Daniel van Nassau Breda

[Guest]

The old figure climbed up the stairs that led to a door in the wall. 52 and still exploring those damn tunnels he thought to himself. It had been years since he'd been there as a child, but even now he still found new passageways under Breda. He was still armed, more for show than for anything else these days. What else was he to do? He was a political, and military, puppet of his cousin, as well as a dear friend of him and Bentinck, another military-political advisor of the Prince.

 

What the worst thing was? He had seen battles, but never died. He had the scars, the tombstone, but not the heart to actually die. It had been 24 years since his father died and that the estate and title were transferred onto him. Graaf Van Nassau-Breda. An empty title, for it bought no political power save for the link to the Nassau and Stuart families. His title nor his charm, if he ever had one, had entertained many a lady, and he had proposed to more than he could count on his two hands. Somehow they all left him during the engagement though.

 

Here he was, an eternal bachelor, renowned soldier, and unhappy. As he walked from the chapel to the duiventoren* he thought back of the years he spend in England. London, Chelsea... they were as much his home as this god forsaken place was. No heir, nothing to live for, he even wondered why he shouldn't jump off the wall. It was a thought that occurred to him more often in recent days, and one that usually met the same answer. Mary. William's wife was unhappy in their marriage, as his cousin was rumoured, if not proven, to be gay. Spending time with his wife wasn't part of it now he had a few sons. Nowadays, when William would be out on state business, or military campaigns, Mary would travel south with their children and visit Breda. 15 Years his junior, the woman appealed to Daniel. To think it all started with a kiss when she was already promised to the Prince. These days kisses were only the start of it.

 

For Mary this was an escape from her misery. For her children it was a fun time with their 'uncle' as they got to call him. To Daniel, it was the only love he received, and one that could not be brought closer than it was. An affair with her husband's own cousin. It wouldn't be a wonder if one of the three children was actually Daniel's, but neither Mary or he would tell William about that.

 

Yes, it was set in stone that he would die alone, without an heir, without a loved one near him. A sad man, a sad life. The only thing that remained were the endless bundles of poetry he kept hidden in the library. Only Mary knew where to find them, might he die first.