The Children of Franz Karl

You and the younger monarchs and nobles do as expected of you and show respect to King Franz Karl. You, Helga and Eliza find it an annoyance considering you and they were with Franz Karl for the whole trip to Frankia and even before that.

With Franz Karl are several others. Individuals clearly younger than Franz Karl. Some near your age, others much older and a few others younger. Franz Karl first introduces you to them. Now he names those with him.

“These are my royal children. They came here despite their busy and time-consuming duties. My eldest sons by my first wife: Joachim, Joseph, Sigismund, Angelus and Valens.” You have heard of these men.

Joachim, heir to Sudreich, married to the daughter of the King of Asturias and father to three children.

Joseph, Duke of Venicia, married to a Venician noblewoman and father to four children. This is the man Franz Karl wants to put on the Italian throne.

Sigismund, married to the eldest daughter of late Grand Duke Jan of Bohi, has three children. His eldest son is the new Grand Duke of Bohi and he and his wife Irina are acting as regent.

Angelus, married to Hangurrian woman from a fallen and displaced noble family from Hangurry. More of a general than an adminstrator. His wife and her family have been trying to unify the disunited and crestfallen Hangurians after so many years of Barbarian rule and occupation. Angelus has three children.

Valens, Duke of Wurten. He married the daughter of previous Duke of Wurten. The Duke’s sons died from either sickness or a hunting accident. The Duke himself died and Valens was made the new Duke of Wurten. He has four children.

“My children with Miriam: Johanna, Marisa, Rudolf, Rowan, Heidi, Hans, Gotthard, Kirsten, Emeline and Annika.” Them? Not so much.

The older girls are at least married to men in noble families. The older boys are married to the daughters of wealthy merchants. The ones your age are unknowns. Even more so the youngest of the bunch.

“My second wife and our child could not come. Tis a shame but it can’t be helped.”

Some of Franz Karl’s children inherited his looks. Blonde hair, blue eyes. Some did not, favoring their respective mothers’ colors. There’s 15 of them. 16 if his second wife’s child was here. You wonder just how many children he had in all.

“Father,” the young girl Annika cutely pulls her father down to her level, “is he...,” she whispers to his ear and you and anybody else are unable to hear what she says in his ear.

Franz Karl only laughs and more so when seeing his daughters confused face when he refuses to answer. The young girl pouts, annoyed at her father’s actions at present.

“Now please make friends with my younger children. The older ones and I are going to have a talk. Miriam, take your youngest with you.”