Eagle's Glory

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

This is a long dining table. His Majesty the Emperor sits at the main seat, while the Empress sits opposite him. Aegron is next to His Majesty the Emperor, and opposite him are the second prince, Grand Duke Karl, and Princess Sophie.

Crown Prince Ferdinand often suffers from epileptic seizures due to his poor health, so he has not been married until now, nor has he participated in His Majesty's dinner, eating alone in his bedroom.

After he took his seat, Princess Sophie looked at him, then smiled and blinked.

"Good evening, Franz..."

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

The two smiled at each other, then looked away.

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

Because tonight is not a grand palace banquet, but just a dinner among royal family members, so the meal is not considered luxurious.

The cold appetizer is white sausage, supplemented by mushroom cream soup, and the main course is sirloin cut into small pieces, with a sauce made of cod and caper buds, and there are many small desserts on the side.

During the meal, the members of the royal family are the closest to each other in a day, and it is also the time when they least need to put on airs, 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.

"Frantz." After taking a few bites, His Majesty 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 reason... It's very simple, I don't want to be a soldier, Your Majesty." Egron replied as calmly as possible, "This is purely It's a matter of interest, it's not that I'm trying to be against him on purpose."

"But in life, not everything will be satisfactory, even as an emperor." His Majesty spread his hands, "No, I should say, this is especially true for 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 his will.

Aigron took a deep breath, slowly calming down his sudden heartbeat.

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

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

"My father was a man who brought countless nightmares to the European continent. Because of his greed, countless young people died in foreign lands from Lisbon to Moscow, and they would never see their family members who missed them. I can still feel it to this day." Aigron continued in an affectionate tone full of guilt, "Because I know the nightmares he created, I feel that I can't stare at the guns that create innocent souls... I don't want to be with you. Like him, he exchanged his blood for his reputation, and those shiny uniforms can't impress me. I just want to be an ordinary person, live here in seclusion, live quietly, and pray for those warriors who died in vain. "

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

However, he definitely didn't think so. He was fed up with this kind of secluded life and only wanted to regain his freedom. In order to achieve this goal, he didn't mind burning the whole world.

Under his influence, the people around the dining table fell silent.

His Majesty the Emperor listened to Aigron's confession in astonishment, and was a little moved for a while.

Metternich's words and his grandson's words were lingering in his mind, and he weighed them all and found it reasonable.

"Look, we have raised Franz to be a monk! This compassion is really touching." After a while, he smiled awkwardly and eased the atmosphere at the table, "Frantz, I don't want to interfere with your wishes, but as your grandfather, I have the 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 Franz's words make sense." Sophie bravely raised her head and looked at His Majesty the Emperor, "Frantz doesn't have to live like Napoleon, I don't think he is suitable to be an officer either, you just didn't Is he handsome? How can such a child withstand the harsh torture of the army? Since he prefers pens to swords, as elders, we should satisfy his wishes, right? He likes a quiet life Just let him continue like this, maybe one day he can become a Napoleon in the poetry world, and maybe leave more immortal poems for your Schönbrunn Palace... Wouldn't that be great?"

Aigron did not expect that Princess Sophie just said she would help him, but she did what she said, and it was so fast.

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

"Sophie, you Bavarians have always loved poetry and music more than guns..." Her husband, Archduke Karl, next to her, made a joke with a smile, trying to smooth things over for everyone.

But Princess Sophie didn't appreciate it, her eyes rolled slightly, and she gave her husband a stern look.

Under this stern gaze, Grand Duke Karl immediately took a mouthful of soup and gagged his mouth.

The second prince, Archduke Karl, has always been gentle and even weak, so he respects and fears his wife Sophie, who has a strong personality. In 1848, he had a chance to inherit the Austrian throne, but because of Sophie's insistence, he gave up. The throne, ceding the throne to their son, who would later become Emperor Franz Joseph.

With the male members of the Habsburgs declining day by day, Princess Sophie, with her strong will, firmly controlled the court, even known as "the only man in the Habsburg court".

Only then did Aigron realize the momentum.

"Your Majesty, what Sophie said is also reasonable. We should not only train Franz, but also refer to his personal opinions. Otherwise, it will only make him fall into depression and pain at a young age, which is not good for everyone. Not good." Her Majesty Queen Caroline couldn't help but speak after seeing her younger sister (who is also the daughter-in-law in name) defending Egron so actively.

