The Palace of Versailles, 2000 (Vanessa)

Subject: The Palace of Versailles, 2000 (Vanessa) Mon Aug 07, 2017 7:57 pm

Dominic Clement passed away in the early hours of the morning the day after Louis and Vanessa had arrived home. Many would call it lucky timing, some would call it fate. Louis had decided that Dominic had known the presence of his younger brother back in the palace, and had finally given in to the inevitable. He was never going to defeat the illness that would stop him from becoming the newest Lord Clement.

Louis had stayed by his brother's bedside for the evening. Not out of love for the older man, not in hope his presence would change what he knew to be coming. Louis stayed for the simple reason he wanted to watch as his brother left the world, to know that he was now the sole heir, and that he now had the upper hand. He did not wish to hear the news second hand.

When the Healer's had pronounced Dominic's death, Louis had glanced to his father with only a subtle understanding before he slipped from the room without a word.

His Maman had been kept to her chambers that morning, giving her time to grieve. Word had been sent to her on his father's instructions, and the staff were busy sorting out the preparations that came with a passing within the household. Nobody gave Louis a second thought as he passed through to the guest quarters. A soft knock on the door of Vanessa's room, a pause, and Louis entered.

He didn't much care for the restraints his Grandmere had tried to set up to stop any form of impropriety emerging. He didn't much care if she stung him with hex after hex for being here if she liked, but it would not change Louis' decision to be with the woman he loved in such a moment. Finding Vanessa at her dressing table, readying herself for the day, Louis moved behind her, wrapping his arms around her slender waist.

"He's gone." Louis whispered softly, catching her eye in the mirror. He hadn't needed to tell her in words, his features would show her that much. The relief on his features, the weight lifted from his shoulders, the small amount of pain in his eyes. It was a moment in which Louis' emotions had never been more settled, but were not in the slightest bit comprehensible to anyone.

There were too many contradicting thoughts within him, but they didn't matter.

"He will never hurt us again."

***

A year had passed in the blink of an eye, or, in Louis' eyes it had. Dominic's shadow had all but left the house -- except, of course, in his mother's eyes. Lynnette Clement had not dealt well with the loss of her eldest son, proving more and more that she had never been a Clement to begin with.

Vanessa had endured the public grieving with good grace, as was expected of her. It was not fair, and Louis had voiced this opinion to Vanessa more than once -- never his Grandmere, or his Maman -- but, as Vanessa reminded them as she softly brushed her fingers through his hair when they were alone, duty was the first thing a Clement ever learned, and she was a Clement.

Louis had taken to being by his father's side in important meetings, learning of all the things he'd never been allowed to sit in upon because he was never supposed to inherit the power of the family. His time was kept busy with family matters, something Louis doubted to be his father's ideas alone, but when he'd finished, Louis always made his way to Ven, through the secret passages of the Palace, or else apparating to he room, nothing, not even his Grandmere, would keep them apart.

But, a year after the whole Clement household had been shook, Louis found himself, with Vanessa, in his Grandmere's withdrawing room, waiting for the eldest Clement to arrive. Louis stood, looking out across the lawn to the Dehlientelle. He longed to go back there with Vanessa, but he couldn't. Not yet.

The door opened to admit Grandmere, and Louis turned to give the eldest witch a small bow of respect as she made her way to her chair and sat herself down. There was a silence, which only grew in length, Louis' eyes moved to meet Vanessa's, a subtle question, before his Grandmere spoke.

"Are you going to keep me waiting, Louis?" Whilst it sounded like a question, Louis knew better than to answer, and hurriedly moved to take a seat across from Lissette Clement. Swallowing softly, the young man sat waiting for an explanation to the meeting to be given, though he had something of an idea, he would never assume to understand his Grandmere.

Now, Louis realised, all they could do was wait for the information they were about to be given in respect of what happened next.

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~ Lord Clement ~ Profile ~ 55 ~

Thank you to the amazing Ruby for the signatures! <3

Subject: Re: The Palace of Versailles, 2000 (Vanessa) Sun Dec 12, 2021 12:17 pm

The days following the passing of Dominic Clement – second of his name – were those of mourning. The entire palace had been steeped in sorrow for the better part of the year with Aunt Lynnette refusing to leave her chambers even for official matters of state. In this time, it befell to Grandmere to take on the role of Lady of the House, a role Lissette Clement shouldered with a grace and virility that belied her age. Vanessa could see her aunt attempting to punish the House that separated her from her cherished son’s deathbed, and perhaps in any other family, it may have worked. As It was, Aunt Lynnette’s absence did little to impede the decisions that went into determining the next successor.

