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In 1711, twelve-year-old C?ecile Revel unexpectedly gets the chance to serve Louis XIV's sister-in-law at the palace of Versailles, but instead of a dream come true, life at court proves to be complicated and precarious.

In the 1670s, fourteen-year-old Marion, who has a talent for making perfumes, gets the chance to serve Louis XIV's mistress at the palace of Versailles, where she gets caught up in palace intrigue.

Traces the interlocking stories of the creation of the gardens and Versailles and the frienship between King Louis XIV and the low-born gardener Andr? Le N?tre.

Offers a biography of Louis XIV that focuses on his relationships with women, discussing his mother, wives, mistresses, liaisons, and children.

Studies the reign of Louis XIV in France and discusses his political views, the historical forces that influenced his choices, the nature of French monarchy, and other related topics.