I Am Louis XIV

When the Duke of Orleans once again appeared in high spirits at the Palace of Versailles, not many people knew that the king had left Versailles and went to Fontainebleau to meet his younger brother.

Neither the elder brother nor the younger brother had the melancholy and worry about facing a war that might last for more than ten years and affect the whole of Europe and even England. The Duke of Orleans was as personable and enthusiastic as ever, even though he had never been... The Sun King Louis XIV, who was keen on dancing and gambling, not only danced with several noble ladies, but also won and lost in the entertainment time until midnight. When he said goodbye to everyone, the king may still have thousands of livres in hand. My chips, he threw them into the air and let people pick them up.

People attended mass on the second day, and the Assumption of Mary was celebrated on the third day. In order to facilitate memory, people at this time often choose religious festivals to hold weddings or sign contracts. Sometimes the date of birth and death will be as close as possible to the former. ——The wedding of the crown prince was held in the royal chapel, followed by a grand procession, banquet and dance. From the hall to the streets, there were smiling people everywhere, and officials, businessmen and priests were constantly throwing succulents to the parade people. There were copper coins in the box, everyone was shouting "Long live the King! Long live France!", the road was covered with perfume and flower petals, ribbons were wrapped around the gas lampposts, the flags of Bourbon and the Sun King were hung from the terraces, the gas lights were on day and night Endless.

The king rode in a golden carriage, the queen mother and the king's brother rode in a silver-plated carriage, and the crown prince and his petite bride rode in an open carriage and walked at the front of the procession, second only to the archbishop and priests. People's faces turned red with excitement. , hoarse, their looks even frightened Isabella, but the Dauphin immediately held her hand and silently strengthened her - he had not experienced such a disaster as the Fronde rebellion, but under Louis XIV Under the guidance of the emperor, he will not be so stupid as some kings who are ignorant of the thoughts and strength of the people.

The proud French respect the strong and despise the weak, even if you are a child or a lady.

As an outsider, Isabella wants to become their crown princess and future queen. If she assumes an arrogant and fearless posture, people will not feel disgusted even if she complains a little bit. But if she Showing a cowardly look or being too humble can make some people push their limits and do whatever they want.

When Louis XIV is about to go on an expedition, the Duke of Orleans, the younger brother of the prince, who has fulfilled his mission, will inevitably be left as regent. What about the crown prince, who must not dictate the government while the king is still there? Although he does not need to deal with state affairs, it does not mean that he will be idle. On the contrary, he will stick to Paris or Versailles as the banner and crosshairs of the Bourbon royal family-if any enemy wants to take the opportunity to sway or deceive Paris and Versailles. When the people of Versailles do something, the Crown Prince will be more useful than the Duke of Orleans. After all, his gentle character, which has been criticized by some generals and ministers, is the best comfort to the people.

At this time, a crown princess is very important. Just look at the queen mother, and the queen will know that. Even if she cannot have a partner as smart and strong as Eleanor of Aquitaine, she will not love power like Queen Anne. Having a wife who is good at obedience like Queen Elizabeth is also a good thing, but for Isabella - this is a critical moment. If she can be a good wife and crown princess in the past few years, she will face the strife she will face in the future. It will also be much gentler, unless she is infertile; similarly, if something goes wrong with her, let alone the crown princess who unfortunately fails to ascend to the position of queen in the future... it is not unheard of.

Although Isabella was not very clear about the rough road she was about to embark on, the support of the Crown Prince did give her courage. She said to herself that although she was a Portuguese princess, for a long time, she I don't feel that Portugal is my own country - when everyone treats you with suspicion and contempt, it is difficult to regard it as a home. Then, as Louis XIV and the Dauphin Louis the Younger promised, if she could, if she wanted to, become a Frenchman...then France would be her home.

She will spend the entire second half of her life here, no, based on her age, it may be most of her life.

This is my people, my country, my... home.

She said in her heart, and then smiled at the people on both sides of the street.

——————

After the parade, the crown prince and his wife did not complete the entire ceremony. They lay down on the same bed symbolically and then returned to their rooms respectively; Princess Isabella thought she would toss and turn for a long time, But she fell asleep immediately after only drinking a glass of hot milk. When she woke up the next day, she even jumped with fright.

Her Spanish maids have not yet been allowed to enter Versailles, and are surrounded by French maids. These maids are the ones who went to greet her. Although they have their own ideas in their hearts... But under the instructions of the Queen Mother, the Queen, and their male elders , no one dared to cause any trouble before the king returned in triumph.

They quickly put pajamas on the little princess and led her to the bathroom next door. The mist was steaming in the bathtub. Several hands served Isabella at the same time. After a while, they took care of her neatly. The female official, a marchioness sent by the Queen Mother, whispered in her ear that if it was normal, she could take a slightly longer time to enjoy the hot bath water, but today she was officially in the Palace of Versailles. On the first day, the king would have breakfast with her.

After a hurried mass, Isabella was taken to the king's apartment. As she walked through the long corridor and the spacious reception room, the eyes that fell on her were as dense as arrows. In a quick glance, she Even those who were almost semi-under house arrest outside the Sintra Palace before knew that everyone here was a powerful person outside and could change the fate of countless people with a single movement of their hands.

Here they can only act like the humblest slaves, eagerly waiting for a call from the king's servants.

