And everything changed. If earlier he could wander alone and he was not particularly noticed, except of course the ladies. That heir to the throne, now everyone was interested. Now he could not fail to be noticed. The courtiers literally watched him at every bush, trying to gain favor. They followed him in a round dance. He complained to Diana that they would not leave him alone for a minute. Henry’s new position did not please him at all, it weighed him down. And the freedom so adored by him was irretrievably lost. He was not at all happy about becoming king. Heinrich had been preparing himself for a military career all his life, which meant campaigns and battles. Where everything is decided only by your own courage and valor. Now he realized that everything had turned upside down. He will never make a military career, as he is the future king of France, and this saddened him. He was still annoyed.
Lying flatterers! He spoke while talking toВ Diana.
They walk around like aВ pack ofВ jackals. Looking out for something or begging.
You can’t imagine Diana!
This afternoon, out ofВ anger, IВ said something nonsense, hoping that at least someone would argue withВ me.
What do you think?!
They unanimously agreed with the nonsense IВ said!
How can this be?! He finished, annoyed.
He looked at her completely unhappy and added.
Diana, this is awful! You have no idea.
Diana was reclining on silk pillows on aВ small Roman-style sofa. She waved her hand toВ Heinrich, who nervously paced the room, inviting him toВ sit down next toВ her.
Heinrich dear.
Don’t think so much about them, really.
As if you don’t know the courtiers.
You are inВ aВ really bad mood for this.
Give it up, forgetВ it.
He sighed bitterly.
How not toВ think if they are everywhere!
Heinrich, please don’t worries like that.
You break my heart! Diana answered.
Let them bow and chat like parrots.
Don’t notice them. She said, and, getting up from the couch, went up to him.
Heinrich sat down inВ aВ nearby chair. She settled inВ his lap, dangling her legs and hugging his neck.
Well, would you like me toВ tell you aВ funny story? She sang.
ToВ stop beingВ sad.
He breathed inВ even more bitterly than before, looked at her and smiled.
Yes, really, I won’t think about it. He said, trying to hide the sadness in his voice.
Then listen toВ the story. She said, poking her nose lightly with her finger, as if tickling. Trying toВ cheer himВ up.
He smiled at her but remainedВ sad.
Long live theВ king
Everything was quiet and stood still, like time had stopped. And this day could be the same as many others. If the peace and quiet ofВ this day had not been disturbed, like the explosion ofВ aВ volcano, the voice ofВ the herald. At first it was quiet, and then it began toВ grow, like an avalanche descending, gaining strength. And then, finally, the rumble ofВ people thundered, reaching aВ point at the very top, like aВ thousand voices ofВ aВ huge hive.
The king is dead!
And then, there was aВ pause, and the air exploded with an explosion ofВ voices.
Long live the king!
So Francis 1В was dead. Diana and Heinrich stood at the open window. She heard aВ hum, and words. The king is dead! Turning her head, she looked at Heinrich and whispered along with the rumble ofВ the crowd.
Long live the king! Sitting down inВ aВ deep curtsy, greeting the new king ofВ France, as etiquette demanded.
Henry did not harbor warm feelings for Francis 1, so he accepted the loss calmly and only officially in sorrow. He never saw his father’s love for himself, who was always cold to him. Francis simply never noticed or loved Henry. Therefore, Henry did not pretend to be a fake sorrow. Perhaps, in my heart only feeling sad that I did not know my father’s love. The point was, and the courtiers whispered quietly about this, that Henry was not at all the son of Francis. The reason for this was such a clear dissimilarity of Henry, both with his brother and with the king. Heinrich was dark-skinned, black-eyed and black-haired. Francis, like his first son, was fair-haired and blue-eyed. This dissimilarity was too obvious. To which the queen mother referred to the similarity of Henry along her line with her ancestors. In her youth, the queen was known as a beauty never seen before, and who knows what desperate hero came to her chambers. But, these were only rumors and guesses, not confirmed by anything. And rumors remain just rumors. The very same Francis 1, these rumors did not bother much, since Henry was not the heir to the throne. With Henry, Francis 1 was always cold, and that coldness never melted.
Diana lifted her curtsy and looked at Henry. He was somewhere far away, as if not with her, peering into the distance thoughtfully. However, what is the interweaving of fate! And if Henry was not the son of Francis 1. Then, son of what hero or knight ascended the throne of France?! Diana thought, smiling. Whoever his father was, she was sure it couldn’t be Francis.
It was for sure aВ brave handsome man! She thought. He seemed toВ wake up and looked into her eyes, smiled back atВ her.
