Fabien is the leader of King Louis' Stasi-like police force. Officially reporting to Bontemps, Fabien sometimes receives his orders directly from the King, when Louis has needs he knows Bontemps cannot fulfill. Fabien is terrifying not only because of his intimidating physique, but because of his chilling eyes that see everything. He is a solitary man, emotionless it seems… until he meets Beatrice.
Murders and poisonings plague the court, the enemy is everywhere, anonymous, and unstoppable. The king himself begins to doubt the ability of his chief of police to put a stop to the crimes. Fabien sees that the court is rotting from within. He uses Sophie as a spy in the parlours, and concludes, like Bontemps, that Madame de Montespan's influence on the king is growing. During his enquiry into the poisonings, he approaches Claudine, the king's doctor.
