We were all sitting in the coach as the revolution army escorted us. Momma stopped crying and was holding father's hand very tight. I looked out the window. It was the first time I ever have seen anything outside Versailles. What I saw shocked me. Things were not as grand as they were in Versailles. The houses looked small and many were not that cheerful. They looked like they were the same size as my bedroom. The people wore very worn-out clothes that were made out of the cheapest cloth and so worn out. The people looked so sad and tired.
It got worse as we entered Paris. The city which should be the capital of France looked so dark and so dirty. The people walked around on muddy streets and they all looked hungry and sad. This was the first time that I ever have seen poverty and had so many questions. I wanted to know why some people were so angry. Some were even throwing rotten food at our carriage.
Father was relaxed and told us not to be afraid. He understood why they were mad and he wanted to help them. My sister and I were told to hold our heads high and be proud of who we were. I looked at momma and could see she was the one that looked so worried. I looked out the window and figured as long as they were just throwing vegetables, it could not be that bad. It was like when my older sister got mad at me. She would calm down and say I did not know better because I was only 5.
We were now in the Tuileries Palace. We still had our servants and people to cook and all that. Father said that this would do. He was spoken with the guards and they said they will give us an allowance, which was far less money than we were used to.
Again father told us not to worry. This would be short term. We could use this as an opportunity to see how normal people lived. I wanted to question him about this. The palace still looked far bigger and posher than the houses I have seen. However I could see that father was also trying to convince himself not to worry, so I kept my worries to myself.
Life did not change that much. We did the same pretty much as we have always have done. There was not a huge variety of food, but we still had more than enough. The big change was that my father did not work a lot. A man from the revolution would come and tell him what the provincial government was doing. I noticed that my father was not asked what he thought nor did he give any orders. They just told him what was being done.
Father told us that there was still a lot of fighting and there were even some that were loyal to him.
Mom questioned dad about this not being serious. She told him that we were basically prisoners. We could never be alone as there were guards in the room all the time. Even the maids and servants were leaving us as they were afraid that they would be executed. Mom was shocked when she had to help my big sister get dressed because her maid left.
I was too young really to notice any difference. We still had good food and we still lived like a Royal family. The only thing I noticed was that we were guarded all the time and no one bowed when they spoke with me. One guard teased me one day saying I looked like a girl with my satin clothes and long curly hair. He started calling me a princess, which made the others laugh and call me the same. I was defiant and told them I was the dauphin, which made one of the guards come close to me. It looked as if he would hit me, but momma quickly pulled me away and told me not to make the guards mad.
A year passed and I was now 6. We were still prisoners in the palace in Paris. I was still quite naive as to how serious things were. I was lucky enough that I adjusted to the new life and could not see the big difference between life at Tuileries Palace and Versailles. My older sister did say she felt like a prisoner and often said she no longer felt respected. Our father calmed us down and said that this was short term. We were still the Royal family of France and this was all that mattered.
Every day we were taught by our parents. We would hear about history and geography and maths. These were special moments for me and one advantage that we were prisoners. We now spent a lot of time with our parents. Father was still a king but the provisional government was making all the decisions.
Momma liked telling us stories about her childhood when she was a princess in Austria. She talked about the palace they lived in and how people bowed when they saw her. She talked about all the dresses she had and how she never had to worry. As a child, momma loved to play in the castle gardens with her puppies. I did not know that momma told these stories to help us remember what our life was like. However, I loved it when she talked about her childhood. She did not look so worried and smiled as she talked about it. She was the happy mother that we once knew.
I asked the guard if I could have a puppy as momma had when she was a child. This upset my older sister, that scolded me because I asked a guard. She reminded me that I was the dauphin and they were only guards. I should not ask but command it! This upset the guard and he hit my sister.
When my big sister was hit, momma rushed to her and held her in her arms. It was the first time that someone hit a Royal child! My sister and mother were shocked and I felt bad that I even asked for a puppy. Father was very cautious and told us we must not make the guards mad. This upset momma more as she asked father if he was still the king.
