So this chapter has won the award for being the HARDEST thing I have EVER had to write! It includes four songs from the show so it's obnoxiously long (I think length –not word- wise it's the longest). I hope you enjoy it!!

So this chappy includes the musical's most popular song (in my opinion)… Die Schatten werden Länger!! It focuses mostly on our little Rudolph.... I hope you like it-- it was HARD!!

Again, thanks to those of you who reviewed my last chappy- you know I just LOVE LOVE LOOOOOVE hearing from you!!

ENJOY!!

Chapter 14

Rudolph

The next morning, Elisabeth packed up and left the Hofburg Palace. She did exactly as she claimed she would do- she saw the world. She no longer considered herself to be the President's wife- simply Elisabeth. As a result, she left without her bodyguards. She brought her assistant along, for Elisabeth considered her to be the only person in the world in which she could trust with her life.

And she did, indeed, see the world. She traveled all throughout Europe- from Spain to Norway. She saw parts of Africa in Morocco and Egypt. She even traveled to America.

As always, Elisabeth looked her finest to the public's eye. But her loneliness was devouring her from within. No one was as lonely as she. No one, that is, except possibly her son, Rudolph.

The morning Elisabeth fled, Rudy woke up to find the palace empty as a tomb. He searched for his mother, but the 15 year old boy searched in vain. Her room was empty as it almost always was, the library showed no signs of her, the cook said that she hadn't seen his mother. Rudy found her bodyguards… They're still here, Rudy thought. She couldn't have gone too far.

What Rudy didn't know was that he would not see his mother again for three long years.

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Rudy spent much of his time alone. The day his mother left, he threw himself into his studies. He continued learning languages, math, science, history, and literature. He also began looking more into politics. His father had won the election for Presidency for a second time quite easily and he was to run again. The public seemed to love Joseph and his beautiful wife and son. But Rudy couldn't help but disapprove of some of his father's ideas and tactics. In his eyes, Joseph was much too conservative for him. Rudy's mind was always reeling with scientific theories, literary motifs, and plans to help change Austria for the better. Before he knew it, he was 18 years old.

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Rudy slammed the door behind him, the sound echoing in the room and in his ears. He let out a growl as he kicked a pile of textbooks out of his way. He walked over to his bathroom and closing the door behind him, he looked into the mirror.

He had grown in the last three years. He was over six feet tall now, with blond, wavy hair. His eyes were the color of chocolate, like his mother's, rather than mud as his father's were.

His father. Rudy couldn't help but hate the man at the moment. He had gone to talk to his father about something- or rather, someone- very dear to him. He had recently met and fallen madly in love with a young, beautiful girl named Marie. He had hoped to ask her to marry him and had gone to his father to ask him for his blessing.

"No."

"What?" Rudy had asked his father, not willing to believe what he had just heard.

"You're not marrying that girl," Joseph said, without even looking up from his work.

"Dad," Rudy pressed. "I'm not asking you for permission, I'm asking for your blessing."

"Well, you won't be receiving either," Joseph said, finally looking up at his son. "We've already decided that you will marry the Hungarian President's daughter, Stephanie, in order to create an alliance with Hungary. Why you would even think that you could marry that girl-"

"'That girl' is the woman that I love and her name is Marie. And I will marry her whether you like it or not!"

"Well, I won't let you."

"Dad!" Rudy shouted, slamming his fist onto Joseph's desk. "This isn't the 19th Century! Arranged marriages don't exist anymore! People marry one another because they're in love!"

"Marriages based off of love never work out in the end," Joseph said through clenched teeth.

"My God! Just because you and mom didn't work doesn't mean that everyone else fails in their marriage, too!" Rudolph said coldly. Furious, he spun around and marched to the door.

"Rudolph!" Joseph yelled after his son, his voice cracking. "Rudolph!"

Sighing, Rudy came back to the present, staring into his eyes. He had called Marie and told her what had happened. He planned on meeting her to talk about what had happened between him and his father. After splashing water on his face, he changed into a pair of khaki shorts, a T-shirt, and sneakers, and headed to the one place her felt at peace- the mountains.

He never drove up to the mountains until his mother left three years prior. He knew she would come to the same place when she wanted to escape from everyday life. Mom, Rudy thought. He had not seen his beautiful mother since he was 15 years old. They had sent each other letters which had given Rudy hope that she would come back one day. She told him of the pyramids in Egypt and the Tour d'Eiffel in Paris. She told him of America and the bustling city of New York. He told his mother of his studies, his plans for the country if he were President. When his Grandma Sophie died, he wrote to her, even though he knew that she would not mourn the loss. He had received a letter from her several days ago mentioning his birthday coming up in a few days. He knew that there would be no celebration. He hoped against all hope that he would wake up and find his mother there, wishing him a "Happy Birthday!"

