Grand Vizier Zaganos and his entourage finally arrived in Hannover after over five months of travel. The voyage had been nerve-wracking for the Grand Vizier. As the days passed, he had not come up with a way to present this proposal to Victor.
He was the second most powerful figure in the Sultanate; he could not afford to look weak and diminish the global opinion of the Sultanate. There was no room for error; the delivery of this proposal needed to reflect the power of the Sultan.
The surprise arrival of Grand Vizier Zaganos in Hannover caused quite a stir. Civilians looked at him like a circus attraction while the guards remained on edge due to the Janissaries.
Their procession made its way from the harbour all the way to the Hannover Palace, where Victor was awaiting them. He was joined by Anton, General Scharnhorst, Marshal Davout and Marshal Bessières.
Grand Vizier Zaganos offered no bow or any polite gesture. He was firm, unyielding in his arrogance. To him, Victor was nothing more than a filthy infidel. The nerves he had been feeling during his voyage had disappeared. His focus was dialled in on representing the Sultanate in a proper manner.
"King Luxenberg, I am Grand Vizier Zaganos. Thank you for allowing us to see you unannounced," Grand Vizier arrogantly said. His gratitude was hollow, and Victor could already tell that this would be a headache of a meeting.
"I can not deny you a meeting after you have travelled so far, even if you have forgotten courtesy," Victor spoke with cold indifference. He wished to come across as someone unbothered by such blatant arrogance.
"My Sultan sends his regards; he does wish to visit you once again. But given how busy you are, he felt it appropriate to wait until you had returned to your home." Grand Vizier stated, setting himself up to drop a bombshell.
Victor rolled his eyes, unamused by the pointless flattery. "I doubt the Sultan has sent someone of your status here just to say he wishes to see me. As you said, I am a busy man, so what is the reason for your visit?"
The Grand Vizier remained confident and told Victor why he was sent here. "My Sultan wishes to establish a bond of friendship with you, King Luxenberg. He feels that you both are cut from the same cloth, and as such, he feels you two should be good friends."
Victor remained sceptical, but motioned for the Grand Vizier to further elaborate.
"It is the wish of my Sultan that you would offer your daughters, Vanessa and Victoria, to be the wives of his son and heir, Crown Prince Omar. Your eldest daughter, Vanessa, will be the future Sultana, and Victoria will be his only concubine. For your daughters, this is the highest honour," Grand Vizier Zaganos proposed.
Victor's knuckles went white, and his pupils were shaking. Marshal Davout and Marshal Bessières were placing their hands onto the hilts of their sabres. The Luxenberg Royal Guard remained prepared to act on the King's orders.
Victor rose from his seat. "This offer is ludicrous, and your Sultan knows that. My daughters will marry good Christian men. I will not let them marry a heretic. Your Sultan asks for something I will never allow."
The Grand Vizier cruelly smiled. "King Luxenberg, are you sure that is wise. My Sultan has expressed that any refusal to this proposal is a direct slight to him. I would advise you reconsider the matter, for the sake of peace."
"For the sake of peace," Victor repeated. "You come into my home, proposing that not one, but both my daughters marry the son of the Sultan. Neither of them is of age, and yet you are so eager for me to marry them off to you. Then you say for the sake of peace? What if I refuse? Will you invade my lands? All because I did not marry my two teenage daughters to your Crown Prince."
The rage poured from Victor as each word came out of his mouth. All the spectators could do was watch as Victor ripped into the Grand Vizier. But Grand Vizier Zaganos was calm; he did not get worked up or offended.
Instead, he remained confident as ever. "It is truly disappointing, King Luxenberg. But your refusal will deeply offend the Sultan. I am afraid that this is a grave slight that is unforgivable. You do realise my Sultan will want war for this insult."
War with the Sultan, it was earlier than Victor would have liked, but the Sultan was really forcing his hand. He would never allow Vanessa and Veronica to be shipped off to Asharan to marry into the Hakim family.
Victor took a deep breath and said, "Then war it shall be. Guards, arrest the Grand Vizier. Kill his escorts."
Suddenly, the loud bang of muskets could be heard throughout the palace, causing more infantrymen of the Royal Guard to join the fray. Ten Janisaries were accompanying the Grand Vizier in the palace, while the remainder were waiting in the courtyard.
A fierce battle ensued in the courtyard between the two most elite soldiers in the world. Victor's Royal Guard were made up of the same soldiers who served as Napoleon's elites. They would truly show their mettle as they took on ninety soldiers of the Sultan's Janissary Corps.
Although heavily outnumbered, the Janisarries did well to take a few Luxenberg Royal Guard soldiers down with them. Sabres and musketballs flew about the courtyard. For the first time in almost 25 years, blood was spilt in the Hannover Palace's courtyard.
The total death count was 100 Janisaries and 30 Luxenberg Royal Guard soldiers. Victor was saddened by the loss of his soldiers, but was fully aware that the death toll could have been higher.
There was no turning back now, with the capture of the Grand Vizier and his few attendants, war with the Sultan was now a reality. Victor knew that he had some time before the news reached back to the Sultan, so now was the time to truly plan out a war against the greatest adversary that he would ever face.