Josephine

𝓔𝓹𝓲𝓼𝓸𝓭𝓮 18: 𝓦𝓪𝓻 𝓛𝓸𝓸𝓶𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓞𝓿𝓮𝓻𝓱𝓮𝓪𝓭

April 24, 1970

I collapsed in my chair, wrought with exhaustion. The provinces north of the Saint Lawrence River, which we called 'Canada' was engulfed in riots. It came out of nowhere really. There was a protest in Mississauga by a group of radicals who called themselves the 'Young Rebels'. Well, they were rebels alright, ungrateful brats!

The governor, Raymond Pavel, had organized the local guard to defend against the unarmed protesters, which only ramped up the violence. On the 22nd the protesters turned into rioters and began pelting the soldiers with rocks and oyster shells. That went over so well.

Then yesterday, the soldiers retaliated by shooting two of the rioters and now it's like a thirties horror movie. The streets are filled with mobs with torches and pitchforks and some have rifles.

Now it's my job to resolve it. I sacked Governor Pavel, which I thought might soothe and ease the tension, but it didn't. Because do you know what these rebels want? Total, complete independence from the Empire. Like recognized secession. Do you know what my answer was to that? A big, fat no. I've worked tirelessly to build up the Empire's former strength and restore its standing on the world stage. Letting an entire six provinces secede from the Empire kind of completely goes against that agenda.

I have agreed to meet with some of the rebel leaders so we can try and solve the dispute before it grows even further. But the whole ordeal has been one headache after another.

"Josephine?" I heard someone ask through the door followed by a knock.

It was Vittorio, someone I was so glad to see, I needed him.

"Come in,"

My husband entered the room.

"How was that phone call you told me about?" He asked as he sat down.

I groaned, "It was awful, those ungrateful brutes will not stop their blabbering about 'oppression' and 'Imperial brutality' like what a load of absolute horse shit!"

I slapped my hand over my mouth with wide eyes as Vittorio snickered.

"What did you just say?" He sniggered, unable to contain himself.

"Don't laugh at me!" I protested, pointing my index finger at him while getting flustered.

"Okay! Okay!"

I leaned back in my chair, "So what brings you here?"

"I just wanted to see how my wife was doing... is that alright?"

"...Yes it is, I'm sorry Vittorio, this week has just been so astronomically stressful..."

"I can see that, you've just turned twenty and I'm already seeing wrinkles-"

I gasped and began patting down my face, "Oh no! Really?"

He snickered and I realized he was toying with me, "Oh you little-"

Vittorio gasped, "What? Is the sophisticated Empress Josephine going to swear again?"

"Oh you I have had access to the entire curse word library since I was ten,"

Vittorio chuckled, "Well, I also wanted to see if you wanted to get out of the palace for a few hours?"

"I'm listening..."

"Have you heard of that play, The Anglo-American General?"

"The one about the Godfather Emperor?" I asked.

Vittorio nodded, "Well, a theatrical film version of the classic play just came out a couple of days ago and it has a lot of big names in it, would you like to go?"