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.