Silien Short Stories

A collection of stories from The Principality of Sil Dorsett that aren't news stories for the Local News Topic thread but can be finished in one post and not demand an entire thread devoted to it. These stories are intended to give insight into the inner workings of the Dorsettian government, its major players, or the thoughts of the Silien citizens as the government changes the landscape of the world around them.

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Episode 1: The Mind of a Monarch

Within the courtyard of the Rivage Palace stood a large greenhouse, a dome consuming almost all of the entire area of the courtyard. Inside, it wasn't an environment focused on the growth of specific species of plants for any commercial purpose, but just a place where flowers of all kinds could blossom and those entering the structure could enjoy the beauty of a world untouched by human hands, as much as possible for an artificial world. The greenhouse served as just another tourist attraction for those visiting the palace until a couple of weeks ago when it was closed off on the orders of a member of the Dorsettian Regency Council. Its closure wasn't from any maintenance requirements or dangers, but just because a member wanted to reserve it for herself. It was within her right to do so.

A young artist held the greenhouse to herself demanding no visitors and no tourists to interrupt her. She would spend a few days at a time locked inside painting pictures that reflected her feelings. She worked on a painting of a young woman with black hair, dressed in white, laying down with her hands crossing over her head in a sea of blue flowers. The painting's colors, however, were inverted; the woman's hair was actually white, her skin dark blue, her dress black, and the flowers brown instead of blue. It was a troubling scene that reflected the artist's true discomforting emotions. It looked as though a computer had done the inversion, but that wasn't the case. The artist did that herself.

Working on two paintings simultaneously, she would often switch to a painting that expressed her anger towards the world around her. It was a simple drawing of a person being pushed off a ledge to their certain doom, with the background all red as if it took place within hell itself. Though the painting was simple, the message to her was deep; a message of defiance against the world order that demanded her complacency, of which she would grant none.

The paintings were the brainchild of one very troubled woman. Troubled by the world's reactions to her own behaviors and to the horrors she witnessed abroad, being locked away and able to reflect in peace provided the only source of solace and stability. It was those that Princess Alice needed the most. The tolls of leadership in different positions made its mark on Alice and contributed to her hostile view of the world around her. But, taking a break from it all allowed her to calm down and truly think about the impact she had on the world.

Over a few days, Alice continued to paint, and the works she created slowly migrated away from the emotional and expressionist and landed in the serene with her moving on to basic landscape paintings based on the greenhouse she occupied. The latter paintings were a sign of her emotions being purged and her returning to a calm and collected mentality. They became a sign to her that she was ready to return to her duties and start working with her sister.

Two weeks passed since the announcement of her temporary incapacity. With a clear mind, Alice was ready to declare her incapacity to be at an end.

Episode 2: Direct Report

[This episode retcons information in the World Leaders Information Thread.]

September 6th, 2016 ...

Marius Chaucer, the Foreign Affairs Minister (at the time), stood across from the Prime Minister's desk as Madeline looked at the newspaper in total disbelief. A Guslantian tourist, Eliza Taylor, had accused the minister of repeatedly making unwanted sexual advances towards her at the Meterran Swallow Bar and Grill. Eliza had reported the incident to Lodestar News and the story went viral, being picked up by all the other news outlets. Not even a month into the Madeline's term she was already dealing with a major scandal within her administration. Why did she pick this guy for a Ministership? Why didn't a background check pick up other allegations made over a couple of years?

"Your services are no longer wanted nor required. Please leave," Madeline softly spoke to the now-former minister, and he left without saying a word. He didn't even try to defend himself.

Madeline slowly walked down the office building's stairs to the first floor to where Princess Claidie's office was. She asked the security guards nearby if she was occupied and they said she was not, so she knocked on the door, hearing the princess's voice saying "Come in!"

When Claidie saw Madeline as the door opened, she raised her copy of the newspaper in the air, asking "Did you see this!? Did you read what your foreign affairs minister did? Did you?"

"Yes, Your Highness. I did. I took care of it," Madeline responded angrily.

"Your Highness" was a trigger that would normally set Claidie off, but she let it slide given the gravity of the situation. It was the one time where she considered it proper and acceptable. She cut straight to the chase over whether Madeline truly did her job.

"He's gone?" she asked.

"Yes ma'am," Madeline quickly replied.

"Okay, thank the heavens for your quick firefighting," Claidie said, relieved that her Prime Minister was capable of delivering results quickly. "So, you need a new minister. Any ideas?"

"None. I don't have anyone in mind. That's why I came to you. Maybe you know someone," Madeline suggested.

"Yeah, I actually do," Claidie announced. "Your husband."

Madeline was stunned. She never thought Claidie would actually recommend creating a scenario where boss and subordinate were in a relationship. She had to be sure that what Claidie was recommending was really what she wanted. "You do realize he would be my direct report. Are you really sure about that?"

Claidie didn't care much for Madeline's concern. "I'll make him my direct report if that makes you any happier. I don't really care. In the time between my ascension and your inauguration, he was actually good. I really wanted him to stay on the team, so I'm telling you he will be part of this team. I'll deal with any fallout regarding your marriage. And, if you two divorce and it's not amicable, I'll dismiss you both. Sound good?"

---

August 5th, 2017 ...

"So, how exactly are we going to resolve the fact that my husband is now my direct report again?" Madeline asked her Regency Council colleagues.

"There's two of us and one of you," Princess Alice hinted.

Episode 3: Princesses' Questions

December 28th, 2017 ...

Thursday was the day for the weekly Prime Minister's Questions, but it was also Madeline's thirtieth birthday. Though the government offices were open, she and her husband[note]Will, the FA minister.[/note] took time off to enjoy the day with their family. Time off was another oddity of the Regency; the princesses could take as much time off as they wanted but the Prime Minister's time off was still tracked and limited the same as any other government employee.

