The Shadow of Great Britain

When Arthur walked out of the black lacquered wooden door of Scotland Yard, the sky over London was pressed down by a heavy, thick fog.

He stood on the steps for a moment, Lewis’s words still echoing in his ears.

Arthur was very clear that Victoria could not hear these words.

But he heard them.

And that, meant he had to do something.

He buttoned his gloves and stepped into the waiting carriage.

The carriage drove along the riverbank towards Buckingham Palace.

As the carriage came to a stop, Arthur adjusted his tie and stepped down from the carriage.

Although the guards and attendants were already familiar with this popular figure at Buckingham Palace, they still followed the reception procedure, executing it without missing a step.

The officer at the palace gate confirmed Arthur’s card and summons record, then stepped aside, nodded in greeting to Arthur, and gestured to the guards to let him through.

In the front hall, a clerk from the Palace Minister’s Office was stationed by the door, with a heavy audience register spread open on the desk in front of him.

Seeing him, Arthur raised his hand to lightly touch the brim of his hat as a greeting: "Mark, is it your shift today?"

"Good afternoon, Sir Arthur." Mark glanced down at the name on the register, checked the summons time again, and confirmed everything was in order before making a tick on the edge of the page: "Her Majesty the Queen knows you’re coming, she’s in the study now."

Arthur nodded, continuing his steps without pausing.

At the foot of the white marble staircase, the Lord Chamberlain stood straight, as if he had been waiting for him for a while.

He bowed and then made the routine gesture.

Arthur understood, removed his gloves, placed them on the tray held by the attendant, and then took out his pocket watch from the inside of his coat to hand it over for inspection.

The Lord Chamberlain received the watch, confirmed that the cover and the back were intact, then closed it and handed it back to Arthur with both hands: "Please forgive us, Sir. There are many rules in the palace, we must be meticulous."

"Duty demands it, understandable," Arthur replied while undergoing a search by the attendant, then asked, "Is Her Majesty in the study?"

"That’s right, Her Majesty should be working in the study at this hour."

"So that means the Prime Minister is there too?"

"The Prime Minister?" The Lord Chamberlain chuckled, "Today is an exception. Viscount Melbourne seems to have gone to Viscount Palmeston’s residence for discussions. There appears to be some issue again in Canada, and the two of them need to discuss some initial handling opinions. They’ll only come to Buckingham Palace to meet this afternoon."

"Canada?" At the mention of this place, Arthur sensed trouble, but he casually asked, "Could it be that the Earl of Dalmo has thrown in the towel?"

"Possibly." The Lord Chamberlain smiled awkwardly, knowing full well that Britain’s political circle wasn’t that big, and Arthur’s relationship with Lord Brougham and the Earl of Dalmo was well-known: "But this can’t really be blamed on the Earl of Dalmo. After all, he had already written to the Prime Minister before, warning that if his opinions weren’t adopted, he would resign. Now, even if His Excellency throws in the towel, he’s just keeping his promise."

After saying this, he stepped aside, indicating with his hand that Arthur could go upstairs.

As Arthur ascended, he instinctively adjusted his cuffs.

At the corner of the stairs, a young attendant was already waiting there. Seeing him approach, the attendant immediately stepped forward: "Sir Arthur, the Yellow Hall has been informed, please follow me."

"Thank you."

Walking through the corridor lined with oil paintings, the thick carpet swallowed all footsteps completely. The two arrived outside the door of the Yellow Hall, where the attendant stopped and knocked gently.

The usher on duty peeked out, seeing Arthur, and bowed slightly: "Good afternoon, Sir. Her Majesty is still in the study, but she instructed earlier that if you have arrived, please wait in the inner room for a moment."

Arthur casually asked, "Is Her Majesty busy?"

"She’s reviewing the latest documents from Canada, as well as the new draft opinion of the Police Bill you submitted yesterday." The attendant lowered his voice: "But it should be soon."

After finishing, he stepped aside and opened the door fully: "This way, please."

In the Yellow Meeting Room of Buckingham Palace, several branch-shaped candlesticks were lit, and the golden wallpaper appeared warmer under the candlelight. On a small round table near the inner door, a silver teapot and two sets of cups and saucers were clearly set out intentionally.

Arthur had just sat down when he saw the attendant walk to the narrower door inside and again raised his hand and knocked twice: "Madam."

This time, a familiar female voice came from behind the door.

But it was not Victoria. It was Leisen.

"Who?"

"Sir Arthur, has arrived as Her Majesty instructed."

The latch moved gently, and Leisen emerged from behind the door.

The daughter of the Hanoverian priest was still wearing her dignified dark long dress, with a silver button symbolizing her position as Lady pinned on her chest. Yet, her entire demeanor had undergone a dramatic change compared to two months ago.

Since Victoria’s ascension to the throne, the entire court atmosphere had transformed.

And the one perhaps changed the most was not the Queen herself, but her "shadow mother."

Leisen’s gaunt face now had added radiance, and her cheekbones no longer appeared sharp and pointed. The wrinkles that deepened over time due to worry, sleeplessness, and palace pressure seemed to have smoothed out significantly.

The composure radiating from Leisen’s brows was also like what one would find only in those who wield power and live free from worries.

"Johanna Clara Louise von Leisen" painted by the German artist Carl Friedrich Koopke, 1842