The coronation was magnificent. It seemed that all of Paris had gathered in the square near the church. Not only high society, but also common people from small to large. There were so many people in the church that, as they say, the apple had no place to fall. Henry stood in magnificent royal robes for the coronation of the French monarchs. Priests of the highest ranks stood next to him, holding on outstretched arms, on velvet cushions, the attributes of royal power to present to the king as a sign of the highest royal power bestowed on the king by God himself. Since the king is the undoubted God’s anointed, fulfilling his will on earth! The coronation ceremony has begun. The priest, reverently, slowly placed on Henry’s head the sign of royalty, a crown studded with precious stones of incredible size and equally beautiful purity. With the words: «Long live the anointed of God, fulfilling the will of God on earth, King of France, Henry II»! And as soon as the last word was uttered, there was such a rumble that it seemed that the walls of the church were shaking. Heinrich turned to face his subjects and his people. Everything seemed to tremble and vibrate from a thousand voices.
Long live the King ofВ France!
Long live HenryВ II!
Diana stood at the front ofВ the church. She looked at Heinrich. Her heart sank. He stood inВ the rays ofВ light and greatness, as if towered and hovered above everyone around him. His face was calm and solemn. She looked at him, at the king ofВ France, at her king! And aВ thought flashed through my head. Vicar ofВ God on earth! The man touched byВ the hand ofВ God! The entire courtyard present inВ the church sat down inВ deep curtsy, as did Diana. Saluting your king!
And so, by a strange dictum of fate, the gatekeeper. Yesterday, courtiers mocking and pouring mud at her. They circled in a hungry flock near the king’s mistress. Not reckless and short-sighted, and therefore so stupid, complained that they turned out to be such. That is, fools! In addition, to their misfortune, Poitiers had a surprisingly good memory! Those, whose prudence, as it turned out, became their undoubted salvation, were glad of their neutral side in the war of the ladies. An example of the fact that Poitiers has a good memory and, as it turned out, unfortunately for many, a vindictive disposition, was one episode. Once, one of the ladies, from among the non-judicious and not in the recent past, allowed herself ridicule and taunts towards Madame de Brese. I tried to make up for the error and soften the corners as they say. This lady came up and tried to talk to Diana. In the hope that Poitiers does not remember her evil tongue. Diana, who was in the flattering crowd surrounding her for a long time and talking with one of the courtiers. Lazily, she turned to the unfortunate cold look full of contempt and arrogance, like an annoying fly. She held them over the lady from top to bottom, as if with two daggers. The stupid lady tried to tell her something. But, Poitiers silently turned away from her, as if she was not at all. Telling the courtiers with whom she spoke.
Come on gentlemen. It seems to have smelled of something rotten here, and I can hear the vile buzzing of flies. Having said this, she walked slowly away. Continuing the conversation, surrounded by the same flattering crowd. Leaving the unfortunate woman in a stupid and humiliated position, completely alone. So those fool who hoped for her bad memory. They realized that her memory, it is true, serves her, to their chagrin. And she’s certainly not going to forget anything. They forever lost the location of the king’s favorite, and hence the location of the king himself. Since everyone knew Heinrich’s affection for Diana. Henry simply gave Diana her enemies. Just laughing at their fate. Knowing that his precious Diana, like a fury, has an extremely vengeful nature. That she will not forget and will not forgive them for their insults.
Her enemies paid dearly for their caustic remarks. They were forever deprived of the king’s favor. Some preferred to retire from the court, as they say, out of harm’s way. Realizing that Poitiers can be extremely vindictive, and deals with enemies without the slightest regret in his heart.
As for the so hateful for Poitiers, de Tamp. She was still inВ the palace.
AВ month had passed and De Tamp was waiting for Poitiers toВ attack like an angry tigress.
She had been expecting an attack from Poitiers from the very first day that Henry was crowned and he became king. But, toВ her surprise, Poitiers did not show any interest inВ her.
De Tamp was embarrassed byВ this strange phenomenon, but inВ the end decided that Poitiers, reveling inВ her sudden ascent, forgot about her. De Tamp, however, after the unexpected death ofВ Francis, was immediately forgotten and abandoned byВ everyone and was left alone. She tried not toВ catch the eye ofВ Poitiers. Hoping that Diana had completely forgotten about her. And she was already beginning toВ believe that the storm had passed. As unexpectedly, one sunny, beautiful morning there was aВ knock on her door. Her servant brought her aВ gift given byВ someone. She was very surprised. The painting turned out toВ be aВ gift. It was accompanied byВ aВ small, elegant letter. Taking it inВ her hands, de Tamp felt aВ delicate aroma emanating from him and recognized the small seal, at the house ofВ de Brese, she immediately went cold. With shaking hands, she opened the letter.
It was written inВ beautiful, clear and graceful handwriting: В«ToВ my dearest friend, Mademoiselle de Tamp. With tender love, please accept this gift. InВ honor that your dearest friend remembers you. В«Signed, Countess de Brese.
