The Nymph of Versailles

Chapter 4

She dipped the wash rag into the basin and scrubbed at her arm with the fresh bar of soap. If she was to dine with the king, she wanted to look and smell her best. She wouldn't give him any reason to not want to be closer to her. "Should I have a bath instead do you think?" She scrubbed harder.

"Your hair won't have time to dry, my lady." Sophie sat at the small table, burning rosemary stems over the candle. The earthy scent invaded every corner of the room. "This will be ready soon."

"Good." Applying burnt rosemary stems mixed with ash and rosemary leaves over the teeth would whiten them, or so she'd heard. Today she was willing to try anything if it benefited her appearance. Sophie crumbled chestnuts into dust earlier. Once mixed with water they could be applied to the hands to soften the skin.

Ten minutes later she finished scrubbing and rinsing herself. Sophie rose to help her into her clothes. All of her dresses were made in France. The king was intent on moving Europe's fashion capital from Madrid to Paris. New clothing and textile industries had been founded in Paris to push the plan forward. To show her support for the endeavor, Athénaïs made sure to wear a dress made entirely in Paris. If the topic came up, she'd be ready.

"Do you want your blue or rose gown?"

"Rose and the stomacher trimmed with silver lace." Layer by layer she dressed. Then she applied the paste to her teeth and hands. "I want the jasmine perfume and don't overdo the rouge."

Sophie tended to her hair as well, pulling her hair into a bun with tight ringlets framing her face. Athénaïs watched in the mirror as her appearance took shape. With the right amount of pink to her cheeks and a gown complementing the choice, she looked the image of health, unlike ailing Louise. She looked like a nymph, she decided, with the perfect blend of seductive innocence. Like from one of the ballets the king liked so much. The questioned remained whether she could entrance the king with longing. If the king was the sun at the center of court, she'd become the moon.

*

Athénaïs stared across the dining room table at Louise. A servant sat in a corner of the dining room plucking away at a harp while the women sat in silence, waiting. One minute until dinner and the king had yet to show. "Is he always late?"

Louise bristled. "He's busy. It's hard for him to pull away from court to come. Some sort of business likely held him up, but he always comes. I trust him to be good to his word."

Athénaïs took in Louise's appearance. Her cosmetics couldn't hide her exhaustion or the heavy bags beneath her eyes. "Are the rumors true?" she blurted. "Are you having difficulty with the pregnancy?" She couldn't hide the pity in her eyes. She'd never seen Louise in such a sorry state before this latest pregnancy.

Louise dropped her gaze to the table. "The doctor warned me to take it easy but those are nothing more than rumors. I'll be fine." The assurance rang hollow.

"You can't keep doing this to yourself." Her health suffering wasn't worth the king's love. Not when it made her this miserable.

Louise tightened her hand around her glass. "I love Louis and he loves me. If he weren't king my pregnancy wouldn't be an issue. We'd retire to a cottage in the countryside together where there weren't women flocking to him."

"But he is king." Athénaïs softened her voice. "Think of yourself. You can't keep up with him. What happens if you get pregnant again? You can't make a man love you. You've told me before you'd rather live in the countryside than at court. Why not do so?" If she left now she could do it on her own terms before the king tossed her aside for a new woman. She'd leave with dignity.

Louise glared. "I'm not leaving my Louis. My heart is with him. I wouldn't be happy elsewhere. His station demands sacrifices and I'm willing to pay them."