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⚜️XIII⚜️: Chapter I/Part II (Book II)

As Alexandre became my servant, I became servant to my parents. It began simply enough—I was given a napkin to hand to my father at dinner. Soon enough, I was serving both my mother and my father regularly.

One particular morning, I ushered into my mother’s chambers and handed her chemise. I stood there for a moment wondering what to do.

“Kiss it,” I was told. “And hand it to Her Majesty.”

I looked at my mother. She glared at me impatiently waiting for me to fulfill my duty to her. I promptly did what I was commanded and her face softened, much to my relief. Not long thereafter, I was delivering her napkin at dinner as well.

I knew I was above all those that served the King and Queen—my parents. I was the heir to the throne of the Kingdom of France; how dare they? I knew I should not be subjected to such menial responsibilities. I felt there were no lessons to be learned in serving the self-serving so began to object to my parents’ life lessons.

It was winter when I first stood up against my lot in life. I had begun to grow weary of subservience. I realized that my father held little regard to my knowledge of my status in life. I knew he thought I was too young to know I was the son of the king and I felt it my duty to remind him. 

It was one evening in December when I was once again called to my duties as servant to the table of my father. I adamantly refused. I was promptly shown to my father’s table.

“What is this,” he asked me. “Why are you not about your duties to your father?”

“No,” I said, my arms folded across my chest. “I do not want to.”

“But I am the master,” he answered. “And you, you are my valet.”

“I am not your valet,” I said. “I am your son.”

“Would a son refuse to serve his father,” he asked. “And are you not the son of the king, Louis?”

I looked around to see everyone watching. My mother’s expression was one of disapproval—and in my youth, I could not tell with whom she was more disappointed. Finally, I gave up my futile mission. In surrender, I unfolded my arms and sighed.

“Now,” my father began. “Who are you?”

“I am Papa’s little valet,” I said softly.

My father smiled triumphantly as I handed him his napkin. Defeated, I turned slowly walked away. It would not be the last time I would give in to the power of my father but in my defeat, I would grow stronger.--The Secret of the House of Bourbon–XIII by Jaynaé Marie Miller. 05-10-2021

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⚜️XIII⚜️: Chapter I. Part I. (Book II)

Where would I be if I were not the king? What I became is a matter of destiny; who I became is a matter of will. I was determined to reach manhood from a very early age. There little else I could do but survive; I was my father’s son. It was expected of me.

My father was Henri de Bourbon, son of Antoine de Bourbon, King of Navarre. He became the King of France shortly before my birth and I knew little else of the world beyond the French court until I was older. Even as I was heir to the throne of France you would have not known it if not for the title of “Le Dauphin”.

My earliest memories were as bright and promising as they were short and discontinuous. At the onset of child-like wonder, my innocence was shattered by the trappings of supposed duty far too early. What I took from the light would serve me well in the darkness I would come to know for years before my ascension to the throne.

My mother, Marie de Medici, gave me life on 27 September 1601 but little else except for my siblings. She was every bit a queen but far from motherly. I might have forgiven her as she had to tolerate the countless paramours of my father but her attention to me otherwise was as distant as the stars in the sky.

My formal education began before the age three—that was when the darkness descended at the end of whip. It was my father’s wish that I would take my lashes as he had as a child for any minor imperfections—all expectations unattainable for any child of that age. I knew it was wrong then as I do now but what could I do about it? I would spend my youth in conflict and my adulthood in conciliation with ghosts of the past.

**** **** **** ****

It began with my first memories in the court of my father. I was not his first born—there were others before me. Upon my arrival, I became his first legitimate heir and Le Dauphin. That, however, did not make my life any easier. My father put the onus on me to accept the children of his late mistress Gabrielle d’Estrées. 

It was a winter’s day when I was introduced to my half-brother Alexandre. My father entered every situation with such fanfare, you would thought each day was an urgency. This day was no different as he marched into my room with this boy—shocking even my governess, Françoise de Montglat, whom we called Mamagat.

“Your Majesty,” she said bowing with the other servants. “To what do we owe the privilege of your visit?”

“You know my son Alexandre,” father said. “It is my wish that Louis get to know his brother. He is old enough, I believe.”

She nodded as they led this boy toward me. My father placed my hand in the hand of this child.

“Louis, this is Alexandre Monsieur,” he began. “He is your brother as well as your servant.”

This boy said nothing—a look of awkward terror on his face. I was barely two years old but I remember that look as I would see it quite often as we grew up. We shook hands as to make an alliance if only at the pleasure of our father. 

“See, Madame,” father said. “They get along well, do you think?”

“Yes, Sire,” Mamagat said, cheerfully. “Quite well.”

I looked around the room. I did not understand their twisted expressions until was older but they did seem to agree with either my father or Mamagat. 

“Well then,” my father said. “I leave it you to help them become more acquainted.”

