The Sun King

Welcome to Versailles

   The carriage we rode in was of modest size and blended into the forestry background with its decorative, green cover. I sat with Margaret, my mother, who couldn't stop herself from fixing every minor detail on my person.

Edmon sat across from us with a strong smirk plastered on his face.

"What's so funny, Edmon?" My question caused us all to grow stiff. This road, the kings road, was a dangerous place. Margaret fixing my person was an obvious way to ignore these dangers.

" Nothing Adelise. It's just, you look beautiful."

My brother was always good at dodging questions with flattery. The king' s road was notorious for theft and at times murder. The king had moved his entire court out of Paris and into the woods of Versailles.

Mother's exaggerated sigh brought my attention from the window to her. " How can a king move from the luxury of Paris to the swamps?" There was barley a pause before Edmon joined the discussion, " we really are out in the wilds here, aren't we Adelise."

I saw nothing wrong with the wilderness and the king's desire for change. "Fresh air is said to be good for the soul brother, maybe you will come to like Versailles location more."

We rode in silence aside from my mother's constant nagging and my brothers occasional laugh, covered with a cough of course.

My mother soon grew concerned with Edmons constant "coughing" and insisted that he see a doctor once we reach Versailles. Reaching Versailles seemed an impossible feat by how slow the carriage was moving. I noticed that the road seemed unusually bare this evening.

" Mother, does the road seem empty and without noise?" She and Edmon looked out the window into the endless woods. "None sense Adelise, get out of your head and focus on the task ahead. Both you and your brother must ensure we get connections."

With that ringing reminder we fell into silence once more. And we continued on the long road too Versailles.

Then the carriage came to a halt, but not at the gates of a glittering palace. Off the trail and in the sticks somewhere. Then we heard a gunshot followed by my mother's scream.

Out of the window I could see our driver dead on the forest floor. I ducked my head back in the carriage and held my breath. My mother collapsed on the floor in a cramped, awkward position as to avoid being seen. Edmon was frozen and shaking from the shock.

I closed my eyes and tried to think of a way out of this dangerous situation. If these criminals expected to find riches they were sorely mistaken, the only thing of real value was a satchel of coins. I quickly grabbed my brothers knife from his shirt and tucked it in between the ribbon on my knee high socks.

As I fixed my dress over the socks I was roughly pulled out of the carriage and onto the ground. A hefty man pushed himself behind me and held my by the neck. I watched as Edmon was pulled on the ground and held at gun point along with my crying mother.

She cried out, "don't touch her you animals!" That remark left her with a slap on the cheek, I recoiled from the sight. The red mark on my mother's face and Edmon's frozen body gave me a wave of determination.

The fat one with bad breath grabbed my chin, "What a pretty one we have here." His gaze went to my breasts as he twirled a piece of my brown hair that had come down from its elaborate updo.

"It's simple, give us your valuables and we'll let you leave - mostly intact." His perverted gaze once again fell to me. No one spoke and the silence was utterly disturbing. All I could her was the labored breathe of the man holding me from behind and the fat man crunching the leaves under his weight as he searched our carriage.

I started to struggle when he reached the satchel. With a satisfied look he took the satchel and put it with his other things. The two men now seemed more relaxed.

In an instant Edmon lunged at the fat man and was shot in the shoulder. "Just wait, you'll get yours" , my brother recoiled on the ground holding his shoulder as silent tears fell from his eyes.

I was thrown to the ground next and the man with the labored breathe used his wait to hold me down. I could taste the dirt from the ground in my teeth and I could see my mother frozen with fear as she was also held at gun point. My arms were pinned in an awkward position, so I couldn't easily reach my knife. When he started to hastily pull up my dress I started to panic.

I pulled my knife out quickly and without aim slashed into his cheek. "You bitch!" He recoiled for a moment loosening his grip on my body. I scurried over to my mother and brother.

We heard them before we saw them, the sound of hooves on the ground and the sun banner on the horses back. The Kings men had come and leading them was none other than Samuel Andre, the cheif of police. His warm, hazel eyes met my forest, green ones before he fired a gun and killed the fat man who held our satchel. I never did learn his name nor did I care to.

The man who tried to rape me was taken by a few men on horseback after a short struggle. I was proud of the injury I was able to inflict upon him. He still had the bloody line across his cheek. A few of the kings men helped by brother and mother back into our carriage. They were still shaken up and now my brother would have to see a doctor.

Samuel Andre came over to help me in the carriage. " I will punish this man Adelise I promise." I gave him a look of uncertainty. With a quick nod I left into the carriage and we traveled back on the road to Versailles this time more carriages had joined.

Andre insisted to be our driver and safely got us to the place gates. Every now and again we would exchange glances.
Further down the road we left the woods behind and entered a world of pure gold. I was in awe of its beauty, but kept sense of myself. For a moment Andre took my hand and helped me out of the carriage. He handed me my bloodied knife which was znow clean wrapped in a plain white handkerchief with his initials in black thread.

This was the nicest thing anyone had ever done for me and I was very grateful to him. I was brought out of my happy trance by his words.

"Adelise, welcome to Versailles."