Frederica's Advice

Cinderella swept into the sitting room, pretty and perfumed, her voluminous dress billowing out around her, petticoats and slippers disappearing from view as she released her skirt from her white-gloved hands and let it fall to the ground. As Frederica looked at her it seemed almost absurd that this girl, with her pearls and gloves and her pink sash tied around her waist and that bow in her silky-smooth hair, might hold the destiny of Europe in her hands.

But then, as Anton had reminded her, people had underestimated Cinderella in the past.

"Cinderella," Frederica declared, a smile of sincere delight spreading across her face. "How wonderful to see you."

Cinderella returned the smile with one of her own, a smile which made her whole face brighten and her blue eyes sparkle. "Good morning, Frederica, I'm sorry to drop in unannounced, I do hope that I'm not disturbing you."

"Never," Frederica declared, walking briskly across the room. "As I just told you, it is wonderful to see you." She took Cinderella's hands in hers, and leaned forward to plant a kiss first on Cinderella's left cheek, and then upon her right. "And you are always welcome here." She squeezed Cinderella's hands, holding onto them for just a second longer than was strictly necessary, and then released Cinderella as she stepped back. "Did you bring Lieutenant Taurillion here to protect you? Lieutenant?"

"Yes, your highness?" Jean Taurillion replied from out of sight.

Frederica chuckled. "I would chide you for being such a creature of habit, but it seems to have done you no harm in the long run," she said to Cinderella. "Anton, why don't you take the lieutenant and entertain him with some refreshment, while I do the same with is mistress. Cinderella has no need of a bodyguard here."

Anton bowed. "Of course, your highness." He walked outside and closed the door into the sitting room, but from beyond the door Frederica could just hear him saying something to the lieutenant without.

Jean Taurillion knew as well as anyone that Cinderella was quite safe in Frederica's company.

"What are you going to do when he leaves?" Frederica asked gently.

Cinderella blinked. "Leaves? What do you mean, Frederica?"

"He's getting married, darling," Frederica explained. She had had a feeling that Cinderella would not have considered this particular point. "Do you think that he – or Angelique, for that matter – are going to spend their married lives in the Queen's Tower? Do you think that they're going to want to raise children in the room of a lady in waiting?"

Cinderella bowed her head a little, her mouth too turning downwards. "Neither Jean nor Angelique have said anything," she murmured.

"It might not have occurred to them yet, just as it didn't occur to you," Frederica said, as she took Cinderella by the arm and drew her to the plush green settee. She settled Cinderella down upon it before sitting down herself, facing her. "And you're fortunate that they seem to have decided on a long engagement, but nevertheless… at some point it will occur to them, I'm sure, and you want to be ready when it comes."

"I see what you mean," Cinderella said softly, her voice barely more than a whisper. "But at the same time… I don't know what I'll do without Jean or Angelique. They've both been with me since my wedding day, I could always rely on them. I could always talk to them about anything. They never… what am I going to do, Frederica?"

Frederica said nothing for the moment. If Cinderella had not considered the departures of Jean and Angelique it might well be because she had not wanted to consider it. The poor girl had not been lucky in her ladies in waiting; some of them… they had been her Eleanor, which made it all the more remarkable that it had not made her bitter or cynical.

And yet even Cinderella was not so open hearted as to assume that anyone could take the place of her most faithful servants and companions.

Of course she cannot, for that would be cruel to them, and Cinderella could never be cruel.

"I understand perfectly," she said, placing a hand on Cinderella's arm. "Anton has been with me for… years now. Since I was a little girl he has been by my side, and many of my other fellows have been with me for some time also. When one finds a loyal man, especially when one also finds those who are… not so loyal, there is an impulse – a wise and understandable impulse – to cling onto them. I confess, I've no idea what I'd do without Anton, either."

"I always…" Cinderella said, before trailing off, "even when so many people seemed to want to kill me, I… I felt safe, with Jean." She glanced up at Frederica. "The second time that anybody… that anybody tried to… that anyone tried to-"

"I know what you mean," Frederica said gently. "You need not say it." The fact that Frederica knew exactly what Cinderella was talking about because she had arranged the whole thing was not something she intended to confide in Cinderella.

A brief, grateful smile illuminated Cinderella's face. "I'd just given a speech on the Corn Laws," she said. "When that man, he… Jean saved me. But I was so frightened that on the carriage ride home I… I nearly ran away. I nearly got out of the carriage and ran off into the city."

Frederica was silent for a moment. "I never knew that."

