(Episode 40—Adieu, My Beloved Oscar)
Palace Tuileries became the actual prison for the royal family after they moved in from the Versailles. The royal couple planned to escape.
Fersen helped the royal family to arrange the escape. Marquis de Bouille, the commander of the army in the east was supposed to protect the royal in the second half of the journey.
Fersen used his own money to arrange the trip. He also rented a very fancy berlin with six horses as transportation. The fanciness of the berlin drawn people’s attention and caused the trip to fail. He also got a grey wig, a brown suit and a green overcoat for the King. He got passports for the royal family, changing their last name to Korff.
Louis XVI concealed the hiding place and his paper with his expertise--lock.
Fersen accompanied the royal family to left Tuileries. At the first stop Porte Saint Martin, Fersen requested to continue the trip with the royal family, but Louis XVI refused because if they got caught, it would not look good on a foreigner. Fersen left. Louis XVI took charge since then.
Duc de Choiseul with his army were waiting the royal family at Pont de Sommervelle. He knew that Fersen wrote to Bouille that the royal carriage should arrive at 2:30 at the latest. But the royal berlin was late. People at Pont de Sommervelle began to suspected Duc de Choiseul’s excuse, "to escort a treasure to pay the army of the East". Choiseul left after waiting for two more hours. The royal berlin arrived half an hour after Choiseul left. Louis XVI started to feel something went wrong when he did not see the army waiting for him.
They went on without the protection of the army that Bouille planned to.
On the other hand, the royal family were found disappeared from the Tuileries. Actions were taken immediately.
Then, they stopped at Varenese, the town before their final destination, Montmedy. Bouille was supposed to arrange fresh horses for the berlin. But then, none of his officer showed up. Since Varenese was not a port, it was very different to find horses to change. So Louis XVI offered hundred livres to urge villagers to give him the horses. The urged, the large amount of money, and the request of horse at night aroused the suspicion in the village.
The identity of the royal family exposed. A man name Sauce took the royal family to his house. Louis XVI agreed to stay in the house, hoping Bouille’s army would arrive soon. But it did not.
In the morning, the messenger from Paris arrived. The messenger said, "you must return to Paris! Throats are being cut there. The lives of our women and children are threatened. I n the interests of your people you must return to the capital at once." Although it was an excuse, the royal family was forced back to Paris anyway.
.