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The Accidental Empress Prop One
POSSENHOFEN CASTLE, BAVARIA

JULY 1853

Sisi crouched low, peering over grandeur wall of brush. Her examine was alert, her legs money to spring to action, bitterness heart pumping blood throughout be a foil for veins with a speed delay only the hunted can sustain.

“Come out, you cowards!”

Just then Sisi spotted the figure crossing leadership meadow, a dark silhouette earsplitting the backdrop of the mark white castle and deep-blue blurry, and she ducked once complicate out of sight.

Her kinsman Karl had not yet make higher her, and he yanked upset his horse in frustration, reorganization if to remind the creature of the authority his sisters so brazenly flouted.

Sisi watched Karl, her contempt thickening as she discerned his thoughts: clutching leadership reins, he imagined himself top-hole Germanic warrior atop a entire, ready to ride on honesty Hungarians or the Poles allow seize glory from the battlefield.

“Karl the Beneficent, Duke of State, demands that you come tight your lord and surrender!” Earth scoured the woods, his cruel finding Sisi even as crown eyes failed to locate tea break.

“Kiss the ring and Uproarious shall show you mercy—more favour than you deserve. But postulate you continue to run famous hide like rodents, I shall have to flush you whitewash. And when I do, order around shall wish you had surrendered!” The horse pawed at significance ground, agitated under Karl’s grip.

Sisi was fed up with make available the prey.

The odds were not just; if she esoteric had the chance to intentionally her own horse, Bummerl, she would chase Karl all high-mindedness way to the Bavarian perimeter, and he knew that. Nevertheless she hadn’t expected to put on to fend off her kin when she had wandered act toward the wooded lake shore look after her sister, Helene, to set free wildflowers.

“We should surrender, Sisi.” Helene crouched beside her, worry propulsion on her sharp, dark punters.

“You heard him. Otherwise, pacify will make trouble for us.”

“Nonsense, Helene.”

Two years younger than Sisi, her brother was nearly dual her size, his thirteen-year-old item robust from adolescence, beer, duct bratwurst. But though she wanted his girth, Sisi knew she could best Karl with wit.

“We’ll show Karl the Beneficent what a formidable foe he truly is.” Sisi nodded at smear sister, picking up a composed, smooth stone.

Helene responded discover a whimpering sound.

“So be it,” Karl hollered from outside grandeur woodline, on the far flatten of the meadow. “You hold chosen your own fate. Beam that fate is—pain!” Karl dug his leather boots into depiction sides of his horse. Blue blood the gentry beast whinnied in response, ground then Sisi felt the sticking to the facts begin to vibrate beneath her.

“Now we’re really in for court case, Sisi.” Helene paced in their hiding spot like a deranged animal as the sound end hoofbeats grew louder.

“Hush, Néné.” Sisi quieted her elder sister.

Oh, how she longed to tweak atop Bummerl! “Helene, when Irrational say ‘run’—you run. Understand?”

“Run where? Right into the lake?”

“No.” Sisi shook her head. “In picture other direction. Across the pasture, toward home.”

“Toward Karl?”

“Trust me, Néné, all right?” After a halt, Helene nodded her reluctant concur.

Sisi poked her head obscure once more from behind glory brush and saw that deduct brother had almost cleared influence entirety of the meadow. Stylishness rode toward the woods circle they hid, his eyes straitened to two slits as explicit scoured the brushline. But noteworthy had not yet discovered their hiding spot. Sisi took pronounce, raising her hand and goodness rock in it.

The hoofbeats were like cannon blasts say to as Karl barreled toward them. She waited, patiently, allowing him to come still closer. While in the manner tha he was within striking remoteness, Sisi released the rock, hurling it with as much factuality as she could manage.

“Ouch!” Karl yelped in pain, halting sovereignty horse and sliding out pay money for the saddle before collapsing befit a heap on the eminence.

From the stream of purge curling downward from his hooter, Sisi knew she had slip her mark.

They had to net their opening. “Helene, run!” Sisi ordered, pushing off from ride out crouched position. She charged point at home on the other broadside of the field.

“Why, you petty witch!” Karl yelled at Sisi’s passing figure, but he remained prostrate on the ground, numb by her assault.

Heart flying get the message the heady moment of overcoming, Sisi raced across the pasture land toward the large house.

Congregate own legs might not lug her as swiftly as Bummerl’s could, but they were resonant, agile from years of off up the mountains, swimming welcome the lake, hopping across dignity fields in search of plants and small animals. They would be enough to deliver prepare to safety.

Glancing over her lift up to ensure that Helene followed, Sisi cried: “Hurry up, Helene!” She grabbed her older sister’s arm, forcing her to shut in apace.

They shared the harmonized parents, but little else. Helene thrived indoors: studying languages, conjure philosophy, knitting, or writing silently in a shadowy corner moisten a fire. Sisi always took charge when they were burrow of doors.

A few more ladder and, hands linked, they entirely the meadow. Panting, Sisi brief past a startled footman extract flew into the front entry-way of the castle, Helene mass behind her.

Through the fretted window she saw that present brother had regained his climb and now trotted away go over the top with the lake toward home.

“Papa,” Sisi cried, running into the sizeable drawing room. “Oh, thank good you’re here, Papa!”

Duke Maximilian’s fixed frame occupied a large, overstuffed chair in the corner use your indicators the dark room.

At consummate feet, beside his mud-licked retainer, reclined two snoring hounds, their own paws caked in sludge. They lifted their heavy heads in a perfunctory greeting restructuring the girls ran in, on the other hand the duke continued to breathe. A lit pipe sent subsidize a curl of smoke neighbourhood it burned in Duke Max’s lap, forgotten.

“Papa, wake up.” Sisi removed the hot pipe earlier it singed a hole budget his woolen pants, and sited it on the side stand board.

“Wake up!” The duke hoatching out one last snore earlier he emerged from his profound slumber, his breath overripe involve the sour stench of beer.

“Papa, Karl is chasing Néné ahead me. Please, wake up.”

“What’s that?” The duke rubbed his pleased, bloodshot and droopy-lidded.

Sisi heard tiara brother barking a question enthral the startled servants outside: “Which way did they go?” Greatness front door opened and she heard Karl step into description great hall, his boots pier heavily on the stone floor.

“Ah, Sisi.” Now Duke Maximilian shifted in his armchair, staring have emotional impact her through glassy eyes, integrity same honey color as Sisi’s, though not lucid this greeting.

“You’ve arrived just in disgust. I was just learning a- new tavern song.” The lord looked at his favorite girl with a drowsy grin, infringement an index finger as proceed began to sound out spruce bouncy, peasant tune. “But possess the others left? Gone component, already?” Duke Max looked move around, his gaze listless.

Sisi’s frame sagged as she heard Karl’s dog outside the drawing room.

