[ August 10, 1788 – 10:34pm ]
"Be yourself; everyone else is already taken." - Oscar Wilde

"

Can you hold this for me?" Svea held out a small silver mirror to the boy in front of her, who carefully positioned it in front of her so that she could observe her own image. Her dark lipstick highlighted the lines of her face, which was covered in a layer of rice powder. Her long eyelashes twitched slightly as she brought her hand to her head, her slender fingers deftly inspecting her hairstyle, checking that the mass of silver, curled hair was firmly held to her head.

She didn't like the idea of having to wear a wig, but she didn't have enough time to rebuild her hairstyle.

"For the last time, Ma Chérie, your wig is perfectly fitted. If it takes a little longer, we'll lose the whole opera!" Louis complained. A black mask, with gold fluff and gold-plated accents covered his entire face, having replaced his previous mask. There was a piece of black cloth to cover up below her eyes with only a hole for his mouth, now covered in lipstick to make it look lighter. An idea from the girl, so he wouldn't be recognized.

"Stop being dramatic, the opera has barely begun! Now help me here, because I need your help to attach a clip to the back of this monstrosity." The lady sighed, picking up her own mask, which matched the boy's, in white and silver colors, before placing it in front of her eyes. "And please cover your hair completely with the wig you're wearing. I know you like them as much as I do, but I don't need someone questioning how exotic your hair looks."

She grabbed her fan that was on the bed as the boy lowered the mirror and stood up, pinning the loose strand of the wig that the young woman had requested. Done with his job, he looked back in the mirror, putting a few loose curls underneath his white wig, which looked more like a dead ermine in her opinion.

He offered his hand to the lady. "Thank you very much." She thanked him with a small smile, taking the young man's outstretched hand and standing up gracefully. She wrapped her arm around his and they started walking, the girl now in new shoes, lilac heels with white bows. They didn't fit her very well, but they matched her dress and style was her priority.

They remained silent as they walked, only footsteps echoing through the halls. Svea enjoyed the silence as the noises increased each time they approached the theater. The shrill singing was audible even outside the sumptuous doors.

Louis opened them slowly, letting his partner walk in front of him before carefully sneaking into the room. No one paid attention to them, all the pairs of eyes turned to the singer on the stage adorned by the decorations composed by the scenery.

The girl took his hand and led him to one of the upper cabins, one of the few that were empty.

"You're not going to admit that you chose this cabin just to keep an eye on your mother, are you?" The boy asked inquisitively.

She rolled her eyes, but looked in the direction in which the queen was located, calmly watching the opera.
"

I'm just worried... She's been pretty nervous these days..." The young woman bit her lip lightly, a glimpse of a smile raising her lips. "And of course, I don't want her to realize that we've invaded her opera. After all, we're here as intruders."

The boy smiled, sitting elegantly in one of the chairs. "Ten thousand people in Versailles and you're worried your mother will see us like intruders? I'm more worried about whether we'll be able to stay here until this insufferable woman stops singing." He said with a giggle, shaking his head lightly in the direction of the stage.

"She's not even that bad. And let's face it, you love spending your time with me." Svea pouted as she opened her fan and sat down in the chair next to the boy.

"This reminds me of the first time I went to see an opera. Ah, the good times!" She sighed, dreamy, the memories transporting her to the not-too-distant past.

He looked at her with a small smile, the memories of that day coming crystal clear. "It was one of the Queen's operas, wasn't it?" He asked, as the girl nodded her head in the affirmative.

"She was so perfect..., but now with the crisis, there's no more time for that..." She sighed, fanning her fan. The boy gently held his other hand, interlacing his fingers.

They chatted in whispers as the opera continued to take place, drowning out their words. It wasn't like they could really be there; her mother had determined that she couldn't appear publicly, especially with the country's climate of instability.

Louis leaned towards the girl, who moved the fan so that it covered their faces. "The queen is looking here." He whispered slowly in her ear before moving back into place.

