MARI NESS on MME. D'AULNOY

Other stories (by d'Aulnoy) feature easily tricked nobles and royals, isolated by manners and convention, eager to believe lies and flattery from sycophants. ...

That tale (the one where the term 'prince Charmant' has its source) continues with noble after noble—including, in a nice touch, the woman herself—finding themselves tricked as the characters play on one another’s emotions and manipulate each other for personal gain. In a sideplot, the most manipulative, deceitful royals are overthrown by an angry mob, before fleeing to another country where they find themselves manipulated and tricked again. On the other hand, a somewhat less manipulative royal—somewhat—is able to retain control of his country even after his transformation ..., though once he, too, starts attempting to deceive people in hopes of regaining his humanity, he finds himself deceived and drugged in turn. Meanwhile, right after directly witnessing a palace revolution, the protagonists remain focused on their personal life, and not governing, with one royal abandoning her new government to go chase after a potential husband, and another focused on delaying his marriage instead of a government that he’s already abandoned for years—probably explaining why, just a couple of pages later, his servants eagerly accept bribes. Even with its trappings of fairy tale and enchantment and magic, ... (this story where the term 'prince Charmant' has its source)  paints a sordid picture of court life.