In French

Chapter Sixteen

    I was exhausted, yet positively aching to hold the child that I’d been carrying inside of me for months. He had been taken away to be paraded around the palace while only the King, Dauphin, midwife and doctor stayed. Chaney snuck in beginning opening windows for which I was grateful. Philip clutched my clammy hand in both of his, his eyes shining with tears of joy.

    “Congratulations my love,” he beamed, “We have done it, produced a healthy heir that is currently screaming his lungs out with the courtiers.”

   I cleared my throat giving a weak smile, “Thank God.”

   “You did exquisitely well today.” He patted my forehead appraisingly. “I am so very proud of you…What shall we name our son?”

    I was so very tired that we could have called the child Dog and I would not have minded at that moment. “Whatever you so wish, My Lord.”

    “The Dauphine is tired,” the midwife jumped in on my behalf, “To avoid her getting an illness it is important that we allow her to rest now.”

    The Dauphin nodded, “Of course,” he kissed my forehead, bowed then departed with his father. I closed my eyes as I listened to the sound of the birds chirping outside I fell sound asleep.

 ******

    I was weak but sure on the fast road to recovery two days later as I sat in a rocking chair clutching my little prince in my arms gazing down at his chubby rosy face. “You truly are quite delectable,” I cooed down into his deep brown eyes, tapping the end of his nose making him blink. “Positively adorable.” The Comtesse DeGeneres was clinging to me like a bad odor with the wet nurse lurking on standby as well. I was not permitted to breastfeed my son, it misshaped the breast although I doubt neither the Dauphin or I would have minded but those were the rules I had to abide by.

    At the very first sound of the prince’s grumbles he would be snatched out of my arms and stolen away, me watching with a furrowed brow after him. I wrote to Josepha although news had fast spread and she had already been informed. Katherine wrote too which pleased me no end and she said how her twins were learning new words every single day. She said it was “a miracle really seeing as they had such a complicated birth” although she never went into specifics.

    Agate arrived the next day in a huge green dress with her fire like hair piled full volume on top of her head and I took her to see the young August. “Oh is he not just divine!” She beamed as I passed her to him.

    “You are holding the future King, my friend,” I spoke softly as I grinned down at the baby. “Do be careful.”

    “Oh you truly are blessed, Anna.” She clutched him snugly to her where he tried to grasp one of her many bows. “Oui!” She cooed. “Oui, little prince. Appreciating a lady’s dress will get you a great far in this world.”

    “In this court especially.” I snorted. “A lot of the courtiers beg to see him but with a smug smile I refuse. It is a small pleasure that I relic in!”

    “You are cruel my friend,” she grinned as she pulled faces at my little August. “Why ever do you refuse?” I watched them for a while, softly content in the fact that she was holding my living, breathing baby boy. That her arms shaped around his tiny body and her cooing face focused on him proved that he was real and he truly was mine.

    “As if his new mind needs to be tainted by their sour eyes! No, as his mother it is my duty to protect him from as much as I can, those included.”

    “Well, I’m glad I passed the test.” Agate laughed, the baby gurgled. Comtesse DeGeneres and the wet nurse rustled from the sidelines. Agate glanced back at them nervously. “What is their problem?”