Execution [Book 2 of The English Lion]

XLIV

Christmas Eve and Christmas Day come and go in London. There's nothing much going on, except for the fact that Isabelle's parents and the British Royal Family were surprised to find Philippe and Isabelle on 'talking' terms again after what happened eight months ago.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the world, on the morning of Christmas, Hugo quietly entered Alexander's room and got onto the bed. Both of them stared at the ceiling.

"J'aimerais être de retour à Londres en ce moment. Nous serons probablement à Sandringham, [I wish I was back in London right now. We'll probably be in Sandringham,]" Alexander stated quietly.

"Ne sommes-nous pas tous les deux. Quoi qu'il en soit, j'ai dit à James de prendre un jour de congé, y compris demain. Hier, nous avons à peu près une journée de travail plus courte. Regius Obligatus et Absconditus Custos ne veulent vraiment pas vous déranger en ce moment, [Don't we both. Anyway, I told James to have the day off, including tomorrow. Yesterday we pretty much have a shorter workday. Regius Obligatus and Absconditus Custos really don't want to disturb you right now,]" Hugo informed Alexander, who nodded thanks subtly.

"Alors, allons-nous passer toute la journée ici sur le lit? [So, are we going to spend all day here on the bed?]" Hugo continued.

"Je n'en ai vraiment aucune idée, mais à un moment donné, nous ferions mieux de sortir nos fesses de cette pièce et de manger quelque chose, [I really have no idea, but at some point, we better get our arses out of this room and get something to eat,]" Alexander replied, with a slight snarky tone.

"Alors pourquoi ne sortons-nous pas de cette pièce et nous dirigeons-nous vers la salle à manger pour le petit déjeuner? J'entends que les chefs ont concocté quelque chose de spécial. Petit déjeuner anglais complet avec haggis et thé anglais importé, [Then why are we not out of this room and head our way to the dining hall for breakfast? I hear the chefs have whipped something special up. Full English Breakfast with haggis and imported English tea,]" Hugo stated and Alexander looked at his best friend.

"Seriously?" He asked, shifting to English as he was shocked, and Hugo nodded. Alexander immediately scrambled out of the bed and hurriedly went to the closet, when he knocked over a wooden easel with a half-finished painting that was dried overnight.

"Shit," Alexander muttered as he immediately put it back to the standing position as Hugo got off the bed.

"I'll see you later in the dining hall, alright?" Hugo asked and Alexander nodded. It was only fifteen minutes later when Alexander was in his casual black three-piece suit entered the dining hall. He made his way to where Hugo was.

"I swear, all you have in that closet of yours is formal, casual and informal three-piece suits and tuxedos with different colours," Hugo commented, trying to cheer his best friend up as Alexander just rolled his eyes. A server walked up to the table and set the two plates in front of both of them, before setting the teapot and other necessary things down onto the table in front of them.

"Give the chef my thanks," Alexander told the server who nodded before he left. It was another few moments of silence before Hugo and Alexander glanced at one another and immediately started eating. It wasn't long before they both took a break.

"It really brings you home, doesn't it?" Hugo asked before taking a sip of Earl Grey.

"Indeed. But there's something missing, unfortunately," Alexander stated, taking a sip of Earl Grey shortly after, "This isn't home."

"Yeah," Hugo muttered. They started eating, now that the fact had been stated. Across the pond, in England, on the other hand, Colette was writing a letter for Alexander in regards to the situation in London. Sure, Alexander has heard of his fiancee talking to Philippe, but he never really got the full extent of their relationship. Alexander would receive this letter a couple of hours later, where he would muse the coincidence. The only person who knows of this is, of course, Hugo.

After breakfast, the two of them will be back in Alexander's room, just talking while Alexander works on the portraits that he had decided to do late November. Hugo would have the occasional input in for the paintings, which Alexander had taken into account for consideration.

Nothing happened between Christmas Day and the thirtieth for everyone. Except, of course, for the war that had been looming over everyone's minds. Rationing in Britain has been introduced, among a number of other incidents.

Until New Year's Eve: the Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels had made a radio address, reviewing the official Nazi version of the events of 1939. Alexander, Hugo and James had of course tuned in to listening, curious to the recount. They heard no predictions for the next year, except for the fact that Goebbels had stated that next year "will be a hard year, and we must be ready for it."

Alexander turned the radio off and looked at both James and Hugo, pointing at the radio.

"That last statement there, my friends, is the truth," Alexander stated, "With the resources at our fingertips, James and Hugo, we will slowly destroy Nazi Germany militarily and politically."

James and Hugo glanced at one another, then to Alexander, curious.

"Um... how?" James asked.

"Regius Obligatus and Absconditus Custos will be acting in the background. We would continue to do things like we always do since 1933. For example, we would gather information from Hitler's government and give it to ours. In return, we would give the German agents falsified information to give to the German government. We would continue to observe and engage in the activities we've done, as well to reflect. We would continue to observe those on the red list. Especially those on the red list," Alexander replied.

"Why those on the red list?" James asked.

"You'll find out in the end," Alexander replied, and James nodded subtly, slightly confused.