I Am Louis XIV

   Chapter 140 The King's Decision and Lorraine's Way Out

In fact, Madame Lavalier has always been envied by the queen and other noble ladies in the court. Her status as a half foreigner also makes it difficult for her to find friends in the court if she is not by the side of Princess Henrietta. During the few years she stayed, with the talent of the werewolf, she may not be able to escape the open guns and dark arrows these days. The king does not love her. Her relationship with the king is more similar to that of a boss and a subordinate than a lover. Louis is the easiest to let her go. The Queen Mother and the Bishop of Mazarin were worried that he was too kind, and for a monarch, this could easily be seen as a weakness by his enemies or friends, but they didn't know that Louis' mercy would only be placed on his son. On the people, he has always been strict with his subjects - if Madame Lavalier and Louise can't even solve some small and jealous matters in the court, how can he rest assured that he will rule over at least the werewolves in France and even the city. The task of the world is given to her?

Yes, in the inner world of Italy, there are the Dukes of Colonna and the Mancini family, and in France, those arrogant wizards, for some reason, have not appeared in front of the king until now, and they are still in Louis XIII. During the period, several astrologers and doctors around the king were wizards. Louis also asked the queen mother, and she said that they were all sent away by the king. From this point of view, Louis felt that the unwilling death of the Duke of Gaston was indeed the best ending. Louis XIII, the cause of death of a good father and a good king was not as simple as it was shown to people. He was assassinated in Dunkirk, with potions and a curse - and no one knows what role the French wizards played in it, they watched Italian wizards rise to prominence at court, and still don't Dare to reveal a little clue in front of the king, it is very likely that they cannot answer this fatal question.

When the door was opened, Louis took back his loose thoughts a little. He had too many things to do now, and even the half-involved world in Italy could only be put on hold, let alone the wizards in France. Now, let these cowardly cowards tremble with fear. After the outer world gradually becomes stronger and tidy, just like darkness will be oppressed by light, the inner world will naturally have to be exposed because of an orderly society.

Madame Lavalier stepped into the room, she was no longer a lowly and embarrassed maid by the side of a princess from another country. Her most beautiful long chestnut hair was rolled into delicate little curls, piled up On the top and sides of her head, there are small diamond flowers in her hair bun. Her face is too masculine, and it would be more appropriate to describe her as handsome rather than beautiful. For this reason, she carefully removed most of her eyebrows and sideburns. Because the brow bone is more prominent, two slender eyebrows are carefully drawn on it. She has one accessory that is eternal, that is, a huge gem, which conceals her true identity as a werewolf. Sometimes it's a pin, sometimes it's a bracelet, but more often, especially today, it's hung in place of a pendant.

She touched the gemstone, not sure if she had some kind of fantasy, of course, she was completely incomparable with Marie Mancini, the other party was the cutest little rose, and Queen Teresa was elegant Like a lily, she can't be described by flowers at all. It is not unreasonable for the ladies to laugh at her that she should stand in the king's army and serve the king with a sword, rather than lying on the king's bed.

But Lavalier sometimes asks herself, after learning of her father's death, she resolutely turned to the king, how much was because she was grateful that he saved her father and did not let him fight to the death in the arena She shed the last drop of blood and became a cheap material for wizards to gamble and entertain, and how much is it because the clansmen had nowhere to go and needed the protection of the king, or, as early as when she was just a little maid, there was A terrible luxury? This is indeed an extravagant hope. At that time, even Princess Henrietta would be ridiculed and treated coldly if she wanted to be the wife of Louis, not to mention her father was just an ordinary officer's maid, according to the French tradition. , she can't even become a recognized royal lady. She can have the status she has now because of the king's insistence, and the queen dowager and ministers are worried that the king and queen are too close.

   "Good evening, ma'am." Louis was still doing business at the desk, but nodded slightly, "Please sit on the chair there for a while, I'll be fine soon."

Louis went on to deal with two or three urgent matters, among them Lorraine and Dunkirk, and General Schumberg in Spain - he and his army should be back, or they will be destroyed by the Spaniards. It's troublesome to find out that the French have been fighting with them for the past few months. The king does not want to explain why the French generals are fighting for the Portuguese, and the Church of Rome, although it has long been in the United States. During the period of Philip the man, the tax that the church could obtain from France was withheld by the king under various excuses (the subjects of the kingdom of France were not allowed to export gold, silver, currency, weapons, and horses abroad without the permission of the king), but these money The king needs to find other excuses to get the money. Now if the church repays the pope and bishops' ransoms year by year in the name of taxes, the king can directly collect taxes from his subjects. Of course, some subtle means are still required. After all, the present France is not the king's France.

When the light around Louis, who was fully immersed in official business, suddenly lit up, he realized that Madame Lavalier had walked to the candle holder and replaced him with a new candle. When she was about to change the second one, The king stopped her, "Don't order, madame," he said, "I will rest." So Madame Lavalier withdrew, and the king's servants and Bontang came in to wash and change the king's clothes, while the king was in In front of the bed, she reached out to Madame Lavalier, who had also changed her dressing gown, and they lay side by side on the bed, with the king lying upright with his hands on his stomach.

In the darkness, Madame Lavalier opened her eyes uneasy. The magic ensured that her werewolf identity would not be revealed, and also limited her abilities. Her eyes could easily see a falling ball in the middle of the night. The needles in the carpet, but now she could see only a bluish-white light, cast from where the drapery was not tight, illuminating the vaguely contoured lilies.

   "Your Majesty," she said.

   "Yes, ma'am." Louis said, "I can't fall asleep yet. Do you want to say something?"

