As Alexander made his way back to Siberia after months of political turmoil, he couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled in the pit of his stomach. Tens of politicians and military officials serving the Ruthenia Empire had been captured by the Foreign Intelligence Services Agents, and their movements had been tracked flawlessly via covert means, leaving them with no means of escape.
With a sense of urgency, Alexander made his way to the detention center where the captured officials were being held. Accompanied by his entourage of Imperial Guards and wardens, he walked down a dimly lit hallway, the echoes of their footsteps resonating through the empty space.
As they approached the cells, Alexander's heart sank at the sight of the detained politicians sitting on the cold, hard ground. Their thin clothes offered no warmth from the bitter Siberian cold, and their bodies were shivering uncontrollably. Despite their dire situation, they held their heads high, refusing to be broken by their captors.
Alexander's gaze swept over the prisoners, searching for the person responsible for the betrayal of his country. His eyes locked onto a figure huddled in the corner, a flash of recognition igniting within him. It was the person who had dared to destroy Ruthenia by helping its enemies, Ralf Hietela.
In a tone that dripped with disdain, Alexander addressed Hietela.
"It seems my decision to keep you alive has paid off. You can now bear witness to the consequences of your actions - your friends are imprisoned, just as I promised."
The words were cold and calculated, spoken with a steely resolve that left no room for doubt. Hietela remained silent, his eyes fixed on Alexander's face with a mixture of anger and defiance.
Undeterred by Hietela's lack of response, Alexander continued, "You should consider yourself fortunate that I granted you the opportunity to witness the fruits of your treachery firsthand. Behold, your comrades-in-arms languishing in their cells, paying the price for your folly."
He leaned in closer to Hietela, his voice laced with condescension. "This is what happens when one dares to cross me, to cross Ruthenia. The price of your betrayal is not just your own fate, but that of those foolish enough to follow in your footsteps."
With a flourish, he gestured towards the cell, a sardonic smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "So go ahead, take a good, long look at your handiwork. Let the reality of your actions sink in, and may it serve as a warning to those who would even think of defying the might of Ruthenia."
Ralf Hietela smirked. "Well, it's not like I forced them into this, Your Majesty. This goes to show that not everyone supports you. You may have captured them but there will be a time when another group rises up."
"In that case, I'll send them to prison as well. You know, I'm really good at keeping up with my word. But I don't think you are going to see them getting here as you'd be dead."
Ralf Hietela's lips curled upwards in a smug smirk, as he glared defiantly at Alexander. "It's not as if I held a gun to their heads and forced them to join me, Your Majesty. This merely serves to demonstrate that not everyone shares your vision. You may have apprehended them, but it won't be long before others rise up against you."
Alexander's face twisted with a mix of anger and disgust at Hietela's arrogance. "I'm sure you would like that, wouldn't you? But rest assured, those who dare to oppose Ruthenia will meet the same fate as you."
He continued. "And as for your precious comrades, I'll send them to prison just as I promised. But I doubt you'll be around to see it, as you'll be meeting your end soon enough."
A glint of amusement flickered in Hietela's eyes, his voice laced with mockery. "Ah, you really are good at keeping your word, Your Majesty. But I'm afraid your threats don't scare me. I may die, but the seed of rebellion has been sown. And someday, it will bear fruit."
"You keep saying that, Hietela but there haven't been any signs of rebellion. And let me guess, you'd say time is not right when the truth is, there's nothing!"
"If we are going to die here, Your Majesty, perhaps I can speak from my heart," one of the politicians interjected.
"Huh? Who do we have here?" Alexander's gaze flickered to the person who just spoke.
"Your Majesty," one of the politicians spoke up. "We fear that your progressive ideals are leading to the destruction of our country. Allowing people from foreign lands to gain citizenship weakens the integrity of the Ruthenia Empire. We believe that the Empire should only belong to the Ruthenian people, and those from outside should serve as a means to strengthen our growth."
"Nah, you are just being racist," Alexander said flippantly. "That traditional and conservative thinking is the one that prevented the Ruthenia Empire from ever reaching its true potential. It is also the reason why the Ruthenia Empire was so far behind compared to other countries at first."
"You may see it as progress, Your Majesty, but to us, it's a betrayal of everything our forefathers fought and died for," one of them spat out.
Alexander's eyes narrowed his voice cold and cutting.
"Your forefathers fought for a Ruthenia that was stagnant, resistant to change and closed off to the rest of the world. They fought for a Ruthenia that was dying, unable to keep up with the progress made by other nations. I refuse to let our great empire suffer the same fate. I will do what is necessary to ensure that we remain strong and prosperous, even if it means upsetting the old guard."
The politicians shook their heads in disbelief, unable to comprehend how Alexander could be so blind to their concerns. "You are destroying everything that we hold dear, Your Majesty," one of them said quietly.
"Perhaps," Alexander replied, his voice softer now. "But I believe that the only way to truly honor the legacy of our forefathers is to build a Ruthenia that is strong, prosperous, and open to the world. Which we are in right now. The strongest Empire in the world, the top one in military and economy. In order to keep it that way, I simply have to exterminate the likes of you."
There was a moment of silence as the politicians processed Alexander's words.
"Well, since that I have seen what I came for, said what I needed to say, I'll leave you all be. Don't think that your death would be easy gentleman, for someone who has betrayed the country, instant death would have been a mercy. Sad for you all, I'm not a merciful ruler when it comes to people like you. You will experience your worst nightmare where you would hope that you were never born."
With that, he turned on his heel and strode away, the politicians, even Ralf Hietela himself were terrified after hearing those words.
Alexander sighed, glad that he had cleaned cancer in his country. There's only one thing left for him to do that will leave his mark on this world.
