Introduction

The young Frenchman Charles-Louis de Faverolles is playing the leading part in this game. Her mother was personal chambermaid to Marie-Louise of Orleans. When Marie-Louise left France to be married to the Spanish king Carlos II, the whole family de Faverolles followed her to her new country.

When Charles-Louis mother suddenly died in 1689, he was sent to the French court to be trained as a page at the Royal Stables. This part of his life is documented in the game "Versailles".

After having spent three years in France, Charles-Louis returned to Spain and wasn't heard of until he again turns up in Versailles at the moment of one of the greatest events during the reign of Louis XIV, the question about the Spanish succession, 1699 - 1700.

King Charles II of Spain is dying without having a natural successor and a question of great importance for the whole of Europe is:

"Who is named in his will to inherit his enormous fortune?"

In Spain even the princesses, the Infantas, can inherit and both King Louis XIV of France and emperor Leopold I of Austria are both sons and husbands to Spanish Infantas. When those who are going to inherit the crown in France and Austria are excluded, two names remain. One is the Archduke Charles son of the Austrian emperor and the other is the duke of Anjou, a grandson to the French King

With this tremendous fortune at stake, Louis and Leopold have multiplied their political pressures, their diplomatic actions, their espionage, and are conducting a veritable war through ambassadors and couriers.

England and Holland are also interested and have proposed a treaty of participation providing Spain's ignorance. Louis have signed the treaty but Leopold has not, thinking his son is the favourite. But the risk is that the outcome may cause a war between France and Austria

One summer day in 1699 the 19 years old Charles-Louis de Faverolles is arriving in Versailles, without money and with a letter of recommendation to a Royal Equerry as his only "Open Sesame".

It is not much considering his ambition to one day being able to, as a diplomat, return to the Spanish court where he spent his childhood and where his one and only love, the honourable miss Elvira is living.

Now it is up to you to help him achieve his goal. He must become a perfect courtier, get acquainted both to persons and places, learn to please, gain favours, know to speak or keep silent at the right occasion.

A total beginner without lodging or occupation he must find his way to the King's circles, but the way is long and hard and full of dangers at this court, boiling with enviousness and hostility, behind a mask of exquisite splendour.

From now on you are Charles-Louis de Faverolles.

Three adventures, three acts in the game, will mark your progress.
I - The stolen jewel, summer 1699.
II- The Water Quest, spring 1700.
III- The Ambassador's audience, summer 1700

The game starts when you after arriving in Versailles have come to the Royal Stables, Les Grandes Ecuries, in order to find the Royal Equerry, M. Boisseuilh and to give him your letter of recommendation.

You have the letter in your inventory together with some other things,
Right click to get to the inventory.

The upper left picture is a magnifying glass.
If you point at an item in the inventory you can see the name of it.
Click at the small picture of the locket and draw it onto the magnifying glass.
Now you get a big picture of the lovely Elvira.

The first picture below leads to the main menu where you can save your game.
Click at a a row to the right and they will turn white. Now click at the floppy with the up-arrow and you will be asked if you want to overwrite the game. Click at the green mark to consent or on the red mark to decline.
A text describing the place is seen and also a picture of the situation.

To load a saved game you mark a description and then click at the floppy with the down-arrow. You will be asked if you want to restore the game and can consent or decline.

The next picture shows your fortune. Point at it and you can see how much you own. At the beginning you have 40 livres. That is not very much, as you soon will see, everything is very expensive in Versailles.
At the left you can see the coin Ecu.
One Ecu is worth 3 Livres and 1 Livre is worth 20 sols.
1 sol is worth 12 deniers.

At the right side in the inventory the upper icon is to be used when you must change your clothes. It only works at special occasions.

The right picture in the lower row leads to your notebook. There you can read about what you have done up to now.

The picture of a house leads to the encyclopaedia. Here you can read about everything that is connected to the events in the game. Don't forget to look at it from time to time. You get many hints to help you in the game.

When you are ready to start the game, click at the right-arrow.
If you want to return to the menu, click at the left-arrow.