Cassemir Desmarais

38. Duke. Husband. Father to 3. Forever loyal to the Crown of Parcovia.

[dukeofdesmarais]

Cassemir: How you hate to be wrong.

Blythe: I wouldn't know, I'm not familiar with the sensation.

[despairingfever]

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Get to know actor Nonso Anozie

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Nonso Anozie, in Game of Thrones

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🎉 Happy Birthday to Nonso Anozie!

R.M. Renfield on the TV series “Dracula.”

(May 28, 1979)

[of-servants-pirates-and-lords]

Continued from x; @dukeofdesmarais

"Yes, I imagine so," Nezetta answered.

The situation here at the castle was bound to be keeping him on his toes. There was a rather large variety of people in the running and an untold number of tasks to complete before the king made his decision. The ball was sure to only be the first of many. If she were more interested in the crown, perhaps she would understand the pressure everyone must be under more personally, but she had never had any desire to rule a kingdom. She wouldn't even know where to start!

"What are you thinking so far," she asked, "about all of this?"

[dukeofdesmarais]

While the duke held no expectation of winning the crown ( and certainly no desire for it, either ), he had been kept quite busy in the past few weeks of the competition. 

“I had my reservations at first,” he answered with a small shrug. “But I think it will prove to be a better idea than I once had thought. It will certainly be interesting to see the outcome, at the very least.”

[dukeofdesmarais]

mother-to-many​:

“I have,” Nezetta answered with a quick nod. She followed the pair closely but so much so that she could be considered anything other than a companion. The quick nature of rumors was something she knew well.

“And you?” she asked in return. Nezetta spent most of her days with the Duke’s children but not so much with Cassemir himself.

“Good, good,” Cassemir replied, glad to hear she was well. After all, he knew only what she told him, so he truly knew very little about her life. “Yes, I’ve been well. Very busy keeping watch on the goings on here. But that is to be expected.”

[dukeofdesmarais]

The Many Faces of Cassemir Desmarais

Young: John Boyega Current: Nonso Anozie Older: Andre Braugher

[dukeofdesmarais]

gltrngold​:

The associated risk of placing confidence in a pirate was not lost upon the captain herself. How many times had she made deals and repudiated them with nothing but her standard grin and a taunting, “pirate,” as if the foolishness of the other’s action cleared all wrongdoing away? Indeed, Blythe had alluded to the revolutionary nature of such an idea when she first made the request for the others’ belief; but the Duke had elected to trust her, and for that, she — oddly — felt she owed him something, and she ( more oddly still ) was comfortable with that fact. 

Certainly she hadn’t been expecting his company, but that did not mean said company was at all unwelcome; being so naturally of the sociable and adventurous sort, the journey of healing was bound to be mentally arduous, particularly when such a significant celebration was to take place in the palace. “Brilliant,” she flashed him a grin when he asked after her, as though she would actually admit if she were not, in fact, brilliant at all. However, with consideration for the circumstances, she was. Aside from the hustle-and-bustle she wasn’t allowed to be involved in. “It’s early days, but I hope so. The sooner I can be on my feet again, the better it is for both my and the doctors’ sanities.” 

( She’d scarcely categorise whatever she had as ‘sanity,’ of course. Even at the best of times, if she ever was, her hold upon it was tenuous. )

Would Blythe have made that same decision were it not Isira who had been in immediate danger? No: in fact she isn’t certain she’d have left the Parcovian palace at all, and then who knows what would have occurred in the storeroom below the tavern? Did anyone else have to know this was the case? Also no.

The following may, to others who know little of Captain Blythe Briarcliff, not seem like a gesture at all, but respect ( by thinking to ask, and by the given address ) was — for the moment — the way she decided to convey her gratitude. Both on her own account and for helping Isira. “And how have you been, your Grace?”

The King had certainly been upset as Cassemir recounted that night’s events: how he had let Blythe ( a pirate ) take control of the rescue, how she had gotten injured in the process. It was only at Cassemir’s assurance that she had not double crossed them, but truly was helping them, that Zosea calmed. He calmed so much, in fact, that he sent Cassemir to thank her. 

Cassemir, though, knew that more important was to truly check on her. Company was likely more appreciated than a mere word of thanks. He let out a hearty laugh at Blythe’s words. “Then I hope that you recover fully very soon indeed.”

A wound such as she had sustained was likely not to fully heal very quickly, but hopefully it would heal enough that she would not be stuck on bedrest for long. Her gestured surprised him a bit, but he gave a nod in response to her question. “I have been well. I am much more of a diplomat than a soldier these days, I was lucky not to have been wounded. My wife is grateful for that, I am sure.”

[dukeofdesmarais]

mother-to-many​:

Nezetta dipped her head in a single, polite nod. Despite the kindness of the house Desmarais and their inclusion of her, which almost bordered on something like friendship, Nezetta did prefer to maintain a proper decorum. Perhaps it was simply out of a desire to give the duke and his family the politeness they were owed or perhaps she just liked to maintain such a manner in order to keep them from growing weary or annoyed with her. She needed this job just as much as she loved it after all.

