Spring 1608-1612

When the Queen found she was pregnant again, the entire Royal Family and their close friends, followed by their trusted servants left the Court and moved to their spring Residence, where Isabelle was going to give birth.

Even if they already had three beautiful children (two daughters and a son), both the Queen and the King were happy about their fourth baby and hoped for a younger brother for the Crown Prince.

Madame Royale, Princess Blanche de Croy, a very talented pianist.

At their arrival at the Spring Residence, the Royal Family met with Guigues d'Albon and his young wife, Marie Victoire.They were spending the spring there too, so the two noble families decided to enjoy the warm season together, away from the crowded and restless Royal Court back from Paris.

Marie Victoire also had a little surprise for the Queen, offering her the latter-day fad: a little black girl from Senegal, named Zanzi.

The young Senegalese charmed everyone, being full of life and befriending the nobles' children, especially Princess Blanche de Croy.Queen Isabella adored her gift and soon started to treat her as her own daughter.

Madame Royale playing chess with her new friend, Zanzi.

Zanzi wore the same dresses as the Princess and also attended dance and music lessons with the Royal children.

Madame Royal at her violin lessons.

Zanzi, spending some time with young Princess Angelique.

Unfortunately, in 1907, the Crown Prince got measles and in only a few weeks died.The King and the Queen were devastated by the child's tragic death and Princess' Cecile's birth didn't manage to comfort the mourning parents.Not even Zanzi's nimble attitude didn't seem to bring the smile back on their faces.

Soon after those events, everyone returned to the Court, where, in 1611 Prince Jean Gaston de Croy, Count of Barcelona, was born and everyone seemed a little more confident about the Kingdom's future.

The Queen, pregnant for the fifth time.

In 1912, Madame Royale (King Philip and Queen Isabellas'oldest daughter, Blanche de Croy) was betrothed to Maximilian de Valois.But Madame Royale and Maximilian's antagonist tempers predicted a stirring marriage.

Young Madame Royale with her sister, Cecile de Croy.

Winter 1604-1608

Devastated by his wife's tragic death, the recently widowed Marquis Guigues Levieux d'Albon returned to his old habits.He started spending incalculable sums of money at the French Royal Court, gambling, sleeping with different women (from noble ladies with immaculate reputations to the last prostitute).He regained his scandalous reputation in a few months.

Worried about his sanity and even physical health (but more worried for the Marquis' fortune), his friends convinced him to accept a young lady from the Court as his wife.

Marie Victoire de Noailles arrived at her husband's countryside domains in a late winter evening, tired and bored from the long tramp between Paris and Poitou.But the sludge where her heels sinked from her first step outside the carriage and the disturbing odor were not exactly welcome committee that she expected to see.

Her husband, now dressed as a normal poor nobleman from the countryside welcomed her with a frown and an insult about her inappropriate vestment for such a long voyage.Of course, the late hour when she arrived and all the mess that her valets created when they started unloading the carriage and store her chests and furniture, plus the fact that the noise woke up and scared the numerous children didn't create the best impression about the newcomer lady of the house.

Marie Victoire's first night in that castle wasn't far better.Her feet were cold and painful from the long journey and her husband's attitude didn't seem to improve too much from the moment she arrived.

The next few weeks were a series of disappointments.There weren't enough servants in the castle, the existent servants were lazy and more like a bunch of ill-mannered peasant than a valet and the children were all bad mannered and too noisy, by Marie Victoire's standards.

Guigues didn't seem to hear his wife complaining about everything and spent most of his time locked in the study room.In a couple of years she was going to change ... he calmly thought, comparing the spoiled little new Marquise with the elegant, yet temperate Gotelana.

By the moment Marie Victoire seemed to surrender and accept the livelihood there, the couple received an invitation at the Royal Court.

In the midst of luxury her husband looked completely changed: his smile was again charming and his attitude became mysterious and elegant.He flirted with many women but spent most of his time in his wife's company, allowing her any indulgence.They spent three months like this and, by the time they returned, Marie Victoire was more in love with her husband than anytime in her life.She was also very pregnant.

In 1608 she gave birth to two beautiful twin girls, Isabelle and Sophie.

Winter 1604-1608

Soon after his wife was accused of witchcraft and executed, Junien started searching for a new mother for his son.

He met the young Jenne Martin, a servant who worked for the Valois family as their Scullery Maid.The jealous girl was already blinded by her obsession for her master and, after his last refusal, she decided to accept Junien's proposal.

The two of them soon got married and she left Maximilian's domains and moved in with Junien and his son.

Well, their first night as a husband and wife wasn't exactly how Jenne expected it to be.After their religious ceremony at the church, Junien radically transformed into a new man, violent and discontented by everything.He raped his young bride, unimpressed by her cries.

And so the two of them started their life together ...

Winter 1604-1608

It hasn't been exactly the greatest winter for the poor serfs.

