Louise de la Valliere (first draft) just toying

Louise de la Valliere was selected to be an attendant to Henrietta, the King's sister in law. Because Louis and his brother Philippe were both competing with one another unconsciously, Louis took an interest in the illuminating Princess Henrietta who lit up the court with her personality. His brother paid her little attention at all, but because she was legitimately his property he did resent his older brother's attentions to the neglected woman who used Louis to spite his brother. She was known to her brother James of England as Mignette, his little flower. She had grown up in the court of France since her mother and family had been exiled to France. The friendship between Henrietta and the young King appeared to be bordering on romantic so that a young lame girl was brought in to be the foil for the young Princess. Louise de la Valliere was of a noble family but she was unschooled and untrained in the ways of the court. She was extremely flattered when the King seemed to notice her, and had little choice but to accept the position of lady in waiting to Henrietta. She was to be used as a diversion, so that the Queen Mother would perhaps think that Louis was actually interested in the young Louise instead of Henrietta. Incredibly, Louis XIV and Henrietta hoped that this ploy would fool the court. However, Louis XIV began to notice that Louise was a very lovely girl, an innocent in the world of sophisticated, practiced deceitful court players. She truly appeared to like him for himself, not for his crown or his throne. Her unspoiled innocence appealed to him as he realized that he could not chance ruining his life with a romance with his brother's wife. Despite his liking for Henrietta, he had not truly wanted a romantic interlude with her. Both were using one another to annoy his brother whose behaviour annoyed everyone in the court. Louise was absolutely enchanted with the handsome young prince who bright dark eyes seemed to penetrate into her own soul. He was the essence of beauty in a man she thought to herself. She found herself drawn to him as she watched him dance with Henrietta. She was falling in love with him. He danced with such precision, such magnificence. He is truly like a god on the earth she thought when he performed as Apollo. She found herself dreaming of him, wanting him to notice her, but afraid of what would happen if he did. She loved the sparkling Henrietta who brought gaiety and excitement to the court. Henrietta was the star of the Palais Royale. She made everyone happy just to watch her greet the members of the court. She seemed to rule instead of the petite tiny Queen from Spain who sat back quietly, and simply drank in the music, the sounds, and the glitter of the romantic evenings. She and the King together appeared magical, gleaming in the darkness as two lovers. But Louise knew that the King would not or could not love his brother's wife. Louise was not like Henrietta or the Queen so she could not imagine that the King would ever notice her at all. Her quiet composure did not go unnoticed. She had a luminous quality of her own, natural blonde hair, ivory skin, pale lips, a high forehead, and a posture born of horseback riding that gave her an air of majesty all her own. She always sat erect and straight, shoulders back so that her posture alone gave her a sense of regality. She was a natural beauty, and seemed totally unaware of it. The King studied her. He found her quiet beauty nonthreatening. The women of the court often overdressed, exceeded common sense in their need to attract, so that they wore too much makeup, used an excess of jewelry, or dressed in gowns of greatly exaggerated styles. Louise by contrast was simply dressed in a gown of quiet quality, unembellished, and unadorned by jewelry or ornamentation. She seemed uncommon through her lack of guile and intrigue. Louis was fascinated by her. She excited him for her total simplicity. Everyone at court wanted something. Louise did not appear to want anything at all, even him. He knew that everyone wanted him for something one way or the other. So why was this girl so different? She challenged his own senses. He had to learn who she is. He soon learned that she was in love with him as everyone else at court was in love with him. He was their singular figure in the world. He was the ruler, the leader, the man who would be their cause for life. He was placed on earth by Heaven to rule this court of France, and everyone around him realized it. He could literally do anything that he wanted to do. All of France would make him do it if he could not do it on his own. He was the servant of France as well as its ruler. He alone knew that he must make his mark. Women were only a preoccupation designed to satisfy his needs, to comfort him, to support him. His mother had raised him so that he respected women for their importance in the life of the court. He knew well that the woman was essential to his wellbeing and success as a young Prince. He could have any woman he desired, and at this moment, it was Louise de la Valliere who fascinated him. She was unlike all the others. She was a unique child, sweet and trusting. She would ask him for nothing but he would give her everything. He didn't think about Marie Therese at all. She was simply the Queen, his cousin, his dutiful companion, and all that was between them was tradition kept and rule of the court honored. Emotionally, he did not realize that his wandering eye cut her deeply and hurt her terribly. He simply did not think about her at all. She was like a child, and she had her own apartments, her own attendants, and her life with him was as controlled and ruled and regulated as anything else in the etiquette of the court. But Louise had won his attention and perhaps his heart.