Just as Manuel had thought, as he was about to set foot on Morea once more, the Hungarian Parliament's nobles had already chosen their preferred candidate and hastily sent envoys to contact the three regents who had left Pest, hoping they would approve the Parliament's choice.
"Hunyadi, at this critical juncture, the kingdom cannot be without a monarch for even a day, nor can it be ruled by a young, unproven sovereign. Lord, at a time when the Ottoman Turks are at our borders, should the nation not rely on a mature ruler?" In Burgenland, Hungary, adjacent to the Principality of Austria, the Parliament's envoy spoke to Hunyadi and his companions, warning him and the other two not to harbor any undue illusions about supporting the Habsburg.
"Then, Lord, who shall we invite to be this king!?" Hunyadi's right hand clenched, filled with anger at the Parliament's actions. Emperor Sigismund had shown him great favor, and Albrecht II's proactive efforts to resist the Turks for the kingdom were evident to all. But no sooner had the three senior ministers left the capital than the Parliament turned around and excluded the late king's posthumous child, installing a new king. In the eyes of Hunyadi and others, this was undoubtedly treason, especially since many military nobles in the Parliament had sworn the same oath before the dying Albrecht II!
"The King of Poland, Władysław III Jagiellon."
Ignoring Hunyadi's indignation, the envoy paused after giving his answer, then continued, "If he is willing to accept the Crown of Saint Stephen, then he shall be our Ulaslo I."
Władysław III Jagiellon was the eldest son of the former King of Poland, Jogaila (also known as Władysław II), and his wife, Sophia. After his father Jogaila passed away in mid-1434, the then-underage Władysław inherited the Polish throne. In the years that followed, under the protection of his mother, Queen Dowager Sophia, and her regency council, he thwarted the ambitions of the Piast family ruling Masovia, Frederick II, Elector of Brandenburg, and his own elder sister and former wife, Jadwiga Jagiellon, who coveted the throne. He firmly maintained control of the Jagiellonian royal throne and, after coming of age last year in 1438, began his personal rule of the kingdom. Though only 17 years old now, he had already begun to show his prowess. At the same time, the close ties and historical relationship between the two great kingdoms of Poland and Hungary also convinced the Magyar nobles that introducing a powerful Polish force could effectively alleviate the current military pressure on Hungary.
Previously, there had been a concept of establishing a personal union between Poland and Hungary. According to the original plan, with the Polish-Lithuanian union still unbreakable, and because the former Holy Roman Emperor and King of Hungary, Sigismund, had no male heir, the Polish Sejm hoped to marry Władysław to one of Sigismund's granddaughters, thereby forming a personal union between Hungary and Poland, and establishing Jagiellonian rule in Hungary. This would restore the joint rule of Hungary and Poland, which had not been achieved since Louis I of Anjou (1370-1382). Although this matter was later temporarily shelved because Sigismund chose his son-in-law and Albrecht II also had an heir, Poland, in response to the Kingdom of Hungary and its Parliament, was willing to actively form a military alliance and vowed to expel the Ottoman Turks from Eastern Europe.
After listening to the envoy's words, the three men present and their attendants all fell silent. For they knew that for the Kingdom of Hungary, a strong, young, and healthy King of Poland was clearly a better choice than the completely unknown posthumous child left by Albrecht II.
After a moment of silence, the eldest of the three, Szekcsi Dénes, the Cardinal of Hungary, was the first to step forward, responding decisively: "We are willing to accept the Parliament's candidate. At this critical juncture, Władysław III should be the one everyone desires."
"You..." Hunyadi was about to erupt when Nicholas of Marosbánffy also stepped forward, expressing his willingness to uphold the Parliament's decision, "My mind is made up, the Crown of Saint Stephen should belong to His Majesty Władysław."
Seeing both his colleagues resolutely side with the King of Poland, Hunyadi János sighed, then chose to go against the former king's dying wish, "Please allow me to pledge my loyalty to His Majesty Ulaslo."
While Hungary had already decided on its new king and negotiated the matter, Elizabeth of Luxembourg, the widow of Albrecht II, who had recently met with the three ministers and was waiting in the Vienna palace, was unaware that the Hungarian crown and glory had already flown away from her and her orphaned child.
In early December of that year, Władysław III, residing in the Royal Castle of Kraków, received an invitation to the vacant throne of the Kingdom of Hungary during the morning. After serious discussions with the Sejm, his mother, and important domestic ministers, King Władysław officially responded to the Hungarian Parliament's invitation by the end of that year, accepting their proposal and deciding to travel to Buda or Pest to be crowned with the Crown of Saint Stephen, thus becoming King of Hungary.
After seeing off the Hungarian envoys, Queen Dowager Sophia of Poland, standing before Wawel Castle, couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. The cold wind rustled her fur coat, making the Queen Dowager feel a moment of trance.
"Now we just await the official response from Hungary," smiled Zbigniew Oleśnicki, the Archbishop of Kraków, standing beside Sophia. His chestnut hair, streaked with a few white strands, was also blown by the wind, forcing the regent to smooth it down with his hand as he chuckled, "Everything is the grace of the Lord."
"Indeed," Sophia maintained a polite smile, but kept a distance from the Cardinal. This former regent, after being entrusted by her husband, had not maintained due loyalty, instead wavering between her son and other claimants to the throne, almost causing a great disaster. This made it difficult for her to truly trust him.
Fortunately, by the beginning of this year, the internal political struggles of the Kingdom of Poland had ended with the reconciliation of Sophia and Oleśnicki. And her child, Władysław III, had grown up healthy to the age of personal rule. From a young age, under the supervision of the late king, he received an excellent royal education. Compared to his quiet third brother Casimir, Władysław preferred practicing martial arts and studying military tactics, dreaming every day that he would one day become a king who achieved great military feats like his father.
And now was the time for his dream to come true. Thinking of this, the several wrinkles on Sophia's face, brought on by her anxious efforts for her sons, also smoothed out considerably, becoming less distinct.
Everything is developing for the better, isn't it?
Sophia thought with relief, watching her eldest son wield a sword inside the castle.