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

When the two 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 don't communicate much with each other. On the contrary, she and his younger sister, Princess Sophie, get along better. Some.

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

Maybe it would be better to let Napoleon's son say goodbye to guns for good?

Metternich's suggestion was still lingering in his mind, and he was a little undecided all of a sudden.

Just as he was thinking about it, the dinner came to an end, and the attendants brought the fruit after the meal, and His Majesty the Emperor decided to take a look at it for the time being.

In this way, as His Majesty got up and left the table, the people at the dinner left the restaurant with a feeling of joy or depression.

Aigron is the lucky one.

In any case, relying on the help of Princess Sophie, he finally escaped the trouble for the time being.

However, this is only temporary.

If you don't get rid of this life of relying on others as soon as possible, then you will still be at the mercy of others, and if you can escape today, you can't escape tomorrow.

"Eggron~"

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

After she left the restaurant, she changed her name again.

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

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

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

And just a moment ago, she was trying her best to defend herself in front of His Majesty the Emperor.

Affected by her smile, Aigron straightened up unknowingly.

"As long as it is your call, of course I am free."　　

8，坠马

Of course, Eggron would not miss the kind invitation of Princess Sophie. He got up early the next morning, and after some exercise, he followed the princess' attendants to the fountain.

"Good morning, Eggron!" Princess Sophie, who was already getting ready to go, greeted him with a smile on her face. "Are you ready?"

Unlike her usual long skirt, she was wearing a hunting suit today.The tight-fitting clothing and breeches made her figure more exquisite and exquisite, and her long gray hair was also tied behind her head, making her look heroic.

"I'm ready," Aegron replied.

"Okay, let's go now before it's too hot!" Her Royal Highness waved her hand excitedly.

The weather is beautiful today, and it is another sunny day. The weather is very suitable for going out for a long trip, but it is already early summer after all, and the temperature will rise at noon, so it is not suitable for strenuous exercise, so the best time to hunt is in morning.

So the two stopped talking, and walked together into the garden, where the attendants led the horses, and then they rode the horses, passed through the zoo and botanical gardens of the Schönbrunn Palace, and rushed all the way west to the outskirts of Vienna. In the vast forest.

The two rode side by side, and Her Royal Highness's entourage followed behind. Under the cover of many trees, the bright sunlight gradually became darker. Breathing the fresh and shady air, Egron only felt refreshed.

"Eggron." In the silence, Princess Sophie whispered. "What you... said in front of us last night, was it true?"

Aegron's heart suddenly tightened.

He didn't know if Sophie was asking questions on behalf of himself or someone else.

"While you were talking, I kept looking into your eyes." Before he could answer, Sophie continued, "To be honest, your words are full of emotion and emotion. Logically speaking, I should Believe it - but, when I look into your eyes, I feel your heart burning... Eggron, you don't mean it, don't you? We've known each other for a while, although you always deliberately put yourself I hide my feelings, but I don’t know why, I just feel that your words are insincere, those words are deceitful scene words, Aigron, did I blame you?"

Aegron remained silent and did not answer.

"Don't worry, these words are just what we said in private. I will never mention it to anyone else, even to Karl." Sophie turned her head and looked at the boy with a smile on her face, " I just want to confirm whether I have wrongly blamed you, and I didn't mean to interrogate you. If you don't want to, you don't have to answer."

Now that this has been said, it doesn't make much sense for him to continue explaining. For no reason, it will only cast a shadow on the trust between the two people.As for being silent, it didn't make sense, it seemed that he was afraid instead.

"Yes, I was lying." So he admitted it straight away. "I have no intention of becoming a writer or traveler at all, these are just fooling their words."

"Well, it seems that you are quite honest with me, and my kindness was not in vain." Princess Sophie smiled, and then asked again. "If this is the case, why do you reject His Royal Highness's arrangement? Although it must be malicious, objectively it will indeed help you."

"I know that if I obey my destiny..." This is of course impossible to answer.