The Dauphin, no, it should be said, the entire Bourbon royal family is waiting for the king's arrival in the king's suite, from the Duke of Vendôme to the Duke of Orleans, from the Queen Mother to the Duchess of Montpensier, a sheet covered with snow-white The rectangular dining table with linen cloth was spread out in the sunshine. The table was filled with crystal glassware, white porcelain plates inlaid with gold rims, silver knives and forks, spice boxes and fragrant flowers.

The sound of the cane tapping the ground came closer and closer, and His Majesty the King walked in.

Different from the attire he wore at previous banquets, Louis always left it to his family in the morning, and his clothes were very light and simple. He didn't even wear a big coat, but just a shirt and a velvet vest, with a long belt hanging from one side to his knees. , I don’t know if it’s because he doesn’t have a beard, but he doesn’t look like a man who is nearly forty at all – because Isabella’s father Pedro II was born in 1948, and is much younger than Louis XIV. Ten years old, but looks older than him.

The king pressed his hands before sitting down, so everyone sat down one after another. The attendants and servants began to serve various breads, jams, butter and other meals in an orderly manner. The Sun King's breakfast was not luxurious, but it was just like Every meal of his is the same, hot or cold, with fresh ingredients and great taste.

Isabella was allowed to sit next to the crown prince, "You can be more casual." The crown prince whispered: "Everyone is very relaxed at this time."

Isabella nodded immediately. She carefully watched what others were doing. Indeed, everyone was very relaxed, from their clothes to their gestures. The Duchess of Montpensier even boldly asked the king to pass the pepper to her, and the king also Complied. The Duke of Orléans naturally occupied the position on the left hand of the king, and what was surprising was that between him and the Duke of Vendôme there was a high-legged armchair obviously used for children.

Sitting on this chair is the son of the Duke of Orleans. After his mother died of depression, he was given to the Queen to raise, but as Louis reminded Philip, it is impossible to live without a father. Fortunately, Princess Henrietta is now She has returned to God, the eldest princess has also got married, and the Duke of Orleans can finally educate his son by his side.

Like all Bourbons, the son of the Duke has curly pale golden hair, cheeks like pink rose petals, and dark eyes inherited from his mother. He is just a child now, but he has an unusual He has a melancholic temperament and is extremely attached to his father. Even Princess Isabella, who just met him, can see this.

Towards the end of breakfast the king announced that he would leave Versailles on the Monday after the Assumption.

"May God bless you and bless us." The Queen Mother said, so everyone at the table, including the son of the Duke of Orleans, made a cross and said: "May God bless the king." Isabella was slow. A step, but the king just smiled at her and said he didn't mind.

Many people may not believe it, but in the hearts of the Portuguese princess and the Crown Princess, she does maintain a strong concern for the King of France. In addition to the tolerance and compassion of the King of France towards her, France will also be her husband's partner. Her son's country, Portugal, is now an ally of France. If France loses in this war, both the place where she was born and the place where she is buried will suffer.

Especially Portugal. If France fails, it will not be difficult to maintain the original territorial integrity with the power and achievements of Louis XIV. But this may not be the case for Portugal. Even if it is to embarrass Louis XIV, Habu Leopold I of Castel would also definitely return Portugal to Spain, so Isabella's identity would be questioned - how could a princess without a country be recognized? She may no longer have a place in the world.

She loved it here, maybe she would love it again in the future, and she didn't want to leave it.

What the little princess thinks is not within the scope of Louis XIV's concern. He taught the queen, the dauphin, and even Madame Montespan and the Duchess of Montpensier were all under his control. He was not worried at all that they would Taking Isabella in the wrong direction. He was more willing to care about whether Pedro II thoroughly implemented the terms of the marriage contract-according to the agreement, Pedro II should serve as an ally of France and jointly launch an attack on the anti-French forces in Spain.

To be honest, if Pedro II had enough power to fight against the Habsburgs, he would not have done such a crazy and despicable thing. After all, he was healthy and in power, and he could wait for his paralyzed brother to see God. Then she ascended the throne in an upright manner. However, the position of the Crown Princess of France was too hot. Even Leopold I. If the latter had not had a daughter, this self-proclaimed enemy of Louis XIV would definitely compete for it. A fight.

But can't, and don't want to are two different things. The Sun King of France condescended to marry Pedro II, and Pedro II must behave appropriately. Louis XIV understands human nature well, just like Canada The Catalonians were obviously asking the King of France to help them escape from the cruel rule of the Spanish, but once they started doing things, they were hampered everywhere, which was completely opposite to their original attitude - if Louis XIV Because there was no need for the Portuguese and they indulged Pedro II's petty thoughts, the Portuguese would definitely laugh at the French for being naive.

After all, the situation of Pedro II was different from that of William I of Prussia. Prussia and France were separated by the princes of the Holy Roman Empire, and he was a minister of the emperor. Morality, law, and actual circumstances did not allow him to Immediately siding with France, if he can contain the two major religious princes, he can be said to have helped.

When he knew that the Portuguese fleet had left the port and sailed to the predetermined sea area, Louis XIV had already arrived at Saint-Germain-en-Laye. According to time calculation, Pedro II had already begun to mobilize the army before the ceremony was over. Louis was satisfied He wrote a letter to Pedro II in his own hand, in which he described various matters related to the wedding reassuringly. Don't underestimate this letter. If the French refuse to recognize the marriage in the future, Pedro The second generation can take this letter to the Pope to pray for divine judgment.

"His Majesty……"

"What's the matter, Bontang?"

"There was a priest... a very young priest. He came from Toledo and was discovered by our spies on his way to Paris. They suspected him of being a spy because he carried with him a letter signed by the Archbishop of Toledo and some documents. .”