Ruled by Love (2 page)

Lower Silesia became almost purely Prussian.

It was left to the three Principalities in the centre to hold their heads high and maintain their independence.

All these thoughts passed swiftly through Zoleka's mind as she waited for her father to continue.

“In our country we have succeeded in proving our right to independence and I believe we have even gained the respect of our Prussian neighbours.”

“You have been so wonderful, Papa, you know it is true. So diplomatic and tactful that they no longer despise us as they did at first.”

He paused and Zoleka guessed what he was about to say.

“The exception,” he went on, “is of course Krnov.”

“You have said it before, Papa, but why is it so?”

“I feel the answer rests with Prince Majmir, who has made no effort to be friendly with his free neighbours. In fact I know very little about him.”

“But you must have heard a great deal?”

“What I have heard is not to his advantage. He is not bringing his country up to date as we have done here in Opava. He has not exploited his mineral resources as we have. In fact I think that if he is not very careful, the Prussians will take his country over.”

“They must not be allowed to do so,” cried Zoleka. “If they did, they might think of invading us and Cieszyn next.”

“That is exactly what I thought,” her father replied. “You are a clever girl and I might have known you would understand why I did not say ‘no' immediately to the Prime Minister's suggestion.”

“But what can I do? Even if I went as a Lady-in Waiting, the Prince would hardly listen to me. I would just be miserable away from you and would not be of any use to Krnov.”

“I don't believe that's true. With your intelligence I am sure you would see for yourself what is wrong at Krnov and make suggestions as to what could be done.”

Zoleka did not answer.

He walked towards his desk and back again before he added,

“If I try to interfere, or even pay a State visit to Krnov, they would undoubtedly tell me to mind my own business. What I require is a great deal more inside information to find out what is really going on. If there is real danger, then I can consult with Cieszyn and together we must do everything we possibly can to ensure that we maintain our independence.”

“I do understand what you are saying, Papa, but the whole idea is so frightening, and I do not wish to go away from
you
.”

“Do you really think, my dearest, that I want to lose you? I love having you beside me and since you finished with governesses and tutors you have made me very happy. You have prevented me from feeling as miserable as I was when I first lost your mother.”

“I know, Papa,” Zoleka murmured gently. “And I still miss Mama more than I can ever say.”

“How could either of us feel anything else?”

There was a note in his voice that instinctively spoke to her without words. The pain of losing her precious mother was just as acute as it had been when she died.

Hers had been such an unexpected death.

Princess Helen had seemed to be not only radiantly happy but extremely healthy.

She paid many visits to the poor, which she firmly accepted as her duty.

Then while doing so, she had caught a foreign fever from a man who had just returned from the East.

The fever was unknown to all the local doctors who did not realise how serious it was.

By the time the Prince had urgently sent to Vienna for its most renowned physician, Princess Helen was dead.

It was a major blow to the whole Principality, as everyone who knew her had loved her.

She was almost worshipped by the poor people in the City.

She had cared for them, assisted them and looked after them in a way that no ruling Princess of Opava had ever done in the country's history.

No less than her adoring husband and daughter, the people found it hard to believe that they had really lost her.

Princess Helen had been born English and was a distant relative of Queen Victoria.

Theirs had been an arranged Royal marriage and yet her husband had fallen head over heels in love with her straight from the moment they had first met.

She loved him in the same way as he loved her.

They were blissfully happy, although she regretted that she could not give her husband a son.

Even so they both absolutely adored their delightfully pretty daughter who they thought looked just like an angel sent to them from Heaven.

Thinking of her mother, Zoleka asked aloud,

“Do you suppose, Papa, that Mama would want me to go to Krnov?”

“I think your mother,” her father answered quietly, “would feel that, as we have received a cry for help, we are honour bound to do something about it.”

“A cry for help,” Zoleka repeated almost beneath her breath. “Do you really think that is what it is?”

“From what I have been told, the Prime Minister of Krnov and his Cabinet are feeling very worried. Reading between the lines I believe they are not as astute as they should be. But before I pass judgement I need a great deal more information.”

“Which you think I would be able to find out for you?”

“You can but try, my dear. I am not only worried about Krnov, but about
us
.”

Zoleka gave a little shudder.

The one thing no one ever wanted was to be under the yoke of the Prussians.

They were a most efficient people and there was no doubt at all that Upper Silesia had become richer since they had taken it over, but that was not to say that the Silesians were any happier under them.

There were frequent tales of persecution, besides a great number of protests against new and severe taxation.

There was a short poignant silence between father and daughter until Zoleka asked,

“If I do agree to go, Papa, how long must I stay?”

Prince Lászlé thought for a moment.

“Just long enough to find out everything we want to know. And whether you think that we should take a strong line before it is too late.”

“That is the real question, Papa. If we are aware that things are in a bad way, you can be quite certain that the Prussians know it too.”

“I am not too sure of that. According to the man I talked to this morning, the majority of the people of Krnov are content with their life as it is. It is the Prime Minister, who has not been in office for very long, who is worried that
laissez-faire
might prove disastrous to their country.”

“As it has done in many places,” remarked Zoleka.

Not only was she naturally very intelligent, she was also very well read. Her father had a magnificent library that continually broadened her knowledge and kept her learning.

He so enjoyed reading every new book published on the subjects that he was interested in and Zoleka followed his example.

They enjoyed debating everything they had learned from each book, deliberately arguing just for the fun of it.

