Ruled by Love (17 page)

Then she thought perhaps it was too soon to talk to Udele about the Count.

It had somehow never entered Zoleka's head that he might fall in love with her – even though it was to be expected that Udele would love him.

After all she had seen very few men and the Count was most attractive.

Zoleka was a little afraid at the back of her mind that perhaps he had been kissing Udele just to comfort her because she was so frightened and that he had no serious intentions where she was concerned.

Then she told herself it would be very difficult for him not to love anyone as beautiful and unspoilt as Udele.

She had been aware that Udele was wildly attracted by him even if she did not understand that it was love.

They went into Zoleka's room and after she lit some candles and pulled the curtains over the window they both climbed into bed.

Zoleka knew that Udele was thinking of the Count and praying that he would be safe – it was just what she was doing for Prince Vaslov.

She was still worried that despite what he had said and the sheer wonder of his kisses, they would not be able to be married.

Yet Krnov could be saved just as effectively by the Count as by Prince Vaslov.

‘I would
love
to be his wife. I want to be with him for ever and always,' murmured Zoleka to herself.

She was saying it over and over again until she fell asleep.

*

They were awoken in the morning by Marla pulling back the curtains.

When Udele sat up in bed, Marla announced,

“It's nearly nine o'clock, Your Royal Highnesses, and I've been told to inform you that your breakfast will be served in the boudoir and Your Royal Highnesses are not to go down stairs until you're asked to do so.”

Both of them were well aware that this order could only have come from Prince Vaslov.

They dare not disobey it, so they climbed out of bed, dressed in their prettiest clothes and took their breakfast alone in the boudoir.

“I wonder what is happening,” Udele kept saying. “I cannot think why no one comes and tells us.”

“We shall know everything in due course,” Zoleka told her soothingly. “I am quite certain there is a great deal to be sorted out downstairs. And that it is not for your eyes or mine.”

She was thinking of the dead bodies being removed from the garden.

She had the idea that the Prussians who had entered the Palace might have killed some of the Krnovian guards in doing so.

She was to learn two hours later that she was right.

Both Princesses were feeling nervous and on edge and it was an overpowering relief when an equerry finally
came to the boudoir.

“His Royal Highness, Prince Vaslov,” he intoned, “would be most obliged if Your Royal Highnesses would join him in the Blue drawing room.”

They sprang immediately to their feet and followed the equerry who moved rather slowly down the stairs.

Zoleka knew that Udele was longing to run ahead and find the Count.

Both Prince Vaslov and the Count were waiting for them in the Blue drawing room and to Zoleka's relief there was no one else present.

She walked slowly towards Prince Vaslov who was smiling at her.

Udele, however, gave a cry of joy.

Running to the Count, she flung herself at once into his arms.

“You are safe! You are safe!” she cried. “I was so frightened that something terrible had happened to you.”

“Nothing has happened to me, my dearest darling,” the Count answered, “except that I have been a long time without you!”

Udele looked up at him.

There was so much love in her eyes that the Count, as if he could not help himself, kissed her gently.

Then he said,

“Come and sit down. Prince Vaslov has a lot to tell us and we do not have much time.”

Zoleka wanted to ask, “ – much time for what?”

Prince Vaslov led her to a sofa and as she sat down, he stood in front of the mantelpiece.

“Firstly,” he began, “I want to thank both of you for being so extremely sensible last night and behaving exactly as you should do in what was a very difficult situation.”

“What exactly did happen last night?” asked Zoleka.

“What Franz and I had anticipated. The Prussians, when they saw my soldiers arriving, realised they had no chance of taking over the City as they had intended.”

“So they did intend to do so!” exclaimed Zoleka.

“Of course they did. They had just mobilised quite a number of troops on the border, but not enough even with those who had already infiltrated into the City to be certain of victory against my soldiers.”

Zoleka gave a sigh of relief.

“They knew that the only chance they now had of gaining control of Krnov was to kidnap the ruling Prince and make him abdicate at the point of a pistol.”

Udele gave a cry of horror and the Count put his arm round her.

“Have they taken Papa?” she asked in a trembling voice.

“That is what they intended to do, but fortunately Zoleka spied them creeping through the Palace gardens. I must admit they came quicker and sooner than either Franz or I had expected.”

“Did they reach Papa?” enquired Udele nervously.

“They reached your father, but were not rough with him as they wanted to take him alive. However, when they were carrying him, because he is not able to walk, through the door into the garden, the firing started. So they threw him down on the ground and ran away.”

Udele gave a sigh of relief.

“So Papa is alive and well?”

“He is alive,” Prince Vaslov answered her, “but I am very sorry to tell you that he has suffered a stroke. He is now unconscious but in no pain and the doctors are with him.”

“I am so glad – he is not dead,” whispered Udele.

“I too am very glad that he did not die at the hands of our enemies. But you have to be very brave and face the fact that it is unlikely that he will live very long. Therefore it is extremely important that you should agree to do what we want you to do.”

“What is that?”

“To save this country, which is what I came here to achieve, it is absolutely essential that the people of Krnov should immediately acquire a Ruler, who they will respect and of whom our enemies will be afraid.”

Now both Udele and Zoleka were staring at Prince Vaslov questioningly.

It flashed through Zoleka's mind that maybe he was going to replace Udele with someone else.

She could not think of who it could possibly be if it was not himself.

Because he could read her thoughts, Prince Vaslov smiled at her before he said softly,

“No, you are quite wrong!”

Raising his voice, he now addressed Udele,

“What I do advise and Franz agrees with me, is that you and he should be married immediately. It is the only way our enemies will recognise there is a man in charge as well as a beautiful Princess, and that they now have no possible chance of taking over Krnov.”

