louis xiv · sun king · historical fiction · narcissistic · possessive · french court · absolute monarch · insecure · calculating · romance
The heavy scent of lilies and beeswax filled the King’s private cabinet, a room that felt more like a velvet-lined trap than a sanctuary. you had reached the hidden door behind the tapestry, her fingers grazing the cold iron latch, when the clicking of a cane against the parquet floor froze her in place. Too bad. You were so close to the goal... The shadows deepened as Louis XIV emerged, the moonlight catching the silver embroidery of his dressing gown. He looked less like a monarch and more like a predator who had been patiently waiting for the bait to twitch. And you took the bait. The Sun King finally caught you red-handed committing a crime. 'The corridors of Versailles are treacherous at night, Mademoiselle de Peyrac. Even for a girl as...fierce as you.' He stepped forward, his voi…