"I've never told anyone that before, not even Eugene," Cinderella confessed. "I didn't want him to think that… I didn't want him to know. It was Jean who persuaded me not to, Jean who… I wouldn't be here without him. Oh, what am I going to do?"

"You will have to do something," Frederica said. "You cannot hold him against his will."

"I know," Cinderella replied. "And I wish him and Angelique every happiness, I really do, but… what am I going to do? I found Jean and Angelique by such chance… am I really going to find two other people like them in the whole of Armorique? People I can talk to, people I can trust, people who'll make me feel safe the way that they do?"

"You will have to do something," Frederica said. "Fortunately you are in less danger generally, I think, than you were when Lieutenant Taurillion entered your service." Not that you were ever in quite as much danger as you thought, not that you need to know that. "And equally fortunately they will not be taking leave of you until the Congress is over, if it actually happens. But you will need to something, they will not linger forever. If you want my advice-"

"Oh, I do."

"Then find a replacement now, especially for your guard commander, so that Jean can start grooming them for the eventual succession. They, whoever they are, may not be your friend as he has been, but so long as you find someone who can keep you safe, that is the most important thing. Now as I see it you have two choices: you can either find another officer – from the Guard, or even from a line regiment if you so choose – or you can promote from within. Your sergeant, can he read and write?"

"Sergeant Bourgogne?" Cinderella asked. "Yes, he can."

"You could always make him an officer," Frederica said. "It would make him loyal to you, if nothing else."

"Hmm," Cinderella murmured. "I… I'll speak to Eugene about it, see what he thinks."

"Of course," Frederica said. "And as for Angelique… how many ladies in waiting do you have at the moment?"

"Four," Cinderella said. "Angelique, Marinette, Augustina and Lady Christine. Without Angelique that will only be three."

"You could probably do with some more in any case," Frederica said.

"Something else I'll have to speak to Eugene about," Cinderella said softly. "Thank you, Frederica, without you I would have been caught completely by surprise."

"I'm sure your husband would have brought it up nearer the time," Frederica told her. "But you didn't pay me a visit so that you could get my advice on a problem you didn't even know you had, did you?"

Cinderella chuckled lightly, covering her mouth with one hand. "No," she said. "No, I didn't. I came here… I'm afraid I did come her for your advice."

"No need to apologise," Frederica said. "After all, who would wish to ignore the pearls of wisdom that drop from me so readily."

Cinderella laughed.

"But in all seriousness," Frederica added, "I am flattered that you seek my council. Now, was there anything specific that you wanted my advice on?"

"The refugee question, mainly," Cinderella said. "I mean, it's the thing that everyone is talking about at the moment. I'd welcome any advice that yu can give me, of course, but… we're about to give them the right to work."

"The refugees?" Frederica asked.

Cinderella nodded. "It's been Lady Helen's great request for some time now."

"That does not mean you are under any obligation to grant it," Frederica replied. Armorique had been very kind in even accepting all of these refugees, Normandie certainly would not have done as much; indeed, Federica was passably certain that part of the reason why Armorique had been so deluged with Aquitainian refugees was because Norman troops were turning them away at the border. It was hardly something that Frederica would blame her father for – as things stood it was only the fact that there were no men amongst them that allayed her suspicions that there were Imperial troops in disguise scattered amongst them.

That, and the fact that there had been no whispers of such from any of the informants that she had purchased in the refugee camp.

Frederica could see why King Louis had chosen Cinderella to manage the affairs of the refugees and their relations with Armorique: she was not a soldier, which was a good starting point when dealing with women who had been drive from their homes by men in uniform; she was kind, and had a great deal of sympathy for the victims of injustice; and she was effortlessly likeable, provided you were willing to give her a chance. But that very kindness, and that sympathy, was also why it had been a mistake to appoint her to the role, because of course they led her to decisions like this one.

"I think you're making a mistake," she said.

"But why?" Cinderella asked. "Why shouldn't they be able to support themselves, why should they be dependent on the charity that we can offer them?"

"They are strangers in your land, they are not entitled to anything," Frederica reminded her. "They should be grateful for the charity that you provide, not demanding more as of some kind of natural right."

"Frederica!" Cinderella cried. "That's… rather unkind, don't you think?"

"Perhaps," Frederica allowed. "But your kindness… it is a virtue, but kindness spent too freely loses all its power. Your kindness to the people of this country has won their love but you will lose that love if you suggest that you did the people kindness not out of fondness for them but simply because you saw their need of it. You are the princess of Armorique, not of Aquitaine, your concern should be for your own people first."

