Fealty

Jalen Stone waited in line in front of Pine Hill Elementary for nearly two hours. The school had been converted into a polling place, and Jalen was eager to cast a historic vote. A half-year of government uncertainty was enough for him and the rest of the Commonwealth of Calbourne. The time had come for the commonwealth to either embrace its chaos or to seek stability, and time for Jalen to make his decision. A local news crew was interviewing random citizens for their opinion, and he was selected.

"Sir," the reported said grabbing Jalen's attention, "how are you voting in this historic event, and do you have anything you want to say to our viewers?"

"I'm voting 'Yeah!'" Jalen screamed. "We want order, we want stability, and we want peace. And our leaders can't get it done. We want a government that's trustworthy and knows what they're doing." The crowd around him cheered and chanted "Yes!" over and over.

It wasn't long after the interview that Jalen was given his ballot. On it read a single yes or no question. Without hesitation, he checked the box that said "Yes" and dropped it in the box, turning around to face those waiting line and raising fists into the air. He left the school to be confronted by another news crew that was taking exit polls, and he gave the same responses he gave the first, earning more cheers from his peers. Meanwhile back inside, the ballot box was replaced and opened by the poll workers and counted. One by one each sheet's vote was recorded, with a steady stream of Yes votes, with the occasional No mixed in. The process went on throughout the night until the result was determined.

---

The next day, Christine Brooks, having completed her tenure as Acting President in Scallendovia, attended a meeting in a new place for her. She resumed her familiar ambassadorial duties, this time with the nearby Commonwealth of Calbourne, whose executive leadership was couped by the army in three consecutive terms for their leaders attempting to establish absolute authoritarian rule. Sarah Mason, the Speaker of the Commonwealth Assembly, announced the result of the prior night's vote.

"The Yeses numbering one million, one hundred and two thousand, eight hundred ninety-three (1,102,893), the Noes numbering four hundred and sixteen thousand, two hundred forty-two (416,242), the measure, requiring approval from two thirds of voting citizens, is passed and is to be submitted to Their Royal Highnesses for ratification," Sarah read out. "Ambassador, will you present the result to them?"

"Yes, of course," Christine confirmed. She then set off for her old home... for Norvalle.

Christine had spent so much time away from home that Norvalle was starting to become a distant memory, but there were a few notable places she remember how to get to, the government administration building being one of them. But, she would quickly find out how much Sil Dorsett had changed in recent months when the receptionist in the front office informed her that Princess Claidie was not in the office that day, instead working from within the palace. Claidie working from the palace was a significantly odd cirumstance that raised Christine's eyebrows. But, she took it in stride and made her way to the palace, asking the staff there to be taken to wherever Claidie was. She would find herself approaching the old Chamber of the Nobility, repurposed as a proper throne room called the Chamber of Rule. It wasn't often that Claidie stationed herself there, but she so happened to be in the right place when Christine came seeking an audience. The guards in front of the chamber opened the door and announced Christine's entry.

"Your Highness... presenting Christine Brooks, ambassador to the Commonwealth of Calbourne," the guard called out, much to Claidie's chagrin. But, Claidie stood up and walked up to Christine, giving her a friendly hug.

"Christine! Good to see you again. What's new?" Claidie asked.

"Well, I have some big news from the commonwealth. You might want to have a seat for this..."

"O... kay? This sounds a little serious."

"They held a referendum last night. The result of which was to abandon self-governance and seek to join the principality, recognizing you as head of state."

Claidie paused for a few seconds, dumbfounded by the result. "You... are... joking..." Claidie said very slowly, astonished by what she had heard. "Right? You... you... you can't be serious."

"Nope," Christine replied. "Seventy-two point six (72.6%) of the vote was in favor it."

Claidie never considered the possibility of another nation swearing fealty to her and her sister, but it quickly became something she didn't desire. Not only that, but the matter looked to be another scenario where her regency council format would backfire, leaving her vulnerable to Alice, Madeline, and Parliament potentially welcoming the new territory with open arms.

