Bride to the King Read online

  Her question, spoken in a somewhat hesitating voice, brought the blood coursing into her father’s face.

  “How dare you argue with me!” he raged. “How dare you suggest that you will not do as you are told! You ought to go down on your knees and thank God that you have a father who considers you to the extent of providing you with a throne, which is not something to be picked up every day of the week!”

  His voice deepened with anger as he went on,

  “You will do exactly what I tell you! You will go to Dórsia with your grandmother and you will make yourself pleasant to the King – do you understand?”

  “Yes, Papa – but – ”

  “I am not listening to any arguments or anything else you have to say,” the Archduke roared. “It is typical that, after all I have done for you, I find that I have been nurturing a viper in my bosom! You are ungrateful besides apparently being – half-witted!”

  He coughed over the word, then continued,

  “There is not a girl in the whole Duchy who would not jump at such an opportunity, but not you! Oh, no! You have to complain and find fault! God Almighty! Who do you expect will ask to marry you – the Archangel Gabriel?”

  The Archduke was really carried away in one of his rages by now and Zosina, knowing that nothing she could say would abate the storm, rose to her feet.

  “I am – sorry you are – angry, Papa,” she said, “but thank you for – thinking of me.”

  She curtseyed and left the room while he shouted after her, “Ungrateful and half-witted to boot! Why should I be afflicted with such children?”

  Zosina shut the door and was glad as she went down the passage that she could no longer hear what he was saying. ‘I should have kept silent,’ she told herself.

  Her father had taken her by surprise and she knew that she had been extremely stupid to have questioned in any way one of his plans. It always annoyed him.

  ‘He is also annoyed,’ she thought, ‘because he cannot make the State visit himself. He would have enjoyed it so much. But it will be fun to go with Grandmama.’

  Queen Szófia, the Queen Mother, was both admired and loved by her four granddaughters.

  Because she had an abundance of traditional Hungarian charm, she had captivated most of the population when she reigned in Lützelstein.

  But there had been a hard core of Court officials who found her frivolous and too free and easy in her ways.

  Now, when she was well over sixty, she still appeared to laugh more than anyone else and life in the small Palace to which she had retired five miles away, always seemed to Zosina a place of happiness and gaiety.

  She reached the hall and was going towards the stairs when out of the shadows emerged Count Csàky, the Ambassador to Dórsia.

  He was an elderly man whom Zosina had known all her life and as soon as she realised he wished to speak to her, she went towards him with her hand outstretched.

  “How delightful to see you, Your Excellency!” she exclaimed. “I did not know you had returned home.”

  “I only returned two days ago, Your Royal Highness,” he replied, bowing over her hand. “I imagine His Royal Highness has told you what news I brought him?”

  “We have just been talking about it,” Zosina said, hoping the Ambassador had not heard her father raging at her.

  He smiled,

  “In which case I have something to show you.”

  She walked with him into one of the anterooms where distinguished personages usually sat when they were awaiting an audience with her father.

  The Count went to a table on which she saw a diplomatic box. He opened it and drew out a small leather case.

  He handed it to her and, when she opened it, she knew without being told that it contained a miniature of the King of Dórsia.

  He was certainly good-looking with dark hair and eyes. He was wearing a white tunic resplendent with decorations and appeared very impressive.

  “I thought you would like to see it,” the Ambassador murmured beside her.

  “It is very kind of Your Excellency,” Zosina said. “I had been wondering what the King looked like, but actually, although I did not say so to Papa, I thought he was too young to marry.”

  “His Majesty comes of age in a month’s time,” the Count replied. “He will then be able to reign without the Regent and the Prime Minister and the Privy Council consider it very important, when his uncle retires, that he should have a wife to support him.”

  “His uncle has been the Regent for a long time?” Zosina asked, thinking it was expected of her.

  “Yes, for eight years. The King was only twelve when his father died and his uncle was appointed Regent and has, I may say, ruled Dórsia on his nephew’s behalf extremely well. It is a rich country, thanks to him. Your Royal Highness will have every comfort besides living in what is to my mind one of the loveliest places in the world.”

  There was so much warmth in the Ambassador’s voice that Zosina looked at him in surprise.

  “I am not being disloyal, Your Royal Highness, to Lützelstein,” the Count said quickly, “but as it happens, my mother came from Dórsia and that is one of the reasons why I was so delighted to be appointed Ambassador there.”

  Zosina looked down at the miniature she held in her hand and said,

  “I asked my father if the King – really wanted to marry me, but it – made him angry. I would like to – ask you the same – question.”

  She raised her eyes to the Count as she spoke and he thought any man would be only too willing and eager to marry anyone so lovely and so attractive in every way.

  He had always thought Zosina was an exceptional girl and he was sure that, with her intelligence, her beauty and her inescapable charm, any country over which she reigned and any man she married would be extremely lucky.

  Then, as he realised that she was waiting for him to answer her question, he said,

  “As it happens, Your Royal Highness, I took with me to Dórsia a miniature of yourself since I thought the King would wish to see it, as I have brought his portrait to you.”

