It's been thirty minutes since Alexander's surgery started.
Christina was escorted back to the Winter Palace where she can execute her duty as Ruthenia Empire's temporary head of state.
Fortunately, her two sisters, Tiffania and Anastasia were already sleeping, so no one will nag about her wondering why they were not told to come and the reason why she was asked to come by Alexander.
It's already 9 in the evening yet the meeting with her brother's ministers will start at 30 minutes.
The place where she'll be debriefed by them is at her brother's administrative office, a place where Alexander spent most of his time dealing with bureaucratic manners.
With a file on her hand containing sophisticated information about the Ruthenia Empire, she stepped into her brother's office.
She stared somberly as her gaze fell on the empty chair behind the desk. She stepped forward and started to lay a hand on an empty wooden desktop.
Then slowly lifting her free arm, she rested her hand on the chair's back where her brother usually sits during work hours.
Memories of her brother flitted past her mind; memories of her visiting him while he was busy doing his work. Memories where she often brings him his afternoon snacks as he works tirelessly in this room.
It's hard to imagine that there would be a person in this country who would harm her brother who was breaking his back trying to get the country back on its feet. Her brother sacrificed most of his time serving the people better giving hope and a future.
And now, he's lying on a surgical table, uncertain whether he'll survive or not. Her eyes burned with fury at whoever did this to him.
Tick. Tick. Tick.
Time passed quickly. And when she finally snapped out of her thoughts, her brother's prime minister approached the door and called her name.
"Your Majesty, we are ready to report to you now," Sergei announced before pushing open the door and walking inside, bowing slightly in respect.
The other ministers followed suit until they all gathered around Sergei. Christina bowed to them too and sat down on his brother's chair and faced them. She opened her files and looked for any relevant information regarding the Empire.
"Okay, let's get to work. Who's first?" Her voice carried a tone of authority as she glanced at them.
The Minister of Finance raised his hand.
"The people are panicking, Your Majesty. I've received a report on one of our major banks that the people are withdrawing their money from their account after they received news about assassination attempt on His Majesty Alexander Romanoff. This could be catastrophic to our economy," Vladimir reported with a shaky voice and continued.
"If everyone withdraws their money at the same time, the banks will collapse. I suggest that you authorize closing the bank immediately for at least two or three days until the dust is settled," Vladimir concluded.
Christina nodded. "I understand, I'll authorize it."
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Vladimir bowed gratefully.
"Okay, who's next?"
"Due to the recent attempt on His Majesty's life, St. Petersburg is on lockdown to catch the perpetrator who tried to kill our Emperor. But I've received word just now that we've captured him and are at the police station for interrogation. I suggest that we lift the lockdown to appease the citizens of the capital that the suspect is in our hands and there's nothing to worry about," said Minister of Internal Affairs Dmitri Kaniv.
"Is that so...the bastard who tried to kill my brother has been caught huh?"
The air around the office grew tense as everyone heard her cold words.
Even Sergei seemed shaken up and his knuckles turned white as he gripped the file in his hand to calm it down. He didn't expect the princess of the Ruthenia Empire to be this scary.
Dmitri nodded solemnly.
Her lips tightened into a thin line. "I'm terribly sorry but I would like to meet him right now, could you arrange a car for me?"
It was just a perfectly normal and lovely voice, but behind it was something dark. Something terrifying. A warning. The kind of voice you'd want to avoid hearing.
Dmitri swallowed hard.
"I know you're going to say 'it's dangerous outside' but if the bastard has been caught, then there's nothing to be concerned about right? I'm just going to talk to him, I swear."
Despite saying it in a gentle and amicable tone, her brother's ministers were stiffened. They exchanged worried glances but didn't dare to oppose her wishes.
"We understand, Your Majesty. To make sure you're safe in your journey, we will constitute more Imperial Guards in your security detail," Sergei said.
"Thank you," Her eyes softened briefly and it almost made her appear friendly. "To those who still have something to report to me can wait. This trip of mine takes precedence...unless if it's important..."
At the end of her words, no one raised their hands, indicating that there were no urgent matters that requires her attention.
"In that case, Sir Dmitri."
"Yes, Your Majesty?"
"You have my authorization to lift the lockdown.'
"Understood."
…
At the police station where the perpetrator was being held, Christina walked in the hallway with her Imperial Guards trailing her. She stopped in front of the interrogation room where the suspect had been put in custody.
