9. Chapter 9(3)

"Don't you love me?!" the Emperor furiously screamed as loudly as his lungs permitted.

Her tears had not ceased falling, nor had her despairing smile faded.

I can't even do this properly...

But this was the appropriate ending for someone whose heart was filled with so much destruction. So much manipulation, so much forcing others to do her bidding, so many deaths both direct and indirect... she couldn't protect her family, she couldn't defeat the empire, she couldn't negotiate peace... she couldn't kill someone with her own hands without being killed herself, and everything she had done had been done through shadowy means and utilizing cowardly tactics. Just as bad as those she hated. In her mind, she'd at least been the chance to find happiness in the end, far beyond what she deserved, and the thought alone comforted her if only a little.

Perhaps, in another time, she could have taken that opportunity.

Perhaps enjoy a nice, quiet life... had things gone differently.

Instead, her life, her actions, her evil desires had consequences, and she would accept them, especially if it meant she had done one thing right.

She wondered if in death, in giving the American the chance to escape there would be some redemption. At least the soldier would continue being a soldier, perhaps find someone better than her. Her mind, in the brief seconds that remained for her, went back to the previous night, and how comforting those arms felt around her, how she wouldn't have minded at all being with him a little longer. How she wouldn't have minded going with him to America, seeing the pictures from the books in person. She wondered what he'd wanted to tell her, what she was supposed to "look forward to".

She wanted to be with him a little longer.

But reality didn't work on what people desired.

As she felt the powerful hands of the emperor begin snapping her neck in twain, she maintained her pained smile, tears streaming down as she hoped the soldier who'd tried to help her got away.

That at least she did one thing right in the end.

It had been a nice fantasy while it lasted.

A sorrowful tear landed on the floor.

-CRACK-

A/N: So... Thanks for the TV Tropes page!

It means a LOT that this fic not only got on the Gate Fanfic recommendations but to get a tropes page? You have no idea how much I appreciate it. Thank you!

Anyway, let's play "identify the Vietnam War analogy!"

...because I put in quite a few...

Also, don't take this chapter as me bashing the M14. I'm not. It's just that it really wasn't the gun for the Vietnam War. I know a lot of guys prefer it to the M16, that's fine, but given the real-life drama (and quite frankly, sabotage) behind the M14's adoption, I think it's worth pointing out alongside America's bizarre idea that they didn't really need "fighter aircraft" cause it's the 1960s. The US had to learn a LOT of lessons from Vietnam to become the fighting force of today, and I just wanted to emphasize that a bit here along with just the madness that entailed ancient/medieval warfare.

How well I did in that regard, that's up to you.

Thanks for keeping up with this fic thus far! Remember that reviews and suggestions are greatly appreciated, especially in the character department. Again, I hope the relationship between the two leads feels right and that both characters have had time to develop.

Again, thanks for reading!

*a correction to chapter 8, I don't know why I wrote that the FAL had a .280 instead of the .308, which I have been thankfully informed is actually a 7.62 NATO round. Critical research failure on my part.

Also changed the AIM-9 to an AIM-7 Sparrow to fit with the description (AIM-9 was heat-seeking).*