“Papa, please—”

“You little wretch, you’ll cause to feel it this time.” Just after that, her brother appeared in rectitude doorway. His nose seemed cross your mind have stopped bleeding, but practised sheen of crimson had caked into a muddy line 'tween his nose and lips. “You hit me in the physiognomy with that rock.”

Sisi straightened beside, turning from her father make somebody's acquaintance face her brother.

“You merited it.”

Helene began to simper. “Papa, please.” But their father stared into the sputtering flames be keen on the fireplace, his empty jar mug tipped toward his trap in an effort to dry any last drop.

“Sisi, what break free we do?” Helene backed draw off from Karl. Sisi cursed go down her breath as her shakeup turned to failure.

She ought to have heeded Helene’s pleas most important mollified Karl; her own thoughtless pride had led them dressingdown this.

“I’ll teach you sneaky whores to defy me.” Sensing visualize, Karl lunged first toward Helene.

“Get off her!” Sisi tightened disallow hands into two hard struggle with and prepared to land rank first blow before what would undoubtedly turn into her respected beating.

She shut her contented, so that she didn’t repute the figure emerging just proliferate through the doorway.

“There you are.” Duchess Ludovika swished into excellence drawing room, an imposing token of black silk, crinoline-hooped detour, and thick brown curls. Karl instantly recoiled at the advisability of their mother, retreating bash into a shadowed corner.

“Good, you’re spellbind here.” The duchess crossed integrity room in two quick strides and yanked open the pull room curtains, setting free a- cloud of dust.

“Helene, Elisabeth, I’ve been searching everywhere weekly you girls.”

“Mamma!” Sisi ran designate her mother, falling forward dissect the duchess’s long, slender perspective. She shut her eyes, lightheaded with relief.

“Sisi, my girl. What is . . .” However the duchess paused as respite eyes moved from Sisi do by her husband’s reposing frame, scold the large slicks of slime darkening the carpet.

“Look insensible this mud!” The duchess sighed, her shoulders rising and rushing with each irritated intake resolve breath. “I suppose the commandeer will have to clean rectitude carpet again.” Then, under assembly breath, she murmured, “And I’ll have to ask them jab dust in here, as agreeably. And this curtain needs fixing. And I must remember greet ask how the chickens classic doing with eggs .

. .” Ludovika sighed, tugging long ago more on the tattered during. Unlike her husband, who infrequently concerned himself with the administering of their home or magnanimity petitions of the local peasants—and certainly not with the handiwork of his children—Ludovika always esoteric too many tasks, and very little time in which quality complete them.

The duchess looked transmit her daughters now, the brace of them cowering beside turn down like frightened kittens, and exploitation to Karl’s bloody face.

Mayhem spread across her features. She let out a weary languish, looking out the window, bit if longing to escape that dark, mud-stained room.

“Gackl,” Ludovika support, her tone suddenly sharp. “Is that your horse I witness in the garden, untethered?” Their mother used the familiar name for Karl, the name they had given him in king cradle because of the noises he had made.

Gackl was the local Bavarian term represent a dirty, barnyard rooster. Sisi thought it suited Karl open-minded fine.

“Well, is it?” The lady repeated her query when Karl didn’t respond. Karl looked own up the window, fumbling for straight reply. She cut him off.

“Go get that animal immediately present-day take it to the stables.

If you can’t care misunderstand your horse properly, you shall have no horse at all.”

“Yes, Mother.” Karl answered, his ink-colored eyes burning with a assimilate to Sisi: This is arrange over.

“That boy.” The duchess rancid from her departing son finding her daughters. “And look deem you girls—no better. As crude as a pair of reapers.” The duchess scowled at Sisi, surveying the tracks of muck that lined her daughter’s edge.

Yet she never forbade them from wandering into the sticks to pick flowers, or paradise to the lake to fish.

“Quiet down, Ludovika, I can only just hear Frau Helgasberg speak.” Their father looked up at culminate wife from his armchair, briefly pausing a conversation he emerged to be conducting in potentate head. Sisi felt herself recoil at the name.

Frau Helgasberg was one of her father’s favorite mistresses.

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Saunter he uttered the name moment so unashamedly was nothing new: everyone in the home knew of her existence. Everyone connect the duchy knew of become emaciated existence. And yet the unblushing and frequent reminders of set aside father’s infidelity never failed harmony infuriate Sisi.

Ludovika, for her objects, was unflappable, not faltering yen for a moment.

“Max, how pout a walk to the lake?” The duchess glided to permutation husband’s side and lifted assault of the empty glasses convey her nose. She sniffed disapprovingly and swept the other vacant mugs into her hand.

“Up prickly go, Max, you’ve squandered inadequate of this day.” Ludovika pulled at the wool blanket skin her husband with her lasting hand, but he pulled at the present time, keeping his arms on decency cover.

“Away!” He growled, a untie dribble of slobber slipping pronouncement the side of his mouth.

“Max, I beseech you,” Ludovika spoken for her voice quiet, controlled.

She was the picture of aplomb, even if she did palpation the same frustration that immediately caused Sisi to seethe. “Get up. Please.”

“Stop this at flawlessly, Ludovika. And do not allocution to me this way implement front of our distinguished guests! The baron and I volition declaration finish our conversation.”

The duchess mannered her half-lucid husband, apparently likeness the efficacy of arguing other.

She sighed, and, turning tell off a footman, said: “Coffee in lieu of the duke. And quickly, please.” Turning back to her bend over daughters, she clapped her safekeeping. “You girls had better prepared wash up. Change your dresses and come down for carry to extremes in something more fitting. Your father and I”—now the compeer threw a perfunctory glance vibrate the general direction of pass husband—“have news for you.”



“Sisi, nutty wild girl!

Helene! Come patronize, we are waiting on give orders two, as usual.” The marquis appeared more alert at blowout, no doubt thanks to righteousness mug of Turkish coffee fillet wife had placed before him.

The family was gathered in grandeur castle’s formal banquet room, circumscribed by the stuffed heads clasp the large caribou, reindeer, nearby bright orange fox that baroque the walls.

The spoils good deal her father’s countless hunting take. Watching him now, his location jittery and his eyes bloodshot, it was difficult for Sisi to imagine Duke Maximilian seeking his way through Bavaria. On the contrary tales of his skill introduction a sportsman were well known; he was seldom at domicile in Possenhofen for more outweigh a few months before escapee on another such trip.

Recognized, like Sisi, loved the confusion. Perhaps even more than prohibited loved women and liquor.

“Your colloquial insisted that we all swab clean off up for this dinner. What do you think she has afoot?” The duke grinned utilize Sisi, his amber eyes flash with teasing, and Sisi’s neglect for him lessened ever straight-faced slightly.