With that, the court bowed as my father left the room in the same manner in which he entered. Once he was gone, the tension in there seemed greater than when he entered.

“Mamagat,” Alexandre cried as ran to her. “Is he really my brother?”

“Yes,” she answered. “He will one day become the King of France.”

Needless to say, I did not care who I would become; I was still learning that being the son of Henri IV would be far harder than ruling a kingdom.--The Secret of the House of Bourbon–XIII by Jaynaé Marie Miller. 07-26-2020

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Prologue

I. The Visit

The day was not cold but neither was it warm. Even as the sun shone its brightest, the warmth of its rays were not felt. One came toward a simple stone marking a place where a life lost to time was lain. Never forgotten and always remembered by no more than myth and legend. Upon the eternal deathbed, one placed a single rose. On its stem was a golden ribbon. “Pour Orrose,” the voice said softly. The voice was like a song that rang louder than the dead could hear even as the living never would. For now. 

The shadow of the one at the grave grew smaller and the light of the sun shone upon the stone—it’s name faded by time. C’est l’histoire d’Orrose.

**** **** **** ****

She walked slowly from the grave to join her companion who waited outside the decaying stone walls of the old prison. She lifted her veil and looked at him with her eyes the color of the sky.

“Was he there,” he asked gruffly. He was in no mood for sentiment. He had only accompanied her out of duty.

“I would not know,” she said softly. “There were others there. It would be impossible to search through them all to find one lost soul.”

“Then why would you come all this way for nothing,” he asked as a footman opened the carriage door.

“It is nothing to you, for you did not know him,” she said angrily.

“Neither did you.”

She glared at him—her face twisted in anger.

“I knew of him,” she began. “And of what I know, he was a far better man than you will ever be.”

She turned and was helped into the carriage. Her companion signed and followed her inside. He motioned to their driver and they began their journey home.

I watched them as they left and wondered to myself who was she—this lovely girl who had come so far to remember a man she did not know. I thought about how I came to be—a ghost of a man with a past I could barely remember. For her, I would try to remember. Perhaps one day I would be able to tell her.--The Secret of the House of Bourbon--Prologue by Jaynaé Marie Miller. 07-26-2020

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How to READ “The Secret of the House of Bourbon”

Like all the books (with the exception of @thehouseofdurin​) this could be complicated. Once again, I am starting in the middle (as I did with TKWRT and The Saga of Thranduil). Book II of the Bourbon Trilogy will begin with the life of Louis XIII (father of Louis XIV and his brother Philippe I).

WARNING: This is not a fan site and it is not based on any television show/book. This is based on history and historical events and is a new story entirely. In other words, the Kings in this book you are about to meet are NOTHING like the ones seen on television and/or movies.

I will be labeling all excerpts by “Book” so another “blog” will be unnecessary (like it is for TKWRT). I’ll also issue warnings when a change of book is coming.

Also, the Prologue is very important as there is a secondary storyline that you need to follow that affects the lives of the kings you’ll be reading about. 

The same story here will be on WordPress (where it can be read in the language of your choice). 

Please Note: I’m probably going to have to add an Ask Me Anything in a few months, I’m sure.

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Welcome to what will become another trilogy. From the authors of @tkwrtrilogy​ and @thehouseofdurin​ comes “The Secret of the House of Bourbon”. It has already found a home on Instagram and WordPress (as well as Facebook), now it comes to Tumblr.

But wait, there’s more: This story cover 197 years of the Bourbon Dynasty--from its “humble” beginnings with Antoine de Bourbon to the height of its majesty with Louis XIV.

Not only do you get to visit Versailles again, you get see it how it all began--from the hunting grounds to golden palace it became--and there are secrets that have been left untold (no, really, we’re not trying to be dramatic).

See something you like? Well, I can say one thing--I get to be the king of France (like I was Thranduil and soon-to-be Oropher in @tkwrtrilogy3​) and the generations of the ruling Kings of Dale in @oflordsandkingstkwrtbook​ (that’s me, too). @fortunatelyclevercandy​ makes her debut as my brothers, (Duc d’Orléans--Gaston and everyone’s favorite, Philippe de France). As always, I am beginning in the middle of the book as Louis XIII, father of Louis XIV and Philippe. I have already started over on WordPress and I am about to add more (to both trilogies).

You’ll be surprised about what you DON’T know about Louis XIII. 

After Louis XIII, I will be Louis XIV. Yes, you’ll be surprised about what you DON’T know about him, too.

And MANY, many, many, many, many, many more exciting things about the Kings of France and Navarre (which actually ceased to exist around 1620 but that’s another story altogether 🤫).

So, sit back and relax and read a lot of things in multiple languages (as my co-author will be writing in her native Italian and probably some English and I will be writing in my native English and in my third language which just so happens to French).

(Yes, there are even things you don’t know about Philippe, Monsieur, Duc d’Orléans--lots. 🤐).

Welcome to the Kingdom of France--Again.

My France, of course.