Remembrance, chapter 3
Mar. 15th, 2018 01:54 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
scripsiTitle: Remembrance
Fandom: Versailles
Rating: Explicit
Chapter: 3/?
Word Count: 1496
Characters Sophie de Clermont, Fabien Marchal, Claudine Masson??, Duc de Cassel
Pairings: Fabien Marchal/Sophie de Clermont, Fabien Marchal/Claudine Masson
Warnings: Non-con and abuse, which reference events in the show.
Summary: Sophie de Clermont has fled Versailles, with nowhere to go and only her memories for company.
The whole fic on AO3
Sophie knocked on Doctor Masson’s door and then almost fled before the knock was answered. But the door opened quicker than she had expected, and she stood face to face with Claudine.
“Come in”, she said, and Sophie found herself in a room unlike any other room she had ever seen. It was clean and tidy, but filled with the most curious objects. Some, Sophie was sure though she didn’t care to look too close, being preserved parts of humans. She found it a bit scary, and had it not been Claudine there, she would have excused herself. But she desperately needed help, and Sophie had always liked Claudine. And Fabien trusted her too. Sophie studied Claudine’s face and to her surprise she realised the doctor was a very pretty woman. She had always thought Claudine ugly in her men’s clothes, but in a blue gown which enhanced the blue of her eyes, and with a few golden curls framing her face, Claudine was charming. And young; she could only be a few years older than Sophie.
“I’m not sure you remember me”, Sophie began, but Claudine smiled.
“Of course I do. What can I do to help?”
Sophie had rehearsed what she was to say, but now she found it hard to speak. Claudine watched her for a few moments and then put leaves in two cups and fetched boiling water to pour over it. She bid Sophie to sit, and when the tea had finished steeping she sat down opposite her. Sophie inhaled the herbal scent of it, and felt a little calmer. It also felt easier to talk sipping tea like this as she could have done with any friend.
“Perhaps you know I recently was married?”
Claudine nodded.
“I was a maiden before my marriage, but I knew a little. I knew it would hurt the first time, and that I would bleed.” Sophie shuddered at the memory. “Everyone said it would only hurt a little, but it was horrible. And it’s still horrible. I stopped bleeding after the first few times, but it still so painful. I never imagined anything like it!”
Claudine looked concerned. “No, it should not. Tell me; when your husband comes to you, does he caress you, and make you feel you want his attentions?”
Sophie couldn’t help laughing, but it was a bitter laugh. “Never.”
“Would you mind if I examined you?”
“Must you?”
“There can be several reasons to why you find it painful, and if I am to help you, I need to know what causes it.”
Sophie hesitated, but eventually she nodded. Claudine asked her to lay down on a bed in the corner of the room and pull up her shirts to her knees. Sophie watched her anxiously as Claudine washed her hands and then rubbed a thick layer of salve on her fingers. Her slim hands were gentle as they examined Sophie, and the salve made the process easier but it still hurt. Sophie stared up at the ceiling, holding her breath and clenching her skirts so tightly she had problems opening her hands when the examination was over. When she tried to sit up her whole body was shaking, and she remained sitting on the edge of the bed, unable to stand.
Claudine's eyes were full of sympathy and instead of urging Sophie to get up she sat down beside her.
“A woman can sometimes get scarring after a birth, which can cause pain, and I thought it might be one reason of your problems, but it isn’t.”
“Why does it hurt so bad then?”
“For two reasons, I believe. It’s easy to know when a man is aroused, but for a woman to be eager to lay with a man, she must be aroused too. Her body grows warm and most, her body welcoming a man’s embraces. It should be a pleasure, something to look forward to.”
As Claudine spoke her cheeks flushed a little and her eyes looked like stars. With a small pang of jealousy Sophie realised Claudine must have a lover who made her happy.
“And it doesn’t hurt?”
No. The first time, a little, but there should be no pain after. But if your husband doesn’t care for your pleasure, your body remain dry. I will give you a pot of the salve I used for your examination. Use it before your husband comes to you, and it will help a little.”
“But not completely?”
Claudine frowned. “No. I think you have been so frightened by your husband’s advances your body tene just at the thought of it. I can give you some of the herbal tea you had before; it’s a blend meant to calm and soothe. Perhaps it can help a little. She paused, the continued hesitantly. “I will also give you another salve to use on your bruises; it will make them heal quicker.”
Sophie stiffened. She was sure she had kept her skirts down enough to hide the bruises on her thighs, and mostly Cassel made sure to not hit her where it showed. “How did you know?”
“By the way you move. A kind of careful stiffness if you want. I have seen it many times before.”
Sophie had told no one the full extent of what Cassel did to her. Princess Liselotte knew she was unhappy, and that Cassel was a cruel man, but Sophie had said nothing of what happened between them. She felt no one could look at her without disgust if they knew, but Claudine was a doctor, and suddenly all Sophie’s secrets poured out of her mouth.
