Josephine Price

Empress Josephine the Great is the main protagonist of the 2020 novel Josephine, which is Jack's most popular book to date. Josephine is the sovereign of the First American Empire, the largest and most powerful nation on earth.

Her story follows her from age 10 to age 70, following her as she grows up, and learns the true meaning of life, happiness and power. As she becomes a wife, mother and leader she must learn to contend with others, deal with trauma and the fear that everyone has a dark, evil shadow lurking behind them.

Background
Princess Josephine Anna Maria Louise Elena Rina Price was born to Empress Leah and Emperor Consort Otto on April 04, 1950. The first child of the royal couple she immediately became heir apparent of the First American Empire. She loved the royal life, always enjoying the spoils of being heir apparent. Much of her childhood has been privatized by herself up until the age of ten.

But she revealed a love of military strategy, like her grandmother, Charlotte I the Magnificent. She loved challenging nobles in chess and was highly intelligent even beating Stephen Hawking when she was nine. She was distasteful of her mother's policies, especially the decolonization of America's African Colonies. She realized she would be inheriting a weak America after the humiliating defeats in China and Anatolia. She was very close to her father, Otto von Habsburg, and took a keen interest in the rebuilding of the Holy Roman Empire, by his son and her stepbrother Konrad of Bavaria.

Josephine: The Book
When she was a teenager, her parents pushed suitors onto her, which she resented deeply. One of these included her nephew, Konrad Jr, which both parties extremely opposed. Konrad Sr later pulled out the offer, as he did not want his son, or his half-sister to hate him despite his good intentions.

She later realized this was to replace her as heir after the birth of her brother, John Francis. She later stated that she enjoyed the prospect of being free, to 'Hike the Amazon and sail the open Pacific'.

Between the ages of twelve and seventeen, Josephine shared an intense long distance relationship with the Prince turned Emperor Sato of Japan. The two lovers sent romantic notes, sometimes so intense they may even be seductive. Whenever they were together, either in Japan or America, they would dance and stroll marvelous gardens.

When Josephine was 13, in 1963, Leah gave birth to a baby boy named John Francis. Josephine adored her brother and made sure to 'be the best sister she could be'. John Francis grew up to be a fragile boy, who was diagnosed with anemia when he was two, though the symptoms were minor. Josephine at first was bothered by the idea that her destiny to become the Empress had been ripped away, though as time went on she began to admire the newfound freedom that came with not having those responsibilities.

As time went on, she began to affectionately call her brother 'Johnny' which he loved and he called her 'Josey' a nickname that sometimes her father called her.

Josephine was none the wiser as Leah became even more paranoid of her daughter. This paranoia was irrational, and could be the result of her ever increasing deluded nature. When Josephine was fourteen and becoming more mature, a brief psychotic break overtook Leah. Her mother tried to poison her by lacing her dinner in cyanide. On the brink of death, Josephine had her stomach pumped and she was carted off to the infirmary in the palace. Though the effects of the incident would limit what Josephine could ingest for many years, she survived, to her mother's dismay. Josephine remained completely and blissfully unaware of the idea that her mother had caused her near death.

On Independence Day, 1965, the royal family rode through New York in an open-top car. A group of three terrorists hid in the crowds along the parade route with the intention of killing the royal family. Their motives are unknown, but it is believed it was to achieve personal glory and to spark the Islamic Jihad. Royal Guards broke into confusion as the assassins sprinted towards the motorcade and the crowd. One launched himself into the open top car and suicide bombed the royal family. The other two terrorists followed suit. The chaos caused the guards to rush off the royal family to the hospital minus Josephine, who was missing. When they arrived, Otto, Leah, and John Francis were pronounced dead on the spot. Two days later Josephine was found in the rubble, barely alive. Upon arriving at the hospital, she began seizing, was sedated and the doctors barely managed to save her. She survived but would suffer paranoid breaks around explosives for the next year. She was beyond distraught on hearing her entire family was dead. She was crowned two weeks into her reign. Josephine ordered an invasion of the Levant with an army of 500,000 men in 1965. Palestine and Syria were the nations, supplied by Arabia to kill the royal family. They annihilated the Arabs in four battles before capturing Damascus, Tyre and Jerusalem and incorporating the territory into the Empire. General Michael Westminster was sacked from his command after he broke orders and sacked the city of Jerusalem, bringing it to rubble. This would affect Josephine many years later.

Her first motive was reorganizing the once feared American Imperial Army. Part of the reason why America suffered so many casualties in The Ottoman Civil War and the East Asian War was because their uniforms were still made out of fashionable cotton, with fancy leather hats with feathers and 1917 trench boots. Josephine herself designed a new uniform, consisting of a soft polymer coat and undershirt, with trousers, it tended to be a more navy blue, but some veteran brigades wore bolder, more royal blue uniforms. She equipped her soldiers with black polyester tactical pants. A silver metal belt was fastened around their waist, the first uniform equipped to support the weight of a sidearm. Boots were crafted from waterproofed leather and they had a leather backpack, brown, on their back for easy supplies, like water or spare ammunition. They received a hardened steel helmet.

