Chapter 9: Three Traitors (1)

The ship that had left the harbor returned after only ten minutes.

While everyone was still in a daze, the ambassador and the delegation disembarked.

They had brought a man bound with ropes, a stranger to all.

What on earth is going on?

"Who is that man, Ambassador?"

I asked the ambassador while examining the man.

He seemed to be quite old, with his head bowed so low that his face was hidden.

The clothes he wore were plain and gray, without any decoration, but they were clean like new, not giving the impression of someone of low status.

"He's a stowaway. He sneaked onto our ship. He's probably a criminal or something, but I assure you, I had no intention of bringing him aboard!"

Ambassador Robert desperately tried to explain.

The members of the delegation who had come with him frowned and looked at the ambassador with dissatisfaction.

Their expressions suggested they couldn't understand why the honorable French ambassador would lower himself so much.

'Looks like one of them must have taken a bribe and let him on board.'

They probably thought it didn't matter once they crossed the sea.

And they weren't entirely wrong.

"Anyway, this is absolutely not our fault! We'll leave this man here, and the wise queen can deal with him as she sees fit."

There was no need for the ambassador to come back and explain so desperately.

After all, there was no reason to bring a criminal back to their own country, right?

As I was sorting out my thoughts, a small voice reached my ear.

"You seem to be on very intimate terms with the French ambassador."

It was the man bound with ropes.

I thought he had fainted because he had been motionless with his head bowed, but apparently not.

The man suddenly lifted his head.

With a fierce glint in his eyes, he shouted.

"Is the queen planning to sell her country to France, just like Scotland?"

The man's face, now revealed, was full of wrinkles and tanned by the sun.

It was the face of a commoner who had endured many hardships, not a noble who had aged gracefully.

But his eyes were sharp and unwavering.

Behind me, several nobles gasped.

"That's John Knox!"

"But why is Sir Knox here?"

Wait a moment, John Knox?

The Scottish rebel, John Knox, that I know?

### John Knox

He was originally a priest in the northern region of Scotland.

Despite his low birth, he possessed a natural charisma and had a large following.

However, John Knox took advantage of the religious reformation and embraced a new belief.

He led his followers in declaring a religious reformation in Scotland.

What they called a reformation, the ruling class called a rebellion.

'He almost succeeded.'

Literally, John Knox had almost taken over Scotland.

If the Scottish royal family hadn't urgently sought help from France, and if the French reinforcements hadn't intervened to suppress the rebellion, he would have undoubtedly succeeded.

After that, John Knox was taken to France and lived as a slave.

He became a galley slave, one of the most arduous and miserable forms of slavery.

But even in such conditions, John Knox did not break.

Instead of submitting and showing remorse, he became a religious leader for the other slaves, opposing the church.

My late father, King Edward, who was a Protestant, was deeply impressed by this.

He had John Knox brought from France and appointed him as a court preacher in England.

'Really, thinking about it again, it's infuriating. Why did he bring such a man without considering his successor?'

Because of King Edward, I'm the one who's in a difficult position now.

John Knox is a man who has made religious reformation his life's mission.

He's a genuine madman who would willingly depose a king for his cause.

Moreover, this dangerous man has many followers.

Having such a potential rebel in the country is inherently threatening.

And now, he has been caught trying to sneak into France.

'If he had succeeded, it would have been better!'

It would have been cleaner for everyone if he had just disappeared.

But now that he's been caught, I can't just let him go.

I need to investigate the reason for his stowaway attempt, and perhaps it would be better to add more charges and execute him.

Since this wasn't a matter for the courts, I urgently convened the parliament.

The parliament, unsurprisingly, was a complete mess.

"What crime has Sir John Knox committed!"

"Be careful what you say! Do you know what secrets he might have sold to France?"

"What? You know the relationship between Sir Knox and France, and you're talking nonsense?"

The members of parliament were not only arguing until their faces were red but were also on the verge of grabbing each other by the collars.

'Ha, a familiar scene from home.'

Anyone watching would think this was the Korean National Assembly, not the British House of Lords.

I looked around the hall with a cloudy expression and sighed deeply.

I have to lead this country with such people.

I cleared my throat and shouted loudly.

"Come now, everyone, calm down! Aren't you ashamed?"

Thankfully, they recognized the queen, and the members of parliament reluctantly returned to their seats.

Even so, they were still grumbling, and it was clear that if I hadn't been there, they would have started a duel.

Let me make this clear.

