A Letter from the Emperor
Vitelsbach. "Your Majesty, the procession of Her Majesty the Empress of Austria has crossed the border."
The King of Bavaria, Maximilian II, didn't lift his eyes from the papers as he asked offhandedly.
"Again?"
"Yes."
He knew it was about time for her to show up.
Not just Easter, but every Catholic holiday season, it was always like this.
"How many times is this now? Once she's Empress of the Empire, she should stay put in her place. Aunt Sophie must be worried sick."
He set down his pen and rubbed his temples.
"Helene's issue with the Duchess is headache enough, and now the Empress of Austria comes too."
A migraine was already creeping in.
"Joseph's too soft. Can't even control his own wife after becoming Emperor."
"What shall we do? Prime Minister von der Pfordten suggests an official welcome ceremony..."
"No need. It's not the first time, and she's here for a rest anyway. Tell her to stay quietly in Possenhofen and go back."
Max waved his hand dismissively.
"She'll rest a few days, Joseph will coax her, and she'll head back. No need to inform me."
He turned his gaze back to the papers.
He had to finish the reply rejecting the marriage proposal from the Thurn und Taxis family.
"A mere postal delivery family dares to covet royal blood? Not on my watch."
She was always running off to her parents' home in Possenhofen with excuses of spats with her husband or mother-in-law, so he figured this was just another routine elopement.
*
It should have been just that.
At the foot of the stairs to the Residenz Palace.
The guard of honor stood in formation, and maids in the lavish uniforms seen only in Vienna lined up.
"Prime Minister. Well done."
He whispered to Ludwig von der Pfordten, the Prime Minister beside him, just loud enough for him alone to hear.
If Pfordten had ignored his orders and skipped the protocol, it would have been a major blunder.
Can't read my cousin's mind at all...
Maximilian sensed something different in the air, but relaxed only when he saw Sissi grumbling as she stepped down from the carriage.
He descended the stairs to greet her.
"Welcome to Bavaria, Your Majesty."
He made a show of kissing the back of her gloved hand, observing every courtesy.
"Thank you for the warm welcome."
She wanted to head straight to the palace without delay, and Maximilian hurried to escort her.
Once in a reception room out of public view, they dropped back into familial familiarity.
"By the way, I heard Sophie and Gisela came too. Where are the children?"
"What would the kids do here? I left them with my parents before coming."
Not Sissi's choice, surely...
He glanced at Countess Esterházy-Lichtenstein standing behind her.
The Lord Chamberlain's doing, then.
"Good call. You must be tired too—have some tea and then go rest."
Max subtly tried to send her off to Possenhofen.
"Lord Chamberlain."
At Sissi's gesture, Esterházy standing behind politely opened her briefcase and took out an envelope.
Gold-embossed Habsburg crest.
And the red imperial seal, used only by the Emperor.
"...Sissi."
Sissi smiled brightly and handed it to Maximilian II, whose leisure had vanished.
"A personal letter from my husband."
Maximilian clenched his fist.
It was undoubtedly about the very marriage proposal to the Thurn und Taxis family he'd been about to reject.
If the Emperor of the Empire endorsed and guaranteed that family, what pretext did Bavaria have to oppose?
"Please convey my congratulations to Duchess Helene."
I thought my immature cousin sister was just throwing a tantrum and running home.
Sitting before him was the Empress of the Empire.
A shrewd one, her political calculations complete.
"It's the Emperor's personal letter. You have to accept it."
Maximilian let out a hollow laugh as he took the letter and set it on the table.
The tomboy cousin sister of old was gone.
"You're giving your brother—who needed the postal family's money but hesitated for royal face—a perfect excuse, right?"
As if.
Maximilian had never thought that way.
If he had from the start, he'd have approved the unequal marriage long ago.
"With the Emperor's guarantee, Bavaria's royal dignity stays intact. You'll even look like a magnanimous monarch honoring the Emperor's will."
Maximilian clicked his tongue in admiration.
