Sovereign

"Republic of Hebei reverses ban on magic! In a landslide vote in the new Hebei Legislative Council, the Republic ended its universal outlawing of magic. This came after strings of democratic reforms after the takeover of the so-called 'Shanzu Clique' in the Legislative Council after the Republic's defeat in the Battle of Ginzhu, which greatly discredited the militarist faction that led the Hebeian coup and revolution earlier. Will this signal a rise in more moderate politics in the Republic? No one knows, but, the recent ceasefire signed by the Republic with Imperial Rebels points out that these developments might de-escalate the Hebeian Civil War."

- Geopol Press

"Ceasefire declared in the Grand Duchy of Ludendorf! It is quite surprising that the barbaric rebels can even be negotiated with, but this development is indeed a welcoming one. Negotiations between rebel officials and Her Majesty, and notably the Archduchess, led to a temporary eighteen-day ceasefire to facilitate POW exchanges in the Grand Duchy. Combat operations however are ongoing on all other fronts, as the ceasefire is only localized in the Grand Duchy."

- The Arcane Updates

"Reactionary scum wiped out! The Republic of Asturia, besieged from the north by the barbaric Armies of Queen Alois of Gaul, reports another victory for us men to celebrate. The 126th Field Artillery Battalion of the ARDF shelled a concealed Forward Operating Base operated by the Knights of Princess Louise Aloise's 'Order of Harmony'. Their wands failed to save their skins, as approximately two hundred 'noble' Knights of Gaul perished in the shelling."

- The Front Newspaper

+++

Empress Katerina Illyenov.

The Great Empress of the Larissan Empire. The Grand Duchess of Theresa. The Conqueror of the North. The Defender of East Vaeyox. The Queen of the Kingdom of Poznek. And the Supreme Executive of the Order Pact.

Nothing but titles that meant nothing. Beaten by a man without even a noble title. Not even an Admiral - but a mere Commodore.

I just…I can't.

Her living space wasn't exactly that bad. The Orlish Commodore had been more or less lenient in treating her. She was served three meals each day. And she stayed in a secured cabin somewhere in the ONS Rebenslof. A cabin that contained practically all basic amenities that any human being could ask for (except electronics).

And she was free to move around and do anything that she pleased. She was even given books to pass time for herself, and much of her personal belongings.

But still.

Damn him! How unfair! When will he release me?! My Empire is literally falling apart!

A knock distracted her from her mental tirade. With a groan, she approached her door and opened it. Outside, two Orlish Marines kept watch at all times, occasionally being rotated.

The two outside had particularly etched themselves in her mind, by virtue of how irritating they were.

"What the hell is it this time?!"

The two Orlish Marines, Corporal Oakley, and Private Timmy looked at her with a shit-eating grin.

"So…Your Highness, or was it Your Majesty?" Private Timmy tried before his partner smacked the back of his head. Corporal Oakley tried to clear his throat (and the grin on his face) as Katerina glared the two down.

"I apologize for my partner's misbehaving, Your Majesty. We merely wanted to report that the Admiral is coming to talk with you."

"And what exactly is so funny?"

"That's classified information."

She narrowed her eyes at Oakley.

"Is that so?"

"Yes."

Such strange weirdos. Were they laughing at me? Laughing at my humiliation?

Truthfully, they weren't. They were just laughing at something random before they knocked on her door.

Katerina merely facepalmed, giving up on understanding these two "morons'' in front of her. To her, it wasn't even worth it. Men were men, too simplistic but hard to understand that she wondered if they even were human.

Whatever.

She closed the door and began preparing the table and chairs. Quite frankly, she didn't like this part, preparing for that guy, but she still had her pride here. She may have been humiliated, and she was a prisoner, but she wasn't going to be an awful host.

She sat with a sigh, only to be interrupted again by a knock.

I really miss my wand.

She opened the door.

Albert looked down at her.

Now what is it again?

"We need to talk."

"Sure. Whatever. Not like I'm in a position to refuse. Please come in."

Albert went inside, and Katerina kept her eyes on a vigilant watch as he sat. She had already poured the tea on the cups earlier, so she wanted to be down to business immediately.

Anything to make him leave faster.

"So, what is it that you want from me this time?"

"The Empire collapsed."

Katerina didn't blink. Neither did Albert. Before she gave off an amused chuckle.

"Yeah, sure."

"I'm not asking you to believe it, but-"

"I know that! I knew that the moment I lost the campaign! Why are you even rubbing it into my face?!" She laughed crazily. "Is that it? To further humiliate me?"

"If I wanted to humiliate you, I'd have left you in Lorathia."

"So what?! So you can show me off as a trophy in Orland?! To your sister?!"

"I have no intentions of that. All I desire is to keep you alive long enough for a fair trial."

"Oh yes, totally. Totally not to humiliate me in a kangaroo court. No, you just want me to go into a 'fair trial' so your Orlish judges can strike me down as a war criminal!"

Her rantings drained her, and Katerina broke down into tears, her laughs turning into despaired sobs.

She still remembered her stay in Lorathia. Where she was in danger of being lynched by mobs. Where Orlish soldiers had to defend her from Lorathian women trying to "find justice" for their dead sons. By killing her with magic.

Or the heated arguments between Albert and the Lorathian Queen on how to deal with her.

She wanted to count her blessings. Of how unexpectedly, it was Albert who stood for her to prevent her from being shot or lynched by the angered Lorathians. And how she might have a chance of seeing life if she went through the courts of the Mandate of Nations instead of Gaul or Lorathia.

