Rebirth. It was a very simple thing actually, you die and wake up at a previous point of your life, its a second chance to change, to do good, to live and let live, to love, to be happier than ever before.
A rebirth was, in fact, just like the Christmas Carol stories of the ghosts of Christmas past, present and future.
And so, I was grateful, many times so in fact that I'd gotten a second chance to do things differently. But then I got a third chance, and a fourth, a fifth and finally as I stand at the rails waiting for the man that always reported my parents death to speak, I got a tenth chance.
What was once a miracle became torture. Now I only wished to die a permanent death. But as it stood, I once again had a nation to lead.
"Master, the council brings terrible news, your parents are dead. Schelar is without a leader."
Quite insensitive of him to mention the Nation's dire straits in the same breath he uses to pronounce my parents dead isn't it?
I quickly put on a stunned and shocked face and shoot out a ton of pre-prepared questions of concern. I've gone through this scenario several times so far I'd mastered acting out the mundane scene.
"The Speaker is down in the car waiting for you, he will explain all and answer your questions, Master."
I nod as he beckons for me to come down with him. This day was one of the few days, if not the only day I can predict events with certainty. "I'll be right back," I say holding up a finger letting him know I needed a moment.
Even with my foresight, I could not account for how the little changes in my actions affect others. I step back into the room and grab a black blazer from my wardrobe before heading down, still with a distressed look on my face.
I let the man go-ahead to the convoy of cars waiting outside the palace while I stop by a guard. I make sure my six feet plus body blocks his from view as I talk to him, "Hey, hand me your weapon," he looks at me incredulously and I narrow my eyes and get more specific, "Your gun, now."
He slips it out and places in the front of my trouser- I needed my hands visible for this to work- and I slowly turn, my right hand pushing against the newly acquired weapon, effectively hiding it behind my body and the blazer I'd gotten from my wardrobe. Finally pulling my hand out from the blazer, along with a white handkerchief making sure to wipe away some tears.
With this done, I hoped no one had realized I wasn't just having a tearful exchange with a guard and quickly got into the car, meeting the Speaker.
"Good morning, Hasina." He says, hurriedly swiping through his phone.
"Not exactly the best Mister Speaker," I respond, making sure to sound extremely pained with my words, "What happened to my parents?" I demand as the cars began to drive off.
The Speaker let out a sigh, "We are still trying to find out. Your father was travelling to Madagascar to negotiate some deal." He rubs his temples tiredly, "He didn't let us in on it."
I take in a deep breath calming myself and softening my voice, giving way for worry and anxiety to show rather than anger, "How did it happen? Is my mum okay?"
The man turns sharply to me, taking my hand in his, "I'm sorry. Plane crash. As far as we know there has been no sign of survivors, their bodies weren't even found. We are still trying to determine if this was as a result of external forces or just negligence." He looks me dead in the eye and promises, "We will bring justice upon them."
I sigh, looking out the window and make my first grab for power as the vehicles turn up at the National Assembly House, "Well, we better. It's my first order as Leader." I could feel the Speakers surprised stare on me.
My father was dead. That meant I was suddenly in a position to accept his position as chairman of the one and only political party in Schelar. Effectively making myself the newest Supreme leader of the country.
In my past lives, I'd done so only twice. The first time which was my first life, I called claim on the country and party very well being part of my inheritance. The council amused my delusion for a month before getting rid of me permanently…well, not so permanently.
The second time around, with knowledge of those who would harm me- assassins really need to stop giving regards- I managed to stay in power until I was twenty-five years old. Unfortunately, the people of Schelar didn't exactly prosper under my rule, not that I could help it, but they wanted to hear none of that. I was quickly overthrown by a popular uprising, it seemed that I hadn't kept a strong hand on the military either.
Other times I quickly passed on power; taking the place of the speaker and letting whoever won their little war rule the country whilst I stay in the background and once, simply being bought off for a large sum of money. Both times I still ended up being killed.
"You are simply too beloved by the public to remain alive."
Luciano, my father's right-hand man and Marshal to his armed forces said this to me at the moment before he shot me in the head in what was my villa in the Maldives. It seemed the nurturing touch of my father's regime had endeared the country to his entire family. It was one of the reasons I was able to rule so long before being overthrown by the revolutionaries.
This time, I'm going to die a natural death whilst in power. I have my mind in a resolute stance for staying alive long enough to die naturally, as we step out of the car and march to the Assembly.
With the doors bursting open at my arrival I made sure to give off a calm and confident persona. Like my parents hadn't just died.
With the speaker in tow, we walk down past all the representatives who had been mandatorily flown in by the Speaker. Their chatter was incessant.
