A Marie Antoinette story
Pronunciation notes: Versailles (Ver-SAY), Dauphine (Daw-PHEEN, like caffeine), Dauphin (Daw-PHON), Louis (Loo-ee),
It was several weeks already since I had moved to the palace at Versailles and became the new Dauphine, or princess of France. My husband, Louis the XVI and I barely knew each other for a day before we were wedded. We spent almost no time together after the wedding either. He was always busy attending meetings with his grandfather the king and the other advisors, or going on hunting trips with his friends. I was always playing at cards with my ladies in waiting or attending elegant balls. The whole time we'd been married Louis had barely touched me, and I found that when I climbed into bed each night, I was sleeping next to a virtual stranger.
So, to remedy this problem, I finally insisted that the prince and I be allowed to take a honeymoon retreat in the countryside. It took much persuasion on my part, for all the nosy noblemen and ladies wished to keep close tabs on our every activity. But at last, dear Ambassador Mercy convinced the king to grant us permission. We took as few servants as possible, and departed for a small manor in the south.
The first day after our arrival, I awoke in high spirits. For once, I was able to climb out of bed and not have twenty ladies waiting to pounce on me. Louis was still asleep, so I sat by the window in my nightshift and enjoyed watching the sun slowly creep over the horizon. The new day always seems to hold so much promise, I thought to myself. Maybe this time, I'll help it fulfil some of those promises. I smiled softly as a plan for the day formulated in my mind.
About an hour later, there was a knock on the door, and the servants entered. They ushered a still-sleepy Louis and me into separate rooms, and helped us to get dressed. At my insistence, my two maids laced me into a simple white gown, no frills attached. My hair was pulled back at the top, so that most of it hung down my back. No powdered and fussed locks today! When I arrived at the breakfast table, Louis was also dressed much more plainly than usual, in a fawn-color waistcoat and breeches. His natural hair was neatly tied back with a ribbon. As we nibbled on eggs Benedict and toast, I casually opened a conversation.
"What do you think we should do today, Louis?"
He didn't look at me as he replied, "Well, I was thinking of going riding. The weather looks fine, and there are lots of places to roam about."
"Oh." I wasn't about to be discouraged. "Would you mind if I joined you?"
Louis shrugged. "I guess not." He shyly glanced at me. "Have you ridden much before?"
"Yes, in Austria I used to go riding almost every day!" I explained. "I had to leave behind my horse, Frieda. She was a beauty- glowing chestnut fur and long legs that could run for miles on end." I bragged. Louis actually smiled.
"Perhaps we'll have to arrange for her to be brought to Versailles for you."
I was touched by his comment. "I would like that very much". I softly thanked.
We set out about mid-morning on two of the fine creatures we had brought with us. Mine was a dappled grey mare, and Louis was mounted on a fine black stallion. As we rode, we finally got a chance to talk and get to know one another. I shared with him a bit about my family and my life in Austria. He actually seemed interested to hear how some of our court customs are different from those in France. Louis told me a little about his childhood growing up as the Dauphin of France. He didn't talk much about his parents, but I knew they had died not too many years ago. I hoped he might eventually feel comfortable enough to talk about them around me.
When we returned to the manor, the servants had already prepared our lunch. They had taken the liberty of setting up a table on the garden lawn for us, so that we could continue to enjoy the fine weather.
"I had a good time this morning!" I cheerfully commented as we sat.
"So did I." The prince replied. "Perhaps we can go riding again while we are here in the countryside."
I reached out and grasped his hand. "I would really enjoy that!"
Louis looked a little uncomfortable and blushed as he pulled his hand away from mine and grasped his silverware. I think he likes me, I mused to myself, but he's so shy! I wonder if he'll ever feel truly comfortable around me.
I decided to change the subject. Our first morning after our marriage I had made a lame attempt to converse with him about his interest in the crafting of keys. Today, I decided to ask him more, and perhaps begin to understand him better.
"So, Louis, you never told me, how did you get interested in making keys?" I tried.
"Well, I guess it started when I was little." Louis began. "We were adding on an addition to the palace at Versailles, and I happened to be playing in the new wing the day that the locksmith was installing the new door hardware. I became quite fascinated with his work, and asked him lots of questions. He offered to take me to his shop and show me how he made the locks and keys. After that, I began learning how to fashion my own keys. Grandfather even built a special workshop here at this countryside retreat, so whenever we came to visit I could tinker around in there."
"Really? Could you show me?" I asked eagerly. This was the most my husband had ever shared with me about his interests, and I was curious to learn more.
"Come with me." He rose from the table, abandoning the lunch.
He took me across the lawn to a small building near the side of the house that I had not noticed before. The inside was dark and dusty. Louis coughed a couple of times as he stirred up the dirt to get a lamp lit. The illumination revealed a workbench with tools, a fireplace, and chemicals to create brass and other metal alloys. Hanging from pegs on the wall were some of his creations, keys of various shapes, sizes and colors. I gently picked one up.