Vanessa’s job during these months was to look the perfect grief stricken almost widow, a look that came with many black dresses, carefully applied make up and falsified memories of Dominic as a kind and caring cousin and fiancé. The private condolences she took in Grandmere’s withdrawing room with the old monarch by her side for the first few weeks in case Vanessa was not convincing enough in the part she had to play. Grandmere needn’t have worried; she had raised Vanessa right alongside the two boys and had instilled in the younger witch the same value of the Clement name being above any individual it was bestowed upon. Even if Vanessa wanted to, she could not dishonor the House that had so readily dishonored her almost a decade ago.

Her first victory came in the form of Mademoiselle Angelique Marine of House Holmes, the distinguished woman becoming the first guest Vanessa was permitted to greet on her own. It meant Grandmere now trusted her to sit with guests while preserving the integrity of the house and mask her own feelings about Dominic as she graciously accepted condolences on the death of her intended. That night, she had found herself humming as Louis undressed behind her, forgoing his valet at the behest of spending the night in the guest wing with her.

But Grandmere’s graciousness did not stop there. Soon Vanessa was being asked to sit in on matters that were not necessarily of a social inclination. In lieu of being forced to make use of her time, she was instructed to read through all the family histories and events that had transpired since her absence from the palace. The number of coming out balls that had passed, the recent political marriages that had taken place, the children that had resulted from these marriages and (though it remained unspoken) the pinpointing of pairs who would soon separate due to lack of a progeny. It took Vanessa two days to realize she was being brought up to date on information every Clement woman needed at her fingertips at any given time.

And still her status at the palace remained undiscussed. Her first six months, she was Dominic’s grieving betrothed, staying at the palace to bid adieu to his essence as his soul descended to heaven. Over the next five months she remained as a guest, one who still incorporated a fair amount of mourning colors into her daily wear but one who could now sport hues other than black. Finally, Grandmere had been forced to label her as a ward of the palace even if a ward of seven and twenty was far from normal.

“Have you heard, I’m a ward of the palace again?” Vanessa had said teasingly to Louis that night, her grey eyes sparkling with mischief that would not have been out of place on her seventeen year old self. “It seems we’ve travelled back in time monsieur. What shall we do now?” Louis’ ideas had been both profound and practical and had resulted in neither of them getting very much sleep that night. The next day, it was back to studying and siting in with Grandmere on meetings ranging from the mundane to the delicately complicated. Getting to know the staff at the palace was as important as understanding the current political climate of France and how the court was ordered these days so Vanessa did all she could, as gracefully as she could manage.

And all this time, Aunt Lynette remained confined to her private chambers, refusing to see anyone save Uncle Thomas who – the young brunette imagined – did the same with Louis every day as Grandmere did with her.

***

That morning, a note found its way to Vanessa at the grand dining table. Being unwed, the woman still had to adhere to courtesies that befitted her rank such as not having a permanent lady’s made or being afforded the luxury of breakfast in bed. Vanessa didn’t mind, the walk to the dining area was usually needed to dispel any hints of personality about her. It also took those minutes to prepare herself to greet Louis as if she was just seeing him at breakfast. The note appeared to have a twin, one nestled nearly on the velvet covered tray a footman presented to the heir. The note simply requested her presence at her Grandmere’s withdrawing room and Vanessa didn’t have to look to her cousin to confirm that his said the same.

As it turned out, they were early, or rather Lissette Clement would never be seen waiting for someone. No, in this palace, others waited for her. Even as Louis moved to the window, his gaze trained to the garden they had spent so much of their childhood in, a soft smile blossomed on the witch’s lips, one that was quashed immediately as the door opened to reveal Grandmere in full glory. The greetings and pleasantries dispensed with, the eldest Clement began, gesturing for her grandson to sit opposite her. Though Vanessa wasn’t explicitly told to sit, the invitation was implied, one the witch intentionally did not receive, instead coming to stand behind Louis in a rare and defiant show of strength. Whatever Grandmere had to see, she would say to both of them.

“Louise Charles Philip,” Grandmere began without preamble. “The paperwork for the estate transfer was complete as of last night. Your Papa and I shall be meeting with the lawyers today to finalize the matter of the physical transfer of assets this afternoon. We will need an answer and safety in your line of succession by then.”

