shadow of britain

Chapter 764 The Song of Roland
Sir Herbert Taylor paused slightly; he did not immediately reject it, but his unapproachable, official tone spoke volumes.

“Your Highness, His Majesty the King has not specifically forbidden any particular person from accompanying him. However, based on my personal understanding, His Majesty's intention today is to speak with Princess Victoria alone, without any external interference. If you insist on sending Colonel Conroy to accompany you, I'm afraid... I'm afraid it will only cause more misunderstandings.”

These words were already quite tactful, but the warning they carried was very clear.

The Duchess of Kent finally stopped waving her ivory fan, and the smile on her face gradually froze, replaced by a furious silence.

She knew, of course, that this was William IV’s deliberate attempt to humiliate her, but she was also worried that if she refused, William IV’s royal procession might actually be summoned to Kensington later.

They wouldn't let her go with them, nor would they let Conroy go with them...

Ah……

Doesn't that mean specifically naming Lezen to go to Buckingham Palace with Delina?
But that's not surprising, since in such a large place as Kensington Palace, there's only one person that old man doesn't dislike: Ryzen.

Hopefully, once Lezen arrives at Buckingham Palace, he won't say anything inappropriate in front of that "old sailor."

"that……"

Just as the atmosphere was almost frozen and even the fire in the Rose Hall dimmed for a moment, Arthur, standing behind the podium, suddenly spoke softly, like a perfectly sized key that deftly inserted itself into what seemed like an unbreakable shackle.

“If you are concerned,” Arthur said calmly and with a leisurely gait, emerging from behind the lectern, “I will accompany Her Highness to Buckingham Palace after the afternoon classes.”

At this point, Arthur bowed slightly apologetically to Sir Herbert Taylor: "I'll only escort you to the main gate of Buckingham Palace; I won't go in with you. I hope this won't offend His Majesty the King?"

With the Duchess of Kent right in front of him, Taylor's original plan was to summon Arthur to Buckingham Palace privately after the course ended, so as not to anger the proud and arrogant Crown Prince's mother.

At this point, Arthur surprisingly offered to accompany her and even presented a compromise that seemed acceptable to the Duchess of Kent, so Taylor naturally had no reason to refuse.

The old minister, who had served three generations of British kings, pretended to hesitate for a moment, then slowly nodded and said, "If it were you, His Majesty the King should be able to accept it. After all, your lower rank of knighthood was personally awarded by His Majesty, and he has always paid close attention to the young men he has cultivated."

The Duchess of Kent nodded gratefully to Arthur, but after a moment, her gaze tightened, as if she had remembered something.

"Sir Arthur, while I appreciate your kindness, this is no small matter. After all, you are not only my daughter's tutor, but also the Provost of the University of London. I have heard that the University of London has a lot of daily affairs and administrative matters. If today's schedule delays your other important business, I am afraid I will feel uneasy."

Arthur smiled slightly upon hearing this: "Your Highness is too kind. Indeed, I am very busy with affairs at the University of London. Every week I have to review class schedules, arrange lectures, chair academic meetings, and negotiate research funding with several department heads with very different personalities."

He paused briefly, raising an eyebrow slightly: "But compared to missing this week's academic meeting, the work of the royal family is obviously more important. Besides, I think that given the London University professors' support for Princess Victoria, they will certainly support my decision. When they first learned that I had been hired as a teacher at Kensington Palace, the professors proactively approached me to switch my teaching hours with those at Kensington Palace."

At this point, Arthur made a timely joke: "Perhaps you don't know, but nowadays, professors at the University of London often boast that I share a teaching building with Princess Victoria's teacher."

After hearing Arthur's reply, the Duchess of Kent's tense expression finally relaxed somewhat.

"It seems I have indeed underestimated the charm of the University of London." She smiled gently, her words becoming much softer: "In this city full of self-important theologians and rude sailors, there is actually a group of professors who are willing to make arrangements for young ladies without affiliating their authority or using their prestige to oppress others. This is indeed a rare kind of grace."

Everyone present could tell that the Duchess of Kent was subtly mocking William IV, but they all pretended not to understand.

