Fall 1616-1620

Alesia's first months of marriage flashed right before her eyes mostly like a dream with expensive clothes, precious jewellery, ceaselessly balls and new and exotic people from all around the world.The young Countess almost couldn't believe that the life she had now was real.Her husband would send her new dresses and jewellery every morning insisting that she would describe him the ones she would choose to wear.So Alesia would spend a couple of hours every morning with the Count, comparing notes, discussing literature, philosophy or history.Even if she came to respect and even admire the fascinating man she married, impressed by his vast knowledge and passion for both science and art, she continued to sleep alone every night.

Her first year with Joffrey passed without any major event, but during the Fall of 1617 the entire house was enveloped in a total quiver, surmounted by the flutter of the approaching ball, the most awaited from the entire Toulouse.

Drummed up into the preparations, Alesia almost forgot about her unhappy married life or the fact that her husband's cousin, Symonne, seemed more attentive than ever with Joffrey.Even so, the ball turned out to be everything they expected.And more, for some of them.

Young Countess Alesia de Peyrac charmed each of Joffrey's guests, managing to meet everyone's expectations.She talked to each of her guests, she danced and she simply looked wondrous every evening, not showing any sign of lassitude or ennui.Joffrey simply enjoyed his wife's presence, elegantly smiling, all too aware of everybody's fascination with his wife.

On the last day of the fete, during a short lull from the dance, Alesia was surprised to observe that, while she had every man's attention, Joffrey was taking each of his female guests' eyes, who were simply gloating the Count, hiding charming smiles and indecent whispers behind their fans.The Countess simply couldn't supress a touch of jealousy seeing all this.But she remained proud, hiding her hurt vanity from everyone else.

Almost like he had an inkling of his wife's touched pride, Joffrey approached Alesia and asked for her last dance.

From a few metres, Symonne couldn't do anything but bit her lower lip and assist in the French sense.She knew she had to do something now, or Jofrrey would never be hers again.

Fortunately for her, Alesia did as she used to do every evening.She retired into her bedchamber, leaving her husband behind.That night, Symonne played her future on a single card.Disrobed, she went into her cousin's bedroom and from there right into his bed, next to him.Her slender form snaked around Joffrey's body, kissing and exploring every inch of skin.

Even so, the moment when she heard her lover whispering his wife's name, Symonne knew everything was over between her and the Count.She got out of bed, leaving the fast-asleep Joffrey behind and running in her bedchamber, where she cried herself to sleep.

The next morning she tried to act normal and ignore Joffrey's cold attitude and lack of attention toward her.There was no way he could know it had been her ... Or so she tried to convince herself.

But, the signs of an early pregnancy destroyed all her plans to move on.Soon, the entire mansion found out about it and each of the Count's servant's suspected something about the father of her child.

Alesia, being one of the first ones to find about it from one of her trusted maids, pretended to ignore everything.Even if Symonne gave birth to a boy, she was almost sure he wouldn't recognize the boy as his legitimate son.She kept telling herself that, because somewhere behind her fabricated conceit, she was deeply hurt by her husband's infidelity.

All this time, Joffrey refused to talk to his cousin.Only moths later, when she approached him and asked for his permission to leave the mansion and give birth in a Convent, invoking family honour issues, he finally looked at her and murmured a few words.All Symonne could understand was "I knew it was you that night.I couldn't see you, but I recognized every curve on you body.I knew your hair, your perfume.I knew the way you breathed, or cried.But now I don't know you anymore."

She burst into tears and locked herself into her bedchamber, refusing to see anyone else but her daughter, who visited her only in the evening.

Months later, one early morning, Joffrey entered Alessia's room and announced her that Symonne gave birth to a baby girl during the night, but bled to death.

Even if in the past Alesia used to blame Symonne for her unhappy marriage, the Countess could not put back a feel of guiltiness for the woman's tragic death.She knew that if it wasn't her marriage to Joffrey (not that this marriage was her choice), Symonne and Joffrey would have probably remained lovers.She asked her husband if she could see the baby and he accepted, leading her the way to the room where a late-arrived midwife was attending the new-born.

Alesia saw the tears in Alanete's eyes and her sad look when she entered the room, so the moment when the midwife put the baby in her arms she promised to herself that she and Joffrey will raise her and her sister as their children.

One year after the tragic events, Alesia and Joffrey spent their first night as husband and wife.

I know this chapter is a little longer than everything else I wrote until now (not that from now on all the chapters will be like this one ; it took me almost three hours to write this), but I really enjoyed playing with this family and I already had the story in my mind.I admit I cheated and rolled a couple of times to be sure that Symonne would die, but the story wouldn't be the same with her (and she wasn't one of my favorite characters either, even if I always feel a little guilty when I have to kill someone who just gave birth ).Well, I really don't know if anything interesting will happen in this household next round, but I'm sure I'll come up with something.Thank you again for the time you spent reading all this.