Marriage Negotiations
After the collapse of the compromise with Hungary, Franz Joseph began exploring alternative approaches.
“Bohemia/Lombardy Industrial Linkage Plan”
Geographically, Vienna served as the bridgehead connecting Bohemia and Lombardy.
With railroads, canals, and road networks radiating out from Vienna at the center, logistics, capital, and technology flows had no choice but to converge there.
“Adding new branch lines and canals here would halve the freight transit time from Prague to Milan. Every time Bohemian steam engine parts load onto Lombard textile machines passing through Vienna, tolls, warehousing fees, and exchange commissions flow directly into the imperial treasury.”
Franz Joseph signed the documents while listening to the Baron's explanation.
“What results do you anticipate?”
“The projected revenue alone could cover 25 to 30 percent of the common budget annually. This would provide a strong financial foundation for strengthening centralization under Your Majesty. Unlike Hungary, which relies on agriculture and noble privileges, this axis symbolizes industry, cities, and modern integration.”
The empire's factories, trade routes, and the hub linking logistics, finance, and wealth.
Once this picture was complete, Vienna would monopolize tolls and financial profits without lifting a finger, siphoning power from provincial nobles and securing the funds for emperor-centered centralization.
“Hungary remains sidelined.”
“We're making every effort to win them over as much as possible, but their industrially backward regions compared to Galicia make it hard to find suitable options.”
The Kingdom of Galicia and Lodomeria might be poor, but it had the Wieliczka salt mines and the oil the Empress was investing in. Hungary struggled to muster any industrial capacity.
“To utilize Transylvania's mines, don't we have to cross Hungarian territory?”
Transylvania, rich in gold, silver, salt, and various minerals, was vital to Hungary—but it was currently detached and under Austrian administration.
“Your Majesty, returning it to Hungary would likely spark rebellion in Transylvania.”
Franz Joseph agreed with the Baron's assessment.
Since that day, the Habsburgs had learned that brute force alone couldn't suppress nationalism everywhere—but Hungary was the exception.
‘Hungarians: over 8,500 killed. Romanians: around 6,000...’
When reports of mutual massacres arrived, the Habsburgs had no choice but to separate Transylvania from Hungary.
‘Without resolving Hungary's anxieties, we can't fully focus on the German Confederation...’
“Her Majesty the Empress has arrived.”
Franz Joseph set aside his thoughts at the news of Sisi's arrival.
“Let her in. Bruck, I'll summon you later.”
Bruck hurriedly gathered his papers and turned to leave just as Sisi entered.
“Greetings, Your Majesty the Empress.”
Sisi gave a light nod in acknowledgment and headed straight for Franz Joseph.
“Sisi, what brings you here?”
“You're attending the Exposition Universelle, right?”
The world's fair, commonly shortened to the Expo.
“Where did you hear that?”
“I was checking on your jubilee preparations.”
Sisi still harbored regrets over missing the previous London exhibition.
“You're going, but you didn't breathe a word to me?”
He'd figured she'd be upset, naturally.
Franz Joseph replied with a faintly flustered expression.
“Sisi, this isn't just a simple fair visit. I need to meet Napoleon directly to reset relations, and it's a chance to promote the Bohemia-Lombardy industrial linkage at the Austrian pavilion...”
Sisi crossed her arms, arched one eyebrow, and flashed a playful smile.
“All the more reason for me to go. What if you just end up in some tense staring contest with that French Emperor again? With me there, at least the mood would lighten up. Eugénie and I are close, you know. Plus... I still regret skipping London last time.”
Franz Joseph fell silent for a moment before letting out a sigh-laced chuckle.
“But you hate official events, don't you? You get bored just staying in the palace...”
“Bored? Sure. But this is special. I can sightsee the city now that the Paris riots are over—and most importantly, keep an eye on you so you don't botch the diplomacy. Without me, Count Grüne will just feed you more weird advice.”
The quiet observer by the door suddenly caught the splash damage.
“Why drag the well-behaved Count Grüne into this?”
Sisi shrugged lightly and glanced at Grüne.
“As if His Majesty the Noble and August Emperor could ever be at fault, right?”
“...Yes, Your Majesty.”
“What's got you in such a mood?”
“Mood? This is just legitimate grievance.”
“With that look on your face?”
Anyone could see the Empress was just bored and teasing Grüne.
“It reminded me suddenly of our time in Hungary.”
At the mention of Hungary, Grüne could no longer protest.
Not anymore, but during their early marriage, he'd spied on her in Archduchess Sophie's stead—a fact that lingered.
