novelSusiti Chapter 208 The Campfire Before Dawn, and the Sun Across the Sea
Chapter 208 The Campfire Before Dawn, and the Sun Across the Sea
Night finally fell.
The revelers, weary yet hopeful, gradually dispersed.
The city of Athens has shed its daytime hustle and bustle, but the festival lights still illuminate the streets and alleys as if it were daytime, as if unwilling to let this grand dream end too soon.
On the open-air balcony of the palace, Constantine and Sofia stood side by side, gazing at the city that they were bringing to life under their hands.
A gentle evening breeze carried a hint of coolness.
Sophia rested her head gently on Constantine's shoulder, her azure eyes reflecting the distant lights of countless homes.
"Connie."
Her voice was soft, tinged with a dreamlike sentimentality.
"You did it. Just a few months ago, this place was shrouded in the shadow of bankruptcy and failure. And now, you have brought a country on the brink of despair to the dawn of hope."
Constantine took her slightly cool hand in his, their fingers intertwined.
His gaze went beyond the rooftops of Athens and further into the distance, to the lighthouse of Piraeus shining on the dark sea.
"No, Sophia."
His voice was calm and deep.
"This is not dawn. This is just the first campfire we've lit ourselves in the long night. It can light the way and dispel the cold, but it is not the sun."
He paused, then added.
"The real sun is still on the other side of the sea."
Sofia's heart skipped a beat.
She understood perfectly well what he meant by "the sun."
That great city, that name that haunts the dreams of all Greeks—Constantinople.
A hint of worry, which she could not hide, flashed in her azure eyes.
"Connie, the road ahead will be more difficult and bloodier than the one we've already traversed. The Ottoman Empire is a sleeping lion. If you pluck a few whiskers today, it might only roar angrily. But if you want to take its heart..."
She didn't say anything more, but her deep worry was already evident.
Constantine turned around and gently embraced her, letting her cheek rest against his firm chest.
He could feel her trembling slightly.
"I know."
He lowered his head and kissed her blonde hair, his voice gentle yet carrying an iron will.
"But this time, we are not fighting alone."
His hand pointed to the ground beneath his feet.
"Beneath our feet lies solid earth. Every inch belongs to us, and can grow into golden waves of wheat."
With his other hand, he embraced her and pointed to the quiet city in the distance.
"Behind us are millions of awakened people. They know why they are fighting, and they are willing to shed their last drop of blood for this country."
"Land, and people. Sofia, these are a nation's most powerful weapons. With them, we are no longer beggars who need the charity of great powers to survive. We have the right to challenge any enemy."
Sofia listened quietly, feeling the steady, powerful heartbeat emanating from his chest.
Her worries were gradually replaced by a strange sense of peace.
Yes, this man always manages to find the path to victory even in the most desperate situations.
Just then, a song suddenly rang out from Constitution Square below the balcony.
At the beginning of the song, only a few people were singing.
It was a group of college students and citizens who were reluctant to leave. They sat around the fountain in the square and used candles to spell out the name Constantine.
When they saw the two figures cuddling together on the balcony, everyone stood up excitedly.
Someone, I don't know who, was the first to start singing the Greek national anthem, "Ode to Liberty," at the top of their lungs.
"I got it from you,"
A fearsome sword's edge.
I recognized you…
The songs quickly coalesced into a torrent.
More and more people gathered again in the square from the surrounding streets and alleys. They lit their torches and candles, looked up at the figures on the balconies, and joined in the chorus.
"I got it from you,"
Those who examine the earth
The eagle's eyes
I recognized you…
The voices of thousands of people, without any arrangement, echoed in the silent night sky with a most primal and pure power.
The song traveled through the palace columns and across the Athenian night sky, as if proclaiming to the world that this ancient people had rediscovered their soul.
Constantine took Sophia's hand and led her to the edge of the balcony.
He did not wave or acknowledge anyone.
He simply stood there quietly, amidst the people's songs, accepting this purest and most fervent love and respect.
The firelight illuminated his young yet resolute face.
Sofia looked at her husband beside her, her eyes filled with pride and adoration.
She knew that at this moment, there was no crown, no scepter, and no magnificent coronation ceremony.
But Constantine, amidst the songs of the people, completed a true "coronation".
An invisible crown, forged by the will of the people and heavier and more dazzling than any golden crown, has been placed on his head.
The singing continued for a long time.
The warmth on the balcony flowed quietly in the night.
However, this scene, which resembled an epic oil painting, was gently shattered by a silent figure.
The Director of the Royal Intelligence Bureau, Alexandros Dimitriopoulos, appeared silently at the doorway leading to the balcony, like a shadow without substance.
He didn't make a sound, he just stood quietly in the shadows.
His face showed no festive joy, only a solemnity as if a storm was brewing.
In his hand, he tightly clutched a telegram that had just been sent urgently from Constantinople through the highest level of encryption.
The cover of the telegram was branded with a scarlet skull and crossbones symbol, representing the highest level of urgency.