|
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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