Versailles, November 2002 (TW: Miscarriage)

Subject: Versailles, November 2002 (TW: Miscarriage) Sun Sep 03, 2017 7:43 pm

The expansion of the Muggle technology was coming along quickly -- the technology being built to withstand the magical interference that had first caused all of the technology to fail in and around the strongholds of magic. The investment was working itself, mostly, though Louis and Vanessa were still keeping quite a close eye on it.

The prototypes that had only yesterday been brought to Louis and Vanessa were holding up with magic -- there had been a complicated process of turning magical power in to electricity that Louis had tried and failed to comprehend. He'd simply taken the fact it was happening to be enough and went with the explanation's given as truth. Vanessa had something of a better handle on the explanations they'd been given, and seeing as she hadn't brought any issues to him, Louis had let the investment continue on it's way.

The trouble with the prototypes, however, was that they had been expensive to make, they were complicated to use, and their life -- though estimated -- was not long enough to warrant their public announcement just yet. A few more tweaks would be needed first, before they could consider moving forward, but the progress being made was fast, whilst Louis had believed this would take much longer to even get here, the researchers had insisted that, maybe not even a month later, the product would be ready to bring to market.

Having left the meeting with a fair amount of hope, Louis had discussed with Vanessa at length afterwards. Whilst her presence in the meeting wouldn't be questioned, Louis had asked her to not over exert herself. What with their child now growing, Vanessa did not need any stress that was unnecessary. He was protecting her, yes, but Louis was simply doing what he thought best.

It had been almost three months since Vanessa had told him that she was with child, and the Palace had settled in to something of a happy stupor because of it. Grandmere had finally settled for not asking Vanessa constantly how she was, and had instead taken to making sure Vanessa had eaten properly. His Maman had even found herself in a more cheery manner with the news of her first grandchild being on the way. But, mostly, Louis was shining with adoration and pride that his family was about to grow once again.

The small bump had begun to appear only in the last couple of weeks, and only to Louis' eyes. Vanessa had taken to wearing less fitted clothing so as not to draw attention to her stomach, but when they were alone of an evening, Louis could feel the bump forming nicely. The Lord Clement was quite happy led beside his wife, fingers caressing the soft skin of her stomach, eyes keenly on the small swell that was their child. He'd often get so lost in the thoughts of the future, that it would take Vanessa speaking his name softly to pull him back to the moment.

Whilst this child was not their first, it was their first child that would share both their blood, their love, and live their life. The excitement of their second child was something Louis was going to let pass without enjoying the whole experience, even if he had to apologise to Vanessa for not having heard something she'd said because -- he would sheepishly admit -- he'd been thinking about their child's firsts.

Their first word.

Their first steps.

Their first horse ride.

Their first piano solo.

There were so many things, Louis kept getting caught up, but no matter how many times he did, Vanessa never reprimanded him for it, instead running her slender fingers through his hair with a fond smile and telling him not to apologise.

It had been much the same that evening. Vanessa had been filling Louis in on her day as he drew small circles on her stomach. This time, he'd been listening to her, though, actively participating in the conversation, despite his eyes being downcast for most of it. Louis had answered the questions she'd raised on their investments, and filled her in on anything else of importance, until they'd finally fallen asleep, cuddled in to one another, Louis' arm carefully, but protectively, around his wife's stomach.

For a while, it had been peaceful, too.

Except, Louis woke up to the sound of Vanessa in pain...

His body went on high alert in a moment, eyes opening in a flash, and taking in his surroundings.

"Ven..?" He asked softly, only to be met with another soft sound of pain. "What's wrong, ma chérie?" Louis added, keeping his tone as even as possible. Though, the note of uncertainty was definitely there. The soft sound of the need for the Maester had Louis out of bed only a moment later, getting to the nearest servant and sending them running off through the halls.

Louis had hesitated for only a moment in the hall, before sending for his Grandmere with his Patronus before turning back for Vanessa's room. The light was flicked on in that moment, and Louis moved to Vanessa's side of the bed, taking her hand and kneeling before her. "It's going to be okay, Ven, I'm here." He told her softly, pressing his lips to her knuckles.

"It's going to be okay..."

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~ Lord Clement ~ Profile ~ 55 ~

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

The past few months were a happy haze in Vanessa Clement’s mind, a haze punctuated with routine but genuine bouts of congratulations, of cards and letters, of trips to the maesters and midwives, of siting with Maman and Grandmere and going through the family’s vast collection of baby paraphernalia. The gender of the coming child was unknown but the brunette knew what was expected of her, and she would give them a son. She just knew it was a son even if she hadn’t dared admit it to anyone, not even Louis who had not once expressed the wishes of the rest of the family. It was obvious in the way Maman always reached for the blue and not the pink, in the way guests presented her with gifts suitable for a baby more than a girl, it was also clear in the way the palace had taken to being decorated lately. Vanessa had also heard the prayers the servants were led into after their evening meal every night, a prayer for a healthy heir to the Clement House and Name, a healthy male heir.