Rudy brought himself back to reality. He closed his eyes and enjoyed what he had at the moment as he waited for the love of his life to arrive. The sound of birds chirping and the wind blowing through the trees was something he could not have in Vienna. Rudolph had never felt so lost and alone in his life as much as he did today. He had no one- his mother had left him to fend for himself, his father was certainly no father, he was being denied the love of Marie, and he had never had a true friend.

"Don't say that," a voice said from behind him.

Rudolph quickly turned his head. He had expected the high pitched voice of Marie; he expected to see a young girl standing behind him with a child- like smile. But it was certainly not anyone he had expected to see. Standing behind him was someone he had thought to have never truly existed- a friend created in the lack of contact with his mother.

"Tod?" Rudy asked, thinking he must be seeing things.

The blond man smiled. He had not changed in the eight years that had passed. He still wore all black as if he were attending a funeral. Death slowly walked toward Rudy at the mountain's precipice. Rudy could feel his heart beat faster and faster as each footstep brought the man closer to him.

Standing beside him, Death said with a smile, "Rudolph." With a flick of his wrist, Death sent the tail of his coat flying in the wind as he sat beside the young, bewildered man. With a wicked smile he turned to Rudy.

"It's been awhile. Do you remember when you were a little boy? I promised to never leave you. But you stopped talking to me… why? Did you forget about me?" Death asked as he stared into Rudy's eyes.

"No I…" Rudy stumbled over his words. Every time he looked into his dear friend, Tod's, eyes, he seemed to lose all thought. "I never forgot you. I thought you were imaginary. My mother-"

"Ah, yes," Death interrupted. "Your mother would've told you I was imaginary. Or, perhaps, dangerous?"

"No," Rudy said shaking his head. "She never said that you were dangerous. She just asked me to stop seeing you… so I did."

"Ah," Death said with a knowing nod. "I see… It's so easy to obey her. What with her being so beautiful…" his voice drifted off with the wind. "Well, I think it's time to break this silence. Your mother isn't here to stop you."

"No… she's never here…" Rudy said in a whisper.

"Well you seem to need a friend," Death said to the boy. "Here I am."

Unknowingly, Rudy began to reveal to Death all of his deepest, darkest secrets. His love affair with the beautiful Marie Vetsera, his heartbreak after his mother left, his hopes he had for Austria, his hatred towards his father.

Death, in turn, gave his advice he had for Rudolph. It had been years since he had anything to do with Elisabeth and her life and he was enjoying this all too much. He told Rudolph that he should marry the love of his life with or without his father's blessing. He told Rudolph all about his mother- what she was like as a little girl, how she was always stubborn and free willed; Rudy couldn't help but see the admiration in his friend's eyes as he spoke of Rudy's mother. Death even went so far as to hint that Rudolph was a strong young man and his father's health was slowly fading… it would be easy enough to get rid of him.

"I just feel that the world is falling apart all around me," Rudy said, as the sun began to set behind the mountains. "No one seems to feel the same way but I can't help but feel that the end is coming." Rudy looked at the man beside him who was looking at him with a knowing look in his eyes.

"I couldn't agree more," he said with a coy smile. "There is nothing worse than seeing something disastrous heading your way and you are powerless to do anything to stop it."

"It pisses me off!" Rudy yelled, clenching his fists, his knuckle turning white.

"Then do something about it," Death said calmly. "If it makes you so mad, being absolutely powerless, while your father poorly runs the country, then perhaps you should dispose of the undeserving one and rise up and take control. You have ideas, plans- and good ones at that. You have nothing to lose. Change needs to happen in this pathetic world and it can happen with you," he reached out a cold, black hand and held tight onto Rudy's arm. "You could make history."

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Rudy arrived back at Hofburg with his head reeling. He had gone to the mountains in order to meet with Marie- who never came- and to clear his mind and, instead, he was as confused as ever. Discovering that his childhood imaginary friend was anything but imaginary was enough to make one lose their mind. Having that "imaginary friend" sit and talk with you for hours on top of a mountain top sent his mind over the edge. After his afternoon with his dear friend, Tod, the two men went their separate ways.

"It was good seeing you again, Tod," Rudy said with a friendly smile as he shook the man's cold, black gloved hand.

"Oh, you'll be seeing me again in the near future, I'm sure," Death said with a smile. With that, Death turned and disappeared into the night.

