Versailles: The King's brother

Chapter 10: We go, together.

Renee

Following the King's departure, Renee had delayed informing her family of the King's request by a week. She needed to devise a plan that could convince both her mother and brother to agree to the King's wishes, but given the apprehension she sensed - from her brother most of all - Renee understood that relaying the invitation was not going to be an easy task. Originally, she had planned to tell Victoire first, perhaps during one of their evening training sessions, she would tell him what really happened; and how she managed to leave with her head on her shoulders despite disgracing His Majesty by storming off. However, she ended up withholding from that plan after concluding that all responses she would get from her brother should she tell him the truth would be negative and the Beaumonts would never depart for Versailles.
Renee had hoped to wait a while longer to tell them, but when the announcement came that the war had been won and a celebration was to be held at the palace, she knew there was no more time left to spare. It was a during a quiet, somber dinner that she spoke of her orders. "Mother, brother; I have something I would like to share with you", she began. Her mother eyed her curiously, "Why, my child, what troubles you so? I see you have hardly touched your dinner?" Indeed, she hadn't. Her stomach had been in knots the moment she sat down to eat. "I imagine you both remember when the King visited, half a fortnight ago? Well, when His Majesty had adjourned me for a walk, he informed me of the true nature of his visit", she paused a moment, feeling her family's eyes upon her, making assumptions, drawing conclusions.
"My God", her mother huffed, "You're pregnant?"
"Mother, please", Victoire rolled his eyes at her, "Go on, sister." Taking a few shallow breaths, she continued, "He informed me that given the recent death of the Parthenays, remaining close to the Kingroad was no longer a wise decision. His Majesty admitted his mind was troubled with worry for our family, and in good faith and gesture he has provided us a place at Versailles. He expects us to live there, mother. With all the other nobles."
"Troubled with worry?", Victoire mocked, "Surely the cause of all his troubles is that damned palace!"
"Mind your tongue, Victoire", their mother snapped. "Renee, this is an important invitation, why wait so long to tell us? This is upon the King's request, child. No doubt our lack of attendance has begun reflecting poorly on us. What are we to do should he think we are one with the enemy?", frightened at the thought, Yolande Beaumont held her face in fear.
***
Hailing from Paris, Yolande Beaumont was raised in the melting pot of aristocracy, refinement, and riches. Her marriage to Renee's father had been planned since she was young, and as daughter to a former second commander to the French army, marrying Yolande to the son of a former first commander was always 'in the cards.' Yolande had grown up with their father Jean, as was planned, and on her sixteenth name day - their father on his eighteenth - she wed him in the chapel nearest to their childhood homes. Contrary to popular belief, Yolande and Jean were not avid supporters of the aristocratic life. Both longed for solitude and comfort, away from the gossip and prying eyes of other nobles. To get away from it all was a task, something that could not very well be afforded in the bustling city of Paris, no. For that, the Beaumonts moved to the countryside of Versailles, having built a mansion of more than comfortable size to raise their children in. All had been well for years, and Yolande had hoped she could live out her days knowing she had fulfilled her duties as mother and wife equally. But then, the war began. A vile, treacherous war between France and the Spanish - with the Dutch intervening too much for France's comfort - that threatened to destroy all she had worked for. With her husband now gone, it was up to her to manage their home, to ensure her children are safe and looked after. She hated doing it alone, but it had to be done.
***
"I highly doubt that mother", Renee admitted. "I agree, he took far too much liking to you to assume we were the enemy", Victoire complained. Feeling at more unease, Renee looked down to her food, imagining if the King had been showing affection towards her and if she had really been that blind to his display. "At any rate, we still have to go."
"What?", the Beaumont siblings turned to their mother, shocked. Their parents had always refrained from too much interaction with other nobles, the siblings knew their parents views on lives lead in nobility, so to hear this from the one person who despised aristocracy to the same extent their father did was something the siblings had trouble understanding. Especially Renee, she knew as a young woman that Versailles would be a snake pit. She would have to tread carefully, lest she want to get bit, and if the King really did try to make advancements on her in the way Victoire believes he did, why would her mother so easily accept the consequences at hand?
