It is another ordinary winter night, and Sallenstein, a small town located on the Swiss border, is as quiet as ever today.
Normally, this place is sparsely populated, but after nightfall, there is no one around. Everything is hidden in the darkness, waiting for the next day to come.
There is a lake next to the town called Lake Constance. At this time, the lake is frozen and dormant due to the arrival of winter. But when spring comes next year and the flowers bloom, people can enjoy the clear lake water and the surrounding green grass.
, and the picturesque scenery of the Alps in the distance.
Follow the trail and you will see Arenenberg Castle on the shores of Lake Constance.
This building has exquisite design and elegant appearance. Everyone in the local area knows that this is the secluded place of Napoleon's stepdaughter, the former Queen of the Netherlands, Princess Otis.
This princess is a witness of an era. She was once famous when she was young. Because her mother Josephine married Napoleon for the second time, she became Napoleon's stepdaughter. Then she was betrothed to his brother Louis by Napoleon, and finally followed her.
Napoleon proclaimed himself emperor and became part of the imperial family.
During the most glorious years of the empire, she and Napoleon's sisters enjoyed a rare luxury life in the world. She spent money like water and had private lovers. She was so dissolute that she even gave birth to an illegitimate child with her lover.
However, the sweet dream finally woke up. With the collapse of the empire, the former queen no longer had a place in France. The Netherlands, which she once ruled, had already changed its monarch. The Bourbon family expelled everyone under the order.
After becoming a member of the Bonaparte family, Princess Hortense had to say goodbye to France and all the glory she once had.
She also knew that everything could never be undone, so when her lover said goodbye to her, she broke up amicably and peacefully. Then she secluded herself in the Arennan Castle on the shores of Lake Constance, waiting for the death that fate would give her at any time.
.
Today, it has been ten years since she came to the secluded place. The hapless former queen bid farewell to the life of luxury and luxury in the past, and lives peacefully in this lonely villa, passing the time by raising her own children - she and her husband
Louis' relationship broke down long ago, so he lived in two places after his exile. The eldest son was under the care of Louis himself, while the younger son grew up here with her.
Although she is only forty-three years old now, she can only spend the rest of her life recalling the glorious past in the blue sky and gentle breeze by the lake.
Although she has lived in seclusion, Hortense still has a lot of worries - her troubled son.
Her son Charlie was very young and very smart, and he learned everything quickly. However, as his son grew up, his mother found that he was very tired of this peaceful and secluded life. He was full of blood and longed to be as independent as his great uncle.
As he embarked on his next big career, he also developed political awareness and a desire for power.
Of course, the mother did not want her son to have such dangerous thoughts. She taught and persuaded her son several times, but all to no avail. The son simply refused to listen and insisted on making contributions.
He gave up traditional studies, chose to become an artilleryman like his uncle, and tried to join the Swiss Confederation's army. But just two months ago, he suddenly and mysteriously said goodbye to his mother, expressing his hope to go abroad.
Take a trip.
Although her son did not clearly explain where he was going to travel, Hortense had a bad premonition at that time. She instinctively opposed her son's delusions and tried to stop his actions. However, she could not resist her eighteen-year-old son, so she could only
Watch him leave.
In the following days, Otangsi was always worried, fearing that bad news would come one day, and she could not sleep at night. After all, for her life that had only ashes left, her son was the last remaining meaning.
Tonight, she was also extremely worried and fell asleep very late.
While she was sleeping, she suddenly heard a noise next to her.
She opened her eyes drowsily, and found that it was her maid who had woken her up.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
"Your Highness is back!" the maid replied in a low voice.
"That's great...Thank God!" The news of her son's safe return made Hortense feel relieved, but she soon discovered that the maid's expression was also a little hesitant.
"What's wrong?" she asked again. "What happened?"
"You...just go and take a look." The maid just replied with an expression that didn't know what to say.
