Travel Notice

[Sil Dorsett]

The long flight from Gojannestad to Norvalle was almost over as the plane started to make the final descent onto the runway. One of its passengers was nervous, praying that she wouldn't be caught by a border control agent when her passport was inspected.

Heather Prior was a credentialed[note]Certified by the Dorsettian government as a member of the press despite not working for a single news agency[/note] freelance reporter, traveling the world to get her view of the biggest news stories to sell them to whatever agencies would buy the scoop. On her memory cards, she had an interesting story to sell: the coronation of Cedric VI as King of Cimmeria. Of course, this meant she had to have visited Cimmeria, and that was where the problem lay. Heather was a Sil Dorsettian citizen, and before Heather left the Principality, the government banned all travel to Cimmeria. She wasn't supposed to be at the coronation, and she risked a fine for having traveled there.

After the plane landed and she disembarked, the first stop was to the customs hall. She waited in line as border control checked everyone's passports. It was only a few minutes before it was her turn, being near the front of the line.

"Papers, please," the border control agent requested.

Heather presented her ID card, her passport, and her immunization record to the agent. The ID card and immunization record were inspected quickly, but the passport was looked over for a while. It was what Heather feared; they were inspecting the passport stamps. She knew she was had, but then she realized her one saving grace, and she presented another document to the agent: her press credential.

"Sir, you might find this relevant..." Heather told the agent.

Once the review was complete, the agent returned all her documents, but added an extra one.

"Ma'am, the only thing that press credential did was save you hours in interrogation. Your passport has a stamp from a totally banned location. That means nobody goes there, not even the press. I'm afraid you'll be fined for that."

Heather reviewed the citation for the travel violation, and her jaw dropped. Ten-thousand Setti (4400 NSD) was the penalty.

"WHAT THE...," she screamed before catching herself and biting her tounge. Furious, the gears in her head started spinning, coming up an idea. "Who instituted the ban? Was it parliament or Her Highness by decree?" she asked, forgetting that there were two Princesses now.

"Royal decree, ma'am, by Claidie before the Regency Council change," the agent replied.

"Okay, fine. Do you know what the procedure is to sue her?"

 

[Sil Dorsett]

It was near the end of the business day at the government office building. Claidie had already packed up her laptop and called it a day. Her last royal court case took no time at all. Handling those small claims cases was nothing more than a chore to her, but it fell in line with her promise of a monarchy more open to hearing the petitions of the citizens. Most of the cases still ended up in local courts, as Claidie didn't like to schedule more than a couple weeks in advance. As she was about to walk out the door of the office building, her attention turned to a very angry young woman getting in the face of the front desk receptionist.

"I want to file a petition of right against Princess Claidie!" the woman screamed, with Claidie listening from a distance.

Claidie crossed her arms in disbelief as she listened to the story. The woman was Heather Prior, and Claidie recognized the complaint from a Fluttr exchange a few hours past. She continued to look towards the exchange between the freelancer and the receptionist that was so stunned by the demand that she didn't know what to do. At that point, Claidie got involved. She tapped Heather's shoulder to get her attention, and as the freelancer turned, Claidie challenged her.

"Problem, miss?" Claidie asked.

"I am a credentialed member of the press, Your Highness," Heather replied, immediately recognizing the senior Princess. She held up her press credential badge and the citation. "This penalty for traveling to Cimmeria infringes on my right to report the news! I should not have been subject to a fine, and you know it!" Heather replied.

Claidie pointed to the receptionist. "Find time for an expedited royal court case and make sure it lines up with Miss Ellison's schedule. She's gonna have to hear the case," she said, before delivering her response to Ms. Prior, accepting the challenge.

"I accept your case. We'll let the Prime Minister decide."

---

A few days later, Madeline had both Claidie and Heather in her office, ready to hear the case. It was a situation Madeline was unfamiliar with, as she hadn't been required to hear cases against the royal family before. Though the provision to sue the royal family in Royal Court through a petition of right had existed for some time, it was rarely used as it was not often that a citizen actually had a reasonable case against them; most were sent to the lower courts for review and dismissed. Heather's case breached that barrier, and while in days past a Prime Minister had every incentive to tow the royal line to preserve their job, with the new Regency Council setup Madeline was free to hear the case without any fear of retribution from the princesses. For this case, Madeline was effectively the monarch, and while Claidie was confident her friend would remain loyal, there remained the chance that Madeline's interpretation of the law would not be in Claidie's favor.

