The King's Choice

March 7th, 1801. A week had passed since the declaration of war by the Russian Empire against the United Kingdom. The once-familiar political landscape of Europe was undergoing a rapid transformation. The powers that had aligned themselves under the banner of the Second League of Armed Neutrality had solidified their defensive alliance with the Republic of France, leaving the United Kingdom's influence over European affairs hanging in the balance.

In the grand halls of Windsor Castle, the ancestral residence of the British royal family, William Pitt, the esteemed Prime Minister of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, strode purposefully through the corridors.

As he reached the entrance to the King's office, Pitt straightened his coat and smoothed out his cravat, then knocked twice on the ornate door before him.

"Enter," came the solemn voice from within.