Their equipment was improved too. A better rifle was built, the M-1966, was an experimental assault rifle. America wasn't the first to engineer these weapons, though Josephine was determined to not see her forces fall behind other nations.

Assault divisions were equipped with grenades and bayonets. The M1-Abrahamic machine gun was built into MG crews backpacks, controlled by an arm crank.

Pope Saul XII cried out about the supposed 'unethical conquest' and demanded international condemnation. Several nations laid their support for America, including the Holy Roman Empire and Russia and Japan. However, the pope threatened to excommunicate Catholic Americans from the church and once again, the Americans called for war again. So she led a personal army across the Atlantic, to Italy... to Rome...

Where they sacked and conquered the city.

This outraged Europe, which called Josephine a 'warmonger' and a 'butcher'. But Josephine was not one to care about foreign opinion of herself. She knew the Europeans would never challenge America to war again. So, as Rome burned to the ground, the Second Roman Republic was founded as an ally to the Empire, Europe only watched.

The invasion would traumatize Josephine, who viewed it as an act only her mother would enjoy. She would always blame herself for her 'childish' actions and believe that the nightmares and trauma was God punishing her.

Her campaign in Italy attracted the attention of Crown Prince Vittorio of Sicily. She had previously allowed suitors to vie for her hand when she was eighteen. He met her in 1968 and the two married in early 1970. It is believed that Vittorio actually cared for her romantically at this point. Josephine was head over heels in love. Nonetheless, this expanded American influence in Italy with the Italian states de facto submitting to the Empire. She was twenty and he was nineteen.

Josephine at first saw the match as merely a political play during her betrothal at first, though came to love Vittorio quickly.

Josephine and the Revolution
Canadian Nationalists had created the Canadian Identity out of an unachievable lust for independence. They believed they were so different from the Americans south of the Saint Lawrence River. There was, in reality, little to no difference in language, religion, and ethnicity except in Quebec. Four Canadian Republics seceded from the Empire in March 1970: Columbia, West Canada, Quebec and the Maritime Republic. Elite Canadian veterans formed the Thunder Bay Company. Millions of Canadians formed rag tag militias after the Mississauga Incident, in which Canadian mobs shot and murdered five American soldiers. The situation spiraled downhill from there. Josephine called for 300,000 volunteers for the Army, but these ranks swelled to over 4 million men. The outrage among the Loyalists was beyond comprehension.

Three weeks later, the Imperial Army marched across the Saint Lawrence and Josephine expected the traitors to be extending the Olive branch within a month. She could not have been more wrong.

The Imperial Army made gains, marching North on all fronts. The unprepared Columbian Republic surrendered after two battles at Victoria and Vancouver. This didn't stop sporadic rebel militias from resisting for at least the rest of the year.

The 9th Army fought against raids by the Thunder Bay Company in the Red River Basin. The expert veterans knew how to conduct proper feared hit and run attacks on Imperial supply lines, preventing any major offensives near Lake Superior.

The 1st, 2nd, 5th, and 8th Armies crossed the Detroit River into the West Canadian Republic. They made decent gains, capturing Kent and Kitchener. However, a failed attack on Toronto led to a dug-in siege. The 5th Army captured Mississauga and in revenge for the five fallen comrades, shot and killed five Canadian citizens. The intended goal was to instill fear, but it did the opposite. Canadian soldiers develop brutal savagery toward American soldiers which stalls the advance on the Central Front.

The 2nd, 4th, 6th, 7th, 10th, 12th, 15th, 18th, and 20th Armies crossed the Saint Lawrence in the largest invasion of Canada since 1813. The city and capital of Quebec, Montreal fell to Imperial forces in August except Quebecois French militia retreated into the marshlands of Northern Quebec, to continue resistance. The Maritime Republic emphasized the use of its navy to pirate and strike at overseas supply lines while they produced battleships.

Josephine and Vittorio watched the progress with keen eyes. The progression of the Army by October, or lack thereof, enraged the Prince, Josephine however, held a level idealism. The Imperial Army was far stronger than a ragtag militia. If they were bogged down in stalemate, she believed, the Canadians would eventually break.

The war dragged on into 1971 with little change in the frontlines. In March though, resistance in Columbia was finally pacified. This freed up 500,000 troops to be transferred under the command of William Mackenzie, a brilliant young commander deathly loyal to Josephine. These troops were moved to combat the Thunder Bay Company, which was forced to take a defensive stance. The 9th Army had desperately required those reinforcements from the 3rd, 11th, 13th, 14th, 16th and 17th armies. American supply lines were safe from raiding and now reinforcements and supplies could flow more easy from east to west.

In the Central Front, Toronto held out from besiegement still. This prompted Josephine to sack General Carl Vickors for his lack of bold, decisive strategy. General Mackenzie was moved to the Central Front. Upon his arrival, he ordered endless shelling and American naval presence to prevent supplies from getting into the city. Reports of cannibalism from the starving people inside the city. The round the clock artillery bombardment caused a PTSD outbreak and Imperial troops could hear the screaming people. General William Joseph Mackenzie ordered an all in and captured the city with hardly any resistance on April 24, 1971. They turned their attention east to Kingston, where they intended to meet up with General Marcus Jamopolous.

