Jenkins made one visit to Cold Spring Palace late last fall, after receiving the Wright Award and knighthood. Miss Windsor was also at the table that time, but this time it was just the old queen and Jenkins.
She looked frail, and she was frail. The skin on his face was drooping as if it was about to come off his skull. Although he didn't need the help of the servants when he walked, he stopped for a few steps, which was very worrying.
People like to call her Her Majesty, and official documents refer to her as "Queen Isabella". She reigned for more than 50 years and was the longest reigning king after the collapse of the Gushikali Empire.
She sat at one end of a long table covered with a white cloth, and Jenkins sat on her left. The old man seemed very happy that Jenkins was here, and the conversation started by asking him if his journey back from Roon was going well, and then he talked to him about the recent weather and the accident he and his friends had encountered at the town hall that afternoon.
It wasn't until half an hour later that the two of them got to the point. The old man wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin slowly but still very gracefully, and put down the knife and fork in his hand. Jenkins realized that they were finally going to talk about business, so he also put down the cup in his hand:
"I met your father the day before yesterday, no, not here, but outside Cold Spring Palace. He is a very interesting man, he talks very funny, and he sees things very thoroughly. We didn't talk about many things, and we talked about it. Your family business. I think you already know, Jenkins, that your great-grandfather was the illegitimate son of the royal family.
We will not talk about the wonderful love stories of that generation here, and let them pass the past. But I think I should thank my predecessors, otherwise I wouldn't have so many options now. "
She spoke very slowly, and Jenkins listened carefully. Although he knew all these things, but he really heard them from Queen Isabella, which still made Jenkins sigh the impermanence of fate.
"I personally am very reluctant to let that foreigner from Cheslan take over the crown from me. Even without the current war, I am still unwilling. That southerner is not qualified. As for the other heirs, and the royal family The lineage of your family is too far away. If I hand over the crown to them, it will be equivalent to letting the glorious Middleton family die completely in my hands. So I am very happy that your family can show up, which gives me another option. Jenkins, Allow me to call you that, do you know why I first met you at Cold Spring Palace?"
she asked.
"Because we've met once, so more familiar?"
Jenkins gave a wrong answer on purpose.
"No, that's because in other people's eyes, you are the most suitable person. More than one person is following our conversation. As the beginning of this farce, I hope to let people know that I will not make orders. Everyone was surprised."
The old man chuckled kindly:
"They were all worried that I, an old fool, would be unable to think about it for a while, and handed the crown to Little Windsor. She was an outstanding girl, very outstanding, with quite good talent, talent, and background, but unfortunately..."
Jenkins couldn't answer this sentence, so he looked at her and didn't speak.
"It's a bit far to say this. Jenkins, although the factional conflicts in the country are not sharp, the crown on my head is not easy to give. I still need to deal with some things before I can convince everyone that I have chosen Heir, this is more trouble than expected, but everything is under control.
I actually have some selfish intentions in inviting you here today. Jenkins, I'd love to know, what's your take on the king's position? "
"Responsibilities and obligations."
"Didn't you see the rights?"
"Oh yes, and rights."
he added.
Her Majesty the Queen nodded slightly:
"Young people don't have any pressure. I am very optimistic about you. You are a person who can do great things. Jenkins, I hope you can be ready. I can't give you specific promises now, but you are more likely than others. Both are big."
She tried to pat Jenkins on the shoulder, but reaching out made her cough. Jenkins took the initiative to get up and quickly got up to help her pat her back, and the old man motioned for Jenkins to sit down:
"Don't look at me now, in fact, I can last for a long time. Yes, there is one more thing. You should have been promoted to Viscount a long time ago, but too many things have happened this year. We always I can’t find too much free time. Do you have time tomorrow? I will hold a banquet at Cold Spring Palace. There is already a banquet. Everyone likes a banquet. I want to grant you the title of Viscount at the banquet, to solve two things together, oh, I think you may need a small piece of land, so that you can have an extra prefix before the title."
"I have time tomorrow."
Jenkins replied, and then asked:
"Will my family be at the banquet tomorrow?"
"Yes, since you are awarded the title, and your family members happen to be in Beldyland, of course they will be invited. Of course, there will be more people attending the banquet. You are very smart, can you understand me?"
