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 sleeping due to the arrival of winter. But when spring comes next year and the flowers bloom, people here can enjoy the clear lake water, the surrounding green grass, and the picturesque scenery of the Alps in the distance.
Along the trail, you can see the Arenenberg Castle on the shores of Lake Constance.
This building is exquisitely designed and has an elegant appearance. Everyone in the local area knows that this is the secluded place of Napoleon's stepdaughter and 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. Eventually, she followed Napoleon became 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 a private lover. 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 of the Bourbon family. After becoming a member of the Bonaparte family, Princess Ortense had to say goodbye to France and all the glory she had ever 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 her past life of luxury and luxury, and lives peacefully in this lonely villa, raising her children to pass the time. She is in love with her husband Louis. The relationship broke up long ago, so they lived in two places after the 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, for the rest of her life she can only recall the glorious past in the blue sky and breeze by the lake.
Although she has been living in seclusion, Ortense still has a lot of troubles, that is, 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 a political consciousness 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 and chose to become an artilleryman like his uncle, and also tried to join the Swiss Confederation's army. Just two months ago, he suddenly and mysteriously said goodbye to his mother, expressing his wish to 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, her son was the last remaining meaning for her in a life that had only ashes left.
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 groggily, and realized it was her maid who had woken her.
"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 and you will know." The maid just replied with an expression on her face that she didn't know what to say.
With full of doubts, the sleepy Queen Otangs got up, put on her nightgown, and then came to the drawing room.
Since buying this villa, Queen Ortense has spent a lot 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 in other places, he had been interacting with them over the years, so she was very familiar with them.
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 for a while 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 in front of them step by step.
Then, her attention was attracted by a 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 and pointed 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 heart.
"Oh my God!" Aotangsi's eyes darkened 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 Do you welcome me too much?"
"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!"
Aiglon understood the other party's reaction.
Queen Ortense 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 give you a hug? You are the first elder relative I have seen in many years." He asked.
Looking at the young man's face, Otangs 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 limelight, truly forget the glory of the past?
Falling from the highest place, losing all the glory of the past, and having to hide quietly in the countryside waiting for death, letting the pain and memories gnaw at my heart, how could this not be uncomfortable?
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, and in the blink of an eye you have grown up." Otangsi 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 appearance." Aigron replied with a smile, "So I guess I'm not enough to please him."
"Inherit everything from him!" Otis 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 would you impose such a terrible task on yourself?"
"Why, 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 He looked back at Aigron, "Aiglon, don't force a mission that is not yours to bear on yourself. 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 incomparable power and ultimately making the same mistakes he made."
It seems that Queen Hortense was not an enthusiastic supporter of his.
Aiglon sighed secretly.
But this is normal. She is getting older and no longer wants to devote her emotions to illusory things. She also didn't believe that just a few young people like herself could 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 concentrate on moving towards their goals.
Without a little childish fantasy, how could Napoleon, who was born into a small Corsican landowner family, have made it all the way to become emperor? How could his nephew finally restore the empire after losing everything without some childish whims?
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, Aigron, you escaped from Austria. ,Right?"
"Indeed." Aiglon 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. "You 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 sour 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 refuse her son and nephew?
Those were the last of her closest 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."
