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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

As the ceremony began, he saw her again and held his breath. The intricate white beading of her dress hugged the curve of her chest, draped dangerously off her shoulders. Beaded flowers covered part of her neck and draped down her back. The skirt of her dress was starlight, shimmering as she moved toward him. Franz’s heart tripped and stuttered, excited. This was it. His match. His person. The one he hadn’t even been looking for. Wild and beautiful and his.

The priest spoke. “The emperor fights for us. He fights for our holy empire. He shows us the way.”

Franz promised his heart he would fight for her.

“With strength and wisdom, the emperor protects us and our empire from the dark forces that want to tarnish it.”

Franz promised his heart he would protect her.

“He protected us from the devils of the revolution who wanted to destroy our future.”

At the front of the pews, his mother and Maxi stood and watched Elisabeth’s approach. Mother’s face was worried, Maxi’s angry. But their feelings couldn’t touch him. Not today. Not now. Maxi would drown his sorrows in the ladies at court; Mother would learn to trust his intuition, he was sure. The court would learn to love Elisabeth, too. And he—Franz—would step in if necessary. He’d fight for Elisabeth, even if he had to fight the whole court, the whole world.

“And now the almighty God has sent him a bride: Elisabeth.”

Her name was blessing and benediction, spark and fire. She was closer now, winked cheekily at him as she ascended the steps to the altar.

“She must be like an island in the middle of a thunderous storm.”

She was the island, and he’d live on it. She was the storm, and he’d gladly drown in it.

“In her lap, our godly emperor shall find safety.”

Franz smiled wickedly at that one; Elisabeth raised an eyebrow.

“This bond—Franz and Elisabeth—will protect us, will shine, for all eternity.”

Franz took Elisabeth’s hand, slipped the ring from his pocket onto it. She returned the favor: ring for ring. Gentle touch for gentle touch. Promise for promise.

“By the grace of God, I hereby pronounce you husband and wife.”

Franz held back a laugh of delight. They’d made it. They belonged to each other. And what God had joined, the priest had always told him, no man could separate. No man, no mother, no brother, no empire. He was all hers.

SIXTY

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HUSBAND AND WIFE. TEARS ROSE BEHIND ELISABETH’S eyes as Franz leaned in and kissed her tenderly. His lips were so familiar now, the smell of him still so intoxicating. To think she’d been so scared she’d almost given him up yesterday. Now she couldn’t even imagine it.