Fille du Roi

Time for another entry in Friday Fictioneers challenge, courtesy of Rochelle Wissof-Fields. If you want to give it a try, check the info on her blog. 100 words more or less, inspired by a photo, here we go….

 Copyright – Claire Fuller

King’s daughter, they call me.
We landed in this strange place a fortnight ago, long line of husbands waiting on the wharf. I wonder who was on display? Husbands longing for soft breasts and strong thighs, or wives looking for a full purse and absence of heavy hand.
A fortnight later, my constant companion misfortune reared its ugly head. Husband sprawled across our bed, my wedding gown shredded to pieces…Wiping my bloody nose and nursing a broken arm, I shiver in the corner, trying to make myself invisible.
King’s daughter, they call me. I would laugh, but I am choking on my blood.

 Arrival of the Brides - Eleanor Fortescue-Brickdale

Learn something new every day – this is one of the principles of my life journey. This week’s photo challenged my inspiration in a most unusual way – a statue, a king, King Lear, his daughters, king’s daughters —> King’s Daughters or Fille du Roi, 800 young French women who immigrated to New France between 1663 and 1673 as part of a program sponsored by Louis XIV.
The program was designed to boost Canada’s population both by encouraging male immigrants to settle there, and by promoting marriage, family formation and the birth of children. While women and girls certainly immigrated to New France both before and after this time period, they were not considered to be filles du roi, as the term refers to women and girls who were actively recruited by the government and whose travel to the colony was paid for by the king.

Imagine the stories, the lives, happy endings and tragedies.