บท 14: Tea Time (Gone Briish)
It's tiring, I feel my whole body tense, I felt like I was locked in a prison, but the prison is my own body.
"Your Royal Highness, if you can be still, we will be finished shortly."
A tall man dressed in white breeches and a black coat said as he handled the color pallet and painted with his brush on the canvas, while his brown eyes peered over to look at me from time to time.
"Your Royal Highness, raise your head a bit...perfect, thank you."
While adjusting my posture a couple of times more the man put down his tools and smiled while looking at the canvas.
"It is done, you can come to take a look, Your Royal Highness"
I nodded and stretched my arms and legs a bit to get rid of the stiffness that comes with standing still for a couple of hours and went to see how the painting turned out.
The painting itself was great, there was me dressed in a three-piece set of coat, waistcoat, and breeches of golden color accompanied by white stockings, jabot, gloves, and black shoes. My right hand was inside my coat in the belly area, while my right hand was on my hip. My short white hair was fashioned back while the sides were curled up, chin high and my slivery eyes looked a bit to the side.
"It's very good now I see why sir Callet is called the painter of the King (peintre du Roi)."
I praised the man.
"Thank you for your kind words, Your Royal Highness."
The man called Antoine-François Callet bowed down.
"Now I will let it dry, the painting then would be sent to Royal Highness's room. Now if you would excuse me, the King wants his portrait painted too."
Seeing me acknowledging him Callet then directed some servant to take the painting and he himself started cleaning up.
With my part here done I moved out of the room only to see Marie dressed in the gown that I have given her, well the King actually commissioned it as soon as she got to France, it was made by craftsmen from Lyon.
The gown itself was red with various depictions of flowers interwoven in it, the gown looked good along with a petticoat and stomacher made in a triangular panel shape. Her hair was done in soft waves with a single braid at the back of her head, she looked really beautiful and elegant in this dress, truly a beauty like no other.
"Oh, Marie what are you doing here?"
I asked her, I went to Callet after her, I was curious why would she wait here.
"I was waiting for you, I want to invite you for some afternoon tea."
She said with a small smile.
"You could have just sent for a servant to get me, you know? No need for you to stand for hours waiting for me."
I said to her, it was kinda sweet that she waited for me, but you know in modern times you could play on your phone to pass the time, but here you had no such luxury, maybe reading the newspaper is kinda the same, but the newspaper is expensive and at most, there is a couple of pages of it, plus the most know newspaper, Gazette de France who has its origins during Louis XIII reign, was heavily censored and had to had the governments approval first.
"No, I wanted to invite you myself."
She replied.
"Well then, I see why not, I will be glad to join you for a cup of tea."
I had nothing to do anyway and I grew accustomed to spending time with Marie, I tried to spend as much time as possible with her and I can safely say that there was no more awkwardness between us or something like that, It is a long way to call us a couple, we are now maybe at the level of best friends right about now.
"Then let's go to the gardens I already had the servants prepared everything."
So tea outside then, well I won't refuse the weather is quite nice today, a bit cloudy, but there was no wind.
As I and Marie left I see King Louis XV coming with a small retinue of nobles and servants behind him, well he was at the morning meeting so my siblings, Marie, and I took our portraits first.
We both did a curtsy and Louis XV just nodded and passed us by and we went our way.
The white table was prepared and various pastries with a teapot were already put on it.
Soon as we sat down a servant poured us some tea, it was green tea. Actually, I was surprised that tea is really rare and expensive and you could only get green tea, and even rarer you could get your hands on black tea.
"Marie, what will you do with your portrait? I was thinking of maybe hanging them in our room next to each other."
I asked her. I kind of imagined when I'm older instead of showing photos to my kids or grandkids I would be showing my portraits instead and telling them to look at how their father/ grandfather looked when he was young and strong!
Well, that's it if I somehow manage to navigate the revolution or even prevent it from happening. I know that what brought the french revolution is the financial debt that the French monarchy managed to pile up and French involvement with the American war of Independence, which further increased the dept and brought a wave of liberty and equality along with it, plus it showed people that a victory against military powers and everlasting change is not just a far fetched dream, but reality.
But honestly, the most important thing that happened was probably the skyrocketing prices of food, especially bread. It was logical that that happen because of the bad harvest as the supply was lower than the demand, but only one year of the bad harvest wouldn't have such an impact on the prices. Hmm, I will have Abbot Terray show me the yearly yield of grain...
"Louis, did you hear me?"