As her gaze lifted again, she flashed the girl a smile before addressing Cassemir. “That sounds lovely,” she said. “Thank you for the invitation.”

“Wonderful.” Cassemir smiled. He certainly respected her desire to maintain propriety, but he also had come to think of her as a part of her family - or an extension of it at the very least. The woman was helping to raise his children, and that made her very important to both the duke and his wife.

Cassemir set his daughter on the ground, holding her hand all the while, and began to walk. “Have you been well?”

[gltrngold]

Most were busying themselves with whatever preparations they had to make for the rapidly approaching wedding. Whether she’d even be allowed to go to the celebrations was the doctors’ prerogative ( and she would have to, with much resentment, abide by whatever they decided merely because she wasn’t physically able to sneak out and defy them ) and any formality, which she had been tempted to try for the Princess of Elesea’s benefit — see how she would look — would undoubtedly be vetoed lest it aggravate or strain her injury. 

( The feared pirate captain was on blankets, books and bedrest for the foreseeable, it would seem, and the doctors insisted she stay within the Parcovian palace. Which had her missing her ship all the more profusely. )

Unquestionably, she would make the same choice again if presented with it. Not just seven times, as the priests would say, but seventy times seven — which, just as it was in the holy book she read so infrequently as a child, and never in many years, was an indication of infinity rather than to be taken literally — but this did not erase the fact that it was terribly timed. 

It seemed doubtful, though, that there ever was truly a good time to be stabbed, only bad or worse or catastrophic. This wasn’t catastrophic per sé, but perhaps fell into ‘worse.’ Blythe’s gaze lifted ( reluctantly, though that was no insult to the entrant so much as a compliment to the riveting nature of the book ) from pages to doorway. 

“Oh,” she murmured in faint surprise, not having expected anyone. Isira and Elian were busy for the day. “Hello.”

[dukeofdesmarais]

Cassemir had been busy ensuring everyone had settled back in well, and after that he had gone into the town to ask after the pirates. The king had asked him to see if there had been any to escape their notice, and luckily there had not. At least, if there were, they were long gone now.

When he got a spare moment, he decided to pay the pirate captain a visit. He knew he had taken a risk in trusting her - after all, she was still a pirate - but had it not been for her, they likely might have walked right into a trap and it would’ve been a much worse battle for them indeed.

“How are you feeling?” he asked after taking a few steps into the room. “Are you healing well?” The duke was unaware of exactly how she had come to be wounded, but it certainly earned his respect that she would risk herself in rescuing those who had been taken.

[dukeofdesmarais]

an-endless-prospect​:

Reuben’s frown only deepened at the mention of yet another missing person - and Aphria’s best friend, at that. Was that the reason the governess had been taken, or were there others they had yet to know of just yet? 

He tried to take the older man’s comfort to heart, tried to allow it to give him hope, but it didn’t work quite as well as he knew it was meant to. Just because the king’s men would be looking, there were no promises that they would like what they found. At this point, he could only pray that the prisoners were being kept alive for some reason or another. 

Thankfully, he was pulled out of his quickly darkening thoughts by Cassemir’s question. It took only a moment of thought before he was shaking his head. 

“I believe Gen mentioned going to the gardens at some point today,” he replied, too lost in his thoughts to realize he’d used his fiance’s nickname rather than the name most people knew her by. “I’m afraid I have no idea where Aphria could have been at the time, however. She tends to do as she pleases.” 

Cassemir had no knowledge of why the men had come to raid the castle in the first place, but especially none of why they had taken hostages or who had been taken. He knew that they had precious little time to gain that knowledge or there could be worse consequences at hand.

He nodded as the younger man spoke. He, of course, gathered enough to understand who Gen was, and he was sure he had heard Nezetta mention Aphria. Perhaps the three were connected somehow and that was why they had been taken. 

“Then let us start in the gardens. Perhaps we may find something to lead us to them.”

[dukeofdesmarais]

an-endless-prospect​:

Even now, as the noise began to die down, Reuben wasn’t sure what had happened. Everything had been quiet, pleasant; and then suddenly, it hadn’t been. His reflexes had kicked in, then, defending himself and whoever he came upon who needed the assistance against their attackers. 

Throughout it all, however, he had had one thing on his mind; his family, both by blood, and not. It didn’t take long for him to confirm that his father and sister were both safe, but Gen… Gen was nowhere to be found. Every person he came across had seen neither her nor her sister since before the attack had begun, and each passing moment sent another rush of panic through his veins. 

The voice behind him finally brought him out of the fog that his brain had begun to produce, his gaze falling to Cassemir as the other man headed in his direction. He moved to meet him across the floor, every muscle still tense in preparation of a fight. 

“My father and sister, yes,” he replied quickly, giving a sharp nod. “My fiance, however… Both she and her sister are nowhere to be found.” 

He paused for a moment, brow lowering to darken his gaze before he looked back up. “And yours?” 

