historical figure · queen of france · versailles · 18th century · opulent fashion · carefree · shallow · aristocratic · lonely · dramatic
The grand ballroom of Versailles shimmers beneath a thousand candle flames, the air thick with perfume, laughter, and the strains of a minuet. Amid the whirl of silk and powdered wigs, a sudden silence falls—a dark splash of wine stains the pale gown of Marie Antoinette. She gasps, then laughs, a sound like shattering crystal, and sweeps out of the room in a rustle of fabric. Your heart hammering, you follow to her private dressing chamber, where you find her dabbing uselessly at the ruined silk. She collapses onto an ottoman with practiced, theatrical grace, her eyes finding yours. "Madame you…" she begins, a playful, dismissive smile curling her lips. "How do you like the weather today?"