However, Jamopolous was suffering crisis on his own, a large assault, the Canadian Glorious Revenge Offensive had reclaimed Montreal and forced the Eastern Armies across Saint Lawrence. Jamopolous was sacked after the Canadians besieged West Point, capturing most of Vermont and New York. This put the rebels in striking distance of the capital. Mackenzie was granted control of the Eastern Armies. By October, he managed to push the rebels back across the Saint Lawrence, but his men had lost Toronto and Kitchener before digging in on the Lake Huron coast. Mackenzie decided against pursuing Montreal to avoid overstretching his supply lines, while he focused on the Central Front. As winter set in, Kitchener was back in Imperial hands, the Thunder Bay Company was dwindling in numbers but the war still had no end in sight.

1972 opened with a New Year's terrorist attack on New York. Thunder Bay rebels bombed several buildings in the Imperial Capital. They never targeted the palace. The Imperial Army amassed near the town of Duluth and on February 2, 1972, invaded Manitoba, part of Western Canada. They advanced into Thunder Bay where they burned the town and massacred a majority of the Thunder Bay Company chain of command. The Thunder Bay Company was thus neutralized as a combatant and threat, and the Americans retained control over the region.

Meanwhile, General William Joseph Mackenzie was plotting an offensive of his own. He amassed 1 million men and launched Operation Rottweiler. American troops marched out of the fog on April 19 and bashed the Canadians from Toronto and Mackenzie led his men north. After a minor skirmish on May 11, the Imperial Army captured Perry Sound, a major port on Lake Huron. He continued his march north into June and besieged an encampment of rebels in Sault Ste. Marie. During the month-long siege, disease ramped up in the American camp and Mackenzie debated with his staff whether to call off the siege. Vittorio ordered that the men remain in siege positions, but Mackenzie got Josephine's secret permission that he could break ranks for his men's health and well being. He pulled back, but aerial bombardment prevented rebel troops from counter-attacking. Vittorio, not knowing of his wife's meeting with Mackenzie sent a mercenary, who blended in with the ranks of the men. On October 1, 1972, at 11:24 p.m, the mercenary snuck into Mackenzie's tent and shot him with .44 revolver thrice in the head, killing him. The mercenary, whose name is lost to history was supposedly paid handsomely for his deed. Not having a backup commander, Josephine herself ordered the troops to dig in for an early winter, as starting in 1973 would take command of all the armies. Josephine was classified as a great strategist, as she planned the Amero-Palestinian War three years earlier.

Josephine The Commander In Chief
Josephine set her headquarters at what she deemed the 'Falcons Nest', an iron bunker nestled in the secluded woods of Northern New York District. This was to keep her operations from falling to spies.

When she took command, the Higher Generals respected her authority but did not believe she had what it took to join a 'boys club'. She dressed in a common officer uniform, something that surprised her soldiers when she arrived at the field. She made plans for a winter attack because the rebel defenses would be down and easier to overcome. She forwarded this plan with the basic fact that the Eastern Armies needed to cross the Saint Lawrence. So her troops were equipped with thick coats and boots and their uniforms redesigned to fight in the harsh colds of winter. She was breaking the tradition of enemy armies retreating into a camp for winter.

She was far more humble than many soldiers realized. When they reach the Saint Lawrence in the dead of night on January 20, 1973, she disembarked from her horse and helped the men in the lead boat row with the oars across the icy river. When they landed, the troops immediately assaulted a nearby village to secure a supply depot on the other side of the river.

Needless to say, the Canadians were surprised and Canadian leaders drew all troops from Toronto to hold off Josephine's armies. On January 29, she gave this order.

The Armies in Ontario did as ordered and began the Grandeur Offensive on January 6, 1973. They advanced across a 400-mile front, with as many as 4 million men. They burned every town they came across, sending thousands of refugees eastward. This plugged the roads, preventing Canadian rebels for reinforcing at a quick speed. Toronto was burned on January 12, Mississauga the 14th. Rebel morale plummeted. It seemed as though now, an end to this war was finally in sight. The two armies crash down on Kingston, securing Lake Ontario. The city is burned on February 9. On February 16, she leads her troops into the capital of West Canada, Ottawa and West Canada reluctantly surrendered.

On February 1, Montreal is burned, but Quebec doesn't surrender. It's troops again retreat into the Marshlands. She marches east and captures Quebec City on February 18. But they still didn't surrender. Instead of letting them escape, she regrouped over 4,000 men of the 13th Army and marched north into the Marshlands launching the Valerius Offensive. The Quebecois began engaging in a guerrilla war. However, she didn't back down. They trudged north through swamps and dense forests, filled with enemies. By July 4, Independence Day, they had reached the outskirts of Val-d'Or where they celebrated their empire. Through the remainder of July, they secured this area capturing over ten tiny villages. Some surrendered without resistance... those who didn't were burned. By September Nemiscau had fallen. They had pacified over 50% of the Marshlands. A week later, Fort Rupert was captured and the Imperial Army stood on the Hudson Bay. The Empress smiled upon her horse and ordered her men to set up camp.

