A Kiss of Betrayal: Élisabet's Story (The Kiss Series Book Three) Preview

Chapter One

Palais du Louvre, Paris, France 1409

The  sounds of swishing skirts accented each step the five women took. Madame Royale Élisabet Babineaux of the House of Valois fille de France paced the length of her boudoir with her four ladies shadowing behind her in a duckling trail. "You must give me space, ladies!" the princess pleaded while wringing her hands. "You are only adding to my apprehension!"

Lady Magdalena, the princess's head lady, pulled Élisabet to sit in her favorite chair, handed her the embroidery piece she had been working on and opened a book. "Shall we read from the Book of Hours, your highness?" Magdalena suggested. "I'm sure it will bring you comfort." Without waiting for a response from her Madame Royale, Lady Magdalena began reading from the prayer book in a vain attempt to take her mistress's mind off the coming night. Lady Kemma, Élisabet's second lady-in-waiting, sat at the princess's dressing table trying on different jewels from Élisabet's personal collection as she frequently did during down time.

Lady Kemma sighed longingly at her reflection as she compared herself to the Princess. The Princess had long, vibrant red hair, a pale, creamy, and smooth complexion; as well as effervescent green eyes. Unlike many women of the time, Élisabet had nice clean, white teeth with a rose bud pout. Lady Kemma smiled at herself in the mirror and quickly closed her lips as she viewed the black rotting teeth that resided within her own mouth. The only thing that Élisabet lacked in appearance was her body. She did not have the large thick body that society deemed as beautiful. She had a strange hourglass figure with a round bosom, small waist, and her skirts rounded out at her hips. Despite large women being the standard for beauty, Lady Kemma knew for a fact that men found the Princess irresistibly desirable.

Lady Kemma had witnessed the affect that the Princess had on the noble men who came to do business with the Princess's father, King Charles VI. The King often instructed the Madame Royale to do whatever it took to persuade the men to cooperate with the King's wishes. It was for this purpose that the King had not already wed the twenty-year-old Élisabet off to any of her many suitors. If the princess were to wed, the King would only be able to use her power of persuasion upon her husband. However as long as she remained unwed and under his roof, he was able to use her whenever he wanted, to whatever extent he wanted, and upon whomever he wanted.

A knock came upon the princess's apartment door and Lady Magdalena paused in the reading as she went to answer. It was merely a kitchen maid announcing that the dinner feast was nearly prepared and the Madame Royale should begin dressing for the banquet; her father was already asking for her. Élisabet sighed wearily as she took her position in front of her wardrobe. Lady Kemma caught the woeful exhale as she approached her mistress to begin her undressing. "Has your father given you another assignment, your highness?" Lady Kemma asked even though the princess's behavior already betrayed the answer.

"Yes, Lady Kemma. Tonight will be yet another night of flaunting and debasing myself in front of a strange man for father's diplomatic desires. When he called for me this morning he informed me that King Juan sin Miedo of Castile will be our honored guest at the banquet tonight. It is he that father expects me to entertain. There is a fierce power struggle developing between my uncle, the Duke of Orléans, and King Juan. Father has instructed me to make King Juan more compliant to the peace treaty that father is propositioning."

Élisabet knew nothing of King Juan, other than his title meant 'the Fearless.' She did not know if he was young or old, or fat, or bald. She assumed that he was old, fat, and bald, since those were the most common characteristics shared amongst the men her father usually had her work her wiles upon. Élisabet hated doing it, but it was for her country. As a Fille de France, she had to do whatever her King and her country required of her – a lesson Élisabet had learned the hard way a few years prior.