Bella gerant alii, tu felix Austria, nube.
That was not Aleksandar von Hohenberg's destiny. A fateful turn was all that was needed to shift his future, and what may have been disappeared.
Alek sighed as he closed his journal, taking off his thin reading glasses and tiredly rubbing his eyes as he leaned back into his soft leather office chair. The heavy curtains in his expansive workspace were already drawn, the hour being late.
When did the world get so messy? Alek massaged his temples, eyes closed. No, it had always been this messy. It's just that he was now at the forefront of it all.
Such was the life of Aleksandar I, Emperor of the Austrian Federation. The stress that came with the job was only his payment in exchange for power over the thirty-five million souls that resided in the state that he was head of. Standing up, Alek walked over to the heavy curtain, pulling it slightly aside to view the snowy night outside. He placed a hand on the glass, feeling the cold permeate through the transparent material.
Things were… dangerous – yes, that was the right word. Who would have thought that in January of 1938, there would be cries for a union with Germany? Anschluss – a word heard on many a Viennese street. Alek shook his head. How could it even happen? Such actions were explicitly prohibited by Versailles, and he hoped that the Western powers would intervene to uphold the treaty. Then again, with the economic situation as it was in much of the world, he would not fault them for a lack of focus on robust long-term foreign policy. He was an ardent voice against any political joining with their northern neighbor, but the tides of German and Austrian politics were against him, and as a constitutional monarch, there was only so much he could do, especially if the people's hearts were not with him…
Moving away from the window, he moved over to an extensive bookshelf that consumed a wall of his majestic office. Said bookshelf stretched to the high ceilings of the room and had collectibles and volumes that would make historians across Europe blush with envy. He ignored all of those. Instead, he honed in on a rather empty shelf, one that held only a single item; a picture, black-and-white, from days long gone. Alek stared at the picture for not the first time that day. In fact, he found himself staring at this particular photograph more in recent days.
A much younger version of himself looked back from the right side of the photograph, a wide smile playing on his face. It had been nearly twenty years since the photograph, and he could still remember the circumstances vividly. The war had just ended, and they had barely landed back in Britain, ready to meet the King of the United Kingdom pertaining post-war political matters. There was, however, a photographer in the hangar, selling his services to returning veterans of the Great War, and Alek enthusiastically took advantage of the opportunity.
Count Volger's stoic face peered through the framed picture to stare at Alek – he shook his head. How many years had it been since he had the privilege to talk with Volger? The poor man had passed away some five years earlier, a terrible case of pneumonia overcoming him. At least he had passed with the belief that Alek was safe and Austria's future was secure. Oh, what Alek would give to talk with him now, to ask him for advice. Alas, such was life – the dead were gone, and he could rely on their help no longer. Glancing one last time at the faithful soldier that stood behind Alek, one hand on his younger self's shoulder, he flicked his eyes to the left.
Dr. Barlow stood beside Volger, a dainty smile playing on her lips. He had never noticed it before, but she stood closer to the older man than he would have thought appropriate at the time. Then again, given the rumors about their relationship, he could hardly fault her. Maybe they had loved one another. At any rate, once the war was over, circumstances separated her from Volger, the latter serving as a chief advisor to Alek while she continued her research at the London Zoo. Alek looked up, staring at the intricate mural that adorned the ceiling as he tried to recall where she was now. He could swear that he had read one of her newest articles only weeks ago, so more than likely, she was still furthering her career. Was she happy? Perhaps she had found another man, though now Alek felt a twinge of growing guilt for tearing Volger away from Barlow, as unintentional it was on his end.
Swallowing slightly, Alek forced himself to look downwards from Barlow's face, his heart pounding as his eyes made the trek.
She stared back, bright eyes wide (it was almost as if he could see the bright blue through a black-and-white photograph) and a playful grin adorning her face. Her blonde hair was still cropped short, the war having just ended. She was leaning slightly towards Alek, and although she was looking at the camera, her body position was as if she had been looking at the then-prince just before the picture was taken.
Alek's heart throbbed again, and he squeezed his eyes shut.
Deryn. Oh, how he had fucked up.