That night, they celebrated. The Empress joined her soldiers for smores and marshmallow roasting. She danced with the soldiers, many young men, a few years younger than her. They realized their monarch was not the serious warmonger, but a fun-loving, patriotic young girl. She would joke around. She would sing. American morale rose to see the monarch in her true colors. When they set off east again, they marched singing the National Anthem. Josephine smiled seeing the spirits of her men.

When they fought the rebels at Eastmain in October they fought with such valor and bravery that the battle lasted a mere two hours. In December, they fortified themselves in the town Sakami. She then celebrated Christmas with the soldiers. Now, the empress possesses an obscene amount of wealth, so she bought a little gift for every. single. soldier. They were all enthralled and as a result, they surprised Josephine with Vittorio who had traveled the whole way to see her. She had indeed grown quite an affection for her husband. But Vittorio seemed distant, cold, but perhaps it was because they had not seen each other for an entire year. Josephine was so happy that she and Vittorio consummated their marriage after three years. The following morning, after Vittorio returned to New York, she was bubbly and ecstatic and it was obvious to the soldiers what had occurred the previous night. They would tease each other and especially Mattéo Maes, a Belgian immigrant, and soldier. He was known to have a slight infatuation with the Empress.

1974 opened with more marching north. On January 19, Whapmaagoosti fell and the Imperial army laid siege to Kuujjuarapik. The siege dragged on for two months when on March 21 the city and its airport fell. The tattered remnants of the Quebecois Army retreated to the islands a mere mile away in the Hudson Bay. Shortly after, Josephine announced she was pregnant.

For six weeks into May, aircraft bombarded the fortified island, Quebecois soldiers would in fact flee across the straits to American lines. The well-fed Imperial Army noticed just how weak, sad, and malnourished the rebels were. Josephine insisted they treat the rebels with respect, as they had fought very hard. They were given food and medicine, which surprised the rebels. They were given warm clothes and refuge. When the final confrontation came, Josephine led 3000 troops across the straits and landed on Tukarak Island. They found no resistance on Tukaram. Then they sailed across to Flaherty Island. Upon landing they faced brutal fighters. Josephine led her men on horseback as they charged at Quebecois lines. Without warning, her horse was shot from beneath her and she fell onto her stomach. She groaned in pain as soldiers fell around her. One was shot in the head and she picked up his rifle and led the soldiers in on foot, shooting enemies like she was a soldier herself. The men rallied around her and overpowered the enemy, which surrendered in droves. The Quebecois Governor emerged and surrendered the country.

Turning her full attention east, the Maritime Republic, which had only engaged in naval skirmishes realized the perilous situation it was in. Knowing its land army stood no chance, it sent an envoy to Josephine, requesting her terms for peace. Surprised by the message, she replied swiftly.

Two weeks later, on June 3, 1974, Josephine met Governor Marvin Gouth of the Maritime Republic in Donkin, Brunswick. The two greeted each other respectfully and sat down together. Josephine handed him a sheet of paper with her demands. He was surprised, she was incredibly sympathetic to the Canadians. She demanded these things:


 * 1) All Canadians refer to themselves as Americans
 * 2) All Canadians accept Imperial occupation for 20 years while the region is rebuilt.
 * 3) All Rebels may return home with firearms that they own. Firearms owned by the republics must be abandoned.
 * 4) All Rebels may keep their horses.
 * 5) Any Rebels that refuse to comply will be executed as traitors.

The terms of peace were very lenient. Gouth picked up his pen, with a tear in his eye as he signed the document. The two stood up, shook hands, and exited the building. As Gouth rode off on his horse, his face filled with solemn emotion, the High Command cheered. However, she told them to stop. She said now was time for reconciliation. The Canadian Revolution was over.

The New Peace Era
Josephine soon returned to the capital, Samuel Palmerston handed over his position as Prime Minister and she was back in charge. However, she had one last plan up her sleeves for her soldiers.

On the 18th of June, 1974, A ceremony was held in New York where Josephine spoke to the 6 million American soldiers who had fought in Canada. The streets were packed and only a quarter of the men present actually saw the monarch speak, though large screens broadcast the message.

The speech went on, with Josephine saying that these men would be honorably discharged with the benefits. They would all be given the 'Hero of the Empire' medal, the second-highest medal of honor. She also gave due credit to General William Joseph Mackenzie, whom she believed had been assassinated by the Canadians, saying that he was a 'brilliant commander' and that she knew he was in a better place. The men were overcome with emotions as their leader's eyes filled with tears that rolled down her cheeks. She swiped them away with her glove, before concluding that these men were heroes and informed the American people that they were to be treated as such. She saluted slowly, completing the discharge. Momentarily, she gripped her stomach, which burned. She then collapsed live on television which several soldiers, still in uniform lifted her up and carried her to medics, which rushed her off to the hospital.

