LITMIR.BIZ

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truly loved his brother. He stood silently by the window. She came up behind him.

      Heinrich, you couldn’t help him.

      I’m really sorry Francis is gone. She said.

      He turned a miserable face full of grief and loss to her.

      I’m sorry, she repeated, and hugged him.

      He rested his head on her shoulder and was silent, as he once did in childhood. Then when they first met, and he was still a child. On the day when their very children, Heinrich, along with his still healthy brother, were sent into captivity.

      She stroked his thick, black hair. So they stood silently, without uttering a word.

      How strange at times the interweaving of fate or the fate itself. Many years ago, the little prince, the second son of the king, everyone simply forgot to even greet, sending him prisoner. After all, he should not have become king. But who among mortals can know what should be? And who’s indomitable strength and the hand from above, writes and decides the fate of people? Inevitable fate or fate itself! And the power that kings have is just an illusion! Because there is only one true power! This is his power and will! And his name is the creator or god! What fate has he prepared for each of us?! What turn will lead us to death or victory?!

      Henry was not supposed to become the heir to the throne, but he did!

      And everything changed. If earlier he could wander alone and he was not particularly noticed, except of course the ladies. That heir to the throne, now everyone was interested. Now he could not fail to be noticed. The courtiers literally watched him at every bush, trying to gain favor. They followed him in a round dance. He complained to Diana that they would not leave him alone for a minute. Henry’s new position did not please him at all, it weighed him down. And the freedom so adored by him was irretrievably lost. He was not at all happy about becoming king. Heinrich had been preparing himself for a military career all his life, which meant campaigns and battles. Where everything is decided only by your own courage and valor. Now he realized that everything had turned upside down. He will never make a military career, as he is the future king of France, and this saddened him. He was still annoyed.

      Lying flatterers! He spoke while talking to Diana.

      They walk around like a pack of jackals. Looking out for something or begging.

      You can’t imagine Diana!

      This afternoon, out of anger, I said something nonsense, hoping that at least someone would argue with me.

      What do you think?!

      They unanimously agreed with the nonsense I said!

      How can this be?! He finished, annoyed.

      He looked at her completely unhappy and added.

      Diana, this is awful! You have no idea.

      Diana was reclining on silk pillows on a small Roman-style sofa. She waved her hand to Heinrich, who nervously paced the room, inviting him to sit down next to her.

      Heinrich dear.

      Don’t think so much about them, really.

      As if you don’t know the courtiers.

      You are in a really bad mood for this.

      Give it up, forget it.

      He sighed bitterly.

      How not to think if they are everywhere!

      Heinrich, please don’t worries like that.

      You break my heart! Diana answered.

      Let them bow and chat like parrots.

      Don’t notice them. She said, and, getting up from the couch, went up to him.

      Heinrich sat down in a nearby chair. She settled in his lap, dangling her legs and hugging his neck.

      Well, would you like me to tell you a funny story? She sang.

      To stop being sad.

      He breathed in even more bitterly than before, looked at her and smiled.

      Yes, really, I won’t think about it. He said, trying to hide the sadness in his voice.

      Then listen to the story. She said, poking her nose lightly with her finger, as if tickling. Trying to cheer him up.

      He smiled at her but remained sad.

      Long live the king

      Everything was quiet and stood still, like time had stopped. And this day could be the same as many others. If the peace and quiet of this day had not been disturbed, like the explosion of a volcano, the voice of the herald. At first it was quiet, and then it began to grow, like an avalanche descending, gaining strength. And then, finally, the rumble of people thundered, reaching a point at the very top, like a thousand voices of a huge hive.

      The king is dead!

      And then, there was a pause, and the air exploded with an explosion of voices.

      Long live the king!

      So Francis 1 was dead. Diana and Heinrich stood at the open window. She heard a hum, and words. The king is dead! Turning her head, she looked at Heinrich and whispered along with the rumble of the crowd.

      Long live the king! Sitting down in a deep curtsy, greeting the new king of France, as etiquette demanded.

      Henry did not harbor warm feelings for Francis 1, so he accepted the loss calmly and only officially in sorrow. He never saw his father’s love for himself, who was always cold to him. Francis simply never noticed or loved Henry. Therefore, Henry did not pretend to be a fake sorrow. Perhaps, in my heart only feeling sad that I did not know my father’s love. The point was, and the courtiers whispered quietly about this, that Henry was not at all the son of Francis. The reason for this was such a clear dissimilarity of Henry, both with his brother and with the king. Heinrich was dark-skinned, black-eyed and black-haired. Francis, like his first son, was fair-haired and blue-eyed. This dissimilarity was too obvious. To which the queen mother referred to the similarity of Henry along her line with her ancestors. In her youth, the queen was known as a beauty never seen before, and who knows what desperate hero came to her chambers. But, these were only rumors and guesses, not confirmed by anything. And rumors remain just rumors. The very same Francis 1, these rumors did not bother much, since Henry was not the heir to the throne. With Henry, Francis 1 was always cold, and that coldness never melted.

      Diana lifted her curtsy and looked at Henry. He was somewhere far away, as if not with her, peering into the distance thoughtfully. However, what is the interweaving of fate! And if Henry was not the son of Francis 1. Then, son of what hero or knight ascended the throne of France?! Diana thought, smiling. Whoever his father was, she was sure it couldn’t be Francis.

      It was for sure a brave handsome man! She thought. He seemed to wake up and looked into her eyes, smiled back at her.

      The coronation was magnificent. It seemed that all of Paris had gathered in the square near the church. Not only high society, but also common people from small to large. There were so many people in the church that, as they say, the apple had no place to fall. Henry stood in magnificent royal robes for the coronation of the French monarchs. Priests of the highest ranks stood next to him, holding on outstretched arms, on velvet cushions, the attributes of royal power to present to the king as a sign of the highest royal power bestowed on the king by God himself. Since the king is the undoubted God’s anointed, fulfilling his will on earth! The coronation ceremony has begun. The priest, reverently, slowly placed on Henry’s head the sign of royalty, a crown studded with precious stones of incredible size and equally beautiful purity. With the words: «Long live the anointed of God, fulfilling the will of God on earth, King of France, Henry II»! And as soon as the last word was uttered, there was such a rumble that it seemed that the walls of the church were shaking. Heinrich turned to face his subjects and his people. Everything seemed to tremble and vibrate from a thousand voices.

      Long

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