Chapter Text
When mama told Laurien that he’d help the servants clean up his mess for a week if he didn’t slow down at the corners. Laurien was there for every flag made of perfectly folded laundry and spill of tray he helped make.
When mama said Josephine wouldn’t be able to see the puppet show at the city’s square if she kept ignoring her morning lessons. Well Josephine sniffled and frowned through a lesson that could’ve been spent watching the Black Fox .
And Papa, he wasn’t even five like Josephine! But mama had told him that if he bought another bottle of expensive wine, it would taste like his poor decisions. Josephine had been listening in from the top of the stairs and should’ve been asleep, she agreed with papa’s laughter, mama couldn’t do anything to wine.
Josephine was wrong though, next time she escaped with Laurien and Antoine for treats from the kitchen after lessons. Papa was at the long table, with a pretty, decorated pink bottle by his side, sporting wings and flair. He was making a face at his cup full of the pretty elixir. Antoine and Laurien had dashed away after they were handed their treats, whilst Josephine looked on skeptically.
Papa had spotted Josephine with a half finished cake in hand, lips dotted with frosting. Whilst smiling to himself, papa told Josephine to never think mama was anything less than her word whilst wiping at her chin with his golden handkerchief.
When Josephine got to hold Yvette, after she was born and heard mama say to papa, tiredly “Yves this will be the last one my love.” Josephine was okay with Yvette being her last little sibling and sister.
Now Yvette was old enough to sit up, talk, and watch Josephine play out the story of Aveline, the Orlesian Knight with her dolls. Even if she spit on them, pulled out their hair, and tried to shove them in her mouth in between why’s and wha’s . Yvette was going to be three this year, mama said so, Josephine knew that meant Yvette would be less bitey and more excited about stories.
Mama was her word. Or so Josephine had thought.
Abuela Antonia was visiting, nobody told Josephine this until her carriage was outfront, but mama never had everyone whirled into a storm of energy unless her own mama was visiting. Even if she was seemingly glued from one chair to the next inbetween racing, mama wielded order like a weapon even if papa whipped this way and that. Josephine was helped into her least favorite dress by a blonde haired and long faced woman who she asked why Abuela was visiting. The servant replied that she wasn’t to tell, so Josephine guessed. Was it Antoine and Laurine’s birthday? The servant shook her head. Was it Yvette’s birthday? The servant said it would be four months until Solace.
Josephine huffed when the servant led her outside into the bright sunny day to her siblings and parents’ side. Carriage nearing with a thuddy hoof fall and roll of wheels.
Abuela was a busy lady of the house her parents said, more busy than mama and papa, she only visited when it was someone’s birthday.
Josephine’s eyes widened as a servant swung Abuela's carriage door open.
Except when they announced Yvette was being born!
Eyes darting between her parents, Josephine screwed her face up at her mama. Who didn’t know to mind Josephine’s accusational glance over her steadily approaching and stern abuela, welcoming her sharp composure with a, “Mama it’s good to see you!”
Abuela’s tight lips twitched into a smile as she met mama in a hug. “You act as if I didn’t come for Yvette–in the middle of Kingsway, it only rains in Kingsway!”
Josephine’s mama could only sigh, leaving the hug but not letting ring dotted abuela’s hand leave her own. “You’ve said mama…”
Composing herself mama sent a look to Josephine and her siblings, even Yvette who tugged at papa’s mustache greeted abuela with a smile. Any supposed ice in abuela’s face melted at the mixed greeting and questions from Antoine and Laurien. The elder woman complemented the overly-excited Yvette with a chuckle, the bright mood in abuela’s demeanor notably flickered once her eyes landed the stiff and downcast Josephine.
“Josephine, you're so sour for a lady of the house!” Abuela didn’t ask questions like mama and papa, because she knew there was a reason.
“Only because mama said Yvette was the last baby. And mama is supposed to keep her word!”
Antoine cocked his head, tugging at papa’s trouser leg as he asked “Mama’s having a baby?”
“I thought we had Yvette,” Laurien stomped and pouted, “I don’t wanna share anymore of my toys!”
Papa looked between each kid as Yvette grinned happily tugging at his mustache. Letting out a wobbly, “I-we wanted to surprise you!”
Arms crossed, mama barked, “Josephine!”
Josephine crossed her arms back, “You’re supposed to be your word.”
Abuela broke any staring match guaranteed between Josephine and mama with a chuckle.
“Esperanza my dear, you have quite the child” Abuela’s gaze hardened as they glided over to papa. “Funny that you’ve a need for one more.”
“Lady Antonia it was a surprise, not a plot” Papa said weakly.
“Nonetheless, I don’t think we should be so quick to see what our Josephine has revealed as a spoil. If anything she needs a boon”
“A boon mama, genuinely?”
“Nothing egregious dear, just allow her to name the…surprise.”
