Part One: The Gilded Cage

AJ Note: This is basically a summary of each post from each character. A less tedious summary of key events will be posted soon after I get this done. Characters, Places, etc that I deem important are bolded so I can fing them quicker by eye. Do not be offended if I put "x does nothing of note" for your character. I just means that post isn't important to go into the full timeline. Mostly if the post is only a few lines that's mostly dialogue that doesn't relate to another character, or if the post is repetitive of something other characters are doing.

Also, these are summaries of posts. So not everything of a post is included. Just stuff I deem I should put.

I also put some notes to keep my sanity up because this is tedious

### **December 24, Christmas Eve, 1765**

**Château de Versailles**

Intro:

*Christmas is a truly magnificent time of year, as long as you're rich. With this important holiday also comes cold temperatures and rising bread prices.But while the working class barely has enough food for even the most basic necessities, the people of the high class are living in luxury, without a care in the world of the bread riots in Paris.*

His Majesty the King is hosting a ball to celebrate the Christmas holiday. All of Versailles nobles will be attending the celebration. Certainly filled with music, expensive food, and people in expensive silk clothing. While the servants will be hard at work keeping up with this days busy schedule.

## Before the Ball

**Charles** sits in his carriage making it's way to **Versailles** with **Jeanne**, his new wife. **Charles** is not excited and **Jeanne** reminds him that it was his idea to come to **Versailles** in the first place. **Charles** tells **Jeanne** when they go inside to look straight and not at anyone until they get to their apartments. The carriage stops and he gets out.

(I really hate reading my own posts)

**Louis** is getting dressed by his personal servants and is not pleased with all the lace he has to wear. He goes outside of his apartments and looks outside.

**Rene** crushed hemlock that he got from a maid for a livre. He rid his work when servants came into the room. He wrapped it in a sachel and put it into his shirt. He walked into the hall to into the kitchen and starting layering honey on bread.

**Lucille** is in the kitchen and scrubs dishes and plates. She looks for her sister but instead sees **Rene** and goes up to him asking if he is ready for the ball.

**Rene** says he is and presses his hand to where the hemlock is and says the palace has more fruit than usual.

**Celine** goes to the kitchen and looks for **Lucille** and goes up to her.

**Lucille** says good luck to **Rene** and asks **Cel** what she wants.

**Celine** says nothing she just hasn't be introduced to **Rene**

**Lea** gets ready in a pale blue and gold gown and gloves. Her hair is powdered and her lady's maid says she looks as charming as a snowflake in blue. Her stylist finished her hair decorated with feathers and she put on large aquamarine earrings which were from her father. She leaves her apartments to make sure the final touches to the ball were complete.

**Rene** tells **Celine** his name and says they can't linger any longer.

**Marie Therese** gets ready for the ball, putting on diamonds wearing a silver gown that shines in the candle light and her hair powdered. She leaves her apartment hoping to find something to pass the time.

**Jeanne** puts on her silk mitts and cloak before exiting the carriage and looks up at **Versailles. Charles** walks over to her side of the carriage and offers her his arm. **Charles** asks her if she is ready and walks inside, looking unbothered by the noble's judgements. They get inside into their extravagant apartments. **Charles** pours himself a drink and **Jeanne** goes with **Victoire** and **Henriette** to get ready for the ball.

**Celine** tells **Rene** her name.

**Rene** asks if he should poison the King's peaches.

**Guy** watches the main courtyard from his horse while reading the guest manifest. He sees **Charles** with **Jeanne. Henri** comes up to him saying the stables are almost full and needs to know where to put the overflow. **Guy** tells him to put the tack in his personal stable if needed. He asks **Henri** to asks the palace keepers where **Charles** apartment's are as he would like to know where he was if trouble broke out.

**Celine** tells **Rene** whatever he thinks is best.

**Rene** says it will be done and they will know where to find him after the feast.

**Lucille** says good luck to **Rene** and tells **Celine** to help her with the dishes.

**Rene** goes into the dining room.

**Louis** waits in the wing antechamber and watches the snow.

**Therese** finds **Louis** and says if he is ready for tonight.

**Louis** tells **Therese** says she looks lovely. He says it should be quite good and hears the King has important some fruits for the party.

**Therese** says he looks dashing himself and asks if he is hoping to impress some young ladies and that his majesty has taken a liking to peaches and heard Italian wine as well.