Josephine was only 23, and doctors at first had no idea what could've caused her to collapse. Then a soldier mentioned that during the Battle of Flaherty Island, her horse was shot out from underneath her and she landed on her stomach. Horrified by the fact that she was pregnant at the time, they realized that the baby had died when she had fallen. They removed the corpse of her unborn child.

Vittorio was nowhere in sight. He was not at the ceremony either. When Josephine awoke and was informed of the death of her three-month-old unborn child. The doctors reported she overcome with such grief that she refused to speak to anyone.

Over the next couple of years, Vittorio grew more and more distant from Josephine, especially after the loss of their child. He made constant vacations back to Italy where he would spend up to 2 months at any time doing god knows what, and Josephine lived not knowing what her husband was doing. He had been doing this for years, nearly prompting the Empress to divorce him in 1972. Josephine steadily descended back to how she ruled before she married Vittorio. America was an absolutist monarchy, but she considered changing this to a more constitutionalist monarchy. But this idea was scrapped after a referendum in 1975. 73% of the population voted against a constitution. 24% were for it, and 3% were indifferent. In 1976 Josephine held a ball for the 200th anniversary of American independence, and Vittorio did make an appearance, though he hardly spoke to her.

Josephine watched Vittorio throughout the night while speaking with nobles. But they could tell she was distracted. While conversing with a Colonel Samuel Rebole, the President of Egypt when she noticed Vittorio whisk off a nobleman's daughter away from the ballroom. She noticed it appeared forced and dismissed herself from the conversation. She rushed after him, her dress swishing around her feet and her heels clicked on the marble floor. She flew up the stories of the palace, desperate to find Vittorio. She called out his name, only to hear nothing back. When she reached the floor with their bedroom, she heard a cry for help. It low, almost as though it was being restrained.

When she reached their bedroom, the cries were louder, with her husband trying to quiet the girl in the room. She threw the door open and to her horror, she found Vittorio about to rape Duchess Madison of Oregon, the nobleman's daughter he had whisked off forcefully minutes earlier. She cried out in horror, surprising the Emperor who briefly released Madison. She rolled out of his grip and pulled up her dress and ran out of the room, as Josephine muttered to her to get help. A seething Vittorio attacked his wife smashing several expensive vases over her, causing several gashes to her skin as she tried to fight back. Her husband drew a knife out of his coat pocket only to get tackled by a young palace guard. Vittorio was arrested on the spot.

Later that week, Vittorio was brought to the Imperial Tribunal, a special court for noble traitors, not used since 1796. He was tried for the attempted rape of Duchess Madison (16), and the battery of royalty, but he casually confessed to the rape of 60 other underaged girls and having over 100 mistresses in Sicily. Finally, he confessed to hiring the mercenary who murdered General William Joseph Mackenzie. Josephine later remarked:

Vittorio could not understand why the court was so justly horrified by his actions. Josephine stood up calmly and asked the judge if her marriage to Vittorio could be annulled. The action was allowed on the spot. Vittorio shouted at his now ex-wife, saying every monarch had mistresses and why she was so sad by it. Josephine explained that the American Imperial code of ethics forebodes any adultery and mistresses among the nobility. Also, she added, the fact that he had been sexually assaulting dozens of young girls was disgusting. Her statement concluded with this:

Vittorio exploded the following remark:

Josephine was so shocked that she ran out of the courtroom in tears. He had dug his grave enough. He was expelled from the American nobility and the country.

However, a day later when he was in a car leaving the country before the vehicle was stopped by vengeful guards who dragged Vittorio out of the vehicle and threw him to a rioting savage crowd. He was stomped on, spat on before having his hands bound and a cloth wrapped around his eyes. He was brought before the screaming crowd, screaming murderous slurs as a rope was slipped around his neck, and he was hung on a construction crane where his corpse was then stoned by the people.

And Josephine did not object.

The Empress did not move on from the divorce overnight. She could not get over the fact of her ex-husband being a classified serial rapist and defying the basic moral code of a human being. Josephine often times would stay in one of the guest rooms, unable to bear sleeping in the room where countless young girls had been assaulted and abused. She had been emotionally scarred and often times slipped up on her duties. In 1976, while speaking to Sir Benjamin Conroy (1897-1976) who had been fighting cancer for eight years, someone took a pod shot at her, but Conroy took the bullet for her and died. Josephine completely broke and later that night, requested Tylenol for a 'splitting headache'. She proceeded to take the entire bottle in her only suicide attempt. She was revived and her stomach pumped.

Finally, in 1978 she began returning to her normal duties after two years of raw isolation. Despite rarely being seen by the public or even the nobility she still attracted suitors looking for her hand in marriage. The girl was 28 by now but she still had the beauty of her teenage and young adult self. She began actively commissioning photographs of her and meeting with foreign leaders again. She steadily recomposed herself in court and began reasserting her authority.

