General Alina Banks reached over and pressed her cell phone on her nightstand, turning off the alarm. She had woken a few moments before the alarm as always and enjoyed a few moments with her lover and assistant Celia in her arms, her head resting on Alina’s chest.
“Five more minutes.” Celia mumbled.
“The enemy won’t give us five more minutes.” Alina reminded her. “We have a strategy meeting this morning at nine A.M. That gives us thirty in the gym, ten in the shower and ten for breakfast.”
“Sometimes I hate being in love with someone so disciplined.”
“I am commander of the United Countries assault front. I am standing in the way of the New Roman Empire expanding further into Europe. You expect me to be any less than disciplined?”
“I expect you take five minutes to pleasure your lover every morning before you kill Roman scum.” Celia mumbled.
She rolled out of bed with a groan and Alina lay quietly for a moment, taking her in. Alina always felt this was when she looked her most beautiful. Her dark chestnut brown hair was wild, her petite figure stretched her arms over her head and took a hug yawn, her ass cheeks always clinched together in a way she found adorable.
Soon she would be in a uniform that appeared to swallow her up, drab green with a dress shirt, jacket and large skirt. Her hair would be in a bun and the sweet smile she reserved for her General would be gone. They would both be all business.
Aline rolled out of bed and walked up behind her as she was putting her hair in a bun. She kissed the back of her neck, sending shivers down Celia’s spine. “I love you.” Alina told her lover.
It was a poorly kept and well-known secret that the two were lovers. Maybe officers and enlisted were lovers. They were here on the edge of the New Roman Empire, protecting the world against incursions.
Alina was the leader and the tactical genius behind their many losses. Even in her earliest days as a cadet, she was seen as a tactical protégé, her skills out of this world. She won every simulated war game. She had beaten grandmasters in chess and her knowledge of her forces and weapons at her disposal was uncanny.
At only thirty-five, she had been fast tracked to General and all suspected she would be the superior general in charge of all United Countries forces before she was forty. She was a warrior, and the biggest threat to New Rome. She was also the face of the army.
Unlike her dour predecessors, Alina was beautiful and owned it. She did not dress to arouse desires. It was just a fact that she made even a military uniform look good.
The two entered the gym, and everyone stopped what they were doing.
“At ease soldiers. Get stronger. The Romans are.”
The soldiers began working out again and Alina walked up to the stretching station.
While Celia tried to retain her professionalism outside of the bedroom, moments like this were difficult. Alina was a goddess in her mind and the minds of others. Her golden hair hung in a ponytail to just past her well-formed shoulders. She had competed and won military triathlons many times. At 5’10, her legs were long but sturdy. The legs of a sprinter. Her core was the heart of her strength. Her shoulders and back, like the rest of her, were cut and looked as if they had been sculpted out of marble. Despite this, her neck was not thick, and no one would mistake her for a man.
Her ass was amazing, and Celia practically salivated when she did squats and lunges. Her breasts were the perfect size, slightly larger than she could place in her hand. Her hypnotic, bright blue eyes were cold and calculating during duty hours but as soon as they were behind closed doors, they became warm and her lips that appeared a thin line in deep thought, softened. She was complicated, beautiful, a genius and sensual and had a surprising sense humor. Celia was proud to be the one who got to share every intimacy with her.
After the workout they returned to their room, dressed for the day and headed to the mess hall for breakfast.
They never made it that far. A sergeant caught them from behind calling her name.
“General, there is an emergency that requires you in the situation room immediately. Black code seven.”
Alina asked no questions and took off at a sprint, reaching the briefing room, long before Celia and the sergeant. On the video screen was General Daniels, high commander of the United Countries military.
Alina gave a salute and was told to stand at ease.
“An unfortunate situation has occurred during the night. The school the prince and princess of Scotland attend were hit by a New Roman, black ops team.”
Alina clenched her fists. Of course, those Roman bastards would go after children. They were eighteen and seniors in their last year before going over the pond for college.
“Are they safe?”
“Unfortunately, they have been taken. The casualties were high, but the plan was long in the making and the leader of the forces in Edinburgh did not believe the school was as major a target as the palace. The prince and princess have been captured and taken into New Roman territory. We suspect they are in Rome now. Spy satellites showed a prison convoy arriving an hour ago and what looked like two teenagers exiting the vehicle and entering high command.”
“And we can’t get into Rome city because of the Air Defense turrets that litter the countryside.”
