The Bustling Market

The King did not yet know he had an admirer here. They continued onward. Beyond the refined fruit and vegetable stalls came stalls of cheese and spices, likewise tended by gentle, handsome merchants of both sexes. They bowed respectfully to the Queen Mother and the King; one could tell at a glance that they had been trained. The goods they sold were also exceptionally clean and exquisite.

After these appetizer-like displays came the shops that had originally stood in the Red Children Market, their owners waiting outside and bowing deeply. The first belonged to merchants from Burgundy, who dealt in wine. Their finest vintages had already been poured upon a long oak table, awaiting the Queen Mother and her party's tasting. The Queen Mother was particularly fond of one of their rosés and ordered some sent to Richelieu Residence, which the merchants naturally obeyed. The second shop belonged to wool merchants from Leicester, England. Everyone knew Leicester wool was the finest and softest, and they had the greatest quantity of Cheviot wool here, along with some crossbred sheep's wool. They presented beautiful cinnabar-red woolen cloth, France-green hats, and sapphire-blue sheepskin gloves. Upon seeing them, Queen Mother Anne smiled at Mary, Queen of England. "I thought one could only see reddish-brown, gray, and black in English shops..." These were colors favored or most commonly used by Protestants. Using such a vivid color as cinnabar in everyday clothing in England could bring one to trial for the "crime of extravagance."

Mary, Queen of England, did not look pleased, but there was nothing she could say. Queen Mother Anne had not been wrong, though her words were truly grating. The two merchants, however, were exceptionally quick-witted. At once, they brought out several tapestries woven from soft wool and fine, gleaming silk threads with superb craftsmanship. One tapestry in particular drew attention, for the angel at its center looked remarkably like Louis as a child. The Queen Mother could not bear to put it down, and did not mention the earlier matter again. Louis saw the merchants visibly breathe a sigh of relief. The tapestries they had produced were even more captivating than the woolen cloth and gloves they had shown before. In a single image, one could scarcely find a patch of blank space larger than a fingernail; everywhere the eye fell were elegantly shaped, brilliantly colored scrolling vines, fleur-de-lis, and sacred symbols... Within the scenes they framed, one could see swans folding in their wings... cats harassing birds in cages... young men and women running through flowers... This time, not only Queen Mother Anne, but even the purse-strapped Mary, Queen of England, could not resist choosing a small tapestry four feet square. It bore an ornate capital L, its meaning plain without being spoken.

Fortunately, Queen Mother Anne said nothing more. The third shop was the jewelry store the ladies had long been awaiting, where the Queen Mother and noblewomen had intended to spend money like water. Yet for some reason, the people who came to receive them wore strange expressions. Only after they entered did Louis understand—who else could it be but the Duchess of Montpensier, who had claimed to be ill and unable to go out? She did not look sick in the slightest. On the contrary, she was full of spirit and radiant with life. Prince of Condé stood beside her, and on a small table nearby lay an exquisite set of emerald and diamond ornaments. It could be pinned to the shoulder, worn as a necklace, or used as a diadem, and was worth a great deal.

Seeing this, what more needed to be said? The Duchess of Montpensier and Prince of Condé had clearly arranged to meet here in private. It was only unclear why the Duchess had been so bold. She knew perfectly well that Queen Mother Anne and the King would be coming here today. Then again, perhaps Prince of Condé had intended it. Look at those provocative eyes and that slightly upturned mouth—he was plainly quite pleased with his recklessness.

At the sight of the Queen Mother, Prince of Condé immediately bowed, then took his leave at once with almost insulting haste. Before departing, he kissed the Duchess of Montpensier's hand and asked her to accept his gift—the emerald-and-diamond pendant. The Duchess of Montpensier actually accepted it, utterly disregarding the Queen Mother's livid face.

Now it was Mary, Queen of England's turn to watch the spectacle. Certainly, in this day and age, both husbands and wives might have lovers of their own—Queen Mother Anne herself had even once been accused of having an affair with Buckingham—but in any case, they were already married, had heirs, and had fulfilled the duties God had given them.

For an unmarried girl to do such a thing was deeply shameful, and might even affect her future marriage. It was no wonder the Queen Mother was enraged.

She did not even pause at the jewelry shop, but walked straight out. At the next several shops, whether they displayed exquisite porcelain, thick soft furs, bronze ware wrought with uncanny skill, or crystal-clear glass vessels, nothing could calm the Queen Mother's fury. Louis noticed the expressions of those attending them growing ever stiffer. Then a possibility suddenly occurred to him. As they were leaving the glassware shop, he casually asked, "How much did you give Mazarin?"

"Seven hundred gold louis," the shop owner replied, only realizing afterward what he had just said. His face turned white at once. The King did not know whether to laugh or cry, and could only pat his shoulder in consolation.

If every shop here had paid the Cardinal a similar bribe, then Mazarin had pocketed several thousand gold louis. Louis could not help admiring Mazarin's methods of amassing wealth. These gold louis alone would not originally have been enough to drive these poor people into utter ruin—but who could have expected Prince of Condé to pull such a stunt?

Still, Louis had already made up his mind. Once they returned to Richelieu Residence, part of the court's procurement would still be assigned here. Mazarin never cared about such little people. Perhaps several thousand gold louis meant nothing to him, but to these little people, it was something as important as life itself. It was hard to say whether one of them might become a future rioter. Better to stamp out trouble before it ever rose.

Since Queen Mother Anne had lost her earlier enthusiasm, the official responsible for the district, acting as their guide, was not foolish enough to continue with the original arrangements. While they had still been at the jewelry shop, a group of jugglers, animal trainers, archers, and actors had already made their preparations in the square. Not all of these people were nobles or gentlemen—the latter would never do such lowly work. Yet lowly as it was, Queen Mother Anne laughed until she could hardly catch her breath at the sight of a dwarf balancing on a wooden ball while tossing and catching wine bottles, a dancing bear, and comical clowns. Only when she saw a short comedy performed by a group of brown-skinned people did she, though laughing, refuse to continue watching, because its content was simply not refined enough.

Since that was the case, a sacred drama awaited the distinguished audience in the theater on the square.

Like most religious dramas, this play had little artistic merit. Yet keeping to old rules had its advantages. The devout Queen Mother constantly made the sign of the cross over her chest, bowing her head and murmuring prayers. Rather than watching a play, she seemed to be attending Mass. Louis calculated the time, then slipped out with his younger brother Philip. They found the archery grounds, where there were bows, crossbows, and targets painted in every color of the rainbow.