For William IV, the aging king who would turn seventy in just two years, there was only one prayer he offered to God.
Please… let me live until my niece reaches adulthood.
Some people still entertained faint hopes that the king might produce another heir.
But William had long abandoned that fantasy.
The next monarch of Britain was already decided.
Victoria.
What irritated him endlessly were the Duchess of Kent and Sir John Conroy, who clearly intended to manipulate the young princess to suit their own ambitions.
William wanted nothing more than to summon Victoria regularly and give her the proper education a future monarch deserved.
The problem was that the Duchess constantly interfered.
Every tutor the king recommended was rejected.
Whenever Victoria was invited to royal events, the Duchess claimed the girl was ill.
Even Queen Adelaide, William's wife, who loved Victoria as if she were her own daughter, deeply resented the Duchess's behavior.
William understood perfectly why she acted that way.
The Duchess believed the king would die soon.
And when that happened, power would fall directly into her hands.
So William had only one way to spite her.
Live long enough for Victoria to reach adulthood.
That way there would be no regency.
For that reason, the king had recently taken special care of his health.
He avoided unnecessary stress and scheduled meetings with his chamberlain, Charles Talbot, at fixed times.
Which meant that when Talbot burst in unannounced—
Something serious had happened.
"Your Majesty! I have urgent news."
"What is it?" William asked calmly. "You look unusually agitated."
Talbot quickly explained.
When he finished, William rubbed his eyes and clicked his tongue softly.
"Your Majesty… if you believe I'm overreacting—"
"No," William interrupted. "Your reasoning is sound. In fact, I can't think of a more plausible explanation."
"So… who do you think approached first?"
"The Tories, most likely. They suffered a crushing defeat in the recent elections. It would make sense if they were trying to shift the political atmosphere."
Victoria was only fourteen.
Naturally, politicians might think that establishing a relationship early would allow them to influence her later.
After all, wasn't that exactly why the Duchess herself kept such tight control over the girl?
"So this student—Killian Gore—is acting as their agent?"
"Perhaps not yet," Talbot replied. "For now he may simply be befriending the princess. But if her only companion becomes a future Tory politician, her sympathies could naturally lean in that direction."
William frowned.
"Politics may be ruthless, but involving children in schemes like this is distasteful."
Still, after a moment he calmed himself.
At this stage everything was speculation.
Better to confirm the facts first.
"Can we gather more reliable information?"
Talbot shook his head.
"Killian arrived in London from the Far East at the age of ten. He's only been here three years. There isn't much documentation."
"Then we'll have to meet him directly."
"Shall I send a discreet carriage to fetch him?"
William chuckled.
"Secretly bringing an Eton student to Buckingham Palace? That's impossible."
"…True."
"Students live in dormitories. Someone would inevitably notice. If the boy has nothing to do with the Tories, we would only provoke suspicion."
"I understand."
If the Tories learned the king had summoned Killian immediately after hearing about his meetings with Victoria, they would draw obvious conclusions.
If there was no conspiracy—
The king himself would create one.
"So," William continued, "is there a way to meet this student without raising suspicion? Neither the Tories, the Whigs, nor the Duchess must find it strange."
Talbot thought carefully.
"If we summon a single student, rumors will spread. There's no avoiding it."
"Exactly. But we cannot invite every Eton student either."
Talbot suddenly lifted his head.
"Your Majesty! I have an idea."
"Oh?"
"We are already planning a royal academic event. If we invite students from Eton, Harrow, and other leading institutions, Killian can attend naturally."
William nodded slowly.
"That's clever. The Crown honoring talented students would not be unusual."
Indeed, it fit perfectly with the spirit of the age.
With science and industry advancing rapidly across Europe, nations were eager to cultivate talented young minds.
If the king promoted education, it would only enhance his reputation.
Talbot continued enthusiastically.
"We could call it the Royal Academic Excellence Commemoration. Students from Eton and Harrow could present research, give speeches, and hold debates."
William smiled.
"The rivalry between those schools alone would draw attention."
"And the audience would include many nobles and politicians who graduated from those schools. It would create a perfect opportunity to observe the boy."
"Not to mention," William added thoughtfully, "topics like the Factory Act or abolition of slavery could make excellent debate subjects. We might even hear some genuinely useful ideas."
