The Nymph of Versailles

Chapter 10

Versailles

To think she once stood in the garden of Versailles and dreamed about there being more yet to come in her life. Back then her current life was a mere fantasy. A dream for her to grasp on to lest she lose hope and succumb to the weight of her husband's selfish debts and her envy of Louise's position. With France celebrating its victory, the king chose to head to Versailles for the winter to spend it in peace away from Paris.

Nothing could compare to the nights of the Enchanted Isles, but winter didn't ruin the beauty of Versailles. If anything it enhanced it by hiding the dead plants and any other unsightly views. Snow clung to the branches of trees and the iced-over lake carried a coat of snow, making her feel like she'd walked into a winter wonderland. Her breath blew out in foggy clouds as she wandered the frozen gardens.

"We should head inside. It's freezing out here." Gabrielle shivered and ran her hands over her arms. "Let's see your new rooms. Nothing much to see out here. I don't know why you insisted we go for a walk in this dreadful weather."

"I don't want to go inside." She took a step farther into the gardens, waiting for her sister to follow.

Gabrielle stayed rooted to her spot. "You'll catch your death out here."

"She's in my rooms." Athénaïs gritted her teeth and balled her hands.

Gabrielle's forehead wrinkled in confusion. "Who?"

"La Vallière." She spat out the name.

"What? Why?" The questions echoed over the quiet gardens.

"I don't know yet. I thought he would send her away. I mean he has me. Why does he need her around too?" Her nose and cheeks ached from the cold, but her anger burned hotter. If only it would be enough to keep her warm so she could stay outside all night.

"Ask the king. He must have a reason. Maybe he is honoring her as the mother of his children and nothing more."

"If so she doesn't need to share a set of rooms with me. I'd rather have anyone else as a roommate. I thought Louis and I shared something special. I thought he might even love me." Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes and she wiped them at them with her sleeve. She sounded too much like Louise now.

"I warned you not to fall in love." Gabrielle rested a hand on Athénaïs's back. "You need to guard your heart or being mistress will take a bigger toll on you than you can afford. Remember how Louise raced the queen's carriage to reach the king first? You'll be driven to embarrassing measures too if you don't stay in control of your heart. The king admires control."

"I know." Her voice cracked. "I can't help but love him. He is so handsome and charming. And the things he does to me in the bedroom! When he turns his gaze on me it's like no one else exists. I want to do nothing but bathe in his light." She stared down at her footprints. She'd gotten too caught up in her whirlwind passion for him. She let herself believe her fantasy and forgot about the odds against her. Forgot about how Louise might still by hanging onto his heart even if only by threads.

"He is the Sun King for a reason." Gabrielle drew a heart in the snow with the toe of her boot. "We are playing a dangerous game. As mistress you will have more enemies than ever before, but you will be able to curry our family great favor. If you let yourself love him, he will hurt you. Get used to not being the only woman in his bed. No woman could stop him from looking elsewhere, but you need to hold enough of his attention to enthrall him the rest of the time."

"Impossible." She kicked at a small snow bank. Snow tumbled onto the bottom of her dress and she shook it off. "It isn't fair! La Vallière should be long gone."