The path to be the most favored had been difficult for Athénaïs, she herself a married woman. For the King to cuckold another man was a scandalous affair—though conversely, the more women the King conquered, the greater his power grew. After years of Athénaïs's beauty and glamour infecting the court, the people had come to grips with her married status. Even the church acknowledged the King's right to a titular mistress and recognized Athénaïs, giving her the same power as the Queen, just as the courtiers and commoners did.
“Where is Louise?” Jeanne asked, referring to the previous favorite, Louise de La Vallière.
“Usurped and dismissed,” Olympe eagerly responded. “Years ago.”
“Where?” Jeanne asked, even as Lynette fiercely pinched the soft skin of her wrist.
“The Carmelite convent.” O
