Eagle’s Glory

"Your Highness, His Majesty the Emperor invites you to dinner."

After speaking, the attendant respectfully left the room, leaving behind the two people who looked at each other.

Although he is the grandson of His Majesty the Emperor, Aegron does not have the opportunity to have dinner with His Majesty the Emperor every day. The order came suddenly at this time, which does not seem to be a good sign.

"It seems that His Royal Highness has persuaded His Majesty, and his determination is greater than he imagined." After a while, Count Dietrichstein whispered.

"Yes, so it's too late for you to regret it now, I can understand." Aegron nodded.

"Since I promised you, since I will not go back on it, but Your Highness, there is only so much I can do for you, I hope you can understand." The count sighed deeply.

Then, he stood up again, "Okay, I won't bother you anymore, you can take a good rest first, and then see Your Majesty later."

After the Count left, Aegron picked up the book again and looked out the window.

The room was silent again, except for the ticking of the chimes and the increasingly slanting sunlight outside the window, reminding people of the passage of time.

When the night began to fall on the earth, Aigron finally walked out of his room and followed the servant to the dining room.

Although it is now night, the splendid lights brought by the chandeliers on the ceiling illuminate the dining room translucently, and a group of uniformed attendants shuttle through it, showing the extraordinary style of the royal family.

When Aegron entered the dining room, His Majesty the Emperor had already arrived and sat on the main seat. So he walked up to His Majesty the Emperor and saluted him respectfully.

Although he ruled over a vast empire, the passage of time inevitably left traces on Emperor Franz I. His Majesty's hair was already gray, and no amount of majesty could hide that old and decadent atmosphere.

But even so, he still has enough energy to effectively rule the empire.

Because today was not a formal occasion, he didn't wear fancy clothes, he just wore a military uniform as casual clothes, and he didn't wear medals. The simple and plain attire made him look a little more energetic than when he was dressed up.

His Majesty the Emperor seemed to be in a good mood today, looked up and down at Aegron, and then nodded happily.

"Franz, every time I see you, I wonder if you can be more handsome, but I am not disappointed every time."

The sudden compliment left Aegron at a loss. He didn't quite understand the meaning of His Majesty the Emperor, but he must first express his gratitude.

"Thank you for your compliment, and I will try my best not to disappoint you in the future."

"Please sit down, it's really pleasant to have a young man by your side during dinner." His Majesty the Emperor smiled.

Aegron obeyed His Majesty's will and found a seat and sat down.

This is a long dining table. His Majesty the Emperor is sitting on the main seat, while the Queen is sitting opposite him, Aigron is beside His Majesty the Emperor, and opposite him are the Second Prince Karl and Princess Sophie and his wife.

Because of his poor health, the Crown Prince Ferdinand often has epileptic seizures, so he has not been married yet, nor has he participated in His Majesty's dinner, eating alone in his bedroom.

After he was seated, Princess Sophie looked at him, then smiled and blinked.

"Good evening, Franz..."

"Good evening, Your Highness." Aegron also greeted her.

The two smiled at each other, then looked away.

As His Majesty the Emperor began to dine, dinner officially began.

Because tonight is not a grand palace banquet, but a dinner between members of the royal family, the meal is not luxurious.

The cold cuts are white sausages, complemented by a cream of mushroom soup, and the main course is diced sirloin, served with a sauce made from cod and caper buds, and there are a number of small desserts on the side.

During the meal, the members of the royal family are closest to each other in the day, and it is usually the time when they need the least to stand on the shelf, so they talk a lot with each other, and even His Majesty the Emperor, who is always serious and difficult to approach, seems approachable. up.

"Franz." After taking a few bites, His Majesty the Emperor looked at the boy, "I heard that you rejected Metternich's proposal? Can you tell me your reason?"

"I don't know how His Royal Highness relayed my words to you, but I have already told His Royal Highness the specific reasons... It's very simple, I don't want to be a soldier, Your Majesty." Aegron replied as calmly as possible, "This is purely for interest. The problem is, it's not that I mean against him."

"But in life, not everything will be satisfactory, even as an emperor." His Majesty the emperor spread his hands, "No, I should say, even more so as an emperor."

His Majesty's tone was very kind, just like an ordinary grandfather educating his grandson.

But in this kindness, there is an unquestionable authority, at least in this court, no one can defy its will.

Aegron took a deep breath and calmed down his suddenly accelerated heartbeat.

"Your Majesty, this is not just my occasional willfulness. I made this decision after careful deliberation. Although it is indeed absurd to think carefully at my age, I ask you to listen to my reasons."

"Oh?" His Majesty the Emperor was very amused, so he nodded, "Let's talk."

"My father was a man who brought countless nightmares to the European continent. Because of his temporary greed, from Lisbon to Moscow, countless young people died in foreign places, never seeing their family members who missed them. I can feel it to this day." Aegron continued in a deep, guilt-filled tone, "Because I know the nightmare he caused, so I feel like I can't stare at the guns that create grievances... I don't want to talk to him. In the same way, I exchanged my blood for my reputation, and those shiny uniforms could not impress me. I just want to live here as an ordinary person, live in peace, and pray for those warriors who died in vain."

