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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

Franz’s heart leapt into his throat. He had only just stopped replaying the scene in his head. The girl and her bird had driven it from him like springtime breaking up the ice. But now Franz’s body tightened again, ready to run. The faces of dead men flashed behind his eyes.

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Maxi raised an inquisitive eyebrow but for once decided to honor his brother’s request. “All right, no dead men. How about living women? I saw your future bride standing at her window this morning. Do you want to know what she looks like?”

Franz let out a long breath. “I’ve seen the portraits.”

“Ah, but portraits can be embellished.”

“If you’re trying to tell me she isn’t beautiful, I don’t care.”

“I suppose you wouldn’t, dutiful emperor that you are. But she’s more beautiful than dead revolutionaries, so she’ll be the prettiest thing you see this week.”

There it was again. Maxi could never let things go, always waiting to stab him unexpectedly. As if the conversation were a fencing match and not a discussion.

Franz didn’t answer, so Maxi continued. “I suppose this means you won’t need your mistress anymore. I presume you’re just going to toss her to the side, like you always accuse me of doing. Then your high horse won’t be quite so high.”

Franz pulled his mare to a stop. “Leave.”

Maxi stopped beside him, quirking a smile.

“I said go. I’ve had enough.”

Maxi smirked then, happy to have gotten under Franz’s skin—as usual. He tipped an invisible hat and turned his horse around toward the villa. “As you wish, Your Majesty.”

As Maxi took off, Franz tried to unclench his jaw. His brother had stolen his peace—again. He had a real gift for it.

Franz wondered, foolishly, if the girl was still in the garden. Would he find her there again if he turned his horse around? Rescuing another bird, hiding behind another tree? Making Franz laugh and wanting nothing from him? If that girl had wanted anything from Franz, it was for him not to notice her. That was a first for any person at court.

Franz’s heart relaxed with the thought. There was something charming about her, something not yet tainted by an ever-darkening world.

He realized that he was suddenly looking forward to meeting his intended’s family in a few hours. Seeing the girl again. Discovering whether he could laugh like that a second time.

TWELVE

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