A Britain of Panthers and Lions: House of Oldenburg Britain
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Chapter 349: Russia's Last Breath
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Chapter 349: Russia’s Last Breath
March, 1769
March, 1769
The pain was eating at his insides. Peter knew he was going to be dying today, he welcomed it. He had had enough of life. He cleared his throat and looked at his son. “You will be Tsar soon.”
His son didn’t even try to deny it; he had been raised better than that. Instead, the boy simply said. “I know.”
“You are much more different than I.” Peter said. “You have not given into temptation like I have. You stood your ground and never betrayed your vows.”
His son said nothing, the boy’s mother was the one sore topic between them. Peter continued. “There are many things you must know, but many of them you already understand. Therefore, I shall keep this short.” His breathing sounded laboured to his own ears.
“Do not allow one man to dominate your councils. You must listen to your advisors but ultimately you must make the decision yourself. You are Russia, never forget that.” Peter said.
“I won’t.” His son replied.
Peter nodded. “Always keep in mind that there will be Kingdoms who will try to bribe you into venturing into wars that bring no benefit to Russia. Do not get involved in them.”
Michael nodded. “I will remember.”
“And remember that you must decide upon the succession before your own death comes. Russia cannot have uncertainty.” Peter said, referring to the fact that even after eleven years of marriage his son and daughter in law still had no children.
“I will remember that.” Michael said.
“Your cousins will try and claim the throne, but you must ensure that one of our line takes the throne. That is the only way to prevent anarchy.” Peter said.
“I will remember.” Michael said.
“Good, now go, let me rest.” Peter demanded, closing his eyes, knowing that as he did so, he would not open them again.
Chapter 350: Sweden
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Chapter 350: Sweden
September, 1769
September, 1769
Karl looked at the man before him. The old enemy, Frederick of Denmark, a man who had started a war all for something about pride. Karl looked at him and felt contempt. He knew Denmark was bleeding, he knew Denmark needed the peace, and he knew that Frederick needed it. He just wondered if the man would admit to it.
“Thank you for coming.” Karl said in the German he knew the man would understand. “We must finish this war, it has become costly for the both of us, not just in terms of money but in terms of the lives shed.”
“Indeed.” Frederick said simply.
“Therefore, I am willing to offer you generous terms.” Karl said.
“Go on.” Frederick said.
“In return for our withdrawal from Norway, you shall withdraw from Scania and the trade tariffs will be reset at 7%.” Karl said.
“You want me to pull out of Scania?” Frederick asked.
“Yes, you are being bled dry by the Scanians who refuse to bend to your desires.” Karl said, he had added a financial incentive to the Scanians resistance, so, he knew how long they’d hold out for.
“And in return you will return Norway?” Frederick asked.
“Yes.” Karl said, wondering if the other man was being deliberately obtuse. “Nobody is shamed, and everybody wins.”
He saw the other man seriously consider it, his brow furrowed, and then the man said. “Raise the tariff to ten percent, and we shall consider it.”
“Ten percent?” Karl replied. “It was five percent before, but the war necessitates an increase. Ten percent is too much.”
“Ten percent is what I will take.” Frederick replied.
Ten percent would ruin the merchants who had given Karl the loans he had needed to extend this war, especially as Denmark would no doubt become Sweden’s main trading centre once more. He took a moment to consider, clearly Frederick was worried about what the react would be if he admitted to handing over Scania after so much blood had been shed. “Seven Percent on all trade but the Scanian trade. That will be reduced to five.”
Frederick’s eyes widened. “You are sure?”
“Yes.” Karl said, he’d deal with his councillors later.
“Then I will agree.” Frederick said.
“Good.” Karl replied smiling, he extended his hand and shook Frederick’s.
Chapter 351: Union
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Chapter 351: Union
March, 1770
March, 1770
James, Duke of Cambridge looked at the map and then at the men opposite him. The governors of the colonies, all of them had come to Albany House in New York to talk about the situation on the ground. He had heard their concerns, and had shaped a proposal that he knew would satisfy the King and that he hoped would satisfy them. He cleared his throat and spoke.
