The beloved King dies

MC POV

It's April 26th, 1774, and I'm sitting on a white chair in the gardens of Versailles, enjoying my morning tea.

I can't believe that 4 years have passed since I reincarnated here.

Honestly, I don't know if I reincarnated, maybe the right expression is I was transmigrated to the past? Soul transferred?

Bleh, I'm here in the body of Louis XVI and that's it.

To be honest with you. Nothing of note happened to me in those four years, well apart that I married an Austrian princess Marie Antoinette.

At first, I just wanted to get her pregnant just for the sake of having an heir and people not calling me impotent just like the original Louis XVI was.

I still remember when I laughed when I read about Joseph II assessment of Louis and Marie's martial bed:

"Here is the mystery of marital bed. There are strong erections...he introduces his penis, leaves it there for maybe two minutes without agitating it, takes it out, still hard, without ever ejaculating, and says goodnight. This is incomprehensible since he has spontaneous emissions alone... He says frankly that he is satisfied and that he only does it out of duty and takes no pleasure in it. Ah! If I could have been present just once I could have sorted it out. He should be whipped like a donkey to make him ejaculate out of anger!"

Honestly, there were a lot of theories about why it took 7 years for them to have a child from Louis having phimosis to him having a big penis that didn't fit.

But maybe I talked a bit too much about other guys genitals and it was time to get my mind out of the gutter.

Now where was I...

Ah yes Marie

She was beautiful I will not lie, with blue eyes, ashen silver hair, a nice figure to boot, and a very bubbly personality she could find friends in anyone and she easily could keep up with people when talking and jumping from theme to theme.

Even her fashion sense was good, when she first came in here she definitely stood out with her more fibrant dresses, headwear, and such, but now I could see young and old noble women alike copy her style.

I think in a modern setting she would be that popular girl that everyone has or had a crush.

Well we wed and I did the deed with her, but after that one time I didn't do anything well we had kisses, hugs, and held hands, but I still thought that we were young and my modern morals got me in the trouble as we are being pressured by the king and the court to have a child, after all, I'm 20 and she is 19 and we were childless when people have offsprings as old as 15 years old, while for the first two years, we could play it of that we don't know each other and that we failed at making a child, but now it was expected from us to have one.

But sooner or later we will have to make one and our relationship is going well, we have outings frequently, we go on hunts and I try to spend time with her as much as I can.

Even she is active in our relationship constantly seeking me out and even inviting me to dates.

All in all, our relationship is good and I'm happy with what I got.

As for my political side of things, all I could say is that there is almost no progress, while yes there is a small faction of the prince in the Versailles but they had almost no voice and with me being quite green we made no progress to change anything and most of the time I felt I was given face because I was the heir.

The only major breakthrough that I can remember came from Jean Frederic Phelypeaux, he was the first big historical figure I saw after my mentor Paul François de Quelen de la Vauguyon, I tasked Jean to bring me a good economist either for him to teach me or be my new Controller-General of Finances and actually he delivered he sent me a latter a year ago.

There was some praise, some words of advice but most importantly he gave me the list of a few people that would make a good Controller-General of Finances there were five names but the name which stood out the most was the name of Controller-General of Finances.

Anne Robert Jacques Turgot

I began racking my brain for what I remember of him I knew he was the first Controller-General of Finances of Louis XVI and was a middle-class citizen, Turgot managed to reduce the debt that the crown had, and apart from Turgot being a supporter of free trade, then I don't remember much else from his tenure as Controller-General and then because he wanted to tax the nobles and clergy and other reforms plus falling out with Maurepas, he was forced to hand in his resignation letter.

But for now, our future Controller-General of Finances was Intendant of Limoges (basically a tax collector)

So I replied to Maurepas that I would like to see Tugot as my minister who will replace Terray, while Terray was good he was 58years old, and knowing that people lived up to 60years old, it was better to just let Terray retire and spend the years he has left in peace.

Then I got a reply from Jean Frederic Phelypeaux saying that he would prepare Turgot and then he would look for more people to be my new ministers while I agreed it made me think I couldn't lead Jean to find all the people because then they would be more loyal to him than to me, which would mean I would be king in name only, honestly, these few years I managed to see that the absolutism of the French monarch is waining and the nobility little by little started to exude more power and nothin more illustrated this more than the Parlements who always bickered with the king and thank god for Maupeu the current first minister of France for suppressing them.

