Story timeline: Oscar's mother has become the lady-in-waiting of the Dauphine a few months ago.
Characters: Oscar and her parents
Fandom: Rose of Versailles
Original author: Hosanna
Where to find the original version: excessfanfiction, evenement
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Chapter one
Since a few weeks, a group of mercenaries had begun terrorizing the country, robbing nobles... even some unfortunate commoner pedestrians fell pray to them. Laying their traps everywhere, even in the city of Paris, nobody preferred to be on the streets at night anymore. However, one day, late in the evening, Oscar, accompanied by her Lieutenant, Victor de Girodelle, made a last round in the quarters where the Royal parade would pass through the next day, to assure its safety. Focusing on the road in front of them, they did not notice the men that crept up behind them immediately, being torn of their horses before they could react. They tried to defend themselves as well as they could, but as they were two against eight men, things looked bad for them. They had no chance to escape unharmed from this, maybe not even alive! It was at that very moment that Hans von Fersen suddenly appeared, a sudden but very fortunate coincidence, helping them to take the upper hand. They could however not stop one of the man anymore to punch Oscar one last time, using all his strength, which left her unconscious on the cobble stones...
Oscar woke up the next day, in the afternoon, in her own bed... her lips curled in a shy grin upon the sight of the worried faces of her father, André and Granny, who was sobbing uncontrollably, a handkerchief tightly gripped in her two hands.
The General had taken a seat on her bed, and had taken her hand into his, reassuring her about own condition, and those of her friends. They had transported her body to the de Jarjayes mansion, and had left together with doctor Lassonne after he had finished examining and treating her wounds... Nothing serious, that was the only thing she could remember from the conversation with her father... Looking around her, she first saw André, who, with tears in his eyes, seemed to be thanking God nothing worse had happened to her. She always felt the young man was blaming himself for not having been able to come with her that night. Having been sick for a few days already at that time, he had been forced to stay into bed, just like Oscar was now.
At that moment, Granny suddenly got upset, not of herself, but of the General, whom she glared at with murderous eyes ! Between her sobbing she began throwing insults at him, always beginning with her favorite ones: "This is all your fault! If you hadn't raised her as a boy..."
The General didn't even pay attention to her usual rambling anymore...Instead, feeling slightly embarrassed, he observed his 'son', who seemed to be searching for another person in the room...
Oscar : "Where's mother?"
General (prepared for that particular question) : She's at Versailles... she has been notified of your current situation...she's very worried, and now if you'll excuse me, I will immediately go send a messenger to inform her of your waking up... I'm sure she'll be able to free herself from her obligations to the Dauphine as soon as possible, to stay close to you..."
The General had talked to her in his softest tone, the one Oscar only heard very seldom, but Oscar had already understood...she knew her mother would fail to present herself at home anytime soon.
...
In the beginning, Louise de Jarjayes hadn't wanted to bear the title of 'Lady-in-waiting of the future Queen'. But, to be so close to the Dauphine, a girl being torn away from everything that was familiar to her upon her arrival in France, had awakened her motherly instinct in all its glory. There were even moments, in the present, when she almost forgot her last child. Certainly, they would never be interested in the same things, nor would they have the same relationship Mrs de Jarjayes had had with her other daughters... but Oscar was no less her flesh and blood, and at that very moment, the General felt that Oscar needed her mother more than ever before... and he couldn't hide his embarrassment, faced with the sad conclusion... that his wife hadn't even returned home upon the news of the attack!
The next morning, the General had to leave Paris to deal with some affairs in the Provence. He didn't like the thought of leaving Oscar alone when she was like that, certainly seeing the fact she almost didn't eat anything from all the food Granny was working so hard on. Meanwhile, his wife still hadn't come over to see how Oscar was doing.
Before leaving, he went to check on his son a last time to say goodbye, and asked André to take good care of him. Without a doubt, the young man would obey. Afterwards, he set course to Versailles, desiring to speak to his wife one last time before he left, and ask her to stay at their mansion during his absence.
...
Three days had passed, and Oscar still stayed in her room all of the time. Sitting in front of the window, she silently hoped for the arrival of her mother. A short letter had announced her visit. All of a sudden, passing through the open gates, a carriage finally approached. Oscar stood up from her seat, and, grinding her teeth while clutching her painful sides, she made her way back to her bed, to lie down again.
A few moments later, Simon, their butler, came to announce the arrival of her mother. Mrs de Jarjayes came to sit at once on the chair that was placed there for her, at the bedside. She smiled at Oscar and politely started a conversation. Mrs de Jarjayes started of by apologizing for not being able to free herself any sooner, and then continued by bringing up the everyday standard subjects, trivial things, to lighten up their little talk. After having talked for 15 minutes about the weather and the news coming from Versailles, their conversation died. Though a bit awkward, it was clear they didn't have anything else to tell each other. Oscar leaned back again on her bed, comfortably resting her head on the pillow, letting her painful limbs get some rest, while her mother took out one of her recent embroideries... Keeping a friendly smile on her lips whole the time, her hands made the needle stab through the fragile fabric with skillful movements, over and over again, repeating the same gesture for a long time.
