I Am Louis XIV

   Chapter 445 Love and War (Part 2)

  Princess Henrietta has always been the most delicate existence in the Palace of Versailles.

When she was still in an infancy, her father, Charles I, became the first king to be pushed to the guillotine by the people. Her childhood and girlhood were spent together with the French king and younger brother in Germain-en-Laye, France. , Even for a princess and a queen mother, the life under the fence is not so easy - it is difficult for future generations to imagine that a princess would almost die under the torment of high fever because she could not afford a doctor.

She had hoped to be the wife of Louis XIV, and her brother and mother were happy to see her, but the Bishop of Mazarin and the Queen Mother at the time would not allow such a possibility - Charles II was still in exile, the Duke of York Serving Philip IV in the army of the Spaniards, Cromwell, the Protector, was only one step away from the throne - conceivably, if Cromwell did decide to take that step, in order to ensure his legitimacy, he Will imitate the former Richard III (the founder of the prince in the tower), trying to falsify the evidence, claiming that the children of Charles I are not legitimate.

If Louis XIV married Henrietta at that time, not only would he not get any help from his wife, but he would be humiliated for it - so they even brought in an Italian witch (Marie Mancini) Bewitch the king, lest the young king really have any feelings for the English princess.

Henrietta was always confused at the time. Unlike her mother, she had lived with the Bourbon royal family in France since she was sensible. French was better than English, and her feelings for Germany and even Paris were better than London. She still felt like a Frenchman - until Marie Mancini was placed in front of her, and look, the French don't want an English princess even if they want an Italian woman of unknown origin.

   But England is not hers either.

Charles II later managed to broker her marriage to the Duke of Orleans, and she remained an unwelcome guest during the short time she was to be married in London, and the two brothers were quite distant, if not indifferent, to her, after all. They had already grown up when she was a baby, and they hadn't grown up together, so how could they have feelings for each other. For her dowry, the court and the people at the court were at odds, and although Louis XIV agreed that they should use ships to offset, there were still English people who thought it was a foolish act - but there were no thirty Calais ships. , is she going to marry into France with an empty dowry like Queen Teresa did?

Queen Teresa's empty dowry can be tolerated by the French because without a dowry, her sons are eligible to compete for the succession to the Spanish throne. She, the United Kingdom is also the executor of the Salic law, even if Charles II has no sons, And the Duke of York. Even if both died without heirs, the British would rather go to the Netherlands to find a distant relative than to invite the king of France to be the king of England - the Hundred Years' War had made the two countries mortal enemies long ago.

"Honey…"

  Henrietta turned her head, and a familiar figure appeared in her hazy vision. It has been more than 20 years. She and the Duke of Orleans... At the beginning, they were not very reluctant emotionally. The Duke of Orleans has always been a naughty and naughty child in Henrietta's impression. Approaching Louis XIV, the Duke of Orleans pulled her off the chair and let her fall directly to the ground—the pain and humiliation she had experienced in the past will never be forgotten in her life.

After marriage... If there is no Louis XIV and Queen Teresa in front, Henrietta will feel satisfied - the Duke of Orleans respects her under the repeated advice of his brother, but when it comes to loyalty to marriage, this Absolutely none. Everyone knows that the most romantic in Paris and Versailles is by no means the king, but his brother Philip.

The Duke of Orleans is handsome, rich, powerful, and loved by the king. Whether it is for beauty, money or power, no one will give up such a delicious prey - at the craziest time, the Duke of Orleans' carriage is on the street While walking, someone would try to jump on the pedals, the shafts or the luggage racks of the carriage, so much so that the king had to laugh and send his musketeers to his brother.

   Of course, the Duke of Orléans, more pampered and more indulgent than Louis XIV, was not as cautious as his older brother. Can't say no to anyone - he's still very picky, but it's no exaggeration to say that half of Versailles was the duke's guest of honor... Louis XIV couldn't blame his brother for that... In this day and age It is normal to be like Philip, but it will make people laugh like Louis XIV, who has only two or three regular ladies of the royal family.

  If it wasn't for the queen and the royal family's wife, there might still be people who doubt whether the king can be humane...

   But if the ladies were to choose, they would definitely choose a husband like Louis XIV rather than the Duke of Orleans.

Henrietta had no feelings for the Duke of Orleans at first, and a few years later became more common as a guest and host, but with Louis XIV there - he was the kind of person who valued family and liked to see harmony. On the surface, the Duke of Orleans and Henrietta still had a bit of affection. Later, in the French-Dutch War, Henrietta became the secret messenger of the two countries and achieved unquestionable success... At that time, Henrietta was full of pride. , and she was very happy - especially she encouraged Charles II to use the wizard to get the heir, and directly let France get half of the treasury of the Netherlands... For this reason, Louis XIV also specially customized a crown for her to reward her .

   After all, this kind of thing can’t be made public, right?

   But whether it was for her husband, for France, or for His Majesty the King, Henrietta himself could not be sure.

  “Philip…”

Henrietta suspected that the Duke of Orleans might have noticed it, but the Duke of Orleans would not resent his brother anyway, not to mention Louis XIV's well-known character, he would not hang out with his sister-in-law - perhaps this is what makes Henry Eta was even more desperate. But it was the marriage of the Grand Princess and the King of Spain that finally brought their relationship to the freezing point... For Henrietta, it is commonplace for Henrietta to sacrifice a princess and a county for her country and family, but she Louis and Philip shouldn't be ignored—or rather, she shouldn't think that all the warmth they showed was just an embellishment, a whim, or a disguise.

  They really love these kids.

   She found out too late.

  Louis XIV did not blame her, and even persuaded Philip, as the so-called ignorant is not guilty, Henrietta's education restricted her thinking, and her thinking was right.