He held the picture in one hand, looking around his well-furnished and warm office. The motto of the Hapsburgs was written over the double-door entrance. Multiple awards and honors filled an entire wall. The curtains were made of the finest silk, and the rug under his desk was as expensive and high-quality as the hardwood floor it covered. All in all, the trappings of power, fit for an emperor that was head of state of one of the most powerful nations in the world.
At that moment, Alek would give it all – and far more – to be with Deryn again.
Was it worth it?
His simple answer: no, it hadn't been. But the young idiot that stared back at him from the photograph was too stupid to know, and he had made the worst decision in his life when the best decision had been staring at him in the face.
It was too late now – she would be, what, thirty-nine now? The same age as him. She had retired from the Royal Navy shortly after the war – though it was more akin to being honorably forced out – and had joined Dr. Barlow. Perhaps she was married now? Was happy with a loving husband? Delighted with children? Content with a stable home? Who was he to disrupt any of that?
Alek sighed, a turmoil of emotions raging through him as he limply held the framed photograph by his leg. He glanced back to his wooden desk, and walked over, pulling open one of the obscure side drawers. Inside was a stack of parchment. He picked up the topmost one, which was the newest.
My dear Deryn, it started. The rest was emotional gibberish to Alek, the same kind of thing he had been writing in various forms during various attempts over the better part of the last two decades. An explanation for such delayed correspondence. A polite question or two about her circumstances. A hypothetical about meeting up at some vague, arbitrary time in the future to re-acquaint.
He looked back at the her beaming face in the photograph, and a small spark ignited in him. Sitting down in his leather chair, he pulled out a pen and began to write, words flowing onto the parchment as he felt more inspired than he had been in twenty years.
What was this feeling? Alek had no idea, but he still continued.
Love? Perhaps. Alek had little experience in that department – many a noble lady had attempted to ingratiate themselves with the emperor of the Austrians, but none had managed to break his so-called "stone cold" heart. In reality, Alek found none of them to his liking. Every time he talked with a beautiful Austrian socialite clothed in designer dresses, he always found a certain short-haired blonde dressed in uniform in the corner of his vision. None of them could compare to her fire, to her spirit, and to, well, her.
He stopped writing, having come to the end of the letter, which now spanned three pieces of parchment. Blinking a few times, he signed it.
Always,
Aleksandar von Hohenberg
He blinked again. It had been many years since he had signed himself like that. A sentimental gesture, it had to be, harkening to times when he was but a simple prince awash in a world at war.
"No!" came a yell from down the hall and stairs outside his office, startling Alek out of his reverie. A short sputter – gunfire – followed, and silence reigned once more. Alek rose slightly, folding the parchment pieces into a small envelope before pocketing it. Another short spurt of gunfire followed, and then another, along with more yells from men.
Suddenly, his office door blew in, having been kicked open. Alek dropped behind his heavy wooden desk.
"Your highness!" came a call. Alek poked his head up from under the desk, recognizing the voice. His head of security, a loyal officer of some forty years of age, was there, along with three others of the royal guard.
"What's going on, Hans?" Alek asked, wincing at the sound of gunfire again, albeit now more distant.
"Assassins," Hans spat, looking around. "They had hoped to catch us off guard. We have pushed them back for now, but I cannot vouch for the long-term security of Konopiště. We must evacuate." Alek nodded, and he motioned for the man to lead.
"Where will we go?" Alek asked, the group cautiously making their way to the garage of the palace complex.
"There are numerous safe houses in Austria, but I do not trust them – the assassins were German," Hans quickly replied. "I recommend a foreign destination, maybe France or Britain or even America."
Alek thought for a few seconds as they made their way to a non-descript vehicle.
"We shall go to Britain," he announced. Hans nodded. Without prompt, Alek continued. "I have some business there, business that is long overdue." And as he said this, Alek felt the comforting weight of his letter in his coat pocket. He may as well deliver it himself.
A/N: Well, it's been a while since I read any of the books, so I'm writing this one blind. If I make any continuity errors, sorry. This was a short – but decidedly not sweet, bar the ending – one-shot, and it was somewhat painful to write since it is, well, unhappy for many of the characters involved. At any rate, there will be a parallel universe sequel one-shot to this, one that will be much happier, so stay tuned.