Ordinarily, since the Prime Minister was out, the Prime Minister's Questions session would be canceled. Princess Alice had other ideas, and with her sister's consent, she invited those in the Chamber of Law to come to the Chamber of Rule to have the opportunity to ask the princesses questions that ordinarily would be fielded by the Prime Minister. And so thirty-seven identical folded chairs were arranged to face the three thrones in orderly fashion in the Chamber of Rule for each of the parliamentarians; a row of thirteen for the nobles followed by two rows of twelve for the elected. The lawmakers took their seats and began asking their questions.

Forty minutes went by with the questions being relatively minor and mostly related to budgeting, but the more pressing questions were yet to come. The Speaker, Cicelia Blatherwick, who never maintained political neutrality that was common to speakers of other nations, fired off a scathing question about the Phoenix Union designed to put Princess Claidie on notice.

"Your Highnesses," Cicelia addressed the two princesses, "with rising tensions in the Northeast, a broken Norsia and Prydania, as well as an apathetic Phoenix Union whose members are increasingly becoming more hostile towards each other, how can their Royal Highnesses continue to support our involvement in such an organization?

Alice replied first. "The first time I voted to remain in the union, I did so only because I knew the Syrixians would be taking a close look at my response since it was the first major decision I had to make in my cooperative reign with my sister and the Prime Minister. I suspected that future votes would not be subject to the same scrutiny. The truth is I never supported the organization. I always considered it a power play on the part of the Syrixians. Also, given the recent incident with Cogoria, and having witnessed the plight of the Cogorian people first hand, I feel as though remaining with the organization only endangers the Principality."

A scattering of "Hear, hear!" came from those in the Peers, Foundations, Democratic, and Workers' Comradeship parties, while the Solidarity and Economic Growth parties remained silent.

Claidie then took the opportunity to respond to her sister. "I will admit my hastiness to align ourselves with an alliance was derived from my desire to see the Principality well-protected. While events over the past year have rightfully called that into question, I believe we must continue to have faith that the Phoenix Union will put the security of its constituent nations at the forefront. Even though we are now also Trillium Compact members, we should take note that every contract resulting in additional forces being available to defend the principality is worth pursuing. While in the past, diplomacy with individual actors was key to the defense of the principality, I no longer feel that is enough in today's world."

Andrew Spanner had the next question. "Your Highnesses, what benefit is there towards building diplomatic ties to a regime that, if they had the opportunity, would see our Principality overrun with violent revolution? What do we gain by reaching out to Cogoria?"

Claidie decided to field the question first. "I don't believe the Cogorian regime would overthrow the government by turning the people against us. While the dream of the communist regime is a worldwide proletariat rising in opposition to supposedly wealthy oppressors, the Cogorian regime would be wise to consider the cultures of each nation. Our economic culture is one that fosters entrepreneurship and innovation, and I don't believe our people would turn away from that and relegate themselves to being no more than resources of the state. It would be wise for us to ensure a high standard of living for all of our people to ensure the stability of our economy and our government. That being said, diplomatic relations with even the adversaries of the Phoenix Union ensure our safety and give us leverage in ending future conflicts."

Parliament was in agreement, and the cries of "Hear, hear!" were so numerous that Alice declined to add on, finding her sister's response sufficient.

The Leader of the Opposition, Isaac Castellan, fielded the final question of the session. It was one that was more of a personal matter rather than related to the state of the government.

"Your Highnesses," he addressed the sisters, "with the creation of the new Regency system in the past half-year, the line of succession has been altered in such a way to damage its redundancy. Princess Claidie, before the change you had your sister Alice as your heir, but with the new system Marianne Covington is first in line to replace you or your sister should either of you no longer be able to or desire to sit the throne. Have either of you taken any efforts to resolve this condition and ensure that succession does not have to backtrack to the siblings of your father?"

The question was uncomforting to both of the sisters as it was a thinly veiled attack against the fact that neither of the princesses were married and had children.

Alice confessed her condition first. "I... have potential partners in mind, but I haven't pursued a... relationship with any of them. Sis, how about you?"

Claidie was much more confrontational. "Mister Castellan, I refuse to answer your question here. That's a personal matter I'm not willing to address in front of the whole Parliament. If the matter means that much to you, I'll address it with you privately."

The session had reached its time limit, and the princesses dismissed the Parliament and sent them back to their usual deliberations for the day.

---

Isaac did not return to the Chamber of Law though. Wanting an answer to his question, he asked Claidie if she would meet with him in her office, and she agreed to meet with him in her study in the private living area of the palace for the royal family.

The pair entered the study and Claidie immediately resumed her combative rant against Isaac's question. "What the hell was that about?" Claidie asked.

"It was a legitimate concern, Claidie," Isaac replied. "Heaven forbid something happened to either of you I can understand Marianne becoming Princess, but could you imagine Michel becoming Prince if something happened to both of you? It'd be like your father in power all over again. I don't want to tell you what to do, but I'm looking out for this country as much as you do. Personal suggestion, I think it might be time to settle down. Do you even have any suitors in mind?"

Claidie was feeling just as embarrassed as her sister was during the prior session, her face bright red.

"Yeah. Yeah, I do."

Episode 4: Well-Behaved

Unusually cold winter air pushed its way from the west, blanketing Norvalle and the surrounding suburbs with a decimeter of snow. A few plows were out clearing the major passageways, but the principality usually was not well prepared for such an event. The conditions didn't stop everyone from going out and doing their business, though, and some brave drivers still took to roads.

At the Prime Minister's residence, after cleaning the litter boxes for their three felines, Will couldn't find any litter to refill the boxes.

