332 Takeover
Britannia Empire. Location: Unknown.
“Where are you taking me?” Diana demanded an answer as she couldn’t see anything due to the black cloth covering her face, barring her vision.
She’s in a moving vehicle, her hands tied. The people sitting next to either side of her simply ignored her.
“I’m the Queen of the Britannia Empire. What you are doing to me is treason punishable by death!”
“Your Majesty, I think you should probably stop mentioning that you are still the Queen of the Britannia Empire,” Stanley spoke, sitting in front of the vehicle.
“Stanley..!” Diana growled, her beautiful face starting to contort angrily. “How could you do this?!”
“I literally said it to you earlier. I don’t like you. I cannot tolerate your greediness and ruthlessness any longer. You have killed many of my friends in the parliament, who are in the anti-royalist faction. I simply joined you because I want to know why you were doing so. Is it because the parliament is getting corrupt? Lost their way? No, it was you being selfish. That’s why when Her Majesty, Anne, offered me a position in exchange for information and promised to stop you, I immediately took it without hesitation.”
“Stanley…you were there when I was deciding who’s next to the purge. Their track records are contrived. They were involved in corruption, embezzlement, and bribery. Do you think I would order to kill an MP just because they are anti-royalist? No, I am doing it to save the country,” Diana explained.
“Still, one of those you killed was my close friend. I can’t forgive you, please shut your mouth until we arrive at the place where you’ll meet the rest,” Stanley said and continued. “Oh, don’t worry, as you are gone, a new Queen will take your place. You are no longer the Queen of the Britannia Empire, it now belongs to your sister…gagged her mouth,” Stanley ordered.
“Wait..! Don’t touch me!” Diana struggled as she tried to break free from the royal guard’s grasp. But they were strong, they gripped tightly on her arm as if trying to crush it.
And then, a piece of fabric was wrapped in her mouth, her yell turned to muffle.
Fifteen minutes later, the vehicle stopped. Diana breathed weakly as the royal guards pulled her out of the vehicle and dragged her up to the stairs.
They walked for about five minutes until she heard the hinges of a seemingly huge door creak as it opened.
“Move!” The royal guard prodded Diana with a rifle on her back. Diana stumbled forward but quickly regained her footing. It was utterly disrespectful. Should she catch him doing that to her when her power is not yet chained, she would have sent him to the guillotine.
Moments after, they removed the cloth covering her face and the fabric on her mouth. She blinked momentarily and took in all her surroundings. When the clarity of her vision became clear, her eyes widened.
pAnDa (nov)e1 “Your Majesty…what is happening?” her uncle, Kaiser Wilhelm demanded. Not only was the Emperor of the Deutschland Empire here but the president of the Francois Republic, the Emperor of the Austrean Empire and the Sardegna Empire, the Danish and the Dutch, and many more familiar faces except for the President of the United States.
Their families are also there, shaking in fear as the royal guards armed with rifles were trained on them.
“So a coup just happened huh?” Emperor of the Austrean Empire, Licht commented calmly.
“The Council of the Black Hand has ordered us to keep you here and watch as we take down all the symbols of oppression and tyranny,” Stanley said eloquently. “You who have been born into your position know nothing about the lives of the common people you are suppressing. The common people demanded basic rights through peaceful protest but ended in violence because your position is important to you. Now watch as the Black Hand take over the world and preside over the false kings and emperors. In our world, the voice of the common people won’t be silenced any further, nor will it be ignored. We Black Hand strive for the betterment of the world and for that to happen, we will have to eliminate each and one of you,” Stanley concluded and everyone in the room gasped in horror.
Stanley was feeling satisfied hearing their voices filled with fear and watched as they made a frightful expressions on their faces. Truly a triumphant feeling to him as they were now at the mercy of the Black Hand.
“You Black Hands keep speaking of peace and yet you were the ones who are destroying it,” Licht spoke, glaring at Stanley.
Stanley stretched his neck and signaled one of the royal guards.
The royal guard he was looking at received and acknowledged his order. He walked up in front of Licht, who was sitting on the ground and pressed the muzzle of his bolt-action rifle on his forehead.
Licht unwaveringly stared directly into the eye of the Royal Guards.
The royal guard sneered at his facade and pulled the trigger.
Crimson liquid bloomed on Litch’s forehead. His body fell limp against the floor of the palace room, lifeless. Blood pooled around his corpse and the royal families from every country stared at his body with a horrified expressions.
“You spoke to us as if you are still important and see what happens?” Stanley said, unbothered at the fact that he just killed the emperor of the Austrean Empire. “We are going to kill you all eventually, he just went first. Well, looks like he won’t see us conquering the world then.”
“You fucking monsters!” Diana cursed.
“We are not the monsters, you are the monsters. Now, I have a question, how does it feel to be powerless?” Stanley asked, his eyes flickered at King Leopold of Belgium. “Especially you old man. You went out on a killing spree in Congo, amputating the arms of men, women, and children. Truly a symbol of what we are trying to destroy. Well, you’ll be the second one we will kill but you won’t get away easily. We will make it painfully slow that you will think back to the time when you ordered your men to commit atrocities in Congo. We are imaginative people so be prepared for it fufu…”
“You…” Leopold’s hands clenched into a fist, wanting to punch Stanley in the face but he controlled himself, knowing that he’ll end up like the Emperor of the Austrean Empire who was killed mercilessly.
“Oh, if you are wondering who is the new Queen of the Britannia Empire. It’s Her Majesty Anne Edinburgh. Look forward to her speech.”