**Louis** says he will have to try some and he has no room for impressing ladies anymore.

**Therese** says it should be starting now.

**Francois** gets dressed in a red suit and leaves his apartments to find his father.

**Louis** extends his elbow to **Therese** to accompany him to the ballroom.

**Therese** takes his arm and told him to lead the way.

**Louis** goes to the **Hall of Mirrors** and hears music. A nobles kisses his hand when he enters the ballroom. He asks **Therese** if he couldn't talk her into some wine before the dance.

**Therese** says she can make an exception.

**Louis** picks up two glasses from a servant's silver platter and hands one to **Therese.**

**Guy** enters the **Guard's Quarter's** and is handed a glass of whiskey. He walked into the guard room and into his personal quarters. He declines a bath and only uses some herbs and a cloth. He dressed in his royal uniform. **Henri** told him all the guests have arrived. **Henri** was to guard the outside. **Guy** headed for **The Hall of Mirrors** and walked in.

**Rene** served wine and worries about poisoning the King.

**Therese** says merry Christmas eve. She tells him she heard a rumors that a Princess of Poland is visiting soon and asks if that's true.

**Charles** gets dressed in a suit of light silver heavily embroidered in gold and smooths his hair down with pomade. He sits on the sofa in the drawing room waiting for **Jeanne. Jeanne** comes out wearing a red dress and he says they're late.

**Louis** said he was unaware and tells **Therese** she could show her around **Versailles.**

**Therese** said she would enjoy that and hears the Polish princesses are quite pretty.

## The Ball

**Louis** scoffed in his wine and watched as his father, **Louis XV**, came into the **Hall** and the King started the celebrations.

**Charles** sneaks into the **Hall of Mirrors** with **Jeanne** and starts drinking wine. He sees his brother **Xavier** on the other side of the room and is worried and upset. **Jeanne** asks if **Xavier** would become a problem, he says **Xavier** can't speak to him without **Charles** speaking to him first because he lower in rank and **Xavier** cares far too much about the rules to ignore that.

(I have since learned that this is inaccurate. It's true for nobility not to talk to members of the royal family unless addressed first but I haven't found anything for different of nobility. I would just say that's how it works in the RP but we have already broken that many times I think)

**Therese** notices **Charles** and **Jeanne** and asks **Louis** if he can believe it that **Charles** married a commoner.

**Guy Beaumont** moved through the **Hall of Mirrors.** He saw **François** in the crowd and went to **Louis XV.** He apologized for his tardiness and **Louis XV** told **Guy** to do what he needs to make the ball go well. **Louis XV** moves to the ballroom. **Guy** takes some wine and goes up to **François** and asks if he is faring well.

**Louis** said he remembered that **Charles** used to respectable at **Versailles.**

**Therese** doesn't believe it and asked when that was and says they should leave for the ballroom.

**François** tells **Guy** he is well and asked if he is as well.

**Louis** looked toward **Charles** and says he is not sure when and says he heard he used to be a better man before. But doesn't know when he fell out of the court's graces as he did not pay attention. Then he says that they should and offer's **Therese** his arm.

(Which is pretty accurate description. Charles didn't fall out of the court's graces in a day or even a year. It happened slowly over the course of 10 years and so you prob won't know exactly when he did unless you were really paying attention. If I had to pick a year I would say 1760 when he started the annulment process with his wife. Due to the annulment and a bunch of stuff that happened that year)

**Guy** says he is well and says merry Christmas and God spare the King for another year.

**Francois** tells **Guy** merry Christmas and tells **Guy** he doesn't want to keep him from his duties.

**Therese** tells **Louis** to lead the way.

**Lea** is in the **Hall of Mirrors** and greets the nobility. She talks to **Vicomtesse Henriette** about gossip. She goes up to **Louis** and **Therese** and says if they have seen **Charles** with **Jeanne** yet and asks if they could get her removed, not wanting **Catherine** to hear about **Jeanne** being paraded around in public.

**Therese** tells **Lea** she looks lovely today. **Therese** says that **Jeanne** is his wife so there is not much to do about it. Then says they should ignore it and not let it ruin their evening.

**Louis** leads **Therese** and **Lea** to the ballroom and tells them they should speak to **Louis XV** about it but he doesn't think it is that serious.

