roccoschili Chapter 25 Audience
Chapter 25 Audience
Led by messengers, Joan of Arc and her party arrived at Chinon Castle at dusk.
Unlike their hasty departure in Tours, they were first taken to the kitchen for a dinner consisting mainly of steak, accompanied by lentils and cheese. Joan and Maze managed to maintain some semblance of decorum, while several infantrymen practically swallowed their fingers. After the meal, the soldiers were taken to rooms in the tower to settle in, while Joan and Maze were led deeper inside. As they reached the entrance of a massive building, they saw a beautiful woman waving to them.
"This must be Lady Joan of Arc and her knight? I am a lady-in-waiting to Queen Marie Antoinette. His Majesty has arranged for you to stay at the Royal Apartments tonight."
Joan of Arc and Maze thanked them together. Maze was led away by another steward, while Joan of Arc followed the maid.
Agnes led her deeper into the depths. Joan of Arc, who had been silent the whole way, finally couldn't help but ask, "Miss Agnes, when does His Majesty wish to see me? And where are we going?"
Agnes turned around: "His Majesty intends to summon you tomorrow in the council chamber next door. As for us—don't you think we should take a bath and change our clothes first?"
Joan of Arc looked down at the top she hadn't changed in half a month, then at her tight pants that were almost covered in dust and sweat, and felt unusually shy.
Agnes led her into a room guarded by soldiers. Inside, several maids were already waiting. At Agnes's soft direction, Joan of Arc somewhat awkwardly removed her clothes and stepped into a large wooden tub. The maids poured in warm water, offered towels, and then drew the curtain. Joan of Arc dried herself, stepped out, and was about to retrieve her old clothes when she discovered they had been transformed into a beautifully crafted hunting outfit.
Seeing her somewhat bewildered expression, Agnes said, "Miss Joan, this is my outfit for going out. Since you're about the same size as me, why don't you try it on and see if it fits?"
Joan of Arc tried it on, and it fit her almost perfectly. After she changed her clothes, Agnes dismissed the maids and took a towel to help her dry her hair.
"I heard you traveled over a hundred leagues to get here," Agnes asked as she wiped herself. "Didn't you encounter any Burgundian patrols or Englishmen along the way?"
Joan of Arc, while fiddling with her collar, replied, "It takes ten days to travel from Domrémy to Orléans. We saw the patrol in the distance when we left Champagne, so we always set off at midnight and slept in the afternoon."
"And what about the British?" Agnes continued. "The British built a long defensive line east of Orléans and sent out quite a few scouts, didn't they?"
"Yes. But we received help from the locals and crossed the Loire River at a shallow ford, bypassing the British lines." Joan of Arc asked with a hint of suspicion, "Miss Agnes, how do you know so much about the situation at the front?"
Agnes smiled sheepishly. "I'm notorious for being a lazy bum in the court, and I know a little bit about everything." She paused. "Then why did you take such a big risk to come see the King?"
As Joan of Arc tried to fasten the button, she replied, "I have heard a voice calling me to help the Dauphin for years. Now that the Dauphin's cause is about to fail, I must help him defeat the English."
Agnes was silent for a moment. Joan of Arc ripped off the button that wouldn't go in and asked, "Miss Agnes, do you have a needle and thread here? I'd like to mend something."
Agnes snapped out of her reverie and shook her head. "This is my room. There's no needle and thread. I'll ask a maid later." She then asked, "Lady Joan of Arc, you're younger than me, aren't you? How can you be so sure the Crown Prince's cause is doomed to fail?"
Joan of Arc took the towel from Agnes and folded it carefully, noticing that Agnes's hands were indeed free of calluses. "When I was born, the English had not yet set foot on our land; when I was old enough to understand, Paris had already fallen; by the time I heard the sounds of war, Troyes was already under Burgundy control, and half the people of Champagne were no longer subjects of the Dauphin. If we lose Orléans too… can the Dauphin hold onto the rest of the land?"
Seeing Agnes's dejected expression, Joan patted her on the shoulder: "Don't be afraid, Miss Agnes. Now that I'm here, the English will certainly not succeed."
Agnes managed a bitter smile. "Then, Miss Joan, please rest well. This is my room; please feel free to use it. I'm going to sleep with the Queen tonight." As she spoke, she backed towards the door. "If you need anything, you can just ask the guards at the door."
She opened the door, and Joan of Arc saw a man dressed as a general standing in the doorway, seemingly having listened to their conversation. The general left with Agnes, and two guards came forward to close the door.
Joan of Arc didn't think much of it. She found a needle in the map box on her dressing table, sewed the button back on, and then went to sleep peacefully.
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The next morning, Joan of Arc was awakened by the bells, dressed, and prepared to leave when she found maids already waiting at the door. They had come to bring her food, tidy the room, and mend her clothes. Joan of Arc only took the breakfast prepared for her and asked when she would be summoned. The maids all shook their heads and said they didn't know.
After Joan of Arc finished her morning prayers in her room, someone else came in. It was Agnes, who was dressed in a new gown and in high spirits.
"Lady Joan of Arc, are you ready? His Majesty is about to summon you."
Joan of Arc nodded and followed Agnes out of the room. She sniffed the air and asked, somewhat puzzled, "Agnès, why do you smell of blood?"
"I'm feeling a bit unwell today," Agnes said sheepishly, quickening her pace. "You have such a keen sense of smell."
She led Joan of Arc to a large hall, ordered the guards to open the doors, and led Joan of Arc inside.
Charles sat in the main seat, but the hall was not crowded. Arthur stood beside Charles, scrutinizing Joan. On the other side was Mary, while Joland sat beside her, observing her.
Agnes walked around and stood next to Mary. Seeing her in place, Charles ordered the soldiers to close the gate.
Only then did everyone realize that Joan of Arc was still standing there, neither bowing nor speaking, but simply clutching the hem of her dress tightly with both hands.
Some people were puzzled, but Agnes spoke first: "Miss Joan of Arc, this is His Majesty Charles. Please don't be nervous, just bow."
Joan of Arc stepped forward, remained silent for a moment, and said, "No, he is not His Majesty."
Before she finished speaking, she knelt on one knee—but facing Agnes: "Your Highness, please hear me. I have come by the command of God to save the Kingdom of France."
The council chamber was deathly silent.
With a clang, Atil, standing beside Charles, drew his sword, his left foot already poised to strike. Agnes reacted, turning to stop him. Mary, somewhat bewildered, pulled Agnes back, while Yolande also stood up.
But Atil didn't step out. "Charlie" rose and grabbed his sword, remaining motionless as blood splattered on the carpet. He said, "Atil, we cannot repeat the same mistake."
Athletic looked into "Charles's" calm, unwavering eyes, as if all her strength had been drained. She stopped, loosened her grip on her sword, and turned away from Joan of Arc. "Charles" dropped his sword, hid his injured hand in his robes, and looked at "Agnès."
Joan of Arc listened to all of this with her head down, kneeling on the spot, without moving an inch.
Agnes seemed to want to check on Charles's injuries, but Charles shook his head. She finally took a deep breath, released Mary, walked to the main seat facing Joan of Arc, and spoke:
"You say God sent you—did He tell you that your 'Empress' is a woman?"
Joan of Arc raised her head, her voice steady and firm: "Your Majesty, it is God's will that you wear the crown of France. Everything I have done is for this purpose."
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Volume One [Prisoner in Bourges] End