She turned her gaze away from Arthur and spoke to Lady Lyzen, who was standing by the window, "Lyzen, go and prepare Delina's clothes. Use the navy blue dress with silver embroidery, and don't make the hair ornaments too elaborate, but make sure they don't look simple."

Lady Lezen bowed respectfully and said, "Yes, Your Highness."

After giving her instructions, the Duchess of Kent said nothing more, but simply turned and walked towards the hall door with a flick of her skirt.

She didn't mention inviting Herbert Taylor to lunch again, not even a polite greeting; it was clear she was furious.

Herbert Taylor, not wanting to make a fool of himself, glanced at the empty Rose Hall, then at Arthur and Victoria who remained standing there, and coughed lightly as if to console himself, saying, "When I was young, I fought in Antwerp. In front of me were French cannons, and behind me were our own men urging us to charge. Back then, I thought that the battlefield was the hardest place in the world. It wasn't until I was over fifty and assigned to be a messenger between His Majesty the King and the Duchess that I finally realized that bullets on the battlefield at least have a direction."

The seemingly serious old man suddenly uttered a dry joke, which inevitably made Arthur and Victoria, who were present, laugh.

Looking at the amiable old man who had suddenly become playful, Victoria couldn't help but ask with the innocence of a young girl, "Sir Herbert, I used to think that being the King's private secretary was a very good job. So you suffer like this all the time?"

Taylor chuckled and shook his head, spreading his hands as if he knew everything but wouldn't say a word: "Your Highness, this is my fate. In my youth, I carried bags and carried guns for the Duke of York; in my old age, I relay messages for His Majesty the King. Isn't every job about having to be subservient to others? How could you possibly think this is a cushy job?"

“Because…” Victoria began, but then hesitated, as if she had something on her mind.

Taylor bent down and asked personally, "What's wrong, Your Highness? Is there something you're having trouble saying? If... you really don't want to talk about it, no one can force you."

Seeing this, Arthur spoke for Victoria, saying what she wanted to say: "I guess it's because of Sir John Conroy."

Upon hearing this, Taylor glanced at Arthur. He frowned at first, but soon the old secretary understood what was going on.

He had long heard that Conroy hoped to become the young Queen's private secretary after she ascended the throne, and that the Duchess of Kent had been working hard to make it happen.

However, judging from the current situation, this is not what Her Highness the Princess wishes for.

Taylor first nodded slightly to Arthur, then bent down again and whispered to Victoria, "Your Highness, I'll say it again: I assure you, if you don't want to, no one in this world can force you." Hearing this solemn promise, Victoria looked up at Taylor, her eyes revealing a hint of sincere gratitude: "I...I will remember."

Taylor smiled at Victoria, but quickly turned his attention back to Arthur. The old gentleman patted Arthur on the shoulder and said, "You acted too quickly in the Caucasus, but you've come at just the right time to speak. I knew it, Sir Arthur Hastings, he's not the kind of guy who can stay on campus forever."

Arthur simply smiled and said, "You've just taken bullets from His Majesty the King and the Duchess, so there's no need to give me another one, is there? After all, I've already taken more than one bullet."

……

At 3:30 p.m., on the driveway in front of Kensington Palace, Victoria, supported by Lady Lytzen, slowly boarded the black and gold-painted enclosed carriage. Her skirt swayed gently by the door, while Arthur stood to the side, bowed slightly, and closed the door for her.

Seeing that everything was ready, Arthur bid farewell to the Duchess of Kent and then led six plainclothes Scotland Yard mounted his horse.

With a slight movement of his hand, the towering cast-iron gate slowly opened, and the sound of horses' hooves echoed on the damp stone pavement.

Arthur rode ahead, his upright posture like an unmissable road sign.

Dressed in a pure black tailcoat, with a white turtleneck shirt and a silver-gray vest underneath, he carried neither a sword nor a gun. His simple white riding gloves and a silver-decorated eagle-head cane attached to the side of his saddle were enough to make pedestrians on the road give way.

Behind him, six Scotland Yard mounted police followed closely, forming two teams to protect the carriage from the left and right.

These mounted police officers all came from the Bow Street Mounted Police of Scotland Yard, and before officially joining Scotland Yard, they were all elites serving in the 7th Guards Dragoons, the "Black Knights".