"Maddie, do we have any more cat litter?" he asked.

"Oh, shoot, I used the last of it yesterday," Madeline replied. "Just leave the boxes underfilled until the roads are good."

Madeline didn't realize she gave her husband an excuse to have a little fun. After all, what better time to get practice in, just in case one were to visit a place like Goyanes during the winter.

"Rachel! Heather! Come on girls," Will called out to his two eldest. "We're going shopping."

Madeline was a bit perturbed by Will's call. "Why do the kids need to go out in this mess?" she thought to herself. There wasn't any reason for it, so she tried to convince Will that it could wait.

"There's no need to do it now, dear. It can wait," she suggested.

"Nah, it's alright. Want to come along and bring Charlotte?" Will asked, mentioning their two-year old and youngest daughter.

"I have work to do. Figuring out how to explain to Parliament that I have to cut their budget short another three-quarters of a billion Livre because of the damn U.F.A.A.[note]Unionwide Foreign Aid Act of 2017, passed by the Phoenix Union Parliament (Sil Dorsett abstained).[/note]," Madeline claimed.

Their two older daughters, Rachel and Heather, six and five years of age respectively, weren't enthusiastic either as they came down from their bedrooms, protesting Will's command.

"I don't want to go shopping. Shopping's boring," Rachel complained.

"Come on, let's go. We'll have a good time," Will commanded. The children (and their mother) rolled their eyes as they set off into the winter wonderland.

The further away from the downtown area they went, the slicker the roads were as the plows hadn't prioritized them. The store they were going to wasn't the closest to the house that had cat litter, but it was one where Will believed that the parking lot would be nearly empty given its distance from the city center. Traffic in the area was virtually dead, and the road was still slippery, just as Will believed. He was about to make the trip worth it for the girls. Turning into the lot, he hit the throttle much more than he should have at the apex, and the car's back-end stepped out, sending them into a slide. Will had complete control, though, as he countersteered to perfection, ensuring the car was always heading in the right direction despite the car pointing a good thirty degrees in the wrong direction. The younger Heather anxiously grabbed onto her seat while her older sister let out a "Wooooo!" in excitement, now understanding why her father was so anxious to get out into the snow, and enjoying the moment herself. Will performed a few more slides to the girls' delight before properly parking to go into the store.

As Will and the girls returned home after picking up the cat litter, Madeline wondered how things went.

"I take it the girls were well behaved?" she asked, slyly smirking at her husband.

"The girls were very well behaved," Will replied, smiling back.

Episode 5: Walk-Out

Regis Giquel stood in front of the Regency in their meeting room, having been summoned following his unexpected return from Pataliputra. The stone-faced princesses and the prime minister glared at him as he made an announcement he had been planning while on the flight back. Though Regis fully informed the Regency on the events leading up to his early return, it was the announcement that mattered the most to him, the rest being nothing more than the old repetitive nonsense he experienced in his short-lived ambassadorial stint.

"Your Highnesses, Madam Prime Minister, I announce my resignation from government service. It is clear that my age and advancing senility renders me incapable of performing my assigned duties," Regis declared.

While Claidie and Madeline hardly reacted, Alice replied, hoping to comfort the fallen ambassador. "The Principality thanks you for your years of dedicated service. We wish you well in your retirement," she said to him. Regis bowed and left the room.

Turning her attention to the others in Regis's delegation, Claidie was quick to move against them. "The current delegation should be dissolved, and new elections held within two weeks per principality law. Agreed?"

"Yes," Alice replied, "do away with them."

"Agreed," Madeline also replied.

Alice was prepared for this moment, however, pulling a clipboard with papers on it out of her laptop bag. Not even taking the time to read what was on it, she pulled out a pen and signed it, while Claidie gazed at her in confusion. She tried to slide it over the desk to Madeline, but Claidie was quick enough to slam her hand down, intercepting the document. She took a moment to read through it. It was exactly what she expected. Not doing anything more with it, she tossed it to the Prime Minister.

"Here. Earn some political points for your re-election campaign," Claidie grumbled to Madeline before walking out of the room herself, not wanting to witness what she believed was inevitable.

Madeline stared at the document for several minutes before shaking her head left to right and sighing dejectedly, unsure over whether to finally give in.

Episode 6: Abundance of Caution

Every year in May, Norvalle hosts the Norvalle Motorsports Festival, a celebration of speed and competition that closes down the Norvalle Street Circuit to general traffic and opens it to the professional levels of the Silien Racing Series. The drivers of the new Electric Division and the competitive Masters Division would have their opportunity to showcase their talents on the streets of the capital, but it was the Premier Division that always claimed the show for their own with the Norvalle Grand Prix, a 260 kilometer-long spectacle widely held as the crown jewel of the Premier Division calendar.

There were smaller events held during the festival as well. A few kart races were on the schedule, one of them contested by the younger members of the government, including ministers, peers, representatives, and in the past even the monarch should they desire to do so. It was a welcomed way for the government to let loose and enjoy each others' company for a moment. Those fifty years and younger were permitted to participate in that event, and out of everyone that was eligible through government position, twenty-two of them qualified on age and other factors.

With eight weeks to go before the kart race, every Friday the kart track was reserved for those in the government who were eligible to practice.

It was one of those Friday nights, and Claidie looked on from the stands, no longer eligible to participate since the Electric Division was considered a professional level competition and professionals were barred from being involved in the government kart race. She could only look on while her sister, participating in her second year, set pathetically unimpressive lap times.

Madeline joined Claidie in the stands, also not participating in practice, which was concerning to Claidie because Madeline was eligible by age.

"Your sister's not doing too good down there," Madeline commented. "She's too timid."