"Why did they decide to do that?" Claidie asked.

"I imagine it's because of how you accommodated the refugees that fled Scallendovia during the Crown Conflict. You showed benevolence to another nation, and now even those outside of the conflict trust you."

"Christine... I can't rule on this myself," Claidie informed Christine. "I don't think this is right for the commonwealth, but I see Madeline welcoming them with open arms. We'll probably need to wait until Alice returns from her diplomatic mission to decide this for sure."

Hoping that Madeline wouldn't actually agree to taking on Calbourne as an extension of the Principality, Claidie decided to pay her a visit at her home in the late evening as to not interfere with her day-to-day duties. The Prime Minister's mansion was sealed off by a spiked metal gate, but Claidie found no trouble getting in with security doing nothing but saluting her as she swiped her ID card at the gate terminal, unlocking the gate. At the door, security again stepped aside as she knocked on the door. Expecting a butler, she was surprised when Madeline herself answered the door.

"Oh, I thought you might have been busy with something," Claidie said, surprised by the minister.

"Well, who else is gonna answer the door?" Madeline asked. There wasn't a butler. Madeline had dismissed the housekeeping staff, preferring to do everything on her own. Whether it was a cost cutting measure or a way to drift away from possessing servants, nobody knew.

"Right. May I come in?" Claidie asked.

"Do you need to ask?" Madeline replied. The awkward exchange left both of them uneasy.

The television in the living room was turned to Lodestar News Network, which was airing "The Briefing Room" and discussing the vote that was held. Madeline saw the results earlier in the day and was holding meetings with all of the ministers (except the Foreign Affairs minister that was out on assignment) at the residence rather than the government administration building, leaving Claidie and all of the staff in the dark. But, with the television on and showing the program, Claidie realized she screwed up by not paying attention to the media. Everyone except her, until Christine's arrival, knew about the vote and was anxious to see how the Dorsettian government would respond.

"I take it this is what you wanted to talk about, Claidie?" Madeline asked, pointing to the television. "Which way are you going to try to convince me?"

"One step at a time, this still needs Parliament approval."

"It already got it. All the peers and a significant majority of the elected voted for," Madeline explained. "Did you seriously not hear about it?"

"I only found out when Christine Brooks showed up in the Chamber of Rule."

"See, this is why you need to pay more attention to the media."

Claidie was starting to get annoyed. She was left in the dark, the government did things behind her back, and now her best friend was getting snarky with her. So, she fired back. "You're starting to sound like Will. He's definitely rubbed off on you."

"What did you expect after seven years of marriage, Claidie?" Madeline countered. "Anyways, it's a yes from me. Can we sign the bill without Alice? It only takes two since Parliament approved it."

It wasn't the result Claidie wanted, but it was the one she knew she was going to get. She didn't want to tell Madeline her vote, but she knew she had to.

"No. Alice will break our tie."

"I'm torn. I just don't know if I really want this..."

Days later, Alice returned from her trip to Cogoria. She was shaken and distraught, witnessing unspeakable horrors stemming from alleged Scallendovian involvement. The memory of the more than seven thousand faces of the fallen she laid eyes upon during the Cogorian remembrance parade remained with her. But, for the moment, Alice remained focused on the issue at hand and put the Cogorian/Scallendovian issue aside.

"There will have to be some limits over the influence Calbourne has over our government," Alice suggested. "They may be coming to us, but remember they have double our population. With fair representation, they'd control our destiny."

"What do you suggest?" Madeline asked.

"Total fealty to us," Alice declared. "They keep their regional government for regional matters, but from a national standpoint, they have absolutely no say and no representation in our Parliament. I will not let them dictate the nature of our society."

"That will be a tough sell," Madeline indicated.

"I like it," Claidie declared. "Suggest it back to them, let them vote on the terms. Let's see if they really want to throw their autonomy away."

"Agreed," Alice noted to Claidie.

As the party disbanded, Alice pulled her sister aside to give her some tough news. "Sis, listen... I need some time away. I need to set myself straight. I'm declaring myself incapacitated. Let Aunt Marianne work on this on my behalf."

