Site of Neu Hohenschwangau, Bavaria
1868
The beauty of the jagged Alpine peaks and lakes around Hohenschwangau was profound to the point of being almost spiritual. It was as if God himself had demanded perfection in its beauty, creating a setting that would allow man a sublime glimpse of heaven itself, inspiring him to live in a way that would ensure his place in a blissful afterlife. Ludwig had taken Niels and Elisabet to a steel bridge above a deep gorge, so they could observe a patch of land on the top of steep cliffs.
“In order to build where I want, all of this will have to go,” Ludwig said, pointing to a cluster of rocky ruins barely visible in the distance, the remains of a long-since-vanished medieval castle, Vorderhohenschwangau. “It pains me, but what is one to do? My father incorporated ruins into Hohenschwangau. The same will not be possible here. I will have to construct my knight’s castle from scratch.”
“You’ll never be able to get the materials up there,” Elisabet said.
“I don’t agree,” Niels said. “We are living in an age of progress and have options not available to our ancestors. Imagine what a steam crane could do here.”
“Quite right. Roads will be put in for better access,” Ludwig said. “It will be accomplished, no matter what it takes. I do have a fortune, after all. No expense will be spared. I can accomplish anything I put my mind to. Take this bridge. What do you think of it?”
“It’s beautiful,” Elisabet said.
Niels gripped the railing. “I’m not interested in what it looks like, only that it doesn’t fall.”
“You ought to know better.” The king gave his friend’s arm a playful swat. “Its appearance matters above almost everything. My father had an ugly wooden one built here for my mother, hence the name, Marienbrücke. I suppose it was a present of sorts, so that she could take in the view. She might be sentimental about it, but I couldn’t stand the sight of the thing, so I replaced it with this.”
“You’re a terrible son,” Elisabet said.
“She’s a terrible mother.” Ludwig shuddered. He’d never shared details with Niels, but his friend had heard enough to know that the king’s childhood had proved devastating to his soul. It was one of the things that bonded them together: parents who wanted sons they could never be. He suspected Ludwig had been subjected to far more outright cruelty than he had. Cruelty that was unforgivable. “You don’t know the half of it. Part of the reason for starting work on the new castle is to get away from her. I love it here, in the Alps, but she insists on summering at Hohenschwangau, and the place isn’t big enough for both of us.”
“Is Bavaria big enough for both of you?” Niels asked. His eyes crinkled when he smiled. “You might have to consider annexing more land.”
“Would that such a thing were possible, but I fear current world politics won’t allow it,” Ludwig said. “However, as I’ve no fondness for playing soldier, even if it were, I shouldn’t think I’d bother.”
“You’re a king. Don’t you have an army who could take care of it for you?” Elisabet asked, laughing. “Wave your arm and tell them what to do.”
“There’s no more territory to be had, so I’ll make a castle on the top of a mountain my refuge. It shall be an authentic knight’s castle, but with all the modern comforts. Neu Hohenschwangau will be a superior place to live, not to mention far more beautiful than Hohenschwangau. I’m going to have it clad in the brightest white limestone. It will shimmer from a distance.”
“Will Niels and I have rooms in it?” Elisabet asked.
“Only if your husband doesn’t object.”
“Edmund doesn’t get a say in the matter.”
“You’re married?” Niels asked. “I had no idea.”
“Why should you? It’s not relevant to anything in my life. It’s my business and no one else’s.”
Niels hoped he didn’t look as shocked as he felt. “And your husband’s, I presume.”
“Our lives are quite separate. We correspond. Shouldn’t that be enough? I’ve no interest in living in bondage.”
“Then why did you marry him?” Niels asked.
“Because she didn’t have the sense to emulate me and disentangle herself.” Ludwig crossed his arms and looked away. “Come now, let’s go explore the site.”
The previous autumn, the king had called off his engagement to his cousin Sophie, sister of Sisi, the Empress of Austria and one of the king’s closest confidantes. Niels, having surmised this had put a wedge between Ludwig and Sisi, wanted to ask him what happened, but when he turned to his friend, he saw a ruddy darkness on his face. Now was not the time for questions.
The king started to walk and Niels and Elisabet followed, crossing back over the bridge and through the forest, where wildflowers bloomed and birdsong filled the air. When they reached the ruins, Ludwig began pacing out where he planned to build. “We’ll start with a gateway building. That, they can build quickly, and I’ll live there while they finish the rest. The entire project shall take three years.”
Niels’s eyebrows shot up. “Surely that’s not enough time.”
“When men work for their king, God motivates them.”
“Of course, of course, you were chosen by the divine master himself,” Elisabet said, “a sacred instrument made to reign sovereign over the masses.”
“I appreciate most of your jokes, but not this one,” Ludwig said. “I am an anointed holy king and, yes, chosen by God. You can understand neither the responsibility nor the difficulties that come with that. I’m not like other men. The two of you are some of my closest friends, but you will never fully comprehend what it means to rule. I am cursed to forever be separate, alone.”
“Your cousin might have an inkling as to your struggle,” Elisabet said. “She is Empress of Austria.”
“Yes, but Sisi doesn’t run the empire, her husband does. It’s different.”
Niels could see the veins in Ludwig’s neck starting to bulge. It was time to redirect the conversation from hard subjects to the realm of fantasy. “My liege, noble King of the Grail, tell us more about this wonderful palace to be. Will there be a space for the Grail, somewhere safe for it when, at last, we find it?”
That did the trick. Ludwig grinned. “A sanctuary for the Holy Grail instead of a throne room, perhaps? Yes, I like that idea very much.”
“Will I have a seat at your Round Table?” Elisabet asked.
“Keep your mythology straight, my dear,” Ludwig said. “We’re Bavarian, not English. There’s no Arthur here.”