InWhichExhaustionLeadsSense

From IMiA

Juliana quickly finds Phillip. He appears to have been in conversation with Deirdre and Gerard. Deirdre is walking away from him. She smiles in acknowledgement when she sees Juliana and continues on her way.

Juliana gives Deirdre a little guilty, I-don't-believe-I-snapped-at-you-earlier, smile.

She'll quietly go up and take Phillip's arm but won't interrupt at all.

The conversation seems to have ended with Deirdre's departure. Gerard looks at Juliana and frowns. "Are you unwell, Duchess?"

"Just sad, your highness, and perhaps a bit angry," she says quietly.

Gerard shakes his head. "That's not good. Do you need to leave? I wouldn't want you to suffer."

"Life is suffering, highness. I'll be fine - better off than my friends at any rate," she says, and smiles at him, sadly. He's so sweet.

"Hm. Yes. Well. Try not to suffer too much then. Not good for you, you know.." Gerard smiles and pats Juliana on the shoulder with a bone jarring impact. "I'm off then." He departs.

She puts her head on Phillip's shoulder and sighs.

"I take it that your visits did not go well?" Phillip asks and gently squeezes her hand.

"It could have been worse. It could be worse yet." She looks up at him. "When can we go home?"

"Soon. There is some concern that Reggie and the others may yet be enscorcelled. Madeline and the Major both experienced disturbing dreams while unconscious and I suspect they may be more than mere dreams."

She smiles. "Right. Fix me while you're at it."

"In Reggie's case, it's rather more a concern that the dream may kill him."

She blinks, and all her humor fades away. "What can you do? Can I stay with you?"

"You can stay as long as I do, love," he replies. "As to the rest, I am not certain. Deirdre is going to speak to Eric about it. Madeline and the Major broke through the spell somehow, yet Reggie has not. It is still too early to tell about O'Donovan or Dane or Genvieve. I suspect we need a better sorcerer than myself to break the spell. Unfortunately, few are readily available or trustworthy. Gerard is having word sent to Admiral High Mage Ambrose but that may take some time. Eric seems disinclined to involve members of the royal family."

She nods in agreement with Eric on that one. "I'll just stay with you," she says. She's being weirdly clinging. She's definitely emotionally worn out.

"Very well." Phillip squeezes her hand.

Juliana hears Gerard's booming voice from somewhere near the door. "You're with Garrett's crew, I assume?" Gerard asks. "It's Captain Hobart, yes? And Miss Darcy?"

Juliana sighs in relief, immediately lets go of Phillip, and goes to pin down little Miss Darcy with a hug. (Yup, our Juliana has lost it.)

Elyssa and Hobart see Juliana come around a corner and walk towards them.

Juliana is in (what passes for the Duchess as) casual clothes, which is to say, she's still in a dress with fairly full skirts and fully boned bodice to make up for the lack of corset. Her hair is down, although it is pulled back away from her face by combs.

She has clearly been crying, and possibly quite hard. Her nose is red and her eyes are a bit puffy. Her lips are definitely chewed on. She does look tired. She's headed straight for Elyssa with intent. She looks very relieved.

Elyssa's brows raise and she takes an involuntary step backwards, as if not quite sure what to expect from such a serious and direct approach. But she musters up an expression of fortitude and meets Juliana's gaze with a touch of her usual warmth and fondness for the lady. As usual she's dressed in practical clothes that might prove acceptable in any number of settings: a matching split skirt and jacket in shades of cerulean and cream.

Wesley is dressed in a dark grey jacket with bright silver buttons, worn over a black vest and white shirt, with pants that are a blue grey. The black boots that complete the ensemble are polished to a bright shine, and both a rapier and dagger hand from his belt. His brown hair is as neatly combed as ever, but the look in his green eyes as he observes the interplay between Juliana and Elyssa is perhaps a bit confused.

He gives a polite nod to the Duchess before addressing Gerard. "Yes, as Elyssa said, we're here to talk to those who were caught in the explosion, or whatever it was, at Wesson's. How are they all doing?"

Juliana will just barely restrain herself from hugging Elyssa and instead settles for taking her hand and squeezing. "Thank the Unicorn you're okay," she whispers, not wanting to interrupt the boys. I mean, the men. Once she's reassured herself Elyssa is real she lets go. She gives a smile at Hobart, in that nice... 'it's good you're not hurt either' kind of way.

And then it's Elyssa's turn to look somewhat confused. "Of course, we're fine, my lady," she answers quietly, so as not to disrupt whatever Gerard might say concerning the status of the patients.

Juliana waits quietly for poor Gerard to recite this again too, but she does not look like their being healthy was a forgone conclusion.

Gerard for his part looks vaguely confused. "Hrm. Yes. Well. The Major and Madeline Dumas are conscious," he says. "The others are not. though with he severity of their injuries, this is perhaps not surprising. Sir Reginald, however, should be awake, but is not. You can talk to the Major and the Dumas girl if you like." Then, as an after thought, he adds. "But don't bother them too much. They are meant to be healing. I don't need them upset. That would make me upset."

