Flowers, Swords and France

It was another beautiful early autumn evening.

The sun was about to finish its journey today, and the light of the sunset dyed the surroundings red.

The sun fell from the sky into the dense forest, and the golden silk threads wove complex marks in the air from the gaps between the leaves. The evening breeze drifted in the woods, carrying the fragrance of roses, and rushed straight to everyone's nose. The countryside around Vienna has a beauty similar to that of France.

In the depths of the forest, there stands a three-story mansion. The exterior of the mansion is painted yellow, and the windows are painted white. It looks small and exquisite, and very quiet.

However, there is a vibrant life outside the window, while the mansion is gloomy and depressing inside. Everyone has a gloomy face, as if they are suffering from some mental torture.

In a room deep in the mansion, the young Treville couple are sitting quietly inside, but the lady seems a little nervous and uneasy, her eyes wandering, while the husband is much calmer, looking out the window and looking at the rural scenery outside.

After a while, Charlotte finally couldn't stand the anxiety and sadness in her heart anymore, and she gently grabbed her husband's hand.

"Charles, I'm really scared. The housekeeper just told me that she is really in danger, and may...may not last for three months."

"Don't worry," Charles also took her hand and carefully comforted his wife, "Every one of us will have such a day, at least...compared to her relatives, she may be lucky to leave so quietly."

"Oh...God!" Charlotte did not calm down because of Charles's comfort, but glanced at him, "It's already this time, are you still so harsh on them?! Can't you say a few good words?"

"Okay, sorry, Charlotte..." Charles smiled, "I was wrong, forgive me."

"Wait a minute, after you meet her, for God's sake. For my sake, don't be so harsh, okay?" Charlotte pleaded with him, "She can't stand such stimulation now."

"Okay. I'll try my best."

Not long ago, Charles and his wife came to Frosdorff Manor on the outskirts of Vienna.

In order to conceal their identities, they deliberately changed their attire and dressed like a young couple traveling nearby - if you ignore Charlotte's obvious bulging belly. This dress is actually quite similar.

This manor is the retreat of Her Royal Highness Princess Marie-Therese of the Bourbon family.

She was the first child born to Louis XVI and the queen after eight years of marriage. When she was born, although she was a daughter, the whole kingdom was in jubilation, because her birth proved that the king and queen had no problem with their fertility. After her, His Majesty the King did give birth to several more children with the queen, including two sons and a daughter.

However, the cheers soon disappeared when she was 11 years old. The revolution broke out, her family was detained, and when she was 13 years old, her father and mother were thrown into the guillotine one after another a few months apart.

Her first brother was lucky, dying a month before the outbreak of the Revolution, but her other brother was not so lucky. Although he was honored as Louis XVII by the exiled nobles after the death of Louis XVI, he did not fulfill his duties as king, and even this title brought him danger. He died in 1795. Even people still don't know how he died.

Only she survived, but now she is also going to die.

She married her cousin, Louis-Antoine, the son of Charles, Count of Artois, the third brother of her father, but the two did not leave any heirs, and it is unclear who was responsible.

After the death of Louis XVIII, the second brother of her father, Count of Artois inherited the throne and became Charles X, and her husband naturally became the crown prince. However, Charles X was not good at governing the country, and the revolution of 1830 once again defeated the royal family and expelled them from French soil. Her husband was forced to sign an edict of abdication after being king for only one hour, and watched Philippe Equal's son fulfill his long-cherished wish and ascend the throne.

She was a witness of an entire era, even history itself.

Before long, she would be buried in people's memory along with an era.

The Great Revolution and its initial aftermath were finally coming to an end. The giants of that era had passed away or would pass away one by one, and even the witnesses of the most intense events would disappear.

This was the person Charlotte loved and admired the most. Whether it was her deep hatred when facing the mob, her extreme contempt for the usurper, or her extreme determination when she declared that she would blow up the Pantheon after returning home, her words and deeds were all in line with Charlotte's special values. No wonder Charlotte regarded her as an idol and was so loyal to the cause of protecting the king and orthodoxy.

So it is not difficult to imagine the impact of the news of the eldest princess's death on Charlotte.

