London, England, Britannia Empire. January 6, 1923.

It was a gloomy morning in the palace. Maids and manservants bustling about with their usual routine.

The king was currently seated at his desk with a cup of tea sitting beside him, his secretary had just arrived to report back on what had transpired during the previous night’s negotiations. As usual, they were meeting to discuss future plans for the empire.

As he listened to his secretary’s report, the King’s face was paler than normal. He looked like someone had received very bad news. The king was normally one of the more composed ones, but today seemed different. Today, everything seemed so much worse; it felt like every fiber of his being was being torn apart.

“Would that be all?” he asked. His voice was hoarse as if there was something in his throat preventing him from speaking.

His secretary nodded quickly in response, making sure to not let the papers fall out of his hand. He bowed and left, closing the door behind him.

Returning to his usual routine of sifting through documents, his face became depressed when a memory of his daughter flitted through his mind.

Princess Diana Rosemary Edinburgh was his elder daughter and the heir apparent to the British throne. She was smart, talented, and extremely deferential and respectful to those that taught her everything there is to know in the business of politics. The citizens of the Britannia Empire are anticipating her ascension to the throne.

Unfortunately, two years ago, she contracted a life-threatening disease called tuberculosis. It is an incurable disease with no known cure. Though there are ways to save such as collapse therapy, the king didn’t give his permission as he deemed it dangerous as there are no studies about its effectiveness.

There’s only a year or two for her to live and it’s hard for him to bear it. If he doesn’t do anything drastic soon, he will lose her.

Despite this overwhelming feeling of sadness, he resumed his duties. Two minutes later, someone suddenly entered his office, startling him.

“Your Majesty…I have come with great news!”

The man who just entered his office was the royal doctor of the royal family, Doctor Stephen Johnson.

The king studied his appearance, he was panting heavily as if he had run all the way here. Sweats were streaming down his forehead.

The fact that he barged inside his office and told him there was great news, a smile spread across his face.-.

“What is it?” The king asked, his face filled with hope.

“Your Majesty, the cure for tuberculosis has been discovered! We can save Her Highness!” Stephen announced joyously.

A huge weight lifted off the king’s shoulders hearing the good news. His entire body began glowing as he stood up and gave a hearty laugh.

“It’s indeed great news…doctor. What is this cure? Where was it discovered?”

“Well, sir, there was an uproar in the medical society talking about the discovery of a cure for tuberculosis. It is called streptomycin, it came from the Ruthenia Empire. Your Majesty, you are aware that the youngest child of the late Emperor, Anastasia Romanoff, has tuberculosis right?”

The king nodded, “Yes…I am aware of her condition. It’s pitiful. How was she?”

“Your Majesty, she was the first patient who was cured by the new medicine!”

“Oh…” The king gasped, he couldn’t believe his ears, “How did the doctors of Ruthenia manage to find out about this new medicine?!”

Stephen continued, his face turned solemn. “Your Majesty, it wasn’t the doctors who created the cure.”

The king tilted his head to the side, confused. “What do you mean?”“Well it was published by a royal doctor of the Ruthenia Empire but the work for the medicine was credited to someone,”

“Who is it?” The king asked curiously. His eyes gleamed evidently in his eyes.

Stephen continued “Your Majesty, you won’t believe this…It was said in the paper that the streptomycin was synthesized by the future emperor of the Ruthenia Empire, Alexander Romanoff.”

The king raised his voice, and his eyes widened. “Alexander?! That young prince? Are you speaking the truth, doctor?”action

“I’m afraid so, Your Majesty,” Stephen said somberly.

The king leaned back in his seat, pondering for a moment. A cure has been discovered for the horrible wasting disease. But to come from a man who is a known slacker and playboy? He crossed his arms as he pondered more.

It couldn’t be, right? The experience was surreal even for the king himself. The King of the Britannia Empire whose domain of colonies and holdings spans across the world, took almost half the lands on each continent and had the strongest economy compared to his peers.

It feels like he is dreaming, the stress of work and sadness for his daughter has created this nightmare.

The doctor who ran in to tell the news felt more and more like a phantom who deceived him with false hope.

The Crown Prince of Ruthenia, someone the king remembers still being a royal brat, somehow made a cure for tuberculosis?

Something the many universities and laboratories in Great Britain are still trying to find.

“….Impossible.” The king uncrossed his arms and swept a pile of paperwork to the ground in paradox-induced anger. “You know I’m not in a mood to hear such jokes, Dr. Stephen.”

The papers fluttered to the floor and he crossed his arms again with a grunt.

Dr. Stephen shrieked in fear, stammering “I wouldn’t…Your Majesty…how could I?”

A near-good-for-nothing who was bombed and entered a coma woke up and suddenly made a new medicine? Without even a shred of scientific knowledge?

The king let out a heated breath through his nostrils.

Isn’t the doctor who published the paper the one who created the medicine? And that fool prince and his ministers stole it from the doctor by certain means of bribery and threats, just so the Prince can look good in front of everybody?

Nevertheless, a cure has been found. And Ruthenia of all countries made it.

But this is a life or death situation for his daughter. If he doesn’t get that cure to treat her daughter, he will regret it for life.

The king gritted his teeth as he made a decision to let Ruthenia be the victor of this deal.

“Your Majesty…are you okay?” Stephen asked carefully so as to not try to anger him even more.

The king returned to his mood.