"As Renee said, this is not an offering this is an order. If we choose to delay our arrival any further than we already have it wont be long until he sends for our heads, with the war over the King needs to establish who his friends and enemies are and he needs to do this quickly. Now it is not the most comfortable command we can agree with, but we must comply."
"But what about father?", Victoire scooted back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest, "You said it yourself, the war is over. He will be returning soon, shouldn't we wait for him before we depart? Or at rate, send notice to the King that we will not leave for Versailles until we have seen fathers safe return?"
"It would be wiser to not refuse the King", their mother finished, "We will leave notice for your father, instead, that we have departed for Versailles and expect his arrival there."
Victoire sighed in defeat, knowing he wouldn't convince her to remain.
***
After the final decision was made, the Beaumont family retired to their bedrooms. It was a cool, silent night. The feathered leaves of numerous weeping willow trees scattered throughout the grounds of her home brushed the glass at Renee's window, keeping her awake. She couldn't help thinking about her father, she wondered where he was and if he was alright. Would he ever return home? What would he make of all this? Surely he wouldn't agree to leaving for Versailles, her father would have created a plan to keep them from going.
Her mind was brought back to reality by a hand placed on her shoulder. Victoire loomed over her in the darkness, a finger placed on his lips before offering her his hand. Although confused, Renee followed. Following him downstairs, they went into the corner room where their fathers study had resided, a candle had already been lit and illuminated the room in an amber glow. Taking in her surroundings, it struck her to realize how long it had actually been since she had been in here. There was a fine dust collecting along the spread of his desk, and the room felt stuffy and lifeless. "Why are we here?", Renee finally asked.
Victoire said nothing. Taking to his knees, he went to the left corner of the room nearest the entrance and pushed a hand into the corner. A soft click raised a piece of wood near the soles of her feet. Piece by piece, Victoire began removing the wood planks from the entire corner. She watched in excitement as her brother pulled an elongated box from the depths of the floor, "Your initiation, of sorts", he admitted, "Though I wish it was under better circumstances."
Wrapped in a purple velvet sheet was a dark wooden box, decorated with engravings. "Father was originally supposed to be the one who gives this to you, but I'm afraid you may have need of this sooner than he will return."
Undoing the clasps, Victoire stood and slowly opened the box. Inside was a long sword, more beautiful than she could have imagined. The steel glistened brightly under the light of the candle, at the end was an entanglement of steel serving as a veil that would block a hand from injury as the user grasped the handle. The hilt was leather bound in a royal blue, small gems embedded themselves around the wrapping. Renee didn't even know she had been reaching out for it until her brother had stopped her.
"I hope you understand why I'm giving this to you", he said.
Renee thought about his words for a moment, and when her thoughts put the pieces together she retreated into the velvet seat in front of her father's chair. "Father used to say, that 'what can't be prevented must be prepared for'. When he gave me my blade, it was when the war first started, and should father have died I would have taken his place as new first commander. I would've gone to war. Strange thinking about it now."
He placed the box on the desk and took a seat across from her.
"He's coming back", Renee insisted.
"None of us know for certain", her brother replied. "Besides, we won't even be here when he does. Where we are going, is something you've never been exposed to, mon petite Beaumont. It's dangerous, far more than you realize. You must trust no one, believe no one, understand?"
It was all Renee could do but nod. "Good", Victoire took the blade from it's casing and placed it into her hands. "Then I, Victoire Beaumont, son and heir to Jean Beaumont, give this blade to my dear sister, Renee Beaumont, vouching that this steel will never be used in the harm of innocents but for those who wish harm upon it's user."
Satisfied, Victoire kissed her forehead, "We go to Versailles, together", and left her in her father's study, the steel slowly growing warm from the heat of her hands. So this is it, she thought. The sun was peeking from the tops of the trees by now, and Renee could hear the servants beginning to stir in their cellar quarters beneath her feet. Etienne, one of the eleven servants the Beaumont family owned - who also happened to be her best friend - found her in the study at daybreak, blade still in her hands.
***
Etienne

