An Accidental Queen

Chapter 13

"ARE YOU HAPPY?" Blanche's bright blue eyes were unblinking behind her gauze veil. 

My new companion looked beautiful in a slender gown embroidered and trimmed with gold, silver and sapphire, complementing her fair complexion and comely smile. A silken crépine contained her flaxen curls and her arms were swathed in jewels—which glittered brilliantly against the gleam of the hanging candles interspersed throughout the great hall. 

Music and laughter swirled around us. The pungent scents of extravagant puddings and cuts of meat denoted the lavish feasting and dancing that had followed our wedding ceremony, as every citizen in France rejoiced over the preservation of the Kingdom. 

"I am happy to serve France as the dauphine," I replied diplomatically. Even though I trusted Blanche, I could not disclose my true feelings when hordes of noblemen and ladies scrutinized my every move. Gossip in the castle travelled like the tongues of raging fires, Martine had warned me.

My female attendants—a gaggle of chattering young women assigned to supervise my life at court—wore slender dresses made of gold and silver. 

To the disdain of Martine, my ladies also brandished feathers in their hair and wore cloaks from the skins of exotic animals from the North—some of them costing as much as fifty francs. 

Against the orders of the Church, some of my maids sported cinched-in girdles atop their tight gowns.

Martine said the revealing fashions of the women at court were too scandalous to be worn by respectable married women. My ladies insisted upon marking the wedding festivities with great pomp.

After the wedding procession had brought us back to court, I had promptly replaced my ornate gown for another. Being made of silk, the second was far less heavy than the first. A silver belt wound around the waist, accentuating my willowy figure. A thin veil obscured my features.

Regardless of how elegant my appearance may have been, my groom scarcely lifted an eye to me unless prompted by ceremony. I wondered if Blanche had noticed his apparent disinterest, or if her romantic imagination had prevented her from acknowledging reality.

"I did not ask about your duty," Blanche giggled, nibbling on one of her pine nut candies. "I asked about your happiness."

I gazed through the hordes of noblemen, towards the many servants who stood watching the celebration. Their eyes were fastened to the dais where we sat, hoping to catch a glimpse of the King or the new dauphine who all the criers and troubadours had reported as beautiful and elegant. I was certain they would be disappointed when they saw me atop the throne instead. 

One woman had clucked has I walked past: "How plain she looks than her description. I hope the dauphin isn't disappointed."

A little girl, no more than eight, stared at the dais in awe, her expression wistful. When I was her age, I also envied the nobility and their grand festivities, glistening costumes and sumptuous feasts. Most of all, I had yearned to be seen.

Tears glistened in my eyes as I turned back to Blanche. How could I tell her I was not happy to marry her brother and lead a life that was never intended for me? How could I admit my heart longed for the familiar forests and fields and rolling hills of Toulouse?

"They would like to see us dance." Charles Augustus cleared his throat. 

He had emerged from the shadows of the great hall, the candlelight sparking against the sword dangling from his side. He was dressed in azure fabric stamped with the golden fleur-de-lys, his dark hair curled above his ears. 

My knees buckled beneath me as I stood to face him, unable to untangle the sadness gathering in my throat. 

His forehead creased in confusion as he noticed the tears on my face. Then, he lowered his hand and offered a sympathetic smile. "I will tell my father we would like to retire early."