The coach stops at the first friendly dwelling upon the Tradgardland side of the border. The Duke and Duchess still are dazed by the outcome of their recent trip to Skogsmork...
Duke Karl Frederick was wounded by a sword thrust which has left him with wounds which have finally been staunched by the Duchess. After the duel the Ducal couple were hurried to a waiting coach ( by friends unknown to them ) whilst chaos erupted all around. Duke Otto lay upon the floor, the rapier still protruding from his chest, his mouth silently moving through the bloody foam...
Meanwhile at that very moment ,when Duke Frederick reaches safety, Duke Otto is being laid out in the Palace Chapel - a thousand purple tapers burning around him. His bereft son pacing the chapel corridors with vengeance upon his mind...
Hmmm, I suppose that this constitutes a reasonable cause for war.
ReplyDeleteAfter all, it generally isn't considered "good form" to stick a rapier through the body of your host . . . particularly when he's the ruler of another country.
-- Jeff
The ducal couple was to shocked to notice, but there was at least one woman among the 'unknown friends' who exfiltrated them.
ReplyDeleteSoon two carrier pigeons (redundancy brings safety) were flying southwards. Yet they'll reach Monte-Cristo long after the two sent from Wollmitz. The pair in Bad Nachtschwein is still cooing in its travelling cage.
Louys
But Duke Otto was certainly planning on doing just that to Duke Karl Frederick. Can't say that I sympathize too much with Otto.
ReplyDeleteOf course his son will probably use that as a causus belli.
Jim