My Extraordinary Childhood Friend (#Wattys2016)

25 - Reign

General Ronald Castillo's POV:

"The Imperial Forces has initiated a rebellion against the former Emperor Emmanuel because of its ineffectiveness in the wake of the earthquake that struck Morato City. Therefore, effective immediately, General Ronald Castillo will be the Regent of the Empire of Nova Ascia until a sovereign will be chosen."

The rebellion lasted in just hours. We have succeeded in topple the monarchy in just moments...but my quest to avenge my father's death is not over...Princess Lily is on the loose...I will do whatever it takes to capture her...and take her powers...I don't care about the people suffering because of that earthquake, starve and die...I need her...to become the most powerful Emperor alive!!!

I used all my magic to control people to use all the Imperial Funds to build experimental machines to track down where Lily. And to made more money to machines...I forced businessmen to confiscate their own businesses. Anybody who opposes my orders will be quickly arrested and put into death.

It take few years to finally found the world where Lily is. Knowing that this Princess has all the magic she needs to repel any attacks, I decided to trick her...exposing her possible weaknesses...I tried to make a magical knights that morphed into a blood-lust werewolf...

"General...what will be your quest for us?"

"I need you both to find to find and capture Princess Lily, you should not stop searching her at all cost. If she resists, use the skill that I gave to you...I'm sure that she will die immediately..."

"Understood, General..."

The mission for the magical knights have begun...but as just they took the portal to the world...somebody has learned about my plot...

"Sir! Sir! A rebel has infiltrated our intelligence center, and leaked your plot to capture the Princess!" A soldier from our intelligence agency informed me.

"Wait, what?! Who will did such a thing? We have smashed out all of our opponents, right?"

"I beg to disagree, sir. Based on the identifications that she left...there's an existing rebel group abroad named "Government - in - exile of the Rightful Empress of Nova Ascia." "The soldier explained. "And the name of that rebel Is Regine Biscotti, the "Acting Leader" of the Government - in - exile."

"A leader, huh?" I think of another idea for him. "Use our magical fire dragon from our arsenal and chase that girl. Don't let her escape and capture her...we will make more information about that government of hers and to capture that princess more easily."

But later on...those missions have failed...Princess Lily was able to defeat the knights because she was able to partner with a familiar...not to mention that Regine the rebel leader has found her and team up to defeat the dragon. It turns out to be much worse when my spy told me that the Princess has already met with the government - in - exile that is waiting for her...

"Sir, I have confirmed that Princess Lily is meeting with the exiled government."

"What?! This is the perfect opportunity to arrest that lady! Do it tonight!" I told the spy

"We can't Sir, remember that the exiled government is in the border town of another country, we can't invade and arrest her without consent."

"Well...then, you continue to spy on her work. And we will find a way to arrest or kill her. And if she steps into Nova Ascia, she will never expect what she will going into..."

And then the door of opportunity opens when her humanitarian team makes a project in the border town of Usce. I called the troops from its military camp... especially its secret weapon... Princess Lily's former childhood friends - Danica and Danielle...

"Good day, General!" Danica greeted me. "What orders will you about to give you us?"

"Yes it is, Princess Lily is just in the nearby town of Niño. You need to pretend to be her guests. When you've earned her trust, neutralize her, prevent from casting magic against you and finally...without getting noticed, smuggle her back into the camp and quickly deliver her into the castle, understood?"

"Yes, sir!" Danica and Danielle replied with a grin.

"And for the rest of the troops, you need to make a diversion." I then turned to the soldiers. "There's an upcoming mission by her humanitarian team in your town, ambush them and took them as hostages. With that, they will forget on saving the Princess and Danica and Danielle can carry her faster, is that clear, gentlemen?"

"Yes, Sir!"

But yet again...my ambitious plan failed...Regine and Lily's familiar was able to prevent the twins to capture her...and Princess Lily was able to change the twins' hearts and bring them to their side. And worse...our diversion plan collapses with it, Lily used Danica to annihilate our camp.

Is this the beginning of my fall? No, as long as I still have the Empress Angelica Diana...what?!?!

"Ronald...you should do something about this." Angelica tries to give me an advice. "I might help you with this problem...remember that I'm smart to do i-"

"Silence! You're not gonna listen to you!" I scolded her. "Perhaps...you are gonna doubt my powers that lead you to the throne right now..."

"No! It's not what it looks like! I'm just wanna he-"

"No! You don't trust me! Your Majesty, I want you to stay on detention as long as you don't recognize my authority. For now...I will control Nova Ascia on your name..."

The Empress has probably discovered the trick that controls her for most of her lifetime...she underestimate me...and now... I'm gonna put this country under my own hands. I called all the elite Generals of the Imperial Forces to the Castle to orient them...

"Gentlemen, we have already reported activities of Princess Lily's insurgent troops around the border. We need to make a tactical plan to counteract their advance and capture the Princess..."

As the Generals formulate the plan to save the country from the worsening crisis...I look up into the detention cell...where the Empress is there...I heard her saying...

"...sigh...this is already gone too far..."