French Angel

II. Chapter two

Angélique knew she had her fill of Champagne, but her lips were parched yet again.

Her tongue darted out to moisture them. Her eyes scanning over the room, trying not to linger on anyone longer than necessary, for they would approach her and want to either dance or converse, and she was in no mood for boring Englishers.

Except for her dear friend that is. Rosalinda had an adventurous spirit which stayed with her till this very moment, never dulling in the brooding ton and her difficult life. That was one of many things Angélique admired about her friend.

Rose's childhood wasn't like hers. Angélique's earlier life was filled with her mother's love and her older brother's adoration. That was cut short when her mother died during the second wave of Black Plague when she stayed in her Venice house for the season.

Angélique, herself, was too young to enter the society just yet, and so she remained with her brother well looked after by a governess and nannies in their Paris mansion, while their father resided at the palace.

Her father was a King's advisor, and as a tradition in France, her brother would soon inherit his position as the new King was situated on his throne.

It was no secret, that the old King was dying. A disease that slowly destroyed the control over his own body. And sure enough, with the arrival of autumn, the new regency of France ruled. Louis was not yet of age; therefore, he was left to enjoy his youth.

Angélique didn't find out about her mother's death immediately, no, only when she asked her father for a what-she-lost-count time, did he yelled that she was not coming back.

She cried and cried throughout the night, that was the only time she had to mourn her mother's death. For the very next day, her family was called to the court, a new King was to be crowned.

She was left alone with other Ladies at only the age of nine. She was startled when she heard many scandalous things leave their soft feminine lips, and many times she could not phantom what they were whispering and giggling about. After all, she was but a child.

She grew up rather quickly and learned to fit in well enough that no one would pay too much attention to her. And for some time, it wasn't too hard.

Most of the years she had to reside in the palace, she spent with the court's physician learning many things. For the night she found out about her mother, she vowed to never let any bad befall upon anyone she cared for.

And so, she studied hard and secretly helped Mr. Ronsellend with his work. That was until the King - a boy of ten and eight, still very much a boy- caught her and swept her away from such doings.

"Angie!" Her friend's voice snapped her back to reality. She smiled at her true friend, glad that she has found at least one person she could trust in this world.

"Have you read 'The fairylands'?" Rose asked her impatiently. It made Angélique's smile even bigger. Her friend was not a patient one, for she was stubborn and hot-headed.

"I have. I found the description of the high-" she was cut short when she heard a group of Ladies gossip about her.

"I heard she is the French King's mistress." One of them declared. Others had nodded in agreement.

"I heard that she wanted to raise in her status, but the King has a wife already, so he sent her away whist she became unbearable." An elder woman with dull black hair added in.

Whatever they had said after, didn't reach Angélique's ears for she was thrown into her memories yet again.

September 1665 VERSAILLES, FRANCE