The matriarch paused for a moment before pointing her wand at the table that rested between the two Clements. A pale blue folder appeared. “Contained within is a list of suitable candidates for your bride. Each of noble blood, good standing, reasonable fortune and child bearing age. You need only pick one and her name will be included in the official papers while we make arrangements for the wedding. Summer has been deemed a suitable season for the nuptials.”

Instinctively, Vanessa’s hand reached to grasp Louis shouter, her knuckles turning white at the realization of why she was here. This was another test, another opportunity for grandmere to fail Vanessa for losing her composure. And indeed while the Lady of the House spoke to Louis, her brown eyes were on the Vanessa, her gaze sharp as daggers looking for vulnerable skin. If she spoke, she would fail.

It was up to Louis now.

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Come Plot With Me <3

The Palace of Versailles, 2000 (Vanessa) Rsz_ve10

Subject: Re: The Palace of Versailles, 2000 (Vanessa) Sun Dec 12, 2021 12:18 pm

Louis had little to no time to make himself comfortable in his seat before his Grandmere was speaking. The proximity of Vanessa to him was denoted by Louis without looking, she stood behind him, close enough to be reassuring, but not in a manner that would be unsuitable for her.

Louis' eyes remained on his Grandmere as she started to speak. The lawyers were drawing up the new papers that would denote him as the heir to the Clement fortune. When his Papa was not longer fit to complete the work of the family, or he passed away, all of the estate would become his. The realisation of what was happening made the Frenchman's heart start to beat quicker knowing that this was happening.

It was daunting, he couldn't lie about that much.

But, it was his duty.

Louis gave a small nod of his head to show he was following what his Grandmere was saying in that moment, because he was. His Papa and he had been speaking openly about business, and catching him up with the affairs of France and the rest of the world. This was not a surprise, but an expectation. Louis, however, was questioning why his Grandmere had brought them here to tell them this. Vanessa and he understood...

As Grandmere pulled out her wand, Louis' breath held, waiting for the stinging hex to come his way, waiting... but the older witch simply brought forth a folder. Letting go of the breath slowly, Louis took in the words from his Grandmere before feeling the soft hand of the only woman he would ever choose to be his bride. The subtle hint that he not react in an outburst from Vanessa was one many would deem unnecessary, but Louis would never call any of her actions such a thing.

It reminded him without words to think before he acted.

It reminded him that Grandmere was more than happy to play games with him if she chose to do so.

It was a reminder that he had to tread carefully.

Both Vanessa and he knew the answer to the question before Grandmere had even finished the sentence, but blurting such things out before he'd been given the time to consider would be unfitting of a Clement.

Instead, Louis remained quite still, face void of any emotion as his eyes moved to the folder. If he picked it up... he'd have to look through it. The possibility that Vanessa's name did not feature in the folder was one that Louis would not deal with in the right manner, he knew that very much.

If her name was there, he knew without regret he would stop reading past Vanessa's name and his Grandmere would judge him once again for irrational behaviour.

The folder, Louis decided, was a trap that he would not fall in to.

It had been a few moments of silence, two minutes, three... Louis hadn't been counting, but he'd been thinking. After that, his eyes returned to his Grandmere, and a small smile touched his lips. Not for the older woman, no, Louis did not believe his happiness was on the agenda for his Grandmere, it was irrelevant to the Clement name. The smile rested on his lips because, for the first time in over ten years, he had the right to what he'd always been promised.

"A Clement is only as good as his family. A Clement is only as good as his word." Louis told her softly. "If I don't fulfill the commitment we made to the Sheridan House that was made when Vanessa and I were very young, we would be turning back on our word, and losing an asset this family simply could not afford." He told his Grandmere, his voice confident, and showing that he would not budge on the subject.

"We are not gifted the luxury of choice in the matter." Louis half-finished, pausing to think for a moment. "But I have the luxury of being in love with the woman you chose for me all those years ago, and I will not be moved from the duty you bestowed upon me that day.

"I will put the safety of my succession in Lady Sheridan, and no one else." Louis finished.

No explosion of any kind had come from the man. His words were careful, calm, and clear in what he would be doing. Whether the folder offered him the woman holding on to his shoulder tightly, Louis could not know. But that would be his final decision from this breath, until his last.

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~ Lord Clement ~ Profile ~ 55 ~

Thank you to the amazing Ruby for the signatures! <3

Subject: Re: The Palace of Versailles, 2000 (Vanessa) Sun Dec 12, 2021 12:19 pm

The silence that lapsed between Louise’ calm statement and Grandmere’s next words lasted an eternity, an eternity in which all Vanessa could do was wait as her future was decided. There were always two ways of doing something and Louis’ words had issued the challenge. They had both shown they were capable of taking the difficult route, they had been walking it for ten years now. Today Lissette Clement would decide if their journey would continue down the same path.