Unpleasant chills creped down de Tampa’s body. This did not bode well for her. She walked over to the painting and angrily ripped off the fabric in which it was wrapped. A boring and rather tasteless, even ugly still life appeared before her eyes. She grimaced in disgust, but before she knew it, Poitiers fluttered into her room without knocking. De Tamp was taken aback, staring stupidly at the hated Poitiers. But, Poitiers did not stop, quickly walked to her meeting, opening her arms and smiling cheerfully.
Oh my dear friend! Diana sang toВ her voices. And she came close toВ de Tamp, hugged her and kissed her on both cheeks, which became paler than the whitest wall.
Poitiers hugged de Tamp so tightly that she was afraid that Poitiers might come toВ strangle her. But, at some point, Diana still released her, from the steel embrace. With aВ cheerful cry, she rushed toВ the picture.
Oh my god! My dear! Poitiers spoke inВ her sweet voice, as if inВ aВ chant. Stretching out every word as if enjoying.
Do you like my gift?
Isn’t he wonderful?
She seemed toВ be looking at the ugly picture with pleasure.
You know. As soon as IВ saw this miracle. IВ immediately remembered about you. Poitiers continued with enthusiasm.
This beautiful painting reminded me ofВ you, my dear!
Poitiers did not take her eyes off the nightmarish still life. Reverently bringing her hands together inВ front, as if praying, she said.
IВ thought it might not suit you and your taste.
Diana continued, turning sharply and looking at de Tamp. Her eyes rested on de Tamp, white as aВ wall. But Poitiers did not calm down, clearly enjoying herself. Quickly, like aВ cat toss, she walked over toВ de Tamp and grabbed her hand. From what she had aВ nervousВ tic.
Don’t you like it? Frightened and feigned, asked Poitiers.
Oh my god! Don’t blame me!
You know, I’m not as expert in painting as you are. Poitiers continued her torture without allowing de Tamp to answer. Diana continued cheerfully.
You know, I can’t wait. When it’s a miracle. She waved her hand lazily in the direction of the ugly picture. Without taking his eyes off his victim. Like a huge python. She continued.
She will add toВ your wonderful art gallery on your estate.
De Tamp thought she was about to faint. Diana smiled at her pretend to be naive, still not taking her eyes off her.De Tamp was dizzy. She felt uneasy. Poitiers’ dark brown eyes, in the rays of sunlight beating through the window, suddenly lit up for a moment with yellow lights and became like the eyes of a giant cat watching a mouse, which it holds by its tail. The next minute, going to bite off that head. De Tamp shuddered, trying to stagger away from Poitiers, but the next moment she grabbed her hand again, squeezing her wrist tightly. She smiled sweetly at her. De Tamp had no strength left to pull them out. She twisted her leg and tried not to fall at Poitiers’ feet. Diana smiled, staring at de Tamp with the almost predatory, carnivorous gaze of the hungry cat.
She continued inВ aВ chant.
You know what?!
You will leave tonight!
And tomorrow. My wonderful gift. And also, your paintings, which IВ ordered toВ be removed inВ the royal gallery. These were exactly the pictures that de Tamp painted when she was aВ favorite and adorned the royal gallery. Diana took them off aВ long time ago, out ofВ sight. She continued.
They will decorate your gallery inВ your mansion along with my present!
It will be, perhaps, the most worthy and best decoration! She finished almost solemnly, still devouring her victim with her eyes and enjoying her agony. De Tamp weakly tried toВ escape with the last ofВ her strength. InВ despair, realizing that Poitiers expels her. She blurtedВ out.
What about His Majesty the King?!
IВ must inform the king ofВ my departure! Weak, de Tamp said. Trying not toВ faint. Diana finally released her victim from her tenacious paws, interruptedВ her.
Ah, my dear. You have nothing toВ worry about.
IВ have already discussed everything with His Majesty the King.
He, believe me, is just delighted with my gift!
She blissfully turned her gaze toВ the ugly painting. She added slowly, inВ aВ chant, as if she were singing aВ song
Oh, how she suitsВ you!
Then she started, as if remembering something.
Oh my god! Honey, it’s time for me to run! She hurried to add.
So tonight.
Don’t forget!
De Tamp tried toВ say something else, but Diana interruptedВ her.
And don’t argue, honey! All is decided! Fun, Diana added.
You are leaving tonight!
I, alas, will not come toВ see youВ off.
Business, you know.
And tomorrow you will have my present at your estate! She said, and after aВ pause, finished firmly inВ the affirmative.
Yes! As if toВ herself. Still looking inВ awe at his gift.
And without waiting for an answer, she swam toВ the exit, rustling her skirts. She had already left, but the edge ofВ her skirt was still slowly creeping into the doorway afterВ her.
