Road to the Crown

Chapter 326: Back at the summons

15th November 1574

"Welcome back in the capital."

Even though I used the train, for some reason, I ended up being the very last one who actually entered the chamber of the senate. Looking through the faces of the people gathered there, I could recognise both those who would usually side with me, those who would be quick to oppose anything that I would bring up, and all four of the other royal candidates.

"Before we begin, would anyone be so kind as to inform me why this entire meeting started before the date that I was given?"

Pulling out the invitation, the same letter that was passed to me exactly two weeks ago that outlined the date and time of this meeting, I swung it through the air before throwing it on the floor and steeping on it.

"How are you guys willing to precede royal elections if you can't get the time of the summons right?"

Even though I knew that acting so aggressively would instantly take away some of the brownie points that I scored with some of the neutral senators, I couldn't really care about this thing less. By bringing me to the summons at a later time than everyone else, this government body already made its statement about how it was going to treat me, most likely because of my refusal to take up their offer of becoming the highest general of the state. 

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"And who told you that you were necessary before? While we all recognise all the achievements of yours, please, mind your place when you are in the face of the acting regent of the King!"

My words quickly brought up some reaction. Before I could even swallow my saliva and prepare another tirade to prompt the senators into actions, one of the old men stood up and pointed his finger at me while shouting.

"This is the matter regarding the royal selection. The last time I was here, I refused an offer of the high chief of Commonwealth armies because I considered it to be unfair for the other candidates. Should I take the current situation as your attempts to leverage someone else for the throne? If you don't mind me asking"

Ignoring all of the senators, I moved my eyes on the group of candidates, sitting in a row in the middle of the huge chamber. With one chair left, it was obvious that everyone expected me to just sit there and watch over the proceedings, yet I was as far as doing what the senate wanted as a man could be in a commonwealth!

"... who was the first one to arrive out of the candidates?"

Looking over the faces of the fellow royal elects, I quickly noticed an embarrassed and anxious smile of the noble that decided against partaking in the election all the way back during our first meeting. With how jiggly he was on his seat, it was obvious that he either felt uncomfortable with being the person I asked for, or that he was bothered with something entirely else.

"I get it. Let me ask you one thing, then."

With how the rest of the candidates looked at me with quite a surprise in their eyes, it was clear that they didn't really peer into the meaning of the different times for their arrivals. That alone was enough to deduct some of the points that they scored on the scale of how much I would like for any of them to become the king, but given how they had no experience in ruling or rather, the politic and social side of being a high-ranked person in the court, it wasn't something that would completely cut them off in my mind.

"Are you willing to stand by what you announced during our meeting? Are you willing to repeat the words that made everyone in that room we met, disregard you as a potential opponent for the throne?"

Ignoring the chair that was luring my tired legs like some kind of immortal courtesan from the eastern fantasy novels I used to read back in my original timeline, I looked in the eyes of the jiggly noble, not allowing his eyes to escape to the side.

"I"

As soon as the young noble made his first attempt to speak out, his voice cracked and broke down, burying the noble's face under an immense blush. Seeing that trying to force him into anything would be counterproductive, I decided to drop the matter. Turning around, I nodded to the rest of the candidates to express my respect before turning back to the primate sitting on the regent's chair.

This was the only element of the outburst of that old noble from before that I could agree with. During the interregnum times, Commonwealth would crown its primate as the royal regent for the entire duration of the troubling times. Yet, as much as this man had power in his hands, I wasn't willing to compromise and give him the respect that only a king would deserve.

"Let's not stall this any longer. What did you summon me here for? Initially, I thought that everyone was done with their assignments and you were about to announce the day of the official elections, but seeing how little respect you have for fairness that should be given to any Catholic, I no longer have the wits to try guessing what you are up to."

There was no denying that my words were oozing with toxins. Each and every word that I spat was coated with the intent of reaching the borderline of being insulting, without actually making me say anything that would be officially considered to be insulting.

"Sit down, as the primate is about to speak."

Reacting to my aggressive words with even bigger hate behind his voice, the same old senator that dared to go against me a moment ago, spoke up.

"If that's the will of the senate"

Using this opportunity to confuse those damned politicians even more, I instantly sat down on the chair, glueing my eyes to the posture of the old bishop at the regent's chair.

"This wasn't the will of the senate, but it could very well be. Either way, I guess it's time for the huge reveal. We gathered you all here because we received a strange offer from the Muscovites. Given how one of you will soon become our king, it's a good moment to see what you will think about it."