158 Non Omnis Moriar

Such conversations are not easy, but Katarzyna took it better than I did, or at least I thought so at the beginning... but in the evening of the same day I found out that things are never that simple.

I was in my bedroom, sitting in an armchair sipping mead and staring blankly at the fireplace, when one of the maids entered the room informing me that they cannot calm down Katarzyna, who is crying and screaming all the time. I was the last person in the world who would be fit for this task... but I promised Sveta that I would take care of our children. Despite my inner resistance, I went to Katarzyna's bedroom... when I got there, my daughter's face was all red, her eyes were swollen. I didn't know what to do, and my instincts just told me to run away.

I approached her bed, sat on its edge, Katarzyna watched with surprise what I was doing... it was one of the most awkward moments in my both lives. I pulled her to me and sat her on my lap.

"I will not tell you about heaven, God or God's plans, or anything like that, I am not a priest... but I will tell you who and your mother was, you can also cry as much as you want..." (MC)

I hugged her and started telling various funny stories that happened to me and her mother over the years... only when I saw the first ray of sunshine outside the window I realized that I had spent the whole night here and did not even notice when Katarzyna fell asleep... I put her on bed and left her room, forbidding the maid to wake her up and telling them to prepare something sweet for breakfast.

I went back to my bedroom, washed my face in cold water and went to the blacksmith, the coffin I ordered was to be made of bronze with silver decorations, as an epitaph for Sveta I chose the words of Horace, Non omnis moriar... as it was my order and I spared no ducats on it, everyone in the forge, over twenty people, and according to the blacksmith's words, the coffin would be ready in three days.

I went back to the castle and immediately went to work... which I had neglected because of Sveta's illness, it was also a kind of therapy that did not allow me to think much. Over the next days Katarzyna was slowly recovering, she cried less and behaved almost normally, I visited her every day and even though we didn't talk much, I tried to spend some time with her.

The funeral was not majestic, except for me and Katarzyna, there was only Galina with her daughter and castle servants, I also informed Sveta's children from her first marriage, but getting to Jazłowiec from Tarnów or Smolensk was time consuming... Within a few months, Kowalski died, and then Sveta... I began to be seriously afraid of what the next months would bring.

Life slowly started to return to normal, or rather a new norm... I devoted all my time to work, reading reports and wondering whether it was worth trying at all, Moscow and Prussia ceased to exist as a threat, Tatars, Turks and Cossacks were now quiet, Sweden was a threat, but if the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is unable to deal with one enemy, then perhaps there is no need for it to exist. Instead of running around the fields with a saber, I will become a patron of science... I will build schools, universities, I would bring the greatest living inventors and thinkers from all over Europe to Poland... it may not be a bad life for me.

(King Władysław / Jerzy Ossolinski)

"Your Majesty, I am sorry to inform you that Princess Elisabeth has firmly rejected your marriage proposal." (Jerzy Ossolinski)

"Can you explain what you mean by 'firmly', perhaps you misunderstood her objection?What exactly did she say? What were her words?" (King Władysław)

"She said that she is a Calvinist and will not convert to Catholicism and that she prefers to be abbess in a monastery than the wife of the Polish king... that's what I mean by 'firmly' Your Majesty." (Jerzy Ossolinski)

"Stupid woman, I need her against Sweden, having her as my wife, I would have the support of the Kingdom of England and the Kingdom of Denmark... what do you advise?" (King Władysław)

"If I am to be open and honest, it would be best for Your Majesty to forget Sweden. The nobility will not agree to war, and the only person who could gain any support for this cause has not appeared in the capital for two years." (Jerzy Ossolinski)

"Are you talking about Jazłowiecki?" (King Władysław)

"Yes, he is one of the few magnates who sees a threat in Sweden. The second option is to look for another candidate for a wife, but frankly speaking, there is no better candidate than Princess Elizabeth." (Jerzy Ossolinski)

"And the daughter of Emperor Ferdinand, Princess Cecylia Renata?" (King Władysław)

"Your Majesty, the position of the Emperor in the Empire is weakened, he is fighting now with some of the electors, the Swedes and France. He was defeated by the Turks recently. Such a marriage can cause many problems, apart from Sweden, our enemies would be France, and the Pope is also not in favor of the emperor." (Jerzy Ossolinski)

"I know that, but the Kingdom of France is far away, and together with Austria we can defeat the Swedes." (King Władysław)

"We can defeat them on land in the empire... but the Emperor has no fleet, because of your father, who strongly opposed the Emperor's fleet in the Baltic Sea." (Jerzy Ossolinski)

"I have already made my decision, you will go to Vienna and start talks with the Emperor, and I will obtain the consent of the Seym. When you return from Vienna, you will sail to the Kingdom of England, maybe we will manage to form an alliance with them, even without marrying the King's niece... and since you say that Jazłowiecki is our need against the Swede, you will take him with you as auxiliary ambassador." (King Władysław)

"Your Majesty has already forgotten about Prussia?" (Jerzy Ossolinski)

"I remember, but Jazłowiecki has no reason to provoke the King of England." (King Władysław)

(End POV)