But alas, it was so bad that at many moments, she wanted nothing but to end it there. All that. All her efforts. All those she had sacrificed. All of her questionable methods to grip the Larissan throne.

Now nothing but ashest.

And when she looked at her reflection in the mirror, what would stare back at her wasn't a respected Empress ready to bring Larissa to the future.

But a monster. A war criminal. A warmonger now turned into a prisoner - about to be tried by the International Court for crimes she couldn't even bother to list.

How can I…how can I even redeem myself? To salvage anything from this mess?

"Katerina…" Albert said as she buried her face in her hands. "I despise you."

"I know."

"After all you did, you act as if you're a victim."

"Why didn't you just let her do what she wished? I…I deserve it, in your eyes, no?"

He didn't reply immediately.

"I'm not one to condemn even the worst monsters to death."

So he does view me as a monster.

"Why?"

"Because who is a monster to dispel justice? I have crimes you know nothing about. And so does the Queen of Lorathia. Or all those self-righteous vigilantes who wanted to kill you. Who the hell sent their sons to their deaths anyway? It was them too. No, the only ones who must judge you are those with hands untainted by blood. The courts of the Mandate of Nations would serve that well. And make no mistake - you should fear them more. Their justice won't just be a simple, sweet release by death. You'll be rotting in a cell with nothing but your thoughts torturing you for decades after this. That, I assure you."

Katerina just laughed in response.

"I knew it. I knew it. That was…what you wanted all along. You want your sister to judge me and throw me into an Orlish cell."

"Amelie isn't the Mandate of Nations."

"But once all of this is over. Once Orland ends the Civil War. Once Orland spreads its tentacles to intervene in the whole world to end the revolutions of you men. Wouldn't it be the end result? A world order under her? A world order under her 'utopian' vision?"

"You don't understand my sister. She's not like you."

"All monarchs are the same, Admiral. Absolute power for themselves. I'm sure she's no different."

"If that's what you think of her, it is not my business."

Katerina gave up as she merely fell limp in her seat. Albert tried out the tea in front of him as he kept his eyes off the sobbing woman. It tasted…good.

"Why do you women cry so easily? Is that a way to garner sympathy? To make yourself look weaker by being vulnerable?"

"Stop…belittling me, you asshole. I'm just, I can't take it, all this…all this nonsense. Why me? Why me?"

"We men don't cry when we are judged as monsters. Not that it would work. When we are victims, we don't even look like it. Many would even doubt if it is us that was slighted. Oh, but you, you can have so much blood in your hands, but bawl in the court, and they might be lenient. How outrageous."

"Lenient? Is this your definition of lenient? You locked me here so that I may be imprisoned! You…you're not lenient. You're a torturer."

"Your brother was executed on the spot by firing squad with no chance of fair trial for war crimes. And so were most of the senior officers of your fleet. But you…you got off unscathed because the Queen was hesitant. Even when she hated you. Even when she wanted you dead. Just enough for me to negotiate for you to be placed in Orlish custody instead. All because you're a woman. And you're still complaining? Calling the world - no, me, unfair?"

Albert took a quick drink of her tea, already pissed off by Katerina's attitude to him. He almost slammed the teacup on her table afterward.

"Grow up." He spat at her before he left, as Katerina further devolved into a crying mess.

+++

"Damn, Sir. You went hard on her." Captain Schlatt commented as the two navigated back toward the bridge. It was a busy day in the North Allas Sea after all.

The ONS Rebenslof, after weeks of repairs and rearmament, finally left Lorathia to return to Orland. Some ships of the 2nd Fleet reinforced the Rebenslof, and his Strike Force now numbered nine ships total.

They planned to rendezvous with the rest of the 2nd Fleet, especially with the ONS Cuirassier. She, after all, while less prestigious, was still the Rebenslof's sister ship.

The two had fought side-by-side during the Great War, and they would be fighting side-by-side this time against their new target - the ONS Matriarch.

"She's lucky she even got onboard here."

"Yeah, that incident sucked. They really wanted her dead."

"Any mother would. Lorathia suffered greatly from the Great War and her second invasion."

"Yeah, no shit. You think the Orlish public won't do the same?"

"Unlikely. Unlike Lorathia, the Orlish people weren't strategically bombed during the Great War. That brat should have more chances in our homeland."

"Well, if you're so sure about it. Whatever. Not like we should care about a war criminal."

The two finally entered the bridge. The staff all stood in attention as the new Rear Admiral entered, but Albert waved them off to let them return to their duties.

"Rear Admiral."

"Captain Vogel. What's the status?"

"We're steaming west at two third's speed. Around twenty-nine knots. All systems are green as well."

"Good."

Albert sat on his seat as he watched the slightly stormy seas ahead. One LF-12 Zapper was taking off from the Rebenslof's flight deck as well - most likely for CAP (Combat Air Patrol).

"So, what was the situation again?" Albert asked, and Captain Vogel replied.

"Sir, just three hundred kilometers northeast of our position, a convoy of tankers was sunk by unidentified submarines."

"Raiders."

"Most likely the rebels, Sir."

Albert sighed.

"Have we commenced ASuW operations yet?"

"Yes, our air assets are searching for the hostile subs as we speak."

"Good. We'll have to end these raiders if we ever hope to prevent a fuel shortage in Eastern Orland."

"Hunt the Matriarch. Hunt the surface raiders. And hunt the submarines." Captain Vogel concluded, and Albert nodded.

"Indeed."

"This might be fun." Captain Schlatt commented with a cocky chuckle behind him. Albert would have loved to agree.

But I doubt the 4th Fleet will go down that easily.