In that instant, the queen quickly disappeared behind the protection of the shield and armor.
Heinrich's expression changed in the firelight, regret and vague relief alternated. Finally, he put down the gun complicatedly.
People from other families finally arrived: "What happened?"
"Dalton rebelled, and the queen fled."
Heinrich answered concisely.
Curses and abuse erupted in the crowd, and a cloud of unhappiness and tension hung over everyone's faces. Things are slipping out of control.
... ... ...
"It's a pity I couldn't witness it with my own eyes." Dalton said happily when he escorted her into the day palace, "their expressions must be wonderful."
"They'll do what they can to salvage the situation, sir."
Adele reminded him.
"So, I need you to work hard again." Dalton opened the door for the Queen gentlemanly, "You don't mind writing a document right away, Your Majesty."
What Dalton asked the Queen to draw up was the appointment of the Marshal of the Empire.
In the letter of appointment, Dalton was granted the power to "form and hire troops on his own in times of crisis to defend the safety of the Queen and the Roland Empire" - this power enables Dalton's mercenaries to have Participating in the war for justifiable reasons will not make him bear the infamy of "traitor".
"My head maid is safe and sound, isn't she?"
Adele was writing smoothly while looking up at Dalton.
Dalton pressed one hand on the table and leaned over to watch the queen write. Her skin was so white that it gleamed under the candle, and a chain studded with pearls accentuated the slenderness of her wrist bones. But the words written by the quill pen she holds are not as soft as ordinary ladies - the elegant italic characters are sharp.
"Yes, you will see her soon." Dalton promised.
Only then did Adele sign her name, and then affix the seal symbolizing her and the empire.
"Then, I need to rest." Adele issued the eviction order.
"I wish you a sweet dream."
Dalton withdrew gracefully and closed the door for the Queen.
—As expected, she heard the sound of the door being locked from the outside.
In small matters, Dalton did not break his word.
A few days later, the queen saw her head maid. Seeing the hostess again, Mrs. Kelly knelt down in front of the queen, kissed her hand again and again, and could hardly speak.
Adele stretched out her hand and pulled her up: "Honey, why are you more haggard than me, the poor imprisoned man?"
Mrs. Kelly's eyes were red, full of grief and indignation. Adele was the most tolerant and just monarch she had ever seen in her life—in this era of violent and licentious kings, she worked hard day and night to gradually bring a precarious empire back on track. But what did she get in return
Gossip attacks, vicious murders, despicable betrayals...
— because she is a woman!
Seeing the red-rimmed eyes of the maid who always reminded her of etiquette with a straight face, Adele kissed her on the cheek.
"Good things and bad things always go hand in hand, Carrie," Adele said. "Don't be sad, what's going on out there?"
"They are at a stalemate." Mrs. Kelly's loyalty is comparable to that of any knight. When she can't see the queen, she still tries her best to find out information for the queen. "The mercenaries can only land from one port—the rebels Most of the ports have been blocked, and they are also gathering troops. But don’t worry, Mr. Dalton’s military command ability is very outstanding, and we can hold out until the mercenaries arrive.”
"That's not what I'm worried about." Adele shook her head.
She opened the dressing table, took out a simple map and spread it out.
Who would have thought that a queen would carry a map instead of jewels
"Our neighbors are all wolves." Adele said, "The empire is facing each other with swords in their hearts, and they are probably jumping for joy. When Dalton's mercenaries and nobles' knights are both defeated, they should Bared his fangs and tore Roland to pieces."
Her pale fingertips slid across the map, pointing out a few countries that were about to move for Mrs. Kelly to show.
In her memory, after her death, these countries took advantage of Roland's battle for the throne to invade aggressively. At that time, the nobles cheated each other, and the old gods and new gods slaughtered bloody... Thirty years of chaos arose from this, the empire was in turmoil, and the world as hell.
"This turmoil cannot lead to further wars." Adele straightened up. "We must shake hands with the rebels."
"You're going to spare a mob who's trying to murder you?!"
Mrs. Kelly jumped up from the ground in shock.
"They couldn't kill me before, and it's impossible after that." Adele's tone became severe. "However, if I lose my people, I will have nothing at all."
In June 1557, a sudden drought caused turmoil, and Adele was busy dealing with the drought. Other countries took the opportunity to preach that "women governing violates God's will and brings disasters", which gave the United Church of the Nobles an opportunity to launch a coup d'état. In this coup, she would have been deprived of everything.
"But, but..." Mrs. Kelly couldn't find any reason to object to the queen, and finally she could only say, "If Dalton finds out, he will kill you!"
—Everyone knows the cruelty of that man.
"Natural disasters, man-made disasters, how long can our people endure the ravages of war?" Adele's voice softened, "It is Dalton, not the Empire, who will never die with the nobles."