Mama opened then closed her mouth, “I see no reason not to, Yves?”
Craning his head out of Yvette claws, Yves smiled “Josephine has my taste in the arts, she’s yet to go wrong in names I trust, love.”
Josephine, being five, wasn’t allowed to decide the name at that very moment. Instead mama reinforced how important how words bound everyone of them, a name was very much that promise. Josephine was not allowed to name the latest Montilyet until after they’d been born, which might as well have been years.
Josephine held fast on the name she wanted to promise to such a surprise that even mama couldn’t keep her word.
In the meantime Josephine led Yvette, Laurien, and Antoine through packs of seagulls and daring escapes. She told them they’d all get to be big siblings to the newest addition, so they had to pay extra attention in listening to her read stories, otherwise they’d do it wrong! Yvette was the only one who really listened and that was okay, she needed the most practice after all unlike Antoine and Laurien.
When the baby did come, it was scary, Josephine decided. Mama was louder than she’d ever been and papa had servants shuffle Josephine and her siblings into her room. Yvette had started crying and Antoine looked ready to as well, even if Josephine was scared she wanted to try being a bit bigger for everyone. For a long time, everyone huddled on her bed, Josephine read and read. To keep her word and be a big sister.
A month early, a surprise once more Josephine’s littlest sibling had been. None of her other siblings were awake when papa poked his head in with the news, so Josephine was the first to visit.
Mama looked the most tired Josephine had ever seen, but smiled holding the wrapped tiny thing in her arms.
Papa had been the one to offer the baby for Josephine to hold. Delicate as allowed, Josephine took hold of the tiny thing with papa’s help.
Bundled and a little funny looking with a mop of dark curls, Josephine beamed as she held them close. Mama would get the middle name, but the first name that was Josephine’s promise to make.
The months before Josephine felt so tall thinking about them, but in the small moment of holding them she felt tinier than her sibling and twice as full.
Looking to her mama with leagues of pride and utter agulation, Josephine said–
“Bambi Ofri Montilyet” The way Seeker Cassandra reads the name on Leliana’s report, Josephine would have thought she was cursing. “Why was a Montilyet at the Conclave Ambassador?”
The Conclave is in utter ruins. The Divine is dead. Everyone at the Conclave is dead. And the sky has opened up to gift all below, with the demons and disaster.
That all felt so faraway with everyone in the war room looking on at Josephine.
Then again they weren’t really looking at Josephine, not even Leliana. No, they were looking at the sister of the sole survivor of the Conclave, the suspect of the Divine’s death. Bearer of a foreign magic in their hand. A young, Bambi Montilyet.
Pity and suspicion were equally spread across Cullen, Cassandra, and Leliana. Expecting was the chief emotion, no doubt accusations waited after.
Josephine, the eldest sister, wanted to exclaim they were innocent. Bambi was wild but by no means a villain. That wouldn’t soothe the commander or seeker, so Josephine rolled her wrist thoughtfully, minding the sharp eyes of Seeker Cassandra.
Even if Leliana stressed that this wasn’t an interrogation, the right hand of the Divine had a curious way of making it one.
“Bambi works with mercenaries, the Conclave had more than a need for them, Seeker Cassandra.” Josephine knew she probably looked as frayed at the edges as she felt. And in any other situation would’ve seen fit to hold her tongue, but this was her family! The ambassador pointedly added, “Outside of any dealings regarding that, officially House Montilyet hasn’t the need toward any extremes. I assure you!”
Seeker Cassandra blinked, even in her frustration she probably expected something of a titter sooner than a bark from Josephine. Before her scowl could thunder back, Leliana slid in with a knife’s edge composure.
Taking her report from Cassandra, Leliana neared Josephine like a wounded animal.
“ We understand that you know as much as us regarding the Conclave. We know why your sibling would be able to attend. Until they wake, is there nothing you could tell us of them Josie?”
That you don’t already know, Josephine wanted to exclaim in proper disbelief. Her old friend thought her baby sibling was a suspect in an apocalyptic plot! Josephine would not crumple under this though–couldn’t for Bambi’s sake.
Josephine stared Leliana down as she coolly remarked, “The greatest crime Bambi is guilty of at the moment Leliana is not writing to our mother enough, nothing more.”
Tired of the guaranteed back and forth between Cassandra and herself, Josephine looked to Leliana, “I trust we all understand there is nothing new to come of my interview, Leliana?”
We. Josephine wanted to laugh at how quickly she was supposed to attend the inquisition as a united front, she was part of a whole. Despite the faint lines of suspicions immediately offered with one of her own.
Leliana sent a glance to Cassandra, evenly agreeing “We do, it would appear we'll have to wait until they wake up for any hope.”
In lighter moments, Josephine would pride herself on the petty fact that she never left a room first. Mama had coached her on leading conversations, to exit first is to admit the absence of control.