I tried to come up with the names of other famous people of the time that I knew, which honestly wasn't that much as people and I were interested in the history of the revolution itself and what happened after than what was before it.

Few people came to mind.

Jacques Necker he replaced Turgot as Controller-General of Finances and was the one who made the crown finances public.

Antoine Lavoisier was a French scientist who is most noted for his discovery of the role oxygen plays in combustion and he was one of the many men who created the metric system.

François-Marie Arouet, better known by his pen name Voltaire, was a prolific writer and philosopher who always criticized the church and slavery and advocated freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and separation of church and state.

Then came the people like Maximilien de Robespierre one of the leaders of the revolution and the leader of the Jacobins a lot can be credited to this man the revolution itself, the execution of the royal family, the reign of Teror and the cult of a supreme being, but also he argued for the abolition of feudal privileges and supported the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen, which laid the foundation for modern democratic ideals, he took a strong position against slavery, particularly in the French colonies, and called for the rights of enslaved people to be recognized and he pushed other educational and welfare reforms.

And then came the crown jewel of the revolution Napoleon his enemies are many. His equals are none. In the shade of olive trees, they said Italy could never be conquered. In the land of pharaohs and kings, they said Egypt could never be humbled. In the realm of forest and snow, they said Russia could never be tamed. Later they said nothing. They feared him; like a force of nature, a dealer in thunder and death. And then he said, "I am Napoleon. I am emperor."

Honestly, I was afraid of him. He was ambitious and he used the card he was dealt perfectly to rise from.

There were a lot of times that I thought about just killing them, but then I thought what if I prevented the revolution? Can Robespierre be made a loyal dog? But then again, he was brutal, he famously asserted that terror is nothing other than justice, prompt, severe, and inflexible.

But he became brutal because he became overzealous and had quite a "healthy" case of severe megalomania.

I personally think I should just leave him alone as long as I prevent the revolution from starting he will just be a lawyer maybe later he would hold a political office in a barony or county, but he wouldn't be a threat.

But Napoleon, oh how I desired for him, with a man like him I think I could just kick back, open a cold one, and relax.

But now comes the big question would he be content with the role of Belisarius or after all would he want to become Justinian?

Well, he would have to meet him and see, preferably with someone good at judging characters, but definitely not now as if my memory still works Napoleon left Corsica around 1779 and now we are still at 1774 so I still have 5 years till he comes to the mainland and 15 years till the revolution which happened in 1789.

Haaa...I'm not even the King yet and I already feel like my head would fly off any minute now.

"Excuse me, your Royal Highness, His Majesty inquires will you be attending the evening hunt?"

I jumped a bit almost spilling my tea.

A servant suddenly asked from the side and bowed even more deeply, probably afraid because he managed to spook me.

"Ehm...Inform His Majesty, that I and Marie along with my sibling will be going to the gardens this evening to kite."

"By your will, Your Royal Highness, I will leave and inform His Majesty right away."

With my nod, the servant left me.

How I envy Louis XV he seemingly doesn't have any problems on his head, hunts almost every day, balls every day, and watches theatre almost every weekend, while here I'm monologing about my bleak future while he just lives in the moment...

Time Skip

It was already evening and the sun began setting and the night started to creep in.

After a good day of playing with kites with my siblings and Marie, we retired to the palace for dinner.

At first, I never expected that I would pick an interest in kiting, but on the other hand, there was nothing better to do for a modern man like myself, so like the saying goes "When in Rome, do like the Romans do" so I learned to enjoy the things I would never think I would enjoy and kiting was kinda like fishing you just lift the kite up like you would sed the fishing pole and you just watch the thing for hours, well of course you could do a couple of trick with the kite and run around so it was a bit more active than just fishing.

Then we went to sleep and one thing I will tell you is I like being the big spoon at first I tried to keep my distance from Marie but as our relationship progressed I managed the courage to embrace her in our bed.

At first, she tensed up and was surprised and I asked her if she felt this was uncomfortable, but contrary she quite liked it as she said it herself it made her feel safe. Isn't she just a sweetheart?

