La belle Gabrielle — Tome 3

A charismatic pretender has set up his makeshift court near Reims, turning an abandoned manor into a fortress‑like palace. Surrounded by a growing band of soldiers and guarded by fierce Spanish mercenaries, he projects the regal bearing of a Valois monarch, hoping to convince the people that his claim to the throne is genuine. His presence draws crowds of curious onlookers, all eager to witness the spectacle of a ruler who promises both power and redemption.

In a striking spring evening, the courtyard becomes a stage for a dramatic public rite. A ragged tapestry depicting a martyr looms above a modest throne, while a line of the afflicted—victims of a dreaded disease—waits for the king’s touch. With a royal decree from Paris urging the “healing of the scourges,” he prepares to perform a miracle that could seal his legitimacy or expose him as a charlatan. The tension between belief and skepticism sets the tone for a tense contest of authority and faith.