Van Deloney: To My Dearest Emma [[BOOK ONE]]

𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝑿𝑰𝑿

THE PREMIERE LUMINARY OF THE STAGE MANIFESTS

November 30, 1882

The citizens of Luxtonia were left in a state of profound devastation and bewilderment as the news of Prince Dominique's incident reached their ears. The newspapers were swiftly dispatched to the doorsteps of various households and the individuals of the kingdom, creating a mixture of grief, sorrow, and confusion over the dire situation. The public expressed a varied range of sentiments on discovering the shocking news of the incident in Grenswood and questioned how it could have led to such a devastating outcome.

The commonfolk of Luxtonia had been enquiring regarding the identity of the subsequent heir to the throne now that Prince Dominique had met his unfortunate event in the inevitable incident. The traces of worry and frustration etched onto their faces as they read the newspapers or heeded the accounts of others were vivid and palpable, indicating their general apprehension towards the uncertain future.

"The victim of the incident that transpired in Grenswood was indeed Prince Dominique?" Madame Dorothea repeated her inquiry once again, her tone carrying a note of disbelief as she struggled to process the information.

"It is precise information, indeed," Callistopher affirmed with a sober and serious expression, conveying the gravity of the situation. "The publishing firm had communicated the news of the matter to their journalist, Mr. Flemming, through the intermediary of Prince Desmond's retainers. According to them, the King was intent on revealing this news once the private investigators had proven to be unsuccessful in filling the missing gaps in the search for Prince Dominique during the three years subsequent to his disappearance."

"If this is the case, who is the impersonator of Prince Dominique that had been attending the gathering?" Madame Dorothea inquired of the young Earl with an air of curiosity, indicating the confusion that had arisen in her mind as a result of this new information.

"Now that you mention it, I noticed that the newspaper does not possess an abundance of data on the topic, but they did mention that the Royal family would make their declaration in regard to this pressing matter to the general populace tomorrow during a speech ceremony in the central park." He added, striking the ground of the floor with the tap of his heels, showing his clear uneasiness about the situation.

The entire gathering was In a state of silence, with only the sound of the crackling flames emanating from the fireplace breaking the tension. The atmosphere could be cut with a knife as everyone's thoughts was occupied by the recent revelations, as it had escalated the situation to a serious and ominous state. Everything resembled the seriousness of the news, which brought forth an unsettling and uneasy feeling amongst the crowd.

"If the original heir remained missing, and the search for him proved utterly unsuccessful even after three years of intensive efforts, then the King would indeed select an alternative heir. That would have been the expected reaction." Madame Dorothea articulated as she indicated Vladimir to provide her some tea, indicating that the conversation on this issue had ended or was at least finished on her part.

"Since the King is at an advanced stage of illness, and it is evident that his life may soon be coming to a premature end, he would naturally have to nominate his heir to save the Royal dynasty from extinction. The possibility of this occurring is imminent, which makes the King's swift action of selecting an alternative heir highly essential." Callistopher iterated, conveying the urgency of the matter with the King's deteriorating health and the immediate need for an heir.

"Indeed, however, there is a matter that I would like to bring to your attention before the discussion touches upon the King's health concerns. It is about the catastrophic events that unfolded in Blackpool." Dorothea suddenly switched the subject to a recent topic that she must discuss with the young Earl, suggesting that the time has come to bring up this significant information.