Eagle’s Glory

With the arrival of the dawn, Teresa, who was staying at the hotel, ushered in another morning without fun.

Because she had been sleeping poorly recently, she got up later and later, until about ten o'clock, she walked out of bed lazily, and then groomed with the help of the maid.

Teresa, who had just washed her hair, sat in front of the dressing table and looked at the girl in the mirror. She saw that her long smooth hair was rolled up into a bun, and she also wore small pearls on her ears. earrings.

Teresa does not like heavy makeup, and because she is shy by nature, her usual dress is not luxurious, but even so, the youthful charm of the girl and the beauty she has already possessed, then made her look radiant.

Because of the recent series of changes, there is always a sadness hidden in her eyes and thin eyebrows. However, this melancholy not only did not detract from her appearance, but instead made her a little more charming that did not belong to her age.

She is really not feeling well now.

After exhausting his efforts, he came to Rome, visited the Empress Dowager Letizia, and by coincidence finally met His Highness's maid, but he had no way of knowing his current whereabouts. How could this not make people anxious?

At that time, she had the intention to continue pressing questions, but since His Majesty Letizia has already said this, all she has left now is waiting.

Since she came back, she has been a little uneasy, and her thoughts are not right. Although she knows that Letizia is a former empress dowager, she can't say anything, but she can't help worrying that she will be empty again. , lost a hard-to-get opportunity.

Under such precarious situation, her sleep quality has dropped a bit recently.

After dressing up, the older maid looked at her laborious work with satisfaction.

Then, like treating his own daughter, he stroked her hair affectionately, and sighed softly.

"Oh, our Highness is so cute!"

Teresa also looked at herself in the mirror. Although she would not accept the maid's praise, she also felt that she was no worse than the young ladies of the same age she had seen at social gatherings.

However, they must be laughing at themselves in secret right now... Thinking of this, Teresa became depressed again.

Since that accident, rumors about her have spread all over the streets of Vienna, and the social world has been whispering about the big news.

Teresa didn't know how they referred to themselves, but whether their tone was sympathetic or mocking, it was an unbearable rain of bullets for her.

Fortunately, Teresa did not like to participate in social activities, otherwise, God knows how she would get through this time.

If all this is compensated by His Highness's promises like "please wait for me, I will come back", it would not be a disaster, but what His Highness left her was only a sincere but severing letter.

What's the point of humble words if it's just a cruel farewell? It's just that the sharp blade has some meaningless patterns carved on it, and it's the same pain to pierce into the heart.

Although in front of her parents, she has always maintained her strength and composure, and even staunchly expressed her intentions and persistence by burning letters, but when she is alone, especially when night falls, she will also There was immense apprehension and fear.

God, where the **** am I? And why are you holding on? What ending awaits me, and where is my place?

These questions kept ringing in her ears, and she was powerless to answer, and could only temporarily escape with painful tears and suppressed whimpering.

She is not afraid of sacrifice or hardship, but she is afraid that all these sacrifices and persistence will be meaningless in the end, and she is afraid that the sincerity of her sacrifices will be thrown into the clouds.

So she tried her best to find an answer.

"Your Highness, are you thinking about those unpleasant things again?" Perhaps feeling the trance of Her Royal Highness, the maid asked with concern.

"It's nothing." Teresa quickly blinked and regained her composure. She didn't want others to see her vulnerability and hesitation.

"Don't think about those things anymore, it's just that guy doesn't know the goods, it's definitely not your own problem." The maid said indignantly, "Your Highness, the storm of public opinion will pass, as long as it takes a while for everyone to Forget about these unpleasant things, then with your beauty and talent, are you afraid that you will not find a good suitor? If he wants to mess around, just let him go, you will have your own crown waiting to be picked... …”

"Stop, stop." Teresa interrupted the maid in disgust. "I don't want to hear you slander Your Highness!"

The maid had to stop and looked at Her Royal Highness the princess in a panic and helpless.

Teresa controlled her emotions and stood up.

"Okay, I'm going to have breakfast, you go first, don't follow me, I want to be quiet."

Then, she walked out of the room.

Anxiously, he came to the restaurant of the hotel.

Because it was very late and there were not many people in the restaurant, Teresa grabbed some toast and pastries to satisfy her hunger, and received the letter from the servant by the way.

This is Teresa's first time to go abroad. Of course, her parents are not at ease. From time to time, they will write to her, ask her about her current situation, and chat with her about family affairs; and Teresa also seriously asks her parents every time. Reply to the letter, one by one about what I saw and heard during my travels.

This time, as usual, she read the letter at breakfast.

