The Better Choice

1

~Meeting the archduchess~

2st June 1462

Elizabeth and her younger sisters, Josepha and Christine were in a carriage on their way to London. A year ago, Henry VI of England was defetead and a new king was crowned, Edward IV. The girls' uncle, the Holy Roman Emperor Frederik III, sent them in England to show his support for the new king. Their father, the Archduke Albert of Austria, didn't like the new english king, and his brother, the Emperor, thought that sending his girls to meet the young king would change his mind.

The Archduke Albert though, is a determinated man and sweared to not let his brother change his mind. He knew he couldn't disobey his brother so he prepared three of his daughters for their long trip to the rainy England. He had been married four times and is now looking for a new bride, because even after that long time, he doesn't have any surving sons. For many, he looked cruel and made of stone, but he loved his daughters and prized them everytime he got the chance.

Christine and Josepha were both excited and started making plans the second they heard about the trip, but their eldest sister, Elizabeth, dreaded the idea. She knew she had to go, what her uncle said was law, but just the thought of being away from home for more than a week made her sick.

Most of the ride, her sisters slept, the motion of the carriage making them tired, but even after three days of just reading and watching over her sleeping sisters, Elizabeth still couldn't sleep. Now, almost at London, the young girl started feeling even more agitated than she was before.

"My Lady, you should try to get even a little nap, we almost arrived." said to her, Caroline, one of her ladies in waiting. She was much older than Elizabeth, but a great and loyal friend to her. Caroline had been in the archduchess' mother's service too before she died, after that being appointed as a lady in waiting to a 5 year old Elizabeth. Seeing her mistress so nervous, saddend Caroline, but she tried everything in her power to calm down the girl. She even spoke to the Archduke, but it was all in vain. She wasn't supposed to be part of the archduchesses ladies to accompany them here, but she knew she had to keep an eye on the young red haired girl, Elizabeth.

"Thank you Caroline, but I can't. As you said, we almost arrive and I need to wake up Chrisie and Josepha, they shoudn't look tired when we met the english King." Elizabeth answered, chosing her words carefully, to sound convincing. She knew she couldn't hide anything from Caroline, but she still hoped.

"Chrisie, wake up. We need to get ready." the archduchess told her younger sister, brushing a strand of strawberrie blonde hair from the sleeping girl's face.

"Hmm?... What?" said Christine with a sleepy voice. "But I was dreaming of..." began her complaing, but was interrupted by a their younger sister, Josepha who just woke up.

"We don't want to hear of your dirty dreams with Charles" replied the younger archduchess, arranging her ruffled fair hair, making Elizabeth and Caroline laugh and Christine to get out her tongue.

"You are just jealous that I have someone who loves me."

"Love, love but papa will never let you two marry and you know that." said Josepha bored.

"Shut up Josepha!" said Christine angrily. "You don't know what you are talking about."

Caroline was looking from a girl to the other, trying to calm them, but without succes.

Elizabeth, who had returned to her book, annoyed by their bickering, decided to step in.

"Josepha, leave Christie alone. Love is a wonderful and rare gift for people like us, and we should keep it and value it if we get blessed with it. To find someone to love you, cheerish you, and be at your side when everyone is against you, even yourself is more important that what dad wants."

The young girl looked at the ground and apologised to her older sister. Even if Josepha was only their half-sister, Elizabeth and Christine loved her and their other half sisters, but the young blonde haired girl, reminded them so much of Antoinette, their full sister who died 5 years ago.

"I think we should rest, we entered London and the castle is not too far." said to them Caroline, relieved that Elizabeth calmed the younger archduchesses.

"Caroline is right, so I don't want to hear more of this. Understood?" said Elizabeth in a calm tone.

"Yes, we understood" replied her sisters.

"Look! The castle! Is so beautiful!" exclaimed Josepha looking with big eyes on the window of the carriage.

The three sisters crowded at the window looking at the castle.

"You three know that there are two windows, right?" laughed Caroline.

The three girls only nodded, not taking their eyes off the outside. If anyone would look at the grand carriage, strange for those grounds, passing the old roads of London, their look will not land on the big and stunning decorations, nor on the white as the snow horses that were driving it, but on three pair of curios eyes, three different shades of blue, shining in light, that could be spotted at the small window.

The carriage stopped in front of the castle, and suddenly a page announced:

"I present to you Archiduchesses Elizabeth, Christine and Josepha of Austria."

The three sisters looked at each other, and smiled. They checked each other's dresses and hair, making sure they looked impeccable.

The page opened the carriage's door and Elizabeth took a deep breath and with small steps she stepped out of it, in the warm english sun. The whistling wind, blowed her red hair, making it look like a growing fire.

Her journey to England and a new part of her life was about to start. Her eyes interlocked with the green ones, of a young charming man, and they were the last thing Elizabeth saw before everything went dark.

A/N:
Guess who is back with another story☺️
I hope you like it.