Like the tail of a huge snake! A thought flashed across de Tampa’s mind. And she collapsed exhausted on the couch that was next to her. Screaming out hopelessly and trembling all over.
Snake!!!
Damn snake!!! And she burst into tears.
De Tamp was expelled from Paris and removed from the court forever. What happened to Poet’s gift, a painting, is unknown to anyone except de Tamp herself.
InВ the evening, having collected all her things, she went toВ her carriage. Lifting her head toВ the palace, she suddenly saw Poitiers standing at the window, she was watching her. Stumbling at the foot ofВ the carriage and nearly falling, de Tamp hurried toВ hide inВ the shadow ofВ the carriage. Poitiers looked at the carriage leaving, she smiled!
Heinrich showered his Diana with priceless gifts. To the most enviable crown jewels, he added a huge diamond confiscated from the defeated favorite of the deceased king, the Duchess de Tampa. Diana also got all the castles of the Duchess, as well as the Parisian mansion of her hated rival. Not content with expelling the duchess, Poitiers purged de Tampa’s other supporters. So Pierre Lizet lost his post as prime minister. And Olivier, the chancellor’s office. At the same time, supporters of Poitiers began to receive top government positions. As soon as Henry became king, he remembered his old friends and commanded to entrust Montmorency with the highest state office. Diana did not mind this decision. Since she was supporting the constable. He didn’t give her any fear.
Diana had an amazing habit. Get up early inВ the morning, at dawn. When the day, together with the birds, only wakes up and the first rays ofВ the sun color the sky. She got up and felt an unreasonable joy. Her soul was filled with peace and tranquility, perhaps comparable toВ bliss. At this early hour, when the whole world had not yet woken up completely and the air was especially clean, and the singing ofВ birds filled everything around. Diana went toВ the stable, where aВ horse was already being saddled for her, and rode on horseback for about an hour. Enjoying this amazing creation ofВ God and nature, dawn, as well as fast driving and aВ feeling ofВ complete, absolute freedom. Choking on the wind and driving fast. Then, she would come back and take aВ cool bath toВ cool down her body, which was heated up byВ the fast ride. The coolness ofВ the water was very pleasant toВ her. Her body calmed down and she felt reborn. And then, she went and went toВ bed, for aВ few more hours. This ritual became aВ part ofВ her life. And not aВ day passed without her meeting the sun. Sometimes she saidВ so.
Hello sun! As if greeted aВ luminary.
Waking up, after a couple of hours of sleep, she ate breakfast lightly and felt a surge of strength, as if the luminary itself charged her with its light. So her day began. Heinrich sometimes went with her at dawn. But, when he didn’t join her. She quietly crawled out of bed so as not to wake him up, but he always heard her exactly. Then she kissed him gently.
Speaking. Sleep, I’ll be back soon.
And when he returned, and if he was still asleep, she would just as quietly climb under the covers toВ him.
Heinrich, was married to Catherine de Medici, but had never felt any feelings for to his wife. It was undoubtedly a marriage of convenience. The phenomenon is common, for persons of royal blood. Diana, of course, even at the beginning of their relationship, asked Henry about Catherine. To which, he answered her. That, his heart and his life belong to her only one and it will always be so. And she had to face it. As for Henry. It got to the point that Poitiers practically had to ask him to visit Catherine’s chambers. Diana did not see a rival in the ugly, unprepossessing Catherine.
Henry, Catherine was not interesting. But if, by the way, Catherine, who, by the way, due to the fact that Henry did not want to, simply, perform marital duty with her, does not have an heir and children. Because of this, a divorce could well have happened. And it is not yet known who could be the next contender for Henry’s wife. Therefore, Poitiers chose, as they say, the lesser of evils, that is, Catherine. Once again, when a conversation came with Heinrich that he needed heirs and he could not ignore Catherine. Henry fell into anger and longing about this. First, because he did not want this woman, who was his wife. Secondly, because the woman he loved simply sent him to bed with another. From what, he became completely unhappy. Going to see Catherine, he became nervous and angry. Swearing with swear words, like the last shoemaker in France.
I, the King ofВ France! Heinrich spoke.
Should sleep and please, like the last whore inВ this kingdom, this woman!
Diana and you yourself are telling me that?! He spoke, offended.
Heinrich, dear. You know perfectly well it breaks my heart!
But we have no control over this!
You will always be married toВ someone else! You know.