Because he had rehearsed it many times in his heart, his words were so sincere that he almost believed them.

However, he definitely didn't think so. He had had enough of this secluded life, and only wanted to regain his freedom. In order to achieve this goal, he didn't mind burning the whole world at all.

Under his infection, the people around the table were quiet.

His Majesty the Emperor listened to Aegron's confession in amazement, and for a while he was a little persuaded.

Metternich's words and grandson's words were lingering in his mind, and he felt that it made sense after weighing it.

"Look, we have taught Franz to be a monk! This kindness is really touching." After a while, he smiled awkwardly and eased the atmosphere at the table, "Franz, I don't want to interfere with your wishes, but as your grandfather, I have an obligation to plan for your future..."

"His Majesty!"

At this moment, Princess Sophie suddenly spoke.

His Majesty the Emperor looked at his daughter-in-law in surprise. "Sophie, what's wrong?"

"I think what Franz said makes sense." Sophie raised her head bravely and looked at His Majesty the Emperor, "Franz doesn't have to live like Napoleon, I don't think he's fit to be an officer either, you just didn't Are you saying he is handsome? How can such a child withstand the harsh brutality of the army? Since he prefers the pen to the sword, as elders, we should satisfy his wishes, right? He likes a quiet life. Just let him go on like this, maybe one day he can become a poetic Napoleon and leave more immortal poems for your Schönbrunn Palace... Wouldn't that be nice too?"

Aegron did not expect that Princess Sophie just said she wanted to help him, but she actually did what she said, and it was so fast.

Saying some nice comforting words in private is completely different from the pressure that needs to be faced to argue with His Majesty the Emperor in person. From this point of view, she really takes good care of herself.

"Sophie, you Bavarians have always loved poetry and music more than guns..." Her husband, Duke Karl, laughed and made a joke, trying to smooth things out for everyone.

Princess Sophie did not appreciate it, however, her eyes rolled slightly, giving her husband a stern glance.

Under this stern gaze, Archduke Karl took a sip of soup and gagged his mouth.

The second prince, Archduke Karl, has always been mild-mannered, even a little weak, so he is respectful and afraid of his strong wife Sophie. In 1848 in history, he had the opportunity to inherit the Austrian throne, but because of Sophie's insistence, he gave up Throne, ceding the throne to their son, later Emperor Franz-Joseph.

In the situation that the male members of the Habsburgs are declining day by day, Princess Sophie firmly controls the court with her hard will, and even claims to be "the only man in the Habsburg court".

It was only at this time that Aigron saw this momentum.

"Your Majesty, Sophie is also right. We should not only train Franz, but also refer to his personal opinions. Otherwise, it will only make him depressed and miserable at a young age, which is very important to everyone. Not good." Seeing that her sister (who is also the nominal daughter-in-law) was so active in defending Aegron, Her Majesty Queen Caroline couldn't help but speak.

The Queen, who is only 34 years old this year, is the fourth wife of His Majesty the Emperor. She is 24 years older than His Majesty the Emperor. When her Majesty the Emperor is getting older, she is more like a father and daughter than a husband and wife. .

When two people get along, it is more like a father-daughter model. His Majesty the Emperor treats his new wife with a gentle and tolerant attitude, but they do not communicate much with each other. Instead, she can talk more with her sister, Princess Sophie. Some.

His Majesty the Emperor did not expect that the trivial matter he originally wanted to settle at the dinner table suddenly turned into an argument among members of the royal family, and his wife and daughter-in-law unanimously supported the grandson's opinion.

Maybe it would be a better choice to let Napoleon's son say goodbye to guns forever?

Metternich's suggestion was still lingering in his mind, and he was suddenly uncertain.

Just as he was thinking about it, the dinner was coming to an end, and the attendants brought the fruit after the meal, and His Majesty the Emperor decided to observe it for the time being.

In this way, as His Majesty the Emperor got up and left the table, the people at the dinner left the restaurant with a happy or depressed mood.

Aigron is the lucky party.

In any case, with the help of Princess Sophie, he finally escaped the trouble temporarily.

However, this is only temporary.

If you don't get rid of this kind of snoring life as soon as possible, then you will still be manipulated by others at will, and you can't escape today but not tomorrow.

"Aigron~"

He suddenly heard the greeting in his ear, and turned his face to see Princess Sophie next to him.

She changed her name after she left the restaurant.

In any case, her gentle smile always makes people feel at ease.

"Aigron, are you free tomorrow? If you are free, let's go hunting outside to relax."

Obviously, she wanted to relieve herself a little psychological pressure.

And just a moment ago, she was still trying her best to protect herself in front of the emperor.

Under the infection of her smile, Aigron straightened his back unknowingly.

"As long as it's your call, of course I'm free."