The light of the chandelier fell on her determined face, and Mrs. Kelly knelt slowly, placing her hands on her knees. Those kings, those enemies, they all compared her to Salome who killed the prophet, and said her appearance was sin and desire. But in Mrs. Kelly's view, if Maria really exists in the world, there is no other choice but her master.
"Who do you want to contact?" she said. "Give me a letter, and even if my head is cut off, I will give it to that person."
"Heinrich." The queen mentioned this name with a terrifyingly calm tone, "There will be someone who will deliver the letter for me, but it will never be you."
Before Lady Kelly could speak again, the Queen put her finger to her lips.
"Don't make me lose my last trustworthy person, Kelly."
she says.
... ... ...
The Day Palace is built towering into the sky, and the lush gardens and orchards make it like a fairy tale. Apart from the towers with their gilded weather vanes, the Palace of Days also has an exquisite royal chapel half hidden among the lush roses. Dalton didn't intend to break face with the queen, so Adele, who was under house arrest, barely had some "freedom".
The queen kneels in the confessional.
She changed into a long black dress, and the praying figure was so thin that it seemed to be cut out of paper.
The archbishop sitting behind the small window was expressionless.
He could be said to be the youngest Archbishop in the entire Roland Empire. Before graduating from the seminary, the professors predicted that he would go farther on the spiritual path than anyone else. Despite this, it is difficult for people to get close to him-although he is handsome, he is too serious. Under the eagle-winged browbones are steel-blue eyes, the line of the lips is always drawn straight, and the eyes are so sharp that they can cut into people's hearts and see through all obscurities.
He is more like a judge than a savior.
Here's why Dalton doesn't mind the Queen's religious routine —
The bishop of the Royal Church of the Day Palace is a devout Old God.
"I repent my sins to God... I am the daughter of two kings, the king of Roland, and I am responsible for the fate of this country. All the misfortunes and sufferings it encountered are my fault..."
The woman's voice echoed in the quiet confessional room, and because of the room's special echo structure, it became vaguely ethereal.
The Archbishop sat impassively, saying nothing.
People confess to the priest in order to get forgiveness from the priest and thus gain salvation. And yet Adele Roland will never get forgiveness from him, she's a damned woman, she's a Protestant - and she's openly declared that "all faiths are the same, just asked differently" God forgives".
This is heresy, the unforgivable sin.
"...every Roland in exile, every Roland who died of hunger and war... I shall bear their suffering..."
Adele's voice gradually lowered.
When the Archbishop was about to read scriptures silently to ignore her, the Queen's voice suddenly disappeared completely, followed by a low muffled sound.
He subconsciously looked up through the window.
—The queen passed out on the cold stone surface, her chest barely rising and falling.
With just one glance, he immediately stood up.
Those who can become archbishops in the empire must have a certain political sense in addition to piety. The Archbishop almost instantly thought of what kind of disaster would be brought to him, to the Old God Sect, and to the current situation if something happened to the queen here. Heresy to hell!
With a livid face, he quickly walked out of the secret room and came to the queen.
The black skirt made the queen's face paler, her forehead was cold, and her breath was so low that the archbishop could hardly feel it... Is Dalton stupid enough to abuse his trump card? Although, if given the chance, the archbishop would be happy to personally send the Heretic Queen to the stake, but not now.
The queen didn't bring her maid, and the doctor in the castle couldn't call for a while. The archbishop had to untie the queen's blouse with his own hands, so that she could breathe air as easily as possible. Just when he lowered his head to find the smelling salts from the inside of his robe, Adele, who was supposed to faint, suddenly opened her eyes.
She raised her hand, wrapped her arms around the bishop's neck, and exerted a sudden force.
Before the archbishop could understand what was going on, he was pulled and fell to the ground, and the person who was unconscious turned over on top of him.
A net of softness and fragrance envelops him, and silky hair falls to his face.
"What are you going to do? Heresy!"
His voice was as cold and hard as stone.
His pupils are imprinted with the Virgin Mary and the witch Lilith.
Adele propped up half of her body and let her dress slip off. Her upper body is almost naked, and the light falling from the only small hole in the dome envelopes her, covering her face, her shoulders, and chest from the ends of her hair... Her curves are cast in shadows and golden brilliance. Everyone in the scene should prostrate themselves on the ground—for this sacred, promiscuous, brilliant, and eternal beauty.
At this moment, even ascetic monks with a heart of stone should bow down under her feet.
Adele pressed her palm on the pious bishop's chest, and the faster heartbeat under the monk's cloak let her know that she had won the initial battle.
Dalton let her run freely in the castle, because he thought she was unarmed.
But she has made herself the sharpest and deadliest knife, and her beauty will slice open the breasts of her enemies and slit their throats.
"I want you to save me," Adele said, "not for me, but for Roland, and for all brothers and sisters who shouldn't kill each other."
Her voice echoed in the quiet room, like a decree from a god, like a whisper of a devil.