Little baby Anne (Marcelet and Chrestienne's second daughter) died in the winter of 1606.Poor parents thought that after loosing one child, God will be merciful to them, but no, they lost little Anne (only 4 years old when she tragically died of smallpox ), only to be followed by her younger sister, Mariot, the next year (winter of 1607).Her parents were devastated.

Even so, their children's tragic death didn't impress the assessor, who insisted that they had to pay their taxes to the Court.Chrestienne cried and begged for a little more time, just until the crops will be ready to be harvested, but the heartless man took almost everything from their hovel, letting the family only with the clothes they were wearing.

Chrestienne's fourth pregnancy didn't make the things easier for them either.

By the end of the winter, she gave birth to Haiete.Unfortunately, the the mother died of childbed fever a week later, leaving poor Marcelet alone with their baby.

assesor - an official who evaluates property for the purpose of taxing it (I translated it from my language, where the definition is "Officer in charge of collecting taxes from people" ).

childbed fever - A bacterial infection of the female reproductive organs following childbirth.

Fall 1600-1604

Although scandals were a common thing in their first year of marriage, almost all their servants whispering at the doors about their master's violent outbreaks, Gotelana managed to keep her husband faithful to her.

That wasn't exactly a beneficial thing to her, because in those 4 years she gave birth to two daughter and two sons.

Gotelana and her oldest daughter, Alesia d'Albon.

Even so, their impulsive characters seemed to complete each other's and each of their fight ended with a passionate day spend in the bedroom, with their doors locked (the main reason why the Marquise gave birth to so many children in few years).

The Marquise used to be a very wise lady for her times.

At the same time, Ida, the Kitchen Maid, carefully supervised the Marquise, assisting her at each of the 4 births and helping her deliver 3 healthy children.

Ida, with the couple's oldest daughter.

The Kitchen Maid

Unfortunately, in 1604, the 29 yeard old Marquise died giving birth to a baby boy and leaving a devastated husband, who refused to see anyone else and locked himself in his bedroom.

Fall 1600-1604

Binet, leaving for a few weeks.As a merchant, he travels a lot.

Gervaise, expecting her first child.

Gervaise with her first-born-son, Binet.He's a very healthy boy, although he doesn't seem too smart for his age.Even so, his parents are happy that he survived until now and, unlike many other families, they haven's lost any child.

Binet in his crib.

Gervaise, taking care of her daughter, Juliote.Unfortunately, few years from now on, her parents will discover the girl's poor mental health.

Gervaise with her other daughter, Lorence, a healthy baby girl.

House of d'Albon

Name: Guigues Levieux d'Albon
Born: 1573
Traits: Cold, Secretive, Attractive, Arrogant, Dominating, Intelligent, Brave
Romantic History: Gotelana d'Albon (ex-wife ; deceased), secret affairs with different married ladies
Wife: None
Aspiration: Fortune
Character Alignment: Evil
Rang: Marquis

At first sight, Guigues' romantic looks, with his big blue eyes and messy hair would make it hard for you to read his personality.No one would ever suspect his coldness or arrogance.
Guigues is intelligent, forceful and determined, unlike many nobles of his days, but he's also cruel, vindictive and treacherous.He loves politics, but his character made it difficult for anyone to trust him, so he was banished from the French Court, being forced to live on his domains in the countryside.

Name: Gotelana d'Albon de Parthenay

Born: 1575

Died: 1604 (childbirth)

Traits: Feminine, Charming, Intelligent, Ambitious, Alluring, Fashionable, Materialistic

Romantic History: Jean l'Archevêque de Parthenay (ex-husband ; deceased)

Husband: Guigues Levieux d'Albon

Aspiration: Fortune

Character Alignment: Neutral

Rang: Marquise

In 1590, at age fifteen, Gotelana married Jean l'Archevêque de Parthenay, a rich but old French count.By the age of 20 she was already a charming and filthy rich widow, possessing a castle in the countryside, few residences in Paris and also an unblemished reputation.And she could have lived like this for many years if she wouldn't have met the charming but machiavellian Marquis d'Albon.Everything about him attracted the young widow: his charming voice, his God-like body, his blond hair and, more than anything, hist scandalous reputation around the Court.And somehow, somewhere, into a blend of heated passion and blackmail, the two of them became husband and wife.

Name: Marie Victoire de Noailles

Born: 1586

Traits: Materialistic, Stubborn, Curious, Superficial, Emotional, Idealistic, Spoiled, Childish

Romantic History: At the French Court, Marie Victoire was admired and desired by many nobles, but she remained a pure girl for her husband (or she managed to keep her affairs secret).

Husband: Guigues Levieux d'Albon

Aspiration: Popularity

Character Alignment: Neutral

Rang: Born as a Countess, she later married into the House of d'Albon and became a Marquise.

