Archduke Albert

The week passed with the court officials repeatedly expressing their objection regarding the investigation in Carinthia but slowly, they gave up seeing as the young Emperor’s decision is set and is not showing any sign of faltering. There’s also fierce rejection from his relatives especially from Lady Alexia who condemned Hadrian’s stand on the issue and his winning the support of most aristocrats and court officials as the time passed.

Carinthia proved Hadrian’s speculations to be true as most people were infected with the same disease as the woman’s husband who showed up late in the General Audience a week earlier. And because of this, most of the court officials supported Hadrian’s stand.

‘With all this, Lady Alexia will no doubt see His Majesty as a threat.’ Anton thought looking at his master as he works in his office. ‘We must be prepared of a tough retaliation from her.’ But knowing the young Emperor, he knows his master is already prepared for that.

The next days were spent in silence when Anya came to the palace again while Hadrian’s in the garden teaching Marianna sitting on his lap, while reading a book.

‘I’m so sorry; I’ll come back later.’ Anya said preparing to leave, but Marianna jumped from her brother’s lap and ran to Anya to pull her to join them.

‘Good morning, miss von Westenholz.’ Hadrian greeted closing the book and standing up from his seat.

‘Please join us, Miss Anya.’ Marianna said innocently.

‘If you don’t mind, Your Highness.’ Anya answered after bowing to Hadrian.

‘Have a sit, please.’ Hadrian said offering her a chair beside him and as she sat down, Marianna sat beside her.

‘I actually came here to ask His Majesty about something.’ Anya answered.

‘And what would that be?’ Hadrian asked smiling at her.

‘Ah!’ Marianna exclaimed excitedly. ‘If it is about what to wear for tomorrow, I’ll help you!’ Both Hadrian and Anya looked at the little girl who stood up again and started tugging Anya to come with her.

‘Marianna.’ Hadrian called but looking at his little sister, he knows she cannot be stopped by even him. To his surprise, his sister started pulling him as well.

‘I’m sorry.’ Hadrian apologized looking at Anya. ‘Even I fear a little sister’s wrath.’

‘Ella!’ Marianna called as a fair maid came.

‘Yes? Your Highness?’ the maid asked and flinched when she saw Hadrian. ‘Pardon me, Your Majesty I didn’t notice you there.’

‘It’s alright, Ella.’ Hadrian answered.

‘Can you please help miss Anya find a dress for tomorrow?’

‘Wait, Princess Marianna.’ Anya retorted but the little girl did not listen and pulled he along.

‘As you wish, Your Highness.’ Ella answered and led Anya to the room.

‘And why do I have to be here, Marianna?’ Hadrian asked the little girl, thinking it inappropriate that he should be there.

‘I want to know what big brother thinks.’ The little princess answered smiling at her older brother. ‘After all, she is big brother’s partner at the party, right?’

‘Really, is she eight years old?’ Hadrian asked himself, smiling at his little sister. ‘She sometimes thinks like an adult.’

‘Your Majesty.’ Anton whispered in Hadrian’s ear, but the young man waved his hand at him.

‘But Your Majesty, it’s urgent.’

‘What is it?’ Hadrian asked turning to his butler and the older man whispered what he wanted to say without being heard. ‘What did you say?’ he asked but the butler did not reply and just looked at his master.

‘Marianna,’ he called standing up.

‘Yes, big brother?’ Marianna asked turning to him.

‘I’m sorry but there’s an emergency I must attend to.’

‘But big brother...’ Marianna pleaded and knew that even as she pleaded her brother will go especially if it involves the people of his country. ‘Alright, but please promise me you’ll come back soon!’

‘I will.’ Hadrian answered smiling at his little sister and left with his butler.

When Hadrian arrived at the conference room, the ministers are discussing something heatedly and turned to the young Emperor as soon as he came in. The discussion was so heated that most of them are already on their feet and hitting the table with their bare hands and clanking their rods on the floor in anger.

‘This is clearly an intentional attack.’ An official said as Hadrian sat on his chair at the end of the table.

‘Indeed, it is,’ Hadrian answered as everyone paid attention to the young man.

‘Your Majesty! We must retaliate!’ another official said thumping his hand on the table and standing up.

‘Calm yourselves, if we retaliate carelessly, we might end up losing the country.’ Hadrian calmly answered. ‘Before we plan any strategies to attack them back, we must first know their motives and who they really are.’ He said as he looked at one of the soldiers standing by.

‘Your Majesty, an informant told us that the soldiers who invaded the town wear blue uniforms and...’ the soldier saluted Hadrian answered.

‘They’re French!’ an official shouted without letting the soldier finish.

