KEO.PLUS

New Zealand, White Island.

The first meeting of the House of Commons went smoothly, but this couldn’t bring joy to Arthur. Word had come from Queen Victoria that Her Majesty’s health was deteriorating rapidly, so much so that she might not last until winter.

Arthur had already anticipated this situation, but he couldn’t bear accepting it.

In recent years, Queen Victoria’s health had become increasingly precarious, and some state matters were transferred to the Crown Prince for handling.

Further, she had recently experienced the pain of losing a son again. Although Queen Victoria appeared strong on the outside, Arthur understood deep down that the loss of Duke Arthur had dealt a tremendous blow to Queen Victoria. What kept Her Majesty going, apart from her grandson Arthur and other princes and princesses, was her deep-seated memory of Prince Albert and her late sons. This was also why Queen Victoria had made the long journey to White Island.

Upon hearing the news, Arthur urgently dispatched a warship to visit the Queen on White Island.

After an entire two days of sailing, Arthur finally arrived on White Island, where Queen Victoria resided.

Princess Beatrice, Arthur’s aunt, was there to greet him.

When Princess Beatrice saw Arthur, she was red-eyed and said, “Arthur, please go and see your grandmother. She’s waiting for you.”

As he stepped into the modestly-decorated room, Arthur immediately saw Queen Victoria lying in bed.

Compared to when they last met, the Queen had noticeably lost weight, her eye sockets were hollow, and she seemed to have aged more than a decade.

“Arthur! My child, come to your grandmother.” Queen Victoria instantly noticed Arthur as he entered, and she said excitedly.

“Grandmother!” Arthur replied, stepping forward and holding the Queen’s hands, now full of wrinkles.

“Arthur, how are things in Australia? Have you adjusted well?” The Queen gently stroked Arthur’s forehead, asking with a smile.

“I’m doing well, grandmother. Thanks to the Guards you entrusted to me, I’ve successfully taken control of all of Australia. Under my guidance, Australia has established a bicameral monarchy, elected a House of Commons, and is preparing for its cabinet elections,” Arthur replied cheerfully.

“Ah, a bicameral monarchy? Are there none in the government who oppose you?” Queen Victoria, who had been quietly listening, became slightly surprised upon hearing the phrase “bicameral monarchy” and asked.

“Not as far as I can tell, because the Prime Ministers of the original colonies don’t have military power. Furthermore, I offered them temporary cabinet positions, so up to now, there haven’t been any officers who explicitly oppose the national system,” Arthur pondered for a moment before responding earnestly.

“Mm, have you kept all the Guards in Australia?” asked Queen Victoria.

“Yes, grandmother. Although I’ve ensured the support of most Australians through speeches and various policies, I’ve kept the Guards in Australia just in case,” Arthur confirmed, nodding.

“Mm, good job. As a ruler of a country, no matter how favorable the environment, you must never lose your caution. It’s good that your reforms in Australia have been successful, but this can also be a bad thing. Everything may appear well now, just as you imagined. But if an unexpected event occurs, we can’t guarantee which state your opposition will emerge from,” Queen Victoria said approvingly, seemingly relieved after a barrage of questions.

“It’s great that you came this time, Arthur. We just received a group of servants from the homeland. You and Louise need more servants to take care of you while living in Australia. When you return, take some chefs, doctors, and housemaids with you. As ruler of Australia and a member of the royal family, don’t compromise your standards in this regard,” Queen Victoria, as if recalling something, said.

“Yes, grandmother,” Arthur responded, unable to oppose Queen Victoria’s ardent request.

“Grandmother, how’s your health been recently?” Arthur quickly changed the subject, expressing his concern for Queen Victoria’s health.

“Just as it is, Arthur. I’m old, cannot move well, and can’t even walk to the beach outside the manor house without losing energy and experiencing leg pain. But, it’s probably for the best. I might finally reunite with your grandfather and your father soon,” Queen Victoria sighed in resignation upon mentioning her health, her remark revealing a light-heartedness about her predicament.

“Please, don’t speak like that, grandmother. You will certainly live until a hundred. By that time, I’ll come to visit you with your great-grandchildren,” Arthur immediately interrupted Queen Victoria’s gloomy words, comforting her with a smile.

“Oh…” Queen Victoria chuckled softly, shaking her head, and decided not to continue her previous train of thought.

“Grandmother, I’ll take you for a stroll around the island. Does that sound good?” Arthur stood up, planning to take Queen Victoria for a walk around the island to lift her spirits and counteract her physical and mental decline.

“Alright, let’s go to West Beach. Both Albert and Arthur loved it there,” Queen Victoria surprisingly agreed, smiling and nodding.

While Princess Beatrice was helping Queen Victoria into a wheelchair, Arthur beckoned Dr. Markoto, the Queen’s personal physician, and whispered, “Dr. Markoto, how is my grandmother’s health, really?”

Dr. Markoto looked around, cautiously retreated a few meters, and then quietly said, “Your Highness, Her Majesty the Queen isn’t suffering from any particular disease, but that’s the problem. The various diagnostic results show that Her Majesty’s health is declining due to old age, and her physical functions are nearing their end. At a conservative estimate, Her Majesty may only survive until autumn.”

She could only survive until autumn, and it was already early June.

This indicated that Queen Victoria might only have around three months left to live. Although this was shorter than in the original history, it was a reasonable outcome considering she had endured an additional loss.

Although Arthur had anticipated this news, when he heard it straightforwardly from Dr. Markoto, his heart sank.

“Is there no other way, Dr. Markoto?” Arthur asked, unwilling to admit defeat.

“There’s no other way, Your Highness. Her Majesty’s body is just undergoing normal aging. Given our current medical technology, we are simply powerless to stop it,” Dr. Markoto shook his head again, sighed softly, and said.