Even if her mother was a well known courtesan in the French Court and her father was one of her mother's ex-lovers, this thing didn't seem to bother or embarrass young Marie Victoire.She grew up accustomed to the luxury in the Royal Palace and became used to be served and respected by everyone as the old King's protegee.After the King's death and before Philip's crowning, her mother sensed the troubles that were going to arrive for her and her daughter, so she sold her properties in and around Paris and left, sending, at the same time, her daughter in a Convent.Few years later, when everything was calmer and everyone seemed to have forgotten all the scandalous gossips about her affairs, Marie Victoire's mother, Marie-Françoise, arrived at the court as the new Countess de Bournonville.But the courtesan's plans for her daughter were different from a chaste life spent in an Ursuline Convent, so she arranged her daughter's marriage with the recently widowed Marquis d'Albon.

Children

Alesia d'Albon (1600)

Athelina d'Albon (1601)

Guiques d'Albon (1602)

Eudon d'Albon (1604)

Isabelle d'Albon (1608)

Sophie d'Albon (1608)

Antoine d'Albon (1616)

Servants

Name: Ida Lantos

Born: 1570

Died: 1622

Traits: Hard Working, Mature, Loyal, Stubborn

Romantic History: Unknown

Husband: None

Aspiration: Family

Character Alignment: Neutral

Class: Kitchen Maid

Ida was born and raised in Hungary, in a peasant family, so no one knows too much about her.She was already in Gotelana's ex-husband's service, the Count de Parthenay and she remained to work for his widow after the Count's death, also coming with her after her marriage.Now her duty is to take care of her master's children and supervise all the workers from the nobleman's kitchens.

The Boucher Family

Name: Binet Boucher
Born: 1577
Traits: Trustworthy, Hard working, Impatient, Ambitious, Bold, Reserved
Romantic History: None
Wife: Gervaise Boucher
Aspiration: Fortune
Character Alignment: Virtuous
Class: Merchant
Even if he married Gervaise only because she belonged to a very wealthy family, Binet tries to be a good husband and father.Being a merchant isn't exactly an easy thing, especially when you have to be away from home for days, but the money he earns provide the food for his growing family.

Name: Gervaise Boucher
Born: 1577
Died: 1623
Traits: Reserved, Quiet, Hard Working, Simple, Idealistic, Shy
Romantic History: None
Husband: Binet Boucher
Aspiration: Knowledge
Character Alignment: Evil
Class: Merchant

Gervaise comes from a wealthy family of merchant, so everyone was sure that she was going to marry someone above her station.When her parents received Binet's proposal of marriage they didn't even bothered to consider it, but it just seemed like their daughter had different plans.
She got pregnant with Binet's child so she had to marry him.Now she spends most of the time at home, taking care of their children and sewing dresses for noble ladies.



Children
Binet Boucher (1601)
Juliote Boucher (1602)
Lorence Boucher (1603)
Martine Boucher (1605)
Andry Boucher (1610)

Fall 1600-1604

Life in the Royal Court was a very pleasant one, even for the servants.

Blanche, the Queen's midwife and her husband, Johan the groomer, enjoying a quiet dinner, in the early reign of King Philip de Croy.

Until the royal family's first born arrived, Blanche, the midwife was in charge of the house.She had to supervise the other servants and make sure everything is perfect for the King and his wife.

In this time, King Philip and his wife, Queen Isabella seemed more in love than ever.Even if at the beginning it was just an arranged marriage, a contract between France and Spain, the two monarchs fell in love at the first sign.

Isabella's gentle nature and suave smile charmed the young King, who never believed that he'll met a girl like her.Of course, for the young heiress of Spain it was the same.She fell in love with her fiancé's candor.

Even if both of them were young and life as the rules of a big country was a difficult one, they managed to deal with everything.With the help of council, of course.

Queen Isabella, expecting her first child.

Queen Isabella's first pregnancy was a smooth one and even if the young future mother was a little worried, Babette, the trusty midwife calmed and helped her with everything.And so their first child, a beautiful baby daughter was born.She was named Blanche, Duchess of Savoy and everyone was delighted with how spirited the baby was.

The Queen, giving birth to her first daughter, carefully supervised by Babette, the midwife.

Resting, after the exhausting birth, while the midwife checks on the newborn.

Despite everyone's oppositions and protests, the Queen insisted to breastfeed her baby and in the end everyone had to accept her stubbornness and admit that she was a wonderful mother.

The King was pleased with the beautiful daughter that his wife gave him and often liked to watch Isabella spending time with the baby, singing lullabies or telling tales.Even so, most of the time he was busy with his attributions as the King.

King Philip, enjoying the luxury of a relaxing bath.

One and a half year later, their first son was born at the midnight.His birth surprised everyone, because he wasn't expected until two months later.Even so, he was a strong baby, full of life.He was named Charles, Prince of France and of Navarre.

Queen Isabella, pregnant with her second child.

The Queen and her daughter.

Life at the Court was an easy one ... for everybody.