[Shen Xia] Britannia Rose

"Still can't get in touch?"

The white-haired old man standing in front of the magnificent huge oil portrait of King George VI asked lightly. Her back was facing the main entrance. Be upright, after all, she will carry the rise and fall of the entire empire on her shoulders.

The maid beside her quickly replied: "Your Majesty, there is no news from Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice..."

Her Majesty sighed inaudibly, and turned around, "Mr. Holmes will be here in a while, isn't he?"

"Yes, Your Majesty, he is on your list of guests. Mr. Holmes also said he would be punctual."

"I hope he can do something..." Her Majesty the Queen nodded slightly, just as there were three polite knocks on the door, she glanced at the maid, and the other party understood.

The maid walked quickly to the door and opened the doorknob. A smiling face appeared in front of her eyes. She respectfully called out the girl's name, "Her Royal Highness Princess Isabella."

"Is it convenient?" Isabella asked in a low voice.

"Yes, please come in." After receiving Her Majesty's approval, the maid slowly opened the heavy thick wooden door.

Different from the woolen long skirt in the morning, Isabella has already changed into a classic light maroon skirt with puff sleeves. The light sheepskin shoes that wrap her feet stepped on the soft wool carpet. She greeted her with a smile: " grandmother."

Her Majesty nodded with a smile, and her eyes were loving like every elder who cares for the younger generation. She cared: "I heard from Mr. Holmes that you have been studying very hard in school recently. You have always been so good, my child .”

Isabella stood one step back on Her Majesty's right, and joked playfully: "Did these words really come from Mr. Holmes? He doesn't boast easily."

Her Majesty couldn't help laughing, "Of course, that's what Mr. Holmes told me."

Isabella was noncommittal.

She quietly looked at the small clusters of flames crackling and burning in the chimney of the window, as if remembering something, Her Majesty turned her head and said lovingly: "Your birthday is coming, although the joy of birthday gifts lies in the unknown, but , I still want to ask you one more question—Isabella, is there anything you want?"

Indeed, the pine trees outside the window trembled slightly in the wind, the tall body stood upright in the lonely cold weather, and the cold current invaded the humid island from the plateau. Everything indicated that the winter that carried her birthday was coming.

Isabella hesitated and said, "Uh...Actually, I still want to have a horse of my own..."

The Queen nodded knowingly, "Of course, it's just..."

"You're still thinking about Lucia, aren't you?" The queen stared at her with burning eyes, then sighed after a while, "I know what Charles did wrong back then..."

Isabella smiled lightly, without any sadness of being entangled in the past, "The past is the past, what I want is the champion of the last horse race, the horse named Joshua. He belongs to Rukia child."

"Of course, I promise you."

The ancient wall clock reminded the grandparents and grandchildren that time flies. Isabella stepped forward and hugged her grandmother gently. After saying goodbye, she should return to the dormitory, and Ariel, the maid, will change her into what she should wear for the banquet tonight. dress up.

"It hurts, hurts..." Isabella's tense body was deflated, and she complained, "The belt is too tight!"

Ariel nimbly tightened the girdle behind Her Royal Highness's back, but it was obviously a somewhat difficult job.

"Your Highness, please bear with me..."

"Ah! I knew it, as long as I don't let me eat those uncomfortable British dishes..." Isabella took a deep breath, "I definitely gained more than two pounds in the past few days at school!"

Isabella saw in the mirror that Ariel was still holding a dignified dress, "Oh... I remember it looks like the dress grandma wore at a certain state banquet in 1985..."

"Yes, Your Highness, it is very precious."

The dress framed her waist just right, and Ariel expertly coiled up Isabella's long, smooth golden hair, which was then firmly held in place by a pale pink pearl clasp.

Isabella had never hated a long and complicated list of etiquette as she did today.When the dinner was announced to begin, Ariel silently supported her until Her Highness the Princess gracefully appeared.Isabella felt her ribs were about to explode from the girdle, and every time she said a word, she had to gasp for a long time.

The distinguished guests attending the banquet included traditional princes and nobles, as well as some guests from the political circle, such as Mr. Prime Minister, such as Mycroft Holmes.

After Mrs. Green's downfall, the most popular figure in the cabinet should belong to Mycroft, not to mention his surname-Sherlock Holmes.The meaning of a Sherlock Holmes to the political world is self-evident.

Mycroft, who wears a three-piece suit year-round, is rigorous enough to attend a party at any time, except that today he also wears a decorative pocket watch chain on the suit jacket.When Isabella was greeting a certain politician, she looked through the not-too-tall guest at Mycroft, who was sideways to her.

She kept her feet close together to welcome and bless every visitor. The heels of the seven-centimeter golden high heels were so thin that they seemed to break if they were broken, but there was not even a slight tremor under her feet. .

"Your Highness."

Before she knew it, Mycroft came in front of her. Isabella was mentally prepared and looked at those wise and indifferent eyes like the deep sea with a polite smile.

What she didn't expect was that the man in front of her would also salute her like the others. Mycroft looked at Isabella calmly, and the eyes of Her Royal Highness, who was so elegant that she couldn't find a single fault, flashed across her eyes. The panic did not escape his sharp gaze.

Mycroft was polite and alienated, and Isabella didn't know what to say. For a while, the two looked at each other and fell into a weird silence.Other politicians around him couldn't help but stepped forward to introduce him, "His Royal Highness, this is the highest officer of the Military Intelligence Department, Mr. Mycroft Holmes."

"I think... we are very familiar with each other, Mr. Holmes, thank you for taking care of me." Isabella slowly regained her sanity and said with a soft smile.

