monarch

Early on the morning of November 11, a Spanish delegation was sent to the fortress of Almeida, or more precisely, to the place where the fortress had previously stood.Amidst the ruins they accepted the surrender of the remaining Portuguese troops.

Now the gate of Portugal has fallen into the hands of the Duke of Alva, which also means that the Spanish army will go deep into the hinterland of Portugal before the heavy snow blocks the mountains, splitting the long and narrow country in half.For the Duke of Braganza, the early collapse of the fortress that he had placed high hopes on was really unexpected, but now that the deal is done, he can only swallow this cup of bitter wine.

There are two routes to continue westward from the Almeida Fortress. The northern one is to advance along the north bank of the Montego River, cross the Alcoba Mountains, pass through Viseu and Busacco, and finally arrive at the city of Coimbra on the Atlantic coast. .This road has to pass through the steep mountains in northern Portugal, and the roads are all narrow mountain paths, which can be described as a disaster for the march of the army.

The road to the south also passes through the mountains, but the condition of the road is slightly better than that of the north, and there are even parts of the road that can be used by four-wheeled carriages carrying luggage.The Duke of Alba did not hesitate much, so he chose the road to the south. The Spanish army will go to the south bank of the Montego River, pass through Fornos and the Morcella Bridge, and finally arrive in Coimbra.

Although it is much easier to travel than the northern route, the southern route is still very difficult. The Spanish soldiers found that they were in a sea of ​​mountains, and more than [-]% of the roads were narrower than the usual alleys in the city. They can only rely on mules procured from mountain people.The cold mountain wind made the clothes of the Spanish soldiers stink from the damp, and the occasional harassment by the familiar Portuguese army made them miserable.

After going through all kinds of difficulties and obstacles, the Spanish army entered Coimbra, which was already an empty city, on December 12, more than a month later. In order to get here, they paid a price of nearly 15 people, only a small part of which was It came from the harassment of the Portuguese, and most of the victims died of the plague caused by the harsh environment along the road.

Although he paid a lot of money, the Duke of Alva still achieved his goal. The Kingdom of Portugal was cut in half, and the Duke of Braganza led his army to hide in the mountains in the north. The death knell has sounded.

For Queen Elizabeth in Lisbon, this can be described as an autumn of bad news.She still wears fancy clothes to attend various events, but everyone can see that she is unable to do what she wants. According to the news from the palace, her morning sickness reaction is becoming more and more intense.

On December 12, Robert was summoned by Queen Elizabeth to the palace.

Although another Spanish army that invaded from southern Portugal was less than fifty miles away from Lisbon, the city was still decorated with Christmas lights. The only difference from previous years was that there were significantly fewer people on the streets.Most of the nobles have already left the city, and those who have not left have already sent their families to the manors in the suburbs.As for those civilians who are unable to escape, they can only lock themselves at home, begging themselves not to be implicated by the military disaster.

Robert's carriage arrived at the palace. When he got out of the car, he noticed that the servant who opened the door for him had changed into a new face. Obviously, the predecessor had resolutely jumped from the half-sunken ship. .According to rumors, half of the servants and officials in the palace have fled, and the remaining half are not out of loyalty, but hoping to get on line with the new regime as soon as possible, so as to ensure that they stand on the same side when the new dynasty is established. Favorable starting position.

When Robert entered Queen Elizabeth's drawing room, her maid had just evacuated the basin full of vomit from the room, and the queen herself was reclining weakly on the back of the sofa, breathing with her mouth open.Her forehead and neck, as well as the rest of her exposed skin, were covered with fine beads of sweat, like a fish left on the beach by the low tide.

"What do you think of the Christmas decorations I prepared in the palace?" Elizabeth wiped the corners of her mouth with a handkerchief, "I dare say they are more stylish than previous years."

"Are you preparing for the Spaniards?" Robert sat down across from her and put his hat on his knees. "I thought you would focus on more important things at this time."

"Today, what's the important thing?" Elizabeth smiled miserably. She didn't put any makeup on her face, and her normally fair skin looked sallow and dull due to pregnancy, as if it had been left for a long time. Bananas, "The Spaniards will take the city in three days and the rest of my men will not hesitate to lay down their arms to welcome them... I expected that the country would not last long, but not everything It collapsed so quickly!"

"When Alexander the Great was born in the mountains of Macedonia, who would have thought that 20 years later the great Persian Empire would be reduced to dust in the desert?" Robert said, "Portugal is like a tree that has been hollowed out by moths. The towering tree looks like it is still full of branches and leaves, but as long as you use an ax to lightly hit it, the whole tree will crash to the ground."

"Yeah, this country is down, but I won't be down with her." Elizabeth sat up straight, "Do you remember what I talked to you before? I think we have come to that now step."

"Have you chosen yet? Between Newfoundland and Brazil."

Elizabeth bit her lips in displeasure, "Is this what you mean? Or my brother? Has he written back to you?"

"As you know, Lisbon is so surrounded that diplomatic mail cannot be delivered," said Robert, "but I think what I mean is what he means."

Elizabeth sneered, "It seems that I have no other choice."

"Yes, you are indeed gone." Robert nodded, "but I'm afraid it's too late for you to go to Britain for refuge. If I let you leave the port on a British warship, the Spaniards will stop you at the mouth of the Tejo River We, at that time, will be twenty battleships against two, we have no chance of winning, and you will fall into their hands."

