She left his room and ran back to the corridor again.
There she saw Prince Vaslov, wearing his shirt and trousers and carrying a large object in one hand, going into her bedroom.
She hurried after him.
“The Count,” she whispered, “said you are to use your alarm.”
“That is exactly what I am going to do.”
He went to the window and Zoleka followed him.
He pulled aside the curtain and looked out and she did the same.
Now there was no movement in the bushes where she had seen it before.
The leaves were all still in the bright moonlight, but there was a definite movement a little further away beneath some trees and behind a large flower bed.
Prince Vaslov stood looking out into the garden and Zoleka saw him lift up what he was carrying in his hand.
He threw it out of the window up into the air and, as he did so it exploded, making a loud noise in the silence.
At the same time it emitted a brilliant light.
It was so unexpected that Zoleka gave a cry and he put out his arm and pulled her against him.
“It is all right, my darling,” he told her. “It will not hurt you, but it will bring help. Go and hide yourself by the bed.”
The endearment he had used made Zoleka look up at him in astonishment.
And next she felt his lips touch hers gently before he pushed her away.
As she crouched down beside the bed, she saw him draw a revolver from his belt.
CHAPTER SEVEN
There was silence.
Despite the danger Zoleka felt she must see what was happening in the garden, so she rushed back to stand beside Prince Vaslov.
He glanced down at her with a faint smile.
He was closely watching, she was aware, the wing of the Palace the wing where Prince Majmir’s apartments were situated.
She dared not speak.
Then suddenly the Prince bent forward and fired his revolver.
Not, as she had expected, towards the wing of the Palace, but straight in front of him.
Now she could see several men coming through the trees and bushes at the far end of the garden.
They were moving quickly and silently, which had something sinister about it.
She was convinced that they were Prussians.
As the explosion of the Prince’s revolver rang out, the men in front hesitated.
Then there was firing from every side of the garden and Zoleka knew that it was from Prince Vaslov’s soldiers.
The noise seemed to echo and re-echo around the Palace and was almost deafening.
She had the idea, although it was so difficult to see, that although the Prussians were carrying guns, they were slow in using them.
Suddenly and almost as quickly as it had all started, the firing ceased.
Zoleka could see that there were bodies lying on the ground beyond the fountain.
She looked to the right and saw there were a number of men sprawled just outside a door leading into the Palace.
Prince Vaslov waited for a minute just in case there was any more firing and then he put his revolver back into his belt.
“I must find Franz and go down to the garden with him to see what has happened.”
He put his arm round Zoleka.
“You have been superb, my dearest, as I knew you would be.”
He kissed her forehead.
Then as if he was forcing himself to press on with the business waiting for him, he strode from the room.
Zoleka reckoned that the Count was with Udele so she followed him.
It was only a few steps to the door to Udele’s room and it was ajar.
Prince Vaslov opened it and they were both about to walk in when they stopped.
At the far end of the room, silhouetted against the window, the Count held Udele closely in his arms and was kissing her fervently.
Prince Vaslov stiffened for a moment and stared as if this was something he had not expected.
He quietly closed the door and put his arms around Zoleka.
“If that,” he murmured, “is how the wind blows, it certainly suits me. Now, my darling, I am free to tell you how much I love you.”
His lips were on hers.
Almost before she realised what was happening to her, he was kissing her demandingly and passionately as if he would never let her go.
It was sublime, it was glorious, it was unbelievable.
She felt as if the whole Palace was turning topsy-turvy over her head.
She was flying up to the stars.
“I love you, I adore you, Zoleka,” Prince Vaslov breathed in a deep and rather unsteady voice. “But now I really must go and find out what has happened.”
He was about to turn away when the Count opened the door.
“Oh, there you are, Vaslov,” he called. “I think we ought to go down and clear up the mess.”
“I agree with you, Franz, but the girls are to stay up here.”
“Of course.”
Udele had followed the Count across the room and now she asked in a trembling voice,
“Do you think many of our men are dead?”
“I shall be surprised if there are any. You are not to worry about it. We will tell you and Zoleka all about it in the morning.”
The Count hurried after Prince Vaslov who was already walking briskly towards the stairs.
Udele put out her hand towards Zoleka.
“Will we be – safe?” she asked her in a whisper.
“I don’t think there is anyone left to harm us. Now we must do as they have told us. We must go to bed and try to sleep as there is sure to be an enormous amount for us to do tomorrow.”
“You are quite sure that Franz will be safe?”
Zoleka realised it was difficult for Udele to think of anything except the man she loved.
“I am quite certain,” she told her quietly, “that both of them will be safe, now come along with me. There is plenty of room in my bed for both of us.”
“Oh, can I? I am so frightened – of being alone.”
“Don’t worry so, we will be together and we can lie quietly in bed and think how lucky we are to have two such wonderful men to protect us.”
She nearly added,
“ – and to love us.”
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 hi
m 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.”
Ruled by Love Page 13