  But Philip and the Grand Princess did alienate her because of this, and the Queen Mother even brought her and the Duke of Orleans' youngest son to be raised by her side.

Maybe in a certain morning, or in the middle of the night, she suddenly realized that she had nothing to do... there was nothing she wanted to get... It may be a bit of a moan to say this, but she did quickly after a cold. weakened.

"People will say that I don't know what to do," she said, looking at the calm Duke of Orleans. "Being born without a father is equivalent to not having a mother, and is estranged from two older brothers, with a meager dowry, and it is almost impossible for her husband Princess Deli, you have been tolerant enough to me." She coughed softly: "By the way, I have two children, a son and a daughter, I should be satisfied."

"You're just not reconciled." The Duke of Orleans said, "Is it not because the eldest princess is only the queen of Sweden that you want the princess to marry the king of Spain? Although the Prince of Prussia, Frederick, is young and healthy, how can you like it? A son of an archduke? Of course, he is the son of a king now, but how could it be better for you to have Queen Teresa's son king of Spain than to have your grandson on the throne?"

   He stared at Henrietta lying on the bed, and his wife was flushed with these three questions, not from shame, but from anger.

   "Did I do something wrong!?" She whispered: "It is most accurate for France to make the Grand Duke the Queen of Spain!"

The Duke of Orleans showed a rare look of astonishment: "I heard it right, Henrietta, that's your daughter!" He took two steps forward, letting his shadow fall over the dying woman, "Don't you know that Has something happened in Spain? Leopold I's daughter is desperate enough to ask for help from her father's enemies! That's a devil! It's a..." He gritted his teeth: "I can't imagine if it were mine. Daughter, my Mary..."

"Leopold I's daughter was only eight years old, and she could insist on fleeing to Rome," insisted Henrietta: "If it were Marie, and perhaps she had given birth to a son, then France could take Spain without a single shot! "

   "You are talking nonsense!" The Duke of Orleans crossed his arms: "I forgot," he forcibly suppressed his anger: "You are sick, very sick, you don't know what you are talking about."

   "I know what I'm talking about," Henrietta said. "The queen is taking the opportunity to get in the way. She doesn't want my daughter to be better than hers."

   "It's absurd," said the Duke of Orleans. "I made this decision with Louis, Henrietta, you don't know..."

   "I know!" exclaimed Henrietta! It's not like someone who is going to see God at all: "I have persuaded her that, as the grand lord of France, she should make sacrifices!"

   "Like you!?" The Duke of Orleans's voice was louder than hers, "Do you think that it should be you, not Teresa of Spain, standing by my brother's side?"

"But you're wrong," said the Duke of Orleans, his voice suddenly lowered. "Neither I nor my brother, King Louis XIV of France, would entrust such a heavy responsibility to a poor child." He Put down his arms: "Henrietta, be lucky, you just said your sincere words."

   "I'm not wrong," Henrietta insisted. "You're wrong."

   "Until now you have not dared to mention your majesty." The Duke of Orleans sneered: "Henrietta, it seems that you also understand that if he knows what you think, he will hate you."

"He should know how to weigh the pros and cons better," Henrietta seemed to have been swept away by the struggle just now, she fell down, leaning on the huge goose down pillow, "too much warmth will hinder him and prevent him from becoming A true ruler."

   "I don't know who you are using to compare him, Leopold I or Charles II, or Carlos II, I would think you are humiliating the king."

   "He could have been Caesar," Henrietta murmured.

"But I don't want to be Caesar." A voice said suddenly, Henrietta shuddered like an electric shock, and then raised her arm subconsciously. The seriously ill person was inevitably dirty and ugly. The Duke of Orleans looked at her. With her actions, childhood events came to her mind, and she put down the bed curtain for her.

   "The Countess is outside," said Louis.

The Duke of Orléans went out knowingly, and as soon as he saw the Grand Princess, he knew from the tearful face that she had heard a lot--for Henrietta had already rubbed the holy oil, and could bid farewell to the world at any time, so The big princess came to see her in a hurry... but it's better not to see her for the last time.

   "Henrietta." Louis said solemnly, standing in front of the bed curtain.

   "Yes, Your Majesty." A faint voice came from the bed curtain: "It seems that you know what I did."

   "I've always known," said Louis, "I don't want to blame you, I don't hate you, and I ask you to forgive Philip for what he said. He was a little too impulsive."

   "You are as considerate as ever." Henrietta said: "But even if you blame me and hate me, I don't regret it."

  Louis XIV was silent for a while: "You are for France."

"People say I'm an English princess, but I think I should be a Frenchman—your majesty, you rescued me then, not an Englishman; when I went back to London and was going to marry back to France, I Feels like I'm back in France, not going to France; you've been nice to me, even if I don't have a dowry - I've watched you conquer enemy after enemy and put France back on top... you are God of the French, Your Majesty, you...you..." The person behind the curtain of the bed gasped sharply: "I want to help you, I should help you, I..."

   "Yes, I know, Henrietta."

   "...Did I do something wrong...Your Majesty..."

   "On my side, I can't say you're wrong."

   "Your Majesty..."

   "Henrietta, do you remember when we were at Germain-en-Laye?"

   "Your Majesty..."

   "At that time, I thought you were lovely, Henrietta. Maybe in some world, I did marry you and made you my wife, queen of France."

   "…are you…comforting me?"

  Louis gently opened the curtain of the bed and looked into Henrietta's eyes, she could no longer focus, and maybe she could hear it, that was God's mercy to her.

Henrietta is totally unworthy of being a mother to the lord of the county, but this is the measure of future generations. After Teresa and Louis XIV signed a marriage contract, Louis XIV taught her for a long time - the Duke of Orleans but There is no such interest at all, and if they say mistakes, they should also bear a part.

"Do not."

   (end of this chapter)