Her Majesty’s Secret Service

047. Slander

The Whitehall Palace, where the Queen resided, and the Westminster Palace were not far apart, so the Queen often conducted her business from the office in Westminster Palace.

Therefore, the court meeting was also held in the office of Westminster Palace, and Earl Russell attended the court meeting in Westminster today.

Tensely, the Earl entered the office where the court meeting was to be held and took his seat closest to the Queen on her right, exchanging greetings with the nobles.

Today, many have gathered for the council meeting. Since the Wyatt Rebellion, the number of nobles attending the court meetings has been steadily increasing.

Count Russell surveyed the faces of those in attendance and noticed something amiss.

‘Two chairs at the head seat…?’

There was an extra chair placed where the Queen was to sit. Count Russell’s question was soon to be answered.

“Her Majesty the Queen and Duke Eric are entering.”

The announcement of the Queen’s entrance by a page stirred murmurs among the seated nobles. The Count was no exception. Someone who had no right to be there had attended.

“Is this allowed, even before the ceremony? He may be called a Duke, but without a wedding, isn’t he still just a Prince of Sweden?”

“Everyone knows how smitten Her Majesty is with the Duke. He could probably ask for the city of Kalmar from Sweden, and she would gladly give it.”

Rumors of Mary’s infatuation with Eric had long spread throughout London. Every afternoon, Mary and Eric would stroll through the gardens of Whitehall Palace or wander the streets of London, engaging in conversation.

Even the palace pages and maids were ordered to address the yet-to-be prince as ‘Duke’ and show him respect, causing some Catholic nobles to worry that Mary was too enamored with Eric.

Amidst the nobles’ chatter, Mary and Eric appeared in the office.

The nobles paid their respects to the pair, who briefly reciprocated before taking their seats and surveying the room. The nobles’ faces were set in stone.

“The number has increased today. We’ll have to move to a larger room next time.”

Mary attempted a joke, but the nobles’ expressions remained stern. It was because Prince Eric, who had no right to attend, was present.

“Before we begin the meeting, I would like to ask for your indulgence.”

The indulgence was likely regarding Prince Eric’s attendance. The nobles internally smiled with satisfaction at the sound of Mary, who had previously only announced her decisions, now asking for their understanding. Indeed, they felt a change in the Queen, for the better compared to before.

“Please, speak.”

Count Herbert, representing the nobles, broke the silence. Count William Herbert was rising as a new confidant of the Queen after suppressing Wyatt’s Rebellion.

Hearing Count Herbert’s words, Mary scanned the nobles once more.

“From today, I wish to include Eric, seated here, in the court council meetings.”

Upon Mary’s words, the nobles began to murmur once more. Though expected, hearing it directly left them no choice but to be surprised.

Soon the commotion subsided, and several nobles began to oppose the queen. Most were of the Catholic faction, but a few from the Anglican faction were also mixed in.

“Your Majesty, the ceremony has yet to commence. Please reconsider.”

“Though the engagement is nearly confirmed, if this rumor reaches the ears of the citizens, what will they think? I… I dare not even utter it. Please reconsider.”

“There is a procedure to everything. Of course, after the ceremony, the duke will be recognized with rights equal to Your Majesty. But now, before the ceremony? Duke Eric has not yet been recognized as the Duke of England. How can one without authority attend the court meeting? Please reconsider.”

Several other nobles presented various reasons why Eric should not be allowed to attend the court meeting.

As Mary’s face slightly crumpled, from the very back of the office, the farthest seat one could call the end, a voice was heard.

“Your Majesty, may I be so bold as to speak?”

Recognizing the owner of the voice, the nobles couldn’t help but grimace. The owner was a man of ambiguous status, not quite fitting the title of a noble.

“Sir Logan, this is not your place to step forward. This is not the kitchen.”

“I addressed Her Majesty, not you, sir.”

