Between Two Queens

6. Buda, Autumn 1351

     The German nobleman, Ulrich von Helfenstein, strode through the corridors of Buda Castle, towards the throne room.  He was recently sent to the Hungarian court by his liege lord, Karl, King of Bohemia and Germany.  Ulrich was a favorite of Karl, and served him in his household for sometime.  Ulrich's inheritance was the small county of Helfenstein, near Bavaria.  Wanting to raise Ulrich to more of a princely status, Karl wanted to find a bride for him who was of a higher social standing.  But he did not look at the unmarried girls from the princely houses of the empire, instead he looked at the girls of the Kotromanics of Bosnia.  Knowing where the Kotromanic girls were educated, Karl saw them to be good catches in both education and connections.  He wanted to stay connected to the Hungarian court in the closest way possible.  Since it would be years until his son could marry Anna of Swidnica, he saw that a high-ranking Hungarian marriage for one of his favorites would be the best deal for now.       

     Ulrich had spent the past week at court, and he knew that now was the time to ask Lajos for the hand of one of the Kotromanic girls, preferably Elizabeta.  He had with him a written request with Karl's seal on it.  Ulrich was admitted into to throne room, and knelled before the Hungarian king.  He clutched the document in his hand.  

"Your Grace.  I ask your permission to marry a lady from your court, at the request of my liege, King Karl of Bohemia."  He opened the document and handed it to the king.  

"Who is this lady?" Lajos asked.  "Is she aware?  Are her kinsmen aware of your intention to marry her?" 

"No, your Grace.  I'll tell her if you approve.  The lady I desire is Elizabeta Kotromanic."

Lajos tensed and felt his heart rate rise.  "Sorry my lord, but her rank is too high for you."  He read over the document, and saw that Karl indeed wanted Ulrich to ask for Elizabeta or Maria.

"What do you mean, too high?  Her father is a mere ban.  Kotromanic is not a renowned name.  Only in Croatia and Serbia do people know who the Kotromanics are.  I am a count, roughly the equivalent of her father.  You surely can't be saving her for one of your Angiven kinsmen, or even yourself!"        

"Ban Stephen surely is no great prince, but his land is more than ten times the size of yours."  Lajos growled.  "Plus, the Lady Elizabeta's mother was from the Piast dynasty, and that only adds quality to her blood.  But the other girl, Maria, is the daughter of the Ban's younger brother.  Perhaps Maria is better to your fitting."  

Right then, Lajos kept thinking of Elizabeta.  He wanted to reserve her before it was too late.  He looked at his mother sitting besides him.  "Give us a moment."  he said to Ulrich.  "I need to talk this over with my lady mother."  Lajos and Elzbieta got up and withdrew into the side chamber. 

"I must marry soon." Lajos said to his mother once they were alone. "Men at court are already trying to snatch up the Kotromanic heiress."

He brought up the possibility of a marriage to Elizabeta to his mother before. Elzbieta was not particularly pleased by this choice. Her father was one of Lajos' vassals. He ought to look further abroad for a wife that was born to a royal dynasty. A marriage alliance with the House of Kotromanic will surely be a downgrade from his first.

"Why the Kotromanic girl when I can find you a more suitable match, like a relative of Karl of Bohemia or a daughter of a Piast duke?"

"Her mother was a Piast." Lajos said.

"But that does not make Lady Elizabeta a Piast by birth. She was born a Kotromanic. No old and distinguished lineage on her father's side."

"Her paternal grandmother was the daughter of a king of Serbia. That makes her one of the closest living relatives to the Serbian royal family."