A wolf was emerging from the undergrowth, lean, mangy, clearly hungry. The animal’s lip lifted in a snarl. Louis tensed and moved his hand slowly to his short sword.

Ah, king of the trees, he thought. You dare challenge the King of France?

From the corner of his eyes he saw two other wolves, equally gaunt and hungry, moving out from the brush, heads low and eyes narrowed. Louis’ fingers wrapped around the hilt of the sword. His own eyes narrowed. He was ready. Let them come.

“What are you doing?” came a furious cry. A horse was there then, skidding to a halt beside Louis, its rider’s face red and angry.

The wolves shivered and ran off.

Philippe slid from his saddle. “You could have been killed, brother!”

Louis released his sword and shrugged. “Perhaps.”

“Perhaps?” Philippe shook his head then chuckled in spite of himself. “Sometimes you surpass even yourself.”

Louis glanced about to make sure the wolves were indeed gone, and then looked back at his brother. What a moment this was, just the two of them. Now he could speak freely.

“You and I have never been more alone than we are right now,” he said. “We will never get this chance again. So I want you to listen. I am about to drag this country out of the darkness and into the light. A new France will be born and this palace will be her mother.”

Philippe’s brows drew together. “What palace?”

Louis pointed north through the trees. “That one.”

“Our father’s hunting lodge?”

“Versailles.”

Horns and barking dogs could be heard back up the path. The search party was closing in.

“Neither one of us chose this,” said Louis. “Fortune may have placed us here. We must build our own destiny. Right here.”

The horns and barking grew louder.

“With great change,” Louis continued, “enemies are quick to follow. We will soon know this for ourselves. I only need to know one thing. In this moment. No matter what. Are you with me, brother?”

Philippe let out a breath.

“Do you have my back?”

Philippe held Louis’ gaze. “Where am I now?”

Louis considered his brother for a moment then nodded, satisfied. Taking the reins he swung up into the saddle then pulled Philippe up behind him. Louis spurred the horse back onto the path as the search party reached them.

“The King!” a guard shouted, but the royal brothers calmly rode past without a word. Fabien, Bontemps, and War Minister Louvois watched silently. Then the search party turned their heavily breathing mounts around to follow.

Back at Versailles, Louis sat down upon a bench in an anteroom to take off his boots as guards and nobles watched, clearly relieved that the King was safe.

“I’m hungry,” Louis said simply as he dropped a boot onto the floor.