I had my seventh birthday at Tuileries Palace. This was now my life and all I knew. My old life in Versailles was nearly forgotten.
The first was when a man from the provisional government came to visit us. He announced that the revolution was a big success, and there were only some areas that were now resisting. Father asked if people were still hungry. The man did not answer this.
Momma asked him if we could get new clothes. She told them that my sister only had a handful of dresses and we were both growing so quickly. It was at this time that I could see how many hated my mother. The man told him that any child in France would love to have the clothes we had. He reminded momma of how much money she spent on her dresses and jewelry when we were at Versailles. He reminded momma that she was known as “Madame Deficit” because she spent so much when the country was bankrupt.
The provisional government did not want to harm us or kill us. They thought that the Royal Family could help bring peace to the country. On the anniversary of the fall of the Bastille, which started the revolution, we were taken to the Bastille. This was an exciting day as we were allowed out of the palace. Over 300.000 people showed up to the memorial. I never have seen so many people in my life. A mass was said and afterward, father took an oath that he would protect the country and support the laws that the new parliament made. The people cheered him and shouted, “ Long live the King”.
Then momma came forth and showed me to the crowd. The crowd screamed and shouted, “Long live the Dauphin!.” To be quite honest, I was a bit shy and did not know what to do. Momma told me to smile and wave. This was not that hard to do. I knew that as the future king of France, that I would have to get used to being the center of attention and someone the people would love.... or hate.
Momma was not happy as we went home. She asked my father why he took the oath. It gave the new parliament all the power and he would just be like a decoration. Father remained silent. In fact, I was old enough to feel sorry for him. The revolution was telling him one thing and momma was telling him another thing. Father was known for a man that could never make a decision. It must have been hard for him when people expected different things. How could he decide what to do?
Another year had passed and I was now 8 years old. It was said that I was mature for my age and could understand things others could not. I could see that we were stuck in this place. I could see that momma and father were not happy. I could not see the difference between our life now and before we were prisoners. Was it not worse being in Versailles and never leaving it?
Momma was tired of being a prisoner and having no money. She whispered to father several times that they must do something to restore the monarchy. Momma was sure that other countries such as Austria would help.
Father seemed quite content with our life as prisoners. He said we had all that we needed and we were together as a family. He enjoyed family life where he could give us lessons and teach us things, and at other times just relax. This was not enough for momma. She wanted the family restored at their rightful place. Momma nagged father non-stop, promising that the other European countries would help. In the end, he sighed and told momma that we would try to escape.
Momma gave two guards that seemed sympathetic to us to let us sneak out. This was when I met Count Axel Von Fersen. He was the man that some people believed was my real dad. For a few minutes, he and I just looked at each other. I figured that he heard the same rumor and was wondering if I was his son.
Momma interrupted our thoughts and said that it was time to go. The count led us outside and pointed to a small carriage. He said this carriage would be fast and not many people would notice it. Father agreed until momma said that it looked uncomfortable. She wanted to ride in the big carriage and suggested that six horses could ride it. So Father ended up in supporting Momma.
It took time for that carriage to get ready. Then we were on our way out of Paris. The carriage was comfortable but slow. I wondered how many people would notice a big carriage with 6 horses and wonder who it was. Momma did not think about that. She was telling father that Austria would help regain France again and when we were back at Versailles, we had to punish all those that treated us like prisoners. Father said that it was important to forgive and unite the country as well as help the poor. Momma did not agree.
Father noticed that the carriage was slow and kept on shouting to the driver to go quicker. It was after midnight so I was surprised that some people were standing at the side of the road cheering at us. Of course, some were not cheering and this worried Father. He kept on saying that this escape should have been a secret. There must have been some guards or servants that could not keep a secret.
The driver told us that we had to change horses as we were halfway to the border. Some repairs also had to be made to the carriage. So we stopped in a small village. Momma told us that we should stretch our legs. I was standing outside with my sister as we were looking at the sunrise. I could see some people talking with father. This annoyed momma as she thought he would say something wrong.
