Chapter 12

William's expression was that of a child caught in the middle of his mischief, eyes widened in disbelief and a slight paleness on his face, however, I must admit he had a thick skin.

William managed to remedy the situation quite well, he had potential in diplomacy, despite his greed,

"I apologize, Your Highness, it was a foolish mistake on my part, and it is a great honor to meet such a distinguished person like yourself," he said eloquently as his expression transformed 180 degrees, now wearing a big smile as if in the presence of a dear friend.

William continued, "I am delighted that such an important prince as yourself initiates a friendly conversation with me, especially in my native language, It demonstrates great cordiality and interest in my kingdom. How may I assist you on this joyful day?"

I eased my expression and could sense his relief in his breath as he saw my attitude, i smiled back at him, as if I were with a friend, and said.

"You know, I came here to greet our good Dutch friends and learn more about the beautiful country that is the United Kingdom of the Netherlands, but before that, allow me to express my condolences for the great plunder that befell your nation," I said with an expression of sorrow and compassion.

His expression changed slightly, furrowing his brow, thinking that I was mocking him, however, my acting skills were far superior, and he believed my condolences were genuine.

William responded cheerfully, "It is very gratifying to receive the support and interest of great powers, I am pleased to announce to you that our recovery after the Napoleonic invasions is progressing rapidly under the administration of my grandfather, the Dutch capital cannot be stopped."

I made an expression as if I had remembered something important and said, "Oh yes, there were the Napoleonic invasions too, my condolences again.''

William didn't understand and asked, "What great misfortune was the prince referring to exactly?"

''I was referring to your colonies that were stolen of course, the Cape of Good Hope, and the eastern part of the great island of Borneo, you know if one lost that much land, and great ports at the heart of the most lucrative trade route in the world, I would have been furious, but I didn't know how generous your people are to forgive, or I underestimated the value of these properties,'' I said emphasizing my sense of loss.

"But let us not dwell on these infuriating and depressing matters, let us talk business instead, I would like you to deliver this letter to your grandfather, regarding some commercial proposals between our two nations," I said, changing the subject as I handed him a sealed letter bearing my father's seal.

Our conversation continued to be pleasant, after my introduction, we sat down and discussed various topics, ranging from our daily lives to current affairs, I took the opportunity to subtly spread some anti-British and pro-Russian propaganda to improve the perception of my country in William's mind.

I also promoted my mercenary group and highlighted its effectiveness, in case the Dutch might need assistance in suppressing any foreign schemes that aimed to divide the beautiful United Kingdom of the Netherlands, this discussion served as reinforcement for the ideas I wanted to propagate.

As we conversed, I observed my next target from a distance, waiting for the right moment to act.