Rudy returned home well into the night. He decided to go through the side door, rather than traveling through the grand foyer. He had no desire to see his father and hoped to sneak into his room undiscovered.

He slowly made his way up the carpeted stairs, thanking them for not revealing his presence to those in the palace. He walked down the long hall heading to his room when something caught his eye. It was something he had not seen in three years- light shining from under his mother's door. Unwilling to believe his eyes (for they had held plenty of surprises that day), he slowly approached the door. Leaning his ear against the wooden panel, he closed his eyes and listened for a moment. He could hear movement on the other side of the piece of wood. Taking a breath, he slowly raised his hand and knocked lightly on the door.

Silence.

Perhaps I imagined it, Rudy thought.

Suddenly, the door handle rattled and the door swung open slowly to reveal a sight Rudy had begun to think he would never see again. Elisabeth stood before him in all of her beauty. Rudy stared at her for what seemed an eternity. She was still as beautiful as he had remembered… but she had changed. The years she had spent away had aged her. She did not have that spark of life in her eyes; they were sad and empty. Several wrinkles were making their unwanted appearances around her eyes. She had gained some weight, which was a relief to Rudy. He hated seeing his mother so sick and thin. She looked healthy. Even with all of these changes, Rudy still saw her to be a beautiful angel.

"Mom?" he asked in a deep voice.

She just smiled. He'd grown so much while she had been away. From a little 15 year old boy still getting accustomed to the changes occurring in his body to a handsome young man ready to take on the world and what it brought his way. Elisabeth lifted a single hand and placed it on his cheek.

"Oh Rudy," she whispered, tears in her eyes. Her voice was the sound of an angel to Rudy. He had been surrounded by politics and hate for the last three years and had to face it all alone.

"Mom," Rudy asked, dumbfounded. "What are you doing here?"

She dropped her hand and turned to go back to her vanity, where she had been sitting. Rudy followed her into the room. He saw her assistant standing by the vanity with a hairbrush in her hand. Elisabeth sat back down and her assistant continued to brush her hair.

"Mom?"

Elisabeth sighed as she looked at Rudy in the mirror and said, "I don't know why I came back," she paused. "I received a telegram from your father."

"What? A telegram about what?" Rudy asked as he marched over to where his mother sat. Elisabeth pointed to an envelope laying on her desk across the room. Rudy walked over and opened it. It was about him. Him and Marie. Furious, he was unable to finish it. "Please don't tell me you came here just because of what dad said."

"No," Elisabeth said, shortly. "I came for my own reasons. That was just one of them."

Rudy waited to hear what these reasons were, but soon realized she was not planning on revealing these reasons. He sighed, uncomfortable in the silence. There had never been an awkward moment between them in the past, but now, he felt as if he didn't know what to say to her. Elisabeth broke the silence by saying:

"Tell me about this girl."

"Marie?" Rudy asked, looking back up at his mother. She nodded, a kind look on her face. Suddenly, Rudy felt hopeful. She had always had a way of convincing his father to do whatever she wanted, maybe she could help make this work with him and Marie. "She's wonderful. She's young with long black hair and dark green eyes- like the photos of Ireland you sent me! Her voice is the sound of angels singing. She's beautiful and funny and charming. And she can sing!" he said, his eyes lighting up as he thought more and more about her.

"You seem to really love her," Elisabeth said, solemnly.

"More than life, itself!" Rudolph could tell that this comment bothered his mother.

"Well," Elisabeth said after a moment, "I do feel that we- you, me, your father, and this Marie- need to talk before you jump into a relationship with this girl. I mean, your father and I don't know her-"

What had just happened? Rudy was sure that his mother would support him in his wish to marry Marie. Why was she suddenly sounding more and more like his father? Furious that things had turned out this way, Rudy said:

"Excuse me, mom, but you have no right to claim that you 'don't know' someone. If you had been around for the last three years, you would know her. But no- you've been traipsing around the world doing God knows what!" He threw the telegram to the floor and headed for the door. He paused at the door to look back at his mother. She stared straight ahead, looking at her reflection. She seemed unphased by Rudy's accusations. "I love Marie, mom. And I'm going to marry her, whether you like it or not."

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"Rudy, where are we going?" the girl panted, holding onto Rudy's hand.

Rudy turned and looked at the girl behind him. He had called Marie the day after his reunion with his mother. He told her of a plan he had for them to be together. Since his parents were denying the one thing he wanted in this life, he would take it without them knowing.

The young couple had traveled south of Vienna to the small town of Alland. There, they were married secretly in a small church. The couple could not have been happier together.

One day, they walked from the town to a summer home Rudy's family owned.

