In A Stranger's Shoes, part 8 THE LAST CHAPTER

Read the previous part here.

I'm flying back to New York. I can't wait to get back to my place and meet my family and friends. The past few days have made me realize what I truly am and I have a hint of what my future's going to be like.

After meeting Imagina last night, I realized what part I was playing in the plot that had caused me to be brought to Europe. The books in the room helped me to totally understand what was happening. There was a telephone in the room; we made a few calls, to the police and to the American Embassy. Half an hour later, the place was stormed by the Police and we were rescued.

EPILOGUE:

Luxembourg is a parliamentary representative democracy with a constitutional monarch; it is ruled by a Grand Duke. It is the world's only remaining sovereign Grand Duchy. Succession to the throne is inherited by Salic law, as dictated by the Nassau Family Pact, first adopted on 30 June 1783. The crown is passed by agnatic-cognatic primogeniture within the House of Nassau, as stipulated under the 1815 Final Act of the Congress of Vienna and as confirmed by the 1867 Treaty of London.

Count Henry II of Nassau had two sons, Walram II and Otto I, Walram being the older of the two. In about 1247, Henry II abdicated, passing the reign to Otto, the younger son. Sometime between 1249 and 1251, Walram began to share the reign as Co-Count of Nassau. Because of continuing disputes with Otto, Walram II divided the inheritance with him on December 17, 1255, beginning a centuries-long political and geographical separation between the two lines of the House of Nassau.

As per the provisions of the Nassau Family Pact, the Walramian line was to rule the Nassau lands. Only in case of one of the lines becoming extinct, the other would succeed in its hereditary Nassau lands. This implied the Ottonian Line could take over only after the Walramian Line became extinct. The Ottonian line “allegedly” had long been lost in its internal disputes; and its claim to the monarchy was more or less rendered invalid after the death of John II.

The present-day Grand Dukes of Luxembourg are descended from Walram. "Agnatic-cognatic primogeniture" allows female agnates (or their descendants) to inherit once there are no surviving male agnates.

Jean Felix, the Duke's only child was also the only heir to the monarchy. After the old Duke's demise, he would be the last male descendant in the Walramian line. Robert XII was the torch bearer of the Ottonian Line. He realized that Jean was the only wall separating the throne and his (Ottonian) lineage. It was common sense that Jane be removed. However, the old duke had expected Robert’s intentions, and to stop him, in his last days, he introduced a change in the Family Laws that prevented anyone suspected of foul play to be eligible for the throne.

Thus, Jean had to be removed from the picture without raising any suspicions. What if Jane was killed and replaced by someone that looked exactly like him. Of course, Jean’s replacement would have to be rendered harmless first. That was the plan. It could succeed if Jean’s replacement were someone that would allow himself to be a silent playing-along John. But he was not. And their plan did not succeed.

Michael Baker succeeded not only in marring the success of their plan but also in saving two innocent lives- his and Imagina’s. Imagina was Jean’s fiancé. That fateful night when Michael found Imagina a hostage, he realized why he was in Europe. They called the American Embassy and the Police and were rescued.