Chapter 55: The King's Last Journey – 2005
The winter of 2005 was mild in Koningstad, but the palace was heavy with unspoken sorrow. King Adrian, now one hundred and five years old, had grown frail. His mind remained sharp, but his body was failing. He spent most days in the library, surrounded by books and memories.
On the morning of March 15, 2005, Adrian summoned his family and closest advisors to his bedside. The room was filled with familiar faces: Princess Ingrid (his daughter), Crown Prince Alexander (his grandson, now fifty‑five), Queen Wilhelmina (his wife of seventy years, herself frail), General Pieter van der Berg, Ambassador Johanna van der Heijden, Cornelis van der Berg VII, Dr. Anna Fischer, and Colonel Pieter van Rijn. Also present was Professor Elias Bergman's great‑nephew, Dr. Markus Bergman, who had become the king's personal physician.
Adrian spoke slowly, his voice a whisper. "I have seen two centuries. I have witnessed wars, famines, and revolutions. I have seen Zeelandia grow from a colonial outpost to a global superpower. Now it is time for me to go."
Ingrid took his hand. "Father, you cannot leave us."
Adrian smiled weakly. "Everyone leaves, my dear. But Zeelandia remains. Alexander, come closer."
Crown Prince Alexander knelt beside the bed. He was a practical man, trained in economics and diplomacy, but his eyes were wet. "Grandfather, I am not ready."
"No one is ever ready," Adrian said. "But you have been prepared. Trust your advisors. Trust the people. And never forget: Zeelandia's strength is not its army or its wealth. It is its values."
He turned to the others. "You have served me faithfully. Serve Alexander as you served me. And take care of each other."
That evening, Adrian Van der Berg died peacefully in his sleep. The news spread across the kingdom within minutes. Flags were lowered to half‑mast. Crowds gathered outside the palace, lighting candles and singing the national anthem.
The funeral was held five days later. Leaders from around the world attended: President George W. Bush, Prime Minister Tony Blair, President Jacques Chirac, Chancellor Gerhard Schröder, and many others. The streets of Koningstad were lined with millions of mourners.
Crown Prince Alexander was proclaimed King Alexander II. In his first address to the nation, he said, "My grandfather built this kingdom. He guided it through darkness and into light. I will continue his work. Zeelandia will remain a beacon of freedom, prosperity, and compassion."
The world's newspapers paid tribute. The New York Times wrote: Adrian the Great, as he will be remembered, transformed a forgotten island into a superpower. His legacy will endure for centuries.
The Times of London added: He was a king, a visionary, and a man of peace. The world is poorer without him.
In Zeelandia, mourning lasted for a month. But life went on. And the new king faced his first challenges.
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