Logan, with a laugh, brushed off the noble’s contemptuous remark and turned to Mary. Mary, as if she had been waiting, permitted Logan to speak.

“Let’s hear it then. Come to think of it, weren’t you also a hero who suppressed Wyatt’s rebellion? You certainly have the right to speak.”

Hearing the queen’s words, Logan bowed his head once and began to speak.

“First, I have a question for the esteemed nobles. Where were you during Wyatt’s rebellion a few months ago?”

“What does that have to do with anything now!”

“It’s not unrelated. Those opposing His Grace’s attendance at the court meeting seem to have forgotten the merit he earned during the last rebellion?”

At Logan’s words, Earl Russell, his face twisted in anger, spoke up.

“Merit does not mean we can ignore procedure. Strictly speaking, Duke Eric is not yet the Duke of England. Even if the marriage is certain, it’s before the ceremony with Her Majesty.

And to involve the Swedish prince, who is yet to be married, in state affairs. What will become of Her Majesty’s authority, and how will the citizens of London receive this?”

Mary looked at Earl Russell with displeasure in her eyes. There was a hint of suspicion, though she couldn’t quite place why.

Earl Russell, preoccupied with glaring at Logan, failed to notice the queen’s disapproving gaze.

In the midst of this, Logan’s voice continued.

“How should we take it? Ah, it has come as expected. Is there anyone in London who doesn’t know that Her Majesty the Queen and Duke Eric are to be married? And Her Majesty’s authority? It seems everyone has forgotten, but Duke Eric had the merit of arresting the traitors in London during the Wyatt’s Rebellion. Did His Grace ask for anything in return then?”

“That is…”

As Earl Russell tried to retort, Logan’s louder voice overpowered him.

“There was nothing! His Grace asked for nothing in return.”

Having shouted at Earl Russell, Logan turned his gaze to Eric.

“Your Grace, if I may be so bold to ask, why did you ask for nothing then?”

To Logan’s question, Eric replied as if it were the most natural thing.

“Well, am I not to be the Duke of England? Do English nobles have a culture of demanding rewards every time they help a wife in distress?”

No sooner had Eric finished speaking than Logan’s voice burst forth.

“Look at this. This is the kind of man His Grace is. Isn’t it a well-known fact that Her Majesty the Queen and His Grace the Duke will soon be united? You all know this, hence you address him as ‘Duke,’ don’t you?

In such a situation, do we really need to quibble over procedures? It’s only a matter of time before you attend the court meeting. Are you all talking as if something terrible will happen if he attends a bit early… What is the problem with that?”

“But…”

It was at this moment another nobleman tried to counter Logan’s words, but Mary’s voice rang out, and the nobleman had no choice but to close his mouth and listen to Mary.

“Listening to you, Logan, it seems there is some sense in your words. What do you all think?”

The nobles sighed inwardly at the sight of the stubborn queen they hadn’t seen in a while. They knew from experience that once Mary started to be obstinate in that manner, no words could stop her.

Moreover, it was starting to show that even among the nobles themselves, some were beginning to nod in agreement with Logan’s words.

“Hmm… Do as you will.”

The nobles who had opposed Eric’s attendance at the meeting eventually had to concede, raising their hands in surrender to the queen’s will. The queen, with a satisfied smile, expressed her gratitude to the nobles. Eric also offered his thanks.

“I fully understand why you find me disagreeable. I ask for your kind cooperation.”

With that, the court meeting, now graced by the ‘Duke’, commenced.

Initially, the nobles who looked at Eric with skepticism began to see him in a new light as he started to mediate effectively between them and Mary, tempering her stubbornness.

The court meeting was drawing to a close. The matter of dealing with the traitors was finally settled today, and it was about time to start discussing the financial aid to be received from Spain.

“Ah, there is one matter I wish to discuss…”

All eyes of the nobility were fixed on Eric’s lips. Some even looked at him with suspicion, wondering if he was about to reveal his true intentions.

