Europa, Europa (Sisi)!

Long, long ago,

in a faraway kingdom,

a beautiful princess and a handsome prince met, came to know each other, and fell in love...

Amid countless blessings, the prince and princess held a grand wedding and were married.

Years later, the prince ascended the throne and became emperor, and the princess naturally became empress. And then...

Then,

the emperor grew fickle and fell in love with other, younger beauties, one, then two, then three... He became increasingly cold toward his wife. The empress kept to herself with her children in her loneliness, and eventually passed away in sorrow.

Then,

the emperor was ambitious for glory and readily went to war. The war dragged on for many years, with intermittent battles and victories and defeats. Unable to bear the heavy burden of taxes and military expenses, the people rose up in rebellion! Beset by troubles at home and abroad, the dynasty fell, and the palace crumbled.

Then,

the emperor worked diligently, and the country enjoyed favorable weather and grew ever more prosperous. He and the empress lived together for many years and raised six little princes and four little princesses, surrounded by children and grandchildren.

Even in the midst of his busy schedule, the emperor found time to father five illegitimate children. Of course, the empress didn't know, and neither did anyone else, or else they pretended not to. So by the time the emperor and empress were both gray-haired, everyone could only praise and envy the princess for her happiness.

Then,

then,

Under the bright sunshine of Possenhofen, Sisi waved her storybook and smiled as she asked her older sister, "Dear Nene, which 'then' do you like?"

Postscript:

Elisabeth Amalie Eugenie, nicknamed "Sisi," was the second daughter of Ludovika, daughter of the King of Bavaria, and Duke Maximilian Joseph in Bavaria, in the nineteenth century.

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