For the first month it was undoubtedly strange for both the Dauphin and myself. We were not used to sharing a bed nor each others company. From our brief conversation that night two years prior I knew that he was a fan of dogs and not my Madre and that was about it. Every night he’d give me a kiss on the forehead and wish me sweet dreams and then we’d stay on separate sides of the beds and sleep. It was bizarre enough living in a secretly unconsummated marriage but I found it even peculiar how I was constantly being followed around by an entourage. In fact, it was rather annoying.
Twelve days into our sort of marriage I was sat out in the garden with just the Dauphin drinking tea imported from Portugal that I decided to talk to him. Thankfully there was no one around. Well, no one in earshot. “I was wondering,” I blew on the tea cooling it down. “When we are going to consummate our marriage…” I left it open ended deliberately.
When it took Philip a while to reply I stared at him. “When I first saw you, you were barely thirteen.” He said instead. “Do you know how old I was?”
“Seventeen.” I replied with a frown. “Pray tell me what this has to do with anything?”
He shrugged, “nothing, I just pondered your view on it.” He took a sip of tea. “Do you think that you are ready?”
I put my cup back on the saucer and placed my hands in my lap nervously. “Truth be told sir, I am anxious. It worries me that we are not fully wedded.”
He chuckled to himself, “have you no faith in me wife? Do you expect me to demand an annulment?” Now that he had voiced my concerns it felt ludicrous but we still weren’t fully together. There was no denying it. “I was not just drunkenly pretending my feelings; I meant every word I said to you on our wedding night.” His voice had gone quiet and serious.
I smiled timidly, “good, I am glad to hear it.” We went back to sipping at our teas. “Do you hunt?”
He laughed, “poorly.”
“Play an instrument?” I carried on.
“I have been known on occasion to run my fingers along a harpsichord but I personally like the lute. I find the music I make and others make from that much more appeasing to the ear. And you?”
I snorted, nearly spilling my tea everywhere. “I am not coordinated enough to play an instrument. I am much better at criticizing others.”
Philip laughed, I liked his laugh for it made me laugh too. “I hope to change that.”
******
Madame DuBois reminded me far too much of Senorita Dulcinia and therefore I disliked her a lot. In my nearly two month stay here in France I had not talked to the King’s mistress once. She wasn’t particularly liked throughout court and through the gossipers I had gathered that she drank too much and shouted too often. She was an angry soul that liked to refine herself to the King’s chambers at all hours of the day. I personally did not approve especially when she started acting inappropriate at meal times. Many a time they would abruptly leave leaving us sat there stunned.
Senor Vargas had been encouraging me a lot to talk to her as because of status she was not permitted to speak to me first. I declined explaining that I would not bring myself to speak to a harlot.
It was breakfast and Madame DuBois was dipping strawberries in cream and feeding them slowly to the King whilst draped all over him. She stopped, wiped her hands on a napkin and took several massive glugs of deep red wine while I tried to not draw attention to myself. I could feel her eyes on me, begging me to look up so that I wouldn’t have a choice but to address her. I turned sideways instead and still feeling her stare on my face I picked up a conversation with Philip. He sat three seats away from me; tradition claimed that at such a meal he was not permitted to sit beside me. He glanced from Madame DuBois to me and hid his expression well as he reciprocated in the conversation.
After breakfast I asked him what his intentions were for the day and he told me that he was going to go hunting. I nodded and checked but as far as I could tell there was no one in sight so I placed my hands on either side of his cheeks and pushed my lips up against his and held them there for a few seconds before standing back. “What was that for?” He asked stunned.
“Beg your pardon,” I said immediately, bowing my head.
“No, no,” he waved off quickly, “it was just unexpected is all.” He glanced up and down and then wrapping one arm around my waist pulled me right up against him and pressed his lips back against mine before stumbling backwards. “I shall see you after the hunt.”
“Be safe,” I replied giving a small curtsy and then walking away. Senor Vargas basically sprang out of nowhere and pulled me into a spare room that looked like a study.
“Princess, how would you describe breakfast?” He asked with a fatherly tone.
I raised my shoulders, “somewhat awkward.”
He nodded, “yes, somewhat awkward indeed. We both know that you knew Madame duBois was looking at you.”
“Did we? I was certain that I was having an in depth conversation with my husband.” I stuck my chin out.
He lowered his voice, “this is not the place for you to be playing games, princess. You need to grasp how important that it is for you to have Madame duBois on your side. She is a very influential person and without her liking you then surely she will turn the King against you too.”
I frowned at him hating what I was about to say but needing to say it anyway, “what does it matter? I am married to the Dauphin and it cannot be undone.”
He raised an eyebrow at me, “or can it?”
I blushed red, “how on earth-”
He put a finger to his lips to cut me off. “You do not know who could be listening.” He mouthed to me. “Do you understand what I am saying, princess? You need to promise me that you will talk to Madame duBois even if it is for a fleeting five seconds.” He returned his voice back to a normal level.
Still very red in the face I nodded, “fine, I shall talk to her if that is your wish.”
He nodded and gave me a small smile. “It is, thank you. I shall inform your parents that you are getting along just fine.”