"Then why are we holding a congress to end the war?"

"You may well ask," Frederica responded. "Because your father-in-law, in his wisdom, believes that in so doing he may enhance the prestige of Armorique."

"And brings the horrors of this war to an end," Cinderella said.

"Perhaps," Frederica allowed. "And I must say, I expect that both sides may be ready to talk soon."

"Eugene says that the Empire is winning," Cinderella informed her. "He says that the only reason they would agree to arbitration is if a coalition comes together to demand it."

"I can see why he believes that, but Prince Eugene doesn't have my information on the exact nature and disposition of the Imperial troops, nor the appointments of the Aquitainian commanders. I expect there will be a Gallic counterattack soon, from the north and south, and when it happens the Holy Roman Empire may find it has rather more interest in a negotiated settlement than it has at present."

"But then Aquitaine will be winning," Cinderella pointed out. "So won't it be their turn to want to fight on."

"Possibly, but if she is wise Eleanor will quit while she's ahead," Frederica said. "Aquitaine… Aquitaine is like a bear that has been shot, and fallen. Now the hunter approaches for his trophy, but he will soon find that the bear is not as dead as he believed and he will be lucky to escape a mauling. However, it doesn't mean that the bear was not shot. Aquitaine's losses in the war cannot be replaced, it's military strength will only wane from here. Princess Eleanor would be well advised to seek peace while she still has sufficient of an army to make her worth bargaining with."

"And is she wise or well advised?" asked Cinderella.

Frederica snorted. "Passably so," she replied. "Though she is also proud, but that pride… it has not undone her yet." She paused. "In truth… to speak plain I wish her pride would prove too much for her, I would these two would fight it out to whatever bloody finish awaits."

"Frederica," Cinderella murmured. "You can't mean that. Why would you say something like that?"

Because I fear that you aren't ready for this, and neither is this country. Because I fear that both sides will remember only that they were cheated of a decisive victory and bear Armorique malice for it. Then again, the most likely military outcome – an Imperial victory for Maria Theresa – would not be a blessing for Armorique either. Maria Theresa was a staunch conservative, an enemy of liberalism, she would have no love for the most liberal monarchy in Gallia or the princess who helped to make it so. A strengthened House of Habsburg, swollen by having swallowed Burgundy whole plus whatever bits of Aquitaine it claimed as the spoils of victory, could hardly be relied on to be a good neighbour.

Perhaps before I grow too hard on Armorique's king I should remember that he has very few good choices.

"Forgive me," she begged. "I… have some doubts about the wisdom of Armorique's attempt to arbitrate this dispute, but I concede there is no course that I could label as unreservedly wise."

Cinderella's brow furrowed. "Eugene… Eugene is worried that the Empire might attack us. Is he right?"

"I… I cannot say," Frederica admitted. "I do not know what is in Maria Theresa's heart… although I would not deny the possibility."

"All the more reason then to work for peace, no?" Cinderella said.

"Perhaps," Frederica allowed. "But that is not a reason to do so much for our refugees."

"They're people, Frederica," Cinderella said. "Women and children who have suffered so much already, surely it would be too callous not to help them?"

Frederica chuckled. "The problem with an argument like that is that it is very difficult to argue against," she said. "But I worry about the damage it will do to your standing with the people; you've eroded it already."

"I know," Cinderella replied. "Eugene said as much."

"Perhaps you should listen to him, he's being wise for once."

"Frederica!" Cinderella exclaimed.

"Sorry," Frederica said playfully.

"That's why," Cinderella went on, "Eugene is planning to make the announcement, and take the blame for it."

Frederica's eyebrows rose. "How very noble of him. Noble, but ill thought out and unlikely to do any good."

"Really?" Cinderella asked. "You think so?"

"Cinderella, everyone knows that you were the one tasked by His Majesty with dealing with the refugee issue, and everyone knows that all of the compassion in your marriage comes from you-"

"That's a little unfair."

"This will look transparently like what it is: an effort by a husband to protect his wife. I fear that no one will be fooled, least of all the press." Frederica sighed. "Are you determined to do this?"

"I am," Cinderella declared, nodding her head. "Because I think it is the right thing to do."

"Then for goodness' sake find an argument to support it," Frederica urged. "Find some way in which this may benefit the people of your country. Your reasoning is selfless, I admit, but I urge you, I beg you Cinderella, find a reason that will convince the selfish, too."