Ten Years Later Chapter 14 - A Surprise for Raoul

Ten Years Later Chapter 17 - Forever!

In which the Duke of Buckingham receives the queen-mother Anne of Austria with a mixture of tender respect and melancholy, as they reflect upon the contrasts between England and France and the pull of past memories. Their delicate conversation unfolds with gentle urgency and restrained emotion, culminating in a poignant farewell that leaves both touched by the weight of unspoken affections.

Ten Years Later Chapter 18 - King Louis XIV. does not think Mademoiselle de la Valliere either rich enough or pretty enough

In which the Comte de la Fère seeks the approval of King Louis XIV for the marriage of the young Vicomte de Bragelonne to Mademoiselle de la Vallière, encountering the king’s reservations about the match’s beauty, fortune, and timing. Meanwhile, Raoul finds himself drawn into urgent affairs signalled by both the Comte de Guiche and the Duke of Buckingham, hinting at the delicate interplay of duty and desire at the royal court.

Ten Years Later Chapter 16 - Monsieur Becomes Jealous of the Duke of Buckingham

In which Monsieur finds himself consumed by vexation over the attentions shown to his young wife by an English nobleman, and seeks the counsel of his shrewd and influential mother, Queen Anne of Austria. With a mixture of tender maternal interest and political sagacity, Anne balances her son's jealous grievances against the weighty considerations of state and decorum in the unfolding delicate domestic affair.

Ten Years Later Chapter 15 - The Consent of Athos

In which young Raoul earnestly seeks his father Athos’s consent to marry Mademoiselle de la Vallière, laying bare his heart with a blend of youthful fervour and respectful deference. Athos, though silently wrestling with his own reservations, grants his consent and prepares to accompany Raoul to Paris to seek the king’s permission, revealing a tender moment of paternal duty amidst the undercurrents of noble expectation.

Ten Years Later Chapter 14 - A Surprise for Raoul

In which the young Vicomte de Bragelonne attends the grand reception following Madame’s marriage, encountering a bevy of captivating maids of honour whose unexpected presence and mysterious patronage confound and intrigue him. Navigating courtly intrigues and tender confidences, he finds himself drawn into a delicate and earnest exchange with Mademoiselle de la Vallière, wherein the seeds of serious intentions are sown amidst the dazzling yet perilous splendour of the royal household.