A few children spoke with my sister and I. They were in tattered clothes and looked so skinny and sick. They did most of the talking. They were impressed with the clothes that we wore and how clean we looked. They said it's not often a carriage with 6 horses came through the town. We were asked if we were aristocracy and escaping the revolution. My sister and I did not say much, especially when they asked did we ever meet the Dauphin. I did not know what to say or to do. It was the first time that I ever spoke with normal people.
As we were about to leave, Momma spoke with the blacksmith and said that we had no money. She offered him jewels that would most likely give him money for 100 horses, The blacksmith had a strange look on his face and looked at us as he said that these looked like Royal Jewelry.
We were once again on the run. Momma said she was worried that we were recognized. She was right! About an hour later we were stopped by the revolutionary military and arrested. We were escorted back to the Tuileries Palace.
A few days after, Father was teaching my sister and me some history when two men from the provisional government came in. They told father that the government was very disappointed about the planned escape. The government had protected the Royal Family and hoped there was a place for us in the new France. Father understood them when they said that many people now doubted if the Royal family was friends of France or enemies of France. They knew that Momma wanted her own country to help and invade France. This was treason.
There was only one way out of this, the men said. The king had to sign a bill that made France a constitutional Monarchy. Father also understood this and said he would sign it the next time they came.
However, when they went, Momma was mad. She warned father that he should not sign the bill. This would make the Royal Family symbols with no power. We would be prisoners of the new government from now on. We could not do anything without asking them. She also said that this would threaten the other Royal families in Europe.
So when the two men came back later in the afternoon, Father said that he would veto the bill and not sign it.
The next day, there was a crowd of people outside the palace demanding that the king would abdicate. They heard that we tried to escape and considered this treason and against the revolutionary spirit. The government announced that the king would agree to a constitutional monarchy. In this way, there would be a compromise between the royalists and the revolution.
The mob outside the palace did not agree. They wanted to storm the palace where we lived. Momma was afraid of what would happen to us, so she asked the government to move us to a safer place. We were secretly moved from the palace and moved to a place called The Temple. We found out later that 50 people were killed in this riot.
The Temple was an old fortress in Paris and used by the new government as a prison. So we now lived in a cell. It was furnished but it was also well guarded, so the guards could hear everything we said. They could also see when we changed clothes. Momma tried to cheer us up by saying that at least we were safe.
Father still refused to sign the constitutional monarchy. So the government announced that France was now a republic and the Royal family lost all our titles and property. Father was no longer the king and known as Citoyen Louis Capet and I was known as Louis Capet and no longer the Dauphin. Father seemed relieved until he was told that he was no longer king. He worried again when they told him that he and momma were now under arrest.
This meant that my father had to stand trial in a court. Momma still hoped that we had friends, and did not realize how much we were now hated. Father was found guilty of treason and was sentenced to death. I did not understand this totally.
Father understood it. Before the guards came to get him, he told me that he wanted to tell me something important
“ France is very confused now,” he said. “ People want a better life and blame me for their troubles. They do not want a Royal family. A lot of blood is being shed because people disagree on Frances's future. Things will get worse. People will hate each other and be afraid of each other. This will not be easier for you. However, despite the pain, humiliation, and suffering they will inflict on you and our family, please always have hope and pray for the people who hurt you and our family. The greatest thing you can do is forgive them”
Father was executed and this made momma cry all the time.
After a month, the government representatives came back. They told momma that they have come to remove my sister and me from my mother. Momma was on her knees and pleaded to them to have some compassion and not separate a mother from their children.
The man explained that the other European countries have proclaimed me as the new king. They suspected that my mother was still trying to get foreign countries to interfere. They had no choice but to remove me.
The man tugged as my hand while telling me that I was not the king. Momma put her arms around me and shouted she will not let me go. The guard pointed a gun at my head and told momma to let go of me or he would kill me!
To be continued655Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡx9L7oxr8pi
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