“Very well, a summer ceremony it shall be.” There was no smile on her lips, no warmth in her voice, no sign that – for the second time in her life – she had been defeated. And that was fine, Vanessa had no wish to defeat a woman who had worked her entire life for the betterment of House Clement. in accepting their decision, Grandmere had once again shown that her loyalties lay always with the family as opposed to an individual. “The engagement will be announced in tomorrow’s paper. Vanessa Jhalak’s father will need to be informed.”

Vanessa. For the first time, Lissette Clement acknowledged the younger witch personally instead of The Lady Sheridan. Had the brunette less composure, she would have smiled or cried. As it was, she and Louis had both come too far to display wanton emotion in front of Grandmere. “The trips to Vanessa Jhalak’s boudoir will cease. A little patience goes a long way.” The words were directed at Louis but meant to shame them both. “She will henceforth not be seen without a Clement ring, she may have a new one made or utilize the one your Grandpere gave me.”

At the mention of a ring, Vanessa realized her hand was still on Louis shoulder. Softly, the witch removed it, looking at her bare fingers for the last time in her life. The warmth creeping up inside her couldn’t be deterred by Grandmere’s cold tone or the austere environment of the withdrawing room,. For the first time since arriving at the palace, she was finally being given the official right to call it home.

“You may leave,” Lissette ended the visit curtly but before the couple could bow out to discuss the latest developments, the door to the withdrawing room flew open at a speed impossible by hand. The wand responsible came into view moments later, trembling in the hands of Aunt Lynnette. “No!” the witch declared, her dark brown eyes trained hatefully on her son and soon to be good daughter. Staying locked in her chambers had not done Aunt Lynnette any good, Vanessa noted, grey eyes carefully taking in the older witch. While the rest of the palace had long stopped wearing full mourning attire, her aunt was still covered in black, her brown hair dull and unkempt, her face devoid of rouge or lip color, her eyes dark and almost wild with the fury that now coursed through her veins.

“They will not take my son’s place,” the woman threatened, her wand still loosely pointed to Louis and Vanessa. “Dominic is the real heir to House Clement, I will not stand for him to be replaced by a criminal and his whore.” The words cut across the room like knives, shredding through Vanessa not because of what she had been called but how Louis’ mother addressed him. When all was said and done, Louis had always loved his Maman, and the pain he would feel at the words ran through Vanessa as she reached out for his hand, entwining her fingers with his.

“You will conduct yourself appropriately Lynnette Giselle,” Grandmere spoke from where she sat, completely unfazed by her good daughter’s outburst. Aunt Lynnette would be a fool not to recognize the warning bells when Grandmere spoke like that. “Or you will remove yourself from our presence.”

“Non!” the Lady Clement shook her head as if to emphasize her refusal even more, now training her wand at the silver haired matriarch. “”This marriage will not take place as long as I draw breath Maman. I would see the palace burn before I give it to them.” the venom continued to pour from her eyes and words, causing Vanessa to stand frozen where she was, hearing her aunt speak of her character as if it wasn’t she who had helped raise her in this very palace. But then again, Vanessa realized, Aunt Lynnette hadn’t raised her. She had simply sent a list of demands every few moths, expectations to be upheld and instructions to be followed. Aunt Lynnette had never truly cared for her. The only person who had actually taken an interest in her upbringing had been Grandmere, and more often than not it had been to teach Vanessa what not to do with the aid of the familiar stinging hex.

Grandmere may have been unrelenting in her teaching methods but at least she had taught Vanessa. The impossible standards Grandmere had set were for all three children, the brunette realized. Grandmere had not been unjust even in her punishments; the circles around Louis’ wrists were proof enough of that.

“And that is the difference between you and these two,” Lissette Clement uttered quietly. “You would see the House burned and they would burn themselves to give it light.” Aunt Lynnette crumpled at the words, her thin, reedy frame collapsing to the floor just as uncle Thomas appeared at the door. No one hed seen Grandmere reach for her wand, but then again, no one ever did.

“Take her away,” the matriarch snapped to her son who moved to obey, trained never to ask his mother questions when she issued an order. “And keep her confined until she comes to her senses. She will attend the wedding even if it under an imperius curse.”

Turning her cold gaze to Louis and Vanessa, she spoke but one word. “Leave.”

