Chapter 1: Danielle Breaks Her Engagement

The fanfare sounded as Henry and his father stood. Marguerite and Rodmilla jumped up and down for a moment, nervous and excited. Jacqueline and Captain Laurent hurried from the buffet table to watch the announcement. King Francis cleared his throat. “Friends, honored guests, it gives us great pride on this honored occasion to announce the engagement of our son, Prince Henry, to...” He never finished the sentence, for Henry’s hand clamped onto his shoulder. The King turned to his son and, without warning, found his eyes riveted on the apparition standing at the entrance to the gardens.

The torches glinted off her pure golden hair, piled atop her head in masses of ringlets. From the shoulders of her gown stretched white gossamer wings. The gown itself was a fantasy of fragile white silk and golden beadwork. Her eyes glowed behind what seemed like a delicate white mask studded with diamonds. She was breathtaking.

Danielle had not expected every eye in the Kingdom to be on her. She had thought she could slip in, get a bite to eat, and discreetly reveal her story to the Prince.

“Breathe, just breathe.” Nobody heard Danielle’s whispered words to herself as she straightened her shoulders to face the crowd. The entire party came to a standstill at the sight of her. An angel, perhaps, or maybe a faerie? Nobody could guess, but everyone noticed the Prince’s reaction, especially Rodmilla and Marguerite, who both tried almost unsuccessfully to mask their fury.

Directly across the room was Henry. For a moment, he stood as if paralyzed. Then he broke the spell by jumping from the dais. The crowd opened up before him as he ran across the ballroom to the staircase where the beautiful arrival was standing.

King Francis turned to his wife in confusion. “Who is she?” He voiced the question of the whole crowd.

“I suspect she is the Comtesse Nicole de Lancret.”

Henry reached Danielle, his eyes wide with disbelief. For a moment, he stood looking into Danielle’s eyes. Henry shook his head in amazement. “Tell me it is really you.”

Danielle took a deep breath. “I have come disguised as myself.” The crowd was hanging on to their every word. Danielle had not expected nor wanted this sort of attention.

“My mother said you were getting married!” Henry was so overjoyed to see her that he could think of nothing else but the face in front of him.

“She was misinformed.” Danielle steadied herself. “But there is something I must tell you, now, before another word is spoken,” she said as Henry took another step up the stairs.

“Then you are not engaged?” Henry blurted out, gripping her hands.

The heat between them was almost unbearable. “No, I am not.”

Henry smiled radiantly at her. “I was about to make the worst mistake of my life! Come, there’s someone I would like you to meet.” She took his hand and lifted her skirt slightly to make her way down the staircase. The silver satin slippers glowed like stars, dazzling the crowd.

The bell began to strike midnight—an ominous warning.

“Henry, I must speak with you!” Danielle’s panic was growing. She knew she had to tell Henry before meeting his parents.

“Whatever it is, my answer is yes.” Henry was too caught up in leading her to the dais to listen.

“Oh, and look, look! I invited the Gypsies.”

Danielle glanced their way and smiled, but her nerves were in such a state that she could barely breathe.

The crowd parted as the couple crossed the room to the royal dais. Suddenly Danielle felt a sharp tug on her wings. She tottered.

Appearing like a demon from hell, Rodmilla ripped off one of the gossamer wings and shrieked, “HOW DARE YOU!” The crowd gasped in shock at this behavior.

“No!” Danielle said as she shrank back in horror.

Henry got between them, Danielle cowering behind him. “Madame, contain yourself!” He was completely appalled at her behavior. What was this?

“She is an impostor, sire!” Rodmilla’s voice rang out loud and clear. The crowd watched this drama unfold with mute horror.

“No!” Danielle’s eyes filled with tears and thought, “Not like this ... oh, God, not like this!” She watched her entire world, her entire life shatter before her very eyes.

“Her name is Danielle de Barbarac, and she has been a servant in my home for the past ten years,” Rodmilla spat out, her eyes in narrow slits.

King Francis stepped from the dais and in a booming voice said, “A servant Henry! Is this some kind of joke?”

Henry’s face was crimson. “Baroness, you are on dangerous ground!” he warned.

“Ask her yourself!” Rodmilla shot back. She’s a grasping, devious little pretender, and it is my duty, Your Highness, to expose her for the covetous hoax she is!”

Henry turned to Danielle, confused and embarrassed. “Tell these women who you are,” he said, nodding encouragingly. “Tell them.”

Danielle turned and met his eyes. She wanted to die, right here, right now. She looked at Henry, pleadingly, grasping for the right words. Finally, in a voice barely above a whisper, she asked, “May we speak in private?”

For a third time, Henry failed to let Danielle explain. “Just tell them who you are,” he practically begged; his voice unsteady.

Danielle was mute.

Taking advantage of Danielle’s silence, Rodmilla aggressively grabbed Danielle’s shoulder and said, “Bow before royalty, you insolent fraud!”

“My God,” Henry said, stunned. “It can’t be true ... Nicole?”

Danielle’s voice came out at the same time her tears did. “Nicole de Lancret was my mother and the Baroness de Ghent is my stepmother, Your Highness.” Very softly, she asks once more, “Please, Your Highness, we must speak in private?”

The hushed crowd began to murmur excitedly, pressing in closer.

Before Henry could consider Danielle’s request, Rodmilla quickly replied, “She is a common servant, Your Highness. Her parents are dead and I have fed and clothed her for the past ten years.”

