I Am Louis XIV

The former Queen of Sweden, Ms. Christina originally wanted to return to her residence in Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, but since she revealed her ambition for the throne, the Queen Mother, who has grown disgusted with her, signaled her subjects to usurp her. Sweden, and then she made her way back to Rome, where she stayed in a convent where she waited for her pagan friends (this was also one of her crimes, because the Jews at that time, despite their wealth, did not share High ministers and nobles are equally qualified) to raise money for her, so that she can continue to squander without scruple.

But before she could meet her friend, a beautiful lady came into the monastery. When the lady Christina heard that someone wanted to see her, she was very surprised, because at this time Pope Alexander VII did not welcome her. She—besides her public declaration that she had executed her lover Monardesi in private, the scandalous news about her and Cardinal Azzorino is also ridiculous. Cardinals at that time could have lovers and children , but if the lover is a noble woman, this is another scandal. The pope's dissatisfaction with Christina has extended to the people, so that her friends in Rome do not dare to visit her more often.

It was Mrs. Milady who came to visit Ms. Christina. After so many years, her beauty not only did not fade, but became more and more gorgeous. When she took off her hood and revealed her neatly combed hair It was like an Athena wearing a golden helmet came to this monastery, and the dark courtyard could not help but glow with it. Sitting by the fountain, Ms. Christina was feeding small fish and pigeons with bread crumbs. She couldn't help but feel refreshed, she hated marriage, but longed for love, and this love didn't seem to be limited to gender, no wonder some people rumored that the queen had both female and masculine characteristics, and was a deformed monster.

"Alas," she exclaimed intimately, "isn't this Milady? My dear friend? Are you here on a pilgrimage? Or to pray, to say Mass?" She paused: "Or for me?"

"For you, esteemed lady." Mrs. Milady's voice was still like a string being plucked, with a slight tremor, echoing endlessly, "I'm here for you." She glanced at the Glancing at the people around him, "Let them go elsewhere, Your Highness, I have something to say to you alone."

"Then come sit next to me," said Ms. Christina. She was sitting in an extremely wide chair, but at this time the skirts of women were so swollen that they could hardly pass through the door. The two of them sat together, Even with the clothes blocking it, it was an overly intimate posture, but Milady didn't care about it. She smiled, lifted her skirt, and sat down beside the former queen in a graceful manner.

"Oh, that's what I love the most. You are never as shy and frightened as those cute little birds." Ms. Christina stretched out her hand and took Mrs. Milady's arm. Although Ms. Christina was pampered, But she is already over forty years old. She looks younger than mortal women of the same age, but she cannot compare with Milady who is a witch. This difference is more obvious when the two wrists are intertwined. , "Look at this skin," Ms. Christina said with envy and admiration, "You are Helen, Modala or Hebe." (The three are beauties in legends and myths)

Mrs. Milady also stared at this lady. If she had to say this lady, she didn't have much ill feeling. If she had to say it, as the king said, as a woman and a person, what she did did not matter. There are too many things that can be criticized. Sometimes, she will even be envied by others. She is not without shining points, but the problem is that she does not have the consciousness that a king must have-those innocuous shortcomings in ordinary people, For a king, it is fatal, not only fatal, these mistakes can even overthrow a country - just before Milady accepted this task, the king said that the best decision Christina made was to give up the throne , and the worst decision he made was to rekindle his thirst for the throne.

If it is said that she can use the ten years under the protection of the King of France to repent of her past mistakes, change her restless mind, maintain her sanity and be magnanimous like a real king, or like Charles II, at least Knowing how to endure, the king will not give up on her easily, but what a pity... What Mrs. Milady saw was the girl in her twenties, who acted recklessly without any scruples... Some people think that the king is a representative of doing whatever he wants, no, Big mistake, as a king, he is more restrained, more cautious, and more...painful than ordinary people. Personal desires must always be placed behind the royal family, the country and the people, but this lady in front of me is forever Impossible.

Ms. Christina looked at the wooden box brought by Mrs. Milady again. This wooden box was about two feet square, exactly the size of a set of folded coats. She raised her chin with great interest, and signaled with her eyes: "What, is this a gift from you?"

"No," said Lady Milady, smiling, "this is what His Majesty the King asked me to deliver to you."

Speaking of His Majesty, the smile on Ms. Christina's face disappeared immediately. She once had fantasies about that king, no, no, no, not about marriage or love, but about a prominent and kind king. , but her disappointment was greater than her hope. Although Louis XIV sheltered her, his thoughts were more rigid and boring than any king or gentleman Christina had ever met. He reminded Christina of her Her cousin, later Karl X, was precisely to escape marriage with Karl X that she resolutely gave up the Swedish throne and left her own palace, her country and her people.

An ominous premonition flooded Ms. Christina's heart. If it was only Milady, she could imagine that the other party came only for Christina, but if she was also the king's messenger—that king would never do anything. Things without purpose: "What's in there?" she asked.

Mrs. Milady shook her hand, stood up from her side, walked over to open the box, and held it like this, presenting the contents in front of the former queen.

It was a nun's costume.