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Come Plot With Me <3

Subject: Re: The Palace of Versailles, 2000 (Vanessa) Sun Dec 12, 2021 12:19 pm

Louis had not known, for the life of him, what reaction he was going to receive from his Grandmere at his obvious refusal to even look at her ideas was a bold one. One that Louis probably wouldn't have done at any other time, but he had the power to do so now. It was with baited breath that he waited, and utter relief flooded him when he heard his Grandmere's words.

His features might not have openly shown the happiness at the words -- albeit a struggle to keep himself contained -- but Louis' eyes were shining with tears of emotion. He was going to be marrying Vanessa, something he hadn't thought would be possible, allowed, until this very moment.

Tears of happiness prickled at Louis' eyes, but none materialised or fell.

Being openly triumphant would not help either of them in that moment, so Louis simply gave a small bow of his head in a non-verbal manner of saying thank you.

Grandmere's comment of no longer visiting Vanessa's room brought a slight look of embarrassment to Louis' features, and he looked away momentarily. He knew without being told that his Grandmere was aware of his antics, but there was a difference between subconsciously knowing, and being told out right. "Grandmere." Louis acknowledged the words, adding nothing, but simply showing that he would act less impulsively in that regard, until they were married.

The question of a ring was not even one Louis had to consider. Vanessa would opt for a traditional piece of Clement jewellery. One passed down through the generations, and nothing else. As the future Lady Clement, that would be her right, and Louis doubted she would shy away from taking that.

Leaving was precisely what Louis planned when his Grandmere dismissed them. Intent on getting word to Vanessa's father, and then spending the afternoon in the Dehlientelle with Vanessa, like when they were children, simply because he was much too happy to be cooped up in the stuffiness of the Palace where he had to contain his joy in that moment.

But by the time Louis had managed to get himself to his feet, the door had opened, admitting his Maman who did not look well. He understood, truly, that the woman was still trying to deal with the passing of Dominic, but he also knew that living in grief without change of scenery was neither healthy, nor good. His Maman's wand, was firmly on him and Vanessa, something that made Louis stand between his, now, fiance and Maman without a second thought, shielding Vanessa from anything and everything was all he had ever wanted.

Louis made no move for his wand, however, non-verbal magic had been something he was skilled in, something he could outdo many people with. Drawing his own wand would be both pointless, and a show of lesser composure than his Maman. She wasn't well, he reasoned in his head. She would never hurt him, he added to himself.

But he was so very wrong...

As Lynnette Clement called him a criminal, Louis' emotions were unaffected. He'd been called worse in the army, he'd been called worse by many people who didn't understand the situation. But, as his Maman had the audacity to belittle Vanessa, Louis' restraint weakened considerably. Ready to retaliate with his own words, the Frenchman stood marginally taller, ready to tell him Maman more truths than any son should, when Vanessa's hands slipped in to his own.

The proximity of Vanessa to him, the proximity to his magic if he did not control his feelings, was enough to settle the youngest Clement back in to calmer space. It was forced, of course, but he would not react in a manner that would put her in danger. But, Louis' eyes were clearly enraged, that much he would not contain.

Louis' hand simply held Vanessa's firmly -- not in a manner that would hurt the witch, but in a manner that showed that he could not let go of her, out of fear, perhaps -- waiting for Grandmere to deal with the situation. And she did, defusing the situation until his Papa came to whisk his Maman away.

The new Clement heir simply stood watching, allowing the words to sink in now as his Papa removed the current Lady Clement from the room. Realisation dawned on the young man, for the first time in his life he now understood the truth of the matter. His Maman had never loved him -- not that this was something a Pureblood witch was expected to do -- but she had, in fact, loathed his existence. For how long, he found himself asking as he swallowed the thick lump that had formed in the back of his throat.

“Leave.”

"Gr-Grandmere." Louis once again acknowledged, his voice thick with raw emotion as he gave a small glance to Vanessa before leading her from the room.

It was the first day in Louis' life that he fully understood his position in the house. He had never been wanted, a necessity of the line, someone who was tolerated for his childhood, discarded when he wasn't required, and seized back upon the realisation the family needed him.

He was a pawn, in a very big game.

But he would play the game to win.

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~ Lord Clement ~ Profile ~ 55 ~

Thank you to the amazing Ruby for the signatures! <3

» The Palace of Versailles, 1999 (Vanessa)
» The Palace of Versailles, 1978 (Louis & Vanessa)
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» The Palace of Versailles, 2006 (Louis)
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