"Wait…a Britannian battleship attacked their own aircraft carrier?" Alexander repeated the conclusion of Sevastian's report.

"Yes, Your Majesty. The moment I received the report from the Baltic Fleet, I immediately rushed toward your office. This could mean that the Black Hand has already controlled the Royal Navy as well."

Alexander clicked his tongue as he rapped his fingers on the table. "The situation is getting worse and worse ever since the attack on Westminster Abbey. This is bad, we are a lone warship sailing along the English Channel without escorts. Inform the captain of the ship immediately to not take their eyes away from the monitors. If the Royal Navy is controlled, then there is a huge possibility of a Black Hand-controlled submarine en route to our position."

"Your Majesty, my suggestion, how about we wait for the Baltic Fleet to arrive in the English Channel instead of us charging to the unknown?" Sevastian asked.

"No, that's a bad idea and I'm pretty sure the Command Ops and the Admiral would agree with me. Should we do that, then we will be sitting ducks here. You must've forgotten that we are on enemy territory?"

"Enemy…territory?" Sevastian cocked his head to the side puzzledly.

"The Britannian Government is down and we have to assume that a high-ranking Black Hand is controlling the country behind the scene like a puppet through sets of strings. So we are getting out of here, the farther the better. And I believe that if there's a Britannian submarine or a surface warship were to intercept us, our radars and sonars will detect it and retaliate accordingly. What's more, our aircraft carrier must have deployed Hawkeyes to recon around our perimeter," Alexander explained and continued. "So, how is the investigation going?"

"What do you mean, Your Majesty?"

"The rat, the one who leaked classified escape routes. Rolan, Have you found any holes?" Alexander reminded him.

"Ahh…none so far, Your Majesty. It would be best if we investigate it once we arrive in St. Petersburg because most of the documented information about Rolan is there and inaccessible from here. Though I suggest that you keep away from Rolan until we clear him out," Sevastian advised.

Alexander simply nodded at his advice and continued working on the papers he had at hand.

"If nothing more, Your Majesty, I'll take my leave. Should the situation call for it, that you need to talk to Rolan, may I suggest bringing other Imperial Guards?"

"Thank you, Sevastian. But I'm not in the mood to talk to him right now. My doubts about him still linger, if he turns out to be the mole, then I can't forgive myself for bringing him closer to my family."

Sevastian was silent but inwardly, he was jubilant that Alexander's doubt and suspicions is not directed to him but to Rolan. He already orchestrated a plan in his mind to use Rolan as a scapegoat. But despite all of his planning, he is still frustrated. None of these would have happened if only Alexander didn't survive the explosion.

The fact that he had to work with the Ruthenian Shepherd to assassinate Alexander in the Imperial Council Building was infuriating. He too hated the Black Hand, as he knew their ideals of the people leading the country, not the monarchs, aren't aligned. Should the assassination be successful, then he would become the next target of the Black Hand.

That's why he is also helping Alexander to track down Black Hand so that in the future, their influence and power would be lessened, securing his position.

"Your Majesty, I promise you, we will take down the Black Hand. Their reign of fear will end within your rule," Sevastian spoke.Alexander looked up at Sevastian, twiddling his hand on the desk.

"Sevastian, I have a question. Why did a Britannian Empire's battleship attack its own aircraft carrier? I mean for what purpose?"

"Well to thwart the agreement between the Royal and the Imperial Ruthenian Navy, I suppose," Sevastian answered. "Like they don't want to let our navy enter Britannian waters."

Alexander hummed, it was a plausible reason why the Britannian battleship fired at the aircraft carrier as it held the meeting between two admirals of their country's respective fleet.

He waved his hand, shooing him away.

Sevastian bowed his head lightly at Alexander before leaving.

***

In the heart of the Britannia Empire, in a secret bunker of Westminster Abbey, the Edinburg Royal Family as well as high-ranking officials sat at a long table, discussing national security.

"We have to get out of here and take control of the situation," Diana, the newly crowned Queen of the Britannia Empire urged. "The longer we stay here underground, the more the trust of the people towards the government plummets. We have to ensure the people that we are with them in this fight against the vilest terrorist group."

"Your Majesty, we appreciate your concerns over the people but it simply cannot be done," the Prime Minister said. "We have to prioritize your safety as we believe that you are the target. Besides, we can execute our duties and relay orders from here."

"How was everyone? The head of state, I mean?"

"They have their own security details, Your Majesty, they must have executed their escape plan the moment the Black Hand attacked. They could be out of the country or still in hiding."

"This is going to be a huge humiliation in the history of the Britannia Empire," Diana declared in frustration. "How's the military doing?"

"Every base of the Britannia Empire, domestic or abroad, is on high alert. Those who are near London have been dispatched to take control of our capital. It'll be only a matter of time before we flush the city out of Black Hand agents."

"Incoming report from the Admiralty!" One of the staffers inside the bunker raised his hand. "The Baltic Fleet of the Ruthenian Empire just crossed into our territorial waters."

"Did they tell us why?"

"Admiral of the Home Fleet, George Callaghan said that they'll tow their battleship out of the Port of London."

"Any information about the Ruthenian Emperor?" Diana asked.

"The Emperor of the Ruthenia Empire already left the Port of London aboard the Burnyi Class Destroyer."

"Your Majesty, Admiral George just let a foreign fleet into our waters without our permission," the prime minister protested.

"A barge pulling hundreds of kilograms of explosive rammed into the Ruthenian Battleship, setting it off, and rendering it immobile. The battleship is equipped with state-of-the-art systems that they don't want to fall in our hands."

"It could be our chance, Your Majesty, we can take the Ruthenian battleship to ourselves. We are falling behind in terms of naval technology," the prime minister suggested.

"I know but that will anger the Ruthenia Empire and use it as casus belli to declare war on us," Diana reasoned.

"Any other report from the Admiralty?"

The staff shook his head. "It's only the contents of the telegraph."

Diana sighed and muttered under her breath "Why do I feel like I'm not hearing what I want to hear?"

"Because we chose it that way," someone whispered behind her back.

Diana let out a startled gasp as she turned around to look. "Anne?"

Anne clapped her hands and suddenly, gunfire erupted in the bunker, killing the royal families, including their former king, brothers, and sisters, and her personal guard, Lancelot. The clergy was not spared either.

The staff who weren't part of the grand plan were also killed.

"What the…" Diana watched in horror, "Papa…Anne…WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!"

Diana rushed at Anne but was simply kicked away by a royal guard. Her face contorted in pain.

"You…this is treason!" Diana shouted. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Even the Prime Minister who was working under her for years is part of it.

"Sorry, Your Majesty," Stanley said flippantly. "You think you were manipulating me. But I'm actually manipulating you to think that you are actually manipulating me."

"Guards, take my sister away. We are leaving."

"Anne? You just killed our parents! You fucking devil!"action

"Parents? Do I really have parents? I don't think so. Maybe for you," Anne coldly said.

Two royal guards lifted Diana up under her arm and pulled her towards Anne.

"You'll join the rest, sister," Anne said.