THE GRAND STORY OF THE SEEMINGLY IMPOSSIBLE ADVENTURES OF BARON BRITPOP BLASTFURNACE
The Queen’s Hamlet / Meeting The King Of France
Baron Britpop Blastfurnace • Part 35
The Queen’s Hamlet
The following morning, I was taken back to the Queen’s chateau, where I waited for the Queen. She arrived with the same servants as the previous evening. Only this time, the Queen was dress as a farm girl. I was shocked.
“Good morning, Baron Blastfurnace. I trust you slept well.”
“Good morning, Your Highness. I slept soundly, thank you. The palace rooms are spectacular.”
“Indeed. It is pleasant outside, shall we go for a walk?”
“It would be my pleasure.”
We left through the rear of the chateau. After a short walk, I was greeted by a most unusual sight. A small farm village, complete with farmhouse, dairy, barn, and a mill in the shape of a lighthouse, all situated around a pond. It looked similar to many of the small hamlets of my homeland. And totally out of place amid the opulence of the palace.
“Are you surprised, Baron?”
“Indeed, I am, Your majesty.”
“I had this farm constructed to remind me of my Austrian homeland. My marriage was arranged to end conflicts between our two nations. It allows France to focus their hatred on the British Empire. I arrived here at the age of 14 and was initially loved by the commoners. Now that the country is facing financial difficulty, I am being blamed as being too extravagant. As if I was the one to cause France’s hardships. The court has no love for me either, as I am Austrian. ”
I had no idea why she was telling me such personal and political details of her life. I also had no idea how to respond.
“It is a fine village, Your Majesty.”
The Queen laughed and said, “Fear not, Baron. I speak my mind freely. Yet, I am all but ignored by the court. And the King.”
The conversation was getting uncomfortable.
“I have precious little company here. It is rare to have an Austrian visitor. I hope I have not taken advantage of your goodwill.”
“Of course not, Your Highness. I am in debt to your hospitality.”
“Good.”
We spent the next hour touring the village the Queen had built to play commoner. It was like a wealthy child showing me her prized, expensive toys.
While I was touring the Queen’s hamlet, Andelbert was exploring the palace on his own. As he wandered down one of the statue-lined hallways, he saw the maid Maria walking toward him.
“Are you lost, Monsieur Blastfurnace? It is not uncommon.”
“No, I was simply wandering. Although I would ask a favor if I might?”
“What is it?”
“Can you show me the kitchens?”
“The kitchens? Why would you want to see those? Only the servants go there.”
“I apprenticed as a baker. My specialty is bread. I am most at home near an oven.”
“It is an unusual request, but I am confident it can be arranged. Perhaps tomorrow. I will relay your request and bring you an answer.”
“Thank you, Maria.”
“Good day, Monsieur Blastfurnace.”
“Please, call me Andelbert.”
“I must not, Monsieur Blastfurnace.”
“Forgive my ill manners. I am not accustomed to such formality,” Andelbert replied.
“No harm has been done. Please excuse me, I have duties.”
“Of course.”
Meeting The King Of France
After returning from the Queen’s Hamlet, I told Andelbert all about my adventure.
“Unbelievable,” Andelbert said. “She was actually dressed in commoner clothing?”
“She was. I feel she has little desire to be a Queen.”
“It must be a tremendous weight for a young woman.”
“Speaking of royals, we must dress for dinner with the King.”
As we started dressing, there was a knock on the door. When Andelbert opened the door, Lafayette smiled and walked in, holding two sets of clothing.
“It would not do to meet the King in your travel clothes. I noticed we were all roughly the same size, so I have brought some clothing for you to wear. You want to make a good impression, do you not?”
“We do, indeed,” I answered. “I am overwhelmed by your kindness.”
“Yes, thank you, Monsieur,” Andelbert added.
“It is nothing. I have more clothes than I could possibly wear. And have I not told you to call me Lafayette? We are friends. There is no need to be so formal.”
“Thank you, Lafayette,” we both said.
“Good. Now try the suits on so I may see how you look.”
Andelbert and I dressed and then stood for inspection.
“Très bon,” Lafayette said. “You look like proper Frenchmen. Let us depart. It is customary to gossip before dinner, and we do not want to disappoint our host.”
We arrived well before dinner time and spent a long time listening to the gathered nobility both flatter each other and then berate those not in the current company. There was also much political debate. Andelbert and I were decidedly out of our element. Then, finally, a servant entered the room and announced the King.
The King entered and was not at all what I expected. He was a young man. The King said, “My guests, I welcome you, shall we dine?”
A rousing chorus of “As you will, Your Highness,” rose from the room. We were seated and served a lavish meal of many courses.
The food was served in ways that can only be described as artistic. It was a spectacle as much as a meal. Many of the foods and pastries were new to me. Andelbert and I frequently looked at each other in disbelief. While Lafayette spent much of the evening slapping me on the back and laughing at my reactions.
After the meal was over, I was shocked to hear the King say, “We have guests tonight from the Austrian Netherlands. Baron and Monsieur Blastfurnace.”
The entire room turned to look at us.
“Baron, Marquis Lafayette tells me that you were awarded a Barony by the Holy Roman Emperor Joseph II.”
I stared at the King, waiting for him to continue. I felt Lafayette elbow my ribs.
I quickly replied, “That is correct, Your Highness.”
“He also told me you were awarded this honor for an invention.”
“Yes, Your Highness,” I replied, without waiting.
“I am quite eager to hear this tale of your invention. Would you do us the honor?”
“I would be my great privilege, Your Majesty.”
So I related the tale of the silent horseshoe once again. The entire room quietly listened. At the conclusion of my story, the King slammed his hand on the table and smiled.
“Brilliant. Lafayette, you were correct. It was a fascinating tale. Baron Blastfurnace, I would very much like to see one of these horseshoes.”
“It would be my pleasure to teach your blacksmiths how to craft them,” I replied.
“Excellent. We have a fine stable and everything you need. Shall we plan on tomorrow morning?”
“I am at your service, Your Highness.”
After more gossiping, the dinner began to disperse. Andelbert and I returned to our rooms. As I began to change out of Lafayette’s clothing, Andelbert entered my room and said, “I cannot accompany you to the stables in the morning.”
“Why not?” I asked.
“I found a note from Maria in my room. She has arranged a tour of the kitchens for me in the morning.”
“I see you haven’t been idle. Maria is quite attractive.”
“I admit, I find myself drawn to her, but, as a baker, I am eager to see the kitchen. Especially after the meal we were just served.”
“It must be a kitchen worthy of a King,” I said and laughed. “Of course, you must go.”
“I can scarcely believe all that has happened. It far exceeded anything I could have imagined,” Andelbert said.
“It is not over yet,” I replied.
Continues in Part 36:
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©2020 Mark Starlin