“Gentlemen, it has been an informative few months. I have seen how you all live and work, and I have seen the concerns that you have. I know that you are all loyal subjects to His Britannic Majesty and as such there are a few proposals that I have.”
“Firstly, on the matter of taxation, I would recommend keeping the right to set taxes within the hands of the governors. You are the ones operating on the ground and are the ones who know the situation, therefore it is only fair that you set the rates of taxation.”
That drew murmurs of appreciation.
“Secondly, on the matter of defence. Given the situation with the French and the Indians, I propose that there be a greater amount set aside by each colony for defence, that will be aided by the stationing of British troops in border forts. The troops shall be paid by London.” He knew his King might complain about this initially, but the benefits would be huge.
“Thirdly, on the matter of representation, I propose that each colony send a representative to London, this representative would serve for a year in London, and would act as the voice of the colony in government.” James said.
There was some murmuring at that and James found himself quietly confident that all would go ahead. That feeling was only shot down when Francis Bernard, the Governor of Massachusetts spoke. “This is all a very nice feeling that you have invoked, Your Royal Highness. But on the matter of representation there can be no compromise. We wish for the ability to send representatives to Parliament, the highest legislative body in the land.”
“We do not feel it would be right to bypass Parliament.” William Franklin, Governor of New Jersey said.
“And why does this feeling exist?” James asked. He knew the realities, the King’s council was far more powerful than Parliament, but clearly these people did not.
“Because Parliament is where the laws are made.” Franklin said.
James wanted to laugh, they were so naïve it was painful. Still, insulting their intelligence was not the right way to go, so he simply said. “I shall write to His Britannic Majesty and then inform you of the response.”
“Thank you, Your Royal Highness.” Franklin said.
James nodded, though he suspected he knew what the King would say, it couldn’t hurt to try.
Chapter 352: Parlez Vous
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Chapter 352: Parlez Vous?
September, 1770
September, 1770
“Remind us again of what the Spanish proposal is?” Louis asked.
“In exchange for recognition of French Florida, the Spanish King proposes a defensive alliance against Britannia, and the granting of the Asiento to us.” Choiseul said.
“So, we are gaining more than they are.” Louis said.
“It would appear so, Sire.” Choiseul said.
“Are they so desperate as to do this to themselves?” Louis asked.
“I believe so, yes.” Choiseul said. “They are making a loss from being in an alliance with the British, for whilst the British fought hard during the war, they did not put in as much effort as they could to help keep Florida. Furthermore, the Spanish are desperate to reform, something that would directly put them at odds with the British.”
“So, in short they are coming to us with their hat in their hands, and asking us to help them.” Louis said, already feeling more uncomfortable about this.
“It would appear so.” Choiseul concurred.
“Then surely that is a reason to reject this offer.” Louis said. “If we go along with it, we will be carrying them through this alliance, and we are not willing to do that.” If there was a Bourbon on the Spanish throne maybe he would consider things differently, but there was not.
His uncle, the Duc d’Anjou spoke then. “I am not so sure, Sire.” Louis gestured for him to continue and the man did. “I think that Spain has the potential to be of great use to us. They have colonies in South America which produce a significant amount of items that are consumed everywhere, if we become their main trading partner we can influence the direction of these items and how they can be consumed. If we influence that we can shape societal trends and ensure that other people are within our grasp.”
Louis looked at his uncle in surprise. Sometimes he forgot that beneath all the whoring his uncle did, the man was still quite devious. “You mean use Spanish goods to bribe people into aligning with our interests.”
“Precisely, Sire.” His uncle said. “Why use our own money when we can use Spanish resources.”
“Would such a strategy be effective?” Louis asked.
“I think so.” His uncle said. “We would need the figures, but it does stand to reason that these items could be used to buy influence without raising questions.”
“I agree, with His Royal Highness, Sire.” Choiseul said. “This is the right time to take advantage of Spain’s offerings and Britannia’s complacency.”
Louis took a moment to consider this and then said. “See what else the Spanish are willing to offer and then we shall see.” He wanted to be careful, any wrong move and another war was at risk of starting and that was something they could not afford.
