Read Online The King Without a Heart by Barbara Cartland - Free Book Online
Authors: Barbara Cartland
Tags: Romance
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the middle of the room and when everyone was seated, he made a long speech of welcome.
There was nothing very original in what he said, Titania thought. He made it quite plain how clever he had been to win such an important bride from England with the approval and blessing of Her Majesty Queen Victoria.
He next added many flattering words about the Duchess and her aristocratic family and indeed it would have been more appropriate if he had not made it quite so clear that it was he who was bringing them to Velidos. In fact he was expecting Velidos to be very grateful to him.
It was a long speech and, as he droned on and on,
Titania thought he was being extremely tedious, but it was worse still for Sophie who did not understand a word of what he was saying.
It was not surprising that her cousin looked bored and started to fidget towards the end of the speech.
Finally Prince Frederick brought the account of his achievements to an end and he bowed delightedly to the polite applause from his captive audience.
Next the Prime Minister made his speech of welcome and he was followed by several other dignitaries. By this time Titania was feeling really sorry for her cousin.
They were all speaking in a language of which she had only learned two words and these she had already uttered when the child had presented her with a bouquet.
Titania, however, was delighted to find that she could understand everything being said. Even so she considered that the speeches were too solemn and certainly far too long.
At last the interminable speeches came to an end and Titania was wondering what would happen next.
Then there was a fanfare of trumpets, a door opened at the end of the Throne Room and two Equerries appeared.
It was obvious from the fanfare that the King was coming to receive his brotherâs future wife.
Titania watched eagerly for his appearance.
From the way Darius that had talked about him pouring over his books and having withdrawn himself into a world of his own, she had believed he would be small and rather insignificant.
To her surprise the King was tall, broad-shouldered and very good-looking.
He was dressed in quite a plain uniform in contrast to the Crown Princeâs, wearing a white jacket with just two glittering diamond stars on one side of his chest.
As he processed into the Throne Room, the men bowed and the women curtsied and then he stepped up onto the platform.
Prince Frederick introduced him first to Sophie and next to the Duchess, but there was no question of Titania being presented. She was left sitting in the background beside the two elderly Ladies-in-Waiting.
The King then made a very short speech of welcome to Sophie, wishing her every possible happiness in the new country to which she now belonged.
Then as the King stepped down from the platform again the men bowed and the women curtsied.
His Majesty left the Throne Room.
When he had departed, Prince Frederick took over and he and Sophie led the guests into a large Banqueting Hall.
There was plentiful champagne to drink the health of the bride and groom and a number of delicious dishes which Titania had never tasted before.
Everyone who had been present in the Throne Room now wanted to meet Sophie and Prince Frederick introduced them one after another. They each had something extremely flattering to say to her, but only one in ten was able to speak a word of English.
With the majority Sophie could only look blank and smile.
âOf course she should have tried to learn the language,â thought Titania.
However it was too late now and she was quite certain that Sophie would make no effort once she was married.
Titania remembered Darius had told her it was the Kingâs idea that he should travel with them in the Battleship to teach Sophie the language of the people over whom he ruled.
She wondered now if he would be disappointed that Darius had been unsuccessful or more likely he was not really interested one way or
There was nothing very original in what he said, Titania thought. He made it quite plain how clever he had been to win such an important bride from England with the approval and blessing of Her Majesty Queen Victoria.
He next added many flattering words about the Duchess and her aristocratic family and indeed it would have been more appropriate if he had not made it quite so clear that it was he who was bringing them to Velidos. In fact he was expecting Velidos to be very grateful to him.
It was a long speech and, as he droned on and on,
Titania thought he was being extremely tedious, but it was worse still for Sophie who did not understand a word of what he was saying.
It was not surprising that her cousin looked bored and started to fidget towards the end of the speech.
Finally Prince Frederick brought the account of his achievements to an end and he bowed delightedly to the polite applause from his captive audience.
Next the Prime Minister made his speech of welcome and he was followed by several other dignitaries. By this time Titania was feeling really sorry for her cousin.
They were all speaking in a language of which she had only learned two words and these she had already uttered when the child had presented her with a bouquet.
Titania, however, was delighted to find that she could understand everything being said. Even so she considered that the speeches were too solemn and certainly far too long.
At last the interminable speeches came to an end and Titania was wondering what would happen next.
Then there was a fanfare of trumpets, a door opened at the end of the Throne Room and two Equerries appeared.
It was obvious from the fanfare that the King was coming to receive his brotherâs future wife.
Titania watched eagerly for his appearance.
From the way Darius that had talked about him pouring over his books and having withdrawn himself into a world of his own, she had believed he would be small and rather insignificant.
To her surprise the King was tall, broad-shouldered and very good-looking.
He was dressed in quite a plain uniform in contrast to the Crown Princeâs, wearing a white jacket with just two glittering diamond stars on one side of his chest.
As he processed into the Throne Room, the men bowed and the women curtsied and then he stepped up onto the platform.
Prince Frederick introduced him first to Sophie and next to the Duchess, but there was no question of Titania being presented. She was left sitting in the background beside the two elderly Ladies-in-Waiting.
The King then made a very short speech of welcome to Sophie, wishing her every possible happiness in the new country to which she now belonged.
Then as the King stepped down from the platform again the men bowed and the women curtsied.
His Majesty left the Throne Room.
When he had departed, Prince Frederick took over and he and Sophie led the guests into a large Banqueting Hall.
There was plentiful champagne to drink the health of the bride and groom and a number of delicious dishes which Titania had never tasted before.
Everyone who had been present in the Throne Room now wanted to meet Sophie and Prince Frederick introduced them one after another. They each had something extremely flattering to say to her, but only one in ten was able to speak a word of English.
With the majority Sophie could only look blank and smile.
âOf course she should have tried to learn the language,â thought Titania.
However it was too late now and she was quite certain that Sophie would make no effort once she was married.
Titania remembered Darius had told her it was the Kingâs idea that he should travel with them in the Battleship to teach Sophie the language of the people over whom he ruled.
She wondered now if he would be disappointed that Darius had been unsuccessful or more likely he was not really interested one way or
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