The more they considered it, the more brilliant the plan seemed.
"Shall we proceed, Your Majesty?"
"Please do. And of course…"
"I'll ensure Killian Gore attends."
William smiled faintly and closed his eyes.
He could feel his age catching up with him.
Perhaps God would allow him to live long enough for Victoria to reach adulthood.
Perhaps not.
But at the very least, he would prepare the ground so she could live freely.
That was the final duty he owed his successor.
* * *
After about two months of regular meetings with Victoria, things had become much more comfortable between us.
We were not quite friends.
But we had certainly grown closer.
Just as I began wondering whether we might bridge the remaining distance—
Eton exploded with excitement.
The cause was a single announcement from Buckingham Palace.
[Royal Academic Excellence Commemoration]
Eton students had occasionally been invited to royal events before.
But this was different.
The king himself would personally meet outstanding students of the British Empire.
The school buzzed with excitement like never before.
"Killian! You heard the news, right?" Robert shouted, running toward me.
"Of course. His Majesty is meeting us personally."
"That's not even the best part!"
"What else is there?"
The notice board had been surrounded by a massive crowd, and as a freshman I hadn't bothered fighting through it.
Besides, Robert clearly intended to deliver a full briefing.
"This event will allow academic clubs to present their research," Robert said excitedly. "Top students like you might even give speeches before the king!"
"That sounds terrifying enough already."
"But the real highlight is the debate."
"The debate?"
"Eton versus Harrow. A public debate in front of nobles and politicians who graduated from both schools."
I stared at him.
"…If we lose, do we still get to live normal lives afterward?"
The rivalry between Eton and Harrow was legendary.
Perhaps only the Oxford–Cambridge rivalry was more intense.
The organizers probably chose these two schools precisely because the students were younger.
University debates could become brutal.
Still…
Standing before the giants of British politics and debating publicly?
That sounded less like a debate and more like an execution.
Robert, however, looked thrilled.
"Killian, you're joining, right?"
"I've been attracting too much attention lately. I think I'll sit this one out."
Winning first place in class regularly was acceptable.
History showed that brilliant minds often ended up as someone's advisor.
But standing out before the political elite was something I preferred to delay.
"Shame," Robert said. "If you participated, we could craft arguments together and crush Harrow."
"I should give you a chance to shine sometimes. By the way—will your father attend?"
"Probably. My brother and I are both at Eton. And I heard Arthur—the Duke of Wellington—will come as well. Apparently many Whig leaders will attend too."
So it really would be a gathering of the political stars.
Better to keep my head down.
Just as I reached that conclusion—
"Killian Gore!"
"Yes, sir."
"The headmaster wishes to see you immediately."
The moment the announcement was made, I was summoned?
That smelled suspicious.
* * *
"Headmaster, you called for me?"
"Ah, Killian. Come in."
The headmaster rarely summoned students personally.
But the moment I saw Headmaster Keate's expression, something felt off.
"Tell me," he said casually, "how are you finding school life lately?"
"Very well, sir."
"Yes, yes. Still top of the class as always."
He cleared his throat.
"You've heard about the debate between Eton and Harrow, I assume? To be fair, each year group will contribute participants… so I wondered if you might like to join."
That was strange.
Normally the headmaster would insist on sending the best students.
Yet his tone sounded almost… anxious.
As if he hoped I would decline.
"I feel I've already received too many privileges recently," I replied calmly. "It would be better to give other students a chance."
"Excellent!" Keate said far too quickly. "Very admirable! A student of your caliber will have many opportunities in the future."
…That reaction was suspicious.
So my guess had been right.
He had summoned me specifically to discourage my participation.
But why?
"Of course," I added slowly, "if the debate lacks participants, I could step in—"
"No, no! That won't be necessary! Students are lining up to participate."
"Then I'll simply enjoy the event."
"Good, good. Though remember—you must attend. His Majesty will personally encourage the top students."
I left the office while Keate visibly relaxed behind me.
Interesting.
So I must not participate in the debate…
But I must definitely attend the event.
That meant something else was happening behind the scenes.
Something bigger than a school debate.
I had the strong feeling that this event was more than a simple academic celebration.
Which meant one thing.
I needed to stay alert—and stay out of trouble.