‘Calm yourself, while this is an important matter, I would ask you to please clear your heads of this steam. First off, are you sure that the soldiers the informant saw were from the French Army?’

‘He didn’t say anything of the kind Your Majesty.’ The soldier answered.

‘And? Who was your informant?’

‘A soldier patrolling the mountains, Your Majesty.’

‘I see, if the informant was a true soldier, he will know the difference between the French and other armies. But in this case, he just identified the intruders as “with blue uniforms”, where is this informant of yours?’

‘He is recuperating in the town hospital, Your Majesty, as he is involved in the attack.’

‘I see...’ Hadrian answered and stood up. ‘Take me to him.’

‘Your Majesty! Don’t be so reckless!’ An official shouted shooting up from his chair as Anton glanced at his master.

‘There’s no need for His Majesty to go all the way to Carinthia.’ A blonde-haired man shouted leaning beside the door with a hand on his sword, wearing the uniform of a Dragoon official. The man is Hadrian’s cousin and bodyguard whom he sent to Carinthia to gather information.

‘It’s Archduke Albert! So, he’s still alive?’ some of the officials whispered amongst themselves.

‘Albert?’ Hadrian breathed looking at the man.

‘It would be troublesome if His Majesty, the emperor himself gets caught in that crossfire.’ The man named Albert answered walking towards the young Emperor.

‘Were you there, Albert?’ Hadrian asked.

‘Yes, and they were definitely not French. This is confidential information that I must tell His Majesty in secret.’ Albert answered as Hadrian nodded in agreement.

‘I see,’ Hadrian answered. ‘Alright, come with me Albert.’

‘I’d say it was a modified uniform of Duchess’ Alexia’s men, that’s why the informant can’t tell whether they’re French or Ottoman.’ Albert said as soon as Anton closed the door of Hadrian’s office. ‘There’s a big difference, but I know it was hers for sure.’

‘How can you say so?’ Hadrian asked.

‘She may have changed it, but it’s not like she changed her family’s coat of arms. I’d say this is retaliation of your discovery of her activities, nice going Hadrian.’

‘Well, it’s not like I’m not expecting it.’ Hadrian answered standing up.

‘Are you planning something?’ Albert asked.

‘It might lead us to answers. But in order to do that, I will need your help, Albert.’ The young Emperor answered looking at his cousin.

‘I’m always at the call and beck of His Majesty, whenever he needs it.’ Albert answered bowing in front of Hadrian. The younger man answered only with a nod.

‘Will this lead to something, Your Majesty?’ Anton answered as they are walking down the hallway after their meeting with Albert.

‘Answers, I hope.’ Hadrian answered not looking at his butler. ‘And I hope I will not be pushed to wield my sword.’

‘Your Majesty...you’re going to...?’

‘If I must, then I will.’

Hadrian returned to where Marianna was waiting but he saw her sleeping on the chair he was sitting on earlier. Anya is sitting beside his sister almost falling asleep herself.

‘I’m sorry I’m late.’ Hadrian said, in a low tone as soon as Anya knew he is there.

‘She didn’t want to go to her room. She kept insisting that you’ll come back.’ Anya answered and Hadrian just smiled.

‘It looks good on you.’ He said as Anya simply looked at herself and back to the young Emperor.

‘I guess this is a bit too much.’ Anya answered.

‘What do you mean?’

‘She told me this dress belonged to your mother, and her Highness insisted on me wearing it to the ball tomorrow.’

‘Why not? It suits you really well.’

‘I think it’s inappropriate.’ Anya answered looking away from him. But then the door opened, and Albert came in wanting to tell Hadrian something, but he stopped in his tracks when he saw Marianna asleep and Hadrian talking to Anya.

‘Pardon me for not knocking.’ Albert answered closing the door silently and looked at Anya, smiling at her.

‘It’s alright, Albert.’ Hadrian answered standing up. ‘Anya, this Albert, my cousin. Albert, this is Anya, Baroness von Westenholz’ granddaughter.’ Anya stiffened at the mention if her name and fidgeted as Albert took her hand and kissed the back of it making her blush several shades of red.

‘Christian Albert von Hapsburg at your service, Miss von Westenholz.’ Albert answered in a gentlemanly manner. ‘Anyway, I have something to tell you, Hadrian but I think that can wait tomorrow.’

‘If you say so.’ Hadrian answered smiling at him.

‘Aunt Maria Anna’s dress looks good on you, Miss Anya.’ Albert said making Anya blush more as he left the room.

‘Your Majesty, it’s getting late, and I must get home, or my grandmother will worry.’

