Zia Wesley's Blog: The Veil and the Crown - Posts Tagged "france"

Aimée opened her eyes. She was lying on a narrow bunk in an unfamiliar cabin. Afraid to move, she scanned the small quarters with her eyes, making sure she was alone. She was, indeed. Her hands shook as she ran them over her body to see if her clothing and person were intact. Everything seemed to be in order, except that her heart was pounding madly and she was beginning to panic. She remembered the pirates rushing into the ship’s salon, looking into one of their faces and seeing the devil himself. She must have fainted. How long have I been unconscious—and where am I? - From The Stolen Girl – Book 1 of The Veil and the Crown by Zia Wesley

Aimée Dubuq de Rivery (born 4th December, 1768) was a French aristocrat and cousin to Rose Tascher de la Pagerie (who would later become one of the most important women in France). Aimée was born on the Island of Martinique, and spent much of her childhood on Les Trois-Islets, the sugar plantation owned by her Cousin Rose’s family. While returning home in July of 1788, from a convent school that she was attending in France, the ship she was sailing on was attacked by Algerian corsairs (pirates) who abducted her.

It is at this point where Aimée’s story moves from history to legend, as few hard facts exist. It is known that less than one year later, a young, blonde, and blue-eyed French woman became the favorite of Sultan Abdul Hamid, the aging sultan of the Ottoman Empire. That young woman was given the Turkish name Nakshidil, and gave birth the following year to a son, Mahmud, who would eventually become sultan himself. It is also common knowledge that the sultan who followed Hamid, his handsome young nephew Selim, developed a fascination with all things French, and petitioned King Louis to send French military personnel to train his Turkish troops. The French also helped the Turks build a foundry to manufacture cannon and balls. A few years later, a French newspaper, printed by a French press in Istanbul, appeared along with a French library.

Might Aimée have perished at the hands of the corsairs or did she, as legend says, rise up from the ranks of the Sultan’s harem to become the first figure of European influence in the Ottoman Empire? It is interesting to note that blonde hair and blue eyes continued to appear in the sultans of the Ottoman line right up to the last sultan of the empire in 1924.

Rose took a deep, slow breath and softened her tone. “Try not to be such a baby, Maymay. Now, hold onto my hand. We are almost there.” Why did I insist Aimée accompany me tonight? Because I was too frightened to make the trip by myself. Her cousin’s constant whining raised her own fears. As if ridding herself of pesky demons. Rose swept her mane of black, wavy hair away from her face and continued to lead the way through overgrown hanging vines with leaves larger than her head. - From The Stolen Girl – Book 1 of The Veil and the Crown by Zia Wesley

Marie Josèphe Rose Tascher de La Pagerie (born 23rd June 1763) was the cousin of Aimée Dubuc de Rivéry and member of an aristocratic French family who lived on the Caribbean island of Martinique. Called Rose by her family, she was the daughter of Joseph-Gaspard Tascher, Lieutenant of Troupes de Marine and Rose-Claire des Vergers de Sannois, a Creole. The Tascher family owned a sugar plantation called Les Trois-Islets, where both Aimée and Rose spent their early childhood.

In 1779, Rose traveled to France to marry her first husband, Alexandre de Beauharnais. The marriage was arranged by Rose’s paternal aunt, Desirée Renaudin, who was the mistress to Francois, Vicomte de Beauharnais, the father of Alexandre. The marriage had originally been arranged between Catherine, Rose’s younger sister, and Alexandre, but when the 12 year old Catherine died in 1777, Rose was offered in her stead.

Rose’s marriage with Alexandre resulted in the birth of two children: a son, Eugene de Beauharnais, and a daughter, Hortense de Beauharnais. The marriage lasted until July of 1794, when Alexandre was executed in Paris during the Reign of Terror.

Ten years later, Rose would marry her second husband, who would change her name to Josephine and bring her into the world spotlight to assure her place in history.

Less than a week after posting her letter to Rose, Aimée received her first letter. That could only mean their letters had crossed paths, for it was much too soon to be receiving a response. She tore the letter open and was shocked to read of the sudden, unexpected death of Rose’s younger sister, Catherine, who had contracted a fever and died.

