Ruled by Love (15 page)

“I think he is a horrible man,” Zoleka added. “But the Prime Minister says it is almost impossible to get rid of him.”

“Then we shall just have to ignore him. He tried to threaten me today that if I brought more Officers into the Palace, he would refuse to accommodate them.”

“Can he do so?”

“Not without Her Royal Highness's agreement now she has taken over!”

“Then we should not worry. She has never been so happy or allowed to enjoy herself as she is doing now.”

“That is just what I want to hear. After all it is her country and the very first person who should be happy here is Udele.”

She was certainly excited as she and Zoleka turned towards the Square with an escort of Cavalry.

They were travelling in an open carriage drawn by four horses.

Anton Bauer and Pieter Seitz, who were with them, were dressed in their best and most impressive diplomatic uniforms.

Prince Vaslov and the Count rode at the front of the Escort looking exceedingly smart in full military dress and feathered hats.

While they were driving through the streets, throngs of people rushed to look at them and when the carriage had passed by they followed behind.

When they reached the Square, it already seemed to be crowded.

An area had been cordoned off where the band and the soldiers could form up when they arrived.

As they climbed onto the platform they could hear drums in the distance.

There were seats for the Princesses on the platform, which had been decorated with the colours of Krnov.

There were even, Zoleka noticed with a smile, large arrangements of flowers.

She and Udele were presented with large bouquets when they arrived by the Prime Minister and the whole of the Krnovian Cabinet was seated behind them to watch the proceedings.

As the Prime Minister greeted Zoleka, she said to him in a low voice,

“This is what we have hoped and prayed for.”

“Exactly, Your Royal Highness, and I am so deeply grateful to you.”

“You must thank Prince Vaslov as well for arriving at the very moment he was wanted.”

“An inspired answer to our prayers,” affirmed the Prince Minister warmly.

The band came nearer.

Now everyone was alert and looking towards the street along which they could enter the Square.

When they rounded the corner, they appeared most impressive. Every bandsman was wearing a red coat and a particularly striking headdress.

They were playing a rousing march which seemed to echo and re-echo round the Square as they entered it.

They marched precisely and very smartly and they formed up into their positions facing the platform.

The soldiers behind them marched in even ranks to stand to attention beside the bandsmen.

After a poignant pause the band played the National Anthem of Krnov.

It was a gesture, Zoleka thought, which only Prince Vaslov would have thought of making.

As they all stood to attention she felt everyone was moved – not only by the music, but also by Princess Udele who was standing in front of the dignitaries on the platform.

As the Krnov National Anthem ended, the soldiers presented arms.

Then to Zoleka's delight Udele made her speech.

She spoke slowly as she had been advised to do and she pronounced every word carefully.

There was complete silence until she finished and as she smiled, the people of Krnov went mad.

They cheered, shouted and waved.

They appeared to be entirely different from the dull apathetic people Zoleka had seen earlier in the streets.

It was in fact so emotional that there were tears in her eyes as well as Udele's.

Their Princess waved back at them and as the Prime Minister stepped forward to join her on the platform, the cheering died away.

He made an excellent speech.

He welcomed Prince Vaslov to Krnov and thanked him for the pleasure he was bringing to the citizens of their country.

He also informed his audience that Princess Udele was now grown up and since her father Prince Majmir was unwell, she had taken over as the Ruler of Krnov.

They could look to her for new developments, new interests and a reign of prosperity such as they had never experienced before.

There were more loud cheers as the Prime Minister sat down and then the band struck up a popular tune.

Next the soldiers from Cieszyn began to march and counter-march in a way that Zoleka had never seen at any military parade at Opava, but her father had told her was very much part of the English Royal Tournament.

It was over two hours later before they were able to drive back to the Palace.

The people cheered as they passed and small boys ran beside the carriage.

Prince Vaslov and the Count next led the band and all the soldiers to show them where the Royal Tournament was to take place and afterwards the Officers came into the Palace for luncheon.

When they had all enjoyed a drink in the drawing room, it was a very cheerful party that moved into the dining room.

Everything at the Palace was now so different from when Zoleka had arrived.

The butler with his new footmen had the best silver on the tables and there were enough waiters for them to get through the meal reasonably quickly.

“We have a great deal to do this afternoon,” Prince Vaslov was saying. “Once all my men have settled in they have to rehearse to attain the perfection we wish to show to the public.”

“If I did not know you so well,” the Count chipped in, “I should have thought it impossible. But after what has transpired today, I believe that everything you touch turns to gold!”

Prince Vaslov laughed.

“I only hope you are right, Franz, but events have turned out even better than I could have possibly hoped.

He turned towards Udele.

“Your speech was so perfect, Your Royal Highness, I cannot believe it is the first speech you have ever made.”

“Was I really all right?”

“You were quite perfect,” added the Count. “And you looked exactly as you did when you saw yourself in the magic mirror.”

Udele blushed and then she turned to Zoleka,

“If I was rich, I would give fabulous presents to all you fabulous people. But I think Papa would be angry. So what can I do?”

“You have given us a present by doing exactly what we were hoping you would do, Udele, but we will think of something, although I cannot believe that Prince Vaslov wants for anything.”

She was speaking lightly and then she remembered that he had told her he intended to ask Udele to be his wife.

As the thought surged into her mind, she looked at him instinctively and knew he was reading her thoughts.

Then to her great surprise an expression came into his eyes which she did not understand.

Yet for some reason she could not explain it gave her a strange feeling inside her breast.

It was something she had never felt before in her entire life.