Madame du Barry's POV

The warm breeze carries the scent of lilacs through the spring gardens of the Petit Trianon as I walk arm-in-arm with the king. Louis XV, His Majesty, the king of France, is mine, and despite the whispers that follow me like shadows, I feel a thrill of excitement. They called me a commoner, a bed warmer, but they cannot see what lies beneath the surface. I hold his ear, his heart—at least what's left of it—and in a court as ruthless as Versailles, that gives me power, and now nobody dares to comfort me, they can now only silently whisper, because receiving my attention was receiving the attention of the king as well.

Yet I never intended to become the king's mistress. I came to court seeking comfort, perhaps to catch the eye of a nobleman who would grant me security. But when Louis laid eyes on me, everything changed. And here I am, in a sham marriage, I presented as the Countess Du Barry, my beauty captivating a king who can give me everything and more.

The noblewomen hiss their contempt when they see me, and their whispers slice through the air. "She is a common whore," they say. "A frivolous plaything." They do not understand. My position is far more secure than they can imagine. Louis trusts me. He values my counsel and takes my words seriously. I wield influence and privileges, and in a world dominated by intrigue, that is more than they will ever have.

But there's danger in this power. As long as Louis loves me, I am safe. The moment his affection wanes, I will be cast aside like all the others. The thought of it gnaws at me, especially now. I can see the change in him—he is slower and more tired, and I fear I might lose him.

Today, we escape to the Petit Trianon, a brief reprieve from the pressures of court life. As we walk, Louis smiles at me, and for a moment, everything feels perfect, we enjoy the gardens we enjoy the dinner, we enjoy the hunt.

Then the next day came and once again we repeated our activities yet I noticed a bit of discomfort in the eyes and the action of the King, he said he was feeling unwell and I paid no mind to it even as he skipped dinner and went to his chamber. Maybe he got a stomachache or yesterday's wine still clouded his mind.

The next morning, however, brought a different kind of reality....the next day the king fell ill. A simple matter, I tell myself. Just a fever. He will recover. But as the day wore on, Louis XV's condition continued to deteriorate. He was restless, his fever intensifying, and the pain spreading through his limbs. The next day, April 28, I and everyone present grew concerned. Something was seriously wrong.

Yet as the hours pass, I feel unease seep into my bones. La Martinière the King's first surgeon is summoned, and I was a little worried it was a high fever, but still a fever, hopefully, La Martinière advocates some medicine and soon His Majesty will be in good health again.

But then another day passed and His Majesty was still unwell and they moved Louis XV back to Versailles, I refuse to leave his side.

Quickly the King was put in his own chamber and soon doctors and surgeons began to gather around the king, each vying for a chance to save the monarch and earn glory. The room soon became crowded with medical professionals, all offering differing opinions on what was afflicting him.

Now I was even more worried but I tried to compose myself this is just a fever, just a simple fever, soon everything would pass.

La Martinière POV

It came quite quickly I sat at Versailles filling some papers for the Royal Academy of Surgery when a servant barged in and said the King felt ill.

Immediately I sprang to action and told the servants to get my instruments and I hurried to the King's side as a former Military surgeon who fought in the War of Austrian Succession I knew that every second mattered and I didn't dare to waste it.

I arrived by his side and I saw the gathered nobles with eyes full of worry.

I quickly looked over my sovereign.

Sweat, dry lips, fever.

Then I talked to His Majesty, he said that he felt it suddenly his head was hurting and pain spread to his limbs.

A virus but what kind?

Either way, I ordered everyone out and began my work to treat the king yet the next day he felt even worse and I ordered the King to be moved back to Versailles another surgeon belonging to Madame du Barry said we shouldn't move him but I knew better there in the palace we had better pieces of equipment and I could call for other doctors and surgeons as whatever that ails my king is no simple matter, so I declared that for a His Majesty Versailles is the place in which to be ill and we moved out.

We made it back and soon other doctors and surgeons came to give their opinions, but the King's situation was getting worse and one thing silently made its way up my mind "smallpox", a grim reminder of how unpredictable this disease can be. Louis has never contracted it before; his body is unprepared and he is no longer the youthful monarch who once commanded armies, he is now a man beset by age and indulgence.

Then I gathered the doctors and surgeons in another room and we began to discuss what ails our Majesty and what we could do to help him and we agreed that bloodletting should be the first thing we should do.

But the operation offered little relief, and by mid-morning, it was clear that the king was suffering from something far more serious than a common fever.

