The situation took a sudden turn for the worse, something the Carlist leadership had never expected. Only a few days ago, they had been heroes who defeated a tyrant; in the blink of an eye, they had become rats scurrying across the street.
Yet when the Carlist leaders hurried to Vargas Palace to seek countermeasures from Carlos VI, they were shocked to discover that Carlos VI himself was no longer in the royal palace.
Prime Minister Duway went completely numb.
"What in the world is wrong with the kings of the Bourbon family? Why do they all love playing at disappearing so much?"
At first, Duway had been forced to swear loyalty to Isabella II. When Madrid fell, because he had taken part in the Carlists' massacre of the city, he had only been able to use his entire family fortune to buy Carlos VI's trust.
Yet not even half a month of peaceful days had passed before Toledo rebelled again.
"Where is His Majesty?"
Duway grabbed a palace servant who was trying to flee.
"I-I-I don't know..."
The palace servant had already been frightened into a stutter.
The clamor outside grew louder and louder, and a soldier ran in shouting.
"My Lord Prime Minister! The rioters and rebel troops outside are demanding by name that His Majesty come out and explain everything clearly. Otherwise they're going to charge in!"
Duway flew into a rage when he heard this.
"I don't even know where the king is! How am I supposed to hand him over?"
"My Lord Prime Minister, hurry and think of something! If that mob outside charges in, none of us will have a road left to live!"
The high officials around him had also lost all idea of what to do. In truth, most of them were