The deepest love

Chapter 5

 The next morning, when I woke up, he was already gone.  Cesare is like that, he comes and goes, as if he is a ghost. I already got used to that, but still I wish he would at least say goodbye before leaving. 

Suddenly, Henriette practically barges into my chambers & she looks completely flushed. I wonder, which servant made her this satisfied. 

"My lady, why are you still in bed?!" She almost screams at me.

 I glare at her, my face is filled with confusion. So, she wasn't hiding from a servant, she was rushing to wake me up. Since when do I have to wake up at a certain hour? I'm the popes daughter, practically a princess, so I shall do as I like. 

"Henriette, why can't I be in my bed?  And why do you look, like you ran through the whole Vatican just to wake me up for no reason?" I ask with a grin on my face. 

Henriette grabs her skirt and rushes towards my bed. 

Then she sits down & faces me. " My lady, this morning His Holiness has requested your immediate presence  in the audience hall. So you must get out of the bed as fast as possible & make yourself presentable. " 

"Father wants to see me? In the audience hall? For what kind of reason? It's not even noon. " I am more confused than ever. 

Henriette sighs " My lady, as you know, your father has been considering marrying you of for quite some time now. He has invited all sorts of lords & Dukes. Suitors from different parts of Italy have arrived to see you, not to mention even the French ambassador is here! The Pope wants you to meet them & choose yourself a husband."

I can barely gather my thoughts as I stare with a face full of confusion to my most trusted confidant in this place to make sure she is being completely serious. 

After I realise that she is not toying with me at all I say " Henriette, you must make me look gorgeous as fast as possible."

      ***

I stride through the halls of Vatican with a little smile on my face. 

Henriette is certainly good at her job, because she managed to put me into an extremely elegant black dress, which makes me look like some kind of rare black colored jewel. She even managed to curl my hair a little bit, which gives me some wilderness. 

I stop as I am now standing in front of the door of the audience hall. I try to calm my breathing down. 

Henriette takes my hand & smiles " Calm down. There's nothing to be scarred of. You are Francois, the daughter of his Holiness my lady, walk in there with your head held high, for none of these man ever met a woman quite like you."

Those word calm me down & after one last deep breath I feel ready. 

The doors open & enter the room as if I own it. 

My father's trusted adviser, Valerio, was the one, who taught me how to act in any situation I'm forced into. When entering a room full of influential men, he said that I have to make a good first impression. If I want to be the most impressive woman alive, then I have to be both gracious and bold. 

To be honest, Valerio, has been a great teacher. Event though he could be my father, for he is much older than me, sometimes I felt like he was interested in me, in different way than he should be. I don't feel anything towards him though, but I must admit, I do enjoy his affections towards me. He makes me feel noticed, desired even & I sometimes find myself wanting to fulfil certain desires, which are hidden deep inside my body. 

 Henriette says, that being the daughter of the most powerful man in Rome, is the biggest privilege ever. " Every man desires you, but none of them can own you. " Those are the words she always says to me.