Rupert had been roughly removed from his cell and brought to the interrogation several hours before. Since then, he'd been left alone, handcuffed to a bar on the table. It wouldn't be so bad if the temperature weren't about 5 degrees too cold. The waiting and discomfort began to wear on his temper. Hopefully, they'd end this waiting game soon, and get on with why he was brought here.
As if on cue, the sound of the door opening broke his train of thought. He heard a single person walk in, close the door, and start walking around to the other side of the table. As the person came into view, he saw that it was a woman of average height, blonde hair, with an unmistakable air of an upper-class upbringing. She was dressed in a non-descript but impeccably tailored suit. The only informality in her appearance was the lack of a tie and the top button of the blouse left open. The expression on her face was hard as stone. She sat down in the chair across the table from Rupert.
"Mr. Davies, I am Director Sarah Mountbatten of the Secret Intelligence Service. I am going to be asking you some questions. It would be in your best interest to cooperate fully."
"Mountbatten... Daughter of Lord George Mountbatten, no doubt. I heard about what happened to him. You have my sympathy. I hope they find him soon."
The change in Director Mountbatten's expression was subtle, and she covered it quickly, but it didn't escape Rupert's notice.
"I don't need the sympathy of a traitor. Now..."
Rupert leaned forward in his seat. Though he had initially intended to cooperate, this woman's arrogant, upper-class manner, combined with his already frayed temper, caused him to dislike her intensely from the moment she entered the room. Rejecting his sympathy was the last straw.
"Ahh, treason. There's something your family knows a lot about, isn't that true... Princess? Truth is, your father and I have a lot in common. We both took up arms against the Crown for a cause we thought was honourable and just, only to later realise the magnitude of our error. Too late to take back the harm we did to others."
Director Mountbatten clearly became angry at the idea that her father had anything at all in common with the man in front of her. Obviously, she was more compromised by Lord Mountbatten's disappearance than she realised, or she wouldn't lose her composure so easily. Though it wouldn't help his position, Rupert pushed just a little more.
"Of course, I'm not the Queen's favourite cousin, so I doubt that I'll manage a Royal Pardon after a simple mea culpa. I guess it really does pay to be born in the right place, doesn't it, Princess?"
The Director got back up out of her chair, walked around the table and punched Rupert hard, right across the jaw. It wasn't a bad punch for someone with her background. She spoke to Rupert quietly, voice dripping with anger.
"Clearly, you're not interested in cooperating. By the time this is over, you'll wish you had. Enjoy what remains of your life."
With that, Director Mountbatten exited the room, leaving Rupert alone until the guards returned to escort him back to his cell. Making her angry like that was probably a bad idea, but Rupert knew he could be killed at any time. Why not have a little fun before he goes?
![[Image: pyBjInU.png]](https://i.imgur.com/pyBjInU.png)