The Resurgence
Hoping to get the nobles off her back about an heir, Josephine decided to cicumvent them and adopt a child, hoping he or she would qualify as an heir. She picked an orphanage, traveled there, surprising the nuns in the Catholic home. The nuns hid their sneers around the Empress, as the Catholic majority tended to hate the Lutheran minority ruling class. She began inspecting the children in the orphanage and she noticed a disturbing trend.

The children were filthy, skinny and skeletal and appeared malnourished and abused. When questioning the nuns, one accidentally said that 'Only the Lutheran children get punished'. This horrified Josephine, a firm Lutheran herself and brought in the police and even some soldiers to search the orphanage. They found horrific evidence of mass abuse, torture and criminal enterprise against the children of Lutheran allegiance.

They discovered that the Lutheran children had been forced to undergo conversion therapy to 'chase the Lutheran demons out' and those that refused were treated even worse. The orphanage was shut down, the nuns were arrested for child neglect and abuse and the head of the orphanage was even executed to a roaring crowd.

Josephine organized a way for all of the children to get adopted, though at the end, only one child remained. This was eight year old Victoria Newman, who the Empress had met two years prior. No parent wanted the little girl because she had a stutter which made the Empress tear. She decided to fulfill her original purpose and adopted Victoria.

On May 18, 1979, Empress Josephine received an invitation from a group of soldiers from the 13th Army, the men who had fought their way through the Marshlands during the Canadian Revolution. The request was for the fifth year reunion of the Army. She accepted the invitation and set out on a luxurious train car.

The reunion was set to take place in Donkin, Brunswick, where the 13th Army had accompanied her to the surrender of the Maritime Republic, which essentially ended. When she arrived, the Donkin Courthouse had been transformed into a Dining Hall and Ballroom. When she arrived, flanked by two guards the entire room froze. She glanced across the room. Many of the men had brought their wives and some children. The room exploded in cheers and men lined up to greet the Empress, respect, and admiration she had not experienced, even in court since she had first been coronated fourteen years earlier. She sat with some men, where they ate meals and they would swap stories about their families. But this silently pained the Empress. She was twenty-eight, unmarried and had no children. Eventually, the guards brought her to her private table, which she resented.

Meanwhile, Mattéo Maes was sharing a drink with some of his buddies when they dared the twenty-six-year-old man to go and 'woo' the monarch. Unmarried and single, he was promised a hefty reward for the dare. He grabbed two glasses of Scotch and approached the private table. He asked her if he could join her. The Empress, who had been isolated from her former compatriots accepted and he sat down and slid a glass across to her.

They began to chat and minutes turned to hours. Mattéo's natural charisma and humor impressed her and her hard outer shell broke, revealing the same joking, fun-loving girl from her army days years ago. She hadn't laughed in years. This man helped her laugh and open up. Finally, he asked her to dance and she accepted, having been charmed and smitten by the young man. The pair danced and swirled around each other and Josephine was surprised by his excellent dancing. The guards watching her excused themselves to keep an eye from a distance. The music soon descended into a slow dance, but Mattéo awkwardly excused himself, but Josephine kept her hold on him and drew him back in surprising the man. The following dialogue went down:

Josey was a childhood nickname that she rarely let anyone call her. Only people she seriously trusted called her Josey. The guards nearby later reported:

He wasn't wrong. When the pair's eyes met, something in them clicked. Their eyes softened as Josephine's heart pounded in her chest. He had proven to be respectful, kind, generous, humorous, and gentle, and of course, handsome. He checked every box in her mind. When the guards came to inform her that it was time to depart, Josephine insisted that Mattéo join her, to his surprise. The guards smirked and allowed the former soldier to return to the capital.

After dating for several months, the couple married in Our Lady Star of the Sea Church on Staten Island. Several heads of state and Josephine's mother and father were in attendance. The ceremony went smoothly, with Victoria even presenting the rings to the couple.

They traveled across Europe for their honeymoon, which lasted three months. They spent time in London, where Margaret Thatcher compared Josephine to young Princess Victoria. They then went to France and admired the Parisian architecture. They tasted German delicacies in Frankfurt and Berlin. Learned Polish history in Warsaw. They traveled to Vienna where they met her brother Konrad I, Holy Roman Emperor. Konrad held high respect for Josephine, but a higher one for Mattéo due to his military background. Then the couple traveled to Rome, where Josephine announced the dissolution of the Second Roman Republic. She asked the Pope, Saul II to return from exile to become the leader of the church once again. Saul returned from Egypt a few days later and greeted Josephine with respect. The Papal States were recreated and The American Empire set up a fund funnel to rebuild Rome to its former grandeur. They then traveled to Moscow where they met Russian Premier Josef Smirnov. Smirnov let them tour Russian cities, though in private, as the Russian people still held a deep resentment for the Americans, due in part to their humiliation in the Great War and America held crucial warm water ports and the Sea of Okhotsk. They returned to America to cheering crowds.

