Chapter 1

Versailles, France, 17th of July 1664

Looking out of his window, he could see the reflection of the morning sun on the numerous fountains placed around the grounds, and how the golden rays were making the water shine and glimmer, giving the gardens an illusion of a fairy tale world, everything surrounded by the early morning glow. Mornings used to be her favorite part of the day. She used to love watching the sun go up, standing in front of the massive windows of the palace which allowed her to admire the view in it's full grandeur. She used to go up to him after the king's breakfast, and tell him about the different birds that had sung that day. She used to comment on all the new features and plants Le Notre had added to the already magnificent terrain. But that was all in the past. Now, he missed all those quirks and comments she used to make about the much respected yet dull etiquette, her long debates about the injustice of ranks that used to annoy him to no end, the way her eyes lit up as she talked about the new song that Lully had composed, how her smile showcased her beautiful teeth when he cracked one of his terrible jokes. He sighed, running a finger through his long hair. Why was he even thinking about her so much in the first place? It's not like she meant anything to him. And anyways, he couldn't afford to think about her in such a way. He was promised to someone else. He ran his fingers through his hair once more before he walked out his apartments to assist to the King's awakening, a frown of sorrow etched onto his handsome face.

Versailles, France, 6th of November 1657

The snow covered Le Notre's gardens with a white a blanket, covering the flowerbeds that had illuminated the gardens in the spring. All the fountains were frozen, and the ice was reflecting the rays of the morning sunshine, adding to the already bright and blinding view. A petite girl with black hair scraped up into a tight bun was admiring that very view from one of the upstairs bedroom windows, getting lost in the breathtaking scenery.

'Nellie, hurry up. The Queen will be awake in 20 minutes, and my hair isn't even done.' The voice interrupted Nellie's fleeting thoughts, bringing her back to reality. She quickly took the hairbrush and the comb from the drawer and turned back to the woman sitting in front of the mirror, who had pushed away her blonde hair away from her face, and revealing her beautiful blue eyes.

'Sorry my lady' She mumbled, vexed by her carelessness. She couldn't afford to be irresponsible. She was lucky to have gotten this post as a maid, even more so since it was at Versailles. She tried her hardest at making the most intricate hairstyle in the shortest amount of time possible, doing her best to keep up with the constantly changing fashion of the court. She quickly, yet efficiently applied make up on her mistress's face, putting rouge on her lips and blush on her cheeks. In less than 15 minutes, Nellie was done, and her mistress smiled at her, seemingly pleased with the result, and left the room.

Nellie then proceeded with her usual morning routine, making the bed, folding away the many clothes, and many more, before leaving the room to go downstairs, towards the castle kitchens.

She entered the busy kitchen, different scents and smells coming from every corner of the room, the clattering of pans and cutlery resounding across the room. She walked over to a table where a couple of maids sporting a similar hair style where sat down. She installed herself in front of an untouched plate garnished with a piece of bread and a bowl of soup. She quickly tucked in, not talking to anyone around her. She was shy, and never got to know the other maids here in Versailles, too scared to initiate conversation. They had often tried to interact with her, but had given up after she failed to reply with more than one or two words. She watched a dark haired girl talking animatedly at the other end of the table, making the others laugh at her antics. That was Aylin. She was the most intimidating out of all of them, and even though she seemed nice, she had also given up unsuccessfully trying to pull words out of Nellie. She turned her attention back to her meal, dipping a piece of her bread into the soup. She sighed, wishing that there were someone here that she could talk to. Sure, she had Abe, her brother, who also worked in the castle, but as a cook, but he barely had any time for her, always trying to find a new recipe that would impress the King. She looked around the kitchen, trying to see if he was around. She was on the brink of stopping her search when she saw the short jet-black hair in the corner of the room. She stood up, clearing away her plate and putting it next to a sink, before walking towards her brother.

'Hey Abe.' She smiled at him. He didn't look up, too preoccupied in perfecting the icing on a cake. 'It looks beautiful. Just like a painting.' She complimented him. He had always had a knack at art, always fiddling with some of the ink and paint pots they had at home.

Abraham lifted up his head at the praise, realizing who it was. 'Hey Nells. Glad you like it.' He paused, fixing the tip of a marzipan leaf. 'The King's invited all neighboring lords and ladies to come and assist to Moliere's new play. Hence the cakes.' He said, gesturing towards the numerous cakes, all as intricate as the other, covered in different shapes and colors, positioned on the tables around him. 'They're coming tomorrow, and I'm not even halfway done with what the King ordered!' he said with worry.

Nellie simply patted his back soothingly. 'Don't worry. You'll do great. You always do. Remember the Pheasant incident? You were the one who instantly had the idea to put the honey together with the nuts, solving the whole situation. Remember the time when Tyler dropped the whole second course on the floor? You were the one that managed to get everything back in order, and got it all ready in less than an hour. So relax. You'll get these cakes done in no time.'

Abraham gave her a grateful smile. 'Thanks Nells. You always know what to say.'

'No problem. I've got to go now. De Henderson will be back from His Majesty's awakening any time now.'

She gave him a hug before leaving the room to make her way back to her mistress's apartments.

A/N: I'm back :) I hope you liked it. Nothing interesting, just to set the scene. I am aware that some things may not be historically correct.