Full of doubts, the sleepy Queen Hortense got up, put on her nightgown, and then came to the drawing room.
Since buying this villa, Queen Hortons has spent a large sum of money to renovate it in the style of the Empire era. The living room is also filled with pictures of her stepfather Napoleon, mother Josephine and other family members.
Portrait.
When she arrived at the living room, she found that three people had already sat down at the coffee table, drinking hot tea to keep warm.
She immediately recognized that two of them were her sons - although the eldest son, Louis, lived with her husband elsewhere, he had been interacting with him over the years, so she was very familiar with him.
Her sons all looked very embarrassed, their clothes were disheveled, there were even a lot of snowflakes on their clothes, and they looked tired as if they had just arrived home after a long journey.
As for the other person, she couldn't see his specific face at the moment because of the dim light, but judging from his body shape, he should be about the same age as her sons.
"Louis! Charlie! Where have you two gone? Why are you so silent and don't even write a letter!" She yelled at her two sons, and then walked to them step by step.
Then, her attention was attracted by the third person.
Although he was also disheveled and his hair was messy, he could still be seen as a handsome young man. His face was delicate and endearing, but his expression was calm and serious, with a hint of sharpness that did not belong to his age.
Hortense looked at the boy carefully and felt that his face was somewhat similar to that of her son.
Under her gaze, the young man suddenly stood up and saluted her solemnly.
"It's a pleasure to finally see you again, Your Majesty."
Looking at his appearance, Aotangsi's heart suddenly shook, and she came up with a very ridiculous idea.
The sons suddenly disappeared and suddenly came back, the young man who came here with them, and his age...all the pieces were put together, pointing to a very scary place.
But she still couldn't believe it because it was so shocking.
She suppressed the tension in her heart, then looked at the other person and asked softly.
"May I ask you are……?"
"Mom, he is our Majesty." At this moment, Louis, who was sitting next to him, quietly replied, thus confirming the most ridiculous suspicion in Hortense's mind.
"Oh my God!" Autangsi's vision went dark and she almost fainted.
Then, she subconsciously looked back at the portrait of Napoleon hanging on the wall, as if asking the undead if he had witnessed this moment.
She didn't know how to accept this reality, or even whether she should be happy about it.
She raised her hand tremblingly, pointed at Aiglon, and then asked her two sons.
"Are you kidding me? You escaped from Austria with the King of Rome?"
"I can testify to you that he was not joking." Aigron smiled, and then apologized to the other party, "Madam, I'm sorry that I couldn't inform you in advance and disturbed your sleep... It seems that you don't
Are you too welcome to me?"
"No... no, child, how could I not welcome you?" Queen Ortense finally regained her consciousness a little bit, and then apologized to Aiglon again and again, "I just... I just don't know how to face this reality... God
What...what have my sons done!"
Eggron understood the other party's reaction.
Queen Hortense has lived in seclusion for eleven years. She has long been accustomed to the current pace of life. Everything in the past is too far away for her. Now she suddenly appears without any preparation, and of course it is difficult for her to accept it.
This mental shock.
She may not even think this is a good thing.
"Do you mind if I hug you? You are the first elder relative I have seen in many years." He asked.
Looking at the young man's face, Hortense suddenly had mixed feelings and almost cried.
Then she nodded and opened her arms towards Aigron, "Aiglon, I never thought that I would see you again one day!"
"Yeah, thank you fate for letting us meet again."
After Aiglon finished speaking, he took a step forward and hugged Queen Hortense tightly.
With the help of candlelight, he looked at this middle-aged woman who was 28 years older than him.
Her hair has begun to turn white, and fine wrinkles have appeared on her face. Although her forehead is smooth, there is always a look of regret in the corners of her eyes. It is obvious that the life of seclusion is not so wonderful for her.
How could Queen Otis, who had enjoyed all the glory and wealth and the spotlight, truly forget the glory of the past?
