Queen Elizabeth, with her eyes red from crying, glared at Wilhelm with hatred, as if she wanted to grind him to dust and condemn him to eternal damnation.
Wilhelm awkwardly scratched his head. "Sorry, Your Majesty, I was too impulsive... uh, your clothes are torn..." He picked up the phone. "Miss Anna, the Queen's clothes are dirty, bring a new set."
Queen Elizabeth gritted her teeth and asked coldly, "Where's the bathroom?!"
"There."
Picking up her torn jacket from the floor, Queen Elizabeth awkwardly put it back on and hurried into the bathroom, slamming the door shut and locking it. The sound of running water soon followed.
Anna soon came with a set of clothes, saw the scattered garments on the floor, and scoffed disdainfully. "Really? The great British Empire is resorting to using the Queen in a honey trap? King George VI must be generous; the British people should be grateful for his magnanimity."
Wilhelm waved his hand to interrupt her scorn. "What honey trap? I was the one who forced it."
"Ah?" Anna was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter. "Indeed, the fate of a nation is tied to the fate of its people." The once mighty British Empire was now being thrashed by Germany, and now the Queen was... "But maybe Queen Elizabeth came with this in mind. Your Highness, you won't be lenient with Britain just because of this, will you?"
Wilhelm replied earnestly, "How could I? I love my country more than beauty. At most, I'll ensure the safety of the royal family. Dreaming of sparing Britain is just that, a dream. Wait here to attend to her; I'll go take a shower." After giving his instructions, Wilhelm returned to his bedroom for a shower, stayed there for a while, and then came back to the office.
Queen Elizabeth had changed into the new clothes and sat there with an expressionless face, lost in thought.
Wilhelm cleared his throat. "Your Majesty, the bruise on your arm, was that from King George VI?"
Throughout his life, George VI received much criticism. For instance, he and his wife, Elizabeth, were seen as a loving couple by the public, but later research showed that their over twenty-year marriage was fraught with storms. George VI was known to frequently beat his wife, and in his later years, his temper became particularly volatile, often losing his temper unexpectedly.
Historians speculate that his stutter might have caused him considerable stress, compounded by the burdens of being a wartime monarch, leading to such unusual behavior.
Queen Elizabeth's expression changed, and she said coldly, "Your Highness Wilhelm, let's talk about serious matters."
Wilhelm nodded. "Then let's talk about my conditions. Frankly, Britain's conditions are no longer relevant. In two days at most, Ireland will reclaim Northern Ireland and achieve unification. Scotland will also start stirring for independence. Then, the British mainland will only have England and Wales left, like a turtle in a jar. Britain's overseas colonies will inevitably be divided among others, turning Britain into a state smaller than small. So, the best option is to stop the war at any cost."
"First, punish war criminals. The members of the wartime cabinet, led by Churchill, will be tried by the European Military Tribunal."
"Second, the British Navy can only retain one-tenth of its current strength; all existing warships must be handed over to us for inspection, and we will return some at our discretion."
"Third, all shipyards and heavy industrial bases in Britain must follow Germany's unified arrangements for production. And you must unconditionally surrender all your patent technologies."
"Fourth, to prevent Britain from becoming a springboard for external forces to attack the European continent, Germany must station troops in Britain, at least 200,000."
"Fifth, regarding Britain's overseas colonies, while nominal ownership remains with Britain, all governance rights will be transferred to Germany."
Hearing these conditions, each more alarming than the last, Queen Elizabeth's mouth twitched slightly, finally interrupting him. "Your Highness Wilhelm, these aren't conditions, they are..." She couldn't find the right words to describe such harsh peace terms; they were not just harsh, they were absurd! "I apologize, the British Empire will never accept such terms!"
The wartime cabinet included the Prime Minister, Minister of Defence, First Lord of the Admiralty, Secretary of State for War, Secretary of State for Air, Foreign Secretary, Chancellor of the Exchequer, Lord Privy Seal, Lord President of the Council, Secretary of State for Dominion Affairs, and Home Secretary, all key figures in British politics. If these people were to be tried by the unheard-of European Military Tribunal, they would surely be convicted of serious crimes; they would never agree to surrender. The other conditions were equally unacceptable.
"I haven't finished. Britain must also pay war reparations. France pays four billion francs daily in reparations, so naturally, we must treat Britain 'equally,' or we'd be doing our French allies a disservice, wouldn't we?"
"!!" Queen Elizabeth stared at him with icy eyes, making Wilhelm feel a bit uneasy. He sighed lightly. "Your Majesty, a decisive battle between the Empire and the Soviet Union is inevitable in the near future. Before that, I must resolve all issues behind me to ensure there are no worries. The British Empire is the top priority. As long as Britain does not surrender, the Atlantic defense line will remain unstable.
Otherwise, we negotiate peace today, and they could betray us tomorrow, putting us in the predicament of fighting on two fronts. Therefore, we must at least erase the natural barrier of the English Channel and station our army on British soil. Only this way can we prevent Britain from playing both sides, and only by controlling the British Navy can we truly make the Atlantic an impregnable defense against American interference in European affairs."
"Of course, I understand that the Navy and the English Channel are Britain's non-negotiable bottom lines. From this perspective, peace between our two countries seems impossible."
After further discussion, Wilhelm finally agreed to reduce some of the reparations and decrease the stationed troops from 200,000 to 150,000, also agreeing to return some colonies.
However, on the issues of weakening the British Navy and stationing troops, he remained firm.
Queen Elizabeth sighed softly. "If that's the case, then I should return."
"Uh, Your Majesty, you'd better stay here for a few more days."
Queen Elizabeth's body tensed immediately, a look of caution in her eyes as she exclaimed, "Your Highness Wilhelm, you!" Before she could finish, Wilhelm handed her a small mirror, pointing at his neck. "Uh, you've misunderstood. It's just..."
Queen Elizabeth took the mirror and looked at her neck, only to see a bright red kiss mark shaped like an insect egg starkly visible against her fair skin.
"Thud!" Queen Elizabeth angrily slammed the mirror onto the table and glared at Wilhelm with hatred, while Wilhelm pretended not to notice.