C2 Chapter 2

Adélie fainted in the King's arms, causing the audience to be amazed. Gustave himself did not know at the time how to react. He couldn't bring himself to let the young woman fall to the ground. He held her in his strong arms, she all frail and pale.

He looked at her for a few moments, she was beautiful. Her blonde curls protruded slightly from her cap, her milky skin was smooth and flawless, her fingers were thin, and her lips appeared silky soft.

Gustave was in awe of Adélie so much that he forgot everything else. This beautiful young woman in his arms made him shiver.

He took her to a guest room. He refused any help and insisted on carrying it to bed himself. Subsequently the King called his doctor who came running thinking that it was the Sovereign who was dying.

Arriving in the room the doctor was surprised but made no comment and examined Adélie.

"- Your Majesty, this young woman has had a slight drop in blood pressure, nothing serious, you have to let her rest ... announced the doctor

- Thank you, Auguste, I will take care of it. "

With these words the doctor and his assistant left the room. The Queen Mother and the King's sister remained.

"Gustave, you can't take care of a trivial, uninteresting maid, what will your suitors think?" The whole kingdom will risk imagining an affair! "

The Queen Mother was pacing up and down, Adélie's feeling worried her no more than the rumors.

Isadora, the younger sister of the King, dared to intervene.

"- My brother, mother is not wrong, if you want to silence rumors and calm revolts, I doubt your behavior is judicious ...

- Shut up ! he cried making his little sister jump, I do what I want, this young woman is so beautiful, so pure ... I can't bring myself to abandon her in the basement, she must have a little one miserable and unsanitary room, such a beautiful young lady ...

- My God Gustave are you losing your mind, you speak of a maid who is more badly disciplined since our soup chef had to correct her ...

- To cease ! This woman is an angel fallen from the sky ... I intend to marry her!

- Lord the King is mad! Exclaimed the Queen Mother »

Isadora had turned pale at the announcement of her brother, The King of Vesan wanted to marry a simple servant. What did he do with his rank?

The Queen Mother and her daughter left the room in a rage.

Gustave approached the bed where Adélie was resting. He took her hand and began to speak to himself.

"I do not want to force you to marry me my dear, so I will do anything to make you love me and when the time is right I will ask for your hand while waiting you will stay here with me ..."

Little by little Adélie regained consciousness, she had fortunately heard nothing of what her King had just said.

" Miss ? How are you feeling? Asked the Sovereign ”

Little by little, Adélie regained consciousness hastily, remembering the latest events, and there she was lying on a bed made of gold and satin, the King at her bedside.

"- Your Majesty forgive me, I don't know what took from me," she stammered hastily.

- Do not worry my dear you are safe. I will call some servants to take care of you while waiting to rest you, doctor's order. "

His voice was soft and he was smiling, a beaming smile of kindness.

The Queen Mother had met with a few Ladies and Isadora in the boudoir. She had been pissed off since the announcement of her son. She had worked hard and tirelessly since her husband's death to find a worthy wife to marry her son. But since the latter's coronation, he had refused to meet another young woman.

"- It is out of the question that my son, the King of Vésan, marry this idiot cook!

- Mother if Gustave accomplishes what he has announced just now, no rich baron, count or even prince will be interested in me, cried Isadora.

- It is absolutely necessary to prevent it, calmed the mother of the King, and if the King refuses to listen to reason then perhaps that the girl will have more common sense.

Adélie did not understand what she could have done to attract the favors of the King. She was wearing a dress that must have been worth more than her parents' house, and Gustave had given her a ruby

set, the price of which she hardly dared imagine.

She had taken the first real bath of her life. The servants even poured a few drops of essential rose oil into the water.

A fat woman had come to do her hair. She had pulled her hair up into a nice bun, but she had dropped a few curls around her face and a strand on the back of her neck.

Adélie had dreamed of looking like the Ladies of the Court, but she would never have imagined being so close to reality.

She was contemplating herself in the bedroom mirror when the King entered.

"- Do you like the set? he asked "

Adélie hurried to make an awkward curtsy in her big puffy dress.

"- Thank you, your majesty, she is magnificent, but without offending you ... why are you doing this? Did she dare timidly

- Do I have a reason for all my actions? "

Gustave had cleverly avoided the question, leaving the poor young lady disconcerted.

"- May I know your name? he resumed

- Adélie, Adélie Bauduin

- You have a first name of rare beauty Adélie »

The young woman's cheeks flushed. She didn't know where her first name came from; she had always found it strange.

She had so many questions to ask the King, but her rank as a servant forbade her. Adélie therefore let the King lead the conversation.

“My dear, I would love to bring you to see the gardens they are of rare beauty in winter, even if they no longer display flowers I still find them so beautiful. "

Adélie nodded, she obviously couldn't refuse Her Majesty anything.

In a snap of the fingers they found themselves in front of the doors of the palace ready to take a winter stroll in the alleys of the gardens.

The young woman still did not understand what was happening to her but she preferred to say nothing and enjoy it a bit.

It is dressed in an ermine cape offered by the King that she descended the large marble steps leading to the garden.

Gustave was waiting for him downstairs, he too was wearing a cape and had put on a pair of boots.

The cold wind prickled Adélie's rosy cheeks. Her blonde curls twirled as she descended the steps.

Gustave was smiling at her downstairs.

"She is so beautiful, he whispered to his valet" He suppressed a smile.

Baptiste was the King's confidant, officially and before the court he appeared as his valet but he was in truth his closest and faithful friend.

"- She is yours if you wish, Your Majesty," whispered Baptiste.

- I don't want to force her, if she doesn't love me our union would have no meaning

- So make her love you "

Their conversation stopped when the young woman arrived.

"- Where do you want to take me, your majesty? she asked timidly

- In the winter garden, if you don't mind? "

Adélie smiled and took the arm that the king extended to her. God she is beautiful when she smiles he thought.

At the bend of an alley was the famous winter garden. A glass greenhouse fully blooms indoors

Adélie was amazed, she didn't know that you could grow roses in the middle of winter. Gustave was obviously very proud to amaze him.

They entered the premises. A table and two chairs awaited them. The King had had the table set so that they could have tea.

Adélie struggled to sit down with her big dress. She stared at every flower in her eyes as if this moment could end at any moment, she would become the poor little servant in the kitchen again, forced to make soup.

"- Are you pensive? remarked the King

- Yes ... I was wondering why you treated me like a Lady Your Majesty? she says

- Why wouldn't you be a Lady?

- I am only a simple servant, I am only good at making soups Your Majesty

- I'm sure you're hiding other talents from me, Adélie, am I wrong? The king laughed "

Indeed the King was not mistaken, Adélie had many other talents. She painted fantastic canvases but her parents had too little money to buy her materials so she was satisfied with sketches on small notebooks which she kept preciously in her blouse.

Adélie just smiled. It was the first time in her life that someone had treated her with a minimum of respect, apart from her parents, all her life she had been just an ant among all the others, only two more hands to work . But today everything changed, she found herself having tea with the King and not really knowing why she and not someone else.

Gustave coming out of his reverie

"Can I ask you something that is close to my heart Adélie ?.