Gates of Gold

When Sparrows Fall

Within the hour, word of the crisis reaches the king. Priests hurry into the nursery to perform a rushed baptism, since neither twin has been christened. Bretagne and Anjou are too weak to stand on their own, so nursemaids cradle them upright for the ceremony. The room fills with priests, doctors, the king, and Madame de Maintenon.

The Bishop of Metz reads verses reminding everyone that God knows the number of hairs on every head and he knows when every sparrow falls. Cécile prays desperately that these two small sparrows will be spared. She can hardly bear to watch as holy water is poured from a golden goblet over each small scalp. The bishop renames both boys “Louis,” Sons of the Blood of France. He baptizes them in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

The instant the ceremony ends, the court doctors, along with several more summoned from Paris, descend on Bretagne, who seems the weaker of the two. They carry him to his bed. Cécile can only cling to Stabdille and wait, watching helplessly as the physicians crowd around him. She hears Bretagne beg them not to bleed him, but Dr. Fagon insists there is no time to waste. The other doctors murmur their agreement as their instruments clatter together.

Cécile knows a guard would drag her away if she tried to intervene. She thinks bitterly that since the twins were never poisoned, the doctors will attempt any remedy they can imagine. Their frantic care, she fears, may do more harm than the illness itself.

Determined not to let the same fate befall Anjou, Cécile turns to Madame de Ventadour. She is rocking the toddler in her arms. Madame de Ventadour agrees that the doctors cannot be trusted with him. Not every nursemaid shares their conviction. Some insist the doctors know best. But Madame de Ventadour declares she will not allow anyone to touch a child so young, whatever the cost to herself. She invites anyone willing to defy the doctors to follow her.

About half the nursemaids, along with Cécile, follow Madame de Ventadour into a small bathroom beside the nursery. It’s a plain white-tiled space with a tub, a few chairs, a commode, and shelves stacked with towels, bottles, and jars.

Once everyone is inside, Cécile throws the bolt. She’s aware that defying the king’s doctors could cost her everything she has built at court. Still, she thinks Papa would be proud of her regardless. Anjou reaches for her weakly and murmurs her name as Madame de Ventadour settles him into her lap. The nursemaids strip away his heavy embroidered clothes and dress him in a light silk sleep shirt. He wilts against Cécile’s shoulder like a flower starved of rain. She kisses his damp forehead and whispers for him to stay strong, if only for Stabdille’s sake. Eventually, he drifts into a fitful sleep.

Beyond the door, the wailing nursemaids’ voices suddenly rise in horror: Bretagne has died. Cécile’s heart breaks at the news, grief washing over her even as she holds tight to Anjou. Moments later, Dr. Fagon’s furious voice thunders outside, demanding to know if Anjou is behind the door. Madame de Ventadour clutches her rosary and answers steadily that yes, he is, and that he is receiving good care. Fagon rattles the handle and orders the door opened, insisting the boy must be bled before his fever consumes him. But Madame de Ventadour refuses, vowing that no one will lay a hand on him.

Even as another doctor argues for restraint, the pounding and arguing continue outside for hours. Cécile knows she risks catching the same illness herself, having survived a milder case of measles as a small child. But her own safety no longer matters to her. Through the long, dark night, she and the others hold their ground, refusing to move from the door.