She lowered her fan and looked in her mother's direction. The woman was staring at the cabin where she was standing and her eyes met her daughter's, locking into them.
The queen smiled softly, and Svea bowed, as she had seen several subjects do countless times. The queen then turned forward and whispered something with the woman next to her.

The girl sighed and curled up in her seat. "Do you think my mother recognized us?" She asked, fearful.

"I'm sure not. With these masks and this hairstyle of yours, we are almost unrecognizable. No need to worry." Louis shook his head slightly.

The girl opened her fan again and placed it in front of her face, blocking her mother's view. No, she needn't have worried, her mother definitely hadn't recognized her, or would have shown it. She also didn't know Louis personally, so she could rest assured.

"Can't we leave now?" She asked slowly, but the boy looked at her as if she was going crazy, his mouth narrowing in disapproval.

"I really hope this is the effect of champagne and not your normal judgment, Svea. We can't leave now, especially after the queen has spotted us!" He whispered, slightly annoyed. "And she hass already talked about us with the Duchess of Polignac."

The girl looked at him in shock, turning abruptly to peek over her fan, watching the woman next to the queen. "The one next to my mother is the duchess? Oh no..." She whispered. "They will definitely come and talk to us. My mother wouldn't let two strangers into her opera without getting at least one piece of gossip out of them. And with more curiosity from Polignac..." She began to unconsciously wrap one of the curls of her wig around her finger, biting her lips.

Louis gently placed his hand on the young woman's arm. "It's going to be alright. For now, let's just enjoy the opera." He whispered softly, with a calm smile. His hand gripped the girl's, who squeezed it tightly before the two turned forward, watching the woman sing on stage.

Svea rested her face on her other hand, watching the opera. It seemed as if she was paying full attention to the scenes unfolding in front of her, but her thoughts drifted away, driven by anguish and the fear of her mother finding out she was there. It wouldn't be a pretty scene for her to find out that she had skipped her nightly lessons to run away to the ball.

On the other hand, the carefully planned costumes and music that reverberated through the brains of everyone present bored Louis. For an hour, the opera was even a pleasure to watch, but after that, it started to get repetitive. You wouldn't miss much if you closed your eyes for a minute or two...

The boy slumped slightly to the side, resting his head on the girl's shoulder. The music lulled him straight into a deep sleep, undisturbed by the singer's shrill screams on stage. The lady remained motionless, still holding his hand, but she could feel the queen's watchful eyes on the two of them. Let her think what she wanted, but the girl didn't let go of his hand for a second.

Her thoughts continued to wander as the opera took place, but she still paid attention to the story and enjoyed all the surroundings of her, being immersed in the tragic love story on stage. She didn't had many chances to go to the theater every time the operas arrived at Versailles. The hours passed quickly, and the girl applauded politely when the play was over.

She nudged the sleeping boy lightly, bending down to whisper in his ear. "Wake up, lazy, the opera is already over and people will end up paying attention to us if we leave too hastily." She smiled sweetly and gave a small laugh, seeing the boy wake up disoriented.

"Can we leave yet?" He asked, slowly opening his eyes. Svea kissed his forehead with a smile, brushing the hair away from his eyes.

"Not yet, dear, my mom will probably want to talk to us, remember? They will probably take our time for a while." She whispered, closing her fan. The boy nodded, rising from his seat and reaching out to help the girl up.

The girl leaned on his arm, faltering, which caused her to receive a worried look, but she smiled, grimacing to defuse the tension. "I'm fine, there's no reason for you to worry."

"Ma Chérie, if you're feeling bad, you need to tell me..." Louis whispered to her, but she rolled her eyes, still holding on tight to his arm.

"I've already told you I'm fine, my legs are just a little numb after sitting for two hours, honey." Svea snorted, letting go of his arm and holding his gloved hand, before they walked out of the cabin together. With her other hand, she opened her fan and held it to her face, still afraid that her mother would recognize her.

Svea and Louis bowed to the two women who were watching them; "Good evening, your majesty." The two said in unison, their voices blending together as the boy gave a polite smile.

