ADONIA | #Historical | RomePi™

Cinq ɬ 5 (BWWM)

THE PALACE

"My dear friend. Why have you neglected us for so long?" Smiles welcomed him to join in with the frivolous ambiance as it abounded in the room.

The salons were abuzz with the merriment of the lively entertainment caressing its way freely to every nook and cranny and warm body that was present.

With so many people in residence at the palace, the king was insistent that the attendees be adequately enthralled to curtail their most basic human tendencies.

Much was provided in an enormous undertaking to occupy the members of the Argentén noblesse. As they sauntered about freely sporting their latest frocks and frillies, each area of amusement was carefully constructed to help them forget their woes.

How could anyone exist in the heights of society and yet, not be present amongst the throng with curled and perfectly placed hairs on the heads of every man and woman who secured a spot in such a grand audience?

What salon was worthy of calling itself capable if not for its ability to lavish itself in the seductively delicious scents only afforded to the very representatives of Argentén's highest class?

With those questions firmly secured in the minds of its guests, opulence knew no bounds as it was placed on display before them.

Discussing matters ranging from the salacious to the foolish provided these creatures of wealth and privilege with what to do and why. Their attentions were easily diverted from one topic to another as long as it was juicy with undertones of scandal. That was the reason the vacuous nature of their entertainments was forever ripe with intrigue.

That was the allure of the palace.

It was a house of untold wonders. A land of succulent tits and tiddles existed beyond the comprehension of the working backbone of the country. Those striving to live on the mere scraps of the earth held no mastery of what it meant to enjoy excess. Struggle for every crumb comprised the suffering that was their subsistence. And unlike the noblesse, nothing was more unimaginable to the common sons and daughters of Argentén than the secrets hidden and held carefully by those who perpetrated the most sinfully divine faux pas known to man.

But, alas. The very ground beneath the feet of the Argentén noblesse, which happened to be fully pregnant with things best held sub rosa, also flowed with cordial elixirs much like those prescribed by apothecaries. These elixirs made the palace a far more hospitable place for those who waited on bated breath for the surfacing of one scandal after the next.

As the Duke de Valois made pleasant conversation with each attendee who crossed his path, he effortlessly breezed from the amusements of the salon advancing in the direction of the King.

Since the Duke was a beloved favorite of the royal family, not only was he highly regarded in every circle, but he was also known to enjoy the flowers of the court who in turn drank from him to the fullest.

Being the son of a mistress released Étienne from much of the delicately structured pomp and pageantry of the court. And, yes, he was quite thankful to live a life free from those strings. However, his position was not without its benefits or its responsibilities.

The missing constraints of the crown afforded him the wealth and freedom to garner respect in whatever circle he found himself without the responsibility that bound his proper-born brothers.

Frolicking, gambling, and spending his father's money was the full-time profession he had labored diligently for far too many years to perfect. Several of his older siblings held the honor of being royals in the line of succession. That distinction required that they carry themselves with great reserve while refraining from any sort of misbehaviors that might be frowned upon.