Ambrose, Montaigne Servant

I have my doubts about this fellow Ambrose, he pays far more attention to our foppish friend Dandelion than any man should. But he is a good man in a crisis, and an expert surgeon to boot, I just try to avoid bathing with him! Well, I guess I try to avoid bathing full stop, but Ambrose is just way too neat for my liking. B.

Ambrose is a 40-50 year old servant. He has been in the family for a long time. He had risen to a responsible position but was suspected of wrongdoing. I put a good word in for him and he was allocated to me as a valet. Mother insisted that he accompany me on my travels. He accompanied me to university in Charouse. He was originally from Arrent and accompanied Mother from there when she married. He is very neat and finicky. He fusses like an old hen. He was trained as a medic (to help on the hunt) which should be useful to the party. His hair is whitened and drawn back into a neat pigtail. He wears a jacket of red and blue.

- Dandelion.

I hunched over my mulled wine in the kitchen as the wind howled outside. I enjoyed listening to Rene sing old Montaigne tunes. My melancholy mood persisted. I glanced at the crystal cabinet. Its fine veneer reminded me of the old days.

I had travelled from Arrent to Buche with Lady Jeanne Duboise and her favourite maid Julie. Julie was a hotheaded redhead and I was fascinated with her. The love between us was hotter than a baker's oven. But when we fought it was cold, hard and slow like colliding glaciers. She wanted to throw off generations of servitude and publicly declare our love. We were both indentured as children of servants whose ancestors were all in service. We knew that Lady Jeanne would never permit Julie to marry and without her consent we would be outlawed if we proceeded. Even so our secret affair was the best ten years of my life.

It was during Lady Jeanne's sixth confinement that Julie was also heavy with our first child. Unknown to me travail was simultaneous and weeks early for both. Lady Jeanne in her wing of the manor with her mother-in-law the Duchess Therese as official witness and a small staff of servants and the best midwife in Rogne. Julie in a sheep fold in the hills with an old shepherdess. Julie had painted her tongue blue and when this was 'discovered' had quarantined herself in the hills.

I was 'borrowing' some medical supplies and equipment from the fine veneer cabinet and was approached by the replacement maid Claudette. Claudette ordered me to urgently bring childbirth supplies to the midwife. Relieved at not being caught but vexed at being unable to slip away, I arrived in the midst of chaos. One of the young maids had fainted and another was screaming hysterically as was Jeanne. Blood was everywhere; in clothes, hair and all across the floor. The midwife was battling to save Jeanne's life and leant near her head. The Duchess was tending the newborn but her flashing eyes took in my arrival. "Merci" and a flick of her head was her response to my instinctive obeisance. I knew what she wanted and I reluctantly took the midwife's usual place. As I attempted to staunch the haemorrhage my mind was far away in the hills, with Julie. Well we have a couple of weeks, I thought, so losing a day now won't hurt. I discovered a lump under my hand. It was a tiny foot. I worked like a man in a dream and delivered a breach baby. All was silent except the baby gasping its first breath. Jeanne was almost unconscious and a backhander from the Duchess had silenced the screaming servant. The child in my arms turned it's face to mine. It's blue eyes locked on mine. It's tiny hand reached and grasped my finger. All was still and time stopped. Maybe an eternity passed. A link was made. Then I gasped for breath. I had been holding it while I gazed at the baby.

Jeanne's bleeding stopped. Mother and twins survived. No one expected it possible for Jeanne to have another child but a year later she did. The childbirth almost killed her and that last boy, young Leon, as he was called, became her favourite.

Meanwhile...
In the sheep fold a cold wind howled past despite it being Quintus. The labour went poorly. The shepherdess's skill saved the boy but with no equipment and supplies Julie died. Maybe I could have saved her if I had been there. This thought still torments me. If only milady had given us freedom to marry or to leave service things might have been different.

The secret of the boy's birth leaked out but no one discovered who was the father. Old Jacques reared the boy in the garden and the shed that was his home. The boy was known as Jacques as well. Old Jacques had been quite a ladies man in his time but his real gift was with children. They all adored him. Even the duchess had a soft spot for him and she must be seventy. Young Dandelion and I were frequent visitors.

Denis and Louis [or Dandelion and Lucerne as they are now known] spent most of their childhood with Cook, Claudette the two Jacques and me. I discovered that Dandelion looked at me more directly than Lucerne. This meant that I could tell them apart. It was useful. I also noticed that Dandelion got into more trouble than Lucerne and that Lucerne was more studious. At the age of 10 Lucerne passed his oral exam to be baptised but Dandelion failed and was deferred. At age 11 Lucerne sat Dandelion's test for him and passed.

