CATHERINE #II

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Book 3



Dijon 1423
 

When Catherine is finally allowed to go home in the morning after the Duke has kept her in the castle all night, to find out if there was more between her and Arnaud de Montsalvy, an infuriated Garin de Brazey is waiting for her... thinking that she has spent the night with Arnaud de Montsalvy (he saw her enter his tent), he takes a whip and flogs her like a wild animal. It is only thanks to the intervention of Dame Ermengarde, who wanted to see Catherine, that the worst can be avoided. When Catherine wakes up in bed, she is bandaged and asks Sara to prepare healing ointments. The Duke learns of Garin's behaviour and comes to visit her...



 

The Duke, deeply shocked to see Catherine in such a bad state, asks Dame Ermengarde to take Catherine into her house for a while. Catherine does not understand what has possessed her husband, for he has not even claimed his husband's rights.


After several weeks, Catherine returned home to Dijon. She invited her friend Abou-Al-Khayr to stay at the Garin palace. Garin de Brazey and his guest get along splendidly. She learns from him that Arnaud has recovered and returned to the French court. One day, Garin tells her that she would be delighted to hear of Arnaud de Montsalvy's forthcoming marriage to Isabelle de Sévérac, the Marshal's daughter...and it was said that the young couple were very much in love with each other... !



 



Arnaud de Montsalvy and his fiancée Isabelle de Séverac



 

Arnaud de Montsalvy and his brother-in-arms: La Hire, Jean Poton de Xaintrailles and the Count Jean de Dunois at the Court of Charles VII.






 

Catherine is inconsolable and it takes an Abou-al-Kayhr to persuade her not to kill herself. She goes to Marsannay to her mother and uncle and stays there for a long time. One day, the Duke visits her in secret to convince her of his love and as Philippe is now a widower and she thinks Arnaud de Montsalvy is definitely lost to her, she gives in to his courtship...



 

During a feast at Philippe's court, Catherine faints. The doctor, her friend Abou-al-Khayr, confirms that Catherine is expecting a child. Garin knows that it is the prince's child, but his rage knows no bounds.



 

This time he doesn't hit her but has her kidnapped and wants to kill her, she has to defend herself every night against her guards who want to rape her. it's Barnaby who saves her (in the book it's Landry Pigasse) and they can escape...



 

Garin de Brazey is sentenced to death for high treason.
Catherine goes to visit the condemned Garin and learns his painful secret. With the help of Abou-al-Khayr, a poisoned wine is brought to him so that he does not have to undergo alive the ordeal of what is in store for a traitor..



 

Catherine gives birth to a son and is named Philippe after his father. A delighted Duke makes Catherine a Countess and gives her a castle and covers her with jewels. The child, however, grows up with the Countess 'Ermengarde at Châteauvillain'.
Catherine is now officially 'La Favourite' at the court of Dijon and everyone is at her feet... The Flemish painter Jean van Eyck paints many portrait of the Countess of Brazey of whom he is secretly in love...


Château de Châteauvillain



 

Catherine learns from Jean van Eyck that Duke Philippe is to marry the Infanta 'Isabella of Portugal'. At the same time, she receives a message from Countess Ermengarde that her little boy is dying. Duke Philippe does not want to let her go - and then wants her to promise to come back to him. When she arrives at Châteauvillain, it is too late, little Philippe has died because of poisoned water..


 

Catherine decided not to return to the Duke - her friends come to visit her at Ermengarde de Châteauvillain's castle. From left to right: Sara, Abou-al-Khayr, the monk Etienne, Catherine, Dame Ermengarde and her faithful friend Barnaby who has become a monk himself...



 

When Brother Etienne, the monk who spies for Queen Yolande, visits her again, she hears for the first time that 'Arnaud de Montsalvy' is not married at all, but that his bride has died before the wedding. She also learns that Arnaud is in Orléans, defending the town against the English. She decides to leave all the bridges behind her and join him, to die with him in Orléans as the odds are very bad for the town. No one can stop her - Sarah, Barnaby and Brother Jean will accompany her on that dangerous journey.




 

But they are ambushed and captured on the way. Catherine manages to escape and after many dangerous adventures, she reaches the under siege town of Orléans and Catherine hears for the first time about Joan of Arc.


Orléans 1429



 

After an arduous journey, Catherine, exhausted to death, reaches Orléans and, at night, with other people fleeing from the English, manages to get through the gate of the besieged city. But she is recognised by Arnaud de Montsalvy, who is on guard - and has her arrested as a spy of the Duke of Burgundy.



 

Catherine is sentenced to death for spying for Burgundy. During the night, she is visited by Arnaud who cannot resist seeing her again. He tells her that he has not been able to forget her and that she has poisoned his life. But she laughs in his face and tells him that she is even more desiderable after her death for him. Arnaud silences her by first trying to take her by force, but Catherine gives in to him and she knows now that he will never forget her....



 

The next morning they come to get Catherine, the sentence is hanging. But as the carriage is on its way, an uproar is heard. It is Joan of Arc who has freed the the people of Orléans from the English and has entered the town. Catherine, stunned, watches her approach on horseback accompanied by her knights and cries out that she did not want to die. Jeanne looks in her direction and wants to know what they are doing with this young woman. She asks that Catherine be released immediately and a woman promises to take her home. It is Dame Boucher and it is the same house where Joan of Arc will stay...




 

When Arnaud learns that Catherine has been saved, he is furious, but Xaintrailles tells him that he actually got drunk and cried like a baby when he thought she was dead... They meet in the house and although he tries to ignore her, he sends her to Queen Yolande in Loches. He says that his ancestors would turn in their graves if he loved a Legoix...