"Excellent opera! Don't you think so?" The young queen questioned casually, a mischievous smile forming on her lips as the boy nodded, trying not to disrespect the woman. Svea glanced at her suspiciously. What was her up to?

"Your majesty, I must agree with you, the opera was truly magnificent." The boy replied solemnly, holding the girl's hand a little firmer. Marie Antoinette's eyes sparkled with amusement.

"Oh, but you slept during the whole play." She gave a small laugh and Louis looked away, taken aback.

"And I must add that your wife is very patient to hold you against herself for almost the whole play, though I think you should be a little more careful, gossip runs fast through Versailles." The queen smiled mischievously and turned to her daughter with a raised eyebrow. "But I can't offend you, miss. you wrte  paying a lot of attention to the opera, and I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did." She finally gave a gentle smile.

The girl gave a brief smile, wondering what the next step would be. Well, she needed to lie to her mother, not that this was the proper course of action, but to save her own skin. "Yes, the French pieces are wonderful. When they told me that the best operas were being performed at Versailles, I couldn't believe it." She replied with a thick German accent. If the charade was to be pursued, let it be with the crafts she  possessed.

"Are you German perharps, miss?" The queen's eyes sparkled again in vivid curiosity.

"I'm Austrian."  The girl lied, her heart sinking into her chest. She didn't like the idea of deceiving the queen by using her country to get closer, but she had no choice. Her mother would be much more sympathetic to an Austrian than to a Frenchwoman.

"Why, but this is wonderful!" The queen  exclaimed. "I didn't know there was anyone from my dear country here at Versailles!" She smiled sweetly, directing her gaze to Louis, questioning curiously. "And who is the gentleman, if I may ask? Your husband?"

"He's just my friend." The young woman replied sharply, looking directly into the queen's eyes. A glimpse of curiosity flashed through the woman's eyes, but clearly, she wasn't satisfied or even  believed her answer. Svea knew that her mother would never miss a piece of gossip and the best way not to be suspicious was to draw all the attention to herself.

"Well, if you're not too busy during your stay at Versailles, I'd like to invite you for a walk in my Petit villa. It's a really nice place, away from the madness of the castle." She then turned to Louis. "And since you didn't enjoy the opera so much, you could join us in the games." He commented mockingly. "Maybe you're a bigger fan of gambling."

"I- It would be an honor, your majesty." The boy bowed briefly. "We would not refuse such a kind invitation."

Marie Antoinette smiled. "I'm sure not." The queen then turned to the Duchess of Polignac, who had been silent during the conversation. "What do you think, Duchess?" She asked, causing the princess to almost drop her fan, thinking she had been recognized. "Should we worry about them?"

The Duchess smiled briefly. "Well, we all know that Austrian women are excellent gamblers." She said, which the queen countered with a gesture of false modesty. "But I don't know if the young couple of friends" —the last word spoken in a mocking tone— "will have any chance." She retorted scathingly.

The young lady smiled at the lady's comment, knowing that her and her mother were eccentric gamblers, and it wasn't very easy to take some money from them in the dice.

"Well, we'll see." Marie gave a small laugh. "Follow the noise and you'll find our little betting parlor." She said with a smile before withdrawing in whispers with the Duchess.

Louis turned to the girl with an inquisitive air. "Just friends?" He raised an eyebrow as she shrugged.

"But aren't we just friends? Why lie, right?"

A smile appeared on his lips. "And we're just friends?" She looked him up and down, sticking up her nose to make a little fuss.

"Why do you intend to makes us  something else?" She snorted, crossing her arms.

"Since such a beautiful lady disdains her partner, she will have to go to the games alone." Louis smirked and let go of her hand. She stared at him, doubtful if he was serious or joking.

"If so, respectable a gentleman mocks me, I will go alone!" She said coldly, though deep down she hoped he wouldn't take her seriously.

The boy stared at her in confusion, seeming quite upset, before she tiptoed and kissed his hair. "We need to go, or we'll cause more gossip when my mom wonders why we're not there."