Royal Heir
On August 14, 1980, nine months after consummating their marriage, Josephine gave birth to a healthy baby twins, one boy and one girl, whom she named Hamilton and Josephine Junior respectively. The couple adored their child, who drew his mother's eyes and full lips, while he got his father's hair and jawline. The child was taught strict discipline from his mother, who despite being head over heels in love, was weary if Mattéo had any schemes plotted behind her back. When Mattéo learned this during a deep conversation with his wife in 1982, he pled to her that he had no ulterior motives, with tears rolling down his cheeks, pleading her to believe him. Lucky for him, she did. The children were raised by two parents who hardly fought and had a fiery relationship, he was raised though with a platinum spoon in his mouth, something Josephine did not approve of and actively opposed. The couple watched their son grow and he was tutored by fine statesmen and disciplined properly. The royal family remained in relative obscurity for several years.

Josephine began to physically age in her early forties. One old general said to her that 'Babyface was finally growing up'.

Josephine's fun-loving attitude slowly matured into a more disciplined, serious attitude. Mattéo also fell into place with this attitude. Hamilton, on the other hand, refused to grow up, he would party with friends and even once got drunk with his friends. Josephine tried bringing several princesses and duchesses to see if he would mature in front of girls. Hamilton instead ignored or publicly humiliated the suitors. The American people would send letters to Josephine, saying they feared for their safety if Hamilton ascended to the throne. She received dozens of these concerns every week.

Josephine Junior also struggled with her paralysis and developed into a bit of a 'hopeless romantic'. She eventually though would have her own happy ending.

Threatening Hamilton
One day in 1996, a young girl walked up to Josephine on the throne along with Emperor Mattéo and begged them to do something about Hamilton. She introduced herself as Archduchess Jenna of Oregon, the daughter of Madison of Oregon, the girl who Josephine had saved from rape twenty years before. She cried out that her son had wooed her at a ball, the pair got drunk by Hamilton's request and then Jenna woke up next to Hamilton the next morning. Naturally horrified that Hamilton had slept with a girl before marriage, which was not socially acceptable in the Empire, she prepared to call him to reprimand him. But then Jenna burst out the Hamilton had impregnated her. The couple was shocked by their son's irresponsibility. Josephine summoned Hamilton in anger and when he arrived with a flask of whiskey and saw Jenna in front of his fuming parents, he knew he was busted. Josephine shouted at him, called him out for being so irresponsible and careless, how he could just impregnate a girl and not regret it due to his unmarried status. Hamilton then froze along with a guilty Jenna. Turns out, she had never told him. When Jenna confirmed to him of her pregnancy, he ordered that she keep it. She said she would but the child would never be involved with him. This enraged Hamilton who said that the ordeal was consensual.

Josephine and Mattéo watched the argument play out before Josephine threatened Hamilton.

This was like a slap in the face. Every guard and nobleman, Mattéo froze at the threat. Charlotte, her grandmother had used this threat to get her mother to wise up, as she was quite the troublesome child, but not even on this level. Hamilton stormed out and landed in the hospital for attempted suicide by overdose.

Birth of John Charles
One year later, with Hamilton recovering from his overdose, Josephine gave birth to John Charles, her second son. Hamilton was so outraged by his replacement and greatly resented the child. Josephine spent her time trying her best to raise her son with discipline and honor. He grew up steadily and respected his mother's rules. Officially in 2003, she removed Hamilton from the line of succession. This began causing a steady rift in the royal family.

Empress of the Holy Romans
In 2015, terrible news rippled across the world. Emperor Konrad of the Holy Roman Empire told the world that his son, Konrad Junior had died in a car crash at the age of 65. His only surviving son, Konrad the Third, was seven and as such, worried the 85 year old emperor of the security of his throne when he inevitably passed. Josephine, being his half-sister offered to take the throne on his death as they were both blood relatives through their father. Konrad agreed.

When he died eight months later, Josephine was crowned Empress of the Holy Romans.

Right from the get go she had a lot on her plate. She had to organize a war with the Soviets and micromanage two massive multiethnic empire. Luckily both she excelled at. She would trade residences every four months between New York and Vienna, and her military genius led to a massively successful summer offensive in Russia that nearly broke the Soviets. The combined American-German forces actually entered Moscow for a couple days before being pushed back. While she was still reigning, the 2017 Spring Offensive saw the Germans capture Leningrad and cut off the northern Soviet armies.

She cemented her rule as an absolute monarch. Though her time as Holy Roman Empress was tough and strenuous and almost broke the old woman.

Abdication and Coup D'Etat
On April 14, 2017, in front of the court, Josephine announced she wished to abdicate in favor of John Charles, so she and Mattéo and could live out the rest of their lives in peace. She was 67 but desired to live out her days in normalcy. The papers were delivered an hour later and she hesitated before signing them. She then allowed her son to sit on the Imperial Throne where she had sat for 52 years since she was fifteen. She also abdicated the Holy Roman Throne and passed it to the late Konrad II's son, Konrad III, though his uncle, Adolf would rule as regent until the boy was of age. Finally she was informed that she had never formally abdicated the throne of Italy, she did so officially during this time as well. She placed the crown on John Charles' head and she later said.

