Mistress Cygnette
Name Given at Birth: Genevieve Marguerite Marie d’Valois
Nicknames: Mistress Cygnette
Hometown or where you were born: Fontainebleu, France
Current Residence: Madame Red’s Brothel, "The Blarney Cock"
Age: 28 years
Class: I was born into French royalty, but fell from grace after an indiscretion with the Captain of Cardinal Gabriel de Gramont’s personal guard. (I married a particular royal Spaniard, who shall remain nameless, who did not appreciate his new wife being unchaste. C’est la vie!)
What do you do, your main function in life/society: I bring pleasure to the lives of the good, and not-so-good, men of Canterbury.
Have you ever gone skinny-dipping / do you know how to swim: Oui, I do indeed know how to swim. As for skinny-dipping? That costs extra.
Do you make fun of people: Bien sur! But only when it is deserved. The English do make it quite easy though...
Favorite Color: Bright royal purple; it reminds me of my childhood chambers at Fountainebleu which was my father’s favorite residence.
Have you ever committed or been convicted of a crime: That would depend on one’s perception of a crime. My husband thought my loss of virtue (or lack of it to begin with!) to be quite criminal, but I found it quite the contrary. Others would find my current profession criminal, but yet again, I find it exhillarating!
Closest friends/How did you meet: My closest and dearest friends are the women of the brothel; they could not be closer to me if we were true flesh-and-blood sisters. I especially enjoy the company and banter of Mistress Azure. That woman’s tongue is sharper than any blade! Let it suffice to say that I met Azure, and all of my sisters, while working in the brothel, and even learned much of what I know from a few of them!
One Pillow or two: Don’t all women have two?......Or perhaps you are referring to the pillows upon my bed? That would depend on how many happen to share my bed at any given time.
Pets: The brothel has its fair share of pussies running around...to keep out the mice, of course.
Favorite Type of Music: I am fond of anything that can get my heart racing; a good jig or reel is a good start.
Hobbies/Pastimes: I truly enjoy a good, long, hard ride, especially in the evening hours.
Personal Hygiene: I bathe as often as is necessary, which may be dependant on how hard I’ve been working.
Favorite Food: Venison with a good mead.
Are your parents alive, do you get along with them: Both of my parents have passed on. I never got the chance to know my mother, she died when I was so young. But my father?! I loved him dearly, as he loved me...though, he is the one who sent me to Madame Red’s Brothel (he was always one of her greatest clients!) after my Spaniard cast me out...something about treason...
If your parents are dead, when and how did they die: My mother died when I was very young; she was younger than I am now when she passed on and I cannot now remember what they told me it was from! My father died years ago as well. "Officially" the doctors told us he died of a disease to the urinary ducts; though the suspicion, and more likely culprit, is that it was actually syphilis (He was quite fond of women and had a great number of mistresses; is it any surprise then that I ended up where I am?).
Favorite place to relax: Upon my own bed...once it is empty of course.
Favorite Holy Day / Why: That would be Easter. It gives me the hope that any man can rise again!
Favorite Drink: I adore a good mead, though I greatly enjoy a good sherry as well.
What's your bedtime: Mon dieu! Now that would depend on which bedtime you might be referring to! I usually bed for the first time around eventide; I usually go to sleep around daybreak.
What, if anything, do you usually wear on your feet: I wear a pair of quite pillowy black leather sandals.
Are you married or single: As my marriage was annulled by the Pope himself, I suppose that would make me single.
Do you have a family / who are they: My blood family resides to this day at Fontainebleau (I shall not besmear their reputations by naming them....though if you have been paying close attention you may have figured out who they are!). My adopted family lives with me at the brothel.
Favorite Entertainment: I enjoy either watching Azucena make men whimper (she is very handy with a leather strap!) or listening to Azure intellectually eviscerate those around her; she may be a woman, but she is far better educated than most of the men in Canterbury!
Favorite Subject in School or Chore growing up: I have always enjoyed reading the latest Humanist authors; More, Bruni, Petrarch, and Machiavelli just to name a few.
Least Favorite Subject in School or Chore growing up: Learning the Humanist languages of Greek and Latin was quite a bore; though, it has helped me become quite a cunning linguist…
Favorite Sport: I love to fence; I enjoy proving to men that I am proficient with more than one type of sword.
Most Humiliating Moment: Being drug in front of the French court, and most especially my father, in nothing more than my chemise as my ex-husband denounced me as a harlot.
Proudest Moment: The very first time I earned coinage on my own!
Craziest Person or silliest you know: Mistress Rose...particularly when she is with Mistress Angel. I love watching them trying to wrestle each others bloomers off, right there in the middle of the lane!
What do you look for in the opposite sex: A large, bulging, abundant...purse
In our Hierarchical Society everybody has somebody "over" them, Who is your immediate "overlord": Madame Red is she by whom I am employed, and forever indebted. Beyond that, whom-so-ever purchases my services may be over me...or under me...
Favorite Sport to watch: Jousting, bien sur!!! The riding...the long, hard lances...how exhilarating!
Do you remember your first kiss: Oui, I do and will never forget it as long as I live! I was at a banquet and ball in honor of Cardinal Gramont’s new captain, Renard Rochefort. My Renard asked for the pleasure of dancing with me, I naturally accepted, and we danced palm-to-palm all night. We finally found the perfect moment to steal away from everyone; he pulled me into an abandoned hallway and kissed me so deeply my knees buckled beneath me. It was this same night that I lost my virtue...I have always been quite eager!
Do you keep in touch with your childhood friends: Unfortunately, I am unable to. They want nothing more to do with me for fear that my current role in life would tarnish their reputations if they were to associate with me.
Where is your favorite "Vacation" spot: Two years ago, one of my wealthy clients purchased exclusive rights to me for a few months and scuttled me away to Corsica with him. It was a lovely time, though I did have to miss the Harvest Festival that year. C’est la vie!
Have you ever been overseas: Darling, I was born overseas. And also traveled quite extensively as a child.
Do you have Dirt/Mud floors or Stone: Smooth, hard wood, actually.
What is your bed made of: It is made of the softest of down feathers and silk. As this is where I conduct most of my business, it is imperative that I have the most comfortable of beds!
How many people sleep in your bed: That depends on which price list you are purchasing my services from. The more the merrier…and the more expensive!
10 Things Everybody Should Know About Me:
1. I love my life in England and would not trade it for anything!
2. Speaking French has become one of my marketable assets, so I only do so for paying customers.
3. I love the whores of Canterbury like family (they are the only family I have now).
4. I am an enthusiastic student of the humanist scholars.
5. This is my fifth year in Madame Red’s employ.
6. I read, write, and speak French, English, Italian, Spanish, Latin, and Greek.
7. I am a Catholic.
8. I once had my rib broken by a certain Lord who has since been banished to Scotland by Her Majesty.
9. I have very expensive tastes, in material goods as well as in my clients.
10. My father’s name is Francois, if that means anything to you.