Realizing that she was the girl with the apples, Henry let go of her hand and stared at her in shock and disillusionment. “The apple, that was you?” Henry asked as the crowd pushed in closer.

“I can explain!” Danielle burst out. To herself, Danielle asks, “Why did it have to happen this way? Why was Fate so cruel to me? Please, at least let him listen to me...”

King Francis glared at all three of them. “Well, somebody had better!”

Henry started backing away from Danielle, his voice cold, and cynical. “First you’re engaged, and then you’re a servant?...”

Seeing Henry’s withdrawal and hearing the anger in his voice, Danielle finally regained her composure. Before allowing Henry to continue, Danielle, with determination in her voice shouted, “THAT’S ENOUGH!”

Henry was about to dismiss her and leave but, stunned at her loud outburst, he paused.

“Four times I have asked to speak to you tonight and all four times you have refused to listen. I release you from your proposal. I refuse to marry a man who will not listen to me.”

Taken aback, Henry replied, “Proposal ... what proposal?”

“Fine, that must have been someone else at the ruins at Amboise yesterday.” Then softly, “Your Highness, where is that compassionate young man who proposed to me yesterday at Amboise?” Then continuing with emphasis, “I must be blind to confuse you for him.”

Somewhat subdued, Henry replied, “You lied to me.”

“I may have misled you, but only to save a man’s life. However, I did not lie. It was not I who chased you across the courtyard and demanded a name—any name. I came here tonight to tell you the truth, but you would not listen. Instead of being honorable and settling any misunderstanding in private, like some egotistical fool, you choose to listen to the Baroness’s lies and distortions. How can you be so shallow?”

There were gasps from the crowd. That anyone, let alone a servant, would so insult the prince was unthinkable. Pounding his scepter on the floor, King Francis boomed angrily, “No one speaks to the prince in that manner!”

Danielle turned and curtsied to the King. “Please forgive me, Your Majesty. How very inconsiderate of me for not realizing that His Highness, Prince Henry, would need you to protect him from a teenage mademoiselle.”

There were muffled laughs and King Francis glared in their direction. He was beginning to become irritated. He believed that the girl had just mocked him, making him feel foolish enough without people laughing about it. Protocol demanded that adolescent girls have some leeway, but this girl was pushing the limit. King Francis was about to give her a severe warning but, after a short pause, Danielle continued, “And how silly of me to believe that I should be shown some consideration for saving your son’s life.”

King Francis was stunned by that revelation. “You saved Henry’s life?” he asked.

Danielle ignored the question. She knew it was perilous to take on the King of France, but by now she was blazing hot. It would be almost 100 years before Shakespeare would articulate her fury with his immortal phrase, but Danielle did not need Shakespeare to express her temper. With eyes flashing fire, she turned to Henry and said, “Yesterday morning you thanked me for saving your life. How quickly you forget. Saint Paul said, ‘Love is patient and kind.’ What a fool I was to believe you loved me, for you are neither. Saint Paul also said, ‘If you have all things and have not love you are nothing.’ Perhaps I should have rescued my gown instead of you. That way I would have saved something rather than nothing.”

The crowd listened silently in shocked apprehension. Never had anyone, even high-ranking nobles, dared to take on the King and speak to the Prince in such a manner. A few glanced at the King. Maybe Danielle had not gone too far, but she was living on the edge. In any event, Henry was reeling from Danielle’s accusations. Danielle had shamed him for not listening to her, but he was also angry with her for embarrassing him in front of the world. However, since Danielle had so rudely pointed out to the crowd his statement that she had saved his life, he was finding it difficult to think of a good response.

Before he could think of something to say to justify his actions, Danielle continued softly, “Your Highness, five minutes ago when I believed you to be that wonderful man I fell in love with, if you were a carpenter I would have gladly married you, and I would have willingly gone with you anywhere, even to the Americas.” Then, continuing with emphasis she said, “Now, I will not marry you at all.”

Henry felt everyone’s eyes on him and did not appreciate a girl rejecting him in front of the world, so he replied, “I never asked you to marry me.”

“Your Highness, you are the Dauphin and future King of France and I am your loyal servant. Therefore, if you say you did not propose, then I must agree. What you did say, while looking into my eyes at Amboise yesterday, is that because of me you have found your purpose in life, that you no longer imagine living it alone, that I am unlike any girl you have ever met, and that tomorrow night at the masque, you will make that known to the world. Then you kissed me. I only hope the next mademoiselle who believes you are proposing has your words witnessed and in writing so she is not misled.”

“You are twisting my words.” Henry was exasperated because, no matter what he said, Danielle was making him appear foolish.

“And what about your actions, Your Highness, do they not also speak volumes?”

The crowd had gotten very quiet and pressed in even closer, listening to their every word. Henry could feel them anticipating his response. He was trying to think of a good comeback but all he could say was, “And what about my actions?”

“Your Highness, I am just an ignorant girl so please forgive me if I got the wrong impression from your actions and words tonight when, upon seeing me, you stopped the King from announcing yet another engagement, after which you ran to me, took my hands, looked into my eyes and told me you were about to make the worst mistake of your life. Well, Your Highness, so there can be no further misunderstanding, let me make myself perfectly clear. As the future King of France, you will always have my devotion and loyalty {3}but, as a man for a husband, I will not marry you because frankly Sire, I can do much better.”