Business as Ussual

'Fuck fuck.' Antonio thought as they were already in the carriage without any top. The flies were sometimes bothering them as they just rode to the clinic. 

"Ahh ahh… I should have bought the machine with me… now I will have to talk more than I want." Felipe said, annoyed as he saw that the East India Company was asking for proof of the machine, which meant that the people they sent to Colombia to talk to him about the change of debt owners were not high in rank to make decisions. 

'Well, that was expected, meh, from them. I got the willingness to savour Maria; they would have probably sent a letter if they had not sent them.' Felipe just smiled and breathed in the quality air. 

He was running a whole fucking country, if not multiple; as long as he can stay afloat, everything will be okay. Nations went into debt to pay off previous debts, but the Colombian Empire still did not at that point. With the integration of the Kingdom of Peru into the Empire, the finances will be great; well, they are already financially integrated; after all, it is the Empire that mines the coastal islands full of Bird Poop. 

'Tuvalu is also easy money… Gunpowder components that are straight up, just white gold. I need to fight off France from bullying Haiti and start Colonization in Africa before it is too late; no need to do premature things.' Felipe talked to himself as he reminded himself it was time for peace. He understands war; he has seen war, at least at the local level, and he can not imagine what a world war would do to the world on a whole level. 

"Your majesty… I am not sure it is a good thing to visit His Excellency while he is not disposed…" the substitute for the Colombian Ambassador said very politely out of nowhere. 

"How bad it can be… even if it is the plague, I am sure the lord will be with me through the whole thing… I am more worried about getting the mosquito sickness." Felipe said as he slapped his neck after feeling a mosquito bite.

"…" Antonio realized the rumours of the Prince being stubborn to death were not a myth; they were true! And the most cruel part was that he was ruthless. 

The harsh part to remember is that the imperial Family had the same weight to the Empire's creation as General Bolivar did by defeating the Spanish with his huge army. The Imperial Family created a government where there was none; they could fend off all the juntas that threatened independence from the Empire, and they ruled with an iron fist to the point no powerful person ever thought about rebelling for a long time. 

It was once again a reminder that the Prince was not a kid despite his age on paper. He not only destroyed the whole rebellious army of the Venezuelan Rebellion. He also took back the whole region under the control of the Empire, killing his way to power, just like he did when they were in the midst of the Game of Thrones when the Imperial family was just a former noble family from the Later Holy Roman Empire. 

Now, they were feared in the region as overlords and with enough influence to take on anyone they wanted to in the region and even on the other side of the sea. 

"Your majesty, you are essential for the survival of the empire…if you don't make it, the empire will not be able…"

"Please shut up," Felipe said with a smile as he began to find Antonio annoying. He didn't fully know the behind-scenes things happening in the USA but was not worrying about it. 

The accumulation of flammable gasses due to a bad design in the match factory has ruled out all kinds of possible intentional fire starters. 

'Ahh ahh, I can rebuild with the insurance… but I bet they will challenge it… I would, too. That is annoying.' He still felt a bit disturbed by the fact he was losing a lot of money, and in the 19th Century, things didn't go as fast as in the 21st Century. 

The Lead Time of his order to its completion is not days, but months! Sometimes, even years. He has just gotten a huge blow to his production of matches; Felipe predicts that in about 4 Months or so, he will be able to sell one sewing machine, and even then, that was not his main goal; his main goal is to dominate the industry from side to side, he can not do that by just selling Sewing machine, the fabric design and even the Fabric has to be made. 

He will start the first model of Globalization in the world. The pigments will be produced in Peru, the Fabric will be produced in the Imperial Dukedoms, and the Tailoring will be made in the Grand Duchy of Venezuela. Of course, the cotton will be made in the USA for a few decades or so, then shipped across the civilized world. 

'Textiles, what a gold mine… hopefully it pays off as matches do.' He began to daydream as it was the best way to go about things. The cold air from the incoming winter was now hitting his face, and he could somehow feel it. 

Meanwhile, Antonio was dying inside as he didn't know what to do; he had done things that he would never have thought about doing... but in reality, Antonio didn't have any guts to do anything by himself; he felt empowered as he felt sheltered, the Embassy of the USA had a huge range of autonomy due to the very importance that they had in the Imperial Finances.

And as long as the Prince didn't go to the USA, he would have quite a huge amount of authority by falsifying cards. That was the only thing he was good for; he was the assistant/apprentice of the Ambassador.

But now the fucking Prince was in front of him, seemingly enjoying the view from the topless carriage they were both sharing which was heading towards his demise.

The acting Ambassador wanted to say something, but at the same time, he didn't get the balls to break the silence that was created when he was ordered to shut up; it was like a divine command that his body refused to break. 

Not long before, they arrived at the outskirts of the port and a sizable clinic. It was not busy, but his arrival at the clinic made some curious people look at him. 