Claidie gave her sister a hug, trying to reassure her of how much she cared about her. "Take all the time you need, Sis. I know you've been through a lot."

The next morning, Claidie and Madeline gathered with the cabinet ministers and Ambassador Christine Brooks to discuss the idea that was proposed the night before. Alice was absent, declaring herself temporarily unfit to preside over daily government proceedings.

Each of the ministers thought about the impact taking in Calbourne would have in their area, but it was Ministers Will Bowers (Foreign Affairs) and Stanley Eddy (Treasury) that presented the greatest concerns.

"According to the last commonwealth budget and outstanding sovereign debt, the Principality would incur a debt of nearly 18 billion setti[note]About 8 billion NSD[/note] by taking the commonwealth on. That would be 83% percent of our budget to repay immediately or 21% for the next four years," Stanley stated.

"Cut those in thirds, minister," Madeline said, correcting Minister Eddy. "We would collect the same taxes from Calbourne as we do from our own people. It is still significant though."

"Perhaps raise taxes nationwide to compensate," Eddy suggested.

"You think the protests are bad now?" Madeline retorted, rejecting the thought.

Minister Bowers's concern, shared by Ambassador Brooks, was with the plan Claidie proposed. "The legislative and foreign affairs part is going to be a mess. I mean, you just basically proposed holding them under virtual colonial rule. That's going to make every single one of our allies who have been decolonizing for decades real mad, and it's going to make the Calbourne people upset too. I understand where you're coming from, but it's a bad idea. I also have a big concern over who's going to control the Chamber of Law under this plan. This is going to be tough to sort out."

Since Alice stepped away temporarily, Marianne Covington, the aunt of Claidie and Alice, was brought in as her delegate. With that seat at the table, she made her opinion to her niece and the Prime Minister known. Unlike her brother Prince Stéphane, Marianne was a reliably stable figure in the royal family that approached every issue with great care and an abundance of critical analysis. She hoped to find a solution to the problem that Will suggested.

"I agree... I think my dear niece's suggestion is a bit too extreme. The last thing we want is to hold the land and its inhabitants hostage under colonial rule as you suggested we would be doing, Minister Bowers. There needs to be a balance to achieve integration. Perhaps we could do it slowly, and only in matters that absolutely require a unified approach," Marianne suggested.

"What do you have in mind?" Claidie asked.

Marianne rattled on with her idea. "We decide on the critical functions of the government that both districts must adhere to. For instance, they adopt our currency, we decide their taxes, we control their imports and exports, we become responsible for their roads to ensure compatibility between our two sides, and we control an integrated military, for example; it would be the bare minimum. Decisions on those matters would be handled by a national parliament, not Norvalle's Chamber of Law. And, while we start off controlling those functions completely for say, thirty years, we give them increased representation every ten years so that by the time a hundred years have passed they achieve proportionate representation. Hopefully by then their culture will have adapted to ours, and our culture to theirs."

"What about the nobility?" Claidie questioned. "They were already disappointed in being deprived of their high legislative power at my hands. I don't think they would accept being excluded from a national parliament, and as Calbourne adds representatives to a national parliament their voting power would be further diminished. As much as I would love to see it happen that way, I could see it reaching the tipping point and resulting in a revolt."

"Weigh their votes, increasing with every addition. By the time Calbourne reaches full representation, the nobles have three votes each," Marianne suggested.

Claidie acknowledged her aunt's recommendation and jotted it down. Believing that there was enough of a framework to ensure a gradual integration of the new district, the demands were put to a vote amongst the three regency council members, with Claidie and Marianne voting confidently yes, but with Madeline only cautiously giving her approval. Madeline wanted to absorb the new district, but thought the conditions of doing so were poisonous and likely to ruin the deal. With unanimous consent, the paperwork was handed off to Christine to be presented to the Calbourne interim government. That night, Christine departed to deliver the news to Sarah Mason and the others in the commonwealth government.