For a heart-stopping moment it was impossible for her to look away from him and as she finally tore her eyes away from his, the Count said,

“Come on, Vaslov, we must get down to business. I suppose you realise that in a day or so we are giving a ball and I have not yet finished all the arrangements?”

“I will help you,” he promised, “and if there is one thing I shall enjoy, it will be dancing with our very clever little Princess.”

He looked towards Udele as he spoke, but she had run to the Count's side.

“Please, please can we have a cotillion? I have read about them in books and it would be very wonderful to have one at my ball.”

“Of course you can have one,” the Count answered. “But it means that you and Zoleka will have to buy a great many presents, otherwise those who take part in the cotillion may be disappointed.”

“We will, of course we will! I think it will be so thrilling.”

The Count smiled.

“I can think of many other excitements for you in the future, but you will certainly have your cotillion.”

“Oh, you are so kind.”

In the same childlike way Udele had done last night she threw her arms round the Count and kissed his cheek.

“That is just the present I want from the cotillion,” he sighed. “But it must be exclusive to me and not given to anyone else!”

“No, of course not. After all no one else has done for me what you and Zoleka have.”

The men hurried away and Udele started to talk to Zoleka about what they should buy for the cotillion.

Zoleka thought it would be an anti-climax for her to appear shopping in the City so soon after the grand pomp and circumstance of this morning.

So she sent Anton Bauer to ask some shopkeepers to bring a selection of presents to the Palace for the cotillion.

Zoleka then sat down on a sofa in the drawing room and put up her feet.

“I am going to rest. I think I deserve it.”

“Of course you do, I will go off now and talk to the gardeners about the flowers we will need to decorate the ballroom.”

Udele hesitated before she added,

“I know Count Franz has told them what to do, but I thought it would be so glorious if all the flowers round the bandstand were pink.”

“That is such a splendid idea! cried Zileka. Go and tell the Head Gardener that is what you want.”

Udele hurried away and Zoleka thought that it was very good that she was beginning to think for herself.

She was even prepared to give orders to the Palace servants, which had never been allowed in the past.

Zoleka was feeling very tired and it was more from worrying about the Prussians than from physical exertion.

She closed her eyes and a few moments later was fast asleep.

She was dreaming of Prince Vaslov, his band and his columns of marching soldiers and when she opened her eyes, she found that he was standing by the sofa looking down at her.

“I am afraid I have been asleep – ” she murmured.

“You look as lovely as the Sleeping Beauty – lovelier than any woman I have ever seen in my life.”

She glanced up at him in surprise.

He sat down on the edge of the sofa.

“I am very worried, Zoleka,” remarked Prince Vaslov suddenly.

“Why?” she asked.

She was surprised he had used her Christian name because they had been rather formal to each other since he had arrived.

“I have never met anyone like you before and there have been a certain number of women in my life, I don't pretend there have not been, but
you
are different.”

It was just what Zoleka was thinking about him.

Yet she did not know what to say to him now.

She looked shyly at him and she could see that he was rather embarrassed because she was blushing.

“You are so incredibly lovely, Zoleka, yet I do
not
believe there have been many men in your life.”

She gave a little laugh.

“I have been very happy with my dear father. We entertain so many people in Opava, but they are mostly his age, not mine.”

“Yet you have been brilliant enough to completely reorganise this Palace and transform Udele, as if you had waved a magic wand.”

“If she is guided in the right way, she is going to be a charming young woman and a very successful Ruler.”

“I do realise that, but what am I to do about
you
?”

Zoleka's eyes opened in surprise.

“What do you mean?”

“I do not have to explain it to you – you know exactly what I mean.”

For a moment there was silence.

Then without saying anything further Prince Vaslov rose to his feet and walked out of the room.

As the door closed behind him, Zoleka put her hand to her breast.

She was in love.

As she thought about it she was aware she had been in love with him from the moment she had first seen him.

But she had not realised that it was love.

She only knew that he was the most handsome and exciting man she had ever met.

It seemed strange that she could read his thoughts as he could read hers.

There was something inevitable about it all.

But Prince Vaslov had come to Krnov determined to marry Udele, as it was the only way they could save the independent Principalities from the Prussians.

*

Prince Vaslov did not return for tea, although the Count put in an appearance, but only stayed for a while.

He said they were terribly busy with the band and making all the final arrangements for the next contingent of soldiers who had just arrived.

“It seems incredible,” he said to Zoleka, “that two days ago we were complaining we did not have anyone to protect us and now we have almost too many!”

“You cannot be sure,” she answered in a low voice. “After all, we don't know the number of Prussians there are in the City or how many are waiting across the border.”

“I am aware of the problem and I assure you we are taking every possible precaution. That is why I am posting every man I can around the Palace.”

“Do you think the enemy need to hold the Palace in order to assert their authority?” asked Zoleka.

“But of course. They will undoubtedly wish to be rid of Krnov's present Ruler, whatever condition he is in.”

The presents for the cotillion duly arrived from the shops.

Udele enjoyed sorting them all out and buying what she considered the most attractive until finally she decided that she had selected enough.

Then she and Zoleka recognised that the bill for the presents would have to go to the Lord Chamberlain.

“I am too frightened to ask him,” admitted Udele. “If he says no, what shall I do?”

“It is not such a great sum, but
I
will speak to him.”

Zoleka told one of the Palace
aides-de-camp
in the hall that she wished to speak to the Lord Chamberlain.

A quarter-of-an-hour later he came to the drawing room and one look at his face told Zoleka how much he disliked her.