   "Don't you like me?"

   "I don't know you very well," said the king.

   "After getting familiar with it?"

   "It depends on your talent and guts."

   "As a courtier, or as a royal lady?"

   "I hope as a courtier."

   "Because I'm not beautiful enough, am I?"

"You have a unique beauty," the king's voice was as gentle and polite as always: "It is very worthy of appreciation, but I really need a credible and loyal minister who can make me achieve what I want more than a royal lady. ."

   "But I love you." Madame Lavalier said in a trembling voice, audible that she had exhausted all her courage: "It started long ago, Your Majesty, but then I was just a little maid."

   "I don't care what the background of the people around me are," said Louis, "as long as they can serve me, madam, whether you are a lady or a servant, it is the same to me."

   "And what about the Duchess of Colonna?"

Louis had to think about it before he could associate Marie Mancini with the Duchess of Colonna. In the inner world, the Duke of Colonna was Louis. In the outer world, after obtaining enough benefits, the Colonna family in Rome also She has given up this identity, but to others, Mary is indeed the Duchess of Colonna. "I used to love her." The king said with emotion: "But now it should be more about contracts and responsibilities." The contract is connected to Mary's surname, and the responsibility comes from little Lucy.

   "She's doing things for you too?"

   "You have overstepped, ma'am." Louis would not answer every question.

   "I'm working for you too."

   "Ready to do something for me," the king corrected: "You don't think I just need you to keep a castle for me."

"Of course not, Your Majesty." In fact, guarding Wansen Castle is the king's reward, and her master has a comfort zone: "But can I ask for your favor, as long as you want, I can do it for you do anything."

   "Anything," grunted the king. "Light the candle, ma'am."

Once the king slept with the queen or his wife, there would be no servants by his side. Madame Lavalier lit the candle at the head of the bed. The candle was covered with a beautiful glass lampshade, which made the candle brighter at the same time. It was not so easy to cause a fire. She finally saw the king's expression. Although he was wearing a nightcloth, the king's sober eyes showed that he seemed to have entered a state of business.

   "Any is a very dangerous word," Louie said. "I don't even know when you fell in love with me at first sight."

Madame Lavalier smiled: "Because you have never looked at me seriously." She said that she had only had two intimate encounters with the king, once at the Red Boys' market to play archery, and once Gambling games, although they were still children at that time, the memories of those two times were as deep as a branding iron on her heart, but at that time, let alone Princess Henrietta, even Marie Mann Kini's status is also higher than her. Without their permission, she has no chance to serve the king, let alone come to him.

Even now, she is still full of inferiority in front of the king. It is not that she is not beautiful, but this kind of wild beauty has always been discriminated against in the French court. The world admires the slender hands and feet differently. Madame Lavalier, as a werewolf, also has large hands and feet when in human form. The ladies whispered that her hands and feet were not comparable to those of the errand maid in the kitchen, and she could not even refute it. .

   "You know," Louie said, "I just wanted a friend."

   "Isn't it okay to be a lover?" Madame Lavalier asked eagerly, "This does not prevent me from being loyal to you."

   "If you want my favor, I can give it to you, as long as you don't let me down at work." Louis said: "But I can't make you truly a woman."

"I don't know."

"You understand," said Louis, "werewolves and human children are werewolves." He looked at Madame Lavalier: "Werewolves are different from wizards. When a wizard is a baby, his strangeness can be used for Magic and potions cover up, but werewolves can't." He shook Madame Lavalier's hand: "I am the king, and every child of mine, be it wedlock or illegitimate, is bound to be watched and probed by countless eyes. , they can't have any deadly secrets. Especially you, madam, you are my first royal wife, you should know how many people are watching over you. "

   "...I think..." After a long time, Mrs. Lavalier said, "I want to leave for a while, Your Majesty."

  ———

It was quite a long night, but Louis forced himself to fall asleep, and later he asked Bontang that Madame Lavalier had spent the night in the prayer room of the chapel, and there must have been rumors at court again, But he doesn't care about these little things now, it's a bit mean to say, but the most malicious people will still go to Madame Lavalier, she is a foreigner and her identity is not obvious, and his ministers still hope that he can There are French royal ladies, just as the king said, there are not a few people in the palace now staring at Madame Lavalier, as long as she is a little negligent, the sewage of slander and ridicule will whizz towards her like a wave. go.

He only hoped that this lady would not be as emotional as Mary, God, if all his royal ladies were like this, he would have to try to get men to do the job. After the royal lady broke up with the king, she also It's not that he didn't raise his lover or reunite with her husband. He also decided that he wouldn't delay Lavalier for too long. Madame Lavalier's age is similar to Henrietta's, even three years. Or five years later, she is still a young and healthy woman. If there are outstanding talents in her clan, the king will not be stingy with promotion, and she will just let Madame Lavalier "die of illness" at that time. The people in the middle are all weird and they know when they should keep their mouths shut, and why the wife of another official from another province is exactly the same as the former royal wife, and no one will pursue it, as long as the king doesn't care.

The busy work quickly made the king interrupt his cranky thoughts. Bontang walked in the door and asked him if he wanted to accept Varro Vesalius' request for an audience. The king refused, and Varro was left in the inner world by him at that time. But obviously, under the guidance of his mentor, he knew what kind of mistake he had made, and hurried back to ask the king's forgiveness, but he was not Condé, nor Turena, and he had a connection with the world. After Mancini and Milady, his role has become very small, so the king does not want to waste time on him at all.

   "But Mr Vesalius said," reminded Bontang, "that this matter has to do with Lorraine."

   (end of this chapter)