xymnovel Chapter 10 The Only Will
Chapter 10 The Only Will
late at night.
The lights in the royal study were turned on again.
Unlike the previous secret talks before dawn, this time Constantine chose a more formal and oppressive time.
He did not come alone.
Behind him, Captain Nikos of the Royal Guard stood like a moving iron tower, never leaving his side. His hand rested on the hilt of his sword, his face stern, and each step of his heavy military boots on the smooth floor of the corridor produced a dull, rhythmic "thump, thump," as if tolling the prelude to a trial.
King George I was already in the study.
The days of turmoil had exhausted the king; his eyes were sunken, and he looked utterly weary. He curled up in his large chair, a steaming cup of black tea before him, the rising steam unable to dispel the worry between his brows.
When the study door was pushed open and Constantine walked in, exuding a chill, George I's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
He disliked the captain of the guard behind his son; the hand resting on the hilt of his sword seemed like a silent protest.
"Connie, what emergency is it now?" The king's voice was hoarse and weary.
Constantine did not answer immediately.
He walked straight to the large desk without saying a word or laying down any emotion.
He simply placed the envelope bearing the royal double-headed eagle emblem, with a light touch yet with immense weight, before George I.
The movements were slow, solemn, and full of ritual.
George I's gaze fell on the letter, and the royal insignia filled him with an ominous premonition. He reached out and picked up the envelope; it felt rather heavy.
He pulled out the letter inside.
The familiar French, the familiar smooth handwriting, came from his prime minister.
This gave him a strange feeling of unease.
His gaze slowly moved down from the beginning of the letter.
I only read a few lines.
George I's face began to undergo a visible and terrifying change.
That face, sallow from exhaustion, first flushed with a sickly redness, as if all the blood in the body had rushed to the top of the head at that moment.
Immediately afterwards, the crimson color faded away like the receding tide, turning into a deathly pale ashes.
His hand holding the letter began to tremble uncontrollably, the thin sheets of paper making a rustling, teeth-grinding sound between his fingers.
In the quiet study, the sound seemed particularly jarring.
betray!
These two words, like a red-hot branding iron, were fiercely seared into George I's heart!
An indescribable rage instantly overwhelmed all his reason!
That's his prime minister!
He personally appointed the head of government!
The man who placed his hand on the Bible in Parliament and solemnly swore allegiance to the King and the country!
They actually groveled before him and begged for mercy from a foreign power!
They actually used the most despicable lies to slander his son and frame the royal family for launching a coup!
They actually dared to request French warships to enter Greek ports to "maintain order"?!
This is not a political struggle! Nor is it a difference of opinion!
This is treason!
This is to crush Greece's sovereignty and dignity without hesitation, allowing the French to trample on them at will!
This is not only a complete denial of his authority as king, but also the most shameless betrayal of the nation of Greece!
George I's chest heaved violently, and a hoarse sound came from his throat, like a wild beast with its neck strangled; his heavy breathing echoed in the silence.
He wanted to tear the letter to shreds and drag that despicable traitor to Constitution Square to be hanged!
Just as he was consumed by rage and almost lost his balance, Constantine's voice rang out at the perfect moment.
The voice remained calm, yet it was like a blade chilled by ice, precisely piercing through the deepest fear beneath the king's anger.
"Father, you see. This is no longer a debate about war and peace."
Constantine's tone was flat, yet every word was like a nail, driven firmly into George I's crumbling throne.
"Have you considered what would have happened if I hadn't intercepted this letter?"
"Tomorrow or the day after, the French ambassador will come with this 'letter from the Prime Minister's handwriting' and, in his capacity as a protectorate, raise what he calls 'serious concerns' with you."
"He will demand that you immediately cease all 'unconstitutional' actions, or the French fleet will enter the port of Piraeus."
Constantine stepped forward, staring intently at his father, whose face was ashen, his voice suddenly turning cold.
"What will the British think? They will immediately conclude that the Greek government has completely sided with France, and that you, the Danish king, have lost control of the country."
"At that time, in their struggle for influence over Athens, the British and French will pounce like two sharks smelling blood. Our country will instantly become their chessboard, and we will be nothing more than fish on a chopping block!"
"Dripris, for his own prime ministership, for that ridiculous power, he's willing to gamble away all of Greece!"
"That's enough!"
King George I slammed his fist on the table with a deafening thud!
The teacup on the table was sent flying high into the air by the force of the punch, arcing through the air before crashing heavily to the ground and shattering!
Scalding hot tea and shards of porcelain were splashed all over the floor.
The king abruptly rose, all hesitation, weariness, and unease in his eyes instantly consumed by rage. In its place lay an undeniable authority and decisiveness, a testament to the monarch's bottom line being crossed!
In that instant, he was no longer the weary old man struggling to survive between powerful nations, but the king who truly held the reins of power.
He stared intently at Constantine, at his son who was both familiar and unfamiliar to him.
In this son, who was frighteningly calm, he saw the only hope for life in Greece.
"From this moment on," George I's voice was low and hoarse with extreme anger, yet it carried an unwavering resolve, "I revoke all the 'temporary' powers I previously granted you."
Constantine listened quietly, his expression unchanged.
The captain of the guard behind him, Nikos, instinctively straightened his chest and tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword.
The king's gaze was like a sharp sword, as if he could see through his son's soul. In a declarative voice, he uttered words that shook the heavens and the earth.
"Because I will grant you full authority!"
"Until this crisis is over, you are me!"
Every word the king spoke resounded like thunder in the empty study.
"Crown Prince Constantine, from this moment forward, your sole will is the will of the Kingdom of Greece!"