Josephine

𝓔𝓹𝓲𝓼𝓸𝓭𝓮 13: 𝓐𝓾𝓽𝓱𝓸𝓻𝓲𝓽𝔂 𝓜𝓾𝓼𝓽 𝓑𝓮 𝓐𝓼𝓼𝓮𝓻𝓽𝓮𝓭

August 18, 1965

I read the paper again. And again, and again. General Westminster was coming back to the capital, and I had some... choice words for him. I was in hot water with the international community because of the madman and the gallivanting he and his soldiers had done in Palestine. I needed to deal with him. The door opened and a guard peeked in.

"Your majesty? General Westminster is here to see you," He said.

"Thank you, send him in," I said, rubbing my temple with my hand.

General Westminster entered the room and removed his hat. He bowed stiffly, as though he knew why I had summoned him. Or perhaps he didn't and he had a sliver of respect for me. Michael Westminster had been one of my mother's favorite generals in China, so who knows what skeletons he has in his closet. 

"General, please take a seat," I said, tension flying off my tongue.

He obeyed and sat down. He looked smug and confident. 

"Do you know why you're here?" I asked calmly, folding my hands on the desk.

"Not particularly, maybe to award me for my work in Palestine?" He smirked.

I snorted loudly.

"Award you? Do you have any idea the trouble you've thrust us all in!?" I demanded.

I slammed the newspaper down on the desk. He overread the headline and his eyes flashed in worry. Not guilt, worry.

"Do you have any justification for what you've done!?"

His grin grew.

"Of course, I was acting under your orders, your majesty,"

"MY ORDER!?" I shouted, "I issued no such order to raze Jerusalem to the ground and slaughter 75,000 people!!!"

"You said to do what it took to take the city!" He charged back, "By whatever means necessary majesty," 

"That meant using serious pressure to stop the enemy troops, not civilians!"

"They were all going to fight against us! We took preemptive measures! All of the Muslims in that territory were terrorists!" 

"Don't give me that bullshit! You think those people are willing to fight after being starved for a week!" I shouted back, surprising him and myself at my harsh words.

"What would you do then majesty?" Westminster snapped sarcastically, "This is WAR. Bad things happen in WAR. In antiquity during invasions like our own, the entire civilization was wiped out!"

I snorted, "Oh my god this isn't 70 A.D! We are not the Roman Empire! We aren't Macedon! We aren't Scythians and by god, we aren't Mongols! How are these Palestinians and Syrians supposed to accept our rule when you burn down their cities, their holy sites, and engage in routine slaughter!" 

He raised his eyebrow peculiarly, with a sly smile, "Majesty, I don't understand why this is so unbearable for your childish mind to understand. Under your mother, this was commonplace in war,"

"I am not my mother. We need the Syrians, Palestinians, Jordanians, Egyptian, Hebrews and whoever else inhabits those territories to be loyal, or at least willing to comply!"

"Your majesty, are you going to annex the Levant?"

"That was the plan, not only is it an economic powerhouse but a good strategic location. We must try to make amends, not genocide them out of existence!"

"Your majesty, may I speak freely?" 

I sighed and rubbed my forehead, "...Fine... yes you may general..." 

"These terrorists came into our home and they killed our people, when you find a snake in your kitchen you don't invite it to dinner you cut off its head!"

I sighed and rubbed my temple in frustration further. Is this how he justifies such actions? Such cruel, unforgiving actions? 

"You make a good point general..." I said and turned to the window, "... But seeing that this is my kitchen I am relieving you from duty,"

"What!?" He cried out.

"General you are fired!" I replied staunchly.

He was silent. I turned to face him and he saluted before rushing out of the office. I stared at the door, shock filling my brain. Had I really just fired one of the highest-ranking commanders in the Imperial Army just like that? There was a knock on the door, jolting me out of my thoughts.

"Enter!" I answered.

Conroy entered as I settled back into the chair. He bowed stiffly.

"Your majesty, I just saw Michael Westminster swearing your name as he was rushing by... what happened?"

"I just fired him, Conroy, after he butchered Jerusalem, it was the moral thing to do and nobody can change my mind," I said boldly, staring the old guard down.

"I never would've tried your majesty," He replied confidently, "And might I say, you have become the fiery sovereign that I thought you would," He added, complimenting me.

Though I appreciated it, I was not happy, despite his misconduct on an extreme scale he was a brilliant commander, and definitely, we would have lack of such raw skill.

"Thank you, Conroy, but I'd like to be alone at this moment,"

He nodded and bowed before leaving my office, leaving me alone as I wished. I turned to the window and stared out at the busy harbor. It had become my favorite thing to do while I broke between the draining work of being an Empress. Just knowing that all this and so much more was all mine, that I controlled its fate. But I know that many of these noblemen are talking trash behind my back and waiting for me to slip up so they can take me out of power. The power-hungry bastards.

I've heard rumors about nobles staging a coup and overthrowing me. I mean, bloody hell I've been on the throne for a little over a month! I can't possibly be doing that bad of a job. 

So in other words, I need to wise up... and fast, or I'll lose my throne.