Then Gadifer Rois e Reines was posted as an ambassador to Eisen. He brought Dandelion and I with him and we learnt to speak with the Eisen. I was shocked how harshly they treated each other. For once I was glad to be Montaigne. I was even glad to be in service.

Dandelion and Lucerne went to the Grande Université in Charouse. They had a riotous time and got into plenty of minor mischief. Their favourite prank was to tie good meat to a small dog's tail and let it be chased by a large pack of mongrels. During their final exams Lucerne was discovered with the Proctor's daughter. He was sent home in disgrace [for his poor taste and being caught]. She carried his child to term but I never found out what happened to the poor bastard. Lucerne was forced to stay with his mother Jeanne. Lucerne was marked absent and Dandelion failed the exams. Five months later just before Prophet's Mass, Leon was found dead. The whole family gathered for the funeral of the favourite.

The whole extended family and servants gathered. It was some years since so many had gathered. It was clear that Young Jacques was the perfect copy of the younger moi. Some of the Duboise mentioned this slyly to Jeanne. Although Young Jacques looked like me he hated the thought and he hated me. He wished that he really were Old Jacques' son. Dandelion though, was the son I never had. I hadn't forgiven Jeanne about Julie. Jeanne now had a target for her hate. Jeanne in her fury locked me in the innermost dungeon. Before she could further her revenge she needed Gadifer's permission. This was a technicality.

Due to the Eisen embassy I was Gadifer's servant. I was on Gadifer's passport as a retainer and under his authority. Dandelion, who was already in trouble with Jeanne for failing to enter the musketeers or pass university, recklessly took up my cause. Gadifer released me as valet to Dandelion and sent him to the Leveque War College in Charouse. It was to be Dandelion's last chance to make good. It was to be my last chance as well. Gadifer said that if Dandelion failed no one could protect us from Jeanne. He had five elder brothers [François, Claude, Marin, Remy and Andre] and three senior cousins [Rene, Jean-Marie and Gerard] so he had almost no chance to be a Marquis. The Ducal law of the west gave the matriarch veto over distribution of land and positions. Afterwards I discovered that Jeanne sent many letters to Charouse to make life unbearable for us. Young Jacques disappeared. College life was tough and both of us suffered many wounds and injuries. Mad Max ambushed Dandelion often, careless shots on manoeuvres hit us and icy water often drenched our beds. We took to parts of Charouse that others dared not go. We found places to eat, drink and sleep in the underworld.

Due to the practical nature of the War College and help from his cousins, brothers and myself Dandelion just passed. Jeanne was furious but consoled herself that, as Dandelion hadn't been offered a commission in the army we would soon fall into her clutches. She was even more upset, but wary, when Duchess Therese gave Dandelion an allotment of land and manor. Gadifer spoke to us as we were packing up to leave college; "Don't come home, go only north or east and stay away until I summon you." Thus we ended up near the swamp in Heilgrund and joined Von Tannen's Companions.

Now after some more hardships I am senior man of the servant's hall. Although I haven't forgiven Jeanne I now see it as being a small thing. I have had to reconcile war and what it fails to achieve. I now understand that revenge and justice are quite different and rarely are in accord. Revolution is often just an excuse for a new tyranny. Old Jacques was executed by the new order and for no good reason. Now I have lost Julie and I have lost Old and Young Jacques. When Dandelion vanished for a few days I was alone. Terribly alone. Fate had bound us together. His absence was like a grievous wound. Like losing a limb or being deaf. Strange as much as he relied on me I rely on him. As he has grown and matured we haven't become equals but we have gained a certain equivalence.

Oh well, time to polish that veneer cabinet.

Ambrose		Current Stats
Traits
Brawn 2 Finesse 2 Wits 3 Resolve 2 Panache 2		Nationality: Montaigne Profession: Servant Arcana: Reputation: 0
Backgrounds		Advantages
		Language - Montaigne R/W
		Language - Eisen
		Montaigne Accent (Northern)
Civil Skills		Military Skills
Doctor Diagnosis 3 First Aid 1 Surgery 3 Hunter Traps 1 Stealth 1 Tracking 2 Servant Etiquette 1 Fashion 1 Menial Tasks 1 Unobtrusive 3 Sailor Balance 3 Climbing 1 Knotwork 1 Rigging 1		Fencing Attack 3 Parry 3 Pugilism Attack 1 Footwork 3 Jab 1