o His Majesty's household. Under the circumstances,
it is a pleasure to give you your freedom."

Nikky, bowed again.

Karl fixed him with cold eyes. "But before you take leave of us," he
said ironically, "I should like the true story of the night before last.
Somehow, somewhere, a letter intended for me was exchanged for a blank
paper. I want that letter."

"I know no more than you, sire. It is not reasonable that I would have
taken the risk I took for an envelope containing nothing."

"For that matter," said His Majesty, "there was nothing reasonable about
anything you did!"

And now Karl played his trump card, played it with watchful eyes on
Nikky's face. He would see if report spoke the truth, if this blue-eyed
boy was in love with Hedwig. He was a jealous man, this Karl of the cold
eyes, jealous and passionate. Not as a king, then, watching a humble
soldier of Livonia, but as man to man, he gazed at Nikky.

"For fear that loyalty keeps you silent, I may say to you that the old
troubles between Karnia and Livonia are over."

"I do not understand, sire."

Karl hesitated. Then, with his twisted smile, he cast the rigid
etiquette of such matters to the winds. "It is very simple," he said.
"There will be no more trouble between these two neighboring countries,
because a marriage has to-day been arranged--a marriage between the
Princess Hedwig, His Majesty's granddaughter, and myself."

For a moment Nikky Larisch closed his eyes.

CHAPTER XVII. THE FORTRESS

The anniversary of the death of Prince Hubert dawned bright and sunny.
The Place showed a thin covering of snow, which clung, wet and sticky,
to the trees; but by nine o'clock most of it had disappeared, and Prince
Ferdinand William Otto was informed that the excursion would take place.

Two motors took the party, by back streets, to the landing-stage. In the
first were Annunciata, Hedwig, and the Countess, and at the last moment
Otto had salvaged Miss Braithwaite from the second car, and begged a
place for her with him. A police agent sat beside the chauffeur. Also
another car, just ahead, contained other agents, by Mettlich's order
before his departure--a plain black motor, without the royal arms.

In the second machine followed a part of the suite, Hedwig's lady
in waiting, two gentlemen of the Court, in parade dress, and Father
Gregory, come from his monastery at Etzel to visit his old friend, the
King.

At the landing-stage a small crowd