His Red Eminence Armand-Jean du Plessis de Richelieu by Laurel A. Rockefeller Genre: Historical Fiction
Priest. Lover. Statesman. From the author of the best-selling “Legendary Women of World History” series … Cardinal Armand-Jean du Plessis, duc de Richelieu is one of the most famous — or infamous politicians of all time. Made a villain in the popular Dumas novel, “The Three Musketeers,” the real man was a dedicated public servant loyal to king and country. A man of logic and reason, he transformed how we think about nations and nationality. He secularized wars between countries, patronized the arts for the sake of the public good, founded the first newspaper in France, and created France as the modern country we know today. Filled with period music, dance, and plenty of romance, “His Red Eminence” transports you back to the court of King Louis XIII in all its vibrant and living color. Includes eight period songs, plus prayers, a detailed timeline, and extensive bibliography so you can keep learning. Add to GoodreadsAmazon * B&N * Kobo * Smashwords
Born, raised, and educated in Lincoln, Nebraska USA Laurel A. Rockefeller is author of over twenty books published and self-published since August, 2012 and in languages ranging from Welsh to Spanish to Chinese and everything in between. A dedicated scholar and biographical historian, Ms. Rockefeller is passionate about education and improving history literacy worldwide. With her lyrical writing style, Laurel’s books are as beautiful to read as they are informative. In her spare time, Laurel enjoys spending time with her cockatiels, attending living history activities, travelling to historic places in both the United States and United Kingdom, and watching classic motion pictures and classic television series. Facebook * Twitter * Pinterest * YouTube * Amazon * Goodreads
One hour later, the final prayer and the final hymn rang through the main sanctuary.
Rising, Bishop du Plessis turned to Anne, “I want to pray a bit longer. Will you help me to the
side altar? I want to light a candle and ask God to heal me.” Anne rose and offered her hands
and body to him to steady him. Taking small steps to help with the vertigo, she guided him to
where he wanted to go. Armand lit a candle and with her help, knelt down to pray, Anne dutifully
kneeling beside him and beginning her own, silent, protestant prayers, “Salve, Regina, mater
misericordiae: vita, dulcedo, et spes nostra, salve. Ad te clamamus exsules filii Hevae. Ad te
suspiramus, gementes et flentes in hac lacrimarum valle. Eia, ergo, advocata nostra, illos tuos
misericordes oculos ad nos converte. Et Iesum, benedictum fructum ventris tui, nobis post hoc
exsilium ostende. O clemens, O pia, O dulcis Virgo Maria. Amen.”
Worried for him, Anne quietly unleashed a bird-like note from her throat, uncertain what
the note meant or exactly why it escaped her.
Armand felt the resonance, “Anne? What are you doing?” Anne closed her eyes. The
note grew stronger. Interlacing their fingers, she met his eyes, a fire flashing across them, a
heat building in her hands. Fear filled Armand’s spirit, “No, Anne! No! You must not, not here!
They will burn you! Mon coeur! Mon trésor! I am not worth it!” Unable to control the rising power
inside her, Anne brought their entwined fingers down onto his head as she released the note
and power resonating through it. Anne fell onto the floor as all the pain in his body, every
lingering discomfort fell away, transferred into first her flesh, through every cell of her body until
it escaped into the cathedral, its walls alive and singing with her from the recent service. “Why?
Why, you fool? I am not worth it! My suffering is nothing! Why did you have to take it from me?”
“’Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends,’” quoted
Anne simply. “I did not choose to do this, Armand. God chose it in answer to your prayer!
Remember that when you pray: God doesn’t always answer the way you want or expect. God
does what God wants to do.”
Armand held her against his chest as he closed his eyes in prayer, “Pater noster, qui es
in cælis, sanctificetur nomen tuum; adveniat regnum tuum; fiat voluntas tua, sicut in caelo et in
terra. Panem nostrum cotidianum da nobis hodie, et dimitte nobis debita nostra, sicut et nos
dimittimus debitoribus nostris; et ne nos inducas in tentationem Sed libera nos a malo. Amen.”
“Take me home to rest, Your Excellency, and, if you would be so kind, perhaps some
water please?”
Ten minutes later, Armand laid Anne down on his bed to rest, his body fully restored and
feeling stronger than it had in many long months. Quietly he instructed his housekeeper to move
Anne’s belongings into his bedroom and to exchange the narrow servant’s bed on the far side of
the room with the much larger and more comfortable bed that Anne was sleeping on in her
guest room.
Ordering luncheon from his head cook, Armand returned his attention to Anne, joyfully
tending to her needs until she gained enough strength to sit at the small table at which the
servants were laying their luncheon. After a few uncertain moments helping her eat and drink,
Armand finally breathed a sigh of relief as some colour returned to her face and her breathing
normalized. Anne opened her eyes, “You are still with me.”
“Where else would I be?”
“In Paris at court.”
“Away from you?”
“I don’t know. That is up to you. I hope you will never banish me from your side, not even
for one day. That is perhaps not realistic though. A public life would be dangerous for me. But I
think a public life is in your future someday, Armand. I think you want a public life, to have the
opportunity to do more than serve this little bishopric hundreds of miles from king and court.”
“Do I really come off as so ambitious?”
“All young men are ambitious, mon coeur. Why should you be different?”
“You make me sound so … average if that’s the right word.”
“At least you are not in constant danger of the pyre like I am. If I could have conducted
that energy in private, I would have. I don’t know how I could even channel it like that. Your
abilities directly impact the physical world, not mine!
“You are suggesting that I wanted to heal myself and this is the way God made it
happen?”
“When was the last time you tried to heal with your touch, Armand?”
“Not since the convent.”
“That might be why. Each of us have talents from God. If we are wise, we listen to God
and embrace the way we were each made, knowing that each of us are special and made
exactly as God wants us to be. God doesn’t make mistakes when he gives us an ability like your
healing touch or my empathy. But so often we curse God when we find we are different from
others rather than thanking him and accepting the ways we are special.”
Armand kissed her, “You are special.”
“How special?” flirted Anne.
“I’ll show you when you are strong enough.”
Anne touched him provocatively, “How about right now?”
Armand picked her up and carried her to his bed, “Now it is!”
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