Bardelys the Magnificent Chapter II - The King's Wishes

In which the Marquis Bardelys contemplates the consequences of a foolish wager made in the heat of wine, resolving to seek a wife in Languedoc despite the King's stern disapproval and political intrigues. With the loyal Ganymede at his side and the dawn breaking over Paris, he braces himself to follow his own path, mindful of the fragile favour he holds at court.