Road to the Crown Chapter 326: Back at the summons

15th November 1574

"Welco back in the capital."

Even though I used the train, for so 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 , 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 why this entire eting started before the date that I was given?"

Pulling out the invitation, the sa letter that was passed to exactly two weeks ago that outlined the date and ti of this eting, 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 ti of the summons right?"

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

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

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

"This is the matter regarding the royal selection. The last ti 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 soone else for the throne? If you don't mind 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 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 eting. 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 sothing entirely else.

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

With how the rest of the candidates looked at with quite a surprise in their eyes, it was clear that they didn't really peer into the aning of the different tis for their arrivals. That alone was enough to deduct so of the points that they scored on the scale of how much I would like for any of them to beco 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 sothing that would completely cut them off in my mind.

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

Ignoring the chair that was luring my tired legs like so kind of immortal courtesan from the eastern fantasy novels I used to read back in my original tiline, 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 imnse 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 elent of the outburst of that old noble from before that I could agree with. During the interregnum tis, Commonwealth would crown its primate as the royal regent for the entire duration of the troubling tis. 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 here for? Initially, I thought that everyone was done with their assignnts 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 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 sa old senator that dared to go against a mont 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 ti 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 beco our king, it's a good mont to see what you will think about it."