Udele turned to look at the Count, who put his arm round her and drew her close to him.

“I have every intention, my beautiful Princess,” he murmured, “of marrying you, but it does mean the Marriage Service must take place tomorrow!”

“But that is the day of our ball.”

The Count laughed.

“What could be a more perfect way to celebrate our marriage than to dance the night away with all our friends instead of having the usual rather boring reception?”

Udele gave a little laugh.

“It would certainly be something new.”

“That is the right word. Everything in this country is going to be new when you and I rule it together.”

“I think perhaps this is the right moment,” Prince Vaslov came in, “to tell Udele that she is not marrying, as she believes, a very charming and handsome young Count, but someone far more significant.”

“What are you saying to me?” asked Udele. “I don't understand.”

“Zoleka invited Franz to come to Krnov with her, because she knew that he would help her make the Palace a genuine Royal Residence as it should have been.”

He paused for a moment.

“Instead it has become dingy, dilapidated and dull. Whatever else has happened, you must see there is already a vast improvement since Franz and Zoleka arrived.”

“They have been fantastic in everything they have done,” agreed Udele. “But tell me why is Franz so grand?”

“He is the grandson of the Emperor of Austria and his own father, the Archduke, is one of the most influential grandees in Vienna.”

Udele gasped and turned to look at the man beside her.

“Whether I am a Count or a Prince, my darling,” he said, “I adore you and it is going to be very challenging for me to try to make this country worthy of your beauty. I have a feeling that, with all the entertainment Vaslov has arranged, the people are already thinking we have changed what was almost a pigsty into a Fairyland!”

“That is exactly what
you
are doing,” cried Udele. “And if you are so grand, I am marrying a ‘Fair Prince'.”

“And if you are marrying him tomorrow,” Zoleka pointed out, “it is going to be rush, rush, rush to find you a wedding gown!”

Udele gave a cry.

“Oh, I must have one! I must look pretty for Franz and of course for the people who will be watching us.”

“I have already sent for the Archbishop of Krnov,” Prince Vaslov added, “and Anton Bauer has gone to see the Prime Minister to tell him about all that has happened and to inform him of your impending marriage.”

“I knew Franz loved me when he kissed me,” Udele confessed shyly, “but he has not actually yet asked me to marry him.”

“That is most remiss of me,” the Count responded. “I will ask you when we are alone, so that I can kiss you after every word!”

Udele gave a giggle and smiled up at him.

“I would love that,” she whispered.

They were obviously so happy together that Zoleka looked up at Prince Vaslov.

There was a question in her eyes and he said as if she had asked it aloud,

“Once they are safely married and we have enjoyed their ball, you and I will go back to your father. I know you will wish to be married in your own country and then, my lovely one, we will have a quiet honeymoon after all this rush and tumble when I can tell you how much I love and adore you.”

“That is just what I want to hear – ”

The Prince gave a deep sigh before he added,

“I thought I would never be married at all because I would never find anyone like you. But the moment I saw you, I just knew that you were the one woman in the world I wanted as my wife.”

There was such a special note in his voice that told Zoleka without words that he had suffered an intolerable agony.

He had sincerely believed that he must sacrifice his own desires and think only of saving Krnov.

And incidentally his own country and Opava.

It seemed so incredible that everything should have worked out so perfectly.

Zoleka put her hand on his arm as she sighed,

“We have been so very very lucky.”

“Very lucky indeed, my darling.”

As he spoke Udele and Franz rose and walked to the other end of the drawing room.

They were obviously saying private words to each other and did not wish to be overheard.

The Prince looked at them before saying to Zoleka,

“You do fully appreciate that the doctors say Prince Majmir cannot live long. It is thus essential that Udele is married tomorrow and then the whole world will know that Franz will rule Krnov with all the might and power of the State of Austria behind him.”

“Of course I understand, and I know too that Udele will be very happy.”

“She will do everything he asks her and I think, like me, he is very grateful to God for sending him a woman who loves him for himself and not for his position.”

Zoleka laughed.

“She thought that he was only a Count, and it will be delightful for her when he takes her to Vienna to meet his family.”

“Of course it will, but I am not worried about them any longer. Find her a wedding gown and let them enjoy their ball. After that I want you
all
to myself.”

Zoleka smiled at him.

“That is what I want too.”

Her voice was almost a whisper as she added,

“I have prayed and prayed so often that some day I would find love – the real love that my father and mother had for each other. When you walked across the garden towards me, you answered all my prayers.”

“Did you think you would be able to marry me?”

Zoleka shook her head.

“When I finally admitted to myself that I loved you, I thought it was just completely hopeless as you wanted to marry Udele. I knew I would never love anyone else and that there could never be any other man in my life.”

She knew the Prince was very moved by what she was saying.

He looked down into her beautiful blue eyes and sighed,

“I only wish that it was you and I who were being married tomorrow. But my precious, beautiful Goddess, I cannot wait very long.”

“We will arrange our wedding as soon as we go back to Papa. I know how pleased he will be as he admires you so much for all you have done for your country.”

“And I greatly admire him too,” he insisted. “So we must try hard not to make him feel too lonely because I have taken you away from him.”

“Only you could be so kind and understanding. Oh, Vaslov, I love you so much that it is very difficult to think of anything else.”

“I will tell you just how much I love you, my dear darling Zoleka, the night we are married.”

They looked into each other's eyes.

Through the mercy of God Himself the impossible had become the possible and the unbelievable had become credible.

They were both convinced in their hearts that they had been searching for each other through many lives and their love was so incredibly strong and unbreakable that it would last through many more lives yet to come.