“No word from Sisi?”
Even a house dog learns to recite poetry after three years.
Franz Joseph pieced together her subtle shifts from the information accumulated in his mind.
‘She's sulking—could she be pregnant? I told her to be careful.’
“The doctor says I can ride again now.”
‘Then not pregnant.’
Franz Joseph felt lost in a maze of confusion.
“I got a letter from Victoria. Full of complaints, too.”
“Britain?”
“From the marshes.”
“Berlin? You've been corresponding with her?”
“Of course. I might neglect empress duties, but I'm not so incompetent that someone else has to handle my private life.”
‘What does she even take me for?’
Sisi spoke boldly but avoided his gaze.
‘Even if I asked her to start now...’
Empress duties weren't just one or two.
Court banquets, ballet and opera attendance, national celebrations, receiving foreign envoys and royalty—on top of that, even basic child-rearing had been taken from her early on, leaving her untrained in the rest.
Sophie had handed everything over, reassured by how well Sisi supported and mediated for Franz Joseph at his side—but Sisi was hopeless at everything else.
“The salon before...”
“I can't just let them gossip about my outfits unchecked.”
Vienna's nobles and Sisi had clashed for ages.
Hungarian maids meant she favored Hungary; Italian ones, Italy; Bohemian ones, Bohemia—they whispered endlessly.
Yet Countess Königseck, the court chamberlain assisting with all of Sisi's affairs, was Austrian.
“Still, it's one of the few times we have.”
“So you ditched me and went back?”
Franz Joseph fell silent, at a loss for words.
He too saw salons as tedious, grueling duties.
With the two meant to lead imperial culture shunning high society, Vienna's nobles had nowhere to vent their frustrations.
“...Mother will handle it.”
In the end, Franz Joseph's choice was Archduchess Sophie.
Sisi had dumped her unwanted duties on Sophie too.
Birds of a feather.
“Ahem, so you came to say you'll join me in Paris?”
“Not just that. We need to look into marriage prospects for the children.”
Compared to the imperial norm of scouting betrothals around age five, they were quite late.
‘Sulking over marriages, then.’
Franz Joseph realized why Sisi was in a mood.
Grüne astutely fetched portraits of Sophie, Gisela, and Rudolf, propping them on canvases.
Sophie came up first.
“For Sophie... South Germany seems the safest bet.”
“Bavaria?”
‘Hmm, not great... The Wittelsbach madness is about to spread worldwide.’
“What about Württemberg's Crown Prince Wilhelm?”
“He's Lutheran, I believe.”
“Is he? Then maybe Valerie or Albrecht from Württemberg.”
Württemberg's royals were Lutheran, but the collaterals Catholic.
A Catholic princess marrying a Protestant sovereign came with strings attached.
“No need to seek papal approval just to push a marriage like that.”
“What about Bavaria's Otto?”
“Otto... I'll meet him myself first.”
“Something wrong?”
Franz Joseph had thought Sisi would like him.
“He's quiet, studious, and has a domestic personality.”
Sisi glanced around and whispered to Franz Joseph.
“Ludwig's letter said he's changed a bit since enlisting.”
Franz Joseph himself had struggled to recover from Solferino's shock for a while.
He gave a weary smile and took her hand.
“Understood.”
They moved on promptly.
“Where for Gisela?”
Franz Joseph paused, weighing thoughts internally, hesitating before speaking with difficulty.
“What about the Bonapartes?”
Sisi's eyes widened as she stared at him.
“Never imagined those words from Your Majesty's mouth—an option I hadn't even considered.”
“Prussia's rising fast, so we have no choice but to ally for now.”
Sisi gauged his mood before speaking.
“...I turned them down recently.”
“Then we'll hold off until the Expo.”
“Good. I can sound out Eugénie naturally in Paris. No need to rush a decision yet.”
Truth be told, Franz Joseph saw France as little better than an enemy, so sending his daughter rankled him.
‘Since Sisi's so close with Empress Eugénie, I floated it just in case...’
Finally, Rudolf.
“Our Crown Prince, Rudolf...”
No solid prospects emerged.
Bavaria was overdone with frequent intermarriages, already floated for Sophie. Spain's throne was unstable. Sardinia was the worst enemy.
“Belgium's the only option right now...”
Belgium's Princess Stéphanie.
Britain treated Belgium like a protectorate and was close to France—perfect as a western gateway.
The top candidate at present.
‘But... they didn't get along, from what I recall.’
Sisi had no choice but to put Rudolf on hold too.