After a while, perhaps because she felt that what she said to her husband was too harsh, Charlotte grabbed her husband's hand again, "Charlotte, I'm sorry... I'm just... I'm just too nervous."

"Charlotte, don't apologize to me, I understand you." Charles hugged her very considerately, "I said too much."

Charlotte's grandfather just died a few months ago, and now the eldest princess is also going to die. Two people she admired died one after another, which was a huge blow to her. And Charles's words just now did feel a bit harsh, and he said it smoothly. He just said it without caring about his wife's feelings.

"They are the Wang family. I don't know how many people they have given favors to before. Even our ancestors have received so much care?! But now few people pay attention to them. Everyone is ungrateful. If even I don't pay attention to them , then they are really pitiful." Charlotte's tone unconsciously sounded a little crying, "How can people like us not support the orthodox monarch?"

Ciel did not answer her question, and he did not need to answer this question.

Just then, a servant knocked on the door and walked in.

Charles immediately let go of Charlotte, while the servant pretended not to see anything and looked very calm.

"Your Majesty has summoned you two now. Please come with me." After he finished speaking, he turned around and walked back. Not showing any curiosity about their identities.

Because the eldest princess was married to the eldest son of Charles X, and this eldest son did take over the throne after Charles X abdicated, so from an orthodox perspective, she was indeed His Majesty. But Ciel and Charlotte didn't shout that. Ciel was due to political stance, while Charlotte was due to emotional issues - in her heart, another title was more meaningful.

Soon, they arrived at the bedroom of Her Royal Highness the Princess.

Then they saw an old woman. Sitting upright in front of them, when she saw the young couple, she nodded slightly and motioned for them to come over in a dignified manner.

However, she did not gain much dignity because of this. Her thin and wrinkled face did not show much beauty. Instead, you could see the pain of a person fighting against the disease. Even her lips had lost their color, became dry and pale, and The other skins blend into one. Her hair was also dry and gray.

Looking at this, even people who don't understand medicine can understand that she really doesn't have many days left.

"Your Highness." Charlotte deliberately suppressed the grief in her heart and walked to the old woman's side. Although she had difficulty moving, she still bowed to her respectfully. "I'm really sorry that I didn't come to see you until now."

"It's good that I can still come, Charlotte." A slight smile appeared on the old woman's face, "Maybe God has never taken me away just to fulfill your loyalty."

"I...I'm sorry, Your Highness." Charlotte hesitated. But in the end, he bowed his head and apologized to her, "I... I did not fulfill my promise to welcome you back to the country..."

A few years ago, Charlotte went to Austria in the name of travel. I met Her Royal Highness the Eldest Princess, but now, several years have passed, and things have changed one after another, as if it was like a lifetime ago.

"It's okay, good boy. You have worked hard enough. I am only grateful to you." The old woman raised her hand slightly and touched her face. "At least with your efforts, the usurper I got my comeuppance and I'm glad I lived to hear about his death."

Yes, Louis-Philippe, Duke of Orleans, founder of the July Monarchy, the despicable usurper, had lost his throne to the Revolutionary Party, ended up in exile in England, and died last year. The orthodox people, whether Charlotte or the eldest princess, are all happy about this.

"I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." Charlotte was not relieved by her understanding words, but just buried her head next to her and kept mumbling to herself. She apologized not only for not achieving her ambition back then, but also for her husband, brother, and even her father, her remaining family members, who all betrayed orthodoxy.

Yes, the Treville family is still nostalgic for the Bourbon family, and she is the only one left. Although no one else said it, she knew it.

"Silly boy, what are you sorry for!" The old woman shook her head and smiled bitterly. "You are going to be a mother now, and you will experience happiness that I have never had the chance to experience, so I ask you to enjoy this happiness as if it is for me."

Then, her eyes drifted slightly, and finally moved to Ciel, and then looked at Ciel steadily.

After a while, she nodded slightly.

"Mr. de Treville, nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you, Your Highness." Charles nodded lightly.

In order to allow Charlotte to reminisce about the past, and to avoid embarrassment for herself, Ciel remained silent until he was named by the other party, then he had no choice but to speak.

