Grasping for the Crowns (The Powers Book 2) by Alma Boykin

Author:Alma Boykin [Boykin, Alma]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Alternate History, 1919, austria, Hungary
ISBN: 9781773420356
Publisher: IndieBookLauncher.com
Published: 2017-11-22T07:00:00+00:00

“To His Grace Archduke Rudolph of Inner Austria and the Tirol, Greetings,” István read under his breath. The rest of the family and household had gone to bed already, tired from the relocation to Kassa from Nagymatra. Only now did István have a spare moment and thought to write the overdue letter that Archduke Rudolph had requested.

“Thank you for you kind expressions of concern and sympathy. Lady Marie was indeed full of years, and her charitable works and wise council will be greatly missed.” They had been missed since the previous winter, something Judit still failed to understand. Her last letter had belabored him once more for not mourning for their mother. “Your prayers and the series of Masses are greatly appreciated and bring comfort to Lady Marie’s family and her House.”

István stopped, turned his head, and sneezed. Apparently wet feet really did cause colds. He sniffed hard and returned to reading the letter. “As Your Grace has observed, discontent remains high in the country. Relief at Russia’s peace agreement has faded into resentment that all the soldiers are not home—right now, this moment. Even those who agree with my lord General Schwarzenberg’s slow removal of troops from the Eastern Front, and his shifting fresher men to the Italian and Romanian borders, wonder if he is moving too slowly and cautiously, since no threat exists to the southeast.” At least for the moment, that is. Once the Turks finish falling apart, or if the Russians can’t come to an orderly arrangement for a new government . . . Nothing in the House Chronicles boded well for Russia.

“The continued hunger and dearth raise more complaints. Yes, reforming the ration system and the better harvest have helped, but people want still more, because the war is over. Or so the bulk of the population believes, news from the Italian front notwithstanding. As Your Grace is aware, the Entente continues spreading rumors and insisting on supporting various nationalist groups. The American President’s most recent speeches have found their way to Kassa at the very least, and the offer to recognize each group’s right to have its own country is not smoothing the troubled waters. Your Grace should be aware that the recent election results do seem to favor the Crown, but I have no knowledge of the final vote tallies.” Actually, István had come to agree with those who favored limiting the franchise once more, to veterans who met certain property qualifications, but that faction had been overruled. His Majesty would not go back on his word, not after the effort he’d expended pushing the change through the various diets and parliaments within the empire. Even the Serbs had, with great grumbling and dark murmurs, agreed to the expanded franchise, which allowed all imperial veterans to vote, as well as the previous classes of voters. Or, in the case of Serbia, would eventually allow men to vote once they’d proven their loyalty to the empire.

“The market talk in Kassa and the surrounding area

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