Josephine

𝓔𝓹𝓲𝓼𝓸𝓭𝓮 3: 𝓜𝔂 𝓒𝓱𝓪𝓸𝓽𝓲𝓬 𝓔𝔁𝓽𝓮𝓷𝓭𝓮𝓭 𝓕𝓪𝓶𝓲𝓵𝔂

June 10, 1962

I was practically jumping on my throne in excitement. Konrad Habsburg, Kaiser of the Greater Germanic United Kingdoms, was visiting New York with his son. His son is, get ready, is Konrad Junior, or the second. Ah, royals, how very clever and original. We have an interesting relationship, Konrad and I. Konrad is my father's first son, from his first marriage. Then after his first wife died, he married my mother, Leah. Then I was born. This makes my half-brother a 32-year-old man. Thus, that means, his son, Konrad Jr. is my nephew. See that's the problem with intricate monarchies that find their roots centuries ago and how everyone, including me, is inbred, at least partially. My father sat next to me and then there was my mother on the Imperial throne.

"Are you ready, Josey?" My father whispered.

He and his son really hadn't talked much in many years. They disapproved of his decade and a half war that he waged across Central Europe between 1943 and 1958. But he pulled off the seemingly impossible: He restored his faltering empire and it's stronger than ever before.

"Absolutely," I replied.

The Herald blew through his trumpet, silencing the court.

"Herye! Herye! Welcome Kaiser Konrad and his son, Prince Konrad of Moravia!"

The pair were escorted into the room in their flashy uniforms. They looked quite dashing indeed. My father and mother stood up and I quickly followed suit. Our two families tensely approached each other, but the tension quickly melted, and my half-brother smiled warmly.

"Hallo Vater," he said.

The two men shook hands. Konrad bowed to my mother, it was stiff and very much just a courtesy. I'm sure if he didn't have to, he wouldn't give my mother a shred of respect. He was the ruler of the Großgermanisches Vereinigtes Königreich for bloody sake, he deserved just as much respect as all other royals.

"Your majesty,"

He then turned to me and gently kissed my cheek as was customary.

"Hallo Schwester," he said with a smile.

"Hallo Bruder," I replied.

"Fluent in German? Good,"

"Ja, mein vater made sure to teach me when I was just a little girl,"

"The daughter of a Habsburg you really are," He chuckled. 

Konrad towered over me, not just because of our age difference, but because of the fact I'm just small. Then again, I'm twelve, hopefully I'll grow. 

He stepped aside and my nephew addressed my mother and father before stepping in front of me.

"Tante Josephine,"

He addressed me rather casually, but he is my distant nephew, I'll allow it, but I also appreciate it. 

"Nephew, you speak English remarkably well!" I exclaimed in surprise.

Both my brother and his son spoke English fluently, but with thick Austrian accents. It was reminiscent of my father. The more time that passes, the more my own speech is influenced by my father, and my formerly pure posh British accent is now slowly mixing with a light Austrian one. 

"Well, I'm not in a German court, I'm in an American one, so I shall speak the American language... wait..." He trailed off, "American isn't a language du dummkopf it's English,"

"He's very... critical of himself," Konrad whispered.

I nodded.

"Well," My Mother said, "I believe His Imperial Highness and I have discussions to undergo, why don't you show Konrad junior around the palace, Josephine?"