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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 wanted to laugh. Maxi thought the rules bent for Franz? Maxi was the one the rules were always bending for, the one Mother indulged even when he made them all look like fools with his sharp comments and cavalier affairs. Even when he cost them goodwill from countless noble families whose support they needed. Franz kept his voice steady as he returned to the real issue at hand. “If you won’t leave Elisabeth alone for the sake of your family, do it because you agreed to be my advisor. That’s the position you wanted; now you have it. And more power at court comes with more responsibility, Maxi.”

It was only half of the truth. Maxi couldn’t have Elisabeth, not because he was Franz’s advisor but because he was a danger. Elisabeth was all poetry and wildness and hope. A person who saw the world in terms of its possibilities. And she deserved better. She deserved someone who loved her. She deserved—

Someone like Franz.

The truth knocked at his heart, and he tried to ignore it.

TWENTY-SIX

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HELENE WAS ALREADY IN BED WHEN SISI CAME IN. Helene’s hair was down, nightclothes freeing her from the tight laces of the daytime, and the windows were thrown open to try and coax in a small breeze. She was lying back, hair fanning out around her, staring up at the decorative ceiling. Was the art above her a dragon, a tree, or a woman in gold? Perhaps it was all three, depending which way you turned your head.

“I think he looks much better than in his picture,” Helene said as Sisi joined her in bed, Helene’s head on the pillow, Sisi’s at her sister’s feet. “Don’t you think so?”

Sisi didn’t answer.

Helene reached out to tap her sister’s leg. “What’s wrong? Are you listening?”

“Yes, of course.” Sisi sat up and crawled to the top of the bed, spooning her body around Helene, who relaxed into the comfort, the familiarity of it.

“I can hardly wait for tomorrow.” Helene cast her mind back to her earlier daydream, how real it had felt, how right. The proposal would change things, she’d decided. It would remove the awkwardness of their meetings, nudge him toward opening up to her. Her heart stretched toward the hope of it like a sleepy, contented cat.

“I think I can love him, Sisi.” She tested the words, the idea, out loud. “How lucky is that, really?”

Another long silence and Helene’s heart faltered a little. Did Sisi not think so? Helene wanted so badly for her sister to agree, to say, Yes, Helene, your hard work will pay off, you’ll see. Sisi had said Helene would make a good empress, and Helene needed to hear it again.