Oscar observed her mother embroider in silence... As if she were Penelope, waiting for the return of her husband Odysseus, she was embroidering...except for the fact that, unlike Odysseus, Oscar was there...And it wasn't that long a way she had to travel...because... to find the way to, and to win over your mothers heart, doesn't that count as some sort of journey, though only sentimental, as well?
After one hour, Oscar, not knowing what to do anymore, closed her eyes. As soon as Mrs de Jarjayes took notice of it, she put away her embroidery in a bag, stood up...and left, thinking her daughter had fallen asleep.
Oscar opened her eyes just in time to see the last piece of a flower-patterned dress rush out of the room. As a thief in the night, Mrs de Jarjayes climbed back inside her carriage after having spoken some last words to Granny. Standing close to the window, partly hidden behind the curtains, Oscar watched her mother leave. She had done what she had come to do. Staying there, standing on the stone doorstep a little longer, Granny heaved a heavy sigh, while her hands turned into fist, clawing into the fabric of her dress. She turned her head in the direction of Oscar's room... In a single glance, she understood sadness and deception of her little girl. Granny had always been able to understand her, much more than her own mother could.
After one week of absence, General de Jarjayes returned to the mansion. After having changed out of his travelling clothes, and having prepared himself for dinner, he descended to rejoin Oscar in the dining room. Seeing only one plate being placed on the table, he asked Granny for explanations.
General : "Granny, I don't understand, why is the table only set for one? Hasn't my wife returned from Versailles? And Oscar, is he still having dinner in his room?"
Granny (embarrassed) : "Eh, well... Madam has returned to Versailles..."
General (angry): "What do you mean, Versailles, since when?"
Granny: "Three days ago... in fact, she has only paid Oscar a visit once... and she has only stayed for one hour... And, considering Oscar...She still has as few appetite as ever and... she prefers dining in her room..."
General (his voice softening, until it was nothing more than a whisper): "Granny... please, put away the things on that table, and let dinner be served in Oscar's room... I'll eat with her this night..."
Granny couldn't believe it! The General had just said 'she' when he talked about Oscar...for the first time!
Oscar saw several servants enter her room, eying them curiously. Having been ordered to not tell her anything, they silently set the table at the window for two persons and illuminated the candlesticks, which made a warm yellow glow spread over the silver cutlery. Oscar, surprised, approached the little table after the servants had left, thinking about how most of the time it had no function apart from decorating her room, by presenting a fresh bouquet of flowers every day, even at the coldest winter days...
It didn't take a lot of time, however, for another person to open her door. It proved to be the General himself this time. He showed her a small smile, visibly a bit embarrassed. At that moment, he was not the same as that severe man who had taught her a soldier's life.
No, that evening, they had dinner together, having long conversations about their favorite subjects: fencing and horses. Her father was planning to purchase one or two mares, even a new stallion possibly. Oscar truly enjoyed passing the evening in the company of her father, having him all for herself for once. Since a couple of months, her mother also ignored her duties as a wife, shining by her absence during all of the parties organized by her husband. During the evening, the thin layer of ice, that always seemed to separate them, had slowly melted. When he left, after she had finished drinking her cup of hot chocolate, he quickly kissed her forehead, leaving her to enjoy her well-deserved rest.
...
One week later, Oscar resumed her work at the palace of Versailles. When she came out of a meeting with her superior, she noticed the Dauphine in one of the little salons connected to the Hall of Mirrors. She was laughing as happily as a little child, twirling around in a new dress, admiring the effects the floating tissue created in the mirrors. Around her, a little crowd of courtiers had gathered, deceivingly excited, praising her beauty and purity...In one of the corners of the room, Louise de Jarjayes was sitting down, caressing Marie-Antoinette's favorite kitten absent-mindedly. But, Oscar, she didn't see anything but her smile,... a true one this time. At that moment, Oscar suffered when she realized to what point her mother preferred the Dauphine to her own child. She rushed to flee the scene in front of her, furious, and crossing the Hall of Mirrors again, she almost knocked over a man on her way. Not paying attention to it, she failed to notice that man was in fact the General.
Doing nothing to hold her back, he instead turned his gaze to the place all the excited cries came from. Noticing his wife between the other courtiers, he entered the room and walked to her with a stern military march, his azure-blue eyes shining with contained fury... The only thing his wife could see in them were reproaches.
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Do not comment about writing style or try to influence the story, because this is only a translation from someone else's story.
Comments to encourage my translation work are always welcome though.