The grim diagnosis was confirmed—Louis had contracted smallpox. The news spread quickly through the palace, and a mixture of reactions greeted the announcement. Smallpox was a disease that inspired fear, but for some at court, there was a sense of relief. This was not an unknown illness, and many believed that the king, who had never contracted the disease in his youth, could survive with proper care. After all, it was a disease they understood, unlike the strange and mysterious ailments that sometimes plagued the royal family.

I quickly ordered everyone especially the rest of the royal family to be isolated to prevent the disease from spreading and we began working on the King's body, yet the pustules began to appear on his skin, a clear sign that the disease had taken hold.

As the days passed, Louis' condition worsened. His headaches grew more intense, his fever spiked, and his body became covered in painful, disfiguring pustules.

And I with many others worked tiresly around the King.

By May 1, there was a brief moment of hope. Louis' condition seemed to stabilize. The fever subsided slightly, and the pustules, which had been lanced by the surgeons, appeared to be draining properly. For a fleeting moment, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps the worst was over.

But the relief was short-lived.

By May 8, I understand the gravity of the situation. The pustules turn black, and His Majsties' fever escalates, He slips in and out of delirium, sometimes mumbling incoherently, other times shouting orders as if he were still the monarch in full command of his kingdom. The pulse in his throat quickens, and I know the truth—he is slipping away. The thought terrifies me. I have witnessed too many lives end in my profession, but this is different. This is the king.

We scrambled, once so confident in our treatments, we began to panic. Our remedies were failing, and the king's condition was only deteriorating. By May 9, the situation had become dire. His Majesties' throat was so swollen with scabs that he could no longer swallow, and his face, once so recognizable, was now blackened and distorted by the ravages of the disease. It was clear to all present that the end was near.

When the Confessor and His Majesty's First Amoneer are called to administer the last rites, I can't help but feel a deep sadness wash over me. This man, who has ruled for nearly sixty years, is now vulnerable and frail. I watch as His Majesty receives the sacrament of extreme unction, his body shaking with fever as the holy oils are applied.

And I wonder...

I've always been a man of science, but at this moment, I find myself wrestling with the cruel nature of fate, I saw men die but they were shot, they were stabbed, and their limbs blown off, yet a lot of them managed to survive, yet unseen disease manages to inflict such torment on to a man that even most of gruesome of wars couldn't, with the enemy you could fight back, but how could you fight against someone you can't even see? Looking and the King a thought still lingers in my mind what could I have done differently?

Third Person POV:

Outside The Chambers of The King, the atmosphere in Versailles was one of tense anticipation. The court, long accustomed to the rituals of power, now faced the imminent death of a king who had ruled for nearly six decades. The courtiers whispered amongst themselves, already speculating on what would come next. Who would rise, who would fall, and how the transition of power would play out in the days and months to come.

Soon the final day came.

On the morning of May 10, 1774, Louis XV lay motionless in his bed. His breathing was shallow, his once strong body reduced to a shadow of its former self. At 11 a.m., he entered his final death throes. The room fell silent as the surgeons and doctors watched the slow, painful end of the king. Finally, at 3:15 p.m., the long reign of Louis XV came to an end.

That May afternoon, as the death bell tolled, all eyes were focused on the man who had once been "Louis the Beloved"—now a king whose reign ended in tragedy, his body blackened by disease and his legacy clouded by the uncertain future that awaited his nation.

A/N: Hello guys and gals! Long time no see. I don't even know how much time has passed since I last updated and at this point, I'm afraid to look.

Yet I'm glad by the support I was getting from you, honestly, this chapter should have come out last week but I was hospitalized due to my vestibular apparatus who wanted to do a little bit of silly.

I still get dizzy episodes and even when doing nothing I can feel my head spinning lightly but hey at least I no longer feel like vomiting and with the upcoming visit to the neurologist and the otorhinolaryngologists everything will be fine and I can come back better, faster, stronger.

BTW finally I'm finished with IRL stuff and got my head in the game. Now ama focus on the Patreon and coffee, plus I have a story in mind that I wanted to write when I reread the Gotrek & Felix so look forward to it hopefully after this month of pure focus and commitment to writing you then starting November could receive at least one chapter every week.

This one was a monologue-heavy chapter as I wanted to summarise everything quickly and set up for the future now we will finally enter the Reign of Louis XVI.

Now as always join DC: https://discord.gg/SUeu6Ddejz