"Yeah," Claidie said, agreeing with the minister. "She needs to have a few spins so she knows how hard she can push the kart. She's too afraid."

Madeline nodded in agreement, but she didn't say anything more about it.

"You should be down there practicing," Claidie said. "Maybe you can place better than Will this year if you put in some track time."

"I'd love to kick his ass for once, but it won't be this year," Madeline replied. "Medical disqualification."

"What? What's wrong?"

"Safety concern."

Claidie couldn't think of any reason why Madeline wouldn't be eligible to drive. Out of the twenty-six who were excluded, only two were for reasons other than age, Claidie herself for technically being a professional, and now Madeline for some unknown medical reason. A medical disqualification seemed abnormal.

"Come on... What's going on?" Claidie asked. "You didn't get concussed or anything, right?"

"Promise not to tell the media or anyone?"

"Promise. What is it?"

Madeline didn't say anything, but instead she raised three fingers[note]http://forum.thenorthpacific.org/single/?p=10023117&t=9027432 -- Look closely.[/note] and waited for Claidie to acknowledge it. A few seconds later, Madeline raised a fourth, and Claidie remained silent but smiling for a short time before breaking her silence.

"I knew it! I knew the moment you turned down a drink in Beaconsfield," Claidie responded jokingly, giggling all the while. "You are making me look bad, Maddie. Really bad."

Episode 7: The Situation Room

The Situation Room of the Government Office Building was filled with The Regency and all of the Ministers as images and news reports of the assassination attempt against Przewodnicz?cy Andrzej Kaczy?ski came in along with the aftermath. Images of the social media flood filled one of the three monitors in the room, while another showed a variety of military assaults. Helicopters raining down a hailstorm of lead upon human flesh, the advancing of Tommatitian soldiers and aircraft, the loud screeching and static of an interrupted Lodestar News transmission, and most shockingly of all a nuclear detonation which the news attributed to the Syrixians.

Princess Alice couldn't even hold a pen steady; she was too nervous and afraid that the world had collapsed into global and perpetual war. While Princess Claidie appeared worried, she wasn't very quick to put forth a plan. Neither was Prime Minister Ellison.

"Okay, we need an emergency PU meeting," Alice declared, "hold the Syrixians in contempt of Article 4, put the military on highest alert... we need to make sure this doesn't spread here. I also think it's time for an air raid drill. We haven't done one in a couple years."

Finally, images of a green-skinned demon appeared on the screen before the feed cut over to the Ninhundish attack.

"Wait," Alice realized. "That wasn't real, was it? That couldn't have been real."

The monitors cut out into static for a few seconds before an ominous picture accompanied by annoying music appeared on the screen.

Alice slumped forward and stared into her sister's eyes, and the whole room erupted in laughter. Even (PM) Madeline couldn't keep a straight face. Claidie giggled while she typed a message on her laptop, which Alice noticed and was immediately suspicious about, even having an idea of what she was doing.

"You aren't posting the minutes of this meeting on the Government Bulletin Board, are you?" Alice asked.

"I just did!" Claidie said, laughing all the while.

"Oh, no, no no no no no, I am not playing this game," Alice ranted, while maintaining a noticeable sense of humor. "You know, it's a good thing we found something for Malorie to do while she's taking a break from Foreign Affairs," she said as she dialed Malorie's office number.

Malorie was at her desk keeping an eye on the bulletin board, screening out the junk to enforce a professional environment, when Alice's call came through.

"Messaging Systems, this is Malorie," she said, greeting the Princess.

"Malorie, it's Allie. Find Claidie's most recent meeting minutes thread and lock it, please?" Alice asked.

"Sure, Your Highness, one moment," Malorie replied as she looked up Claidie's account to find the message. "Meeting Notes: 4/1" was the topic she found, and as she read through the contents of the original post, she shook her head in disbelief over why Claidie would post a joke set of minutes to the board, even if it was April Fools' Day. She replied to the thread with a note, simultaneously locking the thread as her message was sent.

Malorie's note:

Mod Note: Ok, this was an fun exercise, and I guess an interesting April Fools thread, but let's get back to real business, okay? Thread locked.

Click to expand...

"Alright, ma'am, thread locked as ordered."

"Thank you, Miss Allen." Turning to the rest of the ministers, Alice held a grin on her face, knowing they all pulled her strings to perfection. "You all are silly, let me tell you. Though, maybe next time, we don't do an impression of the unnameable one?"

Episode 8: The Word and the Spirit

[Episode 7 is hidden until "Mi?dzymorze in the verge of turmoil" is archived.]

Sometime 2008...

It was an unusual sight to see someone in the palace not outfitted in frilly dresses or expensive tweed suits, but one elderly gentleman bucked the trend. The others around him seemed not to mind his choice of a black cassock trimmed in red cord, shoulder cape, a reddish-purple silk ribbon around his waist and skull cap on his head. Those in the hallways stepped clear of the man's path as he traveled unimpeded to the entrance of the Chamber of the Nobility, where the throne was set. A warden at the entrance to the chamber bowed before the man as he approached, and swung the knocker on the door three times.

"Enter," a voice behind the door called out. The warden opened the door, but rather than giving a formal announcement of the arrival, just closed the door as the man entered the chamber. In the room, Prince Stéphane sat upon his throne in full regalia, a black naval officer's suit, a sash, and medals of the few chivalric orders still in existence.

"Bishop Choffard," Stéphane half-heartedly greeted the man, recognizing the guest but not being especially enthusiastic to see him. "How may I assist His Excellency today?"

The bishop smirked, aware of the prince's sarcasm and arrogance, but choosing to ignore it. He was more focused on the business that brought him to the chamber, which was a concern over a threat to his flock. "I know you're a man of little concern for the faith, Your Highness," the bishop sneered, "but let's talk economics for a moment."

