In French

Chapter Ten

A.N. Make sure you comment and vote :)

    Not long after our first proper night together my sixteenth Birthday arrived and the French court celebrated elaborately with a beautiful display of fireworks and a huge cake that made my eyes bulge at its beauty and splendour. I had spent the day at an opera with Philip and most of the courtiers while the night I spent gambling then making love to him. He even bought me a pearl necklace that sat in the hollow of my throat delicately. I had squealed, throwing my arms around him ignoring the mutters of disapproval. Apparently I had lifted my skirts showing the whole court a rather lot of my legs!

    Three months later it was discovered that I was pregnant. I blinked as I stood sideways in front of my mirror, pulling my shift tightly across me so that I could see the slight bulge in my belly. It was definitely there. I was astounded, it had never really occurred to me that I would be carrying children. I knew it would happen but I never anticipated actually the experience of being pregnant. I had found out from the palace doctor yesterday and had obviously informed Philip who threw his arms around me and twirled me around.

    Still, news had already spread through the court like wildfire and I was nervous about breakfast as the Dauphin and I had been requested to explicitly dine with the King, Queen, Madame duBois and my sisters and brothers-in-law. I stood still as my sisters changed me and Comtesse DeGeneres jabbered incessantly at me. She thought that she was being subtle but I noticed her eyes flying to my stomach every five seconds. She wasn’t about to outright ask me if I was expecting but I could tell that she wanted to know. Because I disliked her I was not about to fill her in.

    Once dressed and with my hair looking pretty I headed downstairs to the dining hall where everyone but the King and Dauphin stood and bowed/curtsied at my arrival. I had to bite my cheeks when I made eye contact with the Dauphin because he was giving me a look that made me want to burst out laughing. I curtsied to the King, Queen and Dauphin and then walked to my seat where we all sat down. “Rosanna,” the Queen spoke as she started taking the flesh of a fish off a small stand in front of her.

    “Yes Your Highness,” I said respectfully but it was hard to concentrate on my manners when I had Philip squeezing my knee and trying to tickle my leg under the table. When in present company we were allowed to dine next to one another.

    “Pray tell you put us out of our misery,” she looked down her nose at me with serious hawk eyes.

    I smiled and tried to exchange a doting look with my husband but he was silently chuckling with laughter and I could not help but snort shocking a few people. “The Dauphin and I are expecting our first baby.” I said to the room at large. “It has been confirmed by the palace doctor.” I added so that they knew it hadn’t been just me making assumptions.

    The King beamed as he took an almighty swig of wine before slamming it back on the table top. “That is terrific news, such terrific news is it not, my dear?” He turned his head towards Madame duBois in an attempt to include her on the Royal family moment.

    She smiled affectionately at him, “it is positively fantastic news my love.” She said dotingly and then she clicked her fingers and more wine was sloshed into her glass. “I have five children of my own, Dauphine.” She spoke straight at me. It appeared that she was forgetting her place.

    “Do you?” I asked not really knowing what else to say.

    She nodded, “I do. They live with their father though.” How charming of her. “Being pregnant is such a wholesome experience yet childbirth is incredibly painful. Nauseatingly so.” She held her wine glass in one hand and swirled her wine around.

    “That is quite enough of that talk while we are eating, Madame duBois.” The Queen snapped, peering round her daughter to glower at Madame duBois.

    “Oh come now,” the King said holding his hands up. “You are both women, surely you do not find the subject repulsive, sweet Queen.”

    The Queen blinked in inward rage at the King for so openly undermining her in front of her children. Yet there was absolutely nothing she could do about it. “No sir, I do not, I merely find it inappropriate to talk about at the table.” She managed through gritted teeth.

    “But we are present in front of close friends and family.” Madame duBois held her hands out as she gestured.

    The King beamed at her, it was quite clear that he was infatuated with Madame duBois, so completely madly in love with her and I hoped for his sake that she reciprocated those feelings. The rest of breakfast took place in an awkward silence that was horrible and cast a dismal gloom over what should have been one of the most fantastic news royalty could hear.

    After breakfast I went to write Josepha a letter as well as to stay out of the courtier’s gossiping and frivolous ways. Otherwise I might just say something that I may later come to regret!

Dearest Josepha.

I wish I could tell you that I was settling into life here in France fine and that I was welcomed with open arms but sadly that is not the case. Although I have a darling, considerate, and endearing husband and the King is quite taken to me I cannot say the same for the rest of the French court. As the politics between Andorra and France have been somewhat complicated they have not taken so kindly to me. They also feel that I have no place here and that I am merely thieving princess Myrtle of Denmark’s position. I am opposed to that statement strongly but it appears that they’d much rather gossip about me rather than hear me tell them the truth.

However, I cannot expect you to listen to such trivial things such as that, I am in full health and so is my husband (as well as now expecting a son I hope). I have to admit that I’m still becoming accustomed to actually being able to call someone my own. And who better than Philip? I could not have been a luckier girl, Josepha, I am in love and in return he loves me also.

The weather here is charming, sunny and the garden’s positively radiant. Have I told you that the King has his own personal zoo full of exotic animals? When you visit I simply have to show you them. They’re all such wondrous looking creatures.

I feel that I am unnecessarily rattling on and I’m sure that there are better things that you could be occupying your day with doing. Send my love to everyone –apart from Senorita Dulcinia-. I wish you all –apart from Senorita Dulcinia- good health and I wish to know everything that is happening back home. You have no idea how much I long to see you sweet sister. For now,

Sisters for life

 Your dearest Anna xxxx

    I stood out on the balcony over looking the silent scene of the palace gardens. The trees swayed in the gentle summery breeze and the cool reflective lake sat like a vast mirror placed delicately on the ground with flowers decorating its frame. I rested my hands on the edge of the balcony, leaning on them as I stared out. Somewhere to the right was where the King’s personal zoo was and although he kept intending to take me to see the animals he had never gotten around to it.

    I sighed, the corset was tight and it was strange as I thought about the fluttering ball of hope that was growing inside of me. It was exciting to say the least. I wondered what it looked like, if it had eyes yet and if it could hear what was  going on around it. “I do hope you are a little Dauphin but if you are a girl I shall love you all the same.” I spoke aloud glancing down at the ever so slight curve of my stomach. “In fact, it only makes a difference to the courtiers what gender defines you whereas your papa and I will love you equally either way.”