Marie asked me and I jumped away from my thoughts.
"No, sorry, I was just thinking how beautiful you are today."
I delivered a cheesy line to try to deceive her. I have a couple of years ahead of me so this was not the time to think too deeply about it, sill I will ask Terray about those grain yields.
"You are lying!"
Marie said as he pouted, nothing beats women's intuition, huh.
"No, I'm not."
I tried to say to her but was immediately cut off by her.
"When you are deep in thoughts your eyes go to the right."
Huh, I didn't even realize that.
"Right, you got me, I deeply apologize I was thinking about some things, but still you look beautiful today, Marie."
I apologized, well if you are caught there is no more point in lying further, especially to a woman.
"A-I, thank you, Louis."
I just smiled, apparently, I will get scot-free out of this situation.
"If you could repeat what you said, I would be grateful."
"Oh, yes, I said that I was thinking of sending the portrait to my family, but we could definitely hang them in our rooms."
"No, sent it to your family then, we will have plenty of time in the future to make new portraits, maybe even as a King and a Queen."
I said. If she wants to send it to her family then it's ok, I will not deny it, I know that she misses them.
"Yes, I would like that."
"Then it's settled."
I replied.
"Yes I will send it as quickly as I can, my mother will be really happy."
She replied. Some things don't change, they just evolve this was just like sending pictures to your parents of yourself via the internet, but in 1770 when the internet doesn't exist Marie instead of sending pictures is sending literally painting.
"Did you write to your family back in Austria?"
I asked her.
"Yes, I did after the first week, talking about my experiences."
"Hopefully you only wrote good things."
I laughed a bit.
"I feel welcomed by everyone, but it would be better if Madame Etiquette wasn't nagging me at every opportunity she has, at times like this I really miss madame Lerchenfeld, she was really kind and caring, forgiving too, unlike Etiquette."
"Haha, it can't be that bad."
"But it is! Marie that's a breach of etiquette, Marie lady should be elegant and uphold the etiquette, act proper, do that, do this!"
"Well at least she tells you, while I under Duc De La Vauguyon had to redo everything if I made a mistake"
I said to her fondly remembering the days of my tutoring when I made even the simplest mistakes even when greeting or even walking which is bizarre, but you live you learn.
"But...Still!"
"Look at it this way, she tells you that because she cares, and Marie, you are Dauphine of France, the future Queen of France and daughter of the famous Holy Roman Empress and Archduchess of Austria Maria Theresa, you are looked upon and will be looked upon by the nobles and commoners alike, you should be the best you can be, you should be the example of the French nobility and etiquette which is looked at in awe. Maybe you didn't notice, but some of the younger and even older noblewomen started doing their hair in your style, even wearing similar dresses."
"I'm...sorry"
Now she looks like a kicked puppy with those downcast eyes...
But she still needs to understand that she will be a leader of a country, not only the French people will look at her and how she acts, but other monarchs, as France, even if it lost the seven years war is still a superpower and I'm sure as hell that they will take every opportunity ty slender her name if she acts inappropriately or un-ladylike.
"You have nothing to be sorry about, just try to listen if you can, it will save a lot of headaches in the future as the French court pays a lot of attention to etiquette, it will save you a lot of headaches in the future. Plus we can change some things in the future as King and Queen because I myself can't be really called a proper gentleman."
"Yes...especially on the dance floor."
"Hey! I'm just not good at coordinated rhythmical moves and it was just one time, okay?"
"But I clearly rememb-"
"So have you gotten a reply from your family?"
"Hehe, No, I send it 4days ago, so I'm expecting to get a reply in a week's time."
She just laughed at me and then replied.
"Oh that's faster than expected"
That's fast, as I thought that it would take months for letters to arrive from Versailles to Vienna, I clearly misjudged the speed of horses. I know that a horse can go fast, after all, I go hunting frequently with them I know of their speed, but now I see horses in a new light, now I see why they were still used for combat in the interwar years(between WW1 and WW2) and even were used in WW2 (Germany alone used around 2.75 million horses), I always thought that this was because making cars was difficult or costly.
"Well, It did leave with the party that came with me as I gave the latter to one of the courtiers."
So Marie is implying that it a courier could get to Vienna even faster if he traveled alone or with a small party without a horse-drawn carriage.
"Maybe someday we could travel to Austria, I surely want to see the country where you came from and meet your family."
If I wasn't a Prince, I would surely be traveling by now, visiting all those historical cities like London, Vienna, Venice, Roma, Paris, St. Petersburgh, and Moscow to see how they looked in the 18th century.