Jenkins understands that this will be the first time the William family has appeared on a formal social occasion, which means the official start of the election of the king.
"I'll be well prepared."
"You can bring your friends along, because tomorrow's banquet will be held to celebrate the complete victory of the Battle of the Broken Isles, so both Marquis Michael and Count Hessa will be present."
Jenkins frowned when he heard this. He thought that the two were recuperating in Nolan and were ready to go to the front line again at any time.
"I see."
He maintained a cautious attitude, seeing Jenkins' caution, and the old man didn't say anything more. The conversation that took place during the dinner came to an end.
Afterwards, Jenkins took out two-thirds of the world tree seeds. He thought it was a token left by the king who produced an illegitimate child a hundred years ago, leaving the illegitimate child to recognize his ancestor and return to his clan. But Her Majesty didn't know what it was, and even though Jenkins explained that it was a family heirloom left by her ancestors, she couldn't recognize that it once belonged to the Middleton family.
Jenkins was disappointed by this. He originally wanted to learn more about the secrets of elves based on this thing.
It was already nine o'clock in the evening when we left Cold Spring Palace. After dinner, Jenkins was invited to visit the back garden of Cold Spring Palace, and listened to Her Majesty's story about the kings and the palace. This took some time, because it was already late, so the old man originally wanted the carriage to send Jenkins back, and asked Jenkins whether he was living in his own house or in the church.
A lot had happened tonight, and Jenkins wanted to be alone and calm down. So he declined the carriage to see him off, felt the warmer night breeze at the end of spring, and walked with his cat on the empty streets of Beldiran.
He considered a lot of things, and also thought about his own future. The matter of the throne has reached the final juncture. If you haven't made up your mind at this time, it will cause a lot of trouble. Jenkins asked himself in his heart if he had a desire for the crown, and immediately got the answer that he didn't.
But then ask yourself if he deserves that crown. Reason tells Jenkins that he deserves the crown, and then uses it to quell the war between the three kingdoms and prepare for the final moment that will come.
"What a headache."
Clutching his forehead, he said, standing under the streetlight at the crossroads, watching the carriage passing by in a hurry in the distance. Tonight's dinner, probably only the chocolate on the shoulders is very enjoyable. I don't know where I learned about the cat's recipe. The cooks at Cold Spring Palace provided a lot of food that chocolate loves, so the cat is rare. When Jenkins talks to others, there is no Attempt to get Jenkins' attention by any means.
"It seems that I forgot to ask the Cheslan envoy just now. It's really bad."
He muttered softly, standing at the intersection thinking about where to go next. Stayed at church last night due to "injury", but today he has been given permission to go out, so now he can go back to his house, go to church, or even go to the girls' accommodation if he doesn't worry about being seen Rosalia Hotel.
The three roads under the streetlight lead to different directions. It is obviously just a very common choice, but Jenkins feels that if he chooses the wrong one, there will be big problems.
"Where do you want to stay tonight?"
He asked softly the cat on his shoulder, but the cat didn't answer Jenkins, squinting his eyes as if he was still remembering the sumptuous dinner just now.
"So… "
He finally chose to go back to his own house. Now his identity is very sensitive. In order not to cause unexpected troubles, it is best not to stay in the church during this period, otherwise others will think that he is expressing his opinion. Before leaving tonight, I just passed a note to my father, and I didn't go to the church to inform about the dinner, and it was also because of this consideration.
The night fog that hangs over the city is not caused by polluted gases, but a weather phenomenon formed at night from tiny water droplets or ice crystals suspended in the air near the ground. This is a unique scenery in late spring and early summer, but it makes people who travel at night feel a little troublesome.
Before he had gone far, he heard the sound of the carriage passing behind the cobblestone road and the sound of the horse bell, which blended harmoniously into the quiet night. He wanted to dodge sideways, but the carriage stopped beside Jenkins. He turned his head to look at the car window, and as expected, he saw Miss Windsor's face.
Needless to say, this was definitely not a chance encounter. Jenkins met her just after leaving Cold Spring Palace, and Miss Windsor would have been paying close attention there all the time.