Mycroft also laughed, the kind of smirk he used to deal with his colleagues in the past, "Yes, Your Highness. You are serious, this is all my duty."

Isabella nodded. Simple and indifferent greetings are the most normal on this occasion, but she still felt sad because of McCoff's attitude, and she would rather have him speak harshly to her mischievous behavior. In other words, I don't want him to smile and be polite like today, but seem to be far away in the world, just like the Alps covered by winter snow, cold, indifferent, and an untouchable sincerity.

Putting away her small thoughts, Isabella put on the most perfect and elegant smile, her brain memorized the basic information of any prince, nobleman and politician, and she could say their names in advance before they even opened their mouths , and say a few words with the dignity of an old friend.

Her eyes always involuntarily searched for that tall figure in the crowd, until the crowd was crowded and he was no longer seen.

The laughter at night made the aristocratic female family members smile, and they chatted with the people around them to their heart's content. This happy atmosphere lasted for a long time, until the fire gradually faded, and the cedar outside the window slapped the window lattice.

Unlike the bustling banquet hall, the reception hall was extremely quiet. Her Majesty the Queen and the distinguished guest who should have appeared in the hall - Mycroft Holmes sat on the sofa, and everyone had a cup of Earl Gray tea in front of them.

"Your Majesty, the news about Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrice is just like what I just said..."

The queen nodded, "I see, I still hope she can return home as soon as possible."

"I will make this point clear to His Highness."

The worry in the heart of this octogenarian old man is almost overflowing, but her face is still indifferent. She gracefully picked up the teacup and took a sip of tea, and said: "I still remember the first time you sat here, I see bravery, ambition and integrity in you."

McCoff remembered that it was when he became the chief of MI6, and he met Isabella for the first time on the road that day.He couldn't help softening the corners of his lips, "It's the day of the inauguration."

"Yes," the Queen nodded. "It turns out that I was not mistaken. You have done a very good job. The British Empire is also grateful for your efforts, Mr. Holmes."

"This is what I should do."

The queen smiled in satisfaction, and after a while, she changed the subject and said cautiously: "You know, Isabella... I used to have a headache for the youngest child, she was always so mischievous and reckless, When she was naughty, I really wanted to tell her what to do and what not to do, but when I saw her stubborn and sad eyes, I didn't know what to say, you know it too, back then The little naughty things she did?"

Mycroft remembered what was written in the file that "disturbed stepmother and father's wedding", "nearly cut the prince's favorite woolen blanket", and "while electrifying all the ornamental fish in the pool, they rolled their eyes. Also stunned Mr. Steward who came to save the poor fish." Such mischievous deeds, big and small, nodded and said: "I have heard a little bit."

"It was when she was 12 years old..." the queen sighed, as if she had returned to the distant past, she recalled, "All members of the royal family had to learn equestrianism. That year she got a horse, a horse named Lu Qi Ya's horse. Isabella cherishes it very much and grooms it herself, and also, the horse is very human. But on April [-], you know, the day Charles and Camilla got married, Isabella did She did something very disrespectful, and then she was ordered to be grounded. The grounding was at Windsor Castle. It was impossible for anyone to get in touch with Isabella except the agents sent by Mr. Nott, and the only person who accompanied her was That horse named Rukia."

Mycroft listened quietly to the old man's calm explanation.

"The long confinement could not hold Isabella, and one night, while the agents were not resting, she jumped out of the wall. Like a true knight... She called her horse softly. Then suddenly Someone screamed in the dark, the horse frightened, neighed, and the horse's hooves were raised high. Isabella had a bad feeling. She ran quickly, but saw Charles holding the frightened Camilla in the dark. Shouted to his guards and shot the frightened horse dead with one shot."

"No one could have guessed why Charles and the others had to go back to Windsor Castle that night. Afterwards, Camilla explained that it was because she wanted to attend a local friend's wedding the next day. It was too dark, and she didn't know what the giant that appeared in the castle was. What, I thought it was a beast and screamed in fright. But Isabella didn't cry, she held Lucia's body tightly in silence until Charles flew into a rage the next morning, not just because of Camilla She was frightened, and it was because Isabella, who was still in confinement, violated the order. So this time she was locked in a room alone, and the scope of activities was only in that room."

Mycroft feels that Her Majesty the Queen is no longer the monarch of a country at this moment, she is more like an old man who is worried about the affairs of the younger generation.

"That horse is her very important partner. I can't guess what... But I gave her custody to Nott at the beginning, and then to you, in the hope that you will be more tolerant of her."

"I understand, you told me before."

Mycroft pursed his lips tightly. He speculated from the implicit expression of the queen's few words that Camilla may have deliberately startled the horse in revenge for Isabella's disruption of her wedding. A little girl who has lost her closest companion does no good by being locked up alone in the house except to let her resentment freely ferment in her heart.No wonder Isabella loathed her royal status so much, it wasn't just adolescent rebellion.

The tea was cold, and the queen finally said: "Mr. Holmes, I trust you very much. Isabella was naughty in the castle when she was a child. When she grows up, she will enter the society sooner or later. I hope you can help her more at that time. Not as the Sovereign of the British Empire ... but as a granddaughter's grandmother, an elder's plea."

Mycroft lowered his eyes and said softly, "I will."

The author has something to say:

感谢在2021-04-1723:47:43~2021-04-2600:33:48期间为我投出霸王票或灌溉营养液的小天使哦~

Thanks to the little angel of irrigation nutrient solution: you are not sleepy 10 bottles;

Thank you very much for your support, I will continue to work hard!