Secretly, because it was a mistake to make trouble unless it was absolutely necessary, they both disliked the Prussians.

They found it hard to feel convinced that the increase of prosperity both in Upper and Lower Silesia was worth the overwhelming presence of Prussians, who treated these countries contemptuously and their people like serfs.

At the same time they drew an enormous amount of advantage from them.

If there were failures, the Prussians were very angry and more aggressive than usual.

When the gold and silver mines became exhausted, they squeezed what they could out of the peasants.

Each time this occurred the three free Principalities shivered and increased their defences.

But recently Krnov had not been following the lead of the other two.

They all realised that if it came to another war they would not be able to stand up against the vast resources of the Prussians.

There was no one alive who did not still yearn for the day when Silesia could look towards Vienna rather than the Prussian Hohenzollerns.

Zoleka walked towards the window.

The Palace garden was a mass of flowers and the white doves which her mother had introduced were flying round the fountain.

“How can I go away and leave you and this beauty which I love so much, Papa?”

“We could say ‘no', tell them to go to hell and stay happy as we are. But we have to be honest and admit that may just be endangering our own people, the people your mother loved and who loved her, and who are, I think, still very happy.”

“Of course they are so happy, Papa, you give them everything they have ever wanted. As you say, they loved Mama and we also have a place in their hearts.”

Her father sat down once more at his writing desk and then suddenly he brought his clenched fist down with a bang.

“Why on earth cannot Prince Majmir look after his people properly?” he demanded furiously. “It is now many years since he lost his wife and, I have heard, he was not particularly fond of her.”

He paused before he continued bitterly,

“He has a daughter, as I have, and he should be thinking of her rather than neglecting his country as he is so obviously doing at the moment.”

“In what way, Papa?”

“His messenger was vague. He merely insinuated that the Prince was not at all interested in what goes on day by day. The country is left to the administration of the Krnov Cabinet and the last Prime Minister was apparently a disaster.”

“So now the new one is attempting to modernise the government,” remarked Zoleka.

“It is going to be a big task and of course I have not been told very much. It was just suggested by the Prime Minister that the Princess should have a Lady-in-Waiting capable of helping her take her place as the rightful heir to the throne.”

Zoleka looked at her father in surprise.

“Prince Majmir is not thinking of abdicating?”

“I do hope not, but if he did, there would only be an ineffective and totally inexperienced young girl of eighteen to take his place.”

“Which, of course,” Zoleka said almost beneath her breath, “would make an excellent excuse for the Prussians to walk in unopposed.”

“You have said it for me, my bright daughter. That is exactly what I was thinking.”

Zoleka gave a big sigh.

“I tell you what I will do, Papa. I will go to Krnov for a short time to see what is happening. Then I will insist on returning home to you, so that I can tell you what I have discovered.”

She smiled as she added,

“Of course I could then have a serious illness which would prevent me from going back and they would have to find someone else in my place.”

Her father held up his hands.

“You are going too fast,” he protested. “One fence at a time. If you go, my dearest, you know it will break my heart to send you away. But I think you will be doing a great service not only in helping Krnov, but in making me and Prince Vaslov of Cieszyn aware of what is happening.”

“What is Prince Vaslov like?”

“I have not seen him for some years since he was finishing school and just about to go to University. When he left the latter, apparently with flying colours, he insisted on going round the world.”

“That was sensible of him.”

“When his father died six months ago, he took over as Ruler as everyone expected and I have been told that he is already bringing Cieszyn up-to-date in so many different ways.”

“Well, that is certainly a step in the right direction at any rate. And if he has any brains he will support you in anything you suggest in the future.”

“That is just what I need. We are three independent countries, but we have to be united. Otherwise we will be swallowed up by the Prussians like Upper and Lower Silesia and cease to be the individuals we are at the moment.”

Zoleka gave a little sigh.

“Don't even think about it, Papa. It frightens me that those Prussians would so love to get their hands on our country and Krnov. Don't forget we both have mines and they are increasingly pleading for our lead, iron and zinc to supplement their own production.”

“They are not going to have any of it, if I can help it. That is why, my precious little daughter, I want you to find out all you can about what is happening in Krnov.”

He was silent for a moment before he added,

“I had actually set some enquiries in motion earlier. But when I heard nothing from Krnov and Prince Majmir never bothered to communicate with me, I thought it best to let sleeping dogs lie.”

“I would have been only too glad to have agreed with you,” sighed Zoleka.

“But now that they have approached me, it is very difficult to refuse. As I have already indicated, I feel that only someone with your fine intelligence could find out what is really going on.”

“Do we have any diplomatic communication with Krnov, Papa?”

“There has been no reason for it. We want nothing from them and they have wanted nothing from us – until now.”

The Prince rose and walked to the mantelpiece and then back again, clearly deep in thought.

“I suppose if I am completely honest with myself, I have been worried for some time as to whether we should do something positive about Krnov. But there has been so much going on and it did not seem of such great importance. So I ignored a little voice in my head which told me that something was wrong.”

“I will try to find out what it is, Papa.”

Zoleka gave a deep sigh before she enquired,

“How soon do I have to go?”

“As soon as possible! Let's get it over with, my dearest. I want you back here and it is going to be a very miserable month or so for me while you are away.”

“Where is the envoy who came from Krnov to see you?”

“I sent him to talk to members of the Council. But I think they will get very little out of him. I sensed he was scared to say too much and had received strict instructions from his Prime Minister as to what he should and should not tell me.”