He smiled understandingly and followed her, who made her way to the game room. "You're prepared, aren't you? I mean, we're not going to the place anymore... of the world." Svea coughed. "And clearly you've heard the rumors..."

Louis dismissed the princess's apology with a wave of his hand. "I know very well what the Queen's parties are like." He smiled. "As long as you don't end up passed out on one of the couches drunk and I have to carry you, making this moment even more embarrassing . . ."

The girl shot him with her gaze. "I don't drink that much, and you know it . . ."

She was interrupted by the young man who was trying to stifle his laughter.
"I really hope you don't think I'm going to believe it after I've flipped a glass of brandy without faltering." He laughed, watching the girl's cheeks turn the color of his lipstick.

"Since you insist on mocking me..." Svea pulled him close to her by the vest, pressing her mouth gently under his ear, brushing her lips against his neck, before kissing the collar of his blouse, letting go of him with a smile. "It'll be pretty interesting to see your explanation for that lipstick stain on your shirt when we get there."

Louis grabbed her by the waist, leaning into the girl who stopped smiling. He glued his lips to hers, dragging them up to her chin, leaving a trail of kisses down to her collarbone, smiling. "Just like you're going to explain why your lipstick is on my mouth." The boy muttered, sliding his hands down to the buttons of her dress before stopping and laughing, pulling away from the young woman.

"Eze Uduike, you're ridiculous."

"And you're tempting, Svea Lund."

Svea shook her head, bringing her hand to her lips, but Louis pulled a handkerchief from her pocket and began to gently wipe the lipstick from her face. "Come on, I'm not that cruel." He finished wiping her face, leaning down to kiss her cheek gently. "Can we go now?"

"Is my mask crooked, dear?" She questioned unsurely, feeling that it was a little wobbly, but he leaned in, settling it minimally on his face.

"It's perfect, don't worry. The queen will end up getting annoyed if we're too late, so we should hurry." He intertwined his fingers with hers, the girl's skin brushing against the top of his glove. The girl smiled before they began to walk side by side, still with their hands clasped together.

They walked in silence, only the sound of Svea's heels hitting the ground following them. They were alone in the hallway, but the girl wasn't surprised. Louis knew the palace better than she did and knew which route to take to avoid unnecessary glances directed at them.

Like two shadows, they walked quietly to where the corridor ended, coming to a white wall with gilded carvings. There was a path on the right from where they could hear music and voices rising above the melody. Turning to the path, the young woman could already see the doors open and the nobles gossiping, as well as a few bottles (probably of wine or champagne) circulating from hand to hand. The boy narrowed his eyes, watching the scene.

"I think it's over there . . ."

"You think?"

The boy smiled in defeat, taking a step forward before the girl followed him, the two of them a little hesitant about what could happen there in the midst of all those people. He was well disguised, only Svea would know who he really was, but anything could go wrong.

He would have to prevent the lady from drinking so much that she would spread the word to everyone who they really were, although this was perhaps the least of her problems. Deflecting the queen's questions would be the trickiest, it would be better to let her lead the conversation.

"Did someone bring any Italian wine?"

"SVEA!"

The girl couldn't contain her laughter, looking at him a little disappointed. "Honey, my name is Lieve now. For someone so concerned about not ruining everything, shouting my name is not one of the best options."

Louis snorted, but the lady held his hand tightly, leading him to the doors of the noisy room. He didn't let go of her, the couple gliding like rats through the people, looking for a spot where there was no longer anyone. Svea paused for a moment, before heading in the direction where some women were playing cards, slightly nodding for the boy to follow.

"Your turn Yolande!" The queen exclaimed, holding out the dice to the Duchess of Polignac who was standing beside her.  The woman threw the dice on the table and smiled, clapping her hands as she collected the money that was in the center.

Marie lifted her head, looking at them up and down quickly as she saw Svea and Louis, cracking a smile. The two bowed, but the queen waved her hand, getting up.

