Tu Es Ma Lumière

58 - Switched Identities

"Head straight, petulant child." Queen Marie de Guise hissed as looked at her daughter, the Dauphine of France, in the large the carriage. In this bright summer day, the future Queen of France was to meet her future husband, the King of Scotland.

"Marie." The King of France, James de Valois-Angoulême, hissed back at her. "Make the impression that you don't dislike the heir."

"She's a petulant child, James." Marie glared. "She needs to know her place and duty before she meets her future husband."

"Giving the impression to the dowager King and Queen that their son will not be in a place where he is going to be happy due to the rough treatment of the Dauphine by the Queen will not attain us what we want." James replied.

Marie huffed, starting to play with the rubies and sapphires that sat on beds of gold on her fingers. James looked away again. The five year old Dauphine sighed and looked down at her gold satin gown with gold embroidery, drawing over the fleur-de-lis on her skirt with her thin, long and pale fingers. Her parents, the king and queen consort of France, had been arguing for hours. She'd long given up on the love of both her parents. She rarely saw her father, this was the first time in weeks, and had always known her mother didn't love her. Just saw her as a necessary commodity. And because the long labour, and previous decade of baroness and two stillborn sons had only resulted in her, and because she was unable to have another child, a boy, there was a lot of resentment on the part of the Queen to the Dauphine.

A long while later, the carriage stopped and the little Dauphine looked out of the window. They were finally at the beach where her future husband were. She gulped, seeing the docked ship and many people at the dock, signifying the fact that he was already there.Her father was announced first.

"Introducing his majesty, King James de Valois-Angoulême of France," was said, as the King came out of the carriage. She could hear the rustling of clothing as people bowed to him.

"Her majesty, Mary de Guise, Queen consort of France." her mother left the carriage, with the help of her husband.

"Introducing her royal highness, Dauphine of France, Marie de Valois-Angoulême." she was announced. James reached past the curtain, which was pulled back by the footman, and extended a hand to his five year old heir.

She delicately grasped her fathers' hand, knowing when to play the part of a doting daughter, walking slowly out of the carriage, placing the pale fingers with gold rings onto the white satin gloves worn by her father. She could hear a sharp draw of breath as she slowly exited the carriage, stepping on the leather box, before neatly stepping onto the grass.

She observed the guards in tartan and silver, saw the members of the young king's household, his servants, before looking at the long abdicated Scottish King. Henry was tall and imposing, but virtually powerless, making him not intimidating in the slightest. He wore extravagant clothing, a long green velvet cloak over his white shirt, leather slacks and knee high boots, livery collar sparkling on his shoulders, arms tied behind his back. Next to him was a tall woman in a green suede gown, a dark green velvet around her shoulders, big black eyes observing her own entourage, black hair blowing on the wind. On the other side of the abdicated King was his wife, who was very short and wore a thick autumnal coloured brocaded gown, a red velvet clock tied around her throat and billowing behind her from the soft wind. The dowager Queen had a protruding stomach, indicating pregnancy. She observed the children next to the dowager Queen. A girl in a pink satin gown with a red cloak, long dark hair and brown eyes observing everything. Another girl with dark golden locks, in a white gown with a pink cape. A tiny baby in blue in the arms of the elder girl with dark locks.