[[Transcript]]

Madeline:
"Miss Prior, you are suing Miss Dorsett for ten thousand Setti, claiming infringement on the freedom of the press. Already, that sounds to me like this is going to be a bit more serious than an ordinary small claims case. So, let's hear it. Tell me about it."

Heather:
"Thank you, Madam Minister. I am a credentialed press freelancer; I have been for 12 years. I've traveled the world to gather the news and present it to local and national stations as well as online outlets, and this is the first time I've been penalized for doing my job."

Madeline:
"What story were you working on?"

Heather:
"I approached Reaction2 online news when I heard about the bombing in Cimmeria that killed King Miles III, and wanted to cover the coronation when it came up, and they agreed to the contract."

Madeline:
"How much were you to be paid?"

Heather:
"They offered twenty-five hundred Setti."

Madeline:
"Okay, and you're claiming Miss Dorsett owes you ten thousand for infringing upon the freedom of the press. How did that happen and how did you come up with ten thousand?"

Heather:
"When I returned, the border control agent gave me a citation for violating a travel ban, and the fine that was issued was ten thousand."

Madeline:
"So this is a government issue, not a personal one. Why did you single Miss Dorsett out?"

Heather:
"Because it was her royal decree that totally banned travel to Cimmeria, and in her decree, she forgot to note exceptions for the press like when the Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues a travel notice. Credentialed press are supposed to be exempt from the ban when on official business."

Madeline:
"Okay. Claidie, I must have missed something because I saw the travel warning from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. I didn't see the decree that instituted the ban. When did this happen?"

Claidie:
"The decree was issued on May 25th, after the bombing."

Madeline:
"Okay, so that was well before our restructuring. Why did you feel that a royal decree banning travel to Cimmeria was necessary, and why in the decree was there no exception for the press?"

Claidie:
"Cimmeria was in a period of severe instability with the bombing and the ongoing conflict with the FPEC, and Cimmeria continued to be the aggressors in that conflict. I didn't feel the notice put out by the F.A. ministry was severe enough. I felt that the instability endangered our citizens in Cimmeria, but also felt that sanctions were required to isolate Cimmeria and pressure them into changing course."

Madeline:
"By inflicting minuscule damage to their tourism industry? Whatever damage would be caused would be against the public. That won't hit their government at all. You want to hit the government, you hit personal assets of government officials. Seize their assets stored in Sil Dorsett. Send home their diplomats. That's what everyone else does. And shutting down press involvement only hinders our own ability to gather and provide information."

Claidie:
"We don't need our people going over there. We can already get information and news from other outlets in nations that haven't instituted the ban."

Madeline:
"Which could be considered unreliable or biased. It's better to have our own journalists see it with their own eyes and report back directly to our news agencies. The other thing I can think of was an 1872 Act of Parliament that created the only limit to royal decrees. You remember what that one is, right?

Claidie:
"'No royal decree may inhibit the guaranteed rights of the people.'"

Madeline:
"Those rights including speech and freedom of the press to deliver reports to the public, as reiterated in the 1872 act. That was another big change during Liselle's reign. It used to be royal decrees could inhibit some rights, but that was done away with. So in your case, in instituting the travel ban without exempting the press and allowing them to report the news unrestricted, which we guarantee, you broke that that law, the one law you actually can break while doing your job and be sanctioned for. The one instance where 'the prince (or princess) can do no wrong' does not actually apply."

Claidie:
"Then you're saying the royal decree is invalid. And with the new setup, it's going to be harder to replace it with one that doesn't hurt the press's ability to report."

Madeline:
"I think we should just let the F.A. ministry handle it, and I also think we should review our stance towards Cimmeria. With a new government, maybe things aren't as hostile as we perceive them to be. Miss Prior, any keynotes from your story along those lines?"

