HnH 1: Part II: Chapter 2 & Chapter 3

Habsburg no Houken, Book 1
Part II - Early-Morning Attack on the Danube

Chapter 2 - The Dreaming Archduchess Therese

An introduction to the court of Charles VI. Some court slime make snippy remarks at Franz Stephan, which he simply ignores, but Eduard takes offense for his friend and warns them to watch their tongues. Only later does he learn who he's been threatening: diplomats and high-level courtiers. He shrugs it off.

Charles VI, who is indeed taken by the Spanish gold coin used as an eye-patch, and the Spanish clothing. He asks Eduard if he likes Spain, and if he's ever been there before, causing one of his majordomo's hackles to go up (the man got his position by being the residential Spanish expert). But Eduard talks his way out of it skilfully, by saying that alas he has never been to Spain, but he can speak some, if the emperor would ever like to tell him tales of Spain. He gets an open invitation to the king's chambers.

Then Therese pushes her way in, pouting that if her father makes her wait any longer, Franz Stephan will be gone before she can see him. FS calms her pouting and wins her smiles again by giving her some jewelry.

Just then, she glimpses a rather intimidating stranger over her prince's shoulder. This is, the book tells us, the bell tolling an end to the day-dreaming girl's peaceful days.


Chapter 3 - The Veteran General Eugene

Later, FS asks Eduard what he thinks of Therese, anxious to hear his friend's opinion.

Honestly, Therese reminds Eduard somewhat of his naive and impetuous Adelheid.

"She's young yet, and still loves herself more than you," Eduard replies.

FS becomes curious then, about what kind of woman Eduard is interested in.

"What kind of woman do you prefer?"

Eduard froze for a moment, then took off down the stairs at a gallop, shouting back over his shoulder: "Blond curls, light blue eyes. Classical good looks with refinement, brightly cheerful, tactful. Who likes beautiful things, with an interest in collecting precious metals, and who has a red-headed boy and a silky-haired young man as trusted confidants."

Eduard's flight down the stairs and out the door causes him to run into some mounted men just outside. Both sides make their apologies, and the older gentleman who seems to be in charge of the party gets down.

"The look in your eye is the same as mine once was," he says, mostly to himself. He continues, saying that he knows all the young lords who might be permitted to use that particular entrance, and none of them is missing an eye.

Franz Stephan comes out, and makes the introductions. The thin, almost dainty old man is Prince Eugene of Savoy, an Austrian field marshal and famous military figure. We learn his extended history, a son of French nobility, but his mother was a former flame of Louis XIV, and he believes that the king was his real father. He wanted to join the French army, but the king rejected him. Enraged, he determined to leave France behind and start a new life elsewhere. He ended up, naturally, in Austria, France's bitterest enemy. Lots more about his military career, then slight joking with Eduard.

"So you're a doctor, but can you do anything else? Fight?"

"Well, I can use a gun well enough, and having one eye hasn't impaired that much. In a battle, I'll just lean on my left side against a convenient wall," Eduard drawls in reply. This gets laughter. "My sword-work is all right, although I can't fight two opponents at once any more. And my left side is blind. If you ever want to get me, please just come at me on my left side." More laughter. "I have my degree in medicine, and a fair fluency in linguistics. I can read and speak Latin, Italian, and French. Spanish I can speak only. And-" he leans in close to Eugene and lowers his voice, "Hebrew and Yiddish."

There's a long drawn out moment of tension, and Franz Stephan even has his hand on his sword in case things turn out badly, but in the end all Eugene says is: "We'll leave this here."

After the old man has left, FS tells Eduard that he spoke too much. But Eduard is unrepentant and determined not to lose this battle of wills with the old man. FS realizes that as long as Eduard is by his side, his life will always be stormy.


