CHAPTER 22 – Present, Past–and Future?

After an invigorating yet perilous adventure in Ruritania, our narrator finds his way back home, choosing to recuperate in the tranquility of the Tyrol. Here, in seclusion, he begins to mend in body and spirit, quietly signaling his wellbeing to his brother to stave off any undue concern. With facial hair regrown to conceal his recent past, he ventures to Paris for a reunion with his friend George Featherly, where he is compelled to craft a veneer of normalcy over his recent extraordinary experiences. This involves fabricating tales of romantic escapades to mask his true adventures in Ruritania.

In Paris, he also touches base with Madame de Mauban, trading letters that speak volumes of the unspoken, of sacrifices, secrets kept, and lives irreversibly altered by the events in Ruritania. His return home stirs a mix of triumph and expected reprimand. His sister-in-law, Rose, is both bemused and frustrated by his apparent lack of ambition and duty. Meanwhile, his contemplation of a potential diplomatic position in Strelsau is quickly shelved when the absurdity of returning—as someone so visually indistinguishable from the King—is acknowledged.

Our narrator introspectively navigates through his subsequent days, finding little allure in the societal circles that once captivated him. In the calm solitude of his country retreat, he contemplates the future, entertained by the fleeting thought that destiny may yet have plans for him—plans perhaps intertwined with those of young Rupert of Hentzau, his adversary still at large. Despite leading a subdued existence, he is annually drawn to Dresden, where he shares in the fellowship of his faithful friend, Fritz von Tarlenheim. Their reunions, marked by a poignant exchange of red roses, serve as a testament to enduring bonds and unspoken promises.

The chapter eloquently closes on a note of reflective longing and noble resignation. Our narrator dwells on the love he harbors for Flavia, the Queen of Ruritania— a love both grand and unattainable, dignified yet fraught with the anguish of their separation. With her, resides his heart, though he is left to wonder if their paths might ever cross again, in this life or beyond. Amid these musings, there lingers the hint of destiny’s unseen hand—whether it will usher him back to the thrills and perils of Ruritania or keep him ensconced in his solitary reverie remains a mystery, teasing the reader with the possibilities of what might yet come.