“I’m fine,” I said with a smile. “She didn’t hurt me. I’m more worried about you. You were very brave.”
Alexandre tried to smile back, but it deflated quickly, leaving a trembling lip and watery eyes behind. I wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Catherine was absolutely delusional if she thought that this was winning.
“I apologize for that uncouth behavior, Lady Cendrillon,” the king said, causing me to jump as I realized that Alexandre and I still had an audience. “That should not have happened in my throne room. You are uninjured?”
“I am uninjured, sire. Thank you for your concern.”
The king cleared his throat and said, “I also owe you another apology, Lady Cendrillon.”
“Excuse me, sire?” I said. The king never apologized to anyone.
“I apologize for neglecting you. Your father was once my closest advisor and dearest friend, and I should have ensured that his daughter was being taken care of properly. But I did not. I assumed that Lady Catherine was treating you well, and that assumption allowed my friend’s murderer to remain free for a year, mistreating his daughter and almost killing her. I failed you. And for that I am sorry.”
An apology from a king was a rare and precious thing. I’d never expected to receive one, and I would probably never receive another. I collapsed into the deepest curtsy I possibly could.
“I place none of the blame for what happened on you, sire, but I appreciate your apology all the same and accept it gratefully.”
I rose and turned to Prince Louis, who was at his side. “I regret that I was not able to accept your proposal, Monseigneur le Dauphin. I hope we can always be friends.”
Elodie had told me that after the ruckus I had caused, the dauphin had proposed to Duchesse Maria, and she’d readily accepted the political alliance her father had desired. I only hoped the duchesse would find some happiness in her marriage.
Louis gave me a small smile. “Maybe it’s the spirit of wedded bliss that’s taken over the palace now that we have two upcoming royal marriages, but I agree, it’s best to put the past behind us and be friends again.”
“Forgive me, Monseigneur, but while I offer you my sincerest congratulations on your upcoming nuptials, I’m afraid I haven’t heard of this second royal wedding.”
After a glance from the king, the dauphin said, “That reminds me. The Duc de Maine wishes to speak with you before you leave, Lady Cendrillon.”
“The Duc de Maine?”
“That’s right. Duc de Maine is our dear Auguste’s new title. The king was gracious enough to grant him a dukedom after legitimizing him, in recompense for saving your life and helping to uncover Catherine’s misdeeds. It is his upcoming marriage that is to be the second royal wedding. I think he wanted to invite you to attend.”
The bombardment of information set my head spinning. Auguste was getting married? To whom? That didn’t make any sense. Auguste cared for me. I knew he did. He chased after me the day of the proposal and spent days by my side while I was unconscious. He’d made his intentions toward me clear. Or at least, I thought he had. Maybe it was not that he was a fickle rake, but a condition of his legitimization. But that wasn’t much better. It still meant that we couldn’t be together.
“If I see Auguste on our way out, I’ll be sure to congratulate him on his new title,” I said with as sweet of a smile as I could muster even as I felt my heart breaking. The king had legitimized him! He would no longer be considered fatherless. But now he was marrying someone else?
When the dauphin and the king said nothing more, I dragged Alexandre into a curtsy alongside my own and ushered her to the door. I breathed a sigh of relief when Elodie came into view. It was over.
Elodie, Marius, and I were going to be together and safe at last.
And Auguste. All was well for him too. Being illegitimate hurt him greatly, and I was happy that his family realized how important he was and made it known to everyone at court. But no matter how happy I was or how grateful I was to him for saving my life, I still couldn’t face him. Not when I knew he would be getting married to another, and so soon. Our last goodbye would have to remain as such.
Chapter Forty
“What happened in there?” Elodie asked as soon as the doors shut behind us. “I saw the guards bring Lady Catherine in and then bring her out again, and she looked furious.”
I let Elodie take charge of Alexandre, taking her hand and drawing her into the crook of her arm. As soon as Elodie touched her, Alexandre relaxed. It was sweet how the tension evaporated from her body as she rested her head against Elodie’s shoulder. A pang of longing surged through me. I wanted what they had. I’d had it briefly and lost it just as quickly. But I was happy for them.
“Alexandre was like Jeanne d’Arc,” I said with a smile. “She stood up for us—and you.” Everything would turn out all right. I had my life back, and soon all of us would be safe, including Marius.
Elodie looked mystified, while Alexandre looked shy. The coachman opened the carriage door, and I was about to step inside when I heard Elodie say loudly, “Oh. I’m so sorry. I didn’t even see you there, Lord Auguste!”
I backed up quickly and ducked behind a startled guard. Elodie and Alexandre were standing in the doorway leading to the Salon of Mercury. He stood on the other side of the doorway, towering over their heads, his broad shoulders making it impossible to see into the salon.
“You just appeared out of nowhere, Lord Auguste, I mean, Duc de Maine, Your Highness, Your Grace. What should I call you?”
Elodie was speaking so loudly, the king could probably hear her back in the throne room. She was trying to warn me—alert me to his presence. Elodie really was the best friend anyone could ask for. In more ways than one, I wouldn’t be where I was without her.
“Are you unwell, mademoiselle?” the guard whispered, but he obligingly didn’t move, keeping me shielded from view.
“I’m fine, thank you,” I whispered back. “If you don’t mind, I would appreciate it if you would allow me to remain here until my friend comes back.”
I had no doubt that Elodie would come up with something to keep Auguste away. If Elodie had to fake a fainting spell to get him to run for help so we could make our escape, she would. Did I want her to get rid of him? Part of me did. Another part wanted to run to him, to throw myself into his arms and let him hold me. But I couldn’t do that. Auguste was a loyal person. Louis had said that he wanted to invite me to his wedding. It was too upsetting to realize he was so ready to move on, even though I was the person who ended our relationship after all. I had no one to blame but myself. But still, I couldn’t face him.
“I’m very well, Elodie, and you know you ought to call me Auguste.” He turned to the coachman. “Gabriel, you seem to have sprouted an extra elbow. That is a very concerning development, unless you have someone crouched behind you.”