Je T'aime.

XIV. Condesa Eleanore

Rather than sitting around in misery like I had done since October, worrying myself with thoughts and contemplation, I decided that I was finally going to get a second opinion. My main worry was that my love was unrequited, which was entirely possible. Most women were in love with men. They would do nothing with a female confession of love except throw it in the trash. But I had high hopes. Isabella seemed to cherish me as a friend. Would she want something more? The worst thing she could do would be to say no. The first thing I decided to do was to consult the person who knew her best.

I knocked on the door of a very specific royal apartment. It was called the Dame der Kronprinzessin-Wohnung, and was attached to the apartments of the Crown Prince and Princess. Ever since the palace was built this apartment contained the chief lady-in-waiting of the Crown Princess, either the wife of the Crown Prince, or an heir in her own right. This apartment had been empty since my mother had taken the throne. But now, for once in 20 years, a living soul occupied these apartments.

After my knock, a voice said, "One moment!" I stood awkwardly outside of the door for a few moments before it finally opened. I was met with the beaming smile of Eleanore. "Oh, hello, Christina! Do come in, do come in!" she ushered me inside without a second thought. I entered the apartment, which I had not entered until days before Isabella arrived. For the longest time, my sister and I used this suite as a playroom, since it was empty. The apartment still had its blush pink walls and matching furniture, but imported Spanish goods were scattered all about. Eleanore had an attachment to the motherland, that was for sure. "Welcome to my humble abode," she said, extending her arms to the richly decorated space around her. "Let me get you some chocolate, querida. Have a seat."

I sat down on a plush chair at Eleanore's card table. In the middle of the table was a ceramic black and gold bull, in the position to charge. On the wall beside the table was a painting of a Madrid street, its domed roofs and tall steeples reminding the Spaniards of its history of Muslim occupation. The street itself was so wide that the carriages and people surrounding them looked like ants. I doubted that the real streets of Madrid looked like that; the artist most likely cleared out a block or two of buildings in order to make the most impressive painting.

Almost as quickly as the word 'chocolate' fell from Eleanore's mouth, a servant sat a tray of dishware in front of me. Eleanore sat across from me. "Thank you," I said to the servant, who curtsied before scurrying away.

Eleanore reached for a silver device on the tray. It was like a pitcher of sorts, with a long spout on one side and a handle on the other. It stood on four feet, carved to look like lion's paws. It had a hinged lid on top, with a knob decorated to look like the head of a roaring lion. "Chocolate isn't too popular in Austria, I presume," said Eleanore, pouring the steaming brown liquid into two gold and white cups.

"No, no. We're more of the coffee drinking type here," I replied. Eleanore sat down the cup in front of me. Atop the chocolate sea was a thick floating foam, which swayed gently with the rocking of the liquid.

"Ah, I see. Well, you're going to enjoy chocolate the Spanish way," Eleanore handed me a tiny silver spoon with a long handle, which was twisted decoratively. "I like mine with two spoonfuls of sugar," I reached for the sugar bowl, and following the Countess's instructions, I spooned two servings into my drink, which immediately sank and disappeared under the foam. "And just a splash of cream," from a pitcher that matched the cups, I added a little bit of cream, which swirled gracefully in the cup. "There you are, and just a little stir," I swirled the spoon in the cup a few times, watching the drink slowly shift colors. "And done!"

I brought the cup to my lips and drank. The foam on the surface was bitter, but the chocolate underneath was creamy and sweet. I paused to take a breath, nearly swallowing my entire portion. "Wow, it's delicious!" I complimented.