Young Cecilia Danet is introduced to the opulent world of royalty when she joins the court of King Louis XIV—the Sun King. Having been groomed her whole life for the role of a courtesan prepares her for everything but the intense passion she feels with the brooding and powerful Louis. Their romance builds, but an intriguing twist changes the trajectory of Cecilia’s course and leaves her caught in the middle of a royal love triangle.
Previously published as "The Sun King."
Contains adult sexual content.
Genre: FICTION / Romance / HistoricalPalace of Saint-Germain-en-Laye, north-central France
April, 1660
I found it was the marble that fascinated me. The alabaster veins winding their way through the rich burgundy. I reminisced about quiet moments that provided glimpses of polished beauty. Stolen seconds in the hall of another’s home as my mother kneeled, scrubbing away at the floor. I was ever mindful of her warnings as I crept and investigated the world of the nobility at the age of eight.
Mother had been a servant in a home that could not dare compare itself to the wonder of this palace in which I now stood at nineteen years of age. In that home she had given all of herself. Giving her all resulted in the loss of countless hours with family as she gained calloused hands and aching feet. She worked tirelessly in an effort to support her children and their future aspirations.
She wished for us to rise above the life of grueling labor. Her reasoning—that there were many ways to serve the rich. One simply needed to be agreeable to the task. “In the end”—she would say, removing her soiled boots after a day of drudgery—“love is for the weak and does not guarantee happiness, only heartbreak.”
Instead of countless hours toiling and sweating, my days overflowed with studies of etiquette, exotic places and foreign languages, and the ways of the court and its subjects. The constant pressure of a pen or a brush caused the only callus to be found on my well-cared-for finger. Whatever the implement, a highly regarded tutor placed it in my hand during expensive lessons paid for by the physical exertions of my mother.
My feet ached from the repetition of the waltz and minuet, not from traversing the acres of another’s farm to harvest their crop. To avoid sharing in the same fate as my mother I accepted the lessons placed upon me with great fervor.
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Italian
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Already translated.
Translated by Patrizia Barrera
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Author review: Wonderful work, quick and accurate. Great communication. |
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Spanish
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Already translated.
Translated by Laura Zapata
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