章節 3: Chapter 3: I Want to Go to Australia!
January 9, 1900, the third day after Duke Arthur's funeral.
It was the third day since Queen Victoria had issued orders to the government, and five days since the assassination of Duke Arthur.
Buckingham Palace, Queen Victoria's office.
Early in the morning, Queen Victoria sat at her desk with a pale face and red eyes.
The files that were piled up on her desk had been thrown aside in her anger.
The reason for her fury, at the age of eighty-one, was the recent assassination of her favorite son, Duke Arthur.
Thanks to the British Empire's vast intelligence network, within just a few days, a list of all those involved in the assassination plot and their detailed information had made its way to Queen Victoria's desk.
Because the information pertained to royal secrets, no one else knew of its existence.
"Arthur! My poor Arthur, I have failed you." Queen Victoria's eyes brimmed red as she looked at the list, which stated that Duke Arthur had been killed by a loyal gunman under the command of Crown Prince Edward.
"Albert, I have doomed our child. Arthur never wanted to compete with Edward, yet he still died in the midst of the struggle for the throne," said Queen Victoria, tears filling her eyes with regret.
Prince Albert was the true love of Queen Victoria's life, and even after nearly 40 years since his death, she still missed him dearly.
Duke Arthur was Queen Victoria's favorite son.
Since Prince Albert had died while visiting Crown Prince Edward, Queen Victoria, who deeply loved Prince Albert, had never been fond of Edward and had not allowed him to participate in government affairs.
It was only in recent years, as Queen Victoria's health had deteriorated, that Edward had gradually been given the opportunity to handle various government affairs.
At the same time, Duke Arthur, as the only prince currently residing in the British mainland, not only held high positions in the military but had always been favored by Queen Victoria.
This glaring disparity was the reason behind the persistent rumors that Queen Victoria wanted to appoint a new heir to the throne.
Perhaps it was due to Crown Prince Edward's dissatisfaction with Queen Victoria's favoritism towards Duke Arthur, or the loyalties of those serving Edward who wanted to clear the way for their master, but either way, Duke Arthur had indeed died at the hands of Edward's supporters.
Although the assassination plot had been well-hidden, with several stages used to dissolve any suspicion towards Edward and his supporters, it was ultimately discovered by the intelligence agency.
"Edward..." Queen Victoria's gaze flickered over the word 'heir' on the documents in front of her, and her emotions surged, but she found herself at a loss for words.
After a long time, Queen Victoria finally regained her composure from her extreme grief. She spoke to those in the hallway, "Beatrice, call Little Arthur in."
Princess Beatrice was Queen Victoria's youngest child and her main support during the 40 years since her husband's death.
Now that Princess Beatrice had also lost her husband, she had been a constant companion to Queen Victoria, serving as her unofficial secretary and closest confidante.
"Yes, Mother," replied Princess Beatrice as she hastily left the room.
Before long, Little Arthur was escorted by Princess Beatrice into Queen Victoria's office, with Old Hunter Butler accompanying them to the door before waiting patiently outside.
As she observed the young boy approaching, Queen Victoria finally revealed a long-lost smile and whispered softly to Little Arthur, "Arthur, come to your grandmother."
Arthur quickly quickened his pace and helped Queen Victoria back to her seat, saying, "Grandmother, Arthur is here."
"Arthur, how have you been sleeping these past two days?" Queen Victoria tried her best to maintain her usual appearance, but her slightly trembling voice gave away her emotions.
"I've been sleeping well, Grandmother. But you mustn't be too sad. Even without my father, our country still needs you, as do I and the rest of the royal family," Arthur said, aware that losing a beloved son had been a cruel ordeal for the elderly queen.
"My dear child, don't worry about your grandmother. I'm doing well. In due course, we shall officially hold a ceremony for you to inherit the titles, and if there's anything you need, just let your grandmother know," said Queen Victoria with a smile, gently patting Arthur's head.
"Grandmother..." Hearing Queen Victoria's words, Arthur wanted to speak up but wasn't sure where to start. Perhaps his request would be too much for the elderly queen to bear, and seeing how much she cared for him, Arthur hesitated to voice his thoughts.
"What is it, child? Don't worry, you can tell me anything. I'm here," Queen Victoria seemed to understand Arthur's hesitation, and with a reassuring smile, she comforted him.
"Grandmother, I don't want to stay here any longer. I want to leave and clear my mind," Arthur finally managed to voice his request, clenching his teeth.
Queen Victoria didn't react as angrily as Arthur had expected; instead, she remained silent.
After a long time, the queen hoarsely asked, "Where would you like to go, Arthur?"
"I'm not sure, maybe Australia or New Zealand. I've heard they have beautiful ocean views, so maybe they would be good places to clear my mind," answered Arthur.
It was clear to the queen that this lie couldn't deceive her. There was no need for him to travel thousands of miles to Australia just for the ocean views, since there were already beautiful coastal sceneries in Britain.
However, considering the reason why Arthur needed to leave, Queen Victoria didn't know how to address the issue.
"Arthur, will you ever come back?" she asked.
Would he return? Arthur questioned himself. If there were no compelling reasons, he probably wouldn't.
While Queen Victoria held power, Little Arthur could travel freely throughout the lands of the British Empire.
But how much longer could Queen Victoria hold on? In the original history, she had died in January 1901.
Now, having once again experienced the pain of losing a child, it would be hard to say whether she could make it to January of next year.
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