Damnit, so Scania is still under Swedish yoke... I had hoped that there would finally be a TL with a succesful Danish reconquest of Scania haha
Is that a planned TL or?Well, my book Chosen King may or may not include that
He wrote a book, which is what he's saying.Is that a planned TL or?
Chapter 353: Once More
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Chapter 353: Once More
March, 1771
March, 1771
“The British are using their money to try and buy off the customs officials who have been sent to increase their duties.” Shivaji’s eldest son and namesake said.
“How much have they been offered?” Shivaji asked.
“Roughly five percent less than they are actually getting paid, Sire.” His son said.
Shivaji laughed. “Even when they try and bribe our officials they do not do it properly. What of the French?”
“They have done nothing, Sire.” His son said.
“Truly?” Shivaji asked.
“Truly. It seems they are not interested.” His son replied.
“That cannot be right. The French must know what we are trying to do.” Shivaji said. “They must have some plan.”
“I think I know what that plan is, Sire.” Prakash Ange, his spymaster said.
“And what might that be?” Shivaji asked.
“They are going to try and ally with the new Vizier of Mysore. Providing them with funds and arms to stage a rebellion.” Ange said.
“Against us?” Shivaji asked, wondering why that would happen, they had given the King of Mysore no reason to feel threatened.
“No, against the King himself. It seems the Vizier wants to claim the throne.” Ange said.
Shivaji did not know whether to be outraged or to laugh, the thought of the Vizier claiming the throne when his origins were so lowly, was ridiculous. “You are serious?”
“Yes, Sire. Very much so. I have been able to intercept letters and other such tools that highlight this.” Ange said.
“Then we must act quickly and ensure that the King of Mysore is aware of what is happening under his nose.” Shivaji said. “How has he not learned of this himself?”
“It seems the King has been more content to drink and smoke the Chinese devil than actually rule.” Ange said.
Shivaji sighed. Perhaps it would be better to let the King deal with the issue himself. But then doing so may only make other rulers get ideas. Bengal had only been pacified a few decades ago after all. “Very well. Send a letter to him, and to him alone, and inform the garrisons in the south to prepare.” Ange nodded, and Shivaji found himself thinking about whether he should lead the host that would handle this matter.
Chapter 354: An Ailing Tsar
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Chapter 354: An Ailing Tsar
September, 1771
September, 1771
“What did the doctors say?” His wife Sophia asked.
“They said that it seems as though it is the same type of illness that killed my father.” Michael replied, looking at his wife’s hand. He didn’t want to look at her, for if he did, he knew his composure would break.
“Are they sure?” Sophia asked.
“Yes.” Michael said. “They said the pressure and everything is the same as it was with him.” That had been terrifying. Knowing there was something inside of him that was killing him.
“So, what now?” Sophia asked.
Michael didn’t look at her then as he said. “We continue as before. There is nothing more to be done.”
“So, you’re just going to keep going on as if nothing has changed?” Sophia asked.
“Yes.” Michael said.
“Do you think that’s healthy?” His wife asked.
Michael looked at her and had to fight back tears as he did so. “I don’t know, but it’s the only thing I know that can keep me sane. I do not want to spend the remainder of my life scared and afraid. I want to keep doing the things that will keep my mind off of it.”
“Okay.” Sophia said. “Then I will support you.”
Michael smiled weakly, he took her hands in his and kissed them and then whispered. “I’m sorry.”
“What for?” His wife asked.
“For not giving you the life you wanted. You could hardly have thought this would be the right life for you, when you were told you were marrying me.” Michael said, remembering how he had fallen for his wife from the moment he’d first met her.
“My life with you has been perfect.” Sophia said. “It is I who should be apologising to you.”
“Why?” Michael asked, though he knew why.
“I have not given you a son.” Sophia said.
“Sophia, that doesn’t bother me. We may not have any children but we have one another, and that is more than enough for me.” Michael replied, he meant it as well, especially given how he had grown up.
“You are sure?” Sophia asked.
“I am.” Michael replied, leaning forward to kiss her then.