Renee didn't know it yet, but Etienne had loved her since the day she was born. He was a man now, going on 24 years. Brought into the Beaumont family at age 7, having been found by Renee's father, Jean, from a deserted village on the outskirts of Paris, Etienne's parents taken by plague. Her father became his own, and he grew into an artist, blacksmith, and caretaker of the Beaumont household. He took care of Victoire when the family journeyed to the countryside to build their mansion, feeding him, bathing him when their mother was occupied. Becoming an eldest brother, in a sense. But when Renee was born, he knew from the moment he saw her that she was the one. As a babe, he often snuck into her room before she woke to calm her fussing before her parents would wake. And as she grew older, they become closer than ever. It was in Etienne that Renee confided her deepest of secrets with. He still remembered the day she came to him sobbing and inconsolable, blood dripping down her thighs and staining her night dress. He was eighteen then, and understood what happened to women once they reached a certain age. Still, having to explain what flowering into womanhood meant to an eleven year old was as traumatic for him as it was for her.
He watched her now, sitting in her father's study, gazing into the long sword that sat across her lap. He shut the door behind him immediately and took a seat across from her. The others wouldn't come in here, he knew.
"A fine blade", he said. She raised her eyes to look at him but didn't say a word. It took all his strength to not lean over and kiss her. Often times he wished he could wake up to the sight of those eyes.
"My very own", she replied. "Finally."
Etienne knew she would enjoy it, him and her father designed it themselves. Two years ago, Jean had sent him to a family friend to apprentice as a blacksmith. "You aren't going to be just any blacksmith, you are to be mine", Jean had told him. Upon return, his father admired his improvement with approval. "Now then, I hope you aren't too overworked to begin my first assignment for you", he said. Etienne excitedly answer no, thought he admitted he was puzzled when he was handed a quill and paper instead of a hammer.
"My children, design them each a long sword, as befits your now professional opinion."
"My lord?", Etienne asked.
"No questions, boy. Design. Surely you have received large amounts of inspirations from your six month stay in Paris from which I personally funded? Whoring or not, Paris is the heartbeat of inspiration for young lovers like you."
Etienne was speechless. Jean smiled.
"Don't think I don't notice how you look at my daughter. You love her, yes? Don't bother answering, the answer is written all over your face."
The quill in Etienne's hand began to tremble slightly, though it wasn't entirely in fear of the wrath of Jean Beaumont, but more the thought of never seeing Renee again.
"My lord, I promise you, I haven't..." he struggled to find the right words. Jean Beaumont just chuckled and swung his boots onto his desk in amusement.
"Truthfully, my boy, had circumstances been different, I would have allowed you to pursue her. You would treat her well, I'm certain. No doubt you already handle her fiery attitude better than her mother and I can. But you are not a noble, and given my family's repute I cannot marry my children with the likes of your status. For that, I apologize. However, you know her better than most people in the home, so, in light of the subject and the love you bear my daughter, design her the finest blade you will have ever made. Whatever supplies and equipment needed shall be given to you."
Etienne worked on the blade for the larger part of a year, so to see it now after so many years of remaining hidden under the floorboards, it was like seeing an old friend.
"How did you come to get such a blade", he asked her curiously. "Your brother make it?"
"No. My father had it made for me, I don't know where", she paused. Her eyes began to water, "Its been here, this whole time", she laughed as a few tears escaped onto her lap.
Outside the two heard her mother calling orders to other servants.
'Pack my things'
'Find your sister, Victoire'
'We must make haste! Quickly now'
Etienne was instantly afraid and worried, "Where are you going?"
"You're coming too", she answered.
"Etienne", she took his hands into hers, "Listen to me carefully."

[Written August 14th of 2018]
Comment what your fave part of this chapter was :) or what you hope to happen next!