“But am I?” I frowned narrowing my eyes slightly.
He hesitated, “that is what I am going to tell them.” He answered after a moment.
******
While the Dauphin had been away hunting I had conjured up a plan. I asked my lady’s maid, Chaney, to fetch me as many rose petals as she could by tonight and without even batting an eyelid she agreed. When I thought of my plan it made me flush red but it needed to be done. When Philip returned I greeted him and asked politely how the hunt had gone. “We killed three badgers if that means we’re good.” He laughed without humor. “The dogs were far too excited to do a lot.” He explained before walking off to rest.
At dinner that night while we were eating our fresh vegetables and finely cooked meat I couldn’t help but drink more wine than usual. “Slow down, wife, or you’ll be stumbling through desert.” He remarked giving me a confused look. Then after a few more mouthfuls he stopped and examined me, “are you worried about something?”
I shook my head feverishly, “no, no, I am perfectly fine thank you. I suppose I’m just not pacing myself tonight.” I took another swig of wine.
Once dinner was over Philip went off to play some cards and I hurried off to our chamber. I burst through the door making Chaney jump and squeak like a little mouse. She apologised and curtsied. “I have the rose petals, your highness.” She gestured to three jars jammed full of pink and red petals.
I smiled tentatively, “thank you.” I paused. “Will you help me? I plan on pleasing the Dauphin.” I admitted feeling my cheeks burn again.
“Of course my lady.” Chaney bowed her head and hurried to the other side of the room and returned with a white shift. She held it by the shoulders and it was much lower cut than my usual ones. I nodded and smiled as she helped me out of my heavy day dress. That in itself felt like an ordeal and took up a great deal of time. I stood in my shift as Chaney curled my hair seductively over one shoulder. She worked efficiently and quietly.
“Thank you. Now, how do we scatter these petals?” I picked up a jar and frowned at it.
“If you don’t mind me suggesting Your Highness but I would have them scattered on the bed and around you and from the door leading to the bed.” Chaney said unsure of herself.
I smiled at her, “that is a splendid idea. Let us make haste though, the Dauphin could walk through the door at any moment.” Chaney helped me to scatter the petals and then I got into position on the bed as she lit the right amount of candles so that it was a low, hazy orange and she scattered some more petals. Finally she doused me in perfume before I asked her to fetch the Dauphin for me. She curtsied and left the room.
I didn’t dare help myself to more wine. I was borderline drunk as it was and I needed to be in complete control of myself. I lay on my side, propped up on one elbow, facing the door. I was nervous to say the least but also kind of tranquil at the same time because of the alcohol thrumming through my system. I glanced down and hitched my shift up so it gathered more at my waist and made it shorter so it finished up my thighs showing a lot of leg. I wondered Comtesse DeGeneres’s reaction if she were to pompously barrel through the door as she usually did. She would be horrified and humiliated, how funny that would be though. The door handle twisted and so did my stomach.
Philip opened the door and his eyes went huge and his mouth dropped open. “What is this?” He asked closing the door quietly behind him. His eyes traveled from my face very slowly down my body.
“I feel ready, Your Highness.” I said in the most seductive voice that I could muster. “I want to be your wife in every way possible.”
He blinked and then swallowed, his eyes straying all over me at once. He walked over, kicking his shoes off as he did so. He stopped with his legs pushed up against the side of the bed. “I have never seen so much of a woman before.” He admitted in a gruff voice.
That made something flutter inside of me, he classified me as a woman! He slowly got onto the bed, trailing his hand from my knee up my thigh and onto my hip. It sent a current all through me that bolted straight to my heart. It was as if my body was coming alive.
He put his hand on my cheek and pushed his lips against mine and at first it was like our usual peck on the lips but then as he tested himself he opened his mouth as he pushed us together harder. My heart was pounding, my stomach leaping and there was this current pulsing through me that I never knew existed. There were far too many buttons to undo but I managed it and it gave his hands more time to explore me. They travelled along my arms, across my stomach, over my breasts and up my thighs. Finally once it was only my shift that stood in the way he pulled it off over my head and let it flutter to a white heap on the floor. “I have been waiting for this for over two years, wife,” he grumbled all musky and heavenly in my ear. I was glad of the wine for it softened the pain but it was done and we were together how we hadn’t been in front of the court on our wedding night and I was glad that we had waited. Now that we knew each other better and had privacy it could be as undignified as we liked and there was nothing anyone could do about it. He apologised and kissed along my neck as he tried to be gentle but like me he was a beginner and fumbled and it was so human. It was the most down to earth human thing I had ever done yet so heavenly. It must have been the biggest contradiction I had ever felt as well.
That night, afterwards we didn’t sleep on either sides of the bed but Philip wrapped an arm around me and I slept snuggled up against him. What a shock it would be to whoever gets him up in the morning to find us so suddenly together naked. I felt different. I felt more grown up yet against his nineteen year old frame strangely small. I found it hard to go to sleep although I was exhausted. Just before I fluttered into my dreams I felt Philip press his lips to the top of my head, “I adore you, Anna.” He muttered but I couldn’t be sure if I had imagined it or not.