Stéphane was confused at the bishop's suggestion. "A bishop's responsibility was to the spiritual affairs of the people, is it not?" he thought to himself. It didn't make sense to him that Choffard wanted to speak to a temporal issue, but then he realized that the bishop's concern was likely about the diocese's money. "Economics? Your flock not putting enough in the collection baskets this month?"

Choffard explained to Stéphane that his concern was much more severe than the collection basket. His flock was disappearing, and their contributions as well. The bishop pegged the slight decline in Courantist attendance with the opening of a Kamerite temple in Norvalle. The bishop claimed the Kamerites advertised a supposedly more straightforward path to salvation, but at a price that an increasing number did not seem to mind.

Stéphane, unconcerned for the bishop's losses or the church in general, taunted the holy man. "Well, then perhaps the church should work on its message. It's a spiritual concern, and therefore not mine."

"Not so fast, Your Highness. Those who have gone there and come back tell me that it's basically a tax. It's mandatory and steep; fifteen percent of one's income. Now think about how much revenue the government is losing from a so-called charitable contribution that for this one church is definitely not charitable."

"Shall I just tax the churches, or get rid of charitable contribution deductions? What else can I do?" Stéphane's hands were tied by the Infringing Decrees Act of 1872, where "No decree may inhibit the guaranteed rights of the people," of which freedom to worship as one pleases was included. Stéphane knew he couldn't ban the Kamerite church outright or suddenly tax them but not others.

Bishop Choffard was also aware of the law, but he had a solution to present to the prince, which was the entire point of the meeting. "Declare kamerism a predatory cult, and then you can do whatever you want to it. It may not be in the spirit of the law, but it does follow the word of laws that came after."

Convinced, and eager to prevent further revenue losses, Stéphane made the decree the bishop requested, that the Church of the Kamer was declared a cult, that contributions to it could not be deducted from taxable income, and that proselytizing for it was banned and punishable with jail time.

"The payoff better be worth it, Bishop, or your church may be next," Stéphane threatened. He was worried that the followers of the now-declared "cult" would riot, or that the Chamber of Law would step in and use the 1872 act to null the decree and force the prince to apply his rule across the board.

Choffard agreed that there was a risk, but he was confident that the outcome would be favorable to him and the Courantist Church. Satisfied, he bowed to the prince and left.


October 2016

A review of Stéphane's decrees by his daughter uncovered that the justification listed in the Choffard Decree was baseless and that Bishop Choffard had deliberately deceived the prince for the Courantist Church's gain. The decree was rescinded, and a complaint was lodged with the Courantist See, which saw Bishop Choffard removed from his seat. With the prince's order no longer in force, missionaries could once again walk around Sil Dorsett's cities and towns to spread their message.

Episode 9: A New Frontier

In a conference hall in a hotel in the western part of the Principality, in the District of Landereau, hundreds of people from all walks of life were glued to their seats. Politicians, businessmen, and workers alike waited in anticipation for the stage in front of them all to be occupied. It was the conference for the New Democratic Frontiers political party, and everyone was awaiting the keynote speaker's address.

In the back, behind the stage, a lanky man in his late 40s was reviewing the notes for his speech. He didn't look like any ordinary politician, instead trying to fit in with a younger generation with his lack of a suit, favoring a black turtleneck. He felt that his appearance would capture the attention of the youth, but it was the message he wanted to give that he thought would capture their votes.

His associate, Leo Kneller, the spokesman of the NDF and a Member of the Chamber of Law, waited in anticipation to head to the stage to introduce the man, but still had reservations. He knew the contents of the speech.

"Are you sure you don't want to use the alternate speech we wrote up?" Leo asked.

"Nah. Let's go out there and make history," the man said confidently.

The spokesman went out to the stage to the applause of the crowd and gave his introduction. "Ladies and gentlemen, the 2019 parliamentary elections present a great opportunity for great change. But, to bring about great change we must also have a great vision. I'm proud to introduce a man with a great and bold new vision to revolutionize and bring real democracy to our nation. Please welcome the Landereau District Commissioner, Clement Northway!"

The crowd stood in applause as Clement walked to the stage, waved to them and thanked them. The time had come for Clement to deliver his message, and the crowd quieted down and listened closely.

"Thank you, thank you, everyone. Thank you for having me here to take part in this journey with you; a journey that began hundreds of years ago and now we are having the baton passed to us. It has been a journey where every step of the way we have become more invested in our governance and how we can play a part in it.

"Think back to five hundred years ago and how we were ruled from abroad, and then we progressed. We were under the rule of one monarch who was a native of our nation, and then we progressed. The monarch delegated power to loyal servants who could do a better job of maintaining smaller divisions of the nation... and then we progressed. We then had our body of common people who could advise our monarch on the happenings in our towns and cities. However, that body of common men and women still were subject to the whims of the one until last year. Last year, we progressed again.

"The 2019 parliamentary elections will be the most important parliamentary election this nation has ever had because for the first time in our history we will be choosing a group of people who have real power and who can make real change. Our parliament, our Chamber of Law, is no longer just an advisory body. It takes the minds of three very different people, a pair of sisters who routinely disagree and a prime minister who is now vulnerable to the will of the people, to all come to a dangerous agreement to overrule that very same will of the people. The Chamber of Law has real power now, and our job is to make it work for the people, and that is what we're here to do."

Clement pauses for a moment while the crowd applauses before continuing to the part of the speech Leo was concerned about.