In the letter I received this time, the signature on the envelope was my father's, but it didn't look like the envelope that the family usually used - but this is not surprising, because my father sometimes needs to go to other places to perform royal duties, so when the interest came, Teresa has long been used to writing letters to her mother and herself with the envelopes and stationery around her, telling the interesting things he has encountered.

She opened the envelope, opened it, and found that the letter contained some ordinary gossip. She told herself to take care of her body, and suggested that she could take a tour of the famous monuments in Rome, draw some pictures and send them back to him. See, for example, the departure palace of Emperor Hadrian, whom he has been fascinated by.

The content of the letter was very ordinary, so after reading it, Teresa had already thought about the wording of the reply.

She was not in the mood to travel originally, and came to Rome mainly to see Letizia; since the whereabouts of the young man was confirmed that day, she was even less interested in sightseeing.

These days, although she hastily wandered around Rome a few times and visited some monuments to pass the time, it was like a routine that did not bring her much fun.

But since her father has this suggestion, she is of course willing to cooperate.

Just as Teresa was about to continue eating, her hand suddenly stopped.

There was something odd about the letter—a light flashed in her head.

Then, she picked up the letter and read it carefully, and then felt that the words and sentences in the letter were not quite like her father's usual tone.

And the handwriting is also a bit strange, although it looks decent, but Teresa grew up beside Grand Duke Karl since she was a child, and she was used to seeing her father's handwriting. It soon became apparent that this letter was definitely not written by his father to him.

So this is a fake letter.

Who the **** was going to forge a letter like this to send it to himself? What do you really want to express?

Teresa's heart skipped a beat, and she suddenly thought of that possibility.

Could it be that His Highness wrote it to him?

The more she thought about it, the more she thought it was possible. After all, His Highness had visited her home more than once, and she had also seen her father's handwriting in the study. With his intelligence and writing style, it was not difficult to imitate his father's handwriting.

Combined with the content of the letter, so... if you guessed correctly, this is what His Highness specially wrote to you, inviting yourself to meet?

The ecstasy of excitement suddenly made Teresa's breathing quicken.

For so many days of worrying and worrying about the question, she was about to get a perfect answer, and she could hardly bear the joy.

Her hands trembled slightly, so the milk she had picked up in her hand also spilled out of the cup and landed on the red velvet tablecloth, leaving a few drops of white traces.

Teresa, calm down! Calm down!

Teresa shouted to herself in her heart, then forcibly smoothed her messy breathing, put the cup down smoothly, and wiped off the stains on the tablecloth with a handkerchief.

Everything is still just a conjecture at the moment, you can't be too happy and lose your mind.

Then she calmly re-read the letter.

This time she looked very carefully, studying it almost word for word.

"When I took you to Schönbrunn Palace before, I saw that the sketches you drew were very good. This time I believe that you can draw better pictures in the ancient ruins of Li Palace. Let me see your progress. It is the scene in the evening, which should have the most sense of history."

This seemingly casual sentence made Teresa's heart sour at this time, and she recalled too many things.

Then, she saw a few words in it, which were almost identical to the words in the notes and letters he had written to him.

If there is only one doubt, it may be a coincidence, but if all the doubts are gathered together, it can only point to the only answer...

That's right, this is the letter His Highness wrote to me!

Teresa pressed the thin letter paper to her chest and closed her eyes slightly.

Yes, God did not abandon me, neither did His Highness... After all, everything that I paid was meaningful.

"God, thank you, Grandma Letizia, thank you... Your Highness, thank you!" She repeated several times in her mind.

Of course, what matters now is not gratitude and joy, but reason and action. After a brief vent, Teresa calmed down.

She looked around to make sure that no one was paying special attention to her, and then she put the letter back into the envelope and stuffed it into the pocket of her skirt with an indifferent face.

Then, she hurriedly finished her breakfast and went back to her room, which had just been cleaned by the maids.

"Your Highness, are you all right?" she asked anxiously, "are you still mad at me?"

"Don't be angry anymore." Teresa shook her head, "Actually, I know that you're doing me a favor too... Alas, I've been in such a bad mood recently, so I've been so rude to you just now, please don't take it to heart. ."

"Of course I won't take it to heart." The maid waved her hand quickly, "It's my fault for being too talkative and angering you, as long as you calm down."

After the two reconciled, Teresa stopped talking, walked to her suitcase and started rummaging for things.

"What are you looking for?" the maid asked.

"I'm looking for my pencils and sketchbook." Teresa replied without looking back, "I just received a letter from my father, he suggested that I go to relax more, and then told me something he had long loved. Attractions, I hope I can draw a few sketches and send them back to him."