"It's a surprise," he whispered as he placed a kiss his bride's nose.

They turned a corner and laying before them was the beautiful home that had been vacant for years.

"It's been in our family for decades," Rudy told Marie. "But we haven't come in years- not since my dad became President."

Hand in hand, the couple walked up to the gates. As Rudy pulled out a key form his pocket, Marie turned her attention to the sign that hung on the gate.

"Mayerling," she read.

With a click and a squeak of the old, rusty gates, Rudy turned to the girl and reaching out his hand asked, "Ready?" Laughing, she placed her small, cool hand in his.

After spending a quiet evening together, Marie asked:

"Rudy? Your parents don't like me, do they?"

Looking at the woman in his arms he said, "I like you," with a smile. "I don't care what my parents think. My father is a fool and doesn't even know what he wants so how could he possibly know what's good for me. Just because he failed miserably with my mom doesn't mean that I'm going to make the same mistakes as he did."

"You love your mom, don't you?" Marie asked softly.

"Yeah," Rudy said quietly. "She meant the world to me growing up. But… " he paused. "I don't know. Something changed once my dad became the President. It happened literally over night. The evening of his inauguration, she was joking and playing with me and the next morning she became distant and started ignoring me and my dad. I never knew why…" he said lost in his thoughts. "I thought that I would never see her again but then she shows up out of the blue and decides to start acting like the responsible parent."

"I'm sure she loves you," Marie said. "Well," she paused looking at Rudy, mischievously. "You know that I'll always love you."

Smiling, Rudy moved in slowly to place a kiss on his bride's lips. Even on their wedding day, Marie had avoided kissing him. She claimed that she was waiting for the "right moment" in which to share their first kiss. To Rudy this was as good a time as any. They were finally together and nothing and no one could stop them.

Suddenly, a blinding light flashed before the front window. The lovers quickly turned to try and see the source. Rudy slowly rose and cautiously walked to the window. Spinning around, he whispered to Marie:

"It's the police!"

"What?" Marie cried.

"Come on!" Rudy grabbed Marie and headed for the basement. "We have to hide. We can't let them find us."

The lovers held onto one another as they silently listened the voices above them. They heard footsteps and furniture moving around above them. Rudy knew his father had sent the police after them. He must have known that he would go to Mayerling and sent the cops there to bring them back.

"Rudolph?"

Rudy looked down at the woman in his arms. She had never called him Rudolph before and it caught him by surprise. He gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"I don't want them to take me away from you," she cried out as tears fell freely down her face.

"They won't find us," he reassured her.

"Yes they will! They'll find us, take us back to Vienna, and I'll never see you again!" Rudy could feel her small form shaking with fear in his arms. "I don't want him to win."

"Who?" Rudy asked, looking at Marie, confused.

"The President. He doesn't want us to be happy! I know it!" Marie cried out hysterically.

"Marie," Rudy said, hushing her. "You're freaking out-"

"No!" she cried. "I would rather die than lose you… If I can't spend the rest of my life with you than I don't want to live it!"

"Marie…"

"Rudolph," Marie said in a shaky voice as she stood up and walked across the room. She picked something small up off a table and slowly turned. A gun. Mayerling was, indeed, a summer house but it was also Joseph's hunting lodge in the winter and held countless guns. "If I am to live my life alone… I would rather die. Do you want your father to win? To separate us for the rest of our lives? I'll die an old maid and you'll marry that Hungarian woman and be miserable for the rest of your life… just like your father!" she paused, looking into Rudy's chocolate brown eyes. She knew that what she said bothered him immensely. "Is that what you want? For me? For you?"

"No," Rudy said quietly.

"Then prove it!" Marie cried. "You don't care what happens to me… you don't love me…"

"Marie, stop! Don't say that…"

"Well, its how I feel!" she said as she knelt before him, the small revolver shining in her hands. "Just think… we can be together forever. Nothing and no one can come between us. Not your mother. Or your father. Politics. War. We can live happily ever after. Do you love me?"

"Yes."

Marie placed the heavy gun in his hand. Guiding his hand, she wrapped her hand on top of his, around the revolver and held it against Rudy's temple.

"Together," she said, smiling.

"Forever," Rudy finished in a hopeful tone.

Marie leaned forward and slowly closed the distance between their lips. Rudy closed his eyes, ready for the end. But the moment her lips touched his, his eyes snapped open. Her lips were cold. As cold as… Death.

Rudy looked into his lover's eyes only to see a pair of ice blue eyes staring back. Tod, Rudy thought. In a panic he tried to break free of Death's cold grasp but it was too late. The trigger had been pulled.

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