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It was already the third day since the news of the outbreak of the Near Eastern war had reached London. Even with prior mental preparation, the upper echelons of the British government were still troubled upon receiving this news.
Even Queen Victoria, who seldom intervened in politics, was unsettled enough to call a high-level meeting at Buckingham Palace.
Queen Victoria opened the conversation, "With the outbreak of the Near Eastern War, the Russians and the Austrian Empire have gotten involved together, and the Ottomans now face considerable trouble. To preserve our interests in the Near East, what does the government plan to do?"
The Ottoman Empire had long commanded awe, and even in this age of decline, its fearsome reputation retained some effect. Furthermore, the Ottoman Government had just completed systemic reforms, ostensibly modernizing the empire.