You could never marry me. Sadly, answered Poitiers. Knowing exactly that it was just like that and could not be otherwise. Henry grew even sadder.
I, King Diana!
I, IВ can do anything! He grinned sadly.
Only, I can’t marry the one I love!
I, would prefer fate, any shoemaker inВ my country!
Because any shoemaker is freer than me! He finished bitterly.
Diana was silent, her eyes downcast. She didn’t know what to say. Realizing that both of them feel, at this moment, unwitting captives of circumstances that they are unable to change. But, nevertheless, Poitiers did not harbor hostility or did not lead to Catherine. Poitiers even felt sorry for Catherine as a woman. She understood that she, too, was the same hostage of circumstances. That she lived with a man who did not love her. And Diana understood that there is no fate sadder for a woman than being for a husband, for someone who does not love you. So yes. She felt sorry for Catherine. Until, one moment! Which happened once and she realized how passionately Catherine hated her!
Once, Diana asked Catherine de Medici, who was reading aВ book.
What, are you reading?
What, Medici, answered.
IВ read the history ofВ France and find undeniable evidence that inВ this country, harlots have always ruled the affairs ofВ kings.
The hint was clear! She just called her aВ whore! Poitiers eyes lit up with yellow fire! But, having an iron endurance, which she demonstrated back inВ the war with de Tamp. Diana did not raise an eyebrow! AВ second later, she smiled good-naturedly and broadly at Catherine. Answered.
Interested inВ history?
Really, IВ wonder?
She’s got a lot of fun!
I, too, find it very interesting how the offspring ofВ merchants suddenly put on aВ crown!
ReadВ it.
I assure you, you won’t find many such stories!
She finished, still smiling graciously.
Ekaterina fidgeted on the couches. Realizing what was behind Poitiers, the last word remained. Diana said goodbye toВ Catherine.
I’ll leave you for an educational lesson. She said and walked away. Turning away from Catherine, her smile disappeared from her face, and her eyes darkened.
Ah, here youВ are!
There is plenty ofВ poison inВ you! Diana thought toВ herself, moving away from Catherine.
Only, on me, it will hardly work!
Believe me! She chuckled. Moving away from Catherine.
Okay, IВ get it, she finished the thought.
We are enemies!
And no way, no other way! Catherine watched as the silhouette ofВ Poitiers receding gracefully floated away. She stared after her with sincere hatred.
Whispered inВ Italian.
Disgusting whore! But, inВ her eyes, there was something else, aВ different feeling, which caused Poitiers inВ her. This feeling was deep envy, one woman for another. She understood that she would never be like Poitiers. Graceful, dazzling beauty! And so, Catherine, surreptitiously, tried toВ copy and imitate, Poitiers.
Oh, yes, Ekaterina, everyone saw differently. What she was, and who she really was, but still, secretly in the depths of her soul. She was seen as a calm, humble queen. But how wrong they were! Even Diana did not immediately see who she really is, Catherine de Medici. Even though I saw people, almost through and through. Only now, she realized that Catherine is full of poison and is not at all an innocent lamb. At some point, Diana thought that, perhaps, Henry’s divorce from an Italian woman and marriage to a new passion. Not such a bad idea. But, then, she decided that she was still Italian, not a threat to her, and even less a rival. Plus, now she knows for sure that this snake has poisonous teeth! And this means that you have to keep your friends close! And the enemies are even closer! In order to know and predict all their insidious plans for many steps ahead! And she decided that she would be very close to Catherine! Having come to this conclusion. Diana, she didn’t bother anymore! And, despite the fact that the crown was on the head of one. The real queen was another!
Medici, at first I thought that she could do something against the favorite. And, she ordered to make a hole in the ceiling of Poitiers’ quarters. In the hope of seeing what can be used against the favorite and ridiculed or humiliated her. Or, perhaps, to harm her or something unpleasant. I decided to spy on her and the king. A very spicy scene appeared to the Medici’s eyes. Half-naked lovers comfortably settled on a luxurious bed. Diane de Poitiers looked great!
The lovers had aВ great time together, doing such madness inВ bed that the Medici could not have imagined! From which, she first blushed and then turned white. What she saw shocked and upset. The attitude ofВ the king toВ her became very clear toВ her. She returned toВ her room. Her face was still purple from what she saw. She sank into aВ chair, whispering.
Nasty French whore!
And again, covered with paint, remembering what heВ saw.