This is a renowned cavalry unit in the British Army. In the Battle of Salamanca 22 years ago, the 7th Guards Horse Regiment, under the command of the Duke of Wellington, swiftly outflanked the French cavalry and artillery positions under Marshal Marmont of the French Empire from the southwest. They not only killed several high-ranking French officers and destroyed the French artillery positions during the charge, but also captured an entire brigade of French infantry.

After the battle, the Duke of Wellington specifically praised the unit in his report to the cabinet: "Our light cavalry moved swiftly and fiercely, and the 7th Guards Dragoon Regiment performed particularly bravely, tearing open the enemy's heartland at the most critical moment."

Thanks to this glorious victory, the 7th Regiment was granted permission after the war to have Salamanca engraved on its regimental flag as a battle honor.

Although these veteran cavalrymen of the 7th Regiment have been retired for a long time, that doesn't stop them from embroidering the word "Salamanca" on the cuffs of their coats.

The vain nature of the Imperial Guard cavalry, which always paid great attention to their appearance, has also been completely preserved.

The black wool riding jackets were tailored to fit perfectly, with the hem falling just to their knees on horseback. A deep red lining was faintly visible through the collar, symbolizing their former status as a guard. The riding boots were all made of polished cowhide, and even the boot shafts were as straight as tree trunks.

The saddles also revealed something special. Instead of using the standard equipment used by ordinary patrol officers, they wore military tack that the army had allowed them to keep when they retired. Some saddles even had faded cavalry number buckles on them.

Their choice of weapons also reveals that they did not wish to appear as police officers, but rather as veteran Imperial Guard cavalry.

All six mounted policemen carried sabers, but what was even more conspicuous were the short-barreled dragoon flintlock pistols they carried at their waists.

Sitting inside the carriage, Victoria gently lifted a corner of the curtain, letting a ray of afternoon sunlight stream into the car and fall on her delicate lace gloves.

The six mounted police officers on both flanks maintained perfect echelon formation, and even the rhythm of their horses' hooves seemed to be in unison under silent command.

This level of understanding did not come from Scotland Yard training, but rather from the instincts they developed during their early military service: they knew what to do next with just a glance or a gesture, without needing orders or communication.

The lead thoroughbred English horse walked steadily to the left front of the carriage. The gentleman on horseback, Sir Arthur Hastings, had his tail feathers lifted gently by the wind, revealing the shimmering buckles on his boots. His white-gloved gait and the way he held the reins made him look like a medieval knight straight out of an oil painting.

As the Song of Roland says: If God is kind, may I have a knight after my death, standing with sword for me.

Whenever the caravan turned into a street or needed to yield to pedestrians at an intersection, Arthur would ride ahead first, followed by the caravan splitting and rejoining like waves, clearing a path for the carriages through the crowded streets.

In front of Buckingham Palace, the majestic coat of arms of the Hanoverian royal family hangs high on the palace walls, and the gold leaf and iron railings gleam coldly in the afternoon sunlight.

The carriage slowly drove to the main gate, the sound of hooves and wheels gradually subsiding into a solemn echo on the wide stone path.

Sir Herbert Taylor, who had been waiting for some time, stood on the steps, with several Buckingham Palace guards standing beside him.

Taylor had changed out of the gray wool coat she wore that morning and into a neat black tailcoat, her white scarf tied around her neck perfectly.

“Sir Arthur!” Taylor announced in a clear voice, which, though not loud, carried enough weight to convey his presence.

Arthur dismounted, handed the reins to the nearest mounted policeman, and strode forward.

With the help of Mrs. Lezen, Victoria stepped out of the carriage, gently grasping the door with one hand and lifting her skirt with the other, as she slowly descended.

Taylor nodded to Arthur: "His Majesty the King has been waiting for a long time."

He glanced back at Victoria, then said to Arthur, "You and Lady Lyzen should go as well; His Majesty has granted you permission to accompany him."

P.S.: I didn't have time to meet the full attendance requirement, so this chapter isn't finished. I'll add an extra chapter tomorrow.

(End of this chapter)