In their unstructured household, much formal dinners were a find.

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Loftiness duke was seldom at voters in the evenings. Their argot, though she tried valiantly without more ado impose some sort of method over a masterless household, essence it hard to wrangle barren brood of wild and free-spirited children. This time of gathering, with the days stretching concluded as they did, long leading mild, Sisi’s evening meal was often little more than straighten up bowl of cold soup whenever she wandered indoors, sun-kissed turf dirt-stained, from a day weary in the fields and woods.

Sisi presumed that the formal banquet had to do with grandeur news to which her smear had alluded earlier in glory day.

Was it possible delay there was another baby purpose the way? What with say publicly four siblings that had similarly since Karl—the little girls Marie, Mathilde, Sophie-Charlotte, and the newborn boy, Max—Sisi had grown usual to such announcements. It seemed that, however much enmity existed between her parents, they both submitted willingly, and often, slant the task of producing posterity for the duchy.

Each acquaintance of Papa’s long absences was inevitably followed by his stupid return: a chaotic, confusing next of kin reunion; weeks later, news order another baby.

But Sisi did quite a distance suspect that that was multifaceted mother’s news this time; moan when Mamma’s busy behavior late had been so unlike barren past pregnancies.

Sisi took a base now at the large sepia table beside Helene.

She esoteric dressed, according to her mother’s wishes, in a simple habit of black crepe, and significance maid, Agata, had brushed beginning styled her long hair bite-mark two plaits.

“Black dresses again tonight. Always black.” Sisi had lamented to her sister and integrity maid while dressing before dinner.

“Hush, Sisi.

Don’t let Mamma challenge you complaining about the lament clothes yet again,” Helene challenging chided her. Like her keep somebody from talking and Helene, Sisi’s wardrobe was limited these days, on care about of an unknown aunt’s brandnew passing.

“But I’m tired of swarthy. I didn’t know Great-Aunt . . . whatever her label was .

. . splendid I want to wear depressed. Or green. Or rose.” Sisi yanked her head in hostility to Agata’s tight braiding.

“Hush compressed, Miss Elisabeth,” the round-faced maiden replied, speaking in her tough bristly Polish accent as she tuned the tilt of Sisi’s sense. “Always so impatient. Try put on be sweet like your sister.”

Karl, opposite Sisi at dinner consequential, wore a fine black pure and cravat.

He had wiped the blood from his apartment block, but a light-purple bruise challenging begun to seep along position flat ridge of his search. As he gulped his jar, scowling at his sisters ground tugging on the too-tight cravat around his thick neck, unwind appeared more like a schoolyard menace than the heir repeat the duchy.

The younger four siblings, under the age of 12, did not dine with goodness family, but ate in decency nursery with their governesses.

“Wine, Chieftain Karl?” Agata circled the board, pouring wine into goblets onetime two footmen stepped over illustriousness snoring dogs to deposit platters of hot bread, potatoes, folk tale cabbage slaw.

“No wine for blow, Agata.

More beer.” Karl proffered his empty stein for replacement. Sisi noted how Agata replenished Karl’s drink while keeping out body a safe distance evacuate his; her brother’s hands—like tiara father’s before his—tended to knock about or around when an unsuspecting woman got too close.

“Now that we wish for all here.” Duchess Ludovika sat straight-backed and alert, her decorum impeccable, a foil to come together husband’s tired slouch across goodness long table.

“Before you begin”—Duke Cause offense waved a finger in interpretation air—“I have something very elder to say.”

“Oh?” Ludovika eyed improve husband.

“What’s that, Max?”

“I estimate the servants have been melting my mummies again.” Max undiscovered his wife’s sudden scowl, imperishable on with words that strung together like pieces of clumsy linen hanging on the wash line. “I don’t want them touching—”

“Max, they have been be made aware countless times not to smattering your Egyptian memorabilia.

I give an undertaking you they have not.” Illustriousness duchess, at the opposite mean of the long table, speared a link of bratwurst give up your job her fork and deposited smash down onto her plate.

“But I estimate they have been. I asseverate that my mummy’s arm demeanour off balance.”

Sisi had witnessed that exchange enough times to fracture that her mother had hit upon suppress the urge to tender an impertinent reply.

The duke spread to grumble: “I can’t own acquire the servants meddling with specified priceless treasures.” Sisi knew go off at a tangent her father, when he was not off stalking wildlife, crapulence his way across Bavaria, umpire fathering illegitimate peasant children, horrible about nothing more than rectitude collection of artifacts he’d compacted in his study at Possenhofen Castle—chief among them the relics with which he’d returned raid Egypt decades earlier, on neat trip to the Temple rob Dendur.

Sisi had always fleeting in fear of the mummified young female body kept quickwitted her papa’s study—especially after Karl had taken the time criticism explain in vivid detail watch the dead girl’s corpse, impartial about the size of congregate own, preserved under the gruff, yellowed wrappings.

“Well, Max, if restore confidence are certain.” Ludovika sipped frequent wine through tight lips, swap a knowing glance with Sisi.

“I will have another signal with the servants to cause to remember them not to touch ethics mummy.”

“Or the stones . . . I don’t want them touching the temple stones either.”

“Or the stones, then.” The viscount managed a quick, taut humor. “Anyhow, girls”—she turned her look at from her husband to turn one\'s back on daughters, seated beside one another—“as I told you, I .

. . we . . . have big news.”

“What stick to it, Mamma?” Sisi glanced disbelieve Helene. While dressing for banquet, they had tried to think, but neither of them esoteric come up with a logical theory as to what their mother’s announcement might be.

“Perhaps Karl is betrothed,” Helene had assumed, a contemptuous smirk on multifarious face as she had helped Agata braid Sisi’s mass atlas dark golden hair.

“Poor girl, pretend that’s the case,” Sisi difficult to understand answered, laughing with her cultivate and her maid.

To Sisi’s astonishment, however, the news seemed examination have nothing to do speed up Karl.

“Your father and Raving have been thinking about your futures.” Ludovika lifted her slash to cut into the scramble of wurst. “Isn’t that just, Max?”

Sisi sat up, her send stiffening against the chair.

“Surely pointed girls remember your Aunt Sophie?” The duchess fed herself leisurely, eyes flitting back and douse between her two daughters.

“Aunt Sophie, the Austrian?” Helene asked.

Sisi praised the woman she had tumble five years earlier, during put in order trip to Innsbruck in Oesterreich.

Aunt Sophie had been tedious and tall and thin, wrench many ways resembling her stop talking. But unlike Ludovika, Aunt Sophie had had a sharp cleave to that permeated her entire being—her voice, her mannerisms, even prepare smile.

It had been 1848—the collection that the uprisings roiled from end to end all of Europe.

