Queen by accident

Third part: Princess Frederika Wilhelmina von Krupniz

  Except for Baron Duch, everyone else chooses to remain by the king's side. They gather around his bed, some watching with pity, other being unable to hide their happiness. The king extends his hand in the chancellor's direction and the old man comes closer to the bed. He kneels near the edge of the bed, just next to the king's head and glares at him with what looks to the others to be tears. Although we should keep in mind that almost no one has ever seen Chancellor Bruchnof displaying any emotions short of maybe occasional rage. The fading voice of the monarch is finally heard by his barons:

  -Have you voted?

  -Yes, your Majesty. We all agreed with your demand...

  -Take care of her... She will need you...

  -Don't worry, your Majesty! I'll act with her the same way I acted with you, both me and the ministers. Isn't that right?

  -Yes, of course! We'll stay by her side...

  -See? Nothing to worry about. Just hold on there! Your battle isn't over yet! You'll be back soon... soon... The chancellor's words slowly turn from his usual rough and fast pace into failed attempts of holding back his tears. He gets back on his feet and leaves the room. His ministers and some of the barons follow him. I think it's pretty clear to our reader that, with the king on his death bed, everyone is looking up to the old royal bulldog for guidance.

  He looks like he's about to leave the building. He pauses just before touching the doorknob and turns on his heels and his merciless eyes pass over the face of everyone:

  -Someone must inform the princess about what we've decided here and she must be brought here at once! If her father dies without her by his side, the public will have a hard time accepting her... Damn her distaste for the capital!

  -I'm offering to inform her, chancellor. Baron Dupendorf says with his quite calm voice.

  -Thank you, baron!

  -I'm leaving for Leck Chateau at once, if you may allow it.

  -There aren't enough words to describe my gratitude, Baron Dupendorf! My carriage is just outside, come quickly! We have wasted enough time already. We should have thought about bringing her here as soon as the assassination happened!

  The door opens again, but this time the person coming in the salon is the royal doctor, he looks directly into Chancellor's Bruchnof:

  -The king is dead... Long live the princess...

  He's almost instantly blown away from before the door by the chancellor who rushes into the other room like a storm and like a storm he comes out:

  -Dupendorf, bring the girl at once! General Negur – the royal minister of interior – if everyone in this room... no ... if your troops find anyone talking about the princess not being by the side of her father he passed away, they are to arrest that person on the spot! Gentlemen, this is a matter of utmost importance! No one is to find out that the king died before the princess' arrival! No one! We would risk outright rebellion... He falls in a chair and points his eyes at the floor, his face visibly pale.

  -As you wish, chancellor. Doctor, you'll change the hour of his Majesty's death to when the princess will arrive here!

  -Very well...

  As the barons and the ministers begin discussing possible changes in foreign and internal policies now that the king is dead, Dupendorf's carriage is racing through the capital's streets. With cavalrymen from the royal guard ahead yelling at everyone to get out of the way, the carriage leaves the town in less than ten minutes – which is quite a record, considering the fact that usually it takes a carriage between half an hour and forty minutes to achieve the same thing – and continues its sprint on the paved road that leads to the small hunting chateau of Leck. The building was built by the princess' grand-grandfather, King Ludwig the Third, to serve as a temporary residence for his hunting parties. It was transformed slowly but steadily by the princess into a small piece of paradise. The main building was expanded to accommodate her servants and small entourage, a new stable was built, a very admired garden with its own fountain, it also has a small zoo. The chateau is at just eight kilometres away from the capital, which was close enough for her father to know her daughter close, but far enough to keep the stiffness of the royal court away.

  When the baron bumps into the small ballroom, the princess, accompanied by almost twenty nobles of her age, is listening to a violin concert. She turns to receive the old man:

  -Welcome, Baron Dupendorf! Is something wrong, you are very pale and can't recall seeing you sweat before...

  -Your Majesty has to come with me! Now! There is no time, princess! The king... there was an assassinate attempt...

  To his pleasant surprise, the young girl is already running to the outside door. She grabs him by the hand and get out:

  -Where is carriage? Father! Is father alright? Tell me! Baron Karl Gustav Dupendorf, what happened to my father? She asks with her voice slowly breaking.

  -I am afraid you'll have to just come with me for now, princess... I'll explain everything while we get to the capital... Where are the horses?

  -We are changing them, baron...

  -Then move! Five pedirs if you bring new horses now! Quickly! I have no time to waste!

  To the princess' surprise, the servants bring the horses almost in an instant. It usually takes them around fifteen minutes change horses in normal circumstances.

  I know it may not be the best moment of the story, but I wish to inform the reader about the local monetary system – a system used on the entire continent of this world called by its inhabitants Cuaria – so lets begin with the most important coin, the gold one, the pedir. Made of solid gold, a few such coins can buy someone various things from medium residences to sailing ships. The overall dimensions of the ship of residence can vary, of course. The second most important coin is made of silver and it is called deh. One needs twenty dehs to equal a single pedir. The last one, called knic, is made of bronze. Fifty knics make for a single deh. The wage of a servant is usually around ten knics a week. Now, if we take into consideration the fact that our baron is throwing with five thousand knics at them, the servants moving so efficiently should not surprise us anymore.  

  The carriage soon rushes back to the capital with both the baron and the princess inside. With the chateau left behind, Baron Dupendorf finally decides to talk. He grabs her hand and looks into her eyes. The thing that scares our young princess the most is the sadness and the unease in his eyes:

  -My princess... I am afraid I have been sent to bring you to the capital because... because King Lutz was shot by five assassins just hours ago. Two shots hit him, one near his heart. The criminals have been caught, but his Majesty's fight is over... The doctor announced us about him passing away just moments before I left for you chateau...

  He pauses. The princess tries her best not to cry before him, to keep her calm.

  -The Crown Council agreed with his last wish, therefore you will be crowned the new monarch after the funerals... not queen yet, as the law specifies you have to be eighteen for that, you are the new head of our country.