Heather:
"The new King said 'I shall restore the trust that we've lost.'"

Madeline:
"Judgment for the plaintiff in the amount of ten thousand Setti... from the royal treasury, not personal funds, since this was an issue regarding a government action. The royal decree banning travel to Cimmeria is invalid, as per the Infringing Decrees Act of 1872, and therefore null and void. The government will determine the penalties already issued for violating the ban and rescind them. That is all. Ms. Prior, you're excused. Claidie, stick around."

 

[Sil Dorsett]

Claidie had suffered an embarrassing defeat. Not only was her travel ban nulled, but the Prime Minister had taught the Princess a thing or two about Silien civics in the process. She took it in stride though, and humbly thanked her friend for setting her straight. "Thanks Maddie, for the civics lesson. That's one mistake I won't make again."

"You certainly won't, now that you have an extra two pairs of eyes to watch what you're doing," Madeline replied, referring to the new Regency Council setup.

"Anyways, we should start working on travel ban 2.0," the Princess suggested.

"Why?" Madeline asked, "Why are you so committed to banning our citizens from visiting?"

"Because they're warmongers," Claidie replied. "They're aggressive by nature and ignorant of international law. They seek to be a powerhouse in the international community by throwing their weight around militarily, so we should isolate them, make them feel unwanted and insignificant. Have nothing to do with them. "

"Really?" Madeline queried. "Let me tell you something..."

Madeline had read the intelligence reports on Cimmeria's activities of late, including the actions of the new King and Prime Minister to attempt to provide humanitarian aid. Seeing that Claidie's opinion was far outdated, she sought to set the record straight and attempt to resolve the diplomatic row on her own. With that in mind, she attacked Princess's mentality head on.

"We have resources available to us to provide limited aid to smaller countries in distress. Sure, we may net import food, but overall we store more than we need. You should know... The Princess's Storehouse, the emergency supply of food we have should we suffer an emergency. We also use what's in there for humanitarian outreaches too, no matter how small compared to the efforts of much larger nations. Question, what's one of the things we export from the storehouse, Claidie?"

"Shelf-stable vacuum sealed ready to eat meals," Claidie recalled.

"Correct, and freeze dried products too," Madeline reminded Claidie. "How much of that have we distributed as of late? None, yet there are other nations in need of aid, nations who could use what we have to offer. I'm sure there's product due for rotation, why not send it to places that need it?"

"What does this have to do with Cimmeria?" Claidie asked.

"Because they're providing aid. The nation of Prydania is in dire need of aid, and, along with the PGU, Cimmeria is offering to provide it. And while Cimmeria is making strides, we've done nothing. Let me ask you: Who's the real villain right now?"

"Us," Claidie reluctantly admitted.

"Fix it. Try talking to the Cimmerians," Madeline ordered. "And while we're at it, we should start preparing distributions."

 

[Sil Dorsett]

The new Regency Council setup proved to be a source of frustration for the elder Dorsett sister despite it being her idea, as it put the Prime Minister on equal footing with the royals. Now, instead of being a demure and obedient advisor, the minister found an opportunity to directly correct the sisters' behaviors, almost like a mother disciplining two daughters. Twice in less than a quarter hour, Claidie found herself on the wrong end of a verbal thrashing with no opening for retribution, not that she would have anyway against her friend. The instructions she received were clear: Be more careful in drafting decrees and talk to the Cimmerians. It was the latter of the two that bothered her.

Claidie still blamed Cimmeria for the war, disgusted by the government's decision to intervene and subjugate Cogoria just because it was in a state of civil war. She still blamed Cimmeria for opening the floodgates of Scallendovian glory-seeking and the joint Cogorian-Kanadian assault on the shores a couple of hundred kilometers north. Only a month after delivering an unrelenting assault on paper throwing Cedric's coronation back at him with a demand to denounce their military interventions abroad publicly and pledge to cease, she was back on the computer drafting an instrument of reconciliation. After a quick phone call to Madeline to ask whether the letter should be written as though it came from the council or her personally, she spent a long time thinking about how to start as the minister suggested that the letter be personal. It was then that she capitulated and finally admitted to herself that just as Madeline wanted her to take personal responsibility for her response to Cimmeria before, it was Scallendovia's sole responsibility for entering the war. It was an awkward spot for her to be in, first demanding isolation only to now be told to reach out. As the sun set and the Norvalle city lights lit the sky, she remained in a dimly lit palace office collecting her thoughts and putting it to paper.