Far from being disturbed, Vanessa joined in with the fuss over the coming child, a male heir was her duty, one that Louis had fought against the world to keep safe with her. And now, once their son was born, her task would be complete. No one would ever be able to wrong her or claim she had fallen short in her duties as the new Lady Clement once there was a son in their arms ready to carry on their legacy. As summer turned into autumn and autumn into the beginnings o winter, Vanessa found herself swathhed in looser fitting gowns and thicker shows to keep the cold at bay. Her appointments around the country too had lessened though she refused to cancel them all despite the morning sickness that ravaged her body on a daily basis, justifying that if her ancestor had managed to see a revolution through while with child, she was yet in relative comfort of the palace with the best care available in the country.

The life slowly growing inside her was not the only new life in the palace it would seem, everyone was energized with the coming of this child but none more apparently so then Grandmere who now took the liberty of leaving her withdrawing room to find Vanessa instead of having the younger witch summoned. Grandmere never made it seem like it was an important matter, simply dropping in for tea and staying to talk to the new Lady of the Palace about this and that but it slowly became clear to the expecting mother that Grandmere too was waiting for the child as anxiously as everyone else.

Everything had been peaceful that night as she’d dozed off beside Louis, her husband no longer bothering to keep up the preteen of separate bedrooms now that he thought she needed constant care. The frost was creeping up outside the window as she lay warm and comfortable under the covers, her grey eyes closing to the world for the night.

But when they opened, it wasn’t to a bright, new morning. It was dark, very dark, and something was wrong.

“L-lou-“ she tried, unable to finish the word as a small spasm shook her body, her words turning into a cry of pain as she felt something sear deep inside her. Unbidden, a tear began at the corner of her eye, clinging to her long lashes as she tried to understand what was happening. Louis was beside her, she knew that much. And for a moment that was enough.

Nothing bad would happen if he was with her.

But the pain was growing, growing where the child was. Her eyes flew open with a horrified realization. What if the baby could feel it too? Curling in on herself and enveloping the soft swell of her stomach carefully, the witch tried to comfort the child as best she could, more tears pouring down her face because the pain just wouldn’t go away.

In the periphery, she could hear people coming in, the gentle but firm hands of the maester prying hers apart from her body, laying her out straight as her lady’s maid rushed to remove the nightdress from her frame. Somewhere in the background, she could even sense grandmere who must have taken certain discomfort upon herself to leave her bed at this time of night and travel all the way to the main wing. She and the master were discussing something in rapid French, too fast for Vanessa to understand and too technical for her to truly comprehend, but the one word she did hear, that send dread shooting up inside her along with all the pain, was the one word Grandmere directed to Louis.

“Laisser.”

Vanessa opened her mouth to object. Louise couldn’t leave. Nothing bad happened when he was around and only bad things happened when he left. Didn’t grandmere, in all her worldly wisdom, know this? Apparently not because instead of a firm “non” the only thing that left her lips was another cry of pain. The next thing she heard was the door snapping shut behind Lord Clement as he did what was asked of him.

***

It took hours and hours for them to clean her up. There would be a funeral, it was decided. There was always a funeral even if the casket buried in the family graveyard was empty. The child may not have been born but he was a Clement, and a Clement was entitled to a proper burial.

Grandmere exited the room well past normal breakfast hours, coming to stand beside Louis who had not moved from his position by the door all night. The matriarch offered no words of comfort, not kind gestures, she simply stood with him in solidarity. The tragedy that had struck the palace would be borne by the entirety of it, not just her grandson alone.

“She’s finally asleep; we gave her some milk of the poppy to rest off her wounds.” Men didn’t need all the details, in her experience. They only needed the bottom line. Women fought their own wars on the birthing bed and Vanessa Jhalak had lost hers.

A few moments of silence before Lissette Clement spoke again, her final words for the day. “It was a boy.”

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Come Plot With Me <3

Versailles, November 2002 (TW: Miscarriage) Rsz_ve10

As the maester arrived, asking Louis to step aside -- without actually telling the Lord Clement in so little words, but there was enough there to make Louis comply. Not enough to make him let go of his wife's hand, though, as the man spoke quickly in terms that Louis did not understand. Moving Vanessa so that he could make the appropriate examinations.

Where they had been when his Grandmere's voice cut through the worry holding the room, Louis didn't know. Nothing made sense.

