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Post by Carolina on Feb 12, 2009 16:03:33 GMT -5
*Along with the usual bundle of post deposited in the Emperor's study, there came a plain little white envelope with a great deal of messy wax and no imprint of a proper seal on it. The writing along the front was almost childishly scrawled.
Inside, the barest of notes, written in French, with some misspellings.*
Monsieur Monseignior--
I wish to return this to your family. Please forgive any mistakes. I am not a theif.
C.
*Along with the note--a necklace.*
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Post by Rudolf on Feb 12, 2009 16:17:50 GMT -5
He'd been going through the letters steadily enough, most of them a blur until he'd reached out to pick up one from a minor noble house in Hungary. The more elaborite piece jostled the little envelope, shifting the contents enough that it gave a metallic jingle. Well, that was odd.
Picking it up, he found that it was surprisingly heavy, and bore no return address. Curiously (though not without a sense of caution), he opened it up and dumped out the contents. The little note that fluttered out went momentarily unnoticed as he stared at what had clattered onto the desktop.
He could only stare at it for a moment, somewhat confused. Every member of his family had one, and he'd stressed the importance of them keeping them safe...surely none of the crests had gone missing...
He read the brief note, his heart pounding in his ears as he stared at the simple signature. Just a C. It was just a 'C', but how many 'C' walked around with the crest of von Hapsburg in their possession? No return address...no wax imprint to give any clue as to where it came from.
"Carolina...?"
Snatching up the note and the necklace, he jumped to his feet and ran out of the room, bolting down the halls as he sought out his wife.
"Rebecca! BECCA!"
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Post by Rebecca on Feb 12, 2009 16:27:10 GMT -5
*Becca had been writing some letters in a sunny parlour, and stood with a frown at her husband's call, rushing to meet him, pale with sudden worry.*
"What is it? Is there war? Has someone died?"
*So she wasn't quite an optimist after over twenty years as an Empress. And she still looks like she's 24!*
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Post by Rudolf on Feb 12, 2009 16:35:00 GMT -5
((She and Rudolf found a Fountain of Youth))
"This."
Shakily, he held out to her the note and the crest.
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Post by Rebecca on Feb 12, 2009 17:04:45 GMT -5
*Becca took the chain and pendant as they dangled from his fingers, and her hands shook as she read the note. Her brown eyes shimmered with tears as she looked back at Rudolf.*
"...is this some kind of joke? What cruelty is this? Has anything been heard of her? Has she been found? Is this all there is?"
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Post by Rudolf on Feb 12, 2009 17:10:41 GMT -5
He was trying very hard to keep calm, but a lot of the emotion was still slipping through.
"That's all. But it...that's not fake. That's the one we gave her. For it to show now, after so long..."
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Post by Rebecca on Feb 12, 2009 17:24:11 GMT -5
"...oh! what if she's dead?" *cried Becca, turning pale as she clutched the necklace in her hand.* "How could it have been hidden so long and now..."
*She trembled visibly as she took firm hold of Rudolf's hand, squeezing it.*
"Where did it come from? We must look...I...I must know...what happened to her."
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Post by Rudolf on Feb 12, 2009 17:56:01 GMT -5
He squeezed her hand.
"I won't believe she's dead. Maybe she lost it. Maybe that was her that sent it...but I will find a way to trace this. Starting with the mail carrier."
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Post by Rebecca on Feb 12, 2009 18:38:54 GMT -5
*Rebecca nodded.*
"Wherever it leads you--I will go with you. I must go with you."
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Post by Rudolf on Feb 12, 2009 18:58:40 GMT -5
He kissed her forehead.
"I could never leave you out of it."
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Post by Rebecca on Feb 12, 2009 19:06:34 GMT -5
*Becca tried to smile, but her heart and mind were too full, too divided to quite compass it.*
"I shall make preparations at once. I suppose...she must still be in France...if..."
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Post by Rudolf on Feb 12, 2009 19:10:22 GMT -5
"Yes...I think our old haunt is still there, even though we haven't used it in ages...we should start with Paris." Paris...where just about anything was possible .
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Post by Carolina on Feb 12, 2009 19:17:31 GMT -5
***POSTING AS BECCA***
*The Empress nodded and went to begin making the arrangments immediately.*
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