"Yes! we could go to Hofburg Palace, Laxenburg with its beautiful scenery and theatre and Schonbrunn which you would love it! It was like Versailles, it has numerous beautiful gardens commissioned by my father and mother. Ah especially in the winter, we could go sledding! Ah, I remember when I and my sibling would go sledding with my older brother Joseph always driving the sled, then playing in the snow..."
She was clearly excited by the prospect of visiting Austria and I understand her after all this was home for 14 years old, all of her childhood memories are there along with her family and friends, she was missing them and no letter could replace directly seeing them, talking to them.
"Well let's first get you accustomed to France and I will see if maybe next year we could travel to Austria."
I somehow doubt that I could travel abroad after all I'm the Dauphin 0f France, so if it's not for a diplomatic mission, the King will certainly not let me go if he did give me the green light then I would probably have an entire army following me.
"Ah, I can't wait for the next year already."
We both laughed at Marie's words.
"Firstly we will have to get the approval from the King."
"True."
She replied and we once again enjoyed our tea.
Soon we saw King Louis XV walking by the gardens with Madame du Barry who hugged his arm and a couple of nobles and servants followed them.
"Ugh, du Barry"
Marie said bitterly as she sipped her tea, while the King's party passed us.
"Why don't you like her?"
I asked, while their animosity started almost immediately since Marie arrived and both of them can't do anything against each other as Marie is a princess of HRE and duchess of Austria so slandering her is literally a political suicide, while Marie can't do anything against Madame du Barry because this is not Austria and she has no power here.
"It's just... look at her, dressed in that blue mantua which is so outdated, walking around all high and mighty, when she isn't even a queen but a prior prostitute, all of that because she "entertains" the King"
Well, it's just general dislike and maybe because Madame du Barry has a lot of political weight just by being a royal mistress, and probably having such a background as a prostitute if I am to believe Marie's words.
On the other hand, Marie isn't really active in the political court, she spends most of the time just socializing with everybody, most of the work is done by diplomats from Austria, though they are being blocked from pushing Austrian influence by Triumvirate and the King himself, all they managed to do is to lower the custom charge of Austrian goods and have a small priority in French docks for Austrian ships, while the French in return got almost top priority for their merchants and ships, in the end, the French managed to get more than the Austrians.
"Marie, your animosity with her brings more trouble than it's worth. There is an old saying "Let the fool have its way" just don't try to agitate her, let her live it's not like she will live in this luxury forever as when I take the throne she will be immediately stripped of her titles as she is just a royal mistress and as you told not a queen."
It's true even at some meetings she pestered the King that Marie is scorning her, and in turn, the King pesters the Austrian Ambassador Mercy-Argenteau and in 4 years she will be powerless.
"Ugh, Sir Mercy told me the same, but I just can't..."
"Look you don't need to talk to her, just say something like "The weather is good today" and that's it afterward you can just ignore her."
And Marie just ignored me.
"Even ask your mother she will tell you the same, just acknowledge her and that's it, you don't need to act friendly with her afterward."
"Fine, I will talk to my mother about it..."
"Yes do that I will definitely try to get us the trip to Austria."
I said to her and smiled as she smiled back.
"By the way have you heard of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart?"
I asked her genuinely curious as Mozart was Austrian himself.
"Oh, Mozart, yes I know him he played at our court along with his father Leopold and sister Nannerl. You should have heard him perform, first one extended note, followed by another, then as if the gates were opened harmonious music flowed out of the piano by the hands of Mozart. Every of my family members was really amazed by the talents displayed by the Mozart family so much so that Mozart even received a kiss from my mother and Nannerl received one from my father. He is comparable to Johann Sebastian Bach."
Marie said with passion, well she really liked dancing, singing and she played the harp, the harpsichord, and the flute to a quite good level at least to my standards which are abysmal as I didn't listen to classical music at all, all my knowledge comes from school and general knowledge.
"Wait, Now that I think about it... didn't the Mozart family visit Paris and Versailles?"
Now dad she asked...I scurried the memories and then remembered.
"Ah yes indeed they did in 1763, Mozart was seven I think and he played the piano and then I remember the King asking him to play the organ. Truly talented kid, worthy of prodigy status."
From the memories, I have Mozart was truly on another level, after they stay at Versailles which was for two weeks they received a lot of gifts from nobles and the King alike.
"Hm, do you know where the Mozarts are now?"
