Free Web NovelChapter 395: Chapter 392: Grand "Outing
The Minister of Internal Affairs searched the entire Royal Palace but found no sign of the King, nor of the Court Guard Captain. A sense of foreboding washed over the minister. He began questioning the guards, from the innermost posts to the outermost, asking when they had last seen the King.
"I don’t know, my lord. I just came on duty." Most of the answers were like this. It wasn’t until he questioned the military police at the gate that he received a different story: His Majesty, unable to sleep due to the stress of state affairs, had gone to the hunting grounds early this morning to relieve his worries.
’As if!’ The Minister of Internal Affairs could guess with the toes in his calfskin shoes that the entire story was a lie. The King and the Guard Captain must have pulled some trick to slip away during the changing of the guard.
Since the last upheaval, the King had been forbidden from leaving Valuva. He was required to inform the National Assembly before leaving the palace; otherwise, the guards stationed around the Royal Palace’s perimeter would stop him. The official reason was that the city was in turmoil, and His Majesty the King’s safety had to be the top priority.
Charles XVI had complained to his courtiers on more than one occasion, "I have given freedom to the entire nation, yet my own freedom has been mercilessly stripped away!"
If the King were merely dissatisfied with his house arrest and wanted to visit the royal hunting grounds and estates, that would be one thing. But when the minister considered the possibility of the King conspiring with foreign powers, and then thought of the series of new laws passed with overwhelming support, he broke into a cold sweat despite the lingering chill of early spring.
Just as the minister was wiping away his sweat with a silk handkerchief, a messenger from the National Assembly arrived at the palace gates in a carriage. His mission was to deliver documents passed by the Assembly. According to the compromise reached previously, these articles legally required Charles XVI’s approval and signature to take effect.
"My lord! What a coincidence seeing you here. I’m under orders to deliver these new bills to His Majesty. You must make His Majesty understand that only by passing these measures can our Kingdom be saved."
’You’re just a clerk. What "our"?’ In normal times, such a thought would have certainly sparked irritation in the minister’s mind. But now, his head was spinning with potential countermeasures. The Minister of Internal Affairs finally decided not to cover for Charles XVI. "His Majesty is not in the palace."
"Not here? The court didn’t inform the National Assembly..." The messenger was startled, but then he relaxed. "Oh, then His Majesty must be at the hunting grounds."
The minister simply shook his head. "Perhaps he is, or perhaps... You should send a telegram to the hunting grounds. And then, take me to the Assembly hall."
Before long, the news of the King’s disappearance was confirmed. The National Assembly had been planning to dispatch commissioners to various regions to publicize the new laws, guide the formation of citizen committees, and recruit for the Rebel Army. Now, before these commissioners could even set out for the towns in unoccupied territories, a series of "missing person" notices were already zinging across the telegraph lines to every corner of the land.
...
A convoy of luxurious carriages rolled down a country road. Onboard a stunning six-wheeled carriage, a portly male passenger was peering out inquisitively. His gaze swept over the vast, open fields, and he imagined them covered in golden wheat during the harvest season.
The man took a deep breath of fresh air from the open window, unable to contain his delight. "Ah! I can smell the spring!"
His companion, a noble lady, clutched her hand-warmer in distaste. "Your Majes—... darling, it’s freezing. Could you please close the window?"
It wasn’t just the Queen complaining. Outside the carriage, the Guard Captain spurred his horse forward to admonish the King. "Your Majesty, you shouldn’t show your face so easily."
"Fine, fine. I just wanted to see more of my own country!" Charles XVI shut the window sullenly. When a monarch is about to leave his country, his beloved land, it is only natural that he would want to take one last, long look with a heart full of nostalgia.
This escape had been planned for a long time. The fuse that finally pushed Charles XVI to abandon his own country was lit on the Saints’ Day Festival.
It was truly the most miserable festival in history! The Church held no grand ceremonies. The people of Valuva were starving and in no mood to praise the Lord of Order. And when the King tried to leave the palace to spend the holiday at his nearby estate, a crowd of citizens who had heard the news blocked him inside the palace gates.
The furious crowd believed the King was not heading to his estate, but was trying to slip away to the north. They thought he meant to rendezvous with the noble-led armies, with the exiles, and even with enemies from the Empire, and then betray the citizens who had participated in the great revolution.