However, the words that came out of Eric’s mouth were completely unexpected.

“Last evening, Sir Logan, the head chef, encountered robbers while returning from Richmond upon Her Majesty’s orders.”

At Eric’s voice, Count Russell’s face turned pale. He had never imagined that such a story would come from the Duke’s lips.

“The issue is, the robbers attacked Sir Logan’s procession without hesitation, even in the presence of the Royal Guard appointed by Her Majesty.”

The nobles collectively showed disbelief at Eric’s words.

No matter how rampant the robbers had become, attacking a royal carriage was not normal, especially one guarded by the Royal Guard.

“Is Your Grace now discussing the issue of public safety?”

One of the nobles asked Eric, thinking that the issue he wanted to raise was about security.

“Public safety? That too must be discussed. But first, hear me out to the end.”

Eric cleared his throat once more and continued.

“Fortunately, the soldiers were able to repel the band of robbers without harm. And… we captured two of them, who had an interesting story to tell, did they not?”

“An interesting story?”

“Does it not strike everyone as odd? The reason they targeted the royal carriage, guarded by the Royal Guard. Well, it turns out someone had hired them. And those who attacked the carriage were not ordinary robbers but mercenaries, each fully armed.”

—

“What? Who dares…!”

“How long has it been since the traitors were captured…”

Unlike the Daron nobles who were shocked to hear that the robbers who attacked the royal carriage were mercenaries, Russell reacted to the words ‘royal guard’.

From noble mtl dot come

“Damn… The royal guard? I’ve never heard of them being involved! Two guards and four soldiers… Damn, no wonder they failed with just ten men.”

As Russell thought this, the nobles’ commotion grew louder.

“Now, everyone, please be quiet.”

Unable to bear the noise any longer, Eric banged on the desk a couple of times to quell the commotion. Then he continued speaking.

“Since last evening until now, we’ve interrogated the scoundrels locked up in the Tower of London, and we’ve been able to learn the name of the person who instigated this incident.”

“Who in the world is it!”

As the conversation between Eric and the nobles progressed, beads of cold sweat began to form on Count Russell’s forehead.

Drip, drip, a drop of sweat rolled down the count’s cheek. At that moment, from Eric’s lips, a name was uttered.

“John Russell. The Earl of Bedford, John Russell.”

“It’s a frame-up!”

No sooner had Eric finished speaking than Count Russell sprang to his feet.

With a bang loud enough to be heard, the count slammed the desk, and in a voice too strong for an almost seventy-year-old man, he shouted that this was a frame-up.

“John Russell, do you have anything to say?”

Startled, Count Russell heard Mary’s voice in his ear.

Only then did Count Russell feel Mary’s disapproving gaze. Sitting right next to Mary, almost in front of the queen herself, it was only now that he felt her stare and defended himself with a confident voice.

“A frame-up, a frame-up! Doesn’t everyone know how loyal I am to Her Majesty the Queen!”

“Really? Loyal, you say?”

—

—

Mary’s disapproving gaze continued. Count Russell, under that gaze, finally sensed something had gone awry.

‘Why is the Duke intervening in this matter? Shouldn’t that chef have been the one to accuse me? It’s unlikely for him and the Duke to be so close… Wait a moment.’

The Count, who had been desperately making excuses, turned his head towards Logan, seated at the end of the office.

Logan looked at the Count with a mocking, seemingly exhilarating expression.

Seeing that expression, a possibility flashed through the Count’s mind.

‘Why have I thought until now that he and the Duke were separate…?’

—

Footnote:

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*While Whitehall Palace has burned down and only its site remains, the name Whitehall Palace still exists. The black area represents the range of Whitehall Palace, and the red area marks where the buildings stood. The green area indicates the gardens.

Whitehall Palace was the largest palace in Europe at the time, with over 1,500 rooms. Just below it was Westminster Palace.

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