“And dear cousin, you will not believe what I am going to tell you, but the terrible loss of my dearest little sister was followed by a miracle. The Vicomte Alexandre de Beauharnais, to whom Catherine had recently been betrothed, has asked for my hand in her stead. The old witch was right. I sail for France in early February to marry the Vicomte!”

From The Stolen Girl – Book 1 of The Veil and The Crown by Zia Wesley

Alexandre de Beauharnais (May 28, 1760 to July 23, 1794) was a French aristocrat serving as a Lieutenant in the French army when he married Aimée’s cousin, Rose Tashcer de la Pagerie.

Alexandre was born in Fort-Royal, Martinique; the third of three sons born to François de Beauharnais, Marquis de La Ferté-Beauharnais, a former Governor of Martinique, and Marie Henriette Pyvart de Chastullé.

On December 13, 1779, Alexandre and Rose married in France. The marriage had been arranged by Rose's aunt, Désirée Renaudin and was originally to have been between Alexander and Rose’s younger sister Catherine. When Catherine died suddenly from a fever, Rose was asked to take her place.

During the American Revolutionary War, Alexandre fought in Louis XVI’s army. He would later become deputy of the noblesse in the Estates-General and was made president of the National Constituent Assembly in 1791. In 1792, he was promoted to General and was offered the position of Minister of War during the French Revolution, but declined the promotion.

In 1793 he was appointed to the position of General-in-Chief of the Army of the Rhine and after the French lost the Siege of Mainz Alexandre was blamed for the loss and subsequently, arrested. Like so many other Frenchmen of the time, he was jailed and executed during the Reign of Terror leaving Rose a widow with two young children.

So, my dearest, my worst fear came true (as predicted), and I am a widow with two children. Hortense is twelve and Eugène already a young man of fourteen. We were just fourteen when we ran off to see Euphemia David. Speaking of that old witch, I recently met an extraordinary woman who considers herself “gifted” in a similar fashion. Her name is Marie Le Normand, and she hosts the most marvelous salons, though her “talents” do not compare with those displayed by Madame David.

From The French Sultana by Zia Wesley

Marie Le Normand (1772 – 1843) was a “spiritualist” a professional fortuneteller, specializing as a cartomancer (card reading) and in palmistry (palm reading). Mlle. Le Normand used The Etteilla deck, developed by occultist Jean-Baptiste Alliette and noted as possibly the first card set to be used exclusively for divination. Mlle. Le Normand’s clientele included many prominent figures in the French aristocracy, which may account for the popularization of the trend during that time period.

As a young child, Marie’s mother died, after which, her father remarried. Shortly afterwards, her father also died, and Marie and her brother and sister lived with their stepmother (who also remarried after the death of Marie’s father). Even though Marie and her siblings where in the care of two new step parents, they were well taken care of and sent to various schools to further their educations.

While at a Benedictine School, Marie made her first notable prediction, in which she foretold the termination of the Mother Superior of the school as well as predicting who the Mother Superior’s replacement would be.

When she finished her schooling, Marie was apprenticed for a Milliner. When her apprenticeship ended, Marie convinced her step parents to send her to Paris. It was there that Marie set up a shop at 5 Rue de Tournon, where she sold books as well as plied her trade as a cartomancer. During this time, Marie gained fame as both a fortune teller and a writer (writing 15 books in total). Her clientele (whom she advised) included high members of the French aristocracy: Princess de Lamballe (Superintendent of Marie Antoinette’s household), Robespierre, and Czar Alexander of Russia.

Marie was a royalist. During the French Revolution, her involvement in a plot to rescue Marie Antoinette resulted in her capture and imprisonment. While in prison, Marie met Madame de Beauharnais (Rose Tascher), who was also imprisoned along with her husband Alexander, Vicomte de Beauharnais. While in prison, Marie foretold that Rose would survive her imprisonment, go on to marry a soldier, and rule France along with her new husband. After the release of both Rose and Marie from prison, Rose would continue to call upon Marie for advice. It is not known whether Rose (The Empress Josephine Bonaparte) either provided information or gave her blessing to Mlle. Le Normand to author her biography to be written following her death.

Marie, who had predicted that she would live to be 100, died at the age of 71. A deck of Tarot cards was named after her, called the Lenormand Deck, which are used to this day.