The Accident: Elisabeth

For this chapter I've used a translation of lyrics for most of the scene between Elisabeth and her father, Max. In the musical it is a song called Wie Du (Like You). I will try to italicize lyrics when I can. I didn't for this chapter because I elaborated on the translations and added a little more dialogue. Enjoy! Please read and review!

"Stop squirming Elisabeth! Hold still child, I'm almost finished."

I tried to stop fidgeting as mother swiftly tied a light blue ribbon in my hair. My scalp itched with all of the pins that mother had used to make sure my curls stayed in place. I shifted again as she gave the bow a final tug.

"There now, that wasn't so hard was it?"

As soon as she was done I stood up, glad to be finished sitting still.

"Don't you look lovely Elisabeth?" Mother guided me towards the shore of the lake, where I looked down at my reflection on the water. I was somewhat tall for fifteen, with an awkward, boyish figure. But today mother had picked out a dress that looked better on me than most. It was a light blue, to match the bow, tied with a white frilled sash around the waist.

But it was still uncomfortable, tied a bit too tightly in the back, with lace around the neck that itched my skin.

"Mother, do I really need to stay for the party?"

"Elisabeth, we have been over this before! This is a great honor, not only for your sister, but for this family! Once she is officially engaged to Emperor Franz Joseph, our lives will change drastically! All of the family needs to be here to share in this momentous occasion."

"But father won't be here!"

"Your father is traveling to Munich on business Elisabeth, I've told you."

I sighed, turning away from the lake and heading back towards the tables that were set up along the shore. Mother was still discussing the party, and father's work, but I wasn't paying attention any longer. I grabbed my skirts and climbed onto a bench, trying to balance on the edge.

"Elisabeth! Get down from there! It is not proper for a lady to behave in such a way."

I pouted at her and climbed down, sticking my tongue out at mother when her back was turned. She was always protesting when I did anything that wasn't "proper" for a lady.

I sighed and sat down on the bench, my mother sitting beside me, taking my hands in hers.

"Elisabeth, I know you want to go with your Father today, but we could all use you here. This is important to Helene, to all of us. Please try to behave." She gave my hands a squeeze, standing up. She paused a moment, looking at me, then she smiled gently, shaking her head.

"Perhaps you may accompany your father on the next trip he takes."

"Really? Oh mother thank you!" I stood up and hugged her, my mind already whirling with thoughts of seeing far away places.

"But only if you behave, Sissi. I love you. Now run along, see if you can catch your father and say goodbye."

I smiled at her, then turned and sprinted towards the woods, trying to see how fast I could run.

"Hurry back Sissi! Your relatives will be here soon!"

I rolled my eyes, slowing as I came to a small open glen. There was an old wooden fence, and leaning upon it was my father. He was a kind man, with streaks of grey in his hair and friendly blue eyes. I ran up to him, hugging him from behind.

"Sissi! What are you doing here? Shouldn't the party be starting soon?"

"Oh father, mother's expecting all of these guests, friends, aunts, uncles…I hate it when they come. They're always gossiping and trying to make me sit still. I don't want to go…but mother won't have it. Father, why can't I go with you?"

"Sissi, you know you can't come."

"But I could help you! I like everything you do!"

"Nevertheless, I can't let you come with me."

"I want to be able to do things that I want to do. I want to daydream, write poems, or songs, chase the wind…anything! I want to be just like you father!"

"Life is too short to let yourself become bored, even for an hour!" He kissed the top of my head, and helped me to sit on the fence. "Still…I do hate family gatherings…"

"So do I!" I laughed and kissed him on the cheek. "You what I'd like to do instead? Climb the tall cherry tree beside the house." I carefully stood up on the top beam of the fence, holding my arms out to steady myself. Father held onto my hand, just in case.

"You should be glad, Sissi, that you are not in your sister's shoes."

"Or maybe I could learn how to balance on a rope!" I started walking across the beam, keeping my eyes trained on the far end post of the fence.

"They're training her to be a princess."

"Or play with my brothers behind the house."

"But I shouldn't take sides."

"But mother won't let me," I said as I jumped down from the fence, twirling around a few times, my head tilted back with my face to the sky.

"Father, why can't I go with you?"

"I should be back by tomorrow afternoon…"

"I want to be free as a gypsy, able to travel and to do anything my heart desires!"

"I must go now, Sissi, goodbye."

I wrapped my arms around him, breathing in his smell, and smiling as he kissed my forehead.

"I want to be able to make my own choices…" I whispered as he pulled away from me, tilting my chin up with his hand.

"Behave yourself, Sissi." He smiled at me and tapped my nose with his finger. "I will be back soon! I love you!" I waved as he walked out of the glen and disappeared into the trees. When he was gone I sighed, leaning back against the fence.

"I would love to be like you."

