Budapest, 2019.
Erzsébet gazed out at the skyline of her capital, watching the sun set, never more in love with life than she was now.
Independence had long been her heart's one true desire. When she was a child, she loved how free she was to run through the forests barefoot, chasing down whoever she set her sights on and acting however she wished to in a given moment. It was thrilling, it was a life she wanted to preserve for herself until the end of time.
And when that life was gone, how she felt its emptiness! What hollow existence one leads when their only option is to bow to the will of others. She did her best to always carve out moments of defiance and free-will, to delude herself with feelings of control to protect her sanity. But that's what they always were, delusions. She could push back a little, but in the end, it always seemed her life was for others to decide, that she had somehow become a minor character within her own life story.
She smiled, chuckling softly at the memories as they bubbled up. "I could never give up though. That's not in my nature."
The dream lived within her heart and never left. Hungary would get her independence and, when she did, how mighty she celebrated. The culmination of centuries of struggles against various bullies with too high of an opinion for themselves. She could no longer be denied as a pawn to an important player's machinations. She represented an important piece of the chessboard of European politics and she was ready to demand the respect that it entailed.
And demand she did. She had lived too long, had seen too much, to be treated by a doormat any longer. Hungary would force France to look her in the eyes in meetings, for Britain to speak to her as an equal and not a child, for Spain to accept her conditions on treaties as honest proposals and not minor inconveniences. She would raise hell to be heard and if no one wanted to listen then she would hinder their every move, prevent whatever it was they wished to get done and laugh in the face of their frustrations. She would not be taken advantage of any longer.
She sipped her wine, a small smile dancing upon her lips and pride swelling her bosom. Everything she wanted she now had. She rarely looked back on the past, it was a feeble exercise, because what did it have to offer her that was better than the present? Subjugation by Turkey, by Austria, by Russia? Why would she want to sink into memories where the only thing she could taste was her constant humiliation, where she could do nothing for herself except live to the next day?
Once you've begun thriving, the act of survival seems too hideous to have been treasured in the way it once was.
Erzsébet wanted to focus on the now and only the now. The now where her self-worth was recognized by herself and others. Where she could skip down the street, singing at the top of her lungs and no one could stop her. Where her heart could command her 'go, be free' and she wouldn't hesitate to follow its orders.
A rap on the door. Gilbert stepped on the balcony with his lop-sided smile. "I was wondering where you were. Dinner's on the table."
She accepted his kiss on her cheek. "Did I keep you waiting?" She wouldn't apologize if she did. Erzsébet enjoyed being the busy and important one too much now. "One second, I'll meet you inside."
She watched him leave, satisfaction bubbling within her. She had everything she wanted and more. Hungary was certain of it, there could be no past more beautiful than her present. She closed her eyes, peace washing over her.
There was no reason to fight anymore.