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Back The Empress Save as PDF
Chapters (68)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. 1853
  4. PART I
  5. ONE
  6. TWO
  7. THREE
  8. FOUR
  9. FIVE
  10. SIX
  11. SEVEN
  12. EIGHT
  13. NINE
  14. TEN
  15. ELEVEN
  16. TWELVE
  17. THIRTEEN
  18. FOURTEEN
  19. FIFTEEN
  20. SIXTEEN
  21. SEVENTEEN
  22. EIGHTEEN
  23. NINETEEN
  24. TWENTY
  25. TWENTY-ONE
  26. TWENTY-TWO
  27. TWENTY-THREE
  28. TWENTY-FOUR
  29. TWENTY-FIVE
  30. TWENTY-SIX
  31. TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. TWENTY-NINE
  34. THIRTY
  35. THIRTY-ONE
  36. THIRTY-TWO
  37. THIRTY-THREE
  38. THIRTY-FOUR
  39. THIRTY-FIVE
  40. THIRTY-SIX
  41. 1854
  42. PART II
  43. THIRTY-SEVEN
  44. THIRTY-EIGHT
  45. THIRTY-NINE
  46. FORTY
  47. FORTY-ONE
  48. FORTY-TWO
  49. FORTY-THREE
  50. FORTY-FOUR
  51. FORTY-FIVE
  52. FORTY-SIX
  53. FORTY-SEVEN
  54. FORTY-EIGHT
  55. FORTY-NINE
  56. FIFTY
  57. FIFTY-ONE
  58. FIFTY-TWO
  59. FIFTY-THREE
  60. FIFTY-FOUR
  61. FIFTY-FIVE
  62. FIFTY-SIX
  63. FIFTY-SEVEN
  64. FIFTY-EIGHT
  65. FIFTY-NINE
  66. SIXTY
  67. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  68. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

“No, please. I’d like—” She started but didn’t finish. I’d like to stay. I’d like to speak to you privately. I’d like to change this arcane ritual.

“It’s better you rest,” Franz said again, this time firmer.

The knot in Elisabeth’s chest grew tighter. It was always the same. Men behaved badly. They undid their trousers at dinner, told her that her dreams didn’t matter, touched her without permission. And it was always she who was sent away. Punished. Silenced.

Is this what her life would be like—even now? Even with a man she’d thought really understood her. It would be just like home, but with a new set of keepers. Mother replaced with Esterházy, with priests, with ladies, maids, and doctors with sharp funnels burrowing into tender places. Now a hundred people to hurt her instead of just one.

“But—” She tried once more.

“I insist.” Franz closed the conversation.

He held a hand out to her, and she ignored it. She had to leave this room before she fell apart. Before the cracks in her fragile soul shattered her into too many pieces to put back together.

Maxi met her eye as she turned, and she saw something there that almost hurt more. Understanding. He had told her earlier that day that he was her ally at court, but she hadn’t believed him. Now she did.

As the doors closed behind her, leaving her alone in the quiet, dim hall, the tears came quickly, doubts crashing down on her with each wave.

Had she made a terrible mistake? Should she run now and leave Helene to be empress if she still wanted it? And could she ever trust any of them again after this?

The only marriage she’d seen up close was her parents’ and something ominous wrapped itself around her heart now, thinking about them. Was this how it started? A misunderstanding, dismissal, a refusal to see the pain of the person you loved—and the next thing you knew, all you could do was hurt each other?

When Elisabeth got back to her rooms, the first thing she did was write a poem on tear-stained paper:

Will the North Sea rumble,

Tell me that I broke my own heart?

The naive thing fooled me,

And I hate every deception.

FIFTY-FIVE

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FRANZ EXCUSED HIMSELF AND STEPPED ONTO THE balcony, staring out over grounds flickering with lamplight. Elisabeth’s refusal to take his hand stung. Sending her away stung too.

Stung and worried him.