Josephine was in no mood to converse in the war room. She was stressed. Everyone was stressed. They were all a bit defeated and Josephine practically sprinted from the room.
She didn’t need air or a walk.
Josephine and everyone else in Thedas, needed answers, needed solutions. Josephine needed to see Bambi awake and assuage all the tiny bubbles of fear that had come to the top of her mind. Outside of the stranger, Solas, nobody was permitted to see Bambi. Not even Josephine.
All Josephine had was the anxious servants and couriers at the inquisition’s beck and call. Through the ugly miasma of the day, Josephine went to work. Throwing herself at any task she could busy herself under the suffocating ache of doubt and fear. From petty arguments to getting supplies from Haven to the front lines of the Breach.
Under each effort, she hoped that Bambi would just wake up already.
By shaky candlelight, Josephine’s hand shook as her quill hovered above the letter she was to pen to her family, to mama and papa, and ultimately to Yvette, Antoine, and Laurien.
They no doubt knew Bambi was in Inquisition hands, that Josephine was there in Haven. What was she to tell them though? They sit accused of Most Holy’s murder, in a dark, wet cell whilst a strange apostate tends to foreign magic in their palm? That Josephine knew Bambi’s life sat on a knife’s edge, that she knew one of the Divine’s hands but could do next to nothing to liberate them?
It was one damp dot, then two, then three before Josephine realized she was crying on the waiting parchment. Sniffling, Josephine set aside the paper and quill, dabbing her eyes with papa’s handkerchief.
Josephine wanted to yell at Bambi. Many at Haven wanted that and then some, but only because they found them guilty. Josephine wanted to scold her dearest sibling, truly.
Groaning, Josephine pressed into the back of her chair, turning the pink handkerchief over. Outside of the pretty frills lining the sides of the cloth, a lone M decorated the corner with a dark thread of yellow.
Without her permission, Josephine chuckled.
A mercenary, Montilyets were so many things for years upon years. Explorers, bureaucrats, merchants, and adventurers even. But mercenary a Montilyet was not by trade. Bambi was a surprise though, by the Maker were they untamable.
They were an unkempt flame since they were able to walk, everything was kindling for their imagination and antics. Bambi put Laurien and Yvette to shame with the messes left in their servants' wake, no matter how much cleaning they’d do one day. The next day Bambi had outdone themselves with a greater mess.
Even lessons and tutors did next to nothing to tame Bambi, they only sat long enough to learn a new lesson to apply themselves to mischief. At least they knew to keep themselves busy like the rest of the family.
Josephine was endeared until she was whisked away to Orlais at fifteen. Where she received letter after letter from mama and papa that told her age did little to temper Bambi. For three years the letters of Bambi grew more worrying until she returned to Antiva for a summer.
The first three days Bambi was nowhere in sight then Josephine came to learn they were under house arrest for a month at the request of a Merchant Prince! Mama looked close to tears and short of desperate when she asked that Josephine talk to Bambi, she had tried everything.
At thirteen a gangly Bambi didn’t even look up from their desk when Josephine entered the room. Still cutting at their hair despite her or mama’s protest, Josephine took to their bed wordlessly. Eyes gliding over, once Josephine’s now Bambi’s copy of Aveline and the Black Fox .
A part of Josephine blamed herself, she put stories of fortune in one ear while their family put truths of their destitution in the other.
Mama had a plan for her children, for the better, but what was wanted was balanced by demand.
Laurien was abrasive and daring, had a mind for business and accounting of course he worked toward mercantile pursuits. Antoine was studious and social, he was more keen on people than paper so of course he organized and led the servants and affairs. Yvette was still young, but was bright and had an artist’s touch with cartographing and the artistic circles of Antiva would summon her.
Bambi though? Bambi was not meant for paper, politics, or people, at least not in the way she and the rest were. They had no patience for the world and would rather mold it under their hand. By any means. Mama did not understand that though. But mama didn’t make Bambi’s promise, Josephine did.
So she asked what Bambi needed, what Josephine could give so they wouldn’t spend anymore days in a stagnant keep.
With a cleft lip quivering and dark eyes red with tears, Bambi had said they wanted to protect them all. And if they could do that, Bambi would never be so foolhardy again. The two wept into each other and somehow Bambi had talked Josephine into reading them a story. Josephine’s tears lingered longer because one more of her own would be a bit farther from Antiva after the lessons of sword and shield.
A mercenary, with Josephine’s help. At the Conclave to have their hands a bit closer to the clay of the world. It appeared they’d gotten too close to the sun.
Josephine shook her head, clutching the handkerchief as she screwed her face. Fighting back the tears, taking breath after breath to even herself.
If Josephine knew that the following morning Bambi would wake to conquer the Breach, she was in for another surprise.
But Bambi was her word given life though, and a child of surprise was nothing less than Josephine’s word.