HnH 1: Part II: Chapter 9 & 10

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

Chapter 9 - The Sword of the Habsburgs

Days pass before Eduard regains consciousness, and the first thing he sees is Franz Stephan's face. They talk, and Franz Stephan gives him gifts. The first is from Eugene, as thanks for saving his life. A small snuff box of chalcedony, from his famous collection. The other gift is from his sword -- the sword guard from the famous sword Hercules, given to Eugene by Leopold I. It is the perfect size to use as an eye-patch, and replaces the Spanish gold piece, much to Valentin's satisfaction. Eduard, too, is a treasured sword of the Habsburgs.

Franz Stephan had sent a messenger to tell Therese that Eduard is awake, and she arrives and moves to his bedside. They stare into each other's eyes for some time, which gives Jaeckin a foreboding feeling, as he remembers Therese's servant coming the night before Eduard left for the Rhine. But Franz Stephan watches the two with every appearance of oblivious happiness. Jaeckin interrupts the two on the pretext of giving Eduard his medicine.

Flustered, Therese feels ashamed to have feelings like this for another man when she has such a wonderful fiancee. She leaves the room, unable to look Franz Stephan in the eye.


Chapter 10 - Challenge

Things are very bad for Eduard as well, torn between his love for Franz Stephan and his love for Therese. Not a night has gone by when he hasn't thought of her, and it's driving him mad. Unable to see her, he considers going back out to war again. Just when he's at his lowest, a messenger arrives from Keyserling. The Austrian troops are expected to arrive that morning.

Eduard wonders why Keyserling has sent a servant instead of coming himself, and begins to get a bad feeling. A little pressure on the servant reveals that a challenge is expected against Friedrich, from Eugene and the emperor, for his disobeying orders to remain at the Heilbronn Encampment. The servant begs Eduard to help their prince.

Eduard at once struggles up out of bed and begins to get dressed, despite not really being well enough yet. Franz Stephan catches him at it, but seeing how determined Eddy is, he knows better than to argue, and simply insists on going with him to minimize the damage. The troops are entering Wien in a long line, and their carriage that FS insisted they take instead of horses is bogged down in traffic. Eduard gets out and begins to walk.

"You're in a hurry," FS observes. "Have you got a lover in the army?"

"And what if I do?" Eduard teases back.

"Well, there are always rumors about men who spend their lives in the army. Like of Eugene. And Friedrich."

"How amusing. Let them talk."

Just then Eugene passes by, with Friedrich beside him. Eduard shouts loud enough to catch their attention, and Eugene dismounts to talk to him. He waves away Eduard's thanks for the gift, saying it's cheap repayment for his life, and urging him to ask for favors from himself and the emperor. Eduard replies that he does have one request, after which he would want nothing more. When Eugene tells him to name it, Eduard asks Eugene not to carry through on the challenge against Friedrich, as he was the one who brought Friedrich the information and asked him to move the troops. Eugene agrees.

Friedrich jumps off his horse and throws his arms around Eduard, thanking him. But Eugene has one parting shot. "You haven't completed your duties yet. Report quickly on the intelligence you gathered on Friedrich."

Friedrich freezes, his fingers tightening. "Is this true?" "Yes, it's true," Eduard admits.

Friedrich gets back on his horse, and there's no emotion or life in his icy blue eyes as he looks down at Eduard.


(Oh, Fujimoto, you evil, evil TEASE. Make us fall for Friedrich, and then make his enmity for Austria *personal*. Here ends part II, and at 250 pages, that's about a quarter of the story.)

HnH 1: Part II: Chapter 9 & 10

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

Chapter 9 - The Sword of the Habsburgs

Days pass before Eduard regains consciousness, and the first thing he sees is Franz Stephan's face. They talk, and Franz Stephan gives him gifts. The first is from Eugene, as thanks for saving his life. A small snuff box of chalcedony, from his famous collection. The other gift is from his sword -- the sword guard from the famous sword Hercules, given to Eugene by Leopold I. It is the perfect size to use as an eye-patch, and replaces the Spanish gold piece, much to Valentin's satisfaction. Eduard, too, is a treasured sword of the Habsburgs.

Franz Stephan had sent a messenger to tell Therese that Eduard is awake, and she arrives and moves to his bedside. They stare into each other's eyes for some time, which gives Jaeckin a foreboding feeling, as he remembers Therese's servant coming the night before Eduard left for the Rhine. But Franz Stephan watches the two with every appearance of oblivious happiness. Jaeckin interrupts the two on the pretext of giving Eduard his medicine.

Flustered, Therese feels ashamed to have feelings like this for another man when she has such a wonderful fiancee. She leaves the room, unable to look Franz Stephan in the eye.


Chapter 10 - Challenge

Things are very bad for Eduard as well, torn between his love for Franz Stephan and his love for Therese. Not a night has gone by when he hasn't thought of her, and it's driving him mad. Unable to see her, he considers going back out to war again. Just when he's at his lowest, a messenger arrives from Keyserling. The Austrian troops are expected to arrive that morning.

Eduard wonders why Keyserling has sent a servant instead of coming himself, and begins to get a bad feeling. A little pressure on the servant reveals that a challenge is expected against Friedrich, from Eugene and the emperor, for his disobeying orders to remain at the Heilbronn Encampment. The servant begs Eduard to help their prince.

Eduard at once struggles up out of bed and begins to get dressed, despite not really being well enough yet. Franz Stephan catches him at it, but seeing how determined Eddy is, he knows better than to argue, and simply insists on going with him to minimize the damage. The troops are entering Wien in a long line, and their carriage that FS insisted they take instead of horses is bogged down in traffic. Eduard gets out and begins to walk.

"You're in a hurry," FS observes. "Have you got a lover in the army?"

"And what if I do?" Eduard teases back.

"Well, there are always rumors about men who spend their lives in the army. Like of Eugene. And Friedrich."

"How amusing. Let them talk."

Just then Eugene passes by, with Friedrich beside him. Eduard shouts loud enough to catch their attention, and Eugene dismounts to talk to him. He waves away Eduard's thanks for the gift, saying it's cheap repayment for his life, and urging him to ask for favors from himself and the emperor. Eduard replies that he does have one request, after which he would want nothing more. When Eugene tells him to name it, Eduard asks Eugene not to carry through on the challenge against Friedrich, as he was the one who brought Friedrich the information and asked him to move the troops. Eugene agrees.

Friedrich jumps off his horse and throws his arms around Eduard, thanking him. But Eugene has one parting shot. "You haven't completed your duties yet. Report quickly on the intelligence you gathered on Friedrich."

Friedrich freezes, his fingers tightening. "Is this true?" "Yes, it's true," Eduard admits.

Friedrich gets back on his horse, and there's no emotion or life in his icy blue eyes as he looks down at Eduard.


(Oh, Fujimoto, you evil, evil TEASE. Make us fall for Friedrich, and then make his enmity for Austria *personal*. Here ends part II, and at 250 pages, that's about a quarter of the story.)