My father warned that this was the way it should be. Details went to the blue pearl... And the members of the imperial family do not have to keep in their minds so many unnecessary details in everyday life.
Convenient.
Alcus has lost the wine. It was sour and not very much liked by the prince.
- From France! - Earl Medell, a cousin on the mother's side, told Alexander favorably. This gentleman was very old, but his father appreciated his mind and often listened to the opinion of the wrinkled, dry count with surprisingly lively, boyish eyes. - Feel, Your Highness, the aftertaste! What an exquisite bouquet!
Alk nodded, thinking only that today is Wednesday... So, tomorrow is the carnival! And the day after tomorrow they will meet Andri, and it will be possible to tell the little artist about the trial. About how respectfully people look at the Supreme Court, how attentively they catch him every word! And this is instead of annoying lessons in mathematics!
Oh, but it's still so long to wait! Two whole days...
- Your Majesty, - Count Medellus soaked his little dry lips, - and what did you decide with it... with a carnival?
- I do not consider it necessary to forbid it. It's too late for that - artists from all over the city came to the city... And the people are already angry, so there is no need to make him angry even more. Let him walk. The men will get drunk, fight among themselves, and calm down. I even think about putting out a couple of barrels of beer as a treat.
Medellus disapprovingly shook his bald head.
- Oh, it's no big deal, Father," he said with severity. - It's not business... The man today is not just angry... The workers have lost all fear. Not only can they scratch each other, but they can also go with their fists on decent people. And even if they do, they will start to hit the windows, the crews will turn over... And if you get them drunk again - tyuuuh... You will not be able to protect yourself!
My father frowned.
- City on what? - He asked. - Let them work off their salaries. Because they were all blown away, that not a night was a riot. By the way! - The emperor looked at the general sitting in front of him, Mr. Klars, and call me the city's chief of guard. I will have a stern conversation with him. So tell him. And I demand from you for the duration of the holiday to allocate a hundred soldiers stronger. And that at the full parade!
Alexander really wanted the holiday to take place. He, like all the boys of the city, was looking forward to this wonderful event.
City carnival! What can be more interesting?
The words of the old count seemed to Alka a real betrayal. How can we cancel this long-awaited joy? And his father's final decision made him unspeakable! Of course, let there be more townspeople on the streets on that day, and there is nothing to be afraid of! Can the Emperor be afraid of someone? It's just stupid!
In the afternoon the heir had to go to a military tactics' lesson. However, when he came to the study room, he was surprised to find no one in it. Such a punctual teacher Maximilian was always late...
It is impossible to say that Alka was very upset. Rather, amused. After all, now it will always be possible to remind the mentor that he himself is not sinless!
Only minutes went by, minutes went by... and the teacher did not appear. When Alka got tired of looking at the guardsmen marching in the yard, he decided that there was no point in waiting further. I'm sure Maximilian wasn't too young to be ill with anything. And forgot to send a footman to warn the heir.
Or he couldn't.
What if the mentor has no one close to him, and he lies at home with a heartbeat? After all, this can happen to any old man!
In his fourteen Alcus sincerely considered any person over thirty to be old.
Seeing the first servant, Alexander ordered to send someone home to Maximilian and find out why he did not appear in the classroom.
And then the future Emperor with a light heart went to the black staircase, on which the maids and lackeys went there and there, and slipped out of the palace unnoticed.
Alcus always loved to walk around the city alone, without tedious tutors, servants or mentors... But lately, he has not been able to get at least an hour to do so. His father filled in his heir's daily schedule tightly. And it was more expensive to break it. Yes, and more and more often talked about a personal bodyguard for the Grand Duke.
But so far the bodyguard, fortunately, only existed in projects. And is it Alcus' fault that the mentor did not come today?
The Grand Duke quickly ran along the little man's Palace Lane and jumped out on the quay, where it is so usual to sway on the waves of the boat of river coachmen.
- To the port! - Alexander commanded one of the boaters to have fun and threw shiny new rubella in the tanned palm of his hand. The man smiled in a wide wheat mustache and untied the boat from the mooring ring in the masonry of the quay.
Continued in the next part 13.