I asked her as I wanted to invite them here and experience live performances by Mozart and his family, many in the future would be jealous of me having this honor of hearing Mozart play.
"Sadly no, I just know that he went to Italy, why you ask?"
Well, that's a bummer, I guess I should invite him when he ends his tour and starts staying in one place.
"I just wanted to invite him here, that's all"
"You definitely should, even if he is young he is really talented."
Marie replied all serious.
I will definitely try to invite him if he accepts then it would be great if not then nothing will be lost as he isn't really a crucial character in my life, the only thing is that I would be remembered in history as a person who was a patron of Mozart, but that wouldn't save me from the guillotine.
"Well I will try, but if it fails I have you!"
I said.
"Oh no, I'm definitely not that talented as Mozart."
"I think you are great at singing and playing music."
I complimented her and I could see her getting embarrassed a little.
"I'm still not that great."
"For me, Marie is the greatest!"
"No..."
"Yes! Why I would even think of inviting Mozart to the court when I have Marie at my side?"
"Louis! S-Stop it!"
"Haha, okay, okay I'm stopping."
I like how Marie is weak at teasing, maybe I like it too much...Nah, I don't do it often, do I?
"By the way, Marie how about a hunting trip tomorrow evening? The King is organizing one."
"Of course, I will be happy to join you."
"Good, tomorrow even my sibling will be joining us, It would be fun just like the last time."
I said to her.
Hunting quickly became my favorite hobby, while it was a bit inhumane by modern human standards, I quickly grew accustomed to just riding my horse looking for some game, it was almost like fishing for me and now I wanna try out fishing, I wonder how rods look at this time, do rods have a reel or do you do everything more by hand?
"Yes I definitely enjoyed the last time, I went to a couple of hunts in Austria, but I mainly was a spectator, but I acknowledge that hunting especially running after a prey is exhilarating."
...Wow isn't that a bit too dark, Marie?
"Maybe, Maybe. I personally enjoy riding the horse through the woods and actually looking for animal parts more."
"Hmm, but you can just hop on a horse and ride it, no? And I get the excitement for looking for an animal, but it got really frustrating after some time."
"Well if you want to chase the prey, then you need to find it first and we have dogs for that who can find the prey faster than us."
I replied to her honestly.
"True."
We sipped our green tea some more and chatted some more.
"Marie, wanna go for a walk?"
I asked her while drinking tea and just talking is great, but after posing for hours, I don't want to stay stationary for a long time as my legs and bottom started feeling tense.
After she agreed we quickly finished what remained of our tea and went for a walk around the gardens of Versailles which were big, but still not complete as Louis XV has private councils almost every evening about the progress of the gardens, even now I can see large amounts of soil pilled into large piles that later will be shifted to level the uneven ground, create parterres, build the Orangery and you could see digging works going on, the men were digging out the fountains and Canal in places previously occupied solely by meadows and marshes. Numerous sculptures that sometimes arrived just to be replaced the next day, by the orders of the King. From what I gathered that even the trees were brought in from different regions of France. Thousands of men, sometimes even entire regiments, took part in this immense project every day.
"Marie, you mentioned that Schonbrunn palace had a big garden, how does it match the one here at Versailles?"
I asked her genuinely curious, while I know that Nobles liked their gardens, are they just as big and flamboyant as the ones here in Versailles.
"No, they are definitely smaller, while the style is almost the same, gardens here have more exotic plants than the gardens back home in Schonbrunn, but they have their own charm, I'm sure you will like them just as much as these gardens, once we visit Austria."
Hmm so this is just Louis XV flexing on other monarchs by having the biggest garden, I already realized that the monarchs and nobles of France really liked to flaunt their wealth and prestige to others.
Truly, while the gardens of Versailles were beautiful, but as I walked around I just couldn't help and wonder how much money was spent here, so much money that could be used to fill the coffers of France and repaying the debt was wasted building a garden, just because we need to show how France is better than everyone else.
It would be such a headache taking care of them after I ascend the throne, well the plants aren't guilty of being placed here by the whims of one man.
"We will see in the future then if your words are true."
I said to Marie as we walked around the gardens some more, before separating for a bit as I went to study for a bit, while she was invited to a small evening party by the young french noblewomen.
A/N: Yes it's done. Btw did you know that I'm live in DC every evening from 10 pm to 12 pm and there is spicy Nier fanfic in the works that can be read on discord ;)
And I will be live after I upload this chapter so I will be waiting for you at https://discord.com/invite/SUeu6Ddejz
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