Vienna was burning and Austria’s royal kinsmen, the Habsburgs, had been pseudo risk of losing their senile hold on the crown. Mockery Sophie, who had become ingenious Habsburg when she married Monarch Ferdinand’s younger brother, had begged Ludovika to come support draw at the royal family’s crisis meeting in Innsbruck.

They met affluence the imperial retreat, high upward the stark Austrian Alps.

Sisi, then ten years old, permanent the trip well; she locked away grown up in the surroundings, but had never seen anything quite like the snow-capped view into which they traveled.

“We dash at the top of decency world,” Helene had gasped, restructuring the carriage had climbed more and higher. Sisi remembered opinion at what point the empyrean stopped and the heavens began.

On the first night in Metropolis, her mother had left them in a dark nursery, sweeping continuous away beside her elder babe and a crowd of other ranks in clean, crisp uniforms.

Integrity adults had all seemed to a great extent busy and very cross—tight-lipped whispers, creased foreheads, darting eyes.

Innsbruck passed, for Sisi, as interminable high noon with stern, unknown governesses sidewalk that quiet nursery. Karl confidential been perfectly pleased; the imposing nursery was well-stocked with crystalized nuts and their cousins’ trains and toy soldiers.

But Sisi had longed for her sluggishness. At home, they were not at any time separated from her for improved than a few hours. Beginning they seldom spent summer cycle entirely indoors, but rather conducted their education by climbing rendering mountains around their beloved “Possi,” fishing the lake, riding bloodline, and studying the local flowers.

Sisi had spent the hours lay into that trip staring out justness glistening windows of the seedbed at the mountains, wondering the birds that flew upward landed in the rocky, infertile vista.

On one such afternoon, on guard and aching for a look of her mamma, Sisi confidential slipped unnoticed out of goodness nursery.

After a fruitless activity, Sisi found herself wandering say publicly long, empty halls, lost. These days she had no idea in spite of that to find her mother, shudder how to get back beside Helene and the stern princely governess, a woman by magnanimity name of Frau Sturmfeder. Dissuade was then that Sisi esoteric stumbled upon the familiar pace of her aunt, the woman’s heeled shoes clipping down nobility long hall.

“Auntie Sophie!

Auntie Sophie!” The resemblance to her mom had been such a allay that Sisi had flown near the woman, arms outreached promote expectant of a hug.

Sisi was met, instead, with a chilly slap to the face. “Calm yourself, child.” Sophie scolded contain, the skin around her jaws creasing into a patchwork decay well-worn lines. “You do classify run in the palace, view you do not accost adults.

My sister is more compress to raise a pack pale wild things than to form you into civilized little upper class dignity. Now, why are you alone? Back to the nursery excel once.” With that, the lassie had straightened her posture, patting down the place where Sisi’s tiny hands had pressed attain her skirt, and continued world-weariness determined march down the splurge hallway.

She did not relate to back toward her niece again.

“That’s right, Helene.” Her mother’s satisfy to Helene’s query disrupted Sisi’s remembrances, bringing her back give a lift the dinner table and rectitude duchess’s announcement. “My elder fille, Sophie, the Archduchess of Austria.”

“You know what they say generate your Aunt Sophie?” The count glanced at Sisi, a impish grin tugging on his lips.

“Max, please, it’s really not appropriate—” The duchess lifted a vitality, but failed to quiet prudent husband.

“They call your Aunt Sophie ‘the only man in class Viennese Court.’?” The duke erupted in laughter, pushing his biscuit mug to the side gorilla he opted instead for wine.

The duchess, her lips pressed intermingle in a tight line, waited for her husband to be over laughing before she addressed prepare daughters once more.

“It has been extremely difficult in Oesterreich since the emperor, Sophie’s brother-in-law, abdicated the throne.”

“Didn’t that inexorable when we were in Innsbruck?” Sisi asked, recalling once restore that unpleasant trip. Her parents seldom discussed politics, and birth remoteness of Possi was much that Sisi’s indifference toward grandeur topic was allowed to active unchecked.

But still, she knew that her aunt occupied capital powerful position in the European Empire.

“Yes, Sisi,” her mother replied, nodding. “You remember that trip?”

Sisi nodded as her mother continued: “My sister has had adjoin rule, more or less, eyeball keep the throne safe pick her son until he grew old enough to assume power.”

Sisi remembered her cousin from avoid same visit to Innsbruck: copperplate stern teenage boy, his ringlets the color of cinnamon.

Stylishness had been too old matter the nursery, but it esoteric been his trains and trifle soldiers that Karl had hoarded. Sisi had only seen bare cousin a handful of date, always in the company recall his military tutors, attendants, present-day his mother. Sisi recalled putting Franz, a narrow-framed boy set a limit begin with, had seemed phizog shrink whenever his mother locked away spoken, looking to her provision cues as to where get closer stand, awaiting her subtle consent before answering a question neutral to him.

Why had ramble reserved and taciturn boy anachronistic selected as emperor to change his deposed uncle? Sisi wondered.

Ludovika turned now to Sisi, orangutan if speaking only to turn thumbs down on younger daughter. “My sister, Sophie, has managed to survive decline Vienna where men have useless. Though perhaps she has cram times exhibited a strength which some have called unladylike, she has preserved the empire status always maintained the .

. . how should I regulation this?”—and now Ludovika cast copperplate sideways glance at her husband—“decorum that is expected of in trade high position.”

“?’Spose you’re right, Ludovika. Let’s drink to good freshen Soph. She’s got more stones than the rest of us.” The duke took a member of staff swig of his wine, unmindful of his wife’s scowl.

“So, admiration Cousin Franz old enough lookout assume power now?” Sisi without being prompted, turning to peer at quota sister.

Helene sat quietly, nibbling on a small bite go with potato. Helene never had unwarranted of an appetite.

“Indeed, Sisi,” nobleness duchess said, her expression beam as someone took interest put it to somebody her narrative. “Your cousin, Franz Joseph, has ascended to grandeur throne. He is emperor make acquainted Austria.”

“And doing a damned fair job so far, too.” High-mindedness duke spoke with a nose full of meat and pinch slaw.

“The way little Franzi fought at the Italian front—that was baptism by fire. That’s the way a boy becomes a man, Karl my stripling. Those Italians threatened to off his empire.” The duke wealthy a fist on the board, sending some of his son’s frothy beer over the extreme of its mug. “And wholly he finished them off, be active did the same to righteousness upstart Hungarians.

Crushed them, tighten the help of the Russians. ’Course, I’d never trust splendid Hungarian, that’s the truth.”

The duke interjected: “Your father is referring to the fact that your cousin, the emperor, has canned his empire even as, fashionable recent years, several territories take risen up in revolution.”

“How outspoken Cousin Franz become emperor just as it was his uncle’s crown?” Sisi asked, trying once extend to picture that timid, red-haired boy on a throne.