Nothing, except the pained face that had taken hold of Vanessa's features in that moment. That much pain... Louis could feel a coldness seeping through his body, making him shiver slightly in the moment as he could do nothing but stand by her side and keep trying to tell Vanessa that everything was going to be okay. But Grandmere was not gong to have such actions.

“Laisser.”

Louis' eyes left Vanessa for the first time since the room had been re-entered, a silent plea in his features with the matriarch to please let him stay with the woman who needed him most in the world. To please, not split them again like the woman had done all those year's ago. But the look on his Grandmere's features said what Louis knew. His place was not in the room with Vanessa anymore.

Pressing one final kiss on Vanessa's knuckles, Louis slowly moved from her side, not letting go until his fingers could hold on to her no longer. His movement from Vanessa to the door was slow, his eyes fixated on the witch who was being tended to by both the maester and her ladies maid. Louis had barely crossed the threshold when the door snapped closed, likely his Grandmere ensuring he would not return...

***

Hours passed, Louis didn't know how many, but the cold had spread through his body despite a number of blankets being brought to shield the Lord Clement from the chill of the Palace. It was not the air that was cold, but the blood that ran through his veins was cold, denoting what he already knew.

His legs had stood firm through the hours, his body stock still as his eyes remained on the door. The military had drummed this kind of thing in to him over the years, standing still for hours was not a difficult feat, it was the not feeling that was difficult. Not panicking.

Servants came with the offer of food, and finding no response from their Lord, had left in an almost tiptoeing manner. Terrified that Louis' wrath would be taken out on them. After the second attempt, Louis had not been disturbed, and through one fortune or another, his parents had not come looking when the Lord and Lady Clement had not appeared for breakfast that morning.

It was simply understood, accepted, and not brought to attention.

***

What time it was when the door finally opened, Louis could not have told the world. As his Grandmere exited Vanessa's room, Louis held back from moving from the spot he'd been occupying for the last... number of hours. Lissette Clement moved to his side, and Louis could see enough in his Grandmere's actions that this was not going to be something he wanted to hear.

“She’s finally asleep; we gave her some milk of the poppy to rest off her wounds.”

It would be clear to anyone watching that a lump had built in the Frenchman's throat. His Adam's apple moved up and down slowly as if the man were trying to swallow it, and failing a number of times. It wouldn't clear. The sting of tears rose up in Louis' eyes, but they remained unshed before his Grandmere's eyes, because Louis knew she would never approve of such weakness.

And, again, the man tried to swallow his feelings down.

“It was a boy.”

"It didn't matter..." Louis replied, his voice very soft and not his own in that moment, but fierce enough to denote he wasn't going to have it said any other way. "He was ours." The Lord of the House finished, sliding the blanket off of his shoulders and stepping forward towards the room. Louis would not have cared if Vanessa had given him a daughter, he wouldn't have cared at all, because it would have been their second child, his child. And they would love him, or her, no matter what.

"No one is to disturb us." Louis added to his Grandmere, trusting that she would tell the staff to leave the room be. That she would allow him just one day. One day to be with his wife, and forget the world. But Louis did not wait for an answer, stepping in to Vanessa's room and dismissing the maester and her ladies maid. Only when the door clicked closed softly did Louis' eyes meet the outline of Vanessa in bed. Soundly asleep through the aid of the potions from the maester.

Blissfully unaware of the hell that the rest of her world was enduring in that moment...

The bed appeared before his legs with little recollection of moving across the room, and Louis carefully knelt himself beside his wife. Fingers moved to push her hair from her face. The first of his tears splashed down upon her open palm by her face as he leaned down to press a soft kiss to her forehead.

"Je suis tellement désolé, mon amour, je vous ai manqué à nouveau." Louis managed as his body shook with grief that he'd held in for hours. "Je suis vraiment désolé..."

The apologies continued long in to the morning, Louis hadn't been able to stop himself through the tears that had kept flowing as he held Vanessa's hand whilst she slept. If only he'd been able to do something more...

It wouldn't have happened...

He had reasoned it again and again whilst Vanessa could not see, or hear, him. Trying to make it better, though it could not be fixed.

Louis had worn himself down until his consciousness had faded out, leaving him leaned in to Vanessa's bed where he knelt. Head on the mattress, his hand in hers, holding on to her, like he should have insisted upon all those hours before.

Because when Vanessa came round from her medicated sleep, he was not going to allow anyone else the moment to comfort her. She was his wife, and Louis would look after her, for now, and for always.

Je suis tellement désolé, mon amour, je vous ai manqué à nouveau. -- I am so sorry, my love, I have failed you, again.

Je suis vraiment désolé... -- I am so sorry...

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~ Lord Clement ~ Profile ~ 55 ~

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

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