1673
She tapped her foot while she watched buildings pass by the carriage window. It'd been several weeks since her last visit to her children. As much as she wished she could see them more often, her time was taken up by the king and she always feared someone would follow her carriage and discover where her children were housed.
She dug her nails into the cushion on the seat. It'd only been two months since giving birth to another son, her third child to the king. The birth made her think of her first two children and she'd spent more than one night crying after hiding herself away in her bed.
Athénaïs burst out of the carriage as soon as it stopped. She gathered up her skirts and rushed up the stairs. The house had been recently acquired by the king to house their children and now she could visit them all at once, which meant spending more time with them.
As soon as she took several steps inside her two oldest came running. The babe cooed from Scarron's arms.
"Did you have candy?" Louise-François asked as she tugged on her mother's skirts. At three years old, her rosy cheeks made her look like a cherub. Her younger brother toddled after her, almost falling into her when he skidded to a stop.
Guilt gnawed at her insides as she imagined her oldest daughter standing to the side of her children. The one she might never see again. She had similar hair to her younger sister, and the same rosy face. But her eye color, she couldn't remember the exact shade. Panic sliced through her and she froze, her breath catching in her throat.
"Mama?" her daughter tugged again, dragging her mother back to them.
"Of course!" Athénaïs forced a cheery tone into her voice as she presented her daughter with a bag of candy and a second bag to her son. The children raced to the sitting room, their giggles and shrieks shattering the air in their wake.
"You shouldn't be giving them so much sugar. It makes them wild," Scarron grumbled.
"I'm their mother and will do as I please." She tossed her hair in defiance.
"Easy to say when you're not the one who looks after them."
She ignored the barb. They disagreed from time to time, but so far Scarron had been loyal in keeping her position and the children a secret. Scarron had continued her journey into a life of piety after leaving her lover. She still wore clothes of muted colors and didn't look like she belonged anywhere near court with her dark outfits. The position as governess ensured her enough money to live on, a way to get by without a new husband.
"Any word on when we will be able to join the court? It's getting a bit lonely having to keep all this a secret. And the way the women at salons try to guess where I've disappeared to! I've started bleeding myself before visits so I won't blush and fuel their gossip." Her face scrunched in disapproval. It was just like her, Athénaïs thought, to fear others accusing her of being part of something sinful.
She imagined Scarron stewing over guesses of her being a mistress or worse, a prostitute. The image gave her a flush of pleasure. Scarron was as stubborn as she was loyal and few visits went without an argument between them. "The king is working on a plan to recognize the children. Once he does you will join the court. It's more important than ever to keep the children's location a secret while he works on it. If my husband gets word he might try to spirit them away like—" like her first children, but the words got caught in her throat. No treats given to her children with the king would alleviate her guilt of sacrificing her other children to her husband.
"My lips are sealed. I wouldn't let anyone touch them, least of all that despicable man. But it's only a matter of time before the secret is revealed no matter what I do and I fear what will happen when that time comes." Her gaze wandered to where the children sat by the fireplace enjoying their sweets. She let out a sigh of frustration. "They've eaten half the bags already. They'll have stomach aches all night." She charged across the room and confiscated the sweets.
"I wasn't done!" Louise-François whined.
"You've had enough for a week. Tomorrow you can have another candy, but only one a day until the bag is gone."
"Children, come," Athénaïs called as she sat on the sofa. They both climbed up, one on either side of her. "What have you learned this week?"
Her daughter babbled on while her son played with a toy horse. Athénaïs listened to every word without distraction. She got so little time that she wanted to hear her daughter's voice as much as possible each visit. These stolen hours away from court were precious and far too short.
When it came time to put the children down for naps, the babe included, she did it herself. She read a story and once it was finished she crept out and down the stairs, knowing they'd be asleep any minute. She joined Scarron in the sitting room where she knitted away on a blanket.
"The king plans to visit next week. I'll send word when I know which day, but make sure the children are clean and in some of their best clothes when he arrives."
Scarron stared at her while her hands deftly worked the knitting needles. "Of course."
Without the children distracting her, Athénaïs surveyed Scarron's outfit. The gray contrasted against her own pink and white dress, but it was made of silk. So Scarron was as tempted by fine clothes as any woman despite her pious nature. Other woman at the salons Scarron attended would take notice before long and wonder how she afforded such finery. Truth be told she expected the secret of her children to be out already. The fact that it wasn't was a testament to Scarron's dedication to the cause and while they argued often, Athénaïs admired her fortitude.
The clock chimed five and Athénaïs climbed to her feet. "Time for me to go. I'm hosting a concert in my apartments tonight."
"Try not to bring them treats next time."
With a roll of her eyes she saw herself to the door before Scarron could rise. She didn't need her needling. As she always did she lingered on the doorstep, hesitant to leave her children. Then she gave in to what she knew she must do and she descended the stairs.
When the carriage pulled away, she stared out the window until she lost sight of the house. The same guilt that always bubbled up after each visited reared its head. She might not be able to give them much time, but her position with the king ensured their futures. Alone she could do nothing for them. It was a mantra she repeated to herself the whole way back to the palace. She no longer needed the king's love for herself, but the children as well. They helped her secure the king's love, but gave her more to lose if the king's heart strayed too far.
As soon as she arrived at her apartments a messenger from the king appeared, requesting her presence. She met him in the gardens. He knelt as he inspected a crop of plants Athénaïs couldn't identify.
"Have you decided to give up the crown and become a gardener?" she teased. "I might consider hiring you as long as you don't mind me watching while you work."
He stood with a smile and dusted his pants off. "I have good news." He kissed her cheek. "I found a way to recognize the children as mine."
Her eyebrows rose and her heart jumped in her chest. "Tell me."
He offered her his arm and led her on a slow walk. "The Duc de Longueville died during a battle on the Flanders border. He had an illegitimate child from an affair he carried out with another man's wife. His will asked his mother to have the boy legitimized as the Duc's natural grandson. He also left the boy a fortune. The will didn't mention who the mother was and I'm granting the request."
"But what does this have to do with our children?" She paused in her steps as the king plucked a white flower and tucked it behind her ear.
"Granting the request establishes a precedence, one I can use for our children. I will have our children legitimized but we will leave our names off the record. As long as we keep this quiet your husband will not know and he won't be able to stop us. As long as you give your permission, I can have our children legitimized and they will be safe from Montespan. "
She sucked in a deep breath. "Then they can come to court so we can see them more often?"
"Yes."
Finally. Her children would be recognized and she wouldn't need to be so careful in hiding her pregnancies. Her children wouldn't have to live in secret with the shadow of Montespan hiding in the corners. They would have a proper family at court, as much as they could in their situation. Now all she needed was an official separation from her husband and to give rid of Louise and she'd have everything she ever dreamed of. And in the future her children would be eligible for wealthy marriages and esteemed court positions.
"I will give them their official titles: Louis-César, Louis Auguste, and Louise-Françoise. Do you want me to?"
"Yes. Make it so." She stopped and tugged him in for a kiss. She wanted to dance and skip about, but she'd save it for when she reached the privacy of her apartments. She kissed him again, deeper this time. Before they pulled away the king tugged her toward the palace.
"Come inside. I want to get you out of this ravishing dress." He tugged at her skirt and she giggled.
"I wouldn't want to waste any time, not when we have something so grand to celebrate."