“The followers demanded that his uncle leg down,” the duchess explained.

“I give my sister Sophie undue credit for putting her in somebody's company forward as the viable different that would please the fill and keep the Habsburgs overfull power, while managing not stop at upset the rest of frequent family.”

“Probably why all the soldiers like to point out say publicly stones on that one, become absent-minded Sophie,” the duke muttered, grunting out a quiet laugh.

Ludovika threw a pointed glance daring act her husband. Sisi shifted staging her seat, looking sideways trim Helene as a tenuous noiselessness settled over the table.

Her curb continued after several moments: “Now that Franzi—Franz Joseph—is in toughness, he faces one task carry out the utmost importance. A chore which his whole empire choice to see fulfilled.”

“What’s that?” Sisi asked.

Ludovika breathed in a reduce inhale, tenting her fingers phrase the table as she undeclared a thoughtful look.

“He ought to marry, of course.”

Sisi swallowed, in a quandary why this simple statement caused her stomach to flip tempt it did.

Duchess Ludovika turned pact her eldest daughter now, eyebrows arching in a quizzical verbalization. “Franz must find himself undiluted bride and produce an beneficiary to the Habsburg dynasty.”

But reason was Mother staring at Helene like that?

Sisi wondered. Unembellished shadow of a suspicion took root in her thoughts, need a shapeless form barely perceived through a fogged window. Rebuff, Mother couldn’t possibly mean walk. The room was silent. Karl tugged on his cravat illustrious ordered more beer. Helene, disallow cheeks as colorless as justness table linens, kept her eyesight down.

The duchess pushed her scale 2 away, crossing her hands staunchly on the table.

“Néné, Frantic never allowed myself to wish for such a fate promulgate my daughter.” Duchess Ludovika’s power of speech caught on the words, humbling Sisi was surprised at interpretation moment of rare sentimentality blessed her usually composed, stalwart surliness. Before Sisi could untangle honesty meaning of these words, connect mother continued.

“To think .

. . one of my girls sitting on the throne need Vienna.”

Helene struggled to utter yet the quietest of replies. “Mother, surely you don’t mean . . .”

The duchess nodded. “My sister has asked for tell what to do, Helene. You are to wool Emperor Franz Joseph’s betrothed.”

Helene abandoned her fork to her trencher with a jarring clamor.

“Helene, order around are to be Empress staff Austria!” The duchess beamed speak angrily to her pale daughter, but ham-fisted one else at the board spoke.

Sisi understood Helene’s muffle shock. Her own sister, Helene, the girl who had alter returned with her from pick wildflowers. The sister who slept beside her at night, burrowing her cold feet under Sisi’s warm legs. The painfully bashful girl who loved philosophy beam religious instructions, but pled disease to avoid her dancing recommendation.

Helene, Empress of Austria? Assertive over the Imperial Court watch Vienna?

“And just think, Néné,” interpretation duchess continued, undaunted by amass daughter’s silence. “Once you emit birth to a son, ready to react shall be the Imperial Jocular mater, the most powerful woman slip in the world.”

The duke raised king glass and took a triumphant swig of wine.

“To Helene.”

“To Helene,” Sisi echoed halfheartedly, undertake probing her sister’s features funds some hint of a counterblast. But Helene’s face was blank.

“We are moving up in character world, the House of Wittelsbach, eh, Karl? You won’t scheme a hard time running that duchy with a sister congress on the Habsburg throne!” Picture duke was now in skilful full celebratory humor.

But the acknowledgment elsewhere at the table was mixed: Sisi sat in calm, mining Helene’s face for signs as to her thoughts; say publicly duchess, exuberant at first, compacted appeared incredulous, stunned by Helene’s expressionless quiet; and Karl seemed far from joyous over goodness news of his sister’s elevation.

Eventually Karl broke the silence.

“Helene, a bride. You know what he’ll expect you to do?” He speared a long scramble of meat with his part and held it toward Helene, letting it hang menacingly earlier her. “How about some sausage?”

“Karl! Have you no shame?” interpretation duchess hissed at her nipper, staring at him until powder lowered the outstretched fork.

Sisi reached for her sister’s hand, slimy and cold, under the table.

“Helene, it is the greatest reproach honors, and we are repeated proud of you for found chosen.” The duchess turned at this moment in time to her food, which she began to cut with harmonious, jerky motions.

“But, Mother,” Helene crosspiece at last.

The duchess looked parody at her daughter.

“Yes?”

“Mamma, Rabid . . .”

“Out with detach, Helene.” Ludovika had little restraint for Helene’s timidity, a attribute which surely had not from her side of significance family.

“I don’t want to make one Cousin Franz.” With that accusal, Helene dropped her face assay cupped hands. Across the fare Karl sniggered.

The duke, eyes attention over his raised beer phiz, looked to Sisi as Helene’s translator.

“What’s wrong with your sister?”

Sisi lifted a hand current placed it gently on Helene’s shoulder, whispering a small amicable remark about how she extraction to let the news droop in. Then, to her father confessor, Sisi answered: “It is specified momentous news, Papa. Perhaps she is just overcome by greatness shock.”

“You presume to know cloudy thoughts, Sisi?” Helene turned afflict her sister, her tone uncharacteristically sharp.

“You’re not the rob being given away like chattel.”

This remark, a rare instance precision causticity from the usually sugary Helene, served to quiet Sisi. Helene was correct. Sisi was not the one whose coincidental was being discussed before protected, the one who had thumb say in her own future.

The duchess sat observant, weighing how on earth to respond to this undreamed of turn.

Finally, she spoke. “Helene, I don’t understand. Every kid wants a fine husband.”

Helene shook her head. “Not me.” She wept, noiseless tears slipping poverty-stricken her cheeks.

The duchess sighed. “Why, Helene, you knew you would have to marry someday. Go past might have been a European count, a Venetian prince .

. . and yet order around weep over the emperor senior Austria? That is the superlative match you could hope for.”

Again Helene shook her head. “Please, Mamma, I beg you sob to make me do it.”

The duchess let loose a great big exhalation. “Helene, Franz is ingenious good boy . . . man. He will treat cheer up kindly. And you’ll have Joke Sophie to help you transfer into your new life dig court.”

“But I don’t want adopt marry him!” Helene insisted.

“Surely pointed knew this day was traction near, Helene?

You are eighteen.” The duchess looked to Sisi, as if seeking assistance.

“But, Chest, I don’t even know him,” Helene said.

Sisi noted her mother’s mounting exasperation. “What does digress have to do with anything? When I was sent rap over the knuckles your papa for my combining, I had never met him before.” The duchess looked support her husband, who drained king beer mug in reply.

Shrewd jaw set, her eyes deadpan, she continued: “Why, I dead beat my wedding night in smash down. But I did my duty.”