’Then I will do as you wish!’ From that point on, the King adopted the Queen and Guard Captain’s suggestion. He would do as any commoner of this era would after suffering a disaster: flee to his relatives and escape the "mindless, irreverent mob" of Valuva.
If all went according to plan, he would reach the Duchy in the Lowlands, gain the support of his noble relatives, and, with the intervention of the Empire Army, make a "king’s return" and "set things right."
The Guard Captain nervously scanned his surroundings. The dark circles under his eyes nearly extended beyond their sockets. This wasn’t from a life of debauchery, but from the immense stress of planning this grand escape.
When a secret operation had to include not only the King, Queen, two princes, and one princess, but also a retinue of fourteen people—among them two tutors, two personal maids, two nannies, a royal chef, and a bodyguard disguised as a coachman—it was an absolute logistical nightmare.
Just slipping out of the palace was a miracle in itself.
Moreover, although they had done their best to paint over all the emblems on the luxurious carriage, its black-and-gold color scheme and six large-spoked wheels still screamed wealth.
That wasn’t to mention the interior, with its velvet and walnut-wood fittings and a separate luggage compartment for imperial tableware, picnic utensils, fine wines and food, all of the Queen’s jewels, and even her two favorite pieces of furniture.
’Yes, the furniture had to come too!’ The Guard Captain’s temples throbbed.
There was also a troop of cavalry loyal to the Royal Family and under the Guard Captain’s command scouting ahead. If the two groups traveled together, the carriage convoy would certainly arouse suspicion, so the cavalry kept their distance.
CLICK. The small window opened again. Charles once more questioned the Guard Captain, "I want to confirm the plan. We leave the city, and then a team of mages will meet us in the distant suburbs to send us out of the country using a large Teleportation Array?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
Charles frowned. "But isn’t that too risky? I’d feel more at ease traveling normally... And are those casters reliable?"
"Your Majesty, this is the best and fastest way. The mages I found are all loyal sons of the nobility; they are willing to help us. Besides, the nobility of the Duchy have already been in contact with us by letter, and the other end of the Teleportation Array is ready. The court has already paid a hefty sum for this, as you know."
"If we’re teleporting anyway, why must we suffer like this? Can’t it be done directly from the palace?" the Queen complained, deeply dissatisfied.
The Guard Captain explained patiently, "Our noble scions have been marginalized by the mages of the Royal Capital, so it’s difficult for them to conduct a large, conspicuous ritual within the city."
"From what I understand, once the Teleportation Array is activated, the massive energy consumption and spatial fluctuations can be detected by the Magic Guild. But as long as we successfully cross the border, it won’t matter."
The Guard Captain had clearly done his homework, relaying the information he had received from his contractors to the Queen. What the Guard Captain didn’t know, however, was that this kind of teleportation capability was a unique specialty of the Tower of Stars.
He added one more thing. "If this plan fails, I’ve also prepared a second escape... er, hunting route."
"My dear subject," the King said, "an Eastern Sage once said, ’The strongest grass is known in the windiest gales.’ Your loyalty and competence have also been put to the test. I will remember the contributions you have made to the Kingdom." The royal family finally approved of the Guard Captain’s arrangements and offered him their praise.
The convoy turned off the main road and onto a country lane. After a bumpy ride, they arrived at the site of the teleportation ritual just as the sun was nearing its zenith.
In a clearing hastily made in the woods, the waiting mages and their cavalry guards had already prepared a large area. A temporarily installed steam engine and a magic power converter were running, and a massive magic array covering a huge area was ready to be activated.
The mage who greeted the Guard Captain spread his arms and embraced his benefactor. "You’ve come at a good time! With the old teleportation technology, this would require several Great Mages casting in unison to activate!" The highest-ranking mages present were only Middle Level. ƒreeωebnovel.ƈom
After receiving permission, the mage addressed His Majesty the King through the window of the luxurious carriage. "Your Majesty, you will be completely safe very soon!"
He performed a noble’s bow. Charles XVI thought for a moment. "You are... the second son of Count Armand?"
"I am deeply honored that you remember me." After confirming the passenger’s identity, the mage repeated the word "good" three times in his mind.