They're not doing this to ignore my authority.

They're not dolphins with IQs below two digits.

It's just that religion drives people to such extremes.

John Knox is a figure whose very existence can influence the direction of the country's religious policy.

"Phew, let's hear your opinions first. But not in the barbaric way you did earlier; let's do it properly."

I said, looking around the hall with a tired expression.

"Those who think John Knox is a traitor and should be executed, raise your hands."

About 40% of the hall raised their hands.

They were either passionate Catholics or those looking for an opportunity to flatter the new queen.

"Those who think John Knox should be imprisoned in the Tower of London and tried later?"

This time, about 30% raised their hands, including the Duke of Norfolk.

These were the ones who hadn't been involved in the conflict, the so-called moderates.

"Finally, those who think John Knox should be released?"

About 10% raised their hands.

The rest, who didn't raise their hands, were probably watching my reaction, so they likely belonged to this group.

'4:3:3... '

At least this is a public vote in the House of Lords. If it were an anonymous vote in the House of Commons, where there are more Protestants, the result would be more favorable for John Knox.

As I was dealing with the tense standoff, someone suddenly shouted.

"What traitors!"

It was Bishop Stephen Gardiner.

The devout Catholic bishop who had placed the crown on my head during the coronation.

"Of course, that Scottish peasant should be executed! Who knows what kind of collusion he had with France?"

Despite his age, he was shouting so loudly that his neck veins were bulging, completely forgetting about his dignity.

The Catholic faction cheered at Bishop Gardiner's words.

However, the opposition was not to be underestimated.

"Ha! What nonsense. If Sir Knox was a traitor, would he have been caught by the French ambassador? Sir Knox has committed no crime."

A middle-aged nobleman with a prominent sapphire necklace stepped forward.

From my memory, he wasn't usually a prominent figure in parliament.

"Who are you?"

"I am Baron William Paget, Your Majesty."

William Paget? A familiar name...

...Ah!

He's one of the participants in the suspicious meeting Thomas Wyatt mentioned.

"...Interesting."

I nodded, signaling him to continue.

Let's hear what he has to say.

The baron looked around the hall and spoke as if giving a speech.

"To be honest, I don't even know why this parliament was convened. Sir John Knox has committed no crime. I don't know why he was on the French ambassador's ship, but is that a crime?"

Is there no law against stowaways in this era?

At that moment, Bishop Gardiner, who had been listening, shouted in disbelief.

"What are you talking about? He tried to stow away, and not just on any ship, but on the French royal ship!"

Ah, that's illegal.

The baron was just being brazen.

But the baron remained shameless.

He shook his head sympathetically and dramatically raised his arms.

"Oh, Bishop, calm down. I understand your feelings, of course."

"What do you understand?"

"Obviously, your jealousy and desire for revenge against Sir John Knox."

"What... what are you saying?"

The bishop's face turned bright red, and he was gasping for breath.

"Why, isn't it obvious? The court preacher's position that John Knox held. Whose position was it? Wasn't it once yours? To lose a position you thought was eternal to John Knox must have been very painful. I understand your anger. But, Bishop, as a follower of God, shouldn't you suppress your inferiority and petty anger and learn to forgive?"

Good grief, how can you provoke someone like that?

He's openly making the bishop a laughingstock.

As a result, the bishop is so angry that he's ready to punch the guy.

"Enough! How dare you speak in such a disrespectful manner in a sacred parliament. Do you want to be expelled?"

Unable to bear it, I intervened to protect the old man.

With my intervention, the baron apologized.

"Truly, I am very sorry. I got carried away for a moment."

It would have been fine if he had stopped there, but he added one more thing.

"But I meant what I said about forgiveness. You should forget the past and forgive."

It seemed like he was looking at me, not the bishop. Was it just my imagination?

"Executing Sir John Knox won't resolve the grudge of the previous reign."

No, it wasn't my imagination.

There were gasps of shock from all around.

The grudge of the 'previous reign' applies to me, not the bishop.

Queen Catherine of Aragon.

The mother of Queen Mary, who died a miserable death because of the Protestants.

At least, that's what Mary believed and publicly stated.

And John Knox is one of the representative figures of those Protestants.

So, this bastard is throwing shade at me.

'Just look at this guy.'

I was more astonished than angry.

Catherine of Aragon isn't even my real mother, so I have no reason to be angry.

But what does this guy think he's doing, talking to me like this?

"I clearly pointed out your tone. Baron, are you ignoring my words?"