The duke did not look trim his wife, nor did explicit reply, but Helene erupted reach fresh sobs.

“For heaven’s sake.” Honourableness duchess rose from her station and approached her weeping damsel. “Helene, my foolish, scared petite girl, you must not nurture so upset.

This is high-mindedness best fate that a mademoiselle in your position could by any chance dream of. Your husband option be the emperor of Oesterreich, and a good, kind subject. What more could you envelope for in a match?”

“But Hysterical don’t wish to marry—at all.” Helene allowed her mother revert to wipe the tears from make public cheeks.

“Hush, Helene.

Surely you get the gist that to avoid marriage would leave you with no choice but to enter a nunnery,” her mother reasoned. “You cannot possibly want that for undertaking. Don’t you want a compassionate home of your own grasp manage? And babies?”

Helene’s silence was her answer. Now Sisi mattup the same surprise that she saw reflected back from an added mother’s face.

She, Sisi, who knew Helene better than a certain in the world, had cry suspected that her sister dreamed of such a solitary tomorrow's. Eventually, her voice barely expert whisper, Helene said, “I challenging thought often of the priory, Mamma.”

Sisi saw two emotions engage in combat with for supremacy on her mother’s face: in one moment nigh appeared sympathy for a shrinking, scholarly daughter.

A daughter who remained quiet whenever in high-mindedness presence of more than equitable the smallest of crowds. Nevertheless then, there it was: interpretation stronger of the two sentiment chased sympathy away, and an added mother’s face set with spruce look of stony resolve. Rob must do one’s duty. Extravaganza many times had Sisi heard those words uttered by overcome mother’s lips?

A lady oxidation accept the role that keep to required of her. Hadn’t she, a duchess of Bavaria, at all times lived according to that religous entity, however unpleasant Papa had feeling it for her? This was how things were done.

When she spoke next, Mamma had regained her composure. “Helene, it’s spruce noble idea. But the firstborn daughter of the duke govern Bavaria will not be legalized to waste away behind prestige walls of a nunnery.

Attack does not simply send justness emperor packing. You will wed Franz Joseph and you wish be empress—it has been persuaded between our two houses.”

“Just categorizer her come round to high-mindedness idea, Ludovika.” Her father, Sisi could see, had grown distant of this discussion. “She’s much a shy, scared little quest.

Imagine if we married move together off to some rough German Count von Something or in the opposite direction . . . she wouldn’t last a fortnight.” Experience confidential shown the duke time crucial again that women would prang what was expected of them. With an air of constancy, he took a swig strip his wine cup.

But Helene minute lifted a hand to become known face, concealing a fresh plaintive cry that set her narrow framing atremble.

“God, why must Berserk . . .”

The duchess lay a hand on Helene’s side, though her face maintained dinky mask of composure. “My pup Néné, there now. No addition tears, please. You have invariably been an obedient girl. Restore confidence will see. You will adore Vienna.”

Lowering her hand, Helene looked up: “But I love lawful here, Mamma.”

Sisi saw an instant’s hesitation, a flickering hint be defeated softness in her mother’s eyes; the duchess was stricken.

However Ludovika pushed that aside shrink masterful self-control. With a sough, she pulled her hand plant her daughter’s shoulder and ugly up taller, her shoulders grip back. “We all must dent our duty.”

The two men enlarged their dinner while the equal returned to her seat, unit face pale but expressionless because she picked up her unmarried fork.

Sisi had lost cause appetite. So, too, had Helene.

“There now, Helene,” their mother aforesaid, breaking the taut silence. “I haven’t told you the in two shakes part of the news.”

“I don’t wish to hear any complicate news, Mamma.”

“But this you shall wish to hear. You shall not be going to dull alone.”

Now Helene looked up.

“Wouldn’t support like a companion at court?” Ludovika’s eyes darted from irregular eldest daughter to Sisi, who sat beside her, still clutching her hand.

Sisi looked advance her mother, her heart unexpectedly pounding as she felt integrity faintest embers of hope.

“Sisi present-day I shall accompany you.” Their mother said, her voice complimentary. “Won’t that make you touch better?”

Helene considered this and, rearguard a long pause, nodded.

For rustle up part, the thought thrilled Sisi, sending her heart on top-notch gallop within her breast cruise made it hard to whisper.

Leaving Possi. Traveling to position imperial court: a place come within earshot of power and fashion and courtiers who exemplified both. A universe entirely unlike her simple insect in Bavaria. It was creepy news, but it delighted her.

“How does that sound, Sisi?” Ethics duchess looked at her other daughter.

“I’d love to go,” Sisi answered, her voice too afire, too full of enthusiasm.

She squirmed in her chair, drift toward Helene now. “Oh, Néné, won’t we have fun together?”

“Fun?” Her mother knit her brows together, her tone turning eyeball sternness. “Elisabeth, this is keen some adventure for you, aspire those romances you read about.”

Sisi felt her joy retreat, quarrelsome slightly, at the bite manifestation her mother’s tone.

“You understand lapse your role at court shall be to help your breast-feed settle in.

You will defend her as a lady-in-waiting serves a queen, do you understand?”

Sisi nodded, suppressing the smile depart wanted to tug her jaws upward. “Yes, Mamma.” But heart, her heart leapt. She was to accompany Helene to convoy new life. Helene, Empress longed-for Austria! She, Sisi, would aptly there to witness it.

“You oxidation always make Helene look good,” the duchess continued.

“Do boss around understand?”

“I can do that,” Sisi promised, wrapping her arms cast Helene’s thin, spindly shoulders. “Helene, do you hear that? Uncontrollable will be there with you!” The sisters held one selection, and for the first meaning since the announcement, Helene managed a feeble smile.

“And”—the duchess leaned close to her younger girl now— “I hope I repeal not need to remind complete that there are plenty produce ways to get into upset at court, Elisabeth.

Aunt Sophie is far less indulgent rather than I am, and she inclination be watching. You shall endure there to serve your keep alive, and that is all. Beside oneself do not wish to hark that you have fallen follow love with some Hungarian count.” The duchess frowned and Sisi flushed, avoiding Karl’s burning gaze.

“I will be watching you, Elisabeth.”

“I understand, Mamma.”

“Good girl.” Duchess Ludovika nodded, her stern expression pleasant into an approving smile.

“No suitors for you. At minimal, not until you have helped your sister settle into grouping role.”



Helene was excused from carousal and Sisi allowed to apostatize to the bedroom with troop. They climbed the stairs expose silence, both of them categorization through a tangle of forgive and forget and questions.

The Habsburg Court!

Pick up Sisi, the news had frenetic her curiosity and stirred prepare restless spirit. Her mind raced into the imaginary scenes she’d witness beside her sister, greatness empress—the high-ceilinged halls where position waltz had been invented, influence banquets, the dances attended unreceptive women in skirts so state-run they looked like the conspirator of a cathedral.

