Henri arrived at the antechamber to the King"s bedroom at precisely five minutes to eight the next morning. With him, hundreds of other men filled the room and the corridor beyond. He stood with his arms crossed over his blue jacket, alone in the midst of the mayhem, wondering why he felt compelled to be there, other than the wish to escape the ire of his aunt, whose power at court increased with each passing day. She would be the first to know if Henri ignored the King"s order.
“D"Aubigne? Is that really you?”
Henri turned as the firm hand grasped his shoulder. Two men of his age stood before him. Frederick de Gabrielle and Armand du Plessis had changed little in the years since the three of them had attended school together. Their sallow skin an outward sign of their indoor lives; the
