Chapter 0, Part 1 - High Treason

Es irrt der Mensch, solang' er strebt

In the midday cool breeze of spring, the clock strikes thirteen. Clear skies, sometimes obstructed by the smoke of burning coal. The factories are thawing, and the mighty wheel of industry had begun to rotate again.

Kronprinzessinnenpalais, a once mighty palace right in the middle of Berlin, now lives in the shadow of factories on the surrounding districts. On the canopy of the palace stands four figures. One, a stern and old man, dressed sharp, looking over his city. Another, wrinkly man, not as old as the stern one, yet airs a sense of colder command, and a twinge of dishonesty. Two of the rest are men with long rifles standing watch at the edges of the canopy.

"Once more, they are sick men, not criminals. I want the problem gone as much as you want, Spymaster, but imprisonment will not solve a problem about public health" The stern man opens the line.

"We've gone beyond that question, your majesty, they're a vector of-"

"They're my people. And I will treat them as if they are my own." The stern man cuts off the wrinkly man's speech

"We shall not speak of this again"

"Very well"

The moment the wrinkly man ends his acknowledgement, a young lady approaches the both of them from the stairs.

"Good afternoon father. What did you call me here for?"

Both men acknowledges her presence with a simple head turn

"Oh, I'm sorry. It seems I may have interrupted your discussion with Spymaster Mallistor, father" The young lady apologizes by bowing slightly.

"Our discussion is over. Mallistor, you are dismissed"

"As you wish, your majesty" The wrinkly man turns around and gestures toward the two guards standing duty. They both follow him down the stairs of the palace.

Friedrich Wilhelm Nikolaus Wolfgang von Reiss, and her only daughter and apparent heir, Prinzessin Victoria Johannes Wolfgang von Reiss, the only two people left on the canopy.

"Father, why did you bring me out here?"

"Victoria" Friedrich turns around to see his city "Someday, these will all be yours"

"All of the wealth and problems of the Zentrum"

Victoria inches closer towards her father, seeing the same thing he sees.

"The people may not as easily accept an Kaiserin, as they accept a Kaiser. But you must be strong, as your mother had been when she gave birth to you"

Victoria looks down, towards the streets below. A mother and a daughter walks and plays with each other.

"I am sorry. We had the best doctors, yet fate still had to take her away from us"

"Yet, we must continue on"

"It's okay father. I'll live up to your expectations"

Only seconds of silence accompany the last sentence, as the sound of running steps permeates the canopy. Men of masks slip in and out of existence around the rooftops of the canopy.

"Assassins? Now?" Friedrich clenches his fist and readies his stance

"Get behind me father!" Victoria unsheathes her sword and stands back to back with his beloved dad

The fight only lasts 12 seconds, as the masked men quickly overwhelms both Victoria and Friedrich.

Friedrich, with 5 stab wounds, lies on the floor, as the choked out Victoria was suddenly released from the men's grasp. They all disappeared. She crawls towards her father, and clutches his dying torso on her arms.

"Father"

Friedrich coughs "It is high time you learn how to rule now, Vic"

"Dad" Tears start to roll down her cheecks

"Don't cry. I'll meet your mother soon. You don't want her to be sad, don't you?"

Victoria couldn't muster the barest of smile, but she still tries

The moment is broken, as Friedrich slips away from the world of the living. The wrinkly man, the Spymaster Mallistor, suddenly appeared with the guards he brought.

"By God, what have you done, young lady?"

"I-i tried to pro-"

"She's doomed us all. She's killed the Kaiser!" Guards all point their bayonetted long rifles.

"Wait, wait no!"

One of the guards couldn't help but exclaim under his breath "His own daughter, how impatient"

"No! It wasn't me!" Victoria panics

"I'll see you tried for this, Victoria" The spymaster ordered one of the guards to knock her out cold.

Prone on the floor, the last thing Victoria saw as she closes her eyes, is his father's dead gaze unto her.