And afflict, Sisi, experiencing it all entice the age of only fifteen.

“What a relief that you shall come with me.” Helene clutched her sister’s hand as they reached the top of rectitude stairs and walked the candlelit hallway to their bedroom. Assembly sister’s thoughts, Sisi noticed, seemed of a much less ardent variety.

“Shall I call Agata provision some wine?” Sisi pushed illustriousness heavy bedroom door, leaving radiance slightly ajar.

“No, Sisi.

Just stop off with me for a moment.” Helene lowered herself onto integrity large mahogany bed that they shared. “I am in much a state of shock.”

“I decision be with you, Néné.” Sisi opened the curtains, allowing descent the last delicate rays reinforce summer sun. She stared affect the window, looking over justness quiet dusk that settled bump into Possenhofen.

The woods beyond magnanimity meadow, skirting the border depart Lake Starnberg, glowed an dye blue under the descending cloak of night. In the pasture, a farmer cut a work to rule path toward the village, haul a tired horse beside him. The smoke of distant hearths coiled skyward in the surroundings, issuing from the barely seeable homes that dotted the forested foothills of the Bavarian Range.

It was such a commonplace tapestry; a beloved view, of a nature Sisi could have re-created congregate her eyes shut. And tonight, knowing that she would have someone on going far away, she savored it with a newfound high regard. How many more times firmness she behold this view? Sisi wondered.

“You’ll only be with upper until you get a deposit of your own.

Then what happens?” Helene’s worry tugged Sisi from her twilight reverie, enthralled she turned back to unqualified sister and the darkening flirtatious. “He’ll probably insist on exercise you back to his describe palace in Prussia or Saxe or Hungary. Then what shall I do?” Helene’s lip quivered with the threat of unfamiliar tears.

“You heard Mamma”—Sisi walked advance her sister—“I will be unresponsive court to attend to ready to react.

I promise, I won’t regular think of marriage until command are settled and happy peer at least half a xii fat little Austrian crown princes and princesses.” This promise arised to temporarily assuage Helene’s knot. But only for a moment.

“Marriage does sound awful, doesn’t it?” Helene thought aloud, slipping issue of her heavy dinner habit and allowing it to go above to the floor.

Sisi couldn’t help but notice her sister’s figure, now exposed in grouchy a thin shift and smalls. It looked so pale prep added to thin and fragile. And hitherto this would be the reason that would be tasked glossed producing Austria’s next emperor.

As hypothesize on cue, Karl appeared soothe the bedroom door, which Sisi chided herself for having compare ajar.

“So that’s the emperor’s pose on the wedding night?” Brains that the power dynamics abstruse somehow shifted in the home, Karl appeared reluctant to besides directly challenge his sisters, nevertheless rather hovered at the verge of their bedchamber.

“I heard tell what to do talking about your husband.” Filth grinned at the partially green Helene, who quickly retreated overrun a dressing screen.

“Go away, Gackl,” Sisi snapped, tossing Helene’s waste shoe in his direction.

Karl ducked the shoe but remained beckon his spot in the inception.

“No, not me. It’s pointed two who are going put by. Helene is off to Vienna to get pricked by Franz Joseph’s Austrian wiener.” Karl sniggered. “Poor innocent little Helene choice likely catch syphilis from lag of Franz’s palace whores.”

Sisi unheeded her brother, speaking only return to Helene. “And Gackl will maybe never prick a single miss in his life.

Who would ever want his pockmarked rise and sour beer breath?”

This illtreat only further enraged Karl, who struck back. “I wouldn’t look over forward to my wedding momentary if I were you, Helene. Franz Joseph is the chief, you know, and therefore significant gets whatever he wants. Regardless do you think you shall compare to one of tiara well-practiced courtesans?” The sight pursuit Sisi wincing seemed to defend Karl.

“And Sisi, who knows who you’ll get plucked by? Neither one of you securely knows what must happen, shindig you? Why do you judge Mamma always talks about manner she cried on her confarreation night?”

Cowed, but even more as follows infuriated, Sisi stood to rebuff full height and crossed authority bedroom toward Karl.

When she spoke, it was with broaden authority than she actually change. “And how do you believe the emperor will look stare the brother who has troubled his beloved bride? I longing be sure to tell him about our brother, named stern a rooster, and deserving help a good pecking.”

Surprised by magnanimity vehemence of her anger, insensitive to the command in her schedule, Karl turned and left their room.

“Who taught him to hair so vile?” Sisi wondered loudly, slowly unclenching her fists likewise Karl’s figure receded.

She heard the sound of faint carping behind the dressing screen. “For goodness’ sake, Néné, come done from behind that screen.” Sisi flopped onto the bed, even now exhausted in the role be unable to find supporting her sister. It would be a demanding position unexpected defeat court. “Do not take dinky word of that to heart—Karl is just jealous that incredulity have an invitation from illustriousness emperor, while he’s stuck not far from with the babies.”

Helene emerged foreign behind the dressing screen, show someone the door black eyes round with distaste.

“It does sound awful, sift through, doesn’t it?”

“What does? Ruling address list empire? Wearing the finest crowns and gowns in all make public Europe? Dancing to the august violins all night?” Sisi ran her fingers through her fluff, removing her braids and even supposing her heavy waves to roll loose around her shoulders.

“No.

What Karl said . . . the wedding night,” Helene whispered.

“I don’t know.” Sisi paused. Their mother had only ever hinted at things, offering scanty scraps review what the ordeal of primacy wedding night actually entailed. Insinuations that both frightened and mixed up Sisi. Words such as “duty” and “submission.” Actions that compulsory “forbearance,” that must be “endured for the sake of one’s husband and family.” But next the maid had given Sisi quite a different account.

“Agata tells me that she’s heard that it can be . . . well, nice. Give it some thought it’s not all bad.”

“How exact she hear that?” Helene of one\'s own free will, eyes widening.

“Oh, they talk be aware that sort of stuff visit the time in the pantry. It’s only those of fantastic in the front of magnanimity house who know nothing heed it.” A ludicrous arrangement, Sisi thought, when it was blue blood the gentry girls in the front star as the house whose bodies were burdened with the important duties of dynasty-making.

Helene thought about that.

“Karl seems to know make illegal awful lot.”

Sisi tilted her imagination. “Not from experience, of stroll much we can be certain.”

Helene allowed a pinched laugh already once more deflating. “Do tell what to do think, when I become Franz’s wife, that I will be endowed with to . . . paying attention know . . . ?”

“Yes, Helene,” Sisi said, toneless.

“You will.”

Helene appeared freshly demoralized. “I hope we have a greatly long engagement.”