---

To His Royal Majesty King Cedric VI of Cimmeria,

In decades and even centuries past, The Principality of Sil Dorsett has sought to maintain positive relations with other nations wherever and whenever possible, seeing diplomacy as key to the safety of our citizens. But while our foreign affairs ministry and our ambassadors are at the forefront of this effort, it is very easy for the one who sits the throne to undo all that work. In the past few months since the end of the recent Cogorian civil war, colloquially known as the Crown Conflict, I have managed to do just that.

Though my power has now been trisected and spread equally to my sister and the Prime Minister, it is still my responsibility to right what I have wronged. I held Cimmeria entirely responsible for the intervention in the Crown Conflict and for when Cogorian troops landed on the coast near Olive Town only a few hundred kilometers away. I refused to put any of the blame on our northwestern neighbor. I accused Cimmeria of luring Scallendovia into the war as a way to seek fortune and fame. I refused to accept Scallendovia's responsibility for entering the war. I continued to blame the standing Cimmerian government, even after multiple changes in leadership. I had forgotten my principle of not passing the sins of fathers down to their sons.

Your ascension to the throne should have been a reset in my opinion of the Cimmerian government, and I should have formed a new opinion based on your actions rather than those of your predecessors. It is unfortunate that it took me this long to realize it. Though I still believe it would be a step in the right direction to eschew military intervention in foreign lands, I will cease to let that be a prerequisite to engaging in diplomatic affairs.

Additionally, a travel ban I had enacted as a sanction has been rescinded. Though it was held as invalid under our laws anyway, rescission would have been a part of this outreach effort. I am also willing to instruct the foreign affairs ministry to cancel the warning status that was issued so long as the safety of our citizens visiting Cimmeria can be guaranteed.

I no longer wish to continue with my hostility, I apologize for having allowed said hostility to exist, and I seek the normalization of our diplomatic relationship.

Humbly yours,

---

[[Cimmerien is invited to respond if desired.]]

 

[Antonius Kaizuniviel]

I have been granted authorization from the topic starter to post in this RP thread

-Cimmerien

---

Alexander Palace
Adelaide, Cimmeria
Friday, 15 September 2017
20:00


As Cedric VI, who was recently crowned king, starts to types his response to Princess Claidie of Sil Dorsett on his personal computer, he thinks about the the response she made to the invitation to his coronation. He was made more frustrated than before considering the position his nation was in. He was frustrated about how she blamed his kingdom for Scallendovia entering the war as their ally, and the Cogorian-Kanadian joint invasion of Scallendovia, which was north of Sil Dorsett. He had enough problems without being condemned for choices a foreign sovereign nation-state made. He believed that even though Cimmeria was responsible for escalating the war, it was Scallendovia's choice to enter the war, which ultimately resulted in them becoming a failed state. But then he thought about how the rest of the Crown Conflict proceeded from the point when the previous foreign minister Tsopic tore up the first peace treaty. He even thought about the declaration of war made by the the previous government that was in control during the war. It was at that this moment that Cedric knew; Cimmeria fucked up. Their involvment in the war had only made thing worse for them, and had, as a result, put them in a constitutional crisis. So he started to continue typing the personal letter that is to be sent to the Princess. When he finished, he had it faxed over to Sil Dorsett for effect. Then turned off his computer before finishing his work for now, and attending to other matters involving his family.

FROM HIS ROYAL MAJESTY THE KING OF CIMMERIA​

To Her Royal Highness Princess Claidie of Sil Dorsett,


The Cimmerian Federation is one nation that is supposed to be bountiful in mercy, and peaceful. We used to believed that we could maintain peace in the world that we live in. We had a incident that took place years ago, which put us in this mindset. But that is no excuse for the actions our nation has made during the Crown Conflict, which we’d escalated months ago. But since this war has ended, we have been trying our hardest to redeem ourselves, and restore what we once were before this point. I’d recently made a global invitation to the coronation ceremony, hoping that this would be a first step to repair our reputation internationally, and relations with the rest of the world.


