At least until the very end, I wish to remain a queen. Born into royalty, I wish to remain a daughter of the crown. Pleasure. Extravagance. Infidelity. Those are the names you gave me. My love, my tenderness, were swallowed whole by the fury of the crowd. The love I tried to give, the beauty I tried to create— none of it matters here now. The tears I shed, the pain I endured in silence— none of it matters here now. There were so many mistakes, so many misunderstandings. Now I possess nothing. You took my crown. You took my place as a wife. You killed the woman who was a mother. And my children were taken from me too. I desire nothing anymore. Everything is finished. At least until the very end, I wish to remain a queen. Born into royalty, I wish to remain a daughter of the crown. Be not afraid of greatness. Until the very instant the guillotine blade falls, I wish to offer one final act of grace. Pardonnez-moi, monsieur. Je ne l’ai pas fait exprès.