"Oh, Louis, this is beautiful!" I exclaimed as I examined the delicate handiwork. The bronze handle was intricately sculpted and engraved with fleur-de-lis designs. "It looks almost fragile enough to break in my hands! What does it go to?"
"Well, I don't know yet. I haven't made a lock to go with that one. But some of these others," he pointed out, "will fit with these locks I've created. They can be put in doors or chests or anything you would want to put a lock on."
That afternoon, Louis showed me all the steps he used to make a key, and began teaching me how to make one. By evening I began to be quite interested in the subject myself. It really was an intricate art, how a locksmith could make a key that would only fit a certain lock.
The sun was just setting when we emerged from the shop. I casually brushed the dirt from my dress, knowing I would need to change before supper.
"Marie, you have a smudge on your face." Louis noticed. He brushed his thumb across my cheek to remove it. "I, I'm sorry." He stammered and looked away. "I shouldn't have done that, my lady."
"Don't apologize!" I reprimanded him. "We're not in Versailles any more. Out here we can just be ourselves. We don't have to follow all the protocol that we would in court. If you want to call me by my first name, or brush dirt from my face, you can go ahead and do it!" He blushed at my bold statement.
"Come, my lady, we should get dressed for dinner." He managed before hurrying back to the house. I followed more slowly.
Louis, things were going so well today. Why did you suddenly become shy and abrasive?
After dinner, I tried to convince the prince to play cards with me. But he said he was worn out from our earlier activities and wished to go to sleep. Disappointed, I decided to stay up a while longer, and searched for a book to read. I came across a copy of the Holy Bible. I opened it, and the place it fell to was in the Song of Solomon. Deciding this was as good a book as any other to read, I flipped to the beginning and began reading. Soon I became engrossed as I drank in the passionate love story of King Solomon and his bride. Verses like "I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine", and "A garden locked is my bride, a spring sealed up", filled my mind. This was the kind of love story I wanted for myself! If only Louis would love me the way that Solomon loved his wife, I wished. Or if we could at least be friends, then that would be better than this awkward distance. I fell asleep in the chair, dreaming of what it would be like for my "Prince Charming" to sweep me off my feet.
My vision was blurry. Surely I was still dreaming, I thought, as I slowly opened my eyes. There, sitting on the sofa across from the chair, my extremely handsome prince was waiting for me, just as I had envisioned. I blinked a couple of times. No, I wasn't dreaming- he really was there!
"Louis? What are you doing here?" I yawned.
He shrugged. "Waiting. I was hoping to go for another ride this morning, and I thought you might get mad if I left you behind."
I grinned. "Yeah, you bet I'd be mad!" I teased. "Give me a chance to eat some breakfast and run a comb through my hair and I'll be ready."
"Actually, I had the cook wrap up a picnic breakfast for us if you're interested." He offered.
I was moved by his gesture. Maybe there was hope for us after all!
"Thank you, that would be really nice!" I replied.
Five minutes later, we set out, much as we had the day before. Louis took me to an open meadow, and we spread our feast.
"I wanted to apologize to you for my behavior last night." The prince began. "I know I haven't been the husband you've been expecting."
I set my plate down, astonished. Louis continued. "I'm, I'm… rather shy you see. It takes me a while before I'm comfortable being alone around someone. Yesterday was really our first chance to get to know one another, and then I guess I just felt like things were moving too quickly and I got scared. That's why I pulled away from you last night. It's not because I don't like you. I'm just… not a very secure person, that's all." He finished.
I smiled and grasped his hand. "Thank you for being honest with me. I really hope that we can be friends." I invited. He returned my smile.
"I'd like that."
Over the next few weeks of our stay, Louis and I spent almost every day riding, going on picnics, playing cards, relaxing, and of course, making keys in the workshop. The amount of time we spent together was very good for us, and we quickly developed a deep friendship with one another. Louis was happy that I developed an interest in his favorite hobby, and I was able to teach him a few new card games. Palace formalities were dropped, even with the servants, and we found it felt really good to just be casual, to be ourselves. We could go wherever we liked, eat whatever we wanted, laze around in the middle of the day, and just generally talk and laugh about anything we pleased.
All too soon, we reached the last week of our honeymoon vacation. I tried to spend as much time outdoors as possible in those last days, knowing I'd be cooped up much more once we returned to the city. The day before we were supposed to leave for Versailles, a company of guards arrived to escort our party back to the palace. Ambassador Mercy also came along. I suppose he felt he should personally see how we had fared in this "rustic" environment or something. Whatever his reason, he brought with him a letter from my mother. I took it in to the sitting room and opened it.
