Epilogue
"And so it ends!" The King said to the Queen as they watched the proceedings from the balcony railing.
"No, Francis," she answered, it's not the end at all, but rather a new beginning."
Francis looked at her and drowned.
"How is this possible? And what is meaning behind those words?"
Marie smiled as she turned to her husband.
"It's a new life starting tonight, Francis. It a new chapter added to the story." Marie shook her head and turned back to the reception. "Look down there, Francis. Look how happy each couple is, especially Henry and Danielle."
Francis turned back to the gathering below him.
"Yes it's true. I've never seen Henry so happy."
"And look, over there, at Armand and Rodmilla."
Francis nodded. "Yes, I noticed. You did tell me that Rodmilla has changed." Marie nodded. "Yes, she has, milord. Since she married the doctor, the Royal Court has accepted her, something that she's wanted all her life. Rodmilla does have access to the manor as well, thanks to Danielle."
Francis looked at her. "How long has it been, Marie? How long since they were married?"
"Two days," Marie said. "It's all the time we've had to prepare for this. I wanted to thank you, Francis, for setting up this reception for our three newlywed couples."
"Each pair deserves it. I am sorry that Alexandre and Camille cannot be a part of the ceremony."
"That cannot be helped, Francis. Everyone knows what has become of them, except for Vivienne and Phillippe."
Francis smiled. "Yes, it's true. They haven't come as well."
"Did you really expect them to, my husband?" Marie said, turning away from the crowd below to look at him. "She is still vowing revenge, as is Isabel."
"Ah, but she is present and looks very well situated with my cousin, Charles. They seem to be getting along rather nicely for someone she's never even met until tonight."
"Which was a grand idea. She might have even changed her mind about certain things."
"On that, we will have to wait and see." He smiled. "I think I miss Thérèse the most. Out of all your sisters, she was the one who meant the world to me."
"Yes, it's true. Everyone loved her, even Phillippe and Isabel. Everyone except."
"Vivienne." They both said it together and laughed.
"You know, it's late Marie. I think we should retire and leave the newlyweds to their party."
"And I do agree, Francis. I believe it's time we took our leave of these festivities."
Suddenly a little gust of a warm, gentle wind blew by, grazing the King's cheek, much like a kiss. He stopped and touched the spot where he had felt it against his skin.
"Everything all right, Francis?" Marie asked.
"I thought I felt something brush past me for a minute, my Queen."
"Yes, I know. I felt it too."
"Do you think it might be?"
"Thérèse?"
He nodded his head.
"You never know, but I tend to think that it was a draft myself. No matter. Come, the hour grows late."
Marie nodded her head to agree, but other thoughts had crossed her mind. One of them was the sister she had shared so much with, her close friend who had miraculously become the sister she never had.
"Goodnight, Thérèse," she whispered. "We will miss you dearly."
"And so it ends!" The King said to the Queen as they watched the proceedings from the balcony railing.
"No, Francis," she answered, it's not the end at all, but rather a new beginning."
Francis looked at her and drowned.
"How is this possible? And what is meaning behind those words?"
Marie smiled as she turned to her husband.
"It's a new life starting tonight, Francis. It a new chapter added to the story." Marie shook her head and turned back to the reception. "Look down there, Francis. Look how happy each couple is, especially Henry and Danielle."
Francis turned back to the gathering below him.
"Yes it's true. I've never seen Henry so happy."
"And look, over there, at Armand and Rodmilla."
Francis nodded. "Yes, I noticed. You did tell me that Rodmilla has changed." Marie nodded. "Yes, she has, milord. Since she married the doctor, the Royal Court has accepted her, something that she's wanted all her life. Rodmilla does have access to the manor as well, thanks to Danielle."
Francis looked at her. "How long has it been, Marie? How long since they were married?"
"Two days," Marie said. "It's all the time we've had to prepare for this. I wanted to thank you, Francis, for setting up this reception for our three newlywed couples."
"Each pair deserves it. I am sorry that Alexandre and Camille cannot be a part of the ceremony."
"That cannot be helped, Francis. Everyone knows what has become of them, except for Vivienne and Phillippe."
Francis smiled. "Yes, it's true. They haven't come as well."
"Did you really expect them to, my husband?" Marie said, turning away from the crowd below to look at him. "She is still vowing revenge, as is Isabel."
"Ah, but she is present and looks very well situated with my cousin, Charles. They seem to be getting along rather nicely for someone she's never even met until tonight."
"Which was a grand idea. She might have even changed her mind about certain things."
"On that, we will have to wait and see." He smiled. "I think I miss Thérèse the most. Out of all your sisters, she was the one who meant the world to me."
"Yes, it's true. Everyone loved her, even Phillippe and Isabel. Everyone except."
"Vivienne." They both said it together and laughed.
"You know, it's late Marie. I think we should retire and leave the newlyweds to their party."
"And I do agree, Francis. I believe it's time we took our leave of these festivities."
Suddenly a little gust of a warm, gentle wind blew by, grazing the King's cheek, much like a kiss. He stopped and touched the spot where he had felt it against his skin.
"Everything all right, Francis?" Marie asked.
"I thought I felt something brush past me for a minute, my Queen."
"Yes, I know. I felt it too."
"Do you think it might be?"
"Thérèse?"
He nodded his head.
"You never know, but I tend to think that it was a draft myself. No matter. Come, the hour grows late."
Marie nodded her head to agree, but other thoughts had crossed her mind. One of them was the sister she had shared so much with, her close friend who had miraculously become the sister she never had.
"Goodnight, Thérèse," she whispered. "We will miss you dearly."