But with all the pressure I’ve been dealing with in my time as king, you’ve only added to the frustration. You’ve placed blame on me and my kingdom, instead of placing blame on my predecessor for the mistakes the he and his government made. You’ve also placed blame on me and my kingdom for Scallendovia’s involvement in the war. Yes, as the King of this Federation, I accept full responsibility for our involvement in the war, for escalating the war, and of our aggression. However, it was their choice to enter the war in the beginning, which lead to them becoming a failed state. It was their choice to risk losing their reputation, and as a result, they’d to face the invasion as a consequence for joining the war as our ally. Considering this, I personally believe that that is the reason why we tried our distance from the war as much as possible.


You’ve also demanded that you would not establish an embassy or consulate unless we’d made our military a self-defense force only. Yes, we made a mistake by escalating the conflict, but in truth, I believe force should be used as a last resort or in under the pretense of peacekeeping. With this said, I don't believe that not being able to use force if necessary should be a prerequisite for engaging in diplomatic and foreign affairs, nor should it be made as such. What am I saying is that you shouldn't have made such a response in the first place. But I can see that it's important to repair and establish relations with other powers, so I am glad you’ve decided to repent. As we are continuing to make changes to our nation we will reconsider and renegotiate our status in the international stage. As for your citizens, and the citizens of foreign powers for that matter, our nation has stabilized since the war, as law enforcement has increased their vigilance on crime, and maintained their presence. With this said, you have my word that your citizens will be safe.

We may not be alike, but I believe that we can establish peace with each other, and normalize our diplomatic relationship. I hope to speak with you again in the future, and that we may meet in person one day.






Regards,

His Royal Majesty King Cedric VI

 

[Sil Dorsett]

William Bowers, the foreign minister, reviewed Cedric's letter together with an embarassed Claidie, who had entirely miscalculated the expected response from her Cimmerian counterpart. Believing that Cedric had been backed into a corner by the country being made an international pariah for being foolish during the Cogorian civil war, she thought he would be graciously repentant and format the letter in the nicest possible way. Instead, she found herself looking just foolish as Cedric's response was firm and unwavering.

Disappointed, Will put forth a recommendation that he knew Claidie would not want to hear, but needed to hear. "Claidie, listen to me... You've had an awful record of trying to punch above our weight class. It's getting to the point things like this could threaten our safety."

The princess was stunned, shocked, and in total disbelief that one of her ministers would dare question and insult her. She remained quiet to let Will finish though, knowing that advising was one of the functions of her ministers, whether their advice was what she wanted to hear or not.

"Cedric's right. What you sent to him in response to his coronation invitation wasn't the right thing to send. If we were Goyanes, or Syrixia, or Sasten, I could see it then, as they're powerful nations with the influence to enforce real change. Not as some tiny principality that barely registers as a major city combined. I hate to say it like this, but you're not as important on the world stage as you think you are."

Claidie sighed in frustration, unsure of the point that Will was trying to make. "So what do you want me to do?" she asked.

"Let me and my staff do our jobs," Will replied. "Don't send any more of these letters and responses out without having me and the rest of the ministry review it. You and your sister are not trained diplomats, and right now, trained diplomats are need to repair a lot of damage. I'll type something up to get the normalization process formally started. Sit the rest of this one out, Claidie."

About to walk out of the minister's office, the princess looked back with one more question. "The travel warning?" she asked.

"If he assures the safety of our citizens, I'm willing to give him the benefit of doubt. Lowered to Advisory."


[[I believe Esplandia has a story to tell from Discord. Go for it, Esp!]]

 

[Esplandia]

To William Bowers

The Kingdom of Arrandal wishes that the Principality of Sil Dorsett would review their travel ban against those infected with the Lycanthropy disease. This ban was written at a time when little was known about the disease and there was much fear and misinformation being spread around about it. However in the last ten years much has been learned about this disease and those inflicted by Lycanthropy can now live mostly normal lives and the risk of transmission has become nearly nonexistent.