"What we have is not enough though. Today, there are still people in office who only got there because they were born to the right family at the right time. Even in the Chamber of Law, a third of it is held by hereditary nobles. What do they know about the plight of the common man? How can they effectively govern us when they lack the life experiences that the majority of the nation has? They can't. We can, and we can show them.

"This election is only the start. We must take this one step at a time. We must spend this term and the next term showing what we can offer, and then in 2023 ensuring that we have a Prime Minister in place that embraces our vision and stands up to those who have not earned their place at the table."

The crowd applauses again, but some appear puzzled. Keeping an eye on the crowd, Leo becomes worried that his party may have gone too far. "He really is going after the Dorsetts," he thought.

Clement continued on, closing his speech. "It will be a guiding principle of this party that the age of hereditary rule must come to an eventual close and that the age of democratic rule by the citizens of this nation must come to pass. This January, let us embark on a new journey to a new frontier, a New Democratic Frontier!"

The crowd stood in applause again as Clement walked off, but Leo offered no such applause. Clement had set the NDF on a collision course with the system itself, and Leo kept thinking to himself that things had gone out of control.


Sparing no time for any well-wishers or even for a discussion with Leo, Clement approached a waiting family in the back. It wasn't his family though. He approached the matriarch of the family, who was carrying a newborn in a sling.

"Did any portion of my speech interest you, Madam Prime Minister?" Clement asked.

Madeline was still on maternity leave, but she had taken time to attend the NDF conference and watch Clement's speech despite being a Solidarity Party member. Before her fourth child's birth, Madeline worked to convince the District of Landereau to resume sending representatives to the Chamber of Law, since their votes had the potential to matter once again.

"It wasn't exactly inspiring, in my opinion," Madeline replied. "I think you focused a bit too much on the whole anti-monarchy spiel. You would have had the chance to make things competitive if you had actually put a plan for the country out there."

"I think you need to look at the poll numbers again, Miss Ellison," Clement retorted. "People are frustrated at the monarchy and their disastrous handling of the issues with the Phoenix Union. Stirring the anti-monarchy sentiment is all I need to do."

"That was my fault. I didn't pull the plug soon enough," Madeline thought to herself. To Clement, though, her response was different. "And who exactly did you poll?" she asked. "The way I see it, the young adult crowd has been very supportive of Claidie's work, and the Solidarity Party by extension."

"Ah, yes, the rubber stamp of a monarch who doesn't really want to be a monarch. Face it, Miss Ellison, when Claidie's support withers away, so will yours," Clement arrogantly declared. "The only reason you're Prime Minister now is because she publicly endorsed you and had the votes of the millennials. That won't be the case in 2023 unless you make some big changes in your platform."

"The problem is you're betting on the young adults turning on someone who's been giving them everything they want," Madeline pointed out. "With younger voters favoring Solidarity and older voters favoring Foundations, you really don't have much of a base to rouse."

"We'll see in January, Madam Prime Minister. I think you're in for quite the surprise."

Episode 10: Admission

The daily "executive meeting" that followed the "cabinet meeting" early in the morning was often a short affair. The time was dedicated to that the two princesses and the Prime Minister could discuss affairs themselves privately. With most things handled in the first meeting, the three usually took the time to socialize and strengthen their pseudo-sisterhood. But, the day following the conclusion of the Astissa Conference would see the trio actually use the time for real work. Gérard Carpentier returned with a report on the meeting and a recommendation, and the second meeting was set aside to discuss it.

Gérard remained in the conference room as the remainder of the cabinet left. He gave each of the women a copy of the Charter of the Craviterean Economic Association, and spoke about his initial impressions.

"Your Highnesses, Madam Prime Minister, this new Craviterean Economic Association has been founded by ten states encompassing nearly three-quarters of the states of the continent. Its goals are threefold: the promotion of free trade, simple and expedient interconnection of states via roads and rail, and the ease of travel restrictions and immigration."

"Odd that ten states managed to agree to this, given the sovereigntist movements worldwide," Princess Claidie pointed out while flipping through the charter.

"Indeed. However, I must say that most of the conference seemed to be dominated by a couple of states seeking to impose on the organization, namely the Calliseans..." Gérard noted.

"Again?" Princess Alice exasperatedly whined.

"They're a Trillium Compact ally, Alice," Claidie reminded her sister.

"And I wanted to fire Amanda for voting Yes for them," Alice angrily replied.

"...and the Ceretians, another Trillium Compact ally," Gérard said, finishing his sentence after being forced to pause. "But, before you think that membership would result in their hegemony over us, it's not a requirement to be a member of all three communities, each with one of the goals that I pointed out. And, the opt-out clause is still available, just like it was in the Phoenix Union."

"So it's effectively worthless to us." Alice stated. "It's the same situation that got us into hot water with the Phoenix Union. We kept opting-out of everything that didn't make sense for us, and went ever further with trying to carve out exceptions from the required stuff.

"But it allows all the members to pool together to improve the lives of everyone, including us," Claidie replied.

"That is a pipe dream and you know it, sis! What works for Callise or Ceretis might not work for us."

"Then we adapt," Claidie said rather heatedly.

"Try telling that to everyone else. Can't you see the possibilities of what this organization could do to us? There's a reason we impose tariffs: to protect our own working class. To level the playing field between foreign competitors with more resources and us," Alice exhaustedly replied.

"Then we don't join that community. Maybe this Commerce Community isn't for us, but there's other opportunities. The infrastructure community... we can get help improving ours while also demonstrating our own modernization capabilities. Alice, it's not all or nothing here."

The Prime Minister was content seeing the battle between the sisters play out. It appeared as though the two were trending towards her own viewpoint. But, Madeline recalled a memory from yesteryear...

