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Habsburg no Houken, Book 1
Part II - Early-Morning Attack on the Danube
Chapter 1 - Marriage or Country?
Valentin and Jaeckin bicker as per usual, and also fill Eduard (Eddy) in on the circumstances of Franz Stephan's betrothal while dressing him to accompany Franz Stephan to his meeting with Charles VI and his daughter Maria Theresa. Basically, Charles VI had decided to make it possible for his daughter to be his heir, by issuing the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713, which secured the succession to his (the Habsburg) line. Which means that whoever marries Therese gets an empire as well. So why our little prince of Lorraine and not one of the bigger guns hanging around the palace in Wien? Because the empire is already big enough with enough baggage, without an additional enormous kingdom added to it through the marriage. Franz Stephan's grandmother was a Habsburg, and his family had a long history of serving Austria. Originally Therese was supposed to marry Franz Stephan's older brother, Clement, but he died.
On the negative side? Lorraine sits between France and the empire, which have bad blood. The French aren't likely to allow their buffer to disappear, so Lorraine is threatened by the marriage. So Franz Stephan's mother is against it. So, basically, he can marry cute, day-dreamy Therese and gain an empire, but he'll have to give up his homeland.
Meanwhile, however, this is the first time Franz Stephan has seen Charles VI and Therese in six years, so he has to make a good impression. He's dressed almost theatrically, to be the prince who captured Therese's heart. In contrast, they dress Eddy up to show off his black hair and eyes, which make him look almost Spanish (Charles VI having been raised in Spain, he has a partiality to it). So Eduard is dressed in unrelenting black from head to toe, with only a gold coin for an eye-patch to add a splash of color.
Gotta love FS's sense of humor, though. When told his theatrical clothes will catch Therese's heart immediately, he laughs and says the only men in her life are her father and himself. If someone younger where to make an appearance, she'd fall for them instead.
(Oh, dear god. An entire chapter to discuss Eduard's wardrobe and his love for Franz Stephan's eyes. I'm serious: エドゥアルトは、自分をのぞき込んだフランツの淡青の瞳を思い出した。胸が痛くなるほど美しいその眼差の奥に、解決の目処のつかない苦悩を抱え込んでいたからこそフランツは、より厳しい境遇 にいたエドゥアルトに手を差し伸べたのに違いない。 I think there are at least two mentions of eyes or gazes on every page in this novel. Very moving stuff.)
Part II - Early-Morning Attack on the Danube
Chapter 1 - Marriage or Country?
Valentin and Jaeckin bicker as per usual, and also fill Eduard (Eddy) in on the circumstances of Franz Stephan's betrothal while dressing him to accompany Franz Stephan to his meeting with Charles VI and his daughter Maria Theresa. Basically, Charles VI had decided to make it possible for his daughter to be his heir, by issuing the Pragmatic Sanction of 1713, which secured the succession to his (the Habsburg) line. Which means that whoever marries Therese gets an empire as well. So why our little prince of Lorraine and not one of the bigger guns hanging around the palace in Wien? Because the empire is already big enough with enough baggage, without an additional enormous kingdom added to it through the marriage. Franz Stephan's grandmother was a Habsburg, and his family had a long history of serving Austria. Originally Therese was supposed to marry Franz Stephan's older brother, Clement, but he died.
On the negative side? Lorraine sits between France and the empire, which have bad blood. The French aren't likely to allow their buffer to disappear, so Lorraine is threatened by the marriage. So Franz Stephan's mother is against it. So, basically, he can marry cute, day-dreamy Therese and gain an empire, but he'll have to give up his homeland.
Meanwhile, however, this is the first time Franz Stephan has seen Charles VI and Therese in six years, so he has to make a good impression. He's dressed almost theatrically, to be the prince who captured Therese's heart. In contrast, they dress Eddy up to show off his black hair and eye
Gotta love FS's sense of humor, though. When told his theatrical clothes will catch Therese's heart immediately, he laughs and says the only men in her life are her father and himself. If someone younger where to make an appearance, she'd fall for them instead.
(Oh, dear god. An entire chapter to discuss Eduard's wardrobe and his love for Franz Stephan's eyes. I'm serious: エドゥアルトは、自分をのぞき込んだフランツの淡青の瞳を思い出した。胸が痛くなるほど美しいその眼差の奥に、解決の目処のつかない苦悩を抱え込んでいたからこそフランツは、より厳しい境遇 にいたエドゥアルトに手を差し伸べたのに違いない。 I think there are at least two mentions of eyes or gazes on every page in this novel. Very moving stuff.)
