said that a chancellor should have but one passion - his King. I
have two: my King and my country."

The King nodded gravely. He knew both passions, relied on both.
And found them both a bit troublesome at times!

"Once, some years ago, sire, I came to you with a plan. The
Princess Hedwig was a child then, and his late Royal Highness was
- still with us. For that, and for other reasons, Your Majesty
refused to listen. But things have changed. Between us and
revolution there stand only the frail life of a boy and an army
none too large, and already, perhaps, affected. There is much
discontent, and the offspring of discontent is anarchy."

The King snarled. But Mettlich had taken his courage in his
hands, and went on. Their neighbor and hereditary foe was
Karnia. Could they any longer afford the enmity of Karnia? One
cause of discontent was the expense of the army, and of the
fortifications along the Karnian border. If Karnia were allied
with them, there would be no need of so great an army. They had
the mineral wealth, and Karnia the seaports. The old dream of
the Empire, of a railway to the sea, would be realized.

He pleaded well. The idea was not new. To place the little King
Otto IX on the throne and keep him there in the face of
opposition would require support from outside. Karnia would
furnish this support. For a price.

The price was the Princess Hedwig.