  “And what did His Majesty say?” Zosina asked in a low voice.

  “I do not know His Majesty’s reaction,” the Ambassador replied, “for the simple reason that my negotiations for the marriage took place with the Regent. I gave him the miniature so that there would be no mistake about it reaching His Majesty’s own hands.”

  Zosina could not help being disappointed. She would have liked to know exactly what the King had said when he saw her portrait.

  “I do understand,” the Count said with a tact that was part of his profession, “that it is difficult for Your Royal Highness to contemplate marrying somebody you have never seen, even though you realise how expedient it is from the point of view both of Lützelstein and Dórsia.”

  “I – accept that I have been born into a certain – state of life,” Zosina said hesitatingly, “at the – same time – ”

  She stopped because she knew she could not put into words – and if she did there was no point in it – that she did not want to be just a political pawn, but someone much more important to the man she would marry.

  “Tell me about the King,” she asked before the Ambassador could speak.

  “He is, as you see, very handsome,” the Count replied and Zosina felt he was choosing his words carefully. “He is young, but that is something that time will always remedy and he enjoys life to the – full.”

  “In what way?”

  She had a feeling that this question the Count would find rather hard to answer and he hesitated quite obviously before he replied,

  “All young men find life exciting when they are first free of their Tutors and studies and the King is no exception. But I think, Your Royal Highness, it would be a mistake for me to say too much. I want you to judge for yourself and not go to Dórsia with a biased mind.”

  Zosina had the idea that the Ambassador was trying to get out of a rather difficult situation.


  But why it should be so difficult she was not certain.

  She thought to herself shrewdly,

  ‘He wants me to like the King and he is afraid that anything he might say would prejudice me one way or another.’ She looked down again at the miniature.

  The King was good-looking and almost as if she spoke to herself, she said,

  “He is – very young.”

  “Two years older than Your Royal Highness,” the Ambassador replied, “and I am told by those who know him, that he has old ideas in many ways, which is not surprising seeing that he has been King for so many years.”

  “But it is the Regent who does all the work!” Zosina flashed.

  “Not all of it,” the Ambassador replied, “and I think Prince Sándor has gone out of his way to see that the King fulfils a great number of official duties from which he might have been excused.”

  “Does His Majesty resent having a Regent to run the country for him?” Zosina asked.

  “That is a question I cannot answer, Your Royal Highness. Knowing Prince Sándor as I do, I cannot imagine anybody resenting his authority, but one never knows with young people. I expect, however, His Majesty will be very glad to be free of all restrictions except those of Parliament when he comes of age.”

  “He might find a – wife restricting too.”

  The Count smiled.

  “That is something, Princess, I feel you would never be to any man.”

  Zosina put the miniature down on the diplomatic box.

  “I thank Your Excellency very much for being so kind,” she said. “You will be coming with me and the Queen Mother to Dórsia?”

  There was almost an appeal in her voice and the look she gave him told the Ambassador that she thought it would be a help and a comfort to have him there.

  “I shall be with Your Royal Highness,” he replied, “and you know I am always ready to be of assistance at any time and in any way that you require.”

  “Thank you,” Zosina answered simply.

  She held out her hand, then without saying any more she left the anteroom and walked swiftly across the marble hall and started to climb the stairs.

  Only when she was halfway up them did she begin to hurry and to run along the corridors and burst into the schoolroom.

  As three faces turned to look anxiously at her, she realised that her breath was coming quickly from between her lips and her heart was pounding in her breast.

  “What is it? What has happened?” Helsa asked. “Was Papa very disagreeable?” Theone questioned.

  For a moment it was impossible for Zosina to answer.

  Then Katalin jumped up and ran to put her arms round her waist.

  “You look upset, Zosina,” she said sympathetically. “Never mind, dearest, we love you and however beastly Papa may be, we will all try to make you feel better.”

  Zosina put her arm round Katalin’s shoulders.

  “I am – all right,” she said in a voice which shook, “but I have had rather a – shock.”

  “A shock?” Helsa exclaimed. “What is it?”

  “I don’t – know how to – tell you.”

  “You must tell us,” Katalin said. “We always share everything, even shocks.”

  “I cannot – share this.”

  “Why not?”

  “Because I am to be – married.”

  “Married?”

  Three voices shrieked the words in unison.

  “It cannot be true!”

  “As Papa has said so – I suppose it – will be!” “Who are you to marry?” Theone enquired.

  “King Gyórgy of Dórsia!”

  For a moment there was a stupefied silence. Then Katalin cried,

  “You will be a Queen! Oh, Zosina, how marvellous! We can all come and stay with you and get away from here!”

  “A Queen! Heavens, you are lucky!” Helsa exclaimed.

  Zosina moved away to sit down on the window seat where she had been reading before she went downstairs.

  “I cannot – believe it,” she said in a very small voice, “though it is true, because Papa said so. But it seems – strange and rather frightening to marry a man you have never – seen and know very little – about.”

  “I know a lot about him,” Theone piped up.

  Three faces looked at her.