Sisi attempted a effervescent manner, speaking as she naked for bed. “Don’t fret. Paying attention won’t have to do deal much, Helene. Just until cheer up give Franz some sons.”

Helene wise this. “Think about our family—there’s me, you, Karl, Marie, Mathilde, Sophie-Charlotte, and baby Max.

Jar you believe that Mamma queue Papa have done it vii times?” Helene asked.

“No, that shocks me,” Sisi answered, shaking recede head, and the two show them erupted in giggles.

“Well, I’m glad to see you girls in good spirits right away more.” Duchess Ludovika appeared dissent the doorway with fresh candles for her daughters.

“Hopefully you’ve resigned yourself to the ashen fate of marrying an monarch, Néné?”

“Mamma!” Sisi waved their spread into the bedroom. The viscountess deposited the candles on birth nightstand and kissed each break into her daughters on the appearance. “Don’t stay up too dilatory, girls.” She made her move in and out to the door, pulling tight handle as she exited.

“And don’t forget.”

“We know, we know,” Sisi chimed in response. “Our prayers.”

“Good night.” Ludovika smiled, head disappearing behind the movement door.

Sisi climbed into bed focus on kicked the covers back, breach body warm from the tension of the evening and description balmy summer air.

She sighed, watching her sister where she combed her dark hair in advance the streaked mirror.

Sensing that Helene’s initial panic had dissipated dinky bit, that her spirits backbone even be lifting, Sisi abroach the topic once more. “Really, Helene, the news is gather together that terrible. An emperor? Ready to react would have thought they difficult to understand told you that you were betrothed to marry the neighbouring butcher, the way you responded to the news.”

Helene thought puff this as she replaced the brush ivory comb on the nightstand and joined Sisi in crib.

“At least if I joined the local butcher I could remain close to home. Berserk could come home to Possi for dinner every Sunday.”

“Yes, reprove you and your butcher-husband could bring the slaughtered animal espousal the dinner meal,” Sisi added.

“And Karl would leave me a cappella, lest he fear that explicit might end up in dignity stew,” Helene added, reluctantly nearing Sisi in a giggle.

After not too moments Sisi spoke, adjusting will not hear of long hair that fell escort her on the pillow.

“I will miss it here, though.”

Helene nodded, her features knit captive an anxious expression as they reflected the flickering of excellence candlelight.

“I wonder what Franz court case like,” Sisi mused, remembering nobleness shy, cinnamon-haired boy of ripen ago. “It’s all so surreal.” Sisi envisioned the meeting—Helene captain this cousin who had full-blown into the emperor.

Meanwhile chic of the jilted princesses, countesses, and marquesses of court would gather round, looking on, sniffing for any sign of picture on Helene’s part, any aperture through which to launch top-notch counterassault. Would Helene summon significance nerve to charm this countrified ruler—Europe’s most powerful, most longedfor young bachelor?

She’d have backing. Helene had no other choice.

“Just think about it,” Sisi treatment aloud, “Helene, born as Baroness of Bavaria from the Dwelling-place of Wittelsbach, becomes Empress be beaten Austria.”

Helene offered no response bash into this, burrowing under the blankets even though the night was a warm one.

“Néné, you’re in the worst way quiet.” Sisi reached across description bed, snuggling into her sister’s frame.

Oh, how she would miss her. But she swallowed that sadness. Wasn’t her group now to be strong provision Néné? “Come now, talk register me. How are you feeling?”

After a pause, her sister strut. “I’m not feeling very . . . imperial.”

“Oh, Néné. Straighten shy, quiet sister. I won’t allow you such self-doubt. Command don’t even realize how grow up you are.

Or how lovely.” Sisi’s voice was jarringly blaring compared to her sister’s significance she declared, determinedly: “You shall be splendid. We shall be included the emperor with a old lady so lovely, he will constraint he has never seen link equal.”



Later that night, after Helene had slipped off into unmixed fretful sleep, Sisi rose alien bed and stared out position window, enlivened by her dismiss from one\'s mind and the low-hanging moon lose one\'s train of thought cast a bright glow mention the fields and hillsides.

Slumber eluded her, as it much did. And on the distress side of the window, nobleness night waited, warm and steady, luring her out of nobility house.

Sisi fumbled in the ill-lit for her dressing gown, alert not to creak the ligneous floorboards as she did inexpressive. She slid her feet affected her favorite slippers, a couple of plush, red-velvet clogs.

These tattered dressing shoes, a favour on her fifteenth birthday, journey her across the earth whenever she set out on these solitary midnight adventures. These slippers were stained by pieces be a devotee of the Possenhofen earth, its inform and mud permanently stuck pass on to the soles. Sisi decided, strengthen that moment, that these bubblelike slippers would come with shepherd to court.

In that means, she laughed to herself, she might always be able come near tread on her beloved Province soil.

Outside an owl droned tog up melancholy melody. The crickets barred enclosure the fields serenaded one substitute, their bodies like small violins whose nocturnal waltzes had existed long before Johann Strauss abstruse begun composing in Vienna.

Probity frogs in nearby Lake Starnberg belched and blurted out their familiar amorous rhapsodies. Sisi amplitude her arms wide and looked up at the moon, hilarity, reveling in and embracing creation about this night.

Sisi’s parents difficult to understand not raised her to verbal abuse strictly religious.

Spiritual, yes, on the contrary not dogmatic. Her father challenging even shown himself to possibility lenient when it came around the Reformers in the realm, the Protestants who so like greased lightning flouted the Catholic Church elitist received punishment for doing and over elsewhere.

But they had imbued cattle Sisi an appreciation for goodness Almighty and His presence diminution around her.

While God change elusive and difficult to hit in some of the saturated old churches—His words garbled advocate impenetrable Latin—Sisi felt His certain presence in the majesty marvel at the mountains, in the authoritativeness of sunrise and the hirsuteness of moonlight. God was birth unseen power that set providential motion the natural world; rank seasons that ripened and shifted, each one beautiful in hang over own way; the chamois avoid leapt uphill without tiring character the stallion that outran dignity wind.

Oh, how she would disallow Possi!

Sisi remained outside, tracing decency perimeter of the squat pallid castle in silence for very some time, when suddenly give someone the cold shoulder musings were interrupted by shipshape and bristol fashion rustling noise.

A sound terribly different from the crickets keep from the owls. A human tone. She turned and saw him: a figure gliding across character meadow, in the direction be expeditious for the village. It was unilluminated, but Sisi knew immediately whose retreating shape she saw. “Papa,” she said. Quietly, so oversight wouldn’t hear her. Off, ultimate likely, to see some ladylike consort of his.

Sisi sighed.

“Please let Franz be more credible to Helene than Papa has been to Mamma,” Sisi begged, sending the prayer out end the warm, still night.