(Not so keen on Therese yet, as being seventeen is no excuse for anything in *my* book. But I'm liking Eugene. Very much. I want Itsuki Chihiro as Eugene♥)

HnH 1: Part II: Chapter 2 & Chapter 3

Habsburg no Houken, Book 1
Part II - Early-Morning Attack on the Danube

Chapter 2 - The Dreaming Archduchess Therese

An introduction to the court of Charles VI. Some court slime make snippy remarks at Franz Stephan, which he simply ignores, but Eduard takes offense for his friend and warns them to watch their tongues. Only later does he learn who he's been threatening: diplomats and high-level courtiers. He shrugs it off.

Charles VI, who is indeed taken by the Spanish gold coin used as an eye-patch, and the Spanish clothing. He asks Eduard if he likes Spain, and if he's ever been there before, causing one of his majordomo's hackles to go up (the man got his position by being the residential Spanish expert). But Eduard talks his way out of it skilfully, by saying that alas he has never been to Spain, but he can speak some, if the emperor would ever like to tell him tales of Spain. He gets an open invitation to the king's chambers.

Then Therese pushes her way in, pouting that if her father makes her wait any longer, Franz Stephan will be gone before she can see him. FS calms her pouting and wins her smiles again by giving her some jewelry.

Just then, she glimpses a rather intimidating stranger over her prince's shoulder. This is, the book tells us, the bell tolling an end to the day-dreaming girl's peaceful days.


Chapter 3 - The Veteran General Eugene

Later, FS asks Eduard what he thinks of Therese, anxious to hear his friend's opinion.

Honestly, Therese reminds Eduard somewhat of his naive and impetuous Adelheid.

"She's young yet, and still loves herself more than you," Eduard replies.

FS becomes curious then, about what kind of woman Eduard is interested in.

"What kind of woman do you prefer?"

Eduard froze for a moment, then took off down the stairs at a gallop, shouting back over his shoulder: "Blond curls, light blue eyes. Classical good looks with refinement, brightly cheerful, tactful. Who likes beautiful things, with an interest in collecting precious metals, and who has a red-headed boy and a silky-haired young man as trusted confidants."

Eduard's flight down the stairs and out the door causes him to run into some mounted men just outside. Both sides make their apologies, and the older gentleman who seems to be in charge of the party gets down.

"The look in your eye is the same as mine once was," he says, mostly to himself. He continues, saying that he knows all the young lords who might be permitted to use that particular entrance, and none of them is missing an eye.

Franz Stephan comes out, and makes the introductions. The thin, almost dainty old man is Prince Eugene of Savoy, an Austrian field marshal and famous military figure. We learn his extended history, a son of French nobility, but his mother was a former flame of Louis XIV, and he believes that the king was his real father. He wanted to join the French army, but the king rejected him. Enraged, he determined to leave France behind and start a new life elsewhere. He ended up, naturally, in Austria, France's bitterest enemy. Lots more about his military career, then slight joking with Eduard.

"So you're a doctor, but can you do anything else? Fight?"

"Well, I can use a gun well enough, and having one eye hasn't impaired that much. In a battle, I'll just lean on my left side against a convenient wall," Eduard drawls in reply. This gets laughter. "My sword-work is all right, although I can't fight two opponents at once any more. And my left side is blind. If you ever want to get me, please just come at me on my left side." More laughter. "I have my degree in medicine, and a fair fluency in linguistics. I can read and speak Latin, Italian, and French. Spanish I can speak only. And-" he leans in close to Eugene and lowers his voice, "Hebrew and Yiddish."

There's a long drawn out moment of tension, and Franz Stephan even has his hand on his sword in case things turn out badly, but in the end all Eugene says is: "We'll leave this here."

After the old man has left, FS tells Eduard that he spoke too much. But Eduard is unrepentant and determined not to lose this battle of wills with the old man. FS realizes that as long as Eduard is by his side, his life will always be stormy.


(Not so keen on Therese yet, as being seventeen is no excuse for anything in *my* book. But I'm liking Eugene. Very much. I want Itsuki Chihiro as Eugene♥)