"I'm glad you came!" She exclaimed, pulling more chairs to the table, indicating it for the two of them to sit down. "Are you going to play, or are you just going to stand there and watch?" She smiled mischievously, sitting down again to roll the dice.

The young woman sat down in one of the chairs indicated by the woman, the boy following her soon after. He felt his heart sink a little as he saw that he wasn't on the girl's side, it would be hard to keep a low profile if they couldn't corroborate the same false story. But Svea was already smiling as she talked to the queen, not at all affected by this.

"Now, tell me dear, are you and your companion really just friends? I've never seen such closeness between two friends, if I may." Marie Antoinette whispered, amused with the whole situation showing on her face. "I promise I'll be discreet."

Svea hesitated a little, glancing at Louis, turning back to the queen with a smile. "Can you pass me some champagne, Your Majesty?"

The queen pouted, but handed one of the champagne glasses to the girl who thanked her, before taking a sip. "I hope you didn't ask me to pass the bottle just to dodge the topic dear, you can tell me what you truly are."

"He's my lover." The girl whispered, shaking her head as she blushed a little while she spoke. "I told my husband that I was just coming to visit some relatives in France, but I came to meet him. My husband isn't faithful to me and I feel lonely in Austria. We met at a ball, right here in Versailles."

Marie Antoinette smiled victoriously, pleased with the sincere answer, giving her a brief wink of understanding. Svea knew she wouldn't tell anyone, but it was still a little ridiculous to admit that she loved someone inappropriately, even if it was fake.

Hee eyes drifted to the boy who was talking to the man next to him, with his usual calmness. He hadn't seen it when that glass of wine had appeared in his hand, but it was almost untouched. She smiled a little before the voice of the Princess de Lamballe dragged her from her contemplation.

"Are you going to play, madam? The dice are free."

"I'm sorry, but I'm not supposed to play tonight, I didn't bring any money with me." She smiled apologetically. "I will content myself with just being in your presence, watching the stakes."

The princess smiled back, rolling the dice herself. Svea listened with little attention to the gossip with which the ladies were engaged in commenting, only listening for a few minutes, but looking askance at Louis, who was still talking deeply with the gentleman beside him. She turned again to the women, just in time for the Duchess of Polignac to ask her a question.

"Has any gentleman caught your eye, Austrian?"

The girl hesitated, feeling her cheeks warmee and reaching for her glass of champagne, pretending to drink to disguise her discomfort. But the queen smiled, answering for her.

"The lady already has someone who occupies her mind, Yolande. You shouldn't ask her such indecent questions; you'll scare our guest away." Marie Antoinette smiled as Polignac grabbed one of the sweets from the table, shrugging.

"You can't blame me, apparently you asked the same question, Antoinette. Is it my fault that I want to know a little bit about our guest? There is nothing indecent about appreciating a good man."

Svea stared at her own champagne, taking a deep breath, too embarrassed to make a comment. Fortunately, the Princess de Lamballe came to his rescue, changing the subject of direction. "Have you seen the leaflets that are circulating in the streets? They talk about you as they always do, Antoinette."

The queen burst out laughing, the game being stifled by the chatter that was keeping the madams entertained. "They're so outrageous they're funny, I don't think the good people of France seriously believe them."

The girl risked looking at Louis once more, grabbing another glass of champagne. The boy was watching her and raised an eyebrow, but she shook her head, indicating the clock with her gaze. It was still too early for them to leave; they would arouse suspicion. And despite the conversations, she enjoyed being there, it gave her the feeling of finally being a lady, of no longer being a little girl. It had been a little more than an hour since they had been there, it would be a contempt of the queen if they let them, it would seem that they were bored.

"Oh, I'm sorry dear, but you haven't told us your name yet!" Marie Antoinette exclaimed, smiling at her daughter. A bead of sweat dripped down the back of her neck of the young woman, who swallowed another sip of champagne, turning to the queen.

"I'm sorry I didn't introduce myself! My name is Lieve." Svea rested her glass on the table, answering the question naturally.

"It's a curious name." Lamballe said, raising an eyebrow. "But beautiful. I don't think I've ever met anyone with that name before."

