Rochefoucauld looked at the Crown Prince and his wife on the ceremonial platform and excitedly waved and shouted along with the crowd:
"May God bless them!"
"Sir, would you like to buy some gifts for His Highness the Crown Prince?"
Rochefoucauld heard a barely audible voice. Looking down, he saw a little girl of about ten holding up a bouquet of flowers and looking at him.
"Gifts?" He blinked in confusion. Given his status, he was not qualified to give the Crown Prince a wedding gift.
Standing on tiptoe, the little girl pointed toward the tall tower on the north side of Notre Dame. "Look, everyone has brought gifts to bless His Highness."
Only then did Rochefoucauld notice a "little hill," sixty or seventy meters across, piled beside the tower. It was mainly made up of flowers, mixed with many handicrafts, fruits, wheat stalks, and the like.
People were still continuously handing things over to the Court Officials there. More than twenty servants hurried back and forth, arranging the gifts neatly, sweating profusely from their work.
He nodded. "Yes, I do want to give some gifts. What flowers do you have?"
The little girl smiled. "Tulips are 8 sous each. Magnolias are 4 sous each. Pansies..."
"So expensive!" Rochefoucauld hesitated, but still pulled out several banknotes. "Forget it. Help me pick some tulips and pansies and make them into bouquets. I want three."
On the ceremonial platform, Joseph and Alexandra each embraced their parents standing beside the Archbishop and accepted their blessings.
Queen Mary wore a tender, loving smile as she took her son's hand. "Holding the wedding here was truly a wonderful idea. It's so lively! Why hadn't I thought of holding mine here back then?
"Well, next, the two of you need to hurry up and settle the