She told everything toВ one ofВ her close ladies.
She said.
Alas! I regretted seeing what I shouldn’t have!
And, it hurtВ me.
Catherine realized that Henry was lost to her forever. Never again did she use the hole in the ceiling of the hated Poitiers’ chambers.
Later, she wrote to her daughter: «I welcomed you, Madame de Poitiers, for the king forced me to do this. And at the same time, I always made her feel that I was doing this, to my greatest regret, because never a wife who loves her husband loved his whore! Otherwise, I cannot name it. As if, the persons of our position, it was not painful to pronounce such words. «The Queen even made plans. In order to poison the hated favorite, but the anger of the king in this case. And he would be such that Catherine was even scared to imagine. Stopped her. In general, the Medici’s hatred of Poitiers was overwhelming.
Meanwhile, Poitiers was talked about at court and beyond.
She is more than aВ queen!
Henry soon learned that the Medici was watching him and Diana. He did nothing against it and did not even punish the lady who accompanied the Medici. Although he knew that the Duchess de Montpensier acted as the queen’s confidant in this episode, and she blabbed about the incident to other maids of honor. Such a contemptuous inaction was perceived at court as a very cruel revenge on the queen.
But, one enemy for Poitiers at court was not enough. Returned after a long absence, one of the king’s close relatives. The person is influential and very rich. He disliked Poitiers at first sight. When Heinrich introduced Poitiers to him, he burned her with an arrogant look, looking down at her and considering her unworthy, neither of his origin, much less of a king. He accepted this acquaintance rather dryly and coldly. Heinrich did not have sympathy for his relative, but was kind to him. Because, otherwise I simply could not. The royal blood that flowed in both veins tightly bound them with invisible ties of kinship. Making him an inviolable person in the state. Which he undoubtedly knew. Allowing yourself liberties that no one else could. Once, at a feast in a drunken stupor. He called Poitiers, an upstart! Not particularly high-born. What was completely wrong.
Diane de Poitiers was from aВ very ancient, noble family and was always proud and remembered about it. But this rascal was not interested. He wanted toВ humiliate her. Diana learned about his statements about her later. And as always, it happens inВ such cases. It is worth saying something once, inВ one place ofВ the state, as it will be heard on the other side ofВ the country, passing it on from mouth toВ mouth. So, oh, his unflattering statements about her, everyone learned. The same feeling ofВ hatred that she felt for her late husband, she now felt inВ relation toВ him. He also spoke about her inВ aВ humiliating manner. Hatred flared up inВ her again, directed at aВ relative ofВ Heinrich. He reminded her that the time ofВ her marriage, full ofВ humiliation, for her allegedly not high position. It was believed byВ people like her husband and this hated, arrogant, scoundrel. Which, she hated, even more, because he reminded her ofВ this. AВ relative ofВ the king seems toВ have been imbued with the same hatred for her. Do not forget toВ pour mud on it wherever IВ have been. Poitiers, told Henry about it. Oh, the vile speeches that his relative conducts inВ relation toВ her. Heinrich sighed. Shaking his head. Knowing your relative.
Diana dear.
Never mind his drunken chatter.
He always had aВ dirty tongue.
I’ll talk to him and let him know that he doesn’t dare to speak out about you in a similar tone.
He has always been obnoxious.
But, and after the conversation ofВ Henry, the king himself! It seemed toВ this scoundrel that everything was overwhelming. He did not stop slandering. Henry, seeing that Diana, nevertheless, takes everything toВ heart. He spoke.
Damn!
Maybe IВ should pierce him with my sword!
Believe me, IВ would, with pleasure!
But, damn it, we areВ kin!
It would be great, Heinrich! Diana answered.
And you know, my dear, let’s make you a duchess! He chuckled.
Let’s see what then, he says!
She roused herself happily.
Heinrich, will you grant me the title ofВ Duchess?! Poitiers was delighted.
He shrugged.
Who, if not kings, bestow titles? My dear, Diana. He smiled atВ her.
Ah, me, king! If, you have not forgotten.
She laughed.
No, I haven’t forgotten!
You, my beloved king!
So the king continued.
Resolved!
You will be the Duchess!
Then, my precious relative, there will be no reason toВ spoil your mood!
Jumping up for joy, Poitiers literally fluttered into his lap, hugging Heinrich byВ the neck.
God!
Will you doВ it?!
He smiled.
OfВ course, my dear.
See, you are smiling again!