When Christine returned to Calbourne and met with the Commonwealth Assembly a second time, she presented the principality's counter-proposal to the representatives, who read on with disappointment. Unlike the people of Calbourne, the government in Norvalle calculated the impact of the agreement and sought to minimize the disadvantages the existing principality would incur. The State Assembly realized their error but remained adamant that the solution wasn't any better.

"These terms are unacceptable, Ambassador. We won't sign up for a one-hundred-year gradual ease from full colonization," said Sarah Mason, who now acted as the Speaker of the assembly.

Christine brought up the points that the Regency Council considered. "Madam Speaker, the concern over the loss of current representation proportions is legitimate. For your state to be at full representation, it would send double the representatives of the existing Chamber of Law, and it would overwhelm the existing delegation. You're coming to us for support and good governance, but in a total and sudden merge you would control the government responsible for it, and the only check against it would be Regency itself. This plan allows for a gradual transition."

The Assembly debated the entire day away to try and find a solution that preserved the political climate but was still fair, but they couldn't come up with it. They were not sure what to offer or what to demand. As the hours passed, the assembly realized that this could not be solved by going back and forth with Christine as an intermediary. They needed to talk to the Regency itself.

---

A few weeks later, the Chamber of Rule was filled with chairs in anticipation of a meeting between the two governments to sort out the agreement. The representatives from the Chamber of Law (including the nobility) and the Calbourne Commonwealth Assembly filled the chamber as Claidie, Madeline, and Marianne entered the hall and sat on the thrones. Alice joined as well and sat off to the side to observe, having deferred the issue to Marianne even as she ended her time away from royal duties. As soon as everyone took their seats, Claidie stood up to address the assembly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, members of parliament, members of the assembly, my fellow peers... We're here today to solve a complex political question. How do we arrange a government where the people of a larger state want to join with the existing government of a smaller state? The concerns presented in the back-and-forth negotiations lead by Ambassador Brooks are valid. One side will not accept total yet gradually easing rule by the other, while the other side does not want its legislative body overwhelmed, despite both sides wanting to come together. For this to work, we must be unified in our approach, and we must be fair."

Claidie motioned for Sarah to stand. "Miss Mason, since we made the first substantial offer, I would like for you to present your commonwealth's counteroffer."

"Thank you, Miss Dorsett," Sarah began, drawing odd looks from the nobles but a smile from Claidie over the way Sarah addressed her. "The originally proposed system was too complex and focuses too heavily on blending our governments. To be honest, we're only looking for guidance at the top. What I offer is that our state will choose its own Prime Minister and we would duplicate Norvalle's Regency system, with the co-monarchs of the Dorsett family and Calbourne's Prime Minister creating Calbourne's Regency. Our legislative bodies would remain separate."

Madeline saw an issue with the plan. "How would we deal with combined efforts, such as the military?" she asked.

Marianne had the answer. "If that's the case, Miss Mason, then perhaps for joint efforts we simply require both legislatures to be in agreement and pass identical bills before they are considered in force."

"Agreed, Miss Covington," Sarah confirmed. "At the top, joint effort bills would require either both co-monarchs or their delegates to give assent, as that would be two-thirds in both regencies, or one monarch and both Prime Ministers since that would also make two-thirds in each."

Claidie watched on as her aunt and the Calbourne speaker exchanged ideas. She was relieved that Marianne was making quick work of the establishment of the new combined government and that she had a practical negotiating style, but she became increasingly concerned that Marianne's effectiveness would cast shade over her own in the long run. There was nothing she could do for now, but she made a mental note to find a way to take full advantage of Marianne's competence.

"With the basics out of the way, I believe it would be best to address the immediate issues that would face a combined nation," Marianne suggested.

"Indeed, especially with both legislatures here," Claidie echoed. "Miss Mason, since you are the current Speaker of the Commonwealth Assembly and there is no current Prime Minister for your commonwealth, I would ask that you fill that role until a special election is held to select one.

"We have a lot to discuss. Let's get to work."