"The Grand Duke really cares about you, and I have to take time out of my busy schedule to keep writing to you..." The maid sighed with emotion, and then asked, "Then when are you going to go?"

Teresa picked up the map and looked at the location of the monuments mentioned in the letter.

"This place is not far from our side." She said while looking, "Let's go there in the afternoon, so that I can have time to look around and enjoy the beauty of the evening, it should be very beautiful."

"Then I'll make arrangements for you." The maid didn't feel anything unusual, and immediately agreed to implement His Highness's advice. "We'll go when the time comes."

"Thank you." Teresa thanked the other party, "I'm sorry."

"No thanks, Your Highness. The task your mother gave me is to accompany you to relax. As long as your mood improves, I will be satisfied." The maid saluted with a smile and left.

After she left, Teresa breathed a sigh of relief, and sat down on the bed with the sketchbook she found.

Your Highness... I'm coming soon, you must wait for me, don't leave me again... She kept saying in her heart.

While she was waiting, the passage of time suddenly seemed to slow down, and Teresa was anxious and at the same time taking care not to show her emotions, which turned into a torment.

Fortunately, the time finally came. Under the guidance of the maid, Teresa couldn't wait to get into the carriage and set off on the way to Hadrian's Palace.

After a period of driving, the carriage soon came to the monument.

This is the Ligong villa of the ancient Roman emperor Hadrian. He liked architecture and art. When he was traveling around the empire, he saw a building that he liked. He copied it in the Ligong and then remodeled it. During his 20-year rule, the Li Palace has become a large complex of buildings, very refined and luxurious.

However, after various historical changes, the Roman Empire withered away, and this once gorgeous Li Palace has become a ruined monument. Only those marble buildings and pillar sculptures remain here, telling people the glory of the empire. .

Teresa wandered among these architectural ruins, passing between palaces, pavilions and fish ponds.

If it was normal, she would sigh with emotion and appreciate the beauty of ancient Roman art, but now, all her attention has been focused on other places.

She looked around, seemingly admiring the architecture, but in fact she wanted to see the person she wanted to see from every visitor.

However, as time passed, she never got what she wanted.

Is... am I too early?

Or is it all just me thinking too much?

Or...is this a horrible joke?

Teresa slowly became distraught.

While coping with the maid next to her, she pretended to be looking for scenery everywhere and prepared to paint. She had to endure the anxiety in her heart, almost feeling like she was about to explode.

At this moment, the time has come to the evening, the sky in the west is full of rays of light, and the burning clouds are reflected in the pool water, making the originally emerald green pool water suddenly a little more golden.

At this time, Teresa was wandering around the pool. There were many huge columns here. She passed them one by one, but she couldn't see what she wanted to see.

Where, where?

where are you?

Don't torment me any more... Give me one more mercy, Your Highness... Teresa almost burst into tears.

"Beautiful lady, what are you looking for?" At this time, she heard a soft call not far away.

This voice seemed to her deja vu.

She raised her head slightly and slowly looked in the direction of the sound.

The dim light cast long shadows between the columns, and within her sight, there were two more people in the shadows between the columns and the steps.

And standing in front is a young man, he is wearing casual clothes at the moment, looking at himself calmly.

I finally saw it...

She only felt two tears rolling down her face.

"Scare!" Before Teresa could speak, the maid next to her let out a small scream.

"Calm down, don't make a sound!" Teresa grabbed the middle-aged woman's hand and looked at her sincerely, "I beg you... Please don't interfere in my affairs, just for a while. Otherwise... ...Otherwise I will never forgive you for the rest of my life!"

Perhaps moved by Teresa's pleas, or perhaps shocked by her firm eyes, the maid closed her mouth and just looked at Teresa in astonishment, as if she didn't know her.

Teresa didn't care about her anymore, lifted her skirt, and walked directly to the young man.

Her footsteps were slow at first, but got faster and faster, and finally seemed to be rushing past.

The short distance quickly became zero - Teresa rushed directly in front of the young man, and hugged him regardless of her manners.

Her shoulder hit the young man's chest, but fortunately, his vigorous body withstood the impact without shaking.

Teresa hugged the boy who almost became her fiancé tightly, and tears began to flow uncontrollably.

"You ask me what I'm looking for? I'm looking for a bad guy, Your Highness." She snorted. "He... how much he has made me suffer!"

"Teresa, I'm sorry." The young man could only answer.

"Is it just sorry?" Teresa squeezed her fist, lightly hammered his shoulder, and cried aggrieved.