Post by Nicolette Deveraux on Nov 28, 2014 12:09:58 GMT -5
Anger was Nicolette's constant companion these days. Ever present, she embraced it as a means to keep her very real fear at bay. Attacks on the caravan and two of her sisters had raised her hackles, proving the inescapable fact that the Deverauxs were at a distinct disadvantage for the first time in two centuries. Time was no longer their friend, requiring decisions to be made, stances taken and actions imposed to protect their legacy where Archades was concerned. And with it came the determination that in this battle, she required an army, whose ranks were comprised of her family members.
They had been too long divided by the argument over succession. With Alexandre's decree, she considered the matter settled and the time to move past it was long overdue. If she could not rely on members of her family, Nicolette needed to determine who those weak links were and act to neutralize them so that they could not be used against her. Already, a letter had been dispatched to Bordelaix, summoning the remainder of the family to Lockewood. They would meet to discuss the future and how matters would progress.
In that light, she requested her cousin Julien's presence to join her for a nightcap and to gain his counsel. Of all who sought to advise her, Julien had the most knowledge both of their family and of the kingdom at large to counter her temper and prevent her fury from leading her into impetuous and often regrettable choices. Now more than ever, Nicolette needed to be sly, cunning and clever. Julien knew how to aid her in that regard, rendering him nigh invaluable to her. Carlotta was thanked for her service and entreated to enjoy the rest of the night, ensuring the cousins would speak in privacy.
As she waited for him to join her, she poured a goblet for herself and drained half in a single swallow. Tension continued to lace her body, clench her stomach, anger flickering at the edges of her vision. Nicolette knew that she could not sustain that mien for long, instead deliberately taking long, slow breaths. Staring out over the darkening lands, she felt the bite of danger, sharper than ever. With it came resolve fueled by determination, a pocketful of resolutions. They would survive this.
@juliendeveraux