‘Ah, yes...right.’ Hadrian answered. ‘Ella, please help Miss von Westenholz change.’

‘Yes, Your Majesty.’ The maid answered as Hadrian carried Marianna.

‘I’m sorry I couldn’t see you off, Miss von Westenholz.’

‘It’s alright, Your Majesty I understand.’ Anya said bowing to Hadrian as he carried his sister to her room.

A while later, Hadrian is sitting on his chair in the veranda reading his favorite book, the night is dark and devoid of stars as if on cue Anton came in carrying a tray of tea as he always did.

‘You seem uncharacteristically quiet, Your Majesty.’ Anton said laying the teacups on the table.

‘I guess it’s my fate to die in solitude, Anton.’ Hadrian said ominously, Anton flinched and almost dropped the remaining tea set while he regained his physical composure; his eyes are as wide as it can. He gulped and literally trembling, he did not know what to say. His master slowly turned to him. ‘Why are you trembling?’

‘N-no, it’s just the thought of you dying early.’ Anton said but he could not finish. He could not imagine his master passing on before him. ‘I never thought of it.’

‘It’s alright. I did say I’d set aside my personal needs for the need of the country.’ Hadrian answered looking back at the dark sky. Suddenly, he felt a surge of pain in his chest and he started coughing without stopping. His worried butler rushed to his side as he bent on the ground and covered his mouth with his hand. When he finally stopped coughing, he looked at his hand stained with his blood.

‘Your Majesty!’ Anton cried looking at the young Emperor’s hand. ‘I’ll call the doctor now!’

Even as his butler left, Hadrian kept coughing until he is lying on the floor gasping for air. He tried to reach for the chair to pull himself up, but he felt too weak, and he could not even move his fingers.

‘Hadrian!’ Josef shouted running to his brother who kept on coughing, and he saw blood tickling from his brother’s lips. ‘What should I do? At this rate he’ll…’

‘Your Highness!’ Anton shouted running to the brothers with a doctor. The panic is evident on Josef’s features as he held on to Hadrian helplessly.

‘Help him, please.’ Josef said, his voice visibly trembling.

‘Calm down, Your Highness.’ The doctor said. ‘Let us carry him to the bed.’ The doctor and Josef lifted Hadrian up and carried him to his room and onto his bed.

‘What’s going on?’ Marianna asked walking up to anyone nearby, sleepily rubbing her eyes.

‘Your Highness, you shouldn’t be up this late!’ Ella cried trying to pull Marianna away from Hadrian’s room, but the young girl would not let the maid.

‘Is there something wrong with big brother?’ Marianna asked walking into the room as she hears her brother cough.

‘The doctor is checking on him, Marianna, he’ll be fine.’ Josef said, not being able to cover his trembling voice as she walked on towards Hadrian’s room. ‘Marianna!’ he called trying to stop her, but the girl did not listen to him and went straight to the young Emperor’s side, as she walks her tears started falling more as she hears him cough painfully. He forced himself to smile and tried to stop coughing as she held on to his hand. She stayed like that until he calmed down and fell asleep.

‘He’s been too busy these past few days,’ Anton told Josef.

‘Knowing him, he wouldn’t just sit down and rest obediently.’ Josef answered. ‘He always refused to rest and sleep early, to think that it already reached to this point.’

‘No, Your Highness.’ The doctor answered. ‘This is a different disease altogether. The same as Emperor Franz’ disease.’ Josef and Anton were surprised to hear that. How could Hadrian contract the same disease when he is away from the palace? Anton suspected that Hadrian could got it from his time outside the palace.

‘The same disease that took the previous emperor…huh?’ Anton murmured.

‘Luckily, we can still treat his disease. I am going to prescribe medicine for His Majesty. This will strengthen his body and he need more rest.’ The doctor said, writing on a piece of paper.

‘Plenty of water and nutritious food will help him recover.’

‘Thank you, doctor. We will make sure he will recover.’ Josef said and the doctor left. ‘This is the day my father feared.’ Josef said looking at Hadrian sound asleep with Marianna sleeping beside him holding his hand. ‘Why does it have to be my brother? What has he done wrong to you? All he thought about is your people, and yet…making him go through so much pain.’ He sighed, defeated. He knew better than to question what happening. His mother taught his spiritually, and he was reminded that she taught him never to question anything and just act on depending on the situation and everything else will fall into place. He shook his head, casting all his questions away and walked to his brother’s bed and carefully carried Marianna.

‘Anton, I’ll leave him to you. Please look after him.’

‘That goes without saying, Your Highness…’ Anton answered. ‘I’m not the only who looks after His Majesty.’