My Dear Antoinette, It read, I hope everything is going well for you. I was so pleased when I heard about your trip to the countryside with the Dauphin. I greatly expect that this will have a positive effect on your current situation- you know the one I mean! For you know, I must keep telling you, that your position is in grave danger and is not secure until you produce an heir. Be sure to use all your feminine wiles and charms…
I put the letter down. They all said about the exact same thing, my mother's letters did. Produce an heir to the throne or you might get kicked out of court. Oh mother! Can't you see that I want Louis to love me first before we have any children? I stopped short. At that moment, I realized where my thoughts and feelings were leading me. I want him to love me, because… I gasped. I love him! Yes, somehow during those four weeks, I had grown to love this shy, sweet man that I had married. I raced outside to find Louis. He was talking with the guards about the security procedures for our journey. No, now is not the right time. I thought. I'll tell him tonight. I'll find a time for us to be alone, and I'll tell him. A spark of inspiration hit me, and I decided to make a gift for my prince. Since I knew he would be occupied for some time, I sneaked out to the workshop to begin my project.
After supper, I gave the servants the rest of the evening off. The guards were camped outside near the house for the night, and Ambassador Mercy excused himself early to retire for the night, the journey that day having been tiring for him. This left me the perfect opportunity to make my confession. I told Louis I would be right back, and stole away to our bedroom. I changed into a pretty pink gown I had been saving for some time, and dabbed a little rouge onto my cheeks. My heart beat quickly with anticipation of my beloved's reaction. I was quite surprised, however, when I returned downstairs and found Louis sitting on the sofa with a severe expression.
"What's wrong?" I asked. My husband shoved my mother's letter towards me.
"Is this why you've been working so hard to charm me?" He demanded. "Just because your family wants us to have a child and secure the treaty of our nations? All this time I thought you wanted to be my friend!" The hurt in his voice nearly killed me.
"That's not why!" I cried. "I do want to be your friend. I am your friend!"
" 'Use all your feminine wiles and charms', your mother says. All the times you've teased me and flirted with me, you were just following her advice, weren't you?"
"I love you!" I blurted. This certainly wasn't how I had planned things to go. Louis couldn't even respond. Rather than face another blow of his wrath, I fled outside.
I collapsed when I reached the garden. I crawled onto one of the chairs, and rested my head on the little table that we had dined at our first day at the manor. I don't know how long I sobbed. What a disaster this day had turned out to be! I hadn't even given Louis his gift. Why won't he believe me? I anguished. It's not my position as princess that I desire it's him! I was in such distress, that I didn't notice a figure approach until I heard a throat being cleared. I brushed away tears, and looked. Louis was standing before me with an expression on his face that I hadn't seen before and couldn't decipher. He quietly sank into the chair opposite me.
"Did you really mean what you said back there?" He asked in an almost-whisper.
"Which part?" I blew my nose into my handkerchief.
"All of it. But especially the last part." He looked into my eyes. "Do you really love me?" The moonlight showed a face that was almost terrified to hear my answer. He waited anxiously to see if I would reject him or not.
"Yes". My answer resounded in the silence of the night. Louis reached across the table and grasped both my hands tightly. I continued my confession. "I was never really concerned about my position at Versailles. I don't want to be with you just so I can keep on being a princess. I want to be with you because I've come to realize that you are the one that I feel comfortable sharing my life with, the one that I want to raise my family with someday. I want to be with you because I love you!" I declared passionately. Louis was so choked up he could barely speak. "You have no idea how much I've wanted to hear you say that. Because, I love you, Marie!" He leaned over and kissed me tenderly. When I responded to his warmth, he pulled me closer, forcing both of us to stand up as we deepened our embrace. As we came apart, I gave a little laugh.
"Silly me, I almost forgot to give you your present!" We sat back down. I pulled out a small package and handed it to him. He tore the wrapping off and gasped.
"It's a key! Did you make this?"
I nodded. "Yes. You taught your pupil well. I fashioned this with my own two hands!" I proudly beamed. He stopped to read the note I had included. On it were verses I had found in the Song of Solomon. "A garden locked is my bride, a spring sealed up." He read. I gave him an intense smile.
"Yes. I've been waiting for you, all my life. You are the only one who has the key. I'm all yours." I vowed. He blushed in response.
"You know, it's funny that you should give me a key…"
"Yes, I know." I agreed, thinking about our shared pastime.
"Well, actually, that was going to be my present to you tonight. Before I found your mother's… distressing letter, I was planning to give you this." He pulled out the same intricately carved key that I had admired the day he showed me the workshop.
I laughed. "I guess great minds think alike, right?" I lovingly took the key from him.
"You hold the key to my heart, Marie Antoinette. It's not much, and it's fragile, but please take care of it. For so long, I've kept myself locked away, but you helped me to live more freely, and to be more open with somebody about my feelings."
My heart felt like it would spill over or burst with happiness. We each clutched our keys and exchanged another intimate kiss. As my prince led me inside out of the chilly night air, I knew that our marriage would work out fine after all. We were made for each other, Louis and I. Like lock and key that perfectly fit.