 

Catherine travels with Sara, who was able to reach Orléans with brother Jean and Barnaby. In Loches she meets 'Queen Yolande' who has heard about her from brother Jean and that she supports the cause of Charles VII (who is the Queen's son-in-law). The Queen asks her to be one of her ladies-in-waiting. She says: « A queen always needs a faithful lady-in-waiting »

 



 

During her stay at the court of Charles VII, to whom Catherine was introduced, she meets the Comtesse de Trémoille, the wife of the Grand Chamberlain 'Georges de la Trémoille'. Catherine had met her husband at Philippe's court in Dijon and knew that he had a bad influence on the king. The Countess is desperate to have Catherine on her side and sends her a dress in her colours. Sara warns Catherine that it is better to go to court in simple clothes than in a tobe by this woman she does not trust at all.




 

... and meanwhile Joan of Arc and her knights have arrived in Loches. When Arnaud sees Catherine in this dress, he is furious and tells her that by wearing this dress, she exposes herself to be in league with the Tremoilles. At first Catherine is angry, but she returns home and changes her dress. Queen Yolande noticed this and smiled at with approval.. But Catherine has made herself an enemy. While she is trying to see Arnaud, someone has set fire to her place. It is Arnaud who can save Sara from the burning house. Arnaud advises Catherine to travel with the Queen to Bourges, to Queen Marie, Charles VII wife, so that she will be safe there.







 

While Catherine is now in charge of Queen Marie's wardrobe , she meets the merchant 'Jacques Coeur' and his wife 'Macée' for the first time. A friendship develops between them. In the meantime, countess Ermengarde has sent Catherine her clothes, jewellery and a large sum of money. She writes that her mother and uncle are well, that the duke misses her but that he has taken back her castle and lands he had given her... . Ermengarde, even though it was embarrassing to lie to him, did not betray to him where she had gone...


 

Joan of Arc and her knights leave Bruges and go to Reims to have Charles VII crowned. The fighting against the English continues and at Compiègne Joan of Arc is betrayed and taken prisoner by Jean de Luxembourg. One evening, Jean Poton de Xaintrailles arrives to tell Catherine that Arnaud is asking for her, he is seriously injured. Without hesitation Catherine and Sara take their horses and travel with the knight to Compiègne.



 

Joan of Arc and her knights leave Bruges and go to Reims to have 'Charles VI'I crowned. The fighting against the English continues and at Compiègne Joan d'Arc is betrayed and taken prisoner by 'Jean de Luxembourg'. One evening, Jean Poton de Xaintrailles arrives to tell Catherine that Arnaud is asking for her, he is seriously injured. Without hesitation Catherine and Sara take their horses and travel with the knight to Compiègne. On an impulse, Catherine also takes a heavy gold box, some of her jewels and the immensely valuable black diamond.




 

When they arrive in Compiègne, they learn that Arnaud is still alive and that they have taken him to the abbey of Saint-Corneille for treatment. They enter the vault where Arnaud lies. He wakes up and thanks Catherine for coming. However, it is not for him that he begged her to come... he implores her to go to Duke Philippe, so that he will demand Jean de Luxembourg to release Joan. She begs him not to ask that... she does not want to go back to the Duke, who does not love her anymore... But it is the opposite, Arnaud and Xaintrailles tell her. The Duke has founded the 'Order of the Golden Fleece '- and everyone knew that it was in memory of his beloved mistress with the incomparable hair and not his new wife Isabella de Portugal.




 

With a heavy heart, Catherine agrees to go to the Duke's camp. The Duke admits that he founded the order because of her...She begs Philip on her knees to use his influence to have Joan released. . But all her pleas are in vain, even her promise to come back to him. Before she leaves his tent, she turns around and says to him that she will never forgive him for that and that he reminds her of a man called Pontius Pilate...



 

Catherine returns to the convent with Xaintrailles and reports that the Duke has refused to see to the release of the Maid. Catherine offers them gold and jewels to try to save Joan and to proof that she supports their cause. Arnaud sends her to the nearby monastery and promises to come and get Catherine to help her free JJoan as soon as he is able to travel....





 

Catherine and Arnaud have gone to Rouen to try to save Joan of Arc. They disguise themselves as peasants and stay with Jean Son and his wife, who agreed to support them. Yet Joan is tried and sentenced to death.

But the liberation strike fails and Catherine and Arnaud are arrested. They are brought before the Bishop of Beauvais, who is none other than Bishop Cauchon, who was also responsible for the death of Michel de Montsalvy back in 1413. Arnaud tries to explain that Catherine had nothing to do with it - but when Cauchon learns that he is 'Michel de Montsalvy's' younger brother, Cauchon almost chokes on his laughing fit...! And fate decides that this wicked man tells Arnaud the truth of what happened many years ago in Pais - that he knows very well that there were Legoix and Legoix and that Catherine hid his brother in the cellar of her parents house, to save him! Whereupon, of course, her father was hanged on the spot.


 

Arnaud looks at Catherine and asks her if she can ever forgive him. She replies that there is nothing to forgive, that she has always loved him and Arnaud can finally declare his love to Catherine. They are sentenced to death by drowning in the river Loire.




 

They are forced to watch Joan of Arc die.
Catherine and Arnaud are tied together, put in a bag and thrown into the Loire. But Barnaby knows the exact time and hides under the bridge so that he can swim out to them and free them..



... on the way to Montsalvy with Catherine.... ?
 
~~~~~~~~~~



SARA, named THE BLACK
Sara, Catherine's best friend



Stéphane Bouy in the role of Garin de Brazey
Catherine's first husband



Jacques Brucher alias Burgundian Captain
Jacques de Roussay



Isabelle Guiard in the role of
Joan of Arc


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