Chapter 205: Newly Weds
April, 1724
Sweden, she had not known she would be wed to Sweden until perhaps a year and a half a go. And she had done all she could to make sure that she was prepared for it. Anne had met her husband for the first time, the day of their wedding. Crowds had lined the streets to see her arrive, and then marry their prince. She had met her aunt for the first time as well, Mary Stuart, whom her father spoke so highly of. And then there had been King Charles, or King Karl as he was known, who had such an aura about him.
Her husband had smiled at her and said all the right words, but on that day Anne had sensed he was guarded and reluctant to share. Since then she had tried to break down the walls he had put up, and it seemed she had succeeded if only slightly, for he had invited her to afternoon tea. They were drinking it, something from the Portuguese colony in Goa, she believed, or somewhere else. She picked up a paper on the table and read it. “You read Locke?” She asked in French, she was learning Swedish but was not confident in it just yet, but both she and her husband as well as her parents by marriage were fluent in French so that was the language they tended to speak in.
“I have done.” Charles said. “Do you?”
“I read it many years ago.” Anne said. She’d read it mainly to prove to herself that she was just as smart as George was. “What did you make of it?”
“It, or him?” Her husband asked in return.
“Both.” Anne replied.
“I found his theory of two governments to be nonsensical in that he tried to have it applied to all nations and Kingdoms. Something that is simply not possible. I found Locke to be an arrogant man, confident in everything he said with no sense.” Charles said honestly. “What about you?”
Anne thought for a moment, she had never met Locke for he had died before she had been born, but her father had been tutored by the man, and had despised him. Mother had read some of his work and found it negligible. She had read it then and well. “I think that Locke assumes too much in his work, and forgets that humanity is driven by emotions as much as it is logic and reason. I also think he greatly over estimates the desire of the British people to be ruled by elected representatives.”
“What do you mean?” Charles asked.
“What I mean is that from my understanding many of the common folk simply assume that the King has all the power, by virtue of being King and crowned by God. They assume the representatives that get sent to Parliament are simply there to advise the King. And to some extent they are right, and here being where Locke falls down. He thinks that the representatives as they are now being enough for a separation of powers. But they are not. The King is the only thing standing between Parliament and tyranny.” Anne replied.
She could tell from her husband’s expression that he was surprised that she had said what she had. And that surprised her. Surely he did not take her for a fool, especially given who his mother was? Eventually her husband replied. “An understandable view point and one I agree with.” There was a pause as the man seemed to consider his words. “What do you make of Hobbes?”
Anne bit her lip, her husband truly did not seem to be the fool she had first thought him to be. Perhaps there was hope in this marriage yet. “I believe Hobbes has the right idea, but that he too is wrong on the perspective of humanity. I believe that humanity needs order and structure, but that logic also is a reason for this not just emotion.”
“How so?” Her husband asked.
“Logic dictates structure, we cannot have people simply co-existing without someone being in charge, that is not how humanity has ever worked. Logic as much as the risk of humanity’s emotions dictates the structure we have today.” Anne surmised.
“I see.” Her husband responded.
“What do you think?” Anne asked.
Her husband said nothing for a moment and then. “I think I agree with Hobbes. Sweden is not England, but it is a Kingdom that requires a firm hand in the form of the sovereign. Otherwise there will be nothing but anarchy.” There was a long pause and then Charles said. “I feel that I should apologise.”
“Whatever for?” Anne asked.
“For acting as I have done these past few months. You did not ask for this marriage more than I did. Therefore, I feel I owe you an apology for that.” Charles said.
That was surprisingly manly for her husband or for any young man she had ever known including her brothers. George would never have apologised and James would’ve laughed and gone on about his business. Not Charles though, and in that moment she felt the first stirrings of interest in her husband. “You are forgiven.” She replied smiling, she felt the stirring grow when her husband smiled in response, he had a very nice smile.