“Oh, I knew he was a wicked man before I had to marry him, but I didn’t know how evil he truly was. I don’t know what to do; I think he finds it exciting to hurt me. I try to be obedient, but it doesn’t help. He hits me when he wants to and he always wants to. I can see it in his eyes, always. And the things he forces me to do; they make me sick.”
On and on Sophie talked, not even noticing how tears streamed down her face. Claudine said nothing, only took her and, and Sophie clung to it as she talked until there was nothing more to say. She tried to compose herself, thankful Claudine had not offered help, when no help could be had.
“I don't know why I tell you all this. You can’t do anything- no one can.”
“Sometimes it can be a relief to put words on things. And you are always welcome to come here again.”
Claudine offered Sophie a cloth wetted with lavender water and another cup of tea before giving her a small parcel with the ointments and tea she had prescribe. Then she followed Sophie to the door, but just as Claudine opened it she smiled at someone standing in the shadows.
“Oh, I didn’t know you had returned.”
To Sophie’s surprise and shock she saw Fabien Marchal standing there, and she could see he was angry. He took a step towards her, and Sophie fled, certain his anger was directed towards her. Fabien called out her name, but Sophie didn’t look back, and he didn’t pursue her.
Sophie had not known Fabien was still in Versailles, but now she made use of what he had taught her, and learned quickly he was living with Claudine. No wonder he had been angry then; he must have thought Sophie was there to spy on him. Sophie also felt a curious stab in her heart when she realised it must have been Fabien who made Claudine’s eyes light up like stars. But why should she care if Claudine and Fabien were lovers? Claudine had saved his life, and she was not only pretty but intelligent and kind, it must have been easy for Fabien to fall in love with her. And Sophie couldn’t imagine anyone more different from Beatrice, which certainly was another reason. Different from Sophie herself too, Sophie thought with despair. She knew she was beautiful, but she had no skills out of the ordinary; nothing which could ever tempt Fabien. She wouldn’t want that, of course she didn’t, but still something hurt at the thought. Not that Sophie wanted to. She didn’t want to be someone who begrudged other people happiness only because she had none herself. But Sophie never went back to Claudine’s house. When she needed to renew her salves and tea, she sent her maid instead. Nevertheless she cried in genuine grief when she heard of Claudine’s murder, months later.
Sophie roused herself from her memory. She had not wanted to think of Cassel, but in the end she hadn’t been able to stop those memories. She looked around in the small and cramped room and felt she needed fresh air. Perhaps the wind she could see rustle in the trees outside might blow a little peace her mind.
Fandom: Versailles
Rating: Explicit
Chapter: 3/?
Word Count: 1496
Characters Sophie de Clermont, Fabien Marchal, Claudine Masson??, Duc de Cassel
Pairings: Fabien Marchal/Sophie de Clermont, Fabien Marchal/Claudine Masson
Warnings: Non-con and abuse, which reference events in the show.
Summary: Sophie de Clermont has fled Versailles, with nowhere to go and only her memories for company.
The whole fic on AO3
Sophie knocked on Doctor Masson’s door and then almost fled before the knock was answered. But the door opened quicker than she had expected, and she stood face to face with Claudine.
“Come in”, she said, and Sophie found herself in a room unlike any other room she had ever seen. It was clean and tidy, but filled with the most curious objects. Some, Sophie was sure though she didn’t care to look too close, being preserved parts of humans. She found it a bit scary, and had it not been Claudine there, she would have excused herself. But she desperately needed help, and Sophie had always liked Claudine. And Fabien trusted her too. Sophie studied Claudine’s face and to her surprise she realised the doctor was a very pretty woman. She had always thought Claudine ugly in her men’s clothes, but in a blue gown which enhanced the blue of her eyes, and with a few golden curls framing her face, Claudine was charming. And young; she could only be a few years older than Sophie.
“I’m not sure you remember me”, Sophie began, but Claudine smiled.
“Of course I do. What can I do to help?”
Sophie had rehearsed what she was to say, but now she found it hard to speak. Claudine watched her for a few moments and then put leaves in two cups and fetched boiling water to pour over it. She bid Sophie to sit, and when the tea had finished steeping she sat down opposite her. Sophie inhaled the herbal scent of it, and felt a little calmer. It also felt easier to talk sipping tea like this as she could have done with any friend.
“Perhaps you know I recently was married?”
Claudine nodded.
“I was a maiden before my marriage, but I knew a little. I knew it would hurt the first time, and that I would bleed.” Sophie shuddered at the memory. “Everyone said it would only hurt a little, but it was horrible. And it’s still horrible. I stopped bleeding after the first few times, but it still so painful. I never imagined anything like it!”
Claudine looked concerned. “No, it should not. Tell me; when your husband comes to you, does he caress you, and make you feel you want his attentions?”
Sophie couldn’t help laughing, but it was a bitter laugh. “Never.”
“Would you mind if I examined you?”
“Must you?”