**Lea** says that wife or not **Jeanne** doesn't belong in an event like this and **Charles** too should not be at the ball either if he behaves like this (get 'em Lea!). She said she would take to **Louis XV** if he had the time for it. She sees **Therese's** point and intend to make sure she doesn't get snatched up by some noble that lives off in the country.

**Therese** says that she should protect her as **Lea** has already stolen some glances and says that she wouldn't have to try that hard to talk with **Louis XV** on Christmas Eve.

**Lea** laughs at that and says they are men she's promised to dance with and then that it would be best not to draw **Louis XV's** attention to **Jeanne** as someone of her rank must be a fortune seeker and her father is a fool for women, even one that aren't so pretty.

(My poor Jeanne just got ROASTED by that)

**Therese** laughs at that.

**Charles** says near the outskirts of the party and is bored. **Jeanne** says that if he is so bored he should dance with her and he does.

**Guy** takes his leave with **Francois** and enters the ballroom. He watches the people dance. He sees **Charles** and **Jeanne** dancing and watches them for a while and wonders why the nobles care so much.

**Louis** lets **Therese** and **Lea** talk and asked **Lea** to a waltz.

(The waltz wasn't around during the 18th century but I don't care)

**Europa** is assisting the kitchen by cutting fruit.

**Lucille** takes a break from the dishes and asks **Europa** if she needs help.

**Emilie** starts picking up **Lea's** apartments with the other lady's maids.

**Celine** follows **Lucille** and offers to help.

**Rene** tries to calm down in a hall and goes back to the kitchen and hurries to serve the peaches. He goes over the **Europa, Celine,** and **Lucille** and asks if the fruit is ready to go out.

## The Dinner

**Guy Beaumont** watches the nobility by **Louis XV's** side. He escorted him to the main dining hall and worries.

**Lucille** does nothing of note.

**Charles** says they should skip the dinner. **Jeanne** tells him she doesn't mind if they do. But he decides to go to spite his peers.

**Europa** accepts **Lucille** and **Celine's** offer of help and tells **Rene** that the plate is ready to go out. She asks **Lucille** if she cut herself.

**Lucille** says she is fine but tired and hot and says that with all the hours they have to work they would get paid more. **Lucille** tells **Europa** her name along with her sister's and asks **Europa** for her's.

**Rene** takes the platter to **Louis XV** of grapes, apples, and peaches. A wine taster tastes the food and the motions **Rene** to move forward. He slips his head into his breast pocket and puts a bit of hemlock on the edge of a piece of peach. **Rene** leaves the room.

**Europa** tells **Celine** and **Lucille** her name and says if they payed them more they could look like them and they would not like not being able to identify them by class. **Europa** asks them how long they have been working there.

**Lucille** laughs and tells **Europa** it's nice to meet her. She says they have been working at **Versailles** for a year and asks how long **Europa** has been working there.

**Jeanne** sits next to **Charles. Charles** tells her that they should have went to a masquerade in **Paris**. They tells each other merry Christmas.

**Guy** stands behind **Louis XV**. He sees **Charles** and **Jeanne** and notices **Charles** looks a bit nervous. **Louis XV** says he is not feeling well and goes for a walk in the **Hall of Mirrors. Guy** follows and sees **Louis XV** dying on the floor. He calls for a physician and the priest and **Louis**.

**Rene** goes outside of the palace and to the garden square.

**Lucille** says she is feeling a bit lightheaded and will be back. She goes outside to **Rene** to ask if the plan was completed.

**Charles** pushes the food around on his plate while he thinks. He notices **Louis XV** leave the room and decides it is most likely nothing.

**Celine** follows **Lucille.**

**Rene** says he suspects the **Guard** to start making arrests soon and says it would be best not the be seen together until it is all over.

**Celine** tells **Rene** he should return to his station and asks him to giver her the poison who that it disappears.

**Rene** gives **Celine** the pouch of hemlock.

**Lea** notices a guard get **Louis** and she follows. She finds **Louis XV** dying in the hall with **Louis.** She goes to her apartments and orders her ladies to get her out of her clothing. She walked to her window into the freezing balcony and cried.

**Europa** followed **Celine** and **Lucille** and hear **Rene** talk about how he could not use all of the poison. She walked back inside the palace.