Egron lowered his head and looked at the trembling mane on his mount, "I'm actually not opposed to joining the army after a while, but I... I can't bear to be with you now, if I go now, There will definitely be fewer opportunities to see you in the future, so I would rather wait for a while longer."

"Have you learned the deceitful words of a prodigal son at a young age?"

Princess Sophie glared at him, then raised her hand and picked up the riding whip as if she was going to give him a whip.

Aigron didn't dodge, but just looked at Sophie calmly.

Sophie's whip didn't really go down, she put her hand down again, and then looked forward.

"You are too short of friends, so you may think our friendship is too precious."

"Not many people are willing to be my friend." Aigron replied in a low voice. "I don't know whose friendship to cherish except you, because I don't have any."

After getting this answer, Sophie was obviously a little sad.

"This is really a trick of God! Why did you have to suffer this kind of suffering." Finally, she sighed. "Aigron, don't be discouraged, everything will be fine. As long as I'm here, no one here can bully you."

"Look, you don't let me cherish such precious time while you donate kindness to people like me nonchalantly. Isn't this difficult..." Aigron looked at the other party with aggrieved eyes, "If you want me If you change your mind, then it's better not to treat me like a sister, just treat me like everyone else."

"Haha..." Sophie couldn't help laughing, "I really didn't realize that you are so eloquent. Well, let's stop talking about these unpleasant things and concentrate on hunting!"

After speaking, she picked up the shotgun and aimed at the quail flying in the woods.

"boom!"

With a loud noise, smoke filled the space between the two, but it was a pity that the princess's marksmanship was not very good and she missed.

The gunshot woke up the woods, and all kinds of birds in the woods jumped up one after another.

Aigron also raised his shotgun and aimed at the frightened birds flying around in the distance.

Because the trees in the forest are lush and the light is dark, the field of vision for shooting is not good, so he can only do his best.

"Hit!" Sophie cheered, as if she had hit the target.

While speaking, she steered the horse and ran towards the direction where the prey fell, and Aigron naturally followed behind her, and at the same time reloaded the shotgun with new bullets.

"Aigron, your marksmanship is good." Looking at the dead quail under the horse's hoof, Sophie looked at the boy approvingly.

"It's just good luck occasionally." Aigron pretended to be modest.

"Look how proud you are!" Sophie was unconvinced again, picked up the shotgun and reloaded the bullets, "Look at mine!"

She raised the shotgun on horseback to aim again, and after aiming at the prey, she slowed down her breathing, and then pulled the trigger, the action was one-stop.

"boom!"

With a loud noise, this time an unfortunate turtledove floated to the ground.

"Hit!" Sophie cheered for herself this time, and then rode her horse and ran over, ready to appreciate her victory, and Aigron also raised his shotgun and shot in front, but because of the shadow of the trees, he did not Did not kill prey.

"I beat you this time." Sophie rejoiced.

In this way, the two rode their horses through the woods, shooting from time to time, competing to see who killed more prey, and time passed in this leisurely and warm atmosphere.

"Aigron, it seems that you are still better than me." After a while, Sophie calculated the records of the two, and then said regretfully.

"It's just my luck," Aegron replied humbly.

While chatting, the two walked down a slope.Because this horse was not his daily mount, he was not very stable on the downhill road, and he was more prone to jolts when he was on the horse, so he carefully steered the horse while chatting with Sophie.

"Aigron, promise me one thing?" Sophie said suddenly.

"Please tell me." Aigron replied immediately.

"No matter how much you achieve in the future, you have to be rational and don't spread your hatred to everyone. Although the Austrians are guarding against you, they also have their own difficulties. Most of them have nothing against you. Bad feeling..."

"No one can tell what will happen in the future, but of course I will not let hatred blind my eyes." Aigron replied briefly, "If you ask me to do this, then I promise you, I will."

Sophie looked him in the eyes as he answered, and nodded happily when he finished.

"Great, I believe you... Aigron, this is what I want to see most in you..."

She didn't expect that when she was overjoyed, unexpected accidents and disasters came here.

The horse's hoof of her mount slammed heavily into the wooden stake hidden in the grass, and the sprained horse let out a mournful cry, then the upper body fell down, and the lower body suddenly lifted up.

"Ah!" Sophie screamed as she was being taken and swung upwards.

God!

Eggron felt his blood freeze.