While Rome did not have the numbers of the entire United Countries front, they did have technical firepower. The city of Rome where the power lied, including the emperor, was practically impenetrable, thanks to a defense network that used, anti-missile, turrets, satellites and drones to protect the city from ground, air and sea attack, meaning a submarine could park on an Italian beach and a cruise missile would be shot down long before it trekked the one hundred and seventy two miles needed to reach the palace. The center of Rome where the royal children were being kept was impossible to breach. Should they try, the Romans would kill the children easily. While the Scottish royalty was not important in the grand scheme of the war, they were teenagers barely starting out in life.
“They could have assassinated them on the spot. Why take them to Rome?” Alina asked.
General Daniels sighed. “They don’t want the children. They want an exchange. They will return the children in the neutral zone in exchange for…you.”
“No!” Celia snapped.
“Calm down soldier!” Alina told her lover and assistant.
“The Scottish Queen wants it done. However, it isn’t her decision. She certainly won’t become an ally of a country who killed her children so we have no motivation to make her happy. There has been much debate this morning and it was decided that the decision should be yours.”
“Mine sir?”
“We need you in the field. But they are children. You know what Rome does to prisoners.” He said sadly. “It would no doubt be your fate as well.”
Alina closed her eyes, imagining two teenagers pinned to a cross, broadcast to the world. Then she imagined the same of herself.
“Do you have the ability to contact the so-called Emperor, with an answer, Sir?”
“We do.”
Alina looked around the room then met the eyes of her love.
“I need the room.”
Celia opened her mouth but a look from Alina closed it and she walked out with the other soldiers who had been working their stations.
“Could you contact him, get him on screen, sir?”
Minutes went by and Alina stood strong, her posture rigid, showing no signs of nerves. Then the Roman Emperor Nero was on the screen next to General Daniels.
“Nero. Are you still calling yourself that or has your country decided to become original?”
The man smirked. “Let us get to the point. Are we doing the exchange or not?”
“This is how you fight a war? Stealing children? This is Roman honor?” Alina asked.
Nero sneered. “My duty is to spread the Roman Empire as it once was, by any means necessary. You are a hindrance to this plan.”
Alina smirked. “And I suppose if I exchange myself for the kidnapped children, I shall receive the same treatment as we provide to your soldiers who are captured?”
“A shot in the back of the head? You know better. You will be crucified, broadcast to the world. You will be shamed, and the world will see that their hero is nothing compared to the might of Rome.”
“And if I refuse, the world will see you are cowards who kidnap and crucify children.” Aline pointed out.
The man scoffed. “Despite your distaste for our barbaric ways, you civilized people watch our broadcasts. Millions, nearly a billion around the world watch our enemies die slowly on the cross. One might believe you like it. It can be rather erotic in a brutal way. But no, despite them being eighteen and eligible by our law, we will not crucify them publicly. We will not even admit to the world we have them.
“Instead, they will be whipped, raped and crucified in private for mine and the Senates entertainment. So, who will it be, you, or them?”
Alina sighed inside, knowing she never really had a choice. It never crossed her mind to let the Romans kill them. She knew what that entailed. She would be put through hell. She would be tortured, raped, whipped and nailed to wood, humiliated in front of the world.
She would also most likely be kept prisoner inside the palace. That alone was worth the pain and embarrassment.
“We meet in the neutral zone in Switzerland. You will be there with the Royal children” Alina told him. “I will walk out as the twins walk towards our side and we meet in the middle. Any funny tricks and we all die.”
“You expect me to be there?”
“C’mon Nero. Show a little courage for once in your pathetic political life.” Alina challenged.
“Five hours.” He told her and the transmission ended.
“General, I only have a couple hours to prepare and say goodbye to those closest to me. I will be in a transport and be at the neutral zone gates in five hours.”
General Daniels sighed. “You know what they will do to you.”
Alina nodded. “No doubt. When choosing between my pride versus the lives of innocent it was never a question. They can do as they wish, and the world can watch. They will never take my honor from me. I ask that you change all defense codes I know, and change troop movements and plans. I have no plans to break but anything is possible, and I have no idea what drugs they may have. It is best I know nothing of value.”
“I understand, General Banks. God be with you.”
“For once, I hope God turns a blind eye to this. It will be difficult enough, knowing the world will be watching. Take care, General. My soldiers will take care of the handoff.”
Alina watched the screen go black and closed her eyes. She felt her stomach turned and rushed the nearest trash can, vomiting her breakfast from that morning.
Once she wiped her mouth, she stood straight and walked out, planning to have a difficult goodbye with the love of her life.