The Arrandi people asks that your nation not discriminate against these poor souls and not forget that they too are human beings deserving of fair treatment. Please lift the travel ban against werewolves and end this unjust discrimination.

Sincerely,
Gaelen Marishkov
Interim Waiczkanclerz of Arrandal
Duke of Vesticlungrod

 

[Sil Dorsett]

Will was perturbed by the message he received from the Arrandi Duke, a second complaint about travel restrictions in recent months since Claidie made the dashboard public. But, the ban that was in place for those with vampirism and lycanthropy wasn't issued by the foreign affairs ministry, which was normally responsible for sorting those notices out. The ban was issued by the health ministry. And so Will knocked on the door of Sariah Mesny, the Minister of Health and Human Services, and upon hearing her acknowledgment, he entered.

"Doctor Mesny, can you look at this?" Will asked. "Arrandal wants an entry ban on lycanthropes lifted. My ministry didn't issue it; yours did."

"Hmm, lycanthropy. Or rather, clinical lycanthropy... psychiatric disorder where someone believes they can transform into a non-human animal. Associated with a mythical condition involving shapeshifting into wolves. I certainly don't hope a past minister made policy based on myths related to rare mental disorders."

Will was a bit disturbed by Sariah's dismissal of the disease. "I don't think you know Arrandal that well to be honest," he suggested.

Sariah was surprised by Will's remarks, which suggested he believed that real werewolves existed. "Oh come on, Will, you actually believe its real? Fine... I'll amuse you and send a request for information. But so far, I don't really see a reason to keep policies based on make-believe on the books."

Mr. Marishkov,

Minister Bowers forwarded the request for the lifting of a travel ban on lycanthropes to my ministry, as it was my ministry under a former minister that issued it.

I am quite surprised such a ban still exists, especially one centered around a psychiatric disease. Usually, bans are issued when there's an actual threat to the health of the public. But, for whatever reason Minister Bowers wants me to pursue the matter as if the condition goes beyond the clinical definition and truly exists. I cannot believe I am actually going to ask for this, but if you could provide data on infection and transmission rates on actual lycanthropy (not clinical lycanthropy), the symptoms and frequency of occurrence, and medications available to either suppress symptoms or cure the affliction, we can review it and come to a decision on whether to lift the ban. I must say though; this really is only running through the required motions.

Yours truly,

Sariah Mesny
Minister of Health and Human Services

 

[Esplandia]

Ms. Mesny,

I believe you have confused two very different diseases. One is certainly a psychiatric disorder, and the other is a serious affliction that thousands of Arrandalians suffer from. I do not refer to Clinical Lycanthropy but to Lycanthropic Transmogrification, a virus capable of changing a persons very form into that of a wolf. I understand that this might seem far fetched, even impossible, but I assure you the disease is real. And if you'd like I'm sure a demonstration can be arranged to convince you.

To allay your fears over the disease the transmission rate is very low. The disease can only spread through bites during a full moon, and even then not every bite passes on the disease. Those who have recently contracted the disease are the most dangerous as changing into a lycanthrope can make them extremely violent. However after just a short while, usually after a dozen or so transformations, those infected can control when they transform and by that point no longer pose a threat to others even in a transformed state.

There is no known medicine or treatment to reverse the disease but their are some medications which can reduce the negative effects from the early stages, reducing the aggressive behavior and the duration of the disease transformation. If you'd like to know more about this medication you'll have to get in touch with the researchers at the Bravondy Center of Medicine and Science.

The main point though, is that those who are infected and have suffered with this disease are no threat to anyone. Their appearance may be terrifying during their transformation but they are just ordinary people at most times, with the same hopes and dreams as anyone else. I hope that you can come to see that this travel ban serves only to bar law abiding citizens of Arrandal from traveling to your beautiful nation.

In Sincerity,
Gaelen Marishkov
Interim Waiczkanclerz and Werewolf of Arrandal