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Léon Belmont (ex_the_ambas216) wrote in toujoursliberer,
@ 2008-03-28 07:54:00

Entry tags:

ambassadors_ball, leon_belmont

An Invitation to the French Ambassador's Ball
Subject: The Ambassadors Ball
Where: The French Embassy
Who: Léon Belmont, the French Ambassador to the English court
Warnings: none as yet
Open to: All (all players may attend either as invited guests of the ambassador, as servants or guests of those invited, as staff, or as gate-crashers.)

The ballroom of the Embassy was already growing busy, and when Citizen Belmont paused for a moment besides one of the large windows, he could see yet more carriages pulling up outside, wreathed in the mist blowing in from the river.

The quartet had been playing now for a good half an hour, new French tunes as well as those the English favoured. His staff was busy handing out good French wine, and then refilling those glasses when they were drained.

It was going to be a good evening, and not only in the eyes of the party-goers. With some of England’s most prominent aristos on the guest list, and some than some newly arrived French nationals, tonight would be a night of information gathering, of sizing up the opposition, and perhaps even ensuring some of those French escapees were returned to face justice.

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	tigersatthegate 2008-04-23 10:56 am UTC (link)
	Aimé's smile falters for a moment before he regains it. "Really, Ambassador? It's not like you to miss out on gossip. Father disowned him for running around with those dirty revolutionaries of yours." (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

	ex_the_ambas216 2008-04-23 10:59 am UTC (link)
	"Oh yes, the hero of the Republic and her people." Léon smiled. "No doubt you want to know how well he is doing? I can make enquires into his health, should you like." He says innocently. (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

	tigersatthegate 2008-04-23 11:03 am UTC (link)
	Aimé shrugs, looking around the ballroom, trying to fain boredom with the whole conversation. "I would be surprised to hear he hadn't lost his head already to tell you the truth." (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

	ex_the_ambas216 2008-04-23 09:41 pm UTC (link)
	"Highly unlikely, considering the numbers of those who has brought to justice in Roux. He is doing very well for himself. I shall have the details sent to your father. No doubt he will be proud." (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

	tigersatthegate 2008-04-23 09:45 pm UTC (link)
	"I doubt my father would be proud. Would you be proud to have a traitor and murder as a son?" Aimé asked, excepting a glass from a passing servant. To anyone watching the two of them they could have been talking about the weather for all the emotion the young man let slip. (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

	ex_the_ambas216 2008-04-24 08:46 am UTC (link)
	"A traitor? I do not know. But if you wish to find out, you should ask your father. He has two other sons who are traitors to the Republic France and her people." Léon said, his calmness matching Aimé's own. (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

	tigersatthegate 2008-04-24 08:52 am UTC (link)
	Aime's face flushed red and he raised his hand, unable to help himself, so angry at the ambassador for daring to bring up his brother in the first place and then for insulting his family. It did not matter that it would be a foolish thing to do, hitting him would at least give him some satisfaction in the matter. (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

mercedes_dupont
2008-04-24 09:06 am UTC (link)

Mercedes had been hovering, guilt-ridden, around the young man since he re-entry into the Ballroom. And now he saw that if he did not interrupt this particular conversation, Amié and his family would end up on the first Council ship back to France in the morning.

"Ambassador!" He greeted, carefully and subtly, although not nearly enough, pushing Amié out of range. "An excellent soiree. The champagne is delicious. Forgive that I don't have a moment to spare you, clearly this young man needs some air. And less of your good wine in him. Young people have no tolerance to fine wines." He said with a smile, and proceeded to push Amié towards the garden doors, until they were lost in a crowd of the other guests.

"What were you doing? You were about to hit the Ambassador!" He hissed, opening the door. "Out there! Now!"

(Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

	tigersatthegate 2008-04-24 09:11 am UTC (link)
	"I couldn't let him say those things! I couldn't!" Aimé protested, still too angry to see sense. As soon as they where outside he moved away from Mercedes, wrapping his arms about himself, glaring. "I had every right to hit him. Did you hear what he said? And where did you leave to? I was looking for you for such a long time." (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

mercedes_dupont
2008-04-24 09:16 am UTC (link)

"Are you listening to yourself?" Mercedes hissed, following the young man and taking hold of him by the shoulders, "Do you want us all guillotined?" He said, shaking Aimé, hoping to get some sense back into him.

"He was trying to provoke you. Trying to get you to hit him, do you not see that at all?" He says, ignoring the question about his earlier whereabouts. That, after all, was not important.

(Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

	tigersatthegate 2008-04-24 09:20 am UTC (link)
	Aimé cried out, not used to be handled or spoken to so violently. "Mercedes! Mercedes, stop it!" He pushed Mercedes away from him, gasping. "I...I know, I'm sorry. I just couldn't stand him! His smug face, talking about my brother like that, calling me a traitor to France. Mercedes, I just wanted to make him hurt as much as he was hurting me." (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

	mercedes_dupont 2008-04-24 09:27 am UTC (link)
	Mercedes lets Aimé push him away, stepping backwards and giving the boy a chance to breath. "I heard, Aimé, I heard what he said. And had you been speaking to anyone else, I would have let you. But not the Ambassador, not him of all people." (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

	tigersatthegate 2008-04-24 09:31 am UTC (link)
	Aimé nodded, turning his back on Mercedes, walking off a little way to find somewhere to sit. His whole body trembled - both from rage and realisation of how close he had come to ruining them all. "I'm so sorry." He whispered, glancing back at Mercedes. (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

	mercedes_dupont 2008-04-24 09:33 am UTC (link)
	Mercedes sighed softly to himself, before following the boy down into the garden, suddenly uncomfortable at being here again so soon. "No, don't be sorry. It was not your fault." He comforted, "No one else but you could have withstood him for such a long time, Aimé, you did very well." (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

	tigersatthegate 2008-04-24 09:36 am UTC (link)
	He laughs, but there is no humour to it. "Don't try to flatter me, Mercedes. It was hardly a long time." He sighs, looking up at him. "Where did you go earlier?" (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

	mercedes_dupont 2008-04-24 09:40 am UTC (link)
	"Longer than I would have spoken to the man." Mercedes muttered. "It was too hot inside. I went for a walk, I spoke to one of the other guests for a little while, and came back. I didn't realise I had been outside for so long, Aimé." He explained, shrugging. It was more or less the truth. (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

	tigersatthegate 2008-04-24 10:06 am UTC (link)
	Aimé nods, placated by that story. "Did you find out any interesting gossip? Do you know why we where invited?" He asks. (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

mercedes_dupont
2008-04-25 11:00 pm UTC (link)

Mercedes sighs, and as he does, the bruise across his shoulder and collarbone twinges, and he knows what he must do. "Aimé..." He says, closing the distance between them and taking the boy's small hands in his own, already noticing the cold seeping into them. "I... I have something I need to tell you. Earlier tonight... there was boy. With the champagne and the wine... I was a fool and an idiot, Aimé, and I am sickened by myself. I was afraid to tell you before. I did not... I did not think. I am more sorry than you can imagine."

(Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

	tigersatthegate 2008-04-25 11:25 pm UTC (link)
	"What did you do, Mercedes?" Aimé asked wearily - he could understand at least that something had happened, something to do with another boy but Mercedes was to evasive. "Are you...is there someone else?" (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

	mercedes_dupont 2008-04-25 11:30 pm UTC (link)
	Those words stung. "Of course there isn't anyone else, Aimé. I don't love anyone else. I... I was an idiot and we... we had sex." He manages, waiting for the shouting, the harsh, hateful words. "I'm sorry, Aimé, it was stupid of me to let it happen." (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

	tigersatthegate 2008-04-25 11:39 pm UTC (link)
	Aimé breathes a sigh of relief, reaching out and wrapping his arms around Mercedes, clinging to him although he knows they could be spotted from the house. "I do not care who you sleep with, Mercedes, I assumed you had some boy or other on your ship. As long as you love me I do not mind." (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

	mercedes_dupont 2008-04-25 11:43 pm UTC (link)
	All the tension in the man's muscles seems to snap suddenly, and he wraps his own arms around Aimé, holding him close, but not before pressing his lips against the boy's cheek. "Never again, Aimé, never, ever again, I promise you." He assures, silently thanking whatever deity ensured his safety tonight had granted him this one mercy. "I was a stupid fool." (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

	tigersatthegate 2008-04-25 11:51 pm UTC (link)
	Aimé nods, burring his face into Mercedes' shoulder. "I do not care. You understand about the men I entertain, why should I not grant you the same respect?" (Replies frozen) (Parent) (Thread)

	mercedes_dupont 2008-04-25 11:55 pm UTC (link)
	Mercedes smiles, too pleased too do anything but hold the boy close to him, enjoying the warmth of Amié and even the pressure of his face pressed against the bruised shoulder. "You look after your family. I was being selfish. But I promise you, Aimé, I will not be so stupid again, ever." He repeats, and then gently tips the boy's head up, kissing him. (Replies frozen) (Parent)

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