“There can be several reasons to why you find it painful, and if I am to help you, I need to know what causes it.”
Sophie hesitated, but eventually she nodded. Claudine asked her to lay down on a bed in the corner of the room and pull up her shirts to her knees. Sophie watched her anxiously as Claudine washed her hands and then rubbed a thick layer of salve on her fingers. Her slim hands were gentle as they examined Sophie, and the salve made the process easier but it still hurt. Sophie stared up at the ceiling, holding her breath and clenching her skirts so tightly she had problems opening her hands when the examination was over. When she tried to sit up her whole body was shaking, and she remained sitting on the edge of the bed, unable to stand.
Claudine's eyes were full of sympathy and instead of urging Sophie to get up she sat down beside her.
“A woman can sometimes get scarring after a birth, which can cause pain, and I thought it might be one reason of your problems, but it isn’t.”
“Why does it hurt so bad then?”
“For two reasons, I believe. It’s easy to know when a man is aroused, but for a woman to be eager to lay with a man, she must be aroused too. Her body grows warm and most, her body welcoming a man’s embraces. It should be a pleasure, something to look forward to.”
As Claudine spoke her cheeks flushed a little and her eyes looked like stars. With a small pang of jealousy Sophie realised Claudine must have a lover who made her happy.
“And it doesn’t hurt?”
No. The first time, a little, but there should be no pain after. But if your husband doesn’t care for your pleasure, your body remain dry. I will give you a pot of the salve I used for your examination. Use it before your husband comes to you, and it will help a little.”
“But not completely?”
Claudine frowned. “No. I think you have been so frightened by your husband’s advances your body tene just at the thought of it. I can give you some of the herbal tea you had before; it’s a blend meant to calm and soothe. Perhaps it can help a little. She paused, the continued hesitantly. “I will also give you another salve to use on your bruises; it will make them heal quicker.”
Sophie stiffened. She was sure she had kept her skirts down enough to hide the bruises on her thighs, and mostly Cassel made sure to not hit her where it showed. “How did you know?”
“By the way you move. A kind of careful stiffness if you want. I have seen it many times before.”
Sophie had told no one the full extent of what Cassel did to her. Princess Liselotte knew she was unhappy, and that Cassel was a cruel man, but Sophie had said nothing of what happened between them. She felt no one could look at her without disgust if they knew, but Claudine was a doctor, and suddenly all Sophie’s secrets poured out of her mouth.
“Oh, I knew he was a wicked man before I had to marry him, but I didn’t know how evil he truly was. I don’t know what to do; I think he finds it exciting to hurt me. I try to be obedient, but it doesn’t help. He hits me when he wants to and he always wants to. I can see it in his eyes, always. And the things he forces me to do; they make me sick.”
On and on Sophie talked, not even noticing how tears streamed down her face. Claudine said nothing, only took her and, and Sophie clung to it as she talked until there was nothing more to say. She tried to compose herself, thankful Claudine had not offered help, when no help could be had.
“I don't know why I tell you all this. You can’t do anything- no one can.”
“Sometimes it can be a relief to put words on things. And you are always welcome to come here again.”
Claudine offered Sophie a cloth wetted with lavender water and another cup of tea before giving her a small parcel with the ointments and tea she had prescribe. Then she followed Sophie to the door, but just as Claudine opened it she smiled at someone standing in the shadows.
“Oh, I didn’t know you had returned.”
To Sophie’s surprise and shock she saw Fabien Marchal standing there, and she could see he was angry. He took a step towards her, and Sophie fled, certain his anger was directed towards her. Fabien called out her name, but Sophie didn’t look back, and he didn’t pursue her.
Sophie had not known Fabien was still in Versailles, but now she made use of what he had taught her, and learned quickly he was living with Claudine. No wonder he had been angry then; he must have thought Sophie was there to spy on him. Sophie also felt a curious stab in her heart when she realised it must have been Fabien who made Claudine’s eyes light up like stars. But why should she care if Claudine and Fabien were lovers? Claudine had saved his life, and she was not only pretty but intelligent and kind, it must have been easy for Fabien to fall in love with her. And Sophie couldn’t imagine anyone more different from Beatrice, which certainly was another reason. Different from Sophie herself too, Sophie thought with despair. She knew she was beautiful, but she had no skills out of the ordinary; nothing which could ever tempt Fabien. She wouldn’t want that, of course she didn’t, but still something hurt at the thought. Not that Sophie wanted to. She didn’t want to be someone who begrudged other people happiness only because she had none herself. But Sophie never went back to Claudine’s house. When she needed to renew her salves and tea, she sent her maid instead. Nevertheless she cried in genuine grief when she heard of Claudine’s murder, months later.
Sophie roused herself from her memory. She had not wanted to think of Cassel, but in the end she hadn’t been able to stop those memories. She looked around in the small and cramped room and felt she needed fresh air. Perhaps the wind she could see rustle in the trees outside might blow a little peace her mind.
