Montalais

Also known as: Aure / Aure de Montalais / Mademoiselle Aure / Mademoiselle Aure de Montalais / Mademoiselle Montalais / Mademoiselle de Montalais / Phyllis · Family: French court · Role: aspiring lady of honor · First appears: Chapter 2

At Blois in chapter 2, Malicorne secured Montalais the commission of lady of honor she wanted, and the two confessed that they could not live without each other. After he kissed her, she admitted she was falling in love with him; by chapter 3, she called him her protector and announced that she would join Madame Henrietta of England’s household as a maid of honor. Malicorne and Manicamp helped obtain her brevet, and by chapter 6 Montalais and Malicorne were “affianced, or nearly so.” She was also a friend to La Vallière, though she opposed Madame de Saint-Remy, the mother of her friend.

Around the time of the marriage ceremony mentioned in chapter 13, Montalais returned Raoul de Bragelonne’s four unanswered letters. At the Palais Royal, she explained that she had obtained a maid-of-honor appointment for herself and had secured one for La Vallière, while also intercepting Raoul de Bragelonne’s letters so that La Vallière’s move to Paris would remain concealed from her mother. Montalais continued to protect Malicorne, while De Guiche and Manicamp helped advance her appointments; she also became friendly with De Guiche and Manicamp, and played cards against Manicamp and Malicorne.

As La Vallière’s affection for Louis XIV became known, Montalais supported her, identified her to the king after she fainted, and later held her when she collapsed. She joined Mademoiselle de Tonnay-Charente in the events surrounding the royal oak, followed Madame’s instructions about what the three women should claim, and later confirmed Madame’s account. Montalais confided her secret to Saint-Aignan, faced his defiance, and helped protect La Vallière even while inwardly tempted to strangle her. Louis XIV eventually learned through Saint-Aignan that Malicorne was the man connected with Montalais among the maids of honor.