The chief police officer standing beside her knocked on the metal door and the police officers from behind the room opened it carefully.
In the middle of the room, Christina saw a man inside sitting on a chair with his hands bound by chains on the table and his head covered with a ragged brown sack, preventing him from seeing anything. However, there was some movement under the sheets so Christina could assume he was conscious even though he couldn't move.
The Chief of Police cleared his throat and faced Christina.
"Your Majesty, I don't think it's appropriate of your position to see the suspect face-to-face."
"It isn't a big deal. What he did to my brother is unforgivable. If it wasn't for his actions, my brother would be in the palace today, sleeping. I'd like to ask him a few questions," Christina said in a determined voice. She felt anger rising within her.
"Tell me more about him."
"Despite giving him a beating, he refused to speak. He was even laughing when we were flogging him down. He's a hard man to crack, Your Majesty."
"Is that so? I'll only ask him a few questions if you don't mind?"
"If you insist, Your Majesty," The Chief of Police gave her the go-signal and one of the officers went to remove the clothing that was covering the suspect's face.
When the cloth fell off, Christina gasped at the sight of a man whose battered face made him look unrecognizable. There were bruises visible on his cheekbones, forehead, and nose, which were swollen in a way that must hurt to look at. One of his eyes was puffy and black and blood traced at the end of his lips.
The man looked up sharply when he heard a woman gasp and he widened his eyes in shock. It was someone he knew.
Christina sat down on the chair in front of the table.
Gabriel took a deep breath as he noticed Christina staring back at him with such intensity.
"It's quite nice to be visited by a princess from the corrupted royal family, " Gabriel let out a deriding smile. "I'm honored."
His tone was filled with ridicule and mockery.
Despite his looks, he can still let out such haughty words despite being beaten up like this. This bastard...didn't even show a sign of guilt on his face. Christina wanted to slap him for his preposterous behavior but she controlled her anger.
"Why did you do it?" Christina asked simply.
Gabriel smiled bitterly. "Are you seriously asking me that? This proves our point that the royal family is so closed off to reality."
"I don't understand…why did you do it?" Christina repeated.
Gabriel clicked his tongue in annoyance. "I did it because we want to bring down the monarchy that has been robbing the people of their liberty and rights and we will stop at no one until the very last one of you dies,"
Christina pursed her lips tightly together. She didn't know how to respond after listening to what he said. For a few seconds, she stared at Gabriel, trying to find something in his eyes. She found nothing. He was completely emotionless, devoid of everything she thought about and understood.
"What you did to my brother is unforgivable. You won't have my forgiveness. You terrorists are the ones who were plaguing this country. Your deplorable acts of assassinations that took the lives of my father and mother...and then...my brother..."
Gabriel leaned forward. "Hoh? Did the prince die?"
"No," Christina answered.
Gabriel leaned back, disappointed by the news.
"Well that's too bad...looks like we're going to have to try again. It's a pity that I won't be the one to do so..." Gabriel sighed. "Since I failed the mission of taking his life, I have no purpose to my Shepherd. From this moment forward, I don't care whether you flog me, whip me, or beat me. I will not rat them out..."
"Is that so?" Christina's icy blue eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Yes...My comrades are committed to the cause. We will kill each and every last one of you. This is just the beginning princess...THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING! SO YOU BETTER BE PREPARED WHEN WE COME AT YOU! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA." Gabriel laughed loudly, his laughter filling up the whole room.
The police standing by in the corners promptly walked forward and drove his face onto the table.
"You...how dare you to talk that way to Her Majesty?!"
Despite Gabriel's face being smashed against the hard metal surface, he still managed to utter, "Remember...my...words...princess...we will come at you..."
"Your soul is beyond redemption...Instead of giving you my forgiveness, I will pray for you..."
"I don't...need...your...prayers...keep them...to...yourselves..."
Christina stood up suddenly from her seat. "I'll let my brother decide what to do with you. But if it were my way, I would have you pay for your sins right here and now. If you're going to make a threat then, here's ours...We will also come at you."
After saying that, Christina left the room, she can't bear to be with the person that attempted to kill her brother anymore.
She then muttered to herself. "If only he witnessed the efforts of his brother to make the Empire great again, would he perhaps have a change of heart?"
The answer that popped up in her mind is "No".