"What if I put on makeup? I can make up a maid, or even a man."

"Then what about your stomach? Besides, the Spaniards will definitely think that you have the highest probability of escaping on a British warship, and they will search very carefully."

"In your opinion, do I have to stay here and be caught without a fight?" Elizabeth stared at Robert dissatisfied, "I would rather jump off the clock tower than endure such humiliation."

"Things haven't reached that point yet." Robert waved his hand. He looked around vigilantly, stood up, walked to Queen Elizabeth and sat down.

"I can get you out of Lisbon," he whispered, "but will your body hold it?"

Elizabeth followed Robert's gaze and looked at her stomach, "You mean my child? It doesn't matter, he's already eight months old... Those morning sickness reactions are just caused by my recent stress."

"Yeah, yeah, we've been under a lot of pressure recently." Robert sighed, "Well, as I said just now, the British battleship is too eye-catching, and we don't have the strength to break into Spain There is no human blockade, so I can only smuggle you out."

"You mean... like a smuggler?" Elizabeth's eyes widened.

"Almost." Robert nodded, "I bought a boat under a false name, a small boat, the kind of fast boat commonly used by smugglers, in the hands of experienced people, it can run in about an hour Eight nautical miles."

"You intend to use it to transport us out?"

"Five sailors are needed to steer this ship, and five more passengers can be taken, provided we squeeze together. Me, you, one of your maids, Viscount Canning, and of course your husband, exactly five .”

"Why did you bring him?" Elizabeth didn't hide her disgust at all. "Let the Spaniards get him. Anyway, that sick man won't live long."

"Anyway, he is also the king of Portugal." Robert looked at Princess Elizabeth disapprovingly, "He is a card, maybe not a good one, but don't forget, you don't have many cards left It's time to fight. As long as he lives, he is the king of Portugal. Although we all know he is a puppet, the title of king can always win the eyes of a few stubborn guys. There will be people who support him. He will be Edward will do his best to keep him alive for a few more years as we interfere in the situation in Portugal."

"I don't think you guys understand that the real trump card is in my stomach now." Elizabeth said unwillingly, "My child is the future of Portugal."

"We all know this is not the truth." Robert said helplessly, "As for the child's future, it is completely in the hands of God and Edward... Let me give you a piece of advice. For the sake of the child's future, after you arrive in Britain It's better to be more disciplined, and don't engage in some ridiculous little conspiracy like in the past, it will only be self-defeating."

"Okay, okay." Elizabeth said impatiently, "I'll listen to you, this idea is very good, just do as you say."

"Then there is only one problem left... This boat is small, not much bigger than the boats used by pilots in the port, about [-] long loads (about [-] tons). The sea is choppy, and we have to sail at least [-] nautical miles around the Iberian Peninsula and then through the Bay of Biscay, and we can only land in southern France at the earliest."

"so what?"

"This trip is dangerous, and it will definitely not be comfortable. Are you sure your body can hold it?" Robert looked at Queen Elizabeth suspiciously, "Stay here, King Philip will not put your life in danger anyway. , you may go to a hermit or a monastery, but at least you will save your life."

"I've made it clear to you just now that I'd rather jump off the clock tower," snapped Elizabeth. "A dangerous sea voyage is like a picnic compared to that."

"Since you insist." Robert shrugged his shoulders, "Then I will let people start preparing the ship, and I will dispatch five of the most reliable sailors and captains from the two battleships, and let them purchase relevant supplies. Prepare accordingly for departure... When can you leave?"

"Anytime." Queen Elizabeth raised her chin proudly. "I can't wait to leave this country. The only memories left for me here are pain and humiliation... Those nobles who wantonly demeaned my reputation, I hope they will be able to please King Philip!"

"Then we will start tomorrow night," said Robert. "Tomorrow night is Christmas Eve. You will have a grand party at the palace. At that time, you will appear in front of the whole court. You will appear in high spirits, like the invading Spanish army." There’s nothing like it. You want everyone at the party to feel like you’re so confident, they’re going to think you’ve got something left, they’re not thinking that’s going to be the last time they’ll see you.”

"After the party is over, you go to your room. Your maid should have changed your husband's clothes before then. She will help you change clothes, and I will dress up as a guard and put your husband Come to your room. We will go down into the garden by the same stairs I took when I first came to see you, and the Viscount Canning himself will be waiting for us in a carriage to drive us all the way to the docks. .”

"We left the port at night, and every night there would be a thick fog on the sea. The Spaniards would notice a forty-gun battleship, but they would not notice a small boat with five men. When daylight came, we Already at sea, it will take less than a week to reach France."

"I will prepare according to your plan." Elizabeth said firmly, she clenched her fists tightly, and the knuckles on her fingers turned white from the force, "Is there anything else I need to do?"

"Everyone on the route I just mentioned, you need to send them away. It shouldn't be difficult. After all, many people in the palace have already escaped, and the rest are panic-stricken. Presumably, they won't be so dedicated to their duties. ...but the less people know about it the better, do you understand? The people in this town are either Spanish spies now, or are about to be Spanish spies, and you can't trust anyone except that maid you brought from Britain Besides, are you sure she is trustworthy?"

"Very believable." Elizabeth showed a cruel smile, "The life of her whole family is in my hands."

"Excellent." Robert stood up. "I'll see you tomorrow night, then."

He put his hat back on his head and walked out the door.