The golden domes and soaring spires of the Uspinsky Cathedral shimmered in the morning sunlight, while the Moscow River meandered into the distance within the Slavs' view.
The Grand Duke's bedroom, on the west side of Kremlin Square, its facade inlaid with white, tetrahedral stones, gleamed dazzlingly in the sunlight.
In the Grand Duke's bedroom, he sat on the edge of the bed, gazing calmly at his reflection in the mirror through the low-hanging golden curtains.
The face of a thirteen or fourteen-year-old boy, gray-brown hair, a slightly weary face, yet possessing an incongruous maturity, along with a hint of depth and indifference. It was as if an aged soul resided within a childlike body.
He rubbed his hair, finally sighing. Almost a month had passed, and he had finally accepted the fact that he had become Ivan Vasilynovich.
The man historically known as the terrifying Ivan and the evil Tsar.
Although it was a case of being a usurper, one could still sense the young Tsar's increasingly distorted personality, shaped by witnessing court intrigues, influencing his emotions and state of mind.
Tyranny, coldness, and suspicion.
This wasn't some clichéd plot from a third-rate novel, but a real, absurd time-travel experience happening to him.
And to survive, he had to adapt to his new identity as quickly as possible.
Everything from before had to be left behind.
A young Tsar, whose mother, Elena, was poisoned by a minister, leaving him powerless and dependent on his mentally challenged brother.
He was Ivan IV.
Historians and posterity see him as the Terrible and a tyrant.
1543 was the most chaotic and bloody period in the Russian court.
Five years earlier, Ivan's mother had been poisoned by a minister, leaving young Ivan an orphan. The royalist faction seized control of the court, and six days after Elena's death, they arrested the Dowager Empress's favorite minister, Oberlensky, imprisoned, and executed him. Thus, the Dowager Empress's regent power was overthrown.
Power fell into the hands of the royalists, led by the Shuysky brothers, who controlled the regency council and manipulated Ivan in handling state affairs. Despite their noble lineage, the Shuyskys showed no respect for Ivan IV, taking advantage of his youth and acting with impunity in the court, even publicly insulting Ivan and his mentally challenged brother Yuri. After Vasily Shuysky's death, Ivan Shuysky became the de facto regent.
Three years earlier, the powerful Duma had attempted to oust Regent Shuysky and replace him with the upright Grand Duke Belsky. However, just two years later, Shuysky secretly overthrew Belsky and became regent again. Upon taking power, Shuysky persecuted his opponents, arresting and killing many ministers who supported Ivan and Belsky.
He controlled the court, wielding immense power, and no minister dared to voice dissent.
To better control Ivan, Shuysky constantly sent his trusted confidants to serve as attendants, monitoring his every move.
Shuisky focused his gaze on the map of the Grand Duchy's expanding territory displayed in his room.
Through the vigorous expansion of his ancestors and father, the territory now effectively under his control was comparable to the combined area of modern Germany and France. The Grand Duchy of Moscow's territory stretched from the Karelian Peninsula in the north to a line along Pskov-Smolensk-Gomel-Chernikov in the west, bordering the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth; in the southwest, it bordered the Crimean Khanate, with its border extending from Kursk and Yelets to the confluence of the Volga and Sura rivers.
At this time, Russia's external situation was temporarily stable, allowing Ivan to focus his attention on the court and dealing with the regent who controlled the government.
Suddenly, the bedroom door was pushed open, and the maid Natasha, responsible for attending to Ivan IV, entered carrying a tray. She roughly placed Ivan's breakfast on the table.
The oak table and cutlery collided, creating a jarring sound that shattered the silence of the bedroom.
She, too, was
a pawn that Shuisky had assigned to monitor Ivan IV. The young Tsar, stripped of his power, had no choice. Now, Regent Shuysky held absolute authority, so even the maids disregarded Ivan IV.
The maid coldly replied, "Your Majesty, your breakfast. I've placed it on the table."
"Wait a moment."
Expecting a repeat of the usual routine, Ivan IV called out to the maid from behind, calmly looking at her. "Wait, Natasha."
The young maid turned, a fleeting look of disdain in her eyes, and respectfully asked, "What is it, Your Majesty?"
"Since two years ago, you've been in charge of my daily life. I just want to know..."
Ivan paused slightly, revealing a terrifying secret.
"How long have you been reporting my health to Shuysky since then?"
"I'm sorry, I don't know what Your Majesty is talking about."
Natasha's face changed drastically. She quickly shook her head, saying, "I have nothing to do with Shuysky."
Ivan stood up and slowly walked to Natasha.
The young Tsar, now devoid of his former timidity, possessed a chilling dread that instilled fear in Natasha.
Regent Shuysky had controlled the court for so long that everyone had overlooked the figure lurking behind the curtain.
"Given your forgetfulness, let me remind you,"
"Shuysky said publicly yesterday at court, that my brother Yuri is an utter idiot. It's laughable that Ivan IV is afraid of an idiot being assassinated. If I'm not mistaken, you were the only one present when I said I was worried about my brother being assassinated."
Natasha, who had been feigning composure, instantly paled. She hadn't expected thirteen-year-old Ivan to set a trap for her, revealing his identity.
Natasha still tried to put on a show of strength, clinging to a desperate struggle. In her eyes, Ivan IV was just a thirteen-year-old child; what did it matter if he held the title of Tsar?
However, what others didn't know was that the soul hidden beneath that youthful face was far more mature and composed than anyone imagined.
"But now the entire court belongs to Grand Duke Shuysky, so what can you do?"
Natasha said disdainfully. "It is Grand Duke Shuysky's intention to address you as Your Majesty. Do you really think anyone in the entire court will respect you, Your Majesty Ivan?"
Ivan IV laughed contemptuously. Just as history had described, the entire Kremlin was acting recklessly, bullying the Tsar's youth and ignorance. Little did they know that they would have to pay a bloody price for their actions in the future.
He continued, speaking to himself, "When I was three years old, my father, Vasily III, was seriously ill. To ensure the stability of his future throne, he issued a decree establishing a regency council composed of seven high-ranking nobles. These seven nobles would assist me, the young boy, until I came of age at fifteen and assumed personal rule. These seven were all powerful ministers in my father's time, headed by my maternal uncle, Grand Duke Grinsky; followed by my uncle Andrei; the illustrious brothers Vasily and Ivan Shuysky; and three other Grand Dukes: Zakharin, Tuchkov, and Vorontsov. In his mind, this arrangement was sufficient to guarantee the long-term stability of the country and ensure that I, as a young boy, would have enough power to confront the powerful noble Duma, which was rife with opposition."
"However, the situation is different now. Your master, Shuisky, is now in complete control. Do you think the others won't have objections? Plus, with the death of the former Grand Duke Belsky, the royalists are starting to get impatient. Grand Duke Shuisky's days of tyranny are finally coming to an end."
Ivan completely ignored the other's attitude, gazing at the rising sun, which was bathing the Kremlin in its light.
Natasha suddenly realized something, her eyes widening. She stammered, "You mean…"
"A traitor planted by my side,"
Ivan IV retorted coldly. "Did I say I'd let you walk out this door alive?"
Just then, hurried, rapid footsteps sounded outside the corridor leading to Ivan's bedroom, gradually approaching the door.