How could it not be uncomfortable to fall from the highest place, lose all the glory of the past, and can only live in seclusion in the countryside waiting for death, letting the pain and memories gnaw at my heart.
At the same time, Queen Ortense was also looking at him, and reached out to gently touch his face and hair.
"The passage of time is really scary! When I touched you for the first time, you were still in the cradle. In the blink of an eye, you have grown up." Hortense said with emotion, "Thank God, you have grown up."
You are so handsome... Seeing your current appearance, his spirit in heaven must be very pleased."
"Thank you for your compliment, but... I can't inherit everything from him just by my looks." Aigron replied with a smile, "So I guess I'm not enough to please him."
"Inherit everything from him!" Hortense suddenly woke up, "You... what are you planning to do?"
"Of course it is to rebuild the empire and allow our family to rule that country again." Aiglon replied decisively, "If it is not for this goal, then why should I escape?"
"Rebuilding the empire..." Aotangsi was not affected by these words, but had mixed feelings, and her expression was very complicated. "Why do you have to add such a terrible task to yourself?"
"What, don't you want to rebuild the empire?" Aigron asked.
"It would be great if we could rebuild the empire..." Queen Ortense replied with a wry smile, "But what can we do now? France has calmed down, and you are just a few teenagers, how can you possibly lift the flag?
Turn over a dynasty?"
"Mom, what you said is wrong." Louis couldn't help but interjected, "Now France is only calm on the surface. Internal dissatisfaction with the Bourbon family is spreading among all classes. I think there will be another revolution to overthrow it.
The rule of this family. At this time, His Majesty will be the savior of the French people."
"Your Majesty...why are you called Your Majesty? Stop hypnotizing yourself. These are just childish fantasies! Look at the terrible things you have done for these fantasies..." The mother turned back and glared at her son, then
Then he looked back at Aigron, "Aigron, don't force yourself to bear a mission that is not yours. Your father was full of sadness and pain when he died. If he had a choice, he would definitely want you.
To be able to live peacefully and happily instead of chasing after incomparable power and ultimately repeating his mistakes."
It seems that Queen Ortense is not a fanatical supporter of him.
Aiglon sighed secretly.
But this is normal. She is getting older and no longer wants to devote her emotions to illusory things. She also does not believe that young people like herself can accomplish any miracles.
Maybe she is not the only one who thinks so. After all, in the eyes of normal people, everything they are saying to each other now is purely a daydream.
But one thing these people have forgotten is that history is usually created by childish people because they focus on moving towards their goals.
Without a little childish fantasy, how could Napoleon, who was born into a small Corsican landowner family, have made his way to become emperor? Without a little childish fantasy, how could his nephew have finally restored the empire despite having nothing?
If they can, then they can try it themselves. How can they know the result if they don't try?
Aiglon did not argue with Queen Hortense anymore, he asked instead.
"Don't you welcome me?"
"No...where did you go? When you come, you are my guest, and you will always have a place in my home." Hortense shook her head, "But, Aiglon, you escaped from Austria.
,Right?"
"Indeed." Aigron nodded.
"Then soon there will be news from Austria coming to Switzerland, and I...I will definitely become the most obvious suspect." Queen Ortense has regained her senses, so she thought of this, "When the time comes
There will definitely be police closely monitoring my place!"
"Yes, you are right, so I am just here to pay you a visit before the news spreads here." Aiglon nodded, and then looked at Queen Ortense. "Are you there?
I have lived here for many years, is there any place where I can be safely accommodated?"
Hortense looked at the young man's face full of ardent hope, and felt a sense of sadness in her heart.
If he didn't trust himself, he wouldn't have come here in the first place.
Although she did not believe that the empire could be rebuilt, how could she reject her son and nephew?
Those were her last relatives.
"Of course, but you should take a good rest here tonight."
After she finished speaking, she hugged the young man tightly to convey the excitement and warmth in her heart to him. "May God bless you."