"We don't need to join," Madeline said, to the disbelief of both of the Dorsett sisters. "Not because we can be self-sufficient and keep to ourselves, Lord knows that's not true, but think about how we successfully negotiated a deal with Prydania that was beneficial to us both with practically no concessions. Why can't we do that again, on an individual, one-on-one basis, where we can tailor our efforts to the needs of us and who we partner with?"

"Gérard, who are the members of this organization?" Claidie asked.

"Norsia, Malor-Kanada, Prydania, Highton, Syrixia, Ceretis, Xentherida, Callise, Essalanea, and the Stan Yera," Gérard replied.

"That's too much to give up, Miss Ellison. We're better off working with all of them together," Claidie said.

"And yet both of our immediate neighbors are not members," Alice chimed in. "Even the infrastructure community wouldn't work because the CEA couldn't make a connection to us anyways.

"And those ten members are ten nations we can make deals with. I think you need to have more faith in your negotiators, Claidie. We don't need others to do the hard lifting for us," Alice reiterated.

Claidie's face fell into her hands in frustration. Another opportunity to connect with the world was seemingly blocked not only by her sister but the leader of her favored party. Claidie had lost, and to her there was no reason to push the matter any further.

"Thank you, Mister Carpentier. That'll be all."

Episode 11: Fifty

A hot summer morning didn't deter missionaries from the rigors of the day. There was a harvest to be had, and it was up to the "elders" to ensure it would be good. A pair of Kamerite men approached the door of a ranch in Estournel, both well dressed in suit and tie, and were greeted by a young lady.

"Hello! We bring you the good news of salvation!" the young men exclaimed with fervor. "The Lord welcomes all who believe into his church. We wish for you to be saved!"

The lady seemed apprehensive on what to do. She was greeted, but this wasn't her house. She only worked there as a keeper, attending to the ranch while the owners were away. With no options, she could only improvise to satisfy the elders' ambitions.

"I'm sorry, but this isn't my house," she said. "I just work here. The owners will be back on Saturday if you'd like to talk to them."

The pair of missionaries were enthusiastic over the prospect of converting more. Why focus on a single housekeeper when there where was a whole family to bring into the church? Patience was all that was needed, and the Kamerites had plenty of it.

A few days later, the missionaries returned and knocked on the door of the ranch's main house. Unlike the first encounter, a man addressed them at the door.

"Hello! We bring you the good news of salvation!" the young men said with even greater excitement, hoping that their efforts would expand the church.

"Hey. Can you hold on a second? I want my wife to listen too," the man said.

"Certainly!" the missionaries replied, enthusiastically.

The man drifted off out of sight for a few moments. Upon his return, his wife was in tow, and so was her .50 caliber rifle.

"Hi," the woman said, clutching her weapon. She didn't need to say anything more. The fact she was holding such a powerful weapon, and the fact that she had it with her in the first place, was enough to strike fear into the missionaries.

"Oh, crap!" one of the missionaries said, as both of them ran off.

The woman turned to her husband, curious but not surprised. "Should I just fire all my bodyguards? Seems like I do a good job myself."

Episode 12: Pundits

Arthur's on Costle was a popular pub in the middle of Beychevelle Township near the Arrandalian border. Its owner was a member of the old two-house parliament twenty years ago before pursuing a profession as a proprietor of a place of potent potables. In homage to his past career, Tuesday was Pundits' Night, where, between five and nine in the evening, news and political analysis shows would be on the television instead of the usual sports. Tuesday was the slowest day of the week anyway, so it wasn't that big of a deal to take a net loss of a few patrons.

That all changed in late 2017 when members of parliament suddenly became relevant and more people started to take notice of them. Over the next two years, business on Tuesdays picked up so much that the day regularly surpassed Thursday, what was the next slowest day. The apathy of the nation seemed to fade away, and the business would show that as more and more people gathered around the television to cheer and boo the late-night roll call votes.


Mathias and his girlfriend Lia were regulars on Pundits' Night. Being on opposite sides of the spectrum didn't seem to bother them; instead, they seemed to enjoy the rivalry between each other. They knew tonight was going to be an interesting one, as the formal diplomatic recognition of Sherwin of Esplandia's ascension to Raektdev of the Federation of the Vestrugat was up for debate. The town knew, and Arthur's on Costle was packed to see the vote.

Twenty-seven past seven was when the vote happened. Speaker Chastain ordered a roll call vote. Mathias and Lia leaned forward, staring at the screen as the parliamentarians cast their votes and the numbers for Yea and Nay ticked up on the screen. "Aye," called Blatherwick, and a collective groan filled the air, followed by clapping when MP Gibson canceled Blatherwick's vote out. But, in the end, the vote was thirty-three ayes to seven nays, and loud boos drowned out the background music and the televisions themselves.

The New Democratic Frontiers party had campaigned hard to try to keep Charlize Fletcher in her seat as the second representative for the district, and even try to topple Cicelia Blatherwick during the January 2019 parliamentary election, and while they weren't successful, the message the NDF promoted calling into question the concept of hereditary and unelected rule continued to resonate. The patrons of Arthur's still had that campaign on their minds several months later, and it showed.

Mathias was content, but Lia was furious. "Why do those people put up with that shit?" she asked, referring to the Vestrugatian people.

"It's not our business, hon," Mathias replied. "Better to just let them do what they want. If they don't want that guy, they'll kick him out eventually. Why's it any different with our princesses?"

Ten minutes later, the Chamber of Law had recessed for the night, and Lodestar News caught up with Princess Claidie as she left the Chamber of Rule in a fit, having heard of the result of the vote. The reporter asked her for her thoughts, and she made her opinion clear. "No, I don't recognize Sherwin as a legitimate emperor, and he needs to let the people have a voice," she said, storming off before answering the reporter's final question. "If I don't have the support of the people then I don't deserve to sit in that chair."