"My mother had a certain fondness for unusual names, don't expect to see many people with this name in Austria either." The lady explained, seeing the wrinkle of distrust disappear from her mother's forehead. Perhaps if ahe had chosen a more common name, she would have been more likely to believe hee story, but the more details ahe had, the more believable it would seem.

The conversation continued without further interventions, as they talked about fashion, make-up and hair, as well as confabulating intimate secrets of the people present in the venue. The girl preferred to abstract herself in these moments, but with a few more glasses of champagne, she was already laughing and being amazed by how many gossips the other women knew about.

"But Lieve, is there any gossip about your escort that we should know about?" Polignac remarked mischievously, nodding to Louis, who was now talking to two other gentlemen. "Any affairs you can tell us about?"

"Oh no, he's almost a Greek god. He's an excellent waltz partner, an excellent gentleman, doesn't get drunk or smoke, and is an incurable intellectual. He doesn't have a single crooked tooth that I can comment on." Svea laughed, raising her eyebrows sincerely. "Maybe he has only one flaw, he is hopelessly in love!"

"Oh, what a pity, he seems to be much more romantic than most of the flirtatious people I meet." The Duchess laughed, before the girl turned her gaze to the clock on the wall. She had already seen that some nobles who withdrawn, and the dial marked that it was almost one o'clock in the morning. She opened her mouth to comment that she should go, but a hand rested on her shoulder.

"It was very kind of you to invite us to this meeting, your majesty, but I believe we should leave now. Although we are enjoying it, it is late, and we will need to  be back in Austria tomorrow." Louis smiled sweetly, bowing. "Lieve and I are very pleased with our stay at Versailles and will come in winter, I am sure the atmosphere will be very gallant."

Svea nodded as she stood and bowed respectfully to the queen and ladies. "It has been a pleasure to meet your Lordships and an honor to be in the presence of the Queen. I will always remember my stay at Versailles." She chose the words carefully, pulling the 'r' from Versailles as Louis held her hand. Marie Antoinette stood up with a smile.

"Well, it was a pleasure to meet you, I really hope you come to spend more seasons here in France, Versailles is always open to welcome you! I will accompany you to the door." She said politely, leading them to the large doors of the room without further questions.

The flow of people was much smaller than when they arrived and the music was low, being mostly covered by the buzz of gossip. The couple bowed once more to the queen before she returned to the room, and they followed the corridor from which they had come.

"Those women were asking you so many questions that I thought I was going to be dizzy." Louis smiled, turning to the girl. "How much gossip there is in Versailles! Apparently, we'll be one of them tomorrow, rumors are running very fast among those corridors."

The lady smiled, shaking her head. "They're not terrible, just very curious." She stopped talking for a moment to let out a laugh. "Well, maybe they're a little terrible! But I'm used to it, my dear. It's simply court etiquette."

The boy nodded, cracking a small smile. "I bet you can't guess who the gentleman I was talking to was."

"With whom?" Svea raises an eyebrow curiously. His conversation with the other gentlemen was very deep, it must have been someone with great social status, especially to be at one of his mother's parties.

"With Count Fersen."

"Count Fersen!"

Louis nodded. "I remarked on the war against Catherine of Russia, and he seemed pleased to tell me about it; his dedication to William III is suitably impressive. We discussed the colonies of France soon after and some popular uprisings that have been taking place, but I decided to divert the subject to the new United States, I didn't want to commit myself too much." He said softly and the young woman nodded.

She knew that he did not think like she and the nobles did about the colonies, and he thought that the king should respond better to the protests of the people.

Perhaps talking about these issues with him had made her possess some revolutionary ideals, but there were some ideas that she still considered very extreme.

"He invited me to go hunting someday, but I deflected by saying we were leaving tomorrow. He wouldn't be so kind to me if he saw me without a mask."

"Oh..." Svea sighed, gripping his hand tightly, kissing his fingers, as the two of them fell silent until Louis led her to her room, stopping in front of the doors when they arrived.