  “What do you mean? How can you know about him if we do not?”

  “I heard Mama’s Lady-in-Waiting talking to Countess Csàky when they did not know or had forgotten that I was in the room.”

  “What did they say? Tell us what they said!” Helsa cried.

  “The Countess said the King was wild and was always in trouble of some sort. Then she laughed and said, ‘I often think the Archduke is luckier than he knows in not having a son of that sort to cope with’.”

  “How would she know that – ” Helsa began, then interrupted herself to say, “Of course, the Countess is married to our Ambassador in Dórsia!”

  “I have just been talking to him,” Zosina said. “He showed me a miniature of the King.”

  “What does he look like? Tell us what he looks like!” her sisters cried.

  “He is very handsome and did not look wild, but rather serious.”

  “You would not be able to tell from a picture anyway,” Theone said.

  “If he is – wild,” Zosina said slowly, “I expect that is why they want him to get – married – in case he causes a – scandal or – something.”

  She was really puzzling it out for herself when Katalin, who had followed her to the window seat sat down beside her and said,

  “If he is like that, you will be a good influence on him. I expect that is why they want you to marry him.”

  “A – good influence?” Zosina faltered.

  “Yes, of course! It’s like all the stories, the hero is a rake, he has a reputation with women and he does all sorts of things of which people disapprove! Then along comes the lovely good heroine and he finds his soul.”

  Helsa and Theone burst into laughter.

  “Katalin, that is just like you to talk such nonsense!”

  “It’s not nonsense, it’s true!” Katalin protested. “You mark my words, Zosina will reform the rake and make him into a good King and she will end up by being canonised and having a statue erected to her in every Church in Dórsia!”

  They all laughed again, Zosina with rather an effort. “That’s all a Fairy story,” she said. “At the same time, I think I am – frightened of going to – Dórsia.”

  “Of course you are not!” Katalin said before anyone else could speak. “While you are there, you will have a good time. I have often wondered what rakes do. Is there a word for a lady rake?”

  “No,” Helsa said. “Besides, while a man can be a rake, you know that a woman, if she did even half the things a man can do, would be condemned for being wicked, and no one would speak to her.”

  “I suppose so,” Katalin agreed, “and she would be thrown into utter darkness or dogs would eat her bones as happened to Jezebel.”

  Even Zosina laughed at this.

  “In which case I think I would prefer to be canonised,” she said. “But at the same time, I wish I could stay here. I did suggest to Papa that the King might prefer to marry Helsa.”

  Her sister gave a little cry.

  “I would marry him tomorrow if I had the chance! For goodness sake, Zosina, don’t pretend you are reluctant to be a Queen! And if you grab the only King there is and I have to put up with some poor minor Royalty, I shall die of sheer envy!”

  “Perhaps when the King meets you when you go to Dórsia,” Katalin said, “he will fall in love with you and will threaten to abdicate unless you will be his wife. Then everybody would be happy.”

  “It’s quite a good story as it is,” Helsa said. “Here we are sitting in the schoolroom, going nowhere and meeting no men, unless you count those pompous old officials who come to see Papa and suddenly Zosina is whisked off to be crowned Queen of Dórsia. It really is the
most exciting thing that has happened for years!”

  “Papa said I was – ungrateful and I suppose I – am,” Zosina said slowly. “It’s just that I would like to have – fallen in love with the man I-I – marry.”

  There was silence for a moment. Then Theone said,

  “I suppose we would all like that, but we have not much chance of it happening, have we?”

  “Very little,” Helsa agreed. “That is the penalty for being born Royal, to have to marry who you are told to marry with no argument about it.”

  Katalin put her head on one side.

  “Perhaps that is why Papa is so disagreeable because he did not want to marry Mama and always found her a bore.”

  “Katalin! How could you say such things?” Helsa asked.

  “I don’t know why you should be so shocked,” Katalin answered. “You know how good-looking Papa was when he was young. I am sure he could have married anyone – Queen Victoria herself if he had wished to!”

  “He would have been too young for her,” Helsa said, who was always the practical one.

  “Well – anyone else with whom he fell in love.”

  “Perhaps he did,” Katalin said. “Perhaps he was in love with a beautiful girl who was not Royal and although they loved each other passionately, Papa was forced by his tiresome old Councillors to marry Mama.”

  “I am sure we should not be talking like this,” Zosina said, “and it does not make it any easier for me.”

  “I am being selfish and unkind,” Katalin added hastily, “and we do understand what you are feeling – do we not, girls?”

  “Yes, of course we do,” Helsa and Theone agreed.

  “It has been a shock, but at least he is young and handsome,” Theone went on. “You must remind yourself if ever he is difficult that he might well have been old and hideous!”

  Zosina gave a little sigh and looked out of the window.

  She was trying to tell herself she should be grateful and, as Theone had just said, things might have been much worse.

  She knew that what was really troubling her was that she had always dreamed that one day she would fall in love and that it would be very wonderful.

  All the books she had read had, in one way or another, shown her how important love was in the life of a man and a woman.