“Thank you for sharing this news, Doctor Stephen. Would you please call Diana for me? I want to tell her personally,” the king said calmly.

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Stephen bowed and left the office.

Meanwhile, the king made calls to his officials.

…

Twenty minutes later, Stephen returned to the king’s office along with his daughter.

“Your Majesty…Her Highness has arrived,” Stephen announced.

The king struck his head up and his eyes fell on Diana, who was walking gracefully into his office. Her long dark gray hair and her white dress flutter lightly around her petite figure. Despite having a disease that could affect the vitality of the body, Diana retained her beautiful doll-like face. She’s so beautiful that if one were to encounter her in the street, they would freeze on the spot.“Father…Doctor Stephen said that you have something important to tell me,” Diana said. Her voice was sweet like a flower.

“Yes, are you feeling okay my dear?” The king asked, standing up from his seat, making his way over to her, and placing both of his hands on her small shoulders.

“I feel fine Father, thank you.”

He smiled down at his beautiful daughter. Her bright blue eyes twinkled brightly under the morning light. With a deep breath, the king revealed the reason why she asked to come here.

“Dear, recently, a cure was made to specifically treat tuberculosis,” her father announced.

Diana gasped, looking up at her father. A wide smile adorned her face, “Really, Father?”

“Indeed!” The king’s joyous smile turned somberly, Diana noticed it and asked.

“What’s wrong father…why the long face?” Diana questioned, looking concerned.

He hesitated slightly before answering her question, “My dear, I just made a call with our ambassador in the Ruthenia Empire asking if we could get a batch of the medicine to treat your disease.”

“Wait…what?” Diana frowned, seemingly confused. “Why do you have to contact the Ruthenia Empire? Wait…the medicine is created in Ruthenia?”

The king nodded before explaining “The reason is that the medicine is not publicly available, meaning we can’t purchase it. And the medicine that could cure your disease is not created by scientists or doctors, it was created by Alexander Romanoff, the future emperor of the Ruthenia Empire.”

“Alexander Romanoff,” Diana muttered under her breath. “I know him…I met him ten years ago, on your birthday…”

Memories surfaced before her eyes. The time when Alexander was playing a prank on her when he threw a fake snake at her. That arrogant boy who picked on her during her father’s birthday!

She still remembers it clearly and she hated him for that.

But Diana’s impression of him changed when she received the news wherein his parents got killed by a notorious underground syndicate known as Black Hand. He survived and became the head-of-state of the Empire in accordance with their succession laws.

However, that’s not all. Alexander has been passing numerous radical and progressive reforms that are changing Ruthenia, even changing their constitution where he ended the autocratic rule of the emperor as he shifted to a constitutional monarchy.

Alexander turned the tables 180 degrees, completely changing the perceptions and impressions of the whole populace of the Ruthenia Empire amicably.

What’s more baffling is that she knew what kind of person Alexander is despite them not meeting for ten years. She doesn’t need to go to Ruthenia to be informed about Alexander’s way of life. He’s a rebellious teen, a playboy who invites girls to the Winter Palace. Not to mention, he’s academically inept, whose scores on exams are below average.

Due to all of that, his sudden change of behavior came to her attention. He was a foolish and incapable heir apparent of the Ruthenia Empire but after the assassination incident, he just changed completely.

Ever since that day, Alexander has been on her watch. His endearing endeavor of transforming his backwater Empire with a series of modernization programs captured her interest. After all, it’s her job as the heir apparent for the Britannia Empire to study foreign politics as well.

But her chances of ascending the throne became slim the moment she was diagnosed with tuberculosis. Her father worked desperately to find a cure for her disease and she was thankful for that.

Then, on this day, she was called to her father’s office to inform her that there was a medicine created in the Ruthenia Empire that could kill the disease. And that medicine is created by Alexander Romanoff, the man she looked lowly of.

The moment she heard his name, Diana couldn’t just comprehend what she just heard.

“Father…are you telling the truth? How can the Emperor of Ruthenia create such a cure without medical knowledge? That’s suspicious don’t you think?”

The king furrowed his brows. His daughter reached the same conclusion as he did earlier.

“Your Highness…If I may speak,” Stephen implored.

“I allow it,” Diana granted.

“I’ve reviewed the paper about the medicine for tuberculosis. Its mechanism and effects on one’s body are very detailed. And It’s backed by the best doctor in the Ruthenia Empire, Doctor Dmitri Semenov. Not just him but his colleagues I knew of as well. The medicine that His Majesty, Alexander Romanoff, synthesized, was tested on his sister, Her Imperial Highness, Anastasia Romanoff. The results are impeccable. With just six months of constant medication, Her Imperial Highness was cured,” Stephen concluded.

“I’ve reached out to our ambassador there in the Ruthenia Empire to ask if you can get the medicine as well. If he was able to save his sister’s life with that medicine, I’m sure that it’ll be effective on you as well…”

“But…father! That’s the Ruthenia Empire. Our rival. What if Alexander used this to his own advantage by demanding ridiculous terms in exchange for treating me?” Diana protested.

Her father simply shook his head “Do we have a choice? They have the medicine for the disease which not only plagues you but thousands and possibly millions who are dying in their beds, coughing up blood on their blankets. I will deal with whatever demands they impose upon us for the medicine. Go rest up dear, it will be a long journey to St Petersburg.”

Diana sighed and rubbed her temples. She knew her father well.

“Fine…”