I picked up a rock and hurled it into the woods, kicking at the dirt for good measure. Why couldn't I go with him? I loved my father, but he it seemed as though he was always leaving on a trip, and I was never allowed to go with him. I was tired of being forced to sit quietly, to make polite conversation, and to do everything a woman was expected to do. I wanted to travel, to live my own life, with no one telling me what to do or taking my freedom from me.

"Miss! Miss Elisabeth!"

I turned as my governess came through the trees, her sharp eyes landing on me instantly.

"Your mother has been calling you miss, you are expected at the festivities."

I rolled my eyes as she quickly adjusted my dress and my hair, finally declaring me presentable to our company.

When I got back to the shore of the lake, there were a good number of people milling about. Women with large skirts and fans, along with men dressed sharply in suits stood in groups around the area, talking or eating.

I took a deep breath, thinking "I might as well get this over with." I walked into the crowd, smiling politely, opening my fan and welcoming everyone to the celebration. I saw my sister, Helene, standing near the front of the group, dressed in a rich green dress, which complimented her darker hair. As I walked towards her I saw a look of relief come across her face, and she came to me. She grasped my hand, a tiny smile on her face.

"There you are! I was worried you had run off with Papa…I couldn't do this by myself."

"What do you mean Helene? Aren't you happy? You're going to marry the Emperor of Austria!"

"Of course I'm happy…I'm just nervous…I mean, I've never even met him, though his mother is our aunt. I don't like all this attention…I'm glad you're here."

She gave my hand a squeeze before mother appeared and whisked her away to talk to other guests.

I smiled after her, a little glad that I did stay, after all.

After about an hour, however, I was right back to firmly hating the fact that I had to be at the party. There was nothing to do, no one cared to discuss anything interesting, it was all either politics, or boring discussions on how we must be ready to train to be princesses once Helene and the Emperor were married.

I was sitting in a chair off to the side, uncomfortable because my governess had insisted that I had to sit very straight and still, like a lady. If she hadn't been sitting next to me the entire time I would have laid down on the ground and gazed at the clouds.

I kicked a pebble, watching as it clattered a few feet away from me. It came to a stop close to the base of an old structure. It was an old observation tower, jutting into the sky, with wooden rungs set into the side so one could climb to the top and look out over the lake. I looked up, shielding my eyes against the sun as I squinted to see the top of the tower.

At that moment, my governess excused herself to get a refreshment, as she was feeling a bit faint from the heat. I watched her leave, then turned my gaze back to the tower, an idea forming in my mind.

All at once I jumped up, going to a vacant bench close by and climbing on top of it.

"Attention! Attention everyone!"

I saw those closest to me turn to see what I was shouting about, and slowly more and more people took notice, until everyone was watching me. I saw my mother's face turn red, but I continued anyway.

"Now that we have all eaten and socialized, it's time for entertainment!"

I saw some of the women up front share a glance with their husbands, and noticed my mother trying to make her way through the crowd towards me.

"I am now going to astound you! Watch carefully!"

I grabbed a cane that was sitting propped against the bench, holding it horizontally in my hands. I stood on my tiptoes at the end of the bench. I started walking along the edge of the bench, kicking one leg, then the other. When I reached the other end, I spun on my toes, and headed back, this time kicking it to the side.

When I finished I leaped off the bench, still holding the cane, and bowed deeply. A good number of the people gathered were giving me angry looks, and a few were shaking their heads and murmuring.

But I didn't care, this was much more interesting than sitting still and acting docile. I grabbed three stones from the ground, throwing them into the air, and began to juggle them. After a few times, I started tuning in a slow circle, still juggling. I could hear my mother trying to make her way through the crowd. It was time for the showstopper.

I caught the last stone, bowing and smiling wide.

"And now, ladies and gentlemen, for the Finale!"

I turned, and ran to the old tower, planning to climb to the top, and throw down some streamers that I had made from strips of paper I had torn up. My feet found the rungs and I began to climb, feeling the wind blowing my hair.

I heard my mother shouting now from below me, though I was too far up for her to reach me.

"Elisabeth! Elisabeth come down right now! Elisabeth, do you hear me? It's not safe!"

I heard more people shouting now, telling me to climb down. But I didn't want to be told what to do anymore. I was determined to make it to the top, now more than ever.

I was about halfway up the tower when my foot slipped. I gasped, gripping the rungs with my hands, feeling my feet lose their grip on the ladder, so I was now dangling by my arms. I heard screams from below, my mother sounded panicked now.

A jolt of fear went through me, and I started flailing my legs, trying to get resituated on the ladder. But the rung my foot now found was rotted and it snapped under my weight. I screamed as my hands slipped from the ladder, and I fell towards the ground.

I heard an odd rushing in my ears, voices shouting my name, and my own voice screaming. There was a jolt of pain, and then nothing.