Ms. Christina stared at the black-and-white outfit, with the turban on top, and seemed to want to smile contemptuously, but the smile shrank before it was ripe, or rather, was seized by uncontrollable panic. After leaving her position, her eyebrows furrowed in pain, her eyes widened, her thin lips twisted like a man's, her breathing changed from light to heavy, and finally a dull growl - more similar to a sob-like sound coming from her throat Burst out from the depths.

She's not a fool, she knows what it means, and the King of France is signaling, no, ordering her to be a nun, which is the best that can come to a man of the utmost dignity.

She wanted to shout angrily, and she also wanted to pull out the dagger at her waist, throw this humiliation on the ground and step into the mud, but she couldn't control the panic in her heart, because it meant that the King of France had decided to take it back. For her patronage, properly speaking, was withdrawn from that of the former Queen of Sweden, and she could continue to enjoy the privileges bestowed by the king as an eminent abbot until her death.

until death.

The voice kept echoing in her head, and Ms. Christina finally raised her hands and covered her face: "He can't, ma'am, he can't!"

"Your Highness..."

Ms. Christina suddenly put down her hand, her face was flushed, but her eyes became extremely firm: "I'm going to see him, ma'am, although I don't know why he changed his original mind, but I will make His Majesty change his mind! Ma'am, I'm going to the king!"

"Your Highness!"

"Lady Milady!" Madame Cristina returned in a louder voice, "please help me, I want to leave Rome at once, I want, yes, give me a horse, I want a horse, no carriage, and I clothes—let my maid come, and I will change into riding clothes! I will travel day and night, and His Majesty will change his mind, as long as he sees me! Not those despicable villains!"

She grabbed Mrs. Milady's hand. If Mrs. Milady was an ordinary woman, her wrist would be broken by this lady, but as a witch, Mrs. Milady not only did not show the slightest bit of pain. , didn't even move the box in her hand, she just watched Ms. Christina calmly and pitifully, watching her go from disbelief, to anger and panic, and then to near madness - when she found out, no matter what No matter how much I yelled, there were no maids, nuns or attendants who came to watch.

"Your Highness," said Mrs. Milady, "don't make unnecessary struggles, this... will only make you more... disrespectful, and disappointing...Since Your Majesty has made a decision, it is impossible to let others Change it at will, I thought you knew that already."

"Why?" said Ms. Christina mournfully, "I thought he would be the one I could count on the most."

"It used to be," said Mrs. Milady. As one of the king's secret investigations, she certainly knew that the king had paid a great price for protecting this lady.

"Just because I killed Monardes?" Christina shouted. Since she left Fontainebleau, she hardly saw Louis XIV anymore. She didn't know whether it was because of guilt or guilty conscience: "It's just Because I don't want to follow Father Lebel's advice and let Brother Santinelli be the scapegoat? But he deserved it, he betrayed his queen!"

"By that time you are no longer the queen."

"I was just furious."

"The king was also very angry at that time." A dishonorable murder happened in his palace, and there were many ridicules and sarcasms on the surface and secretly, especially this behavior of Christina, which greatly damaged her. Fame, the king's plan was almost aborted, Mrs. Milady couldn't help but sigh when she thought of this, now it should be said that it has completely failed, and the king asked her to come only to recover the last loss.

"I will not vow to become a nun." Ms. Christina said decisively: "Let me talk to His Majesty, I still have..."

"What else do you have?" Madame Milady interrupted her indifferently: "Without Your Majesty, you wouldn't even get the tax money from your own territory, and you only have flattering villains around you, and even some slightly useful people." None, only actors, heretics, and idle second and third sons, who are eager to profit from you, and just scatter when you need help..."

"I……"

"You're in huge debts...you buy a lot of art, you decorate, you have a banquet every night, you say mass, and it doesn't do you or your business any good."

"Monsieur Bishop Azzurino promised me..."

"What did you promise? Did you make an oath on visible paper or before God?" Others might hesitate, but it is not an exaggeration to say that the loopholes around Ms. Christina are as dense as a fishing net Mrs. Milady has read every letter between her and Mr. Bishop. Ms. Christina is full of affection, but Mr. Bishop did not even leave a trace in the letter. His letter is full of calmness. And wise persuasion, without personal affection, he would have nothing to say about these letters, even if they were taken before the most devout inquisitors.

"As long as I go back to Sweden..." Christina raised her shoulders tenaciously.

"Your residence in Stockholm has not been taken back, let alone the royal palace. Since the day you left, Your Highness, you can never go back." Mrs. Milady lowered her head and said the cruelest words: "And no matter what What kind of people are willing to support you is a thing of the past, Your Highness, you are forty years old, you are not married, you have no children, even if you get back to the throne, you have no heirs, so—"

She straightened her body, took out the headscarf from the box, and gently put it on the head of Ms. Christina who was kneeling on the ground at some point: "Why do we, them, and you bother?"

—————

Stockholm, Three Crowns Palace.

The young King Karl XI was coming back from outside. His attendants were all young people about his age. Because they had been with the king for a long time and knew that he was a generous person, they quarreled and laughed along the way. Noisy, the whole palace is full of vigor and vigor - the king is only twelve years old this year, not yet an adult, but he has grown tall enough, about five feet one inch, it is conceivable that he will continue to grow taller in the future, will be A great king to look up to (in every sense of the word), which is also what his mother, and five regents expected of him.