"…" Antonio once again tried to say something, but his throat closed. 

"Humm." Felipe was quite impressed by the whole building; it was modest, but at the same time, it wasn't. 

He looked at the people looking at him with curiosity; he just waved at them, and nothing happened; no one cared about him because no one there had seen him or had any idea of who he was; in their eyes, he was just an obnoxious man with a caravan of soldiers which meant he was important, but not to what extend. 

He just nodded as he realized that the people's curiosity was just curiosity and no admiration. 

"Take me to Mauricio." He told the acting Ambassador, turning to find a doctor with his hat on his chest. 

"Good afternoon," Felipe said as he nodded slightly to the Doctor in his suit. 

"This is…"

"I am Felipe, please. I heard your clinic is currently housing my Ambassador; I have visited and seen him." 

"…Your Majesty the Prince of Colombia?" The Doctor asked as he looked at the entrance of people behind Felipe; they were mostly soldiers with actual weapons in horses and more than one carriage. 

"Yes, precisely. Now, please."

"… Your Majesty, before you enter, please understand I have not been able to personally look at the ambassador as the embassy has deemed it unnecessary." The Doctor said quickly as he felt trouble coming his way. 

He never thought that the Prince would be so big and intimidating, even though he was truly breaking the expectations of what a noble should be. 

"Is that so? I understand. Don't worry; there will be no trouble coming your way." Felipe said as he smiled and began to realize that the whole thing was weird. "When was the ambassador brought here?"

"Just before noon, your majesty… I was in my office, but my nurse told me that the current Ambassador of the Colombian Embassy asked for a room to hold the ill Ambassador; I offered to see him, but your guards blocked me…" The Doctor said as he looked at the guards looking at them without coming forward. 

"I see, thanks." Felipe didn't bother anymore and just got in while lowering his head due to how low was the ceiling. 

It didn't take long before he was in front of the soldiers. 

Antonio, on the other hand, understood that he needed to make an excuse; he and the Prince were the only ones there able to understand English, so Felipe's guards didn't know what was happening, so they didn't detain him for going up to the Prince and grabbing his arm. 

"Your majesty, please don't enter; I am worried about what might happen if you get inside there."

"…" Felipe only looked at his hand over his arm and then looked at Antonio and didn't say anything; the intense stare was enough for Antonio to realize what he had just done, so he quickly took his hand off. 

"… Your majesty, the moment we heard that you were coming, we translated the ill ambassador here as we worried about your safety."

Felipe only took out his trusty handkerchief and put it over his mouth as he stood before the guards. 

"Open the door," Felipe commanded in Spanish, yet they didn't know what to do as they were given clear instructions on what to do; plus, it was the first time they had seen the Prince in real life and not in a painting. 

Felipe looked at their equipment; it was only a sword and elegant uniforms with golden trim, just like the ones from the Embassy. 

"As the crown prince of the Colombian Empire and dictator of the Grand Duchy of Venezuela, I command you to open the door. If you don't do so, you will be tried for treason." Felipe said calmly. 

The soldiers saw how Felipe's guard was now holding the acting Ambassador; the guards that Felipe brought with him might not know English, but they could read the context and pull his majesty's arm to prevent him from doing something that was an offense.

The guards guarding the room quickly realized that they were in deep shit and quickly opened the door and moved out of the way. 

Felipe wanted to enter, but the moment they opened the door, he saw Mauricio over a bed, not even with some bedsheets but on a bed; his eyes were wide open, and his mouth open, looking at the ceiling… he was devoid of life. 

Felipe sighed, moved back, put his handkerchief back in his back pocket, and made his people leave the hospital as he went out. 

He breathed fresh air, looked at his soldier, and took his musket, facilitating the process. 

"Doctor… Hum, please go into the room and analyze the cause of death of the Ambassador." 

"… No, no, he was alive when we arrived." The Acting ambassador said as he saw Felipe prepare a musket as he poured black powder into the barrel of the musket. He truly entered into desperation as he began to understand his life was ending.

"… Yes your majesty…" The Doctor said as he looked at the whole scene. 

"And… please save his life," Felipe said as he began to hammer the metal pebble into the musket and quickly threw the long hammer to the side, cocked the musket and put back powder on the primer chamber and then aimed at Antonio's head. 

"Your majesty, please, please, this was not my doing; I had no choice."

"… probably." He smiled as if he did not care.

"I will talk, I will talk."

"Like I said, I don't care." He slowly touched the trigger, making sure Antonio saw it. 

"I have a daughter! Plus! This is not Venezuela! You are not the dictator of The Empire or the US—" 

PAAAHHHH!

The blast was loud, and Antonio went completely limb, not due to death but to the very shock of getting a skin blast to the outside of his right leg. 

"… Doctor, please… save his life… the empire of Colombia will compensate for your service." 

"…" The Doctor just nodded.