"Truly, I am very sorry, Your Majesty. I made a mistake again."

"I order you to be under house arrest."

The baron bowed his head without much resistance.

I was going to lock him in the Tower of London if he kept being insolent, but it's a shame.

"Since we won't reach a conclusion, let's adjourn today's meeting. We'll discuss it again in a week."

With that, the members of parliament, who had been watching my reaction, hurriedly left the hall.

I stared at the back of William Paget as he left the hall.

###

"Your Majesty, Bishop Stephen requests an audience."

Immediately after returning to my palace from parliament, I received a request for an audience.

If it had been another member of parliament, it would have been quite rude, but Bishop Stephen is also my religious partner, so he has more freedom to request an audience.

"Good timing. Let him in."

When Bishop Stephen entered, the bloodlust from the meeting was gone, and he looked quite pale.

He immediately apologized to me.

"I behaved poorly, Your Majesty. I couldn't control my anger for a moment..."

"Ah, that's fine."

I waved it off without listening further.

If I were the bishop, I wouldn't have been able to tolerate William Paget's insolence either.

But the more important issue was something else.

"Tell me, Bishop, what kind of person is Baron William?"

"Baron William Paget, you mean?"

The bishop frowned for a moment, then composed himself and began to speak.

"Thinking about him, I can't be objective... but I'll try to be as neutral as possible."

The bishop took a sip of wine and continued.

"Baron Paget was once my close friend. I introduced him to King Henry VIII, and we worked together under him."

Once a close friend?

This is unexpected.

"But when I lost my power, he turned his back on me. He became a friend of the then regent, the Duke of Somerset, and even got a position as the Lieutenant of the Tower of London."

Bishop Stephen gritted his teeth.

"He betrayed his friend and received the Order of the Garter. He lived a luxurious life, enjoying the taste of power."

The Order of the Garter, like the one the Duke of Norfolk wears.

The blue and gold brooch. But on the baron's chest, there was clearly...

"Of course, that power didn't last long. When the Duke of Somerset fell, Baron Paget fell with him."

Bishop Stephen sneered.

"The Garter he boasted about was taken away. Did you know, Your Majesty? The ugly sapphire necklace he wore today in parliament. He started wearing it after losing the Garter."

Hmm, I'm starting to get a picture of the kind of person he is.

"But even after his fall, Baron Paget is still a member of parliament and living a luxurious life. Has he made new friends?"

The bishop's expression turned sour as he spoke.

"His new friend this time was King Edward."

Indeed, he's a master at navigating the political landscape.

But if that's the case, it's even more strange.

Since Edward is dead, it's normal for him to seek support from me.

For someone so politically savvy, why did he act so recklessly in parliament?

He must have known it would make me angry.

While I was pondering this, Bishop Stephen made a shocking statement.

"Baron Paget's next patron was probably Lady Jane Grey."

"What?"

The Lady Jane Grey rebellion.

After King Edward's death, there was an attempt to place Jane on the throne instead of me.

Was the baron on Jane's side at that time?

"But a rebel can't just walk around freely. Even though I haven't executed the rebels yet, shouldn't they at least be in the Tower of London?"

"That's... there's no concrete evidence. I'm just speculating based on his actions when King Edward was alive."

So, it's just a suspicion?

A suspicion from Bishop Stephen, who hates William Paget intensely?

"I see. But we can't punish someone based on suspicion alone."

"You can, Your Majesty."

He answered immediately.

I looked at Bishop Stephen in surprise.

I just noticed, but his eyes were unusually bright.

"This is about the rebellion, isn't it? If you think about it, the rebellion isn't over. You just delayed the punishment. If you declare now that you will execute those involved in Lady Jane Grey's rebellion, including Jane, Baron Paget, and John Knox, it would be justified."

By 'justified,' he means torturing them until they confess and then executing them.

It's a tempting offer.

It's hard to punish John Knox for stowaway, but if it's treason, there's a reason.

I can get rid of the troublesome Baron Paget this way.

But then...

"Wouldn't all the Protestants in the country rise up?"

It's not right after the incident, and now, a sudden large-scale purge.

Moreover, killing people based on mere suspicion?

Those who feel threatened will rise up.

"What are you worried about? The heretics in this country are fewer than the loyal Catholic believers in London."

A hint of madness flashed in Bishop Stephen's eyes.

So, since it's a rebellion we can suppress, we should just let it happen?

And kill all the relatively few Protestants in this country?

Is he serious?