A lavishly decorated carriage slowly made its way along the road leading to the Crystal Shine Palace. Baron Hansel Abbott sat inside, eyes closed in meditation, though his mind was rapidly turning over thoughts.
He was about to meet His Majesty the King and knew he had to approach this meeting with the utmost seriousness.
“My child, there’s no need to be nervous. His Majesty is a generous and benevolent king. I’ve already instructed you on the etiquette. For everything else… just speak your mind,” advised the man sitting beside him, Hansel’s father—the elder Count Abbott.
Despite his father’s reassurance, Hansel’s expression remained complex.
The elder Abbott was quite satisfied. Just yesterday, his younger son Hansel had unexpectedly returned home to Crystal Shine, and before the family could fully recover from their joy, Hansel was eager to meet with His Majesty.
Upon inquiring, the elder Abbott learned that news of a pirate invasion at Port West had reached the Northwest Bay, and the Northwestern lords, led by Count Grayman, planned to dispatch troops in support of the king. Their fleet had already set sail southward. His younger son, acting as an envoy for the Northwestern lords, had returned to Crystal Shine to coordinate with the kingdom’s government in a joint effort to repulse the pirates.
“Ah, Hansel, you can finally serve the kingdom openly and honorably, just like your brother, fulfilling your long-held aspiration,” thought the father, contented. Considering it was his son’s first audience with the king, he decided to accompany him to the palace, to prevent any breach of decorum that might leave a poor impression on His Majesty.
Hansel Abbott? The name seemed vaguely familiar to the guard.
Ah, isn’t this the son of a prostitute? The one Count Abbott scandalously brought into his household, born of a prostitute he took in. The older generation had said that the incident was quite a scandal at the time and had ruined the count’s career.
A flash of disdain crossed the guard’s eyes. The royal guards, selected from the young talents of noble and pure lineage, naturally had little regard for someone like Hansel who “tainted” noble blood.
After meticulously checking the token Hansel presented, the guard said gruffly, “Go in!”
The fleeting disdain and scorn in the guard’s voice deeply stung Hansel.
For a moment, he found himself longing for the Northwest Bay, where at least people did not look down on him because of his lineage.
Suppressing the discomfort in his heart, Hansel kept a composed face and re-entered the carriage. The vehicle started moving again, passing through the grand gates of the palace.
This scene was observed from another carriage not far from the gate.
Eileen, inside the carriage, uttered this name as the palace drew closer.
“What is he doing back in Crystal Shine? Did Paul send him?”
“Baron Abbott? The one serving as the royal commissioner in Alda, Hansel Abbott? Is the princess sure she’s not mistaken?” asked the guard, Leah, covering her mouth in surprise.
“Yes, I’m certain,” Eileen confidently replied.
Upon arriving at the entrance of the palace, the carriage was stopped by the guards.
“Who goes there? Come out for inspection!”
The carriage, being exceedingly plain and without any crests or insignia, appeared to be that of a commoner, prompting the guard’s discourteous tone. A group of guards swiftly surrounded the carriage.
“It’s me,” Eileen declared, pulling back the curtain that covered the carriage window, her face marked with annoyance as she addressed the head guard.
The royal guards collectively gasped in surprise. The occupant of the carriage was none other than the rarely seen young princess.
Unaware of Eileen’s departure from the palace, they assumed she had slipped out of another gate for a covert visit and was now returning. ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel✶fire.net
“My apologies!” The captain, followed by his subordinates, promptly bowed and then quickly cleared the way for the carriage to pass.
Inside a secluded hall of the palace, Hansel respectfully completed his greeting to the king and handed over a letter to an attendant, who then presented it to King Rodney. If Hansel had been a close confidant of Rodney, such formality would have been unnecessary. Unfortunately, neither Hansel nor his long-sidelined father held such a position, necessitating adherence to protocol.
The white-haired king unfolded the letter and read it carefully.
The letter detailed a request from Paul Grayman and other Northwestern lords to dispatch troops in coordination with the royal army to exterminate the pirates. Paul, feeling his influence insufficient alone, had rallied other families like Parker, Heller, and Ferdinand to co-sign this petition to the king.
“Ah… the Northwestern lords are commendably loyal and brave, willing to share the kingdom’s burdens once again.”
First, Paul Grayman had voluntarily provided food to the kingdom’s army when it faced a shortage, and later, Grayman, along with other lords, supplied a large quantity of high-quality and affordable military equipment during a standoff between the royal army and the rebels. This series of actions had raised Rodney’s opinion of these remote lords of the kingdom, particularly Grayman. The king had even instructed his heraldry officials to research the family’s history, considering whether to absolve them of historical grievances and restore their honor.
Sighing, the king remarked, “Ah, if only other lords were as eager to serve the nation as those from the Northwest, wouldn’t Jars be easily pacified?”
“Ah, right, Hansel, you’ve also contributed greatly. It was wise of Catherine to appoint you and others as royal commissioners to liaise with the lords.”
“It’s our duty to serve the kingdom,” Hansel humbly replied.
He then added, “Your Majesty, before coordinating an attack with the royal army, the Northwestern fleet requires a port for repairs and resupply. We seek your judgment on this matter.”
“A port…” Rodney pondered, stroking his beard. The request seemed reasonable.
“Hansel, can the Northwestern commanders ensure their soldiers behave properly?”
The king was well aware of the typical behavior of armies of the era and was concerned these foreign troops might cause trouble.
“Your Majesty, to my knowledge, the discipline of the Northwestern army is… second only to the royal forces. You can be assured they won’t cause any disturbances,” Hansel reassured, drawing on his extensive knowledge of Paul’s forces. He had wanted to claim their discipline was unmatched but refrained to avoid offending the king.
“Very well, I trust your judgment. In that case, let’s choose Kilport as the base for the Northwestern fleet. It’s close to your brother Harrison’s station, which will facilitate coordination.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Hansel bowed to the king, having previously learned from his father that his brother had been appointed to command the anti-pirate operation.