Chapter 355: A Warning Of Time
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Chapter 355: A Warning Of Time
March, 1772
March, 1772
“So, the colonial governors have rejected the proposals that Cambridge put before them because they still believe that Parliament is the dominant body?” James asked, wanting to make sure he had gotten this right.
“Yes, Sire. On everything else they are happy to oblige, but they have not seen the change in fortunes that Parliament has experienced.” His cousin, the Duke of Gloucester said.
“And why has our uncle of Cambridge not explained this to them?” James asked, for that seemed like the simplest of solutions.
“I do not know, Sire.” Gloucester said.
“How viable is their demand?” James asked.
“It would have its complications, Sire.” Gloucester replied.
“Go on.” James commanded.
“First and foremost is how many representatives would they send, some of the colonies have bigger land masses then most of the constituencies in the Kingdom, and as such do they send only one or two, and if they send two, will such a thing be right, how do we decide what their constituencies are? Is it per colony or per district within a colony. And what of the House of Burgesses in the colonies themselves, do they become irrelevant?” Gloucester replied.
“Secondly, there is the concern that I know many in Parliament have which is that if they are allowed to settle here, then they will with time come to dominate Parliament, given their size and economic potential and the interests of the constituencies within the Kingdom will themselves disappear.” Gloucester said.
James nodded, he understood those complications, he had voiced them himself when the initial discussions had occurred, and yet they remained. “Then there is only one solution that I can think of as being viable for this problem.”
“Sire?” Gloucester asked.
“We must either invite the governors to come to London to see how Parliament operates, or we must tell them directly that this is what the situation is.” James said. “Otherwise, everything will remain in this light for a long time.”
“If I may, Sire?” Pitt asked.
“Go ahead.” James commanded.
“Why not pursue a dual strategy? Invite the governors to view a sitting of Parliament and then whilst they are here, invite them to the Palace and inform them of the way of things.” Pitt said. “Most of them will never have seen the Palace or London, aweing them with its grandeur would be a surefire way to ensure their compliance.”
James considered this, Pitt was speaking sense, that much was true, but a part of him still felt unsure about allowing such people into Whitehall, it felt like breaching some sort of security. Still, if it ended this protracted dispute, he would be more than happy to go ahead with it.
He wanted this issue resolved as promptly as possible, already his uncle had been away for a year and a half, such a thing could not stand for much longer. Therefore, he took a breath and then said. “Send the letters out, let us see if they will comply.”
Chapter 356: Soiree
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Chapter 356: Soiree
September, 1772
September, 1772
“The King’s proposal is a sensible one.” James, Duke of Cambridge said as he read the letter that had come from Whitehall.
“It has certainly caused a stir amongst the governors, Your Royal Highness.” Benjamin Franklin said.
“In a good manner?” James asked, fully aware of how tense things had been before.
“Yes, they are very flattered to have been invited to London.” Franklin replied.
“Will it work?” James asked. He wanted an end to this deadlock as quickly as possible, he wanted to return home. He missed his wife and his children and his home. Being here for two years already was long enough.
“I think it will.” Franklin said. “The Governors are simple folk really, when all is boiled down. They want to feel important and they want to feel valued. I think by taking them to Whitehall and to Parliament, the King has made the right choice.”
“Agreed.” James said. “I just know that some of the governors will cause a fuss though.”
“Oh undoubtedly. Some of them are very strange fellows.” Franklin replied.
“But they cannot complain about the cost, after all, I am paying for it.” James said.
Franklin smiled. “A wise choice, Sire. They will view that as having earned some Royal favour.”
“Too right they should.” James groused. Being stuck in a room for hours on end with some of these men was enough to make any man go mad. But for James, he didn’t like so much of their formality and their prudishness. He wanted them to laugh and to lighten up. It seemed they did not understand such words here. Perhaps a visit to London would change that.
James was about to say something else, when there was a knock on the door. He called for whoever it was to enter. A servant entered, bowed and then said. “Your Royal Highness, a letter has come for you, from the Governors.”
“Hand it over.” James said, wondering what it could be.
The man walked over and placed the document into his hands, bowed and then left.
James opened the letter and laughed. He looked at Franklin and said. “They’ve agreed to it. The bastards finally agreed.”