"The last time I saw you, you were still a baby." The eldest princess stroked Charlotte's back and said to Charles, as if she was reminiscing. "I didn't expect that it would be more than twenty years ago." Time passed by so quickly that people were caught off guard!”

Charles was stunned for a moment, slightly surprised.

He was born in 1827, and it was indeed still under the rule of the Restoration Dynasty at that time, but... at that time, his grandfather was treated coldly because of his loyalty to Bonaparte. He should not be qualified to be seen by the eldest princess who was still the Crown Princess at that time. Yes?

Read the original text in Liu#9@书/吧!

"It was Phillip who brought you here. We had a good personal relationship at that time. When he asked to see me, he brought you here in private." As if to answer his question, the eldest princess continued, "He said this He is the son of his brother, although his brother is a helpless man who has taken refuge with Bonaparte. You are a degenerate, although his nephew is a promiscuous womanizer, but you are innocent and you deserve a chance to have a glorious future. It’s very emotional, so I promised Philip that I would take care of you when you grow up.”

Is there such a thing? Ciel was slightly surprised.

He didn't believe that the eldest princess would lie about such a thing. So this must be true.

Then, inexplicably, he had more respect for his deceased cousin. Although he has always treated his younger brother's family coldly in order to hide his identity from others, in fact, he has always been considerate of his own family.

"I...can I ask, how do you plan to arrange for me at that time?" Although I knew it was meaningless. But Ciel still couldn't help asking.

"He is a Duke and a cabinet minister. Of course the path he chose for you is the best." Her Royal Highness the Princess immediately replied, "If you want to join the army, you can join the Guards Cavalry Regiment and then serve in North Africa. If you want to be in politics, he will let his friends help you so that you can rise to the top. If you don’t want to do anything... he can at least let you just hang out."

then. Her Royal Highness the Princess suddenly laughed, "Of course, none of us thought at that time that the entire dynasty would be over in a few years, and none of us would be able to help you according to this agreement. What we didn't even think about was that even if we didn't With our help, you finally reached this position...Young man, you are really amazing. I have heard your name many times in the past few years.”

This shouldn't be a good reputation... Ciel smiled bitterly in his heart.

The Duke's plan ultimately failed to materialize, and the Bourbon dynasty collapsed. Then it was restored, then collapsed again, times changed, and all his plans came to nothing. However, he achieved his previous wish... Maybe he was at least satisfied with himself before leaving? This strange thought suddenly flashed through Charles's mind.

"Thank you for telling me all this." He bowed to the other party again, "I will take good care of Charlotte and repay your kindness."

"I didn't give you any favor." The eldest princess shook her head, "I planned to give it to you a few years ago, but you refused without hesitation."

A few years ago. It is true that the Orthodox faction recruited Ciel and made a proposal to make him prime minister after the restoration. There is no doubt that this unfulfilled promise was rejected by Ciel without hesitation as if it were waste paper.

Now that the eldest princess mentioned this, Ciel couldn't be so polite. "I will still refuse now, please understand."

"I'm not trying to please you, you don't have to do this." The princess still had a smile on her face, "We are a royal family, and although we are in trouble, we will not be beggars, and we will not beg a second time after being rejected once. You have chosen your path, and we have no intention of interfering.”

"I...I'm glad you think so." Charles secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"But, I want to remind you that although Bonaparte can win the favor of some people now, he will not continue like this forever. He is standing on the crater and playing with fire, and sooner or later the entire earth will erupt, leaving him unable to think Continue. And you, being too close to him, maybe one day They are also lit by fire. Common people are impulsive and fickle, and I have seen their capriciousness." The eldest princess's tone became slightly serious, "I didn't want to tell you this at first, but you are Xia. Lot’s husband, so I want to remind you for her sake.”

"I think you have something to say." Charles nodded, "But isn't this the case in Europe now? People are like water, they seem calm and patient, but from time to time they make waves, and sometimes they are even rough. Therefore, every government must cautiously row the boat of power forward in the waves, trying not to capsize it.”

"And beg them to bear with you a little longer?" The eldest princess shook her head, and then said bluntly, "Don't you think such a regime is too humble?"

