Execution [Book 2 of The English Lion]

XXXIII. Winston

It is now six days since Alexander's death. Not entirely an actual death, since Antoine and I do have a sense of the plan behind it. Both of us were part of the Inner War group, weren't we? Or, we were. It was in the early part of the afternoon (just after lunch, in fact), when an agent of Absconditus Custos - a great surprise for me, since Absconditus Custos rarely gave me a visit - came into my office at Regius Obligatus with an envelope before he nodded and left, closing the door behind him without saying a word. I looked at it suspiciously before opening it to read it. I took the content to find it was a handwritten note.

Dear Winston,

This is a note to give you a warning. I have just received news that Germany had issued orders (Case Yellow) that prepares for the invasion of Belgium, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands. I advise you to heed this warning. It has taken me a great risk to send this note to you, and His Majesty, King Francois I of France. He - alongside both the Royal Families of France and Denmark - will come to Britain, seeking asylum from future German assassinations. You must tell Neville Chamberlain to accept their asylum. It is best for them and for you. You will have a meeting with King Francois I of France to prepare the worst for the worst. Burn this after you read this. No one must know that you receive this letter from me.

After reading this, I burnt it immediately and I soon sat back down at my desk, thinking about many different things, from the note to the events that had happened so far in this war. I then walked outside to the hallway and told an agent to call both Douglas and Emily into my office. A knock interrupted my thoughts.

"Come in," I stated as Antoine walked in. I immediately stood up and bowed.

"Your Majesty," I greeted as he nodded, walking to the chair opposite the desk after closing the door. He looked grim.

"So you have received an anonymous note as well, haven't you?" He asked me and I nodded as another knock interrupted us. Douglas and Emily entered, nodded curtly at Antoine. The door was closed before the two sat.

There was an awkward silence that filled the room as Douglas and Emily glanced at one another, as Antoine and I had a silent debate whether or not to tell the two. Antoine nodded and I cleared my throat. Both of them looked at me.

"You both must be wondering why I called you both here. You may or may not have heard this, but Germany had issued orders to prepare for the invasion of Belgium, France, Luxembourg and the Netherlands," I told them and they both look at one another then to me.

"Are you sure?" Douglas asked in a slightly questioning tone.

"Yes, I'm sure, Douglas. Only one can have that type of power to send me and King Francois an anonymous note," I replied, looking at him pointedly. Douglas then turns to Emily.

"It couldn't be him, right? I mean... He barely talks about it with both of us, only the important aspects..." Douglas told Emily, as I glanced at Antoine.

"You both have a sneaking suspicion that Alexander's alive?" I asked them. They turned to me and nodded.

"It was a tad bit odd that Absconditus Custos didn't send Douglas and me letters, notes or telegrams asking about what they will do now that Alexander's dead. Everyone here in the room knows that Absconditus Custos only answers to one person, and that's Alexander. Absconditus Custos must have known what's going on, whereas the great majority of Regius Obligatus did not," Emily replied. I nodded.

"Good, I'm glad that we're all on the same page," I muttered.

"So you're saying the anonymous note that you both had received are sent directly form Alexander?" Douglas asked.

"Oui, I can recognise his handwriting," Antoine spoke up for the first time since we started the meeting. They both turn to him.

"It seems like Absconditus Custos does have the upper hand on some matters," Emily muttered.

"If you don't mind me asking, sir, but what are the French and Danish Royal Families doing here in London?" Douglas asked. I cleared my throat.

"Asylum from future German assassinations. That's the reason given to the public, at the very least. But the truth is that we need to prepare for the worse of the worst. We have prepared for the worse, yes, but that's everything between Hitler's appointment of Chancellor in 1933 and the German invasion of Poland. We must now prepare the different possibilities that war brings. The assassination attempts and the destruction of the Royal Families are unacceptable," I replied in a very authoritative tone, "This is not an evacuation, but rather a precaution, is it not, sir?"

Antoine nodded.

"It's best that we should leave you alone, Winston. The three of us here have indeed come for some answers, and we got it. No more questions have been raised, am I right?" Antoine asked and they both replied with a yes, "Good. Now, let's leave. It is our job and duty as members of Regius Obligatus to protect this nation, France, Denmark and the rest of the world from Hitler's tyranny. It is better that we let Absconditus Custos handle the inside information, to a great extent, because we can allow Alexander to have a bit fun and something to think about now that he is behind the scenes. It is also a good idea for him to take his mind off of Isabelle for a while."

Douglas and Emily glanced at one another, then to me, knowing exactly what he's referring to. Soon, they left, and I spent the rest of the day thinking, talking to the King (Alexander's father), attending meetings and attending to a number of other engagements that to a certain extent did take my mind off of the note that had been sent to me by Alexander. Antoine and I did, in fact, meet later in the late afternoon in order to discuss what the next appropriate courses for Britain, France, Denmark, Regius Obligatus and the rest of the world to take in fighting against this tyranny and bringing an end to it.