I arrived at the Chair of the Speaker, easily displacing him as he followed behind me. As I sat in the chair the assembly still chattered on. Much so like they did the other nine times I'd been in this situation, insulting.
I look to the Speaker who stood close behind me, "Matthias is there something on my face?" I ask over the noise
Confused he blinked, actually taking a good look before responding, "Ah, no, you look as you normally do, Hasina."
I make my displeasure very visible as I reach into the side of my blazer and pull out the gun I'd gotten as I stand up, jumping onto the table and kicking away the microphone. By this time, I'd gotten some of the rooms attention.
With the gun in my hand I release the safety and shoot at the roof twice and immediately there was silence and fright. Some of the reps attempted to leave the room, scrambling away, tripping on their laces. But the guards had shut the doors, rightfully so.
With everyone's attention on my tall suited form. I bend over, gun pointing away from the crowd and scream, "THEN WHY ARE THEY ACTING LIKE THEY DO NOT SEE ME, MATTHIAS!?"
Matthias, of course, did not answer this. As it was present in a manner common of a rhetoric question. But in order to create the over-the-edge-will-kill-at-any-moment persona that gets people rightfully nervous with a ruler, I needed to be unpredictable.
"Well, Matthias? Am I not deserving of an answer?" I ask, turning my eye onto the middle-aged man behind me. His shock that I actually expected to be answered was amusing, almost amusing enough to break out of my unstable character.
He stuttered a bit for an answer that would please me but was saved by a rep demanding to the guard that she be let out. Impressive, someone still found it within themselves to talk without me addressing them.
I smirked and jumped down from the high table, stumbling a bit as I'd underestimated the height, some tried to help me up, no doubt to win favour with the person holding them all hostage by the gun.
I wave them off with the hand carrying the gun- brilliant for driving people away- straighten my look and proceed to walk up to the scene taking place at the doors. The rep, a woman, held her bag and her keys in hand, her face grows distraught seeing me approach.
Once there the guard begins to apologize, "I'm sorry sir, I couldn't keep her silent."
"Hold her still."
Not hesitating the man grabs her by her arms, squeezing them against her body keeping her relatively still. I could feel the crowd of around a hundred representatives move to get a safe view of what was about to happen. And I wondered what Matthias thought.
"What is your name?" I ask making sure to put on a happy and attentive smile.
She only glared at me, "Let me go, I have a family."
I sigh and roll my eyes, "I would have let you go regardless of you having a family, if only you sat quietly and listened attentively like the figurehead you're meant to be." I say cocking the gun and pointing it at her forehead. The guard looked, more or less, frightened for his own life given his current position.
"Hasina, she's a new recruit!" I hear Matthias shout from the back, I turn and with him now stood Luciano, the Marshal of the armed forces.
"Mercy.", he said, the single word alone irritated me coming from a man who hunted me down into an entirely different country just to make his illegitimate rule a bit more stable.
"Mercy," I repeat and quickly fire a bullet into the woman's thigh, making sure to sever an artery. A decade serving in the military of another country had me romancing the sniper rifle, let's just say I had good aim. "Is a virtue I am willing to offer for one-time offenders, Luciano." I smile as I see his eyes narrowed at me. Obviously, things are not going according to his plan.
I walk down to the podium, taking off my blazer and letting it fall to the floor as I do, it's hot being so assertive. Well, actually I'm just nervous. I was flexing a lot more than a nineteen-year-old should. Even one in power, and it was obviously upsetting a lot of people. Not that they mattered. Even if Luciano had me killed I'd just wake up in my bed again. I had nothing to fear from him or anyone other than a restart.
But just because I would be reborn the moment I died, that didn't mean I wanted to die.
"Good morning, Luciano." I smile at him as I wrestle my way to the top of the table where I stood before. And then with a loud voice, I spoke to the men and women gathered.
"I know why you all gathered here today. With my parents dead and I left as the only child you seek, to lecture me on how power should lie in the hands of an adult, and how power needs a level head without the frolicking distractions of a young man." I cringe a bit in realization, "I realize you would be right on both accounts, especially given my less than stellar display here." I say with a smile, admiring the weapon in my hands.
"But I honestly do not care much for your unprompted opinions. Those are for your unfortunate spouses. Schelar is mine to nurture. Just like my father did. Now I know Luciano, our brave Marshal and longtime friend may want to wring power out of my hands with military force…But it's all too late for that."
I look Luciano in the eyes, pointing the gun right at his ugly mug of a face. "The King is dead. Long live the King motherfucker."
BANG!