was met with only the harsh winds and bitter cold rains of grief.

[Bones 180]

Time seemed unmoving for Aidevo, a petrified, rigid look of pure wrenching, agony stuck to her face as she peered over the battlements where Blanche had been but moments before, and where she had been too late to catch her. Scrambling, and tripping over her own feet she dashed down to the pond where the Duchess-Dowager's body lay afloat. Repeatedly she struck her departed lover's gentle features in vain attempts to awaken her from a slumber that deep-down, Aidevo knew she would not return from. Beneath the cover of darkness, the Seyami did steal away into the night, to seek out a suitable resting place for her beloved Blanche, from where she did not return for several days-- unwilling to leave her side. Briefly sound of mind, she was left to wonder in those few moments of lucidity, what would she do without her?

[doreebear 605]

 Nataliya sat at her husband's desk upon their ship, shuffling through papers and and documents that had been sent to them to sign or read. The Weary Haeseni princess then spotted a letter, sealed with an onyx wax. The woman hesitantly reached for the letter, cutting it open gently with her dagger before plucking the paper from the envelope, reading what was inside. Her eyes then widened in shock and horror as she brought her palm forth to cover her mouth. her sapphire gaze hastily continued to read, scanning the words over and over again making sure her mind was not jumping to conclusions. sadly, it was the reality. The Princess shut her eyes tightly as tears escaped her lids. The kind woman, who had offered to take her in when she was casted out, for the love she had for Petyr, was gone. Blanche knew her pain, and endured a similar thorn in her side, if not worse. Nataliya wept gently into her hand. one of her dearest friend had succumbed to the same fate as her father, taking their own life. Though the barbanov seemed like a tough woman, she was sensitive to death, especially to those who were close. The Princess then lifted her gaze to the ruby necklace that laid upon her shelf, the one that Margaux had gifted to her whilst she rested in the Cathalon Manor. The Barbanov then grasped her golden lorriane cross, whispering a prayer for Blanche before stating. "Though I was nie' there to comfort you in your time of need, and for that I am truly sorry." her voice began to break. "I make this Oath to you Madame Blanche. I will watch and care for Margaux as if she was my own kin. She will receive my undying protection, now and forever. I am truly sorry-" Nataliya murmured as she shed another tear." Good bye Madame Blanche, you were too good for this world." The Haeseni Princess then pressed her hands against the desk, standing up before leaving her room, to visit Cathalon.

 

[Marquesa_ 298]

 

Sometime after Blanche’s death, word came to her mother, Renée Antoinette, by way of an anonymous letter. After opening it, and subsequently being made privy to the passing of one of her children, the aged courtesan began to amble about, blowing out the candles that lit her modest apartment.

 

“God blessed me with three children,” the woman said softly into the darkness prior to easing herself into a chair by the moonlight, “A useless pirate, an esteemed duchess, and a harlot like me — in that order.” she murmured, shaking her head in despair.

 

“A mother should never outlive a child of hers, especially a sinner like I am — you were too good for this world, my darling Blanche Thérèse,” Renée cooed, tears beginning to stream down her wrinkled face, “Just like your father was.” the crone finished weakly while peering up at the moon with a fearful expression on her face, her boisterous life flashing before her heavy-lidded eyes.

 

[Carson 1165]

A woman condemned to see the dead amongst the living felt a a sorrowful stir in her heart upon catching wind of the loss of Blanche.

 

She outlived many people she had considered friends, and most deaths to her meant little. But Blanche was different for some reason.

 

The veiled lady made a mental note to contact the fallen duchess at some point upon return from her sabbatical.

[ydegirl 2357]

reserved

[MunaZaldrizoti 8037]

Just down the street from Larkspur House, the Princess Charlotte Augusta got word of the Dowager-Duchess' demise. Yet another wound she had to endure. The monumental woman who she had looked up to as a mentor was gone, now leaving her, yet again, devoid of a motherly figure. Already adorned in black, all she could do was weep as a heavy drizzle of rain came down outside.

[DahStalker 3692]

Emerentia stood silently as she'd stare the corpse of the woman who she considered a mother. Silently she'd stare out with her flask of gin, releasing morbid sobs, eyes brimmed with tears.

 

[zuziee 4004]

Maisie d’Arkent fell silent at the news of the Dowager-Duchess. Her eyes watering up as they looked down at the busy Providence streets. She recalled how the women had refereed to her as family during Margaux’s tragedy years before. In some ways, the Duchess had been a better mother then her own. Turning to her loyal Joseph, “Gather up all the flowers in the land, we must bring them to Cathalon at once.” the women demanded. 

[Marilyn Monroe 362]

Margaret Annabelle Helvets's yellow landau clopped up to Blanche's townhouse hours after her departure. The house seemed unusually quiet and devoid of activity at first glance. Margaret's footman flew down from his perch to unfold the small steps for the Rochefortine. Placing her white gloved hand into his, and her other to carry her skirt, Margaret slowly ascended the stone steps and into the townhouse. The residence was very still. "Aunt Blanche?" The Helvetii called out. There was no response except the echo of her calling. With a bewildered mind, Margaret trudged out of the foyer and back down the stairs, where a black brougham with a black wreath on the back was standing. A black horse stood in the front of the vehicle. 

 

"Miss Helvets?" A cloaked man called from the carriage, where he stuck out an arm holding a letter. 

 

"Oh no.." Margaret said with dread, tearing open the letter. After reading one sentence that pronounced the death of her aunt, she'd drop the letter in its place, dismissed the courier, and stepped back into her carriage without help from the footman. Taking out a fan, she smacked the back of the driver and the landau clattered on. Margaret shed tears over the loss of her fourth family member within the decade. 

[Fishy 2709]

Thomas Andrew found himself sat in Providence's grand cathedral, idly listening to the lengthy sermon and hymns that reverberated throughout its hall. Bored... The Duke had thought, So, bored... The young Duke turned soldier had never been particularly pious, observing only great turmoil within the faith in his upbringing, instead it was simply duty that had brought Thomas into a pew today. 

Soon enough an urgent letter found its way through the congregation, How anomalous, Thomas thought, only to find himself as its recipient. The words in both his throat and head stopped, replaced only with the non-descript inking that had lined the page. Mother, location that was all that Thomas could process as he sat there for a time, frozen, shaken to his core. Before long, Thomas stood amid the mass, fingers crumpling the letter, quickly departing to find his sister and share his grief. A single thought passed through his mind as he exited the city to perform the grim duty, why?

[HurferDurfer1 2978]

Sir Candle makes sure to send a bouquet of flowers to the grieving family and a letter expressing his condolences.