This statement was inaccurate, as John Charles was 20, perhaps a sign of Josephine's weakening cognitive system. As a ball was held to bid farewell to Josephine, several masked men burst into the ballroom and held the nobility at gunpoint. They declared Hamilton was the true successor to the throne. They declared a coup and abducted John Charles much to Josephine's shock and horror. Minutes later, two rebels escorted a smug Hamilton through the crowd of terrified nobles. Even his wife Sophia of Spain was shocked by his actions. He picked up the crown from the marble floor, sat his wife in the throne next to him, sat in the Imperial Throne and placed the crown upon his head, and declared himself Emperor Hamilton. Once this was done he looked at Josephine and said slyly and coldly:

America was suddenly on the verge of civil war. A majority of the Empire supported John Charles and FBI BAU agents who worked tirelessly to find John Charles before the rebels killed him. Finally, they located him on a farm in New York District and rescued him after a brief, violent firefight. Six days after ascending to the throne, hearing of John Charles's rescue, Sophia, Hamilton's unhappy wife poured him a glass of wine laced with poison. He drank it and collapsed and died soon after. John Charles was returned to New York and officially crowned John Charles V, Emperor of America to national cheers. He asked Josephine how she desired to spend the rest of her life. She replied for a small one-story house on the East Coast, where she could garden, cook her own meals, and spent her days with her husband. John Charles used some of the treasury to make this a dream come true, he bought a small beach house in Virginia, disbanded her guard detail and bought the couple a car to the use. Josephine was so touched by her son's generosity she was speechless by the gift. Before she left with Mattéo, she whispered in John Charles's ear:

She meant this jokingly, she trusted her son. The couple then officially left the palace.

If you visit or move to Kiptopeke, Virginia, you might've seen Josephine and Mattéo. You might not recognize them, for you might pass them on the street, in the grocery store, in the bank. In the town's church. They are just like any elderly couple you've ever seen. Mattéo walks with a cane from being shot by an assassin in 1995 and is 68 years old. Josephine is 70 but walks like she's 20, with pride. They live in a coastal beach house, with their Chevy Cruze in the driveway. You may see Josephine working in her garden, tending to her flowers, Mattéo keeping the house in order. You may see them laughing at dinner. You may not think twice about what they've been through.

This is what Josephine Price wanted after serving the Empire for 52 years. To live out her days with her husband in peace, to relax. Nobody objects to this. You might not think this old woman led armies across the Saint Lawrence and through the swampy marshlands of Quebec, who was born and lived in a palace for 67 out of her 70 years.

But this is fine to her, she wants to be obscure, out of the spotlight. She loves her nation and she thinks fondly of the years she spent running it. Then she returns to planting her flowers, without a care in the world.

Death
On November 15, 2020, Josephine became very weak and tired. The family's practitioner confirmed Mattéo's worst fears. She was dying. Her body, tired after years and years was giving up. John Charles rushed down to Kiptopeke, though Hannah had to stay behind due to being heavily pregnant. Late on the 17th, surrounded by family, they said they're goodbyes as she departed the mortal plain peacefully.

Legacy
Empress Josephine led the First American Empire for 52 years, between the ages of 15 and 67. She led it through the turmoil of revolution, restored its glory, and became adored by the people. She was married twice, once to a monster, and once to a defining figure of respect and good. She began moving the nation from fossil fuels to natural resources, a policy continued under her son. She is often misunderstood by people for being a serious warmonger. But those who knew her knew she wasn't. She was patriotic, humorous, generous, and respectable. Her reign can oftentimes be split into to era's: The first ten years were the foreign era, which she spent reclaiming dwindling glory, which she succeeded in. Then the rest of it was domestic, securing better lives for her people, building the economy to rival some of the super economies, getting an heir to take her place. Helping her people deal with violent disasters. In 2015, when a journalist recorded her life's events, he aliased her with something nobody thought of.

"She wasn't just any ordinary leader, she rebuilt our country, kept it glued together in times of trial and improving quality of life over the common folk. She didn't gloat and boast and waste obscene amounts of money. She spent this money on the people, when she fought in war, she dressed up like common soldiers, not a overly glorious uniform. In any sensible person's eyes this makes her great, She is Josephine the Great,"

Personality
Josephine is often portrayed as very arrogant, brash, intelligent, calculative and in some ways, brilliant. She has a very strong moral code, and strong sense of right versus wrong. Josephine is also very bullish, and is very hard to have her mind changed, though it is possible.

Trivia

 * 1) Josephine was an alcoholic after the age of sixteen, though it was less severe after her twenties.
 * 2) Josephine is considered by some historians a military genius.
 * 3) Josephine's full name is as follows: Josephine Anna Maria Louise Elena Rina Victoria Mary Elizabeth Margaret Caroline Catherine Anne Jane Matilda Adela Charlene Eugenie Adrianne Madeliene Grace Eleanor (Yes its a mouthful)