"We don't plan on upsetting them, though I'd guess talking about nearly being killed probably won't make them any calmer," Wesley admits. "It's rarely had that effect on me anyway. I don't think we're going to need to be pushy about things now though, as I'd guess DCI Garrett is going to want to ask her own questions once she's done pursuing other leads."

"That should be fine then," Gerard says. "Go on then. Let the staff know if you need anything. Now, if you will excuse me? Good evening to you Miss Darcy, Captain, Duchess."

Juliana bobs a curtsy and smiles very fondly after Gerard. When he leaves she says to Elyssa, "I didn't come over to interrupt. I just couldn't help myself. Lady Chantris told me you'd been in there before this all happened, and I was very concerned about you, all things considered. But I see you're fine, so I won't hold you up."

"I appreciate your thoughtfulness as to my well-being, m'lady," Elyssa replies, her expression warming further and the hint of a smile on her face. "It does one's heart good to know that others are thinking of one." She turns towards Wesley as if to say something else, but swings back towards Juliana. "Did I understand you correctly - that Lady Chantris spoke with you about our departure? Have you already spoken to those patients that are awake? If so, perhaps you could fill in us a little, so we might manage to upset them less as the Prince suggested."

Juliana nods. She talks a lot more quietly. "Cassandra Chantris is in a great deal of pain. She... we didn't talk much about what happened. She knew people were badly hurt. She mentioned that the two of you, and Van Alikki, had left earlier. She seems aware of who was with her, but we talked mostly about our hopes for the future."

"Madeline was tired. I didn't want to bother her. I saw her right after I saw Genvieve and she knew something was wrong. She hasn't been told how bad her sister is, I think. Genvieve is... well, you'll see," she whispers, looking somewhat depressed. "Everyone else is still unconscious.

"It would seem like we're not going to be able to learn very much about what went on until more of those who were injured have healed up," Wesley comments, looking rather thoughtful. "So we'll have to hope that happens before whoever or whatever did this strikes again." He shakes his head. "Hopefully Garrett will be able to piece things together, as I'll admit that I feel like I have very little clue about what's going on."

Elyssa sighs, looking grim. "We should at least ask a few preliminary questions of those who are concious, if they feel up to it. Anything we might be able to offer Garrett when we regroup might prove helpful. There's no telling what details - no matter how insignificant - might allow her to build a bigger picture of what occurred." To Lady Juliana she adds: "If you recall either of them saying anything that might help, do let us know. In the meantime, is there ought we can do for you, my lady?"

"No. I'm going to come back up, if I can, in the morning to keep company," she shrugs, and looks unhappy, but hopeful. "Be careful, more than usual, that's all. I'm... worried. Carnival is such a chaotic time." She addresses this to both of them, but she is clearly more concerned for Elyssa.

"We'll do our best, Duchess," Wesley says, moving his hand to rest on the hilt of his sword, though he doesn't seem to be aware of it. "I'll trust that you'll be careful as well, and will keep Nicholas close at hand."

"Nicholas, yes... Cassandra did say something to me about Nicholas. She said someone had sent him for help. It seems he did not do as he was asked. Do either of you know anything about that?" She asks. She's concerned, and a bit angry.

Elyssa frowns. "I'm not quite sure that's the way I remember it, my Lady," she says in reply. She blinks rapidly, staring towards the floor as she struggles to replay the events in her own head. "I do remember one of the Dumas sisters asking whether he could get to Gerard. And I believe Nicholas' reply indicated there were others better suited. He departed shortly thereafter but without any indication as to his intentions. At that point, it may have seemed to him that all that had occurred were the drinks going bad. He does not strike me as the type who has much acquaintance with the more metaphysical side of things or those accustomed to it." She glances up towards Wesley. "Am I remembering it correctly?"

After thinking for a few moments, he nods. "That's about the way I remember it too. One of the sisters....I believe it was Genvieve, did ask Nicholas to seek out Gerard, but I don't think he'd agreed before he left. Elyssa is right, at that point, and at the point shortly after when we left, things didn't seem to be serious enough to need to attention of one of the Princes of Amber." He pauses for a moment. "Of course, I'm poorly acquainted with the ways of sorcery myself, so I was probably misjudging the problem, but since we didn't feel that there was a desperate need to seek out help, I can hardly blame Nicholas for feeling the same way."

Juliana cracks a smile, actually looking relieved. "Well, good then. I couldn't see him... abandoning a situation." She nods. "I will leave the two of you to your assignment. I think Madeline and Cassandra will both be able to recount the events for you. I simply didn't ask. It seemed they'd have to repeat them enough, without having to tell me too." She shrugs a looks a bit sympathetic. He emotional guard is down in an unusual manner tonight.

"Very well, my lady," Elyssa says. "Pray, take care yourself as you go."

Turning to Wesley, she adds: "I suppose we had best get to it, the sooner to return to Garrett with what information we might get."

"Goodnight then, Elyssa, Captain," she says with a nod, and leaves to reunited herself with her much-abandoned husband.

-- Main.LizTrumitch - 21 Aug 2004