Disclaimer: I do not own Hetalia or Marie Antoinette.
Please note: 'Maria Antonia' was Marie Antoinette's original, Austrian name.
For Honour's Sake
May, 1770
Elizaveta closed the fan and rested it on her right cheek.
"That means yes," she moved the fan on to her left cheek. "And that means no."
Maria Antonia giggled.
Roderich looked outside the carriage's window to avoid them seeing him roll his eyes.
"But you knew that already, princess," he said.
"Yes, Lord Edelstein," she looked down at her skirt.
Roderich had argued with his royals to have any princess other than Maria Antonia betrothed to the Dauphin of France. France had been his country's long time enemy until the Seven Years' War. If Austria wanted to secure his alliance, he had to give the French his best princess. Then by grave misfortune everyone fell down with an illness that Maria Antonia was immune to.
Roderich had developed even more contempt towards the girl when he was told he had to accompany her on the journey to France. He could be listening to Mozart's Symphony no 11. He would be months behind his peers!
Elizaveta handed her fan to the princess. Maria Antonia opened the fan to its full length to stare at the artwork.
"Who are in this picture?" Roderich held back a gasp. She would never be accepted as a queen if she knew nothing about French culture.
Thankfully, Elizaveta answered first.
"That is Thespis, Princess Maria Antonia, he is from a French opera," Roderich was pleasantly surprised she knew. She was merely a maid in his household yet she seemed to have the knowledge of a noblewoman.
"What is it about?"
As Elizaveta explained the plot of Platee Roderich examined the girl one last time. She was pretty enough, though her clan's famous chin was noticeable. Roderich planned to pray to God in private that she would not embarrass his empire.
The carriage stopped.
All three of them looked outside.
On the Rhine River the French escort was settled, waiting for Maria Antonia. The dressing tent was set up on the border. The princess would be stripped, redressed and turned into a French lady.
"We leave you here, princess," said Roderich. "Be strong and think of your family's honour first."
"You will not attend my wedding at Versailles?" Maria Antonia gripped the fan with both hands.
"Lord Edelstein has other duties at home, your highness," said Elizaveta.
The carriage's door opened.
"Princesse Marie Antoinette," a Frenchman, smiling, offered his hand to her. She accepted it and stepped out of the carriage. The man looked at Roderich and Elizaveta. "My lord and lady, we shall take good care of this flower."
Roderich nodded. The carriage door closed and they were headed back to Vienna.
They did not see that Maria Antonia waved farewell to them.
October, 1793
Roderich, Elizaveta, and Gilbert were riding with their troops in the French countryside when the news was delivered.
A messenger read out the death of the queen of France. She was guillotined, charged with treason and lechery.
"Well, it seems Francis wants us to march faster on Paris," Gilbert said. "I'm not complaining."
"This country is full of madness," Roderich shook his head. "I will not stand for these slanders. The revolutionaries will feel the revenge of Austrians."
"And Prussians!"
Elizaveta was riding behind them. She was warring with France because she was apart of the Austrian Empire. It seemed the newest reason she was fighting was for Queen Marie Antoinette, or Princess Maria Antonia as she better remembered her. Marie was but a stranger to them.
Elizaveta supposed Roderich could fight for a woman he barely knew for honour's sake.
Historical Notes:
(1) The gestures Hungary made with the fan is apart of the whole 'fan language' that was developed amongst noblewomen for secret communication.
(2) The rest of Marie's family came down with smallpox, but Marie Antoinette had developed an immunity to it when she was younger making her the only princess available to betroth.
(3) The famous Hapsburg Chin. It was a genetic inheritance that still remains in some of the present day descendants due to inbreeding. Marie Antoinette despised it.
(4) The dressing tent and its procedures was a common ritual for noblewomen if they were going to marry a Frenchman.
(5) Versailles was a palace built by Louis the XIV as the residence of the king of France and his court. It's absolutely breathtaking. Google for images if you have the time.
(6) At the beginning of the French Revolution, the Austrians made an alliance with the Prussians to attack France in the name of Louis the Sixteenth and to prevent the revolutionary ideas from spreading into their countries. They were doing quite well until 1793 where the Jacobins took power and were able to push the invaders back. This did not stop the Austrians from forming the First Coalition with Britain, and other countries.
(7) In Marie Antoinette's trial, she was accused of sending information to the Austrians, wasting the treasury for her own purposes, sexually abusing her son, and other charges. Many have debated the legitimacy of the charges.