king's letter

The king's letter is a sealed, handwritten note from the dying King of Spain to his son, Prince Julián, delivered at El Escorial. It redirects the prince and Bishop Valdespino from their planned destination to a new, undisclosed location, revealing the king's direct command and setting in motion the final revelations of the night.

Delivery and Context

After Prince Julián and Bishop Valdespino arrived at El Escorial expecting to find the ailing king, a Guardia Real agent informed them that the king had left the hospital an hour earlier. The agent then produced a sealed envelope bearing the royal wax seal and handed it through the window to Prince Julián. The prince was disconcerted by the formality of the letter, especially given the seal, and felt increasing concern that his father's faculties might be failing.

Contents and Command

Julián broke the seal and extracted a handwritten note card. His father's penmanship, though not what it once was, remained legible. As he read, his bewilderment grew with every word. The letter did not contain a personal message of farewell or apology; instead, it issued a direct command. When Julián finished, he slipped the card back into the envelope and closed his eyes, considering his options. He concluded there was only one: to obey.

Consequences

The letter redirected the prince's journey. Julián told the driver to drive north, and when Bishop Valdespino demanded to know what the king had said and where they were being taken, Julián replied with a sad smile, echoing the bishop's own earlier words: "My father is still the king. We love him, and we do as he commands." The letter thus served as the king's final, authoritative instrument, overriding the bishop's plans and steering the prince toward the climactic meeting at the Valley of the Fallen, where the king would make his confession.