Josephine

𝓔𝓹𝓲𝓼𝓸𝓭𝓮 29: 𝓜𝓪𝓻𝓻𝓲𝓪𝓰𝓮 𝓘𝓼 𝓐 𝓒𝓸𝓵𝓭 𝓕𝓮𝓮𝓵𝓲𝓷𝓰

November 19, 1971

After god knows how long I began to wake up again. In a hospital. You know, this seems to be a sort of recurring theme with me. I guess I'm a risky person which results in me landing in the hospital. Well, then again the first three times were because someone was trying to kill me so...

"Josephine? Oh thank god you're awake!" I heard someone say rather dramatically.

But I recognized his Italian accent and I immediately knew it was Vittorio.

"Vittorio? You're here?" I asked.

He was never around, yet when I was injured he always was. Why?

"Of course! My wife was just injured in battle! Why wouldn't I visit her?" He replied, sounding hurt.

Because you probably just want me so you can get a son out of me? That's just pure speculation. But I didn't say anything like that.

"I didn't mean it like that... I was just surprised to see you here," I lied through my teeth.

My father always taught me to never lie, but this man's motives were suddenly very cloudy.

"Now that I'm here... mind explaining what the hell you were doing?" He angrily grumbled.

I was taken aback by his sudden change in attitude.

"What-"

But he interrupted me.

"Your throne is not secure! Who do you think you are leading troops into battle!?" He borderline shouted at me.

Who does he think he is? Talking down to me? He may be King of Italy, but I am Empress of the Americans, there is an obvious power difference between us. I became pretty angry now as well.

"Seriously? You're seriously asking that?" I asked rather provocatively.

"Yes, I'm asking that! You and I don't have an heir! You were seriously close to death! If you died in those woods, your lineage is gone!"

"So you're blaming my unwillingness to sleep with you is the biggest problem right now!?" I hissed abhorrently.

"I don't even know why you decided it would be a good idea to command those troops yourself! Leading soldiers is a man's job!"

He didn't really emphasize man but that's the part that hit me the hardest.

"What's that supposed to mean!?" I snapped, venom dripping from my voice, "You think I'm not a capable leader? That I cannot choose my own path because I'm a girl!"

"Absolutely! For millennia, since the foundation of human society, men have been the forefront characters, and women in the supporting role!" He explained vehemently.

He was trying to justify his audacious opinions as though they were a play, which I did not appreciate. But the fact that he thought that I was inferior to him on biological and political standards upset me! I glanced at my hand, my left one, which was bandaged up and had stitches in it. But my wedding ring was still tauntingly gleaming at me from my ring finger. I decided to indirectly show Vittorio my feelings towards him.

I reached down and pulled the ring off my finger. I rolled it in my hand as Vittorio cocked his eyebrow, unsure of what I was doing. I handed it to him, before pulling my hand away.

"You can give it back when you're willing to treat me as an equal, and act as if you love me," I said softly, trying not to let any unwanted emotions emerge.

Vittorio wordlessly glared at me. But he was ready to get the final word in. 

"Maybe if you deserved to be treated as an equal, I would. But you are stubborn and so goddamn frustrating!" He motioned to his pants, "God Josephine you worry about me having an affair, I know, but no amount of my honesty seems enough for you!"