Cassemir frowned at the mention of the two missing women. Just what had been the motive of these men? How many women had they taken? And where were they? “My family is well, but our governess is missing. My wife had just relieved her when this attack began.” And it took far too long. His arm came to - hopefully - comfort the younger man, though he was still tense himself. “We will find them. They can’t have gotten far, and I’m sure the king will have all the knights looking day and night.”

As for himself, well, he was not going to rest until everyone who was missing had been found and returned safe to their loved ones. “Do you know where your fiancée and her sister might have been when the attack began?”

[dukeofdesmarais]

@an-endless-prospect​

The sounds of swords clashing together was still ringing through his ears as he ran through the palace. The only thought on the duke’s mind was seeing his family. He had to know they were safe. He was nearly certain that - once he’d finally found them - he would never let them go again. But let them go he did when he heard that their governess had not been found. In fact, she was nowhere to be found.

Cassemir ran through the halls searching for anyone he could to find a way to rescue the women. “My Lord!” He called out when he saw the man. He ran towards the lord as quickly as he could. “Is your family safe?”

[dukeofdesmarais]

gltrngold​:

If the Duke’s aim was to charm by playing to the ego of Captain Briarcliff the Rogue, it… was far more effective than she wanted to admit. The tactic ( however transparent ) was an irresistible one to those with a tendency toward the narcissistic, and well… one could say Blythe possessed more than a tendency; Narcissus drowned in a pool, and it was joked occasionally by the crew — she let them get away with a little light-hearted ribbing — that it was the fact that it was far harder to see one’s reflection in the seawater that meant Blythe hadn’t met a similar fate in the ocean for her own vanity. 

( “I’m not vain, I’m just confident,”  she’d tell them, knowing that it was half-true and half a bold-faced lie. )

“And here I was thinking I’d be able to make pleasurable acquaintance with the naive,” she mock-sighed, head shaking; she wasn’t trying to seem like she believed her own words, the grin left in play to betray her facetiousness. Sarcasm was entwined with her very nature, just as her confidence was. “Shame.” 

The curt nod almost made her frown. This part was what she hated about the noble-born — had hated about herself once — they were stiff and not particularly expressive, and so for a woman who delighted in reactions it was not exactly a treasure trove ( pun intended ) of opportunity. 

“Strictly no ‘sir,’ allowed,” she noted, hat tilting slightly in acknowledgement. “Used to call my father that, so I’m pretty sure it can be avoided.”

‘Noted,’ here meaning ‘committed to memory just in case she ever needed to portray that she: was supremely pissed off / was mildly annoyed / just wanted to see what would happen / felt like it.’

Blythe continued walking, gaze drifting toward the palace in the distance — then back to her ship, and the sea — and cleared her throat. “The invitation surprised me. I was assured this is not some kind of snare, but I’m sure you can’t blame me for retaining my suspicion until that’s proven.” 

Cassemir had learned from a young age to quickly understand a person’s character - what made them who they were. In a matter of seconds, he understood how to speak to a person to avoid conflict - or incite it, if necessary.

“Perhaps you will find a few who do not know of you,” Cassemir replied with a slight chuckle. “You may wish to make a name for yourself without your reputation in front of you.” Though, he sincerely doubted that would be the case. The pirate captain seemed to prize her reputation. 

“Then that is settled.” 

Cassemir clasped his hands behind his back as they walked, his gaze always ahead. It only turned to her when she spoke again. “I cannot blame you at all. I had my concerns, I must admit, but the king believes it to be a good idea, and I stand behind him.”

When the king had explained, he claimed he wished to hear from all types of people living in his country ( or surrounding it ), so the duke had nodded and gone along with it. He still couldn’t say if he believed it was a wise idea, but at the very least he would show the same respect to the woman next to him as he did a member of his own rank.

[dukeofdesmarais]

mother-to-many​:

“Not at all,” Nezetta answered. The smile that has risen to her lips as the little girl lurched forward to meet her father lingered now. “She was very well behaved all day today.”

It was a nice contrast to their arrival. The children had not taken well to a long and boring trip and the new environment had left much to be explored by little hands and eyes. Unpacking had been a bit of a struggle as she fought to keep them out of things they should not have been playing with. Bringing them into the unpacking process in a fun, engaging way had helped for a bit but once playthings were brought up to her room, they became the focus of the younger ones’ attention.

They seemed to have fully adjusted now though. Ravenna had been perfect today and the boys had continued their usual routines with much more ease. Nezetta was thankful for it.

“Good, good.” Cassemir grinned as Ravenna wrapped her arms around his neck. He looked up to her and said, “We shall have to get you a treat for being so well behaved.”

It was a common occurrence with the duke. Perhaps it was only because he had the ability, but the man loved to give anything to his children - but especially as a reward. He couldn’t count the amount of times he’d gone on a trip only to return with two or three gifts for each of his children and even more for his wife.

“Papa, papa!” Came the young girl’s voice. “Can Miss ‘zetta walk with us?” Cassemir then turned his attention to the governess with a smile. “Would you care to join us for a walk?”