"Catering to the people is not humble. After all, all our wealth was created by them——"

"Thank God we don't have to say the same kind of rhetoric as you. That's the advantage of the monarchy. I can laugh at the mob at will, but you can only say nice things against your will. Even if you all look down on them, you can only grovel and say nice things." The princess suddenly sneered. "What happened to the so-called people? They claimed to resist the nobles, and they took up the sword. As a result, they killed dozens of times more of their associates than they wanted to kill the nobles. This is the people."

"I think your words are a bit too harsh." Charles hesitated slightly. Then he glanced at Charlotte.

Charlotte also felt that the atmosphere was a little tense at this time. She turned her head gently and signaled Charles not to argue with the dying old man.

"Those people chopped off my father, my mother, my aunt's heads, and you expect me to forgive them? Or say nice things about them? No, I'm sorry, I can't, I can only tell the truth. They are just a bunch of blind people Flies. They take pleasure in hating and killing each other." The princess's tone was very harsh and harsh. It was obvious that based on her experience, she really couldn't say anything good.

Being looked at by her like this, Ciel also felt a little uncomfortable.

Although Charlotte looked at her and signaled him not to get angry with the old man, he couldn't help it.

Yes, he was angry from the bottom of his heart, not for the people, but for this family.

Why don’t you understand?

"But under the rule of His Majesty Louis XVI, there were also many heads that withered due to the poverty brought about by the ills of the dynasty - although these heads did not fall to the ground bloody. But this does not explain how noble this result is... ..." Charles shrugged disrespectfully, "I I am not speaking for the mob, madam. In fact, I am as afraid of the mob as you are. After all, I have climbed to a sufficient position now. I just want to say that if a ruler cannot maintain his rule, he is essentially derelict in his duty. . Now that he enjoys a country, he gives It is impossible for a monarch to have unlimited responsibilities while enjoying the country. Did he give up the throne when he ascended the throne? Have you ever thought about giving up? No, otherwise his brothers would jump. Just think about being a king. If this is the case, why does he moan when the blood of the crown touches his body? So, in this sense, he has failed as a result of losing his country. ruler, and I have no sympathy for losers.”

Charles raised his head and looked at Her Royal Highness the Princess equally pointedly.

"Char!" Charlotte couldn't help shouting to stop him.

"You..." Incomparable anger flashed across the old woman's face, and she wanted to curse, but in the end she endured it. "Should you be beheaded if you fail to pass?"

"Some people are lucky and have not been chopped down. But not everyone is so lucky." Charles' tone was still very calm. "He lost the country because of his panic and incompetence at an unlucky moment, and this unlucky ultimately consumed his life."

"This kind of fallacy..."

"He himself ruined his rule and handed over his honor, dynasty, and even the lives of himself and his family to the mob. In the end, you still have to complain about the mob with this kind of whine! What's the point of this? Is it a truly meaningful approach? It’s not about carrying your own dynasty so that he and you won’t suffer like this. Disaster?" Charles interrupted her and looked up at the eldest princess, "Your Highness, a king cannot whine or complain. He can only rule and then die. That's what you always say. This pitiful whine proves that he is unqualified and that you are just as unqualified as him!

The people needed idols, but God was dead, sinking beneath the earth with the blood of kings. Now no one can rely on it to rule a country. Now we have to create another shrine and call it "The People". Yes, everything we have comes from the people. We work hard for the well-being of the people and fight to the death against the enemy. No matter what the actual situation is, we must at least let the people think that we are doing this. You reject this slogan with ancient arrogance, but you don't know that in modern times this slogan is the source of power! History has been gentle enough to you. It actually killed Napoleon with the sword of fate. However, you still can't remember this and squandered the opportunity, but you still miss the lovely years... My God, I'm so happy that you were finished back then. Otherwise, you will have to make me pay with blood for your arrogance! "

Charles walked unconsciously to the seat next to the eldest princess, and then lowered his head with a hint of pity, "The fact is so obvious, but you still cling to the old stubbornness and refuse to admit this fact... I’m not angry, I’m sad, Your Highness.”(~^~)