"Sissi, your handiwork?"
Sissi merely savored her tea at his question.
"Tea always tastes better back home."
If I don't approve, she'll camp out here.
Maximilian threw up his hands.
"I'll send my congratulations to Helene... and a letter to Duke Thurn und Taxis too."
"A wise decision, Your Majesty."
Sissi rose from her seat. Mission accomplished—no reason to linger.
"Then I'll head to Possenhofen now. My parents and sisters are waiting."
"Wait, leaving right away? Stay the night in the palace."
"I sent the children ahead. Can't keep them waiting, or they'll fuss."
Sissi gave a graceful nod.
"Thanks for skipping the official welcome. Those events are torture for me."
She left the reception room with Esterházy.
"Some things never change."
Maximilian watched her retreating figure and agreed.
"Just like Uncle."
***
Family's great.
No need for explanations—they just brush it off as "that's how she is."
In another country, protocol might demand an overnight stay, but since it's still Bavaria, no big deal.
"Sissi!"
Father greeted me the moment I arrived.
"How's that stiff Maximilian doing?"
"Living appropriately for his age."
Twenty-six years older than me, but still.
"By the way, when did you get back? I heard you were off to Egypt when I left."
"Granddaughters visiting—what could be more important?"
Saying that, Father laughed heartily while giving Sophie a piggyback ride.
That's what's most important to you.
I swallowed words that would've made me the ungrateful daughter.
Mother-in-law would've fainted if she saw.
"Dad, your back okay?"
"Back? This back climbed the pyramids!"
I shook my head and headed inside.
Mother stood in the living room, and beside her...
"Nene!"
Sister Helene was there.
"Don't you see Mom? You send a messenger saying you're coming suddenly, but only the grandkids arrive separately, did you stop in Munich? Meet the King?"
I nearly lost my wits under Mother's machine-gun questions.
"A messenger from Munich will come soon."
I glanced at Nene as I said it.
Not the resentful glare from my first pregnancy, but she didn't look comfortable either.
"Your Majesty the Empress."
Sister knelt to curtsy.
"Family doesn't need that."
"Eyes are watching. Your maids too."
Nene spoke stiffly, but I didn't refuse.
"So you're here to rest? Everything okay with His Majesty the Emperor?"
"Not entirely."
"Fight with Sophie again?"
At Mother's worried tone, I took the exact same letter from Esterházy.
The personal letter I'd shown Bavaria's king earlier.
"From His Majesty the Emperor."
I placed the envelope in Nene's hand.
"With congratulations on your marriage."
Nene's eyes widened.
With trembling hands, she opened it, read the contents, and her eyes reddened.
"Sissi..."
As sister hugged me and the mood softened.
"You too, Nene..."
Mother slumped onto the sofa, hand to her forehead.
"One marries the Emperor and fights the family elder, the other drags His Majesty into marrying a postal delivery boy..."
At Mother's sigh-mixed lament, we exchanged looks and burst into snickers.
"But it all worked out."
"Yeah... think of it that way."
"Mother! Father and brother are fighting!"
What now?
Rushing in breathless was my younger brother, Karl Theodor.
"Fighting? Max and Ludwig?"
Mother paled and shot up.
"Brother says he's getting married..."
I tilted my head at "marriage."
"Why fight Father over a marriage?"
"He already has a daughter..."
Married? No—already given birth?
"Should've married him off sooner."
Still confused, Nene whispered in my ear.
"He's in love with Henrietta Mendel."
"Who's that?"
"Actress."
Actress?
No noble marries an actress...
"At least you married a noble..."
We're not some Monaco duchy that can't even get a proper seat.
Shouts echoed from outside.
"Give me love or give me death! You understood, Father!"
"I understand, but your mother will kill me, you fool!"
Father and brother brawling, Mother nearly fainting from the news.
"Mom..."
Sophie had sidled up, tugging my skirt.
"Sophie, doesn't it seem weird to you?" Sophie glanced around cautiously and nodded. What a peaceful household.