# ■ 13 Goodbye to Ruritania

Old Sapt worked hard to keep our secret hidden．He sent messages，told lies，and gave orders．All his plans were successful，except one．Nothing can stop a woman in love．

When Princess Flavia heard that the King was hurt，she refused to stay at Tarlenheim House and rode at once to the Castle of Zenda．Sapt had hidden me in a room in the old castle，and he and Fritz brought her to me there．How happy she was to see me！She threw her arms round my neck and kissed me．

No！'cried Sapt．'It's not the King．Don't kiss him．He is the man you love-but he is not the King！'

Flavia's face went white．'What do you mean？'she cried．She turned to me again．'Rudolf！Why do you let them say these things？'

I looked deeply into her eyes．

It's true，'I said quietly．'I am not the King．'

For a minute she continued to hold on to me．She looked at Sapt，at Fritz，and finally at me again．Then，slowly，she fell forward and I laid her gently on the ground．

I wish that Rupert had killed me，'I said．

* * *

I saw the King once more．He thanked me，and I gave him back the royal Elphberg ring．If he noticed Flavia's ring on my finger，he said nothing．We both knew that we would never meet again．

Before I left Ruritania，Princess Flavia asked to see me again，and Fritz took me to her．They had told her everything．

We had so much to say-and so little to say．A princess is not free to choose who to love．

Flavia，'I said，'I love you．I'll love you until the day I die．'

As I walked away，I heard her say my name again and again．'Rudolf…Rudolf…'I can hear it now．

* * *

I live quietly now，but every year Fritz and I meet in a little town outside Ruritania．There，he gives me news of the Queen of Ruritania，the wife of King Rudolf the Fifth．And every year he brings me a red rose and a note with the words written：Rudolf-Flavia-always．And I send her a red rose with the same message．

Shall I ever see her again？ Who knows？

■ 13 告別盧裡塔尼亞

老薩普特花了很大力氣使我們的祕密不洩露出去。他發佈消息，撒謊，下命令。他的所有計劃都成功了，只有一件事除外。什麼也阻擋不了一個戀愛中的女人。

當弗蕾維亞公主聽說國王受了傷，她拒絕呆在塔倫漢姆莊園，而是立刻騎馬趕來曾達城堡。薩普特把我藏在城堡的一間房子裡，他和弗裡茨把她帶到我這兒。當她見到我時她是多麼幸福啊！她摟住我的脖子親吻我。

“不！”薩普特叫道：“他不是國王，別親他。他是你愛的那個男人，但他不是國王！”

弗蕾維亞的臉白了：“你是什麼意思？”她叫道，她又轉臉對著我：“魯道夫！為什麼你允許他們說這些？”

我深深地看著她的眼睛：

“這是真的。”我平靜地說：“我不是國王。”

有一會兒她仍然摟著我。她看看薩普特，弗裡茨，最後又看著我，然後，慢慢地，她倒下了。我把她輕輕地放在地上。

“我真希望魯帕特殺死了我。”我說。

我又一次見到了國王。他謝了我。我把艾爾弗伯格的王室戒指還給他。即使他看見弗蕾維亞的戒指戴在我的手上，他也沒說什麼。我們都知道我們再也不會相見了。

在我離開盧裡塔尼亞之前，弗蕾維亞公主請求再見我一面。弗裡茨帶我去見她，他們把一切都告訴了她。

我們有這麼多話可說——然而又沒什麼可說的。一位公主是沒有權利自由選擇愛什麼人的。

“弗蕾維見，”我說，“我愛你。我會一直愛你直到我死的那一天。”

我離開的時候，我聽見她一遍又一遍叫我的名字：“魯道夫……魯道夫……”我現在還能聽見。

如今我過著平靜的生活。不過每年在靠近盧裡塔尼亞的一座小城裡，我和弗裡茨會見上一面。在那兒，他告訴我關於盧裡塔尼亞王后的消息，她是魯道夫五世的妻子。每年她都給我一枝紅玫瑰，還有一張紙條，上面寫著“魯道夫——弗蕾維亞——永遠！”而我也送給她一枝紅玫瑰，還有同樣的字條。

我會再見到她嗎？誰知道呢？