The raucous crowd erupted in howling and cheering. It was hypocritical for sure, but their princess was saying everything they wanted to hear, and they were eating it up. Never before did a royal oppose the very foundation that put them where they were. It was unbelievable, and they loved it.

Lia turned to her boyfriend with a smug look on her face. "That's why!" she boasted. Mathias, however, was unimpressed and confused. Why were the people in the bar cheering one unelected royal and booing another? For the short term, it just didn't make any sense. What Mathias didn't realize was that there was a long game that seemed to be working.

Episode 13: Aesthetic

Similar to Episode 7, I'm reposting my content from another thread here for safekeeping, and in case I break this out into its own thread. Original post here: Link

It was early in the evening, and the workday was winding down. After several uneventful hours of meetings, Princess Alice was sifting through her mail. A large deck of envelopes had arrived; patients from a children's hospital in Colnesse, in the north of the country, sent letters of thanks after Alice made an appearance at a fundraiser event. One by one, she read every letter, each one eliciting a smile. She knew she'd have to reply to each one of them in time, but her happiness and that of the children made the task worth every bit of effort.

At the bottom of the deck was a letter from elsewhere, and as she reviewed it word for word, her smile turned into a scowl. She wished she had read this particular letter first and then the letters of the children. With the memories of discovering her father's unethical dealmaking resurfacing, instead, she was ending the day angered by the hubris of a foreign counterpart to make his bachelorhood known to her. She was unaware of who else received the letter.

Alice marched down the hall to her sister's office. The door was open, so she had no qualms about barging right in, interrupting whatever was going on. It wasn't much. Isaac, the former speaker who gave up politics to pursue a relationship with Claidie was just helping his girlfriend sort through binders and organize them on the shelves. The couple glanced over at Alice, and Isaac gave a bow while Claidie was much less formal.

"What's up, Allie? What's that?" Claidie asked, noticing the folded piece of paper in Alice's hand.

"I..." Alice stammered while trying to think of how not to send her sister straight into a rage, "... guess you didn't see the letter from the Aydin Empire today?"

"Uh..." voiced a confused Claidie before she turned to her boyfriend. "You didn't see anything from them as you were sorting, did you, hon?"

"Yeah, sorry, I moved your mail to the corner over there," Isaac said, pointing to a corner by the office window. "It's probably there."

"Oh, alright," said a relieved Claidie. She was curious about the urgency that Alice seemed to give the letter, prompting her rush over from the other office. Ordinary letters often failed to prompt such a response. "It's not anything Madeline would classify as yellow or red, is it?"

"Um, no, uh..." Alice said, pausing again, continuing to search for the best way to explain it. "Walk with me, both of you."

---

The three of them returned from the government office building to Rivage Palace, talking about national happenings along the way rather than about the paper in Alice's hands until they arrived at the hallway between the Chamber of Law (Parliament) and the Chamber of Rule (the throne room). Alice pointed out to the couple the eighteen portraits that lined the hall, each a depiction of one of the eighteen reigning princes and princesses. The portrait of the first prince, Martin, was closest to the Chamber of Law.

"Look at these portraits as we head towards the throne room," Alice pointed out. "You'll notice that every single one of them has a certain... aesthetic; princes in regal tunics and robes adorned with medals of the historic orders, crowned and with a scepter in hand, and princesses in ornate gowns, a tiara, and sash with the orders affixed. Even Liselle kept to the style for her portrait, which for her was weird."

"Okay, but what does this all have to do with that letter?" Claidie asked, perplexed by Alice's thoughts.

"Look at our two portraits. They're different. They don't fit the aesthetic of the rest. It's almost more like portraits of the Prime Ministers," Alice explained. "To me, it symbolizes a new age; the traditions of old washed away."

"You've given this a lot of thought," Isaac complimented.

"And yet we still see things like this," Alice closed, handing the letter to Claidie for her to read.

Claidie spent a mere fifteen seconds reading it, raising an eyebrow as she finished. "It is offensive," she said, handing the letter back to Alice. "Fortunately, matchmaking is irrelevant. I have Isaac, and you and Oliver seem to be getting closer to each other. As far as I'm concerned, we have nothing to give and have no need to respond."

"And the barons who might be interested?"

"They don't have to know. Shred it, and don't tell Madeline we did that," Claidie ordered. "You know she gets furious when we keep stuff out of the archives."

"Right," Alice acknowledged. "Speaking of Oliver, he's actually in town today for some big meeting with Aventeur Automotive executives tomorrow. Should be here in the next hour or so. Dinner tonight? Double date?"

Episode 14: Candlelit

A tie-in to The Wedding of Nurendir and Vivika.

"Why did it have to be Friday?" Claidie asked herself on her way to the dining room. It was at the end of her normal "work day"; five in the evening was when she could dismiss all of the peers and their cadet branches from the throne room, all the ones that often begged for her attention. Whether it was a simple question or some dispute between families, she gave them an hour at the end of the Friday. The princess had also started dressing more formally for that one "social hour" to appease the socialites. It started following the Northway trial, and it was a sign that she was more comfortable doing the job more traditionally and that she began tolerating the more royal image that was expected of her. But, when the clock struck five, she wanted to be upstairs, relaxing, formal wear off and casual clothes on. Her boyfriend, Isaac, once the Speaker of the Chamber of Law before he left politics, had a different idea this day.

Isaac had already prepared the dinner table ahead of his girlfriend's arrival, setting up a vase with a few roses and some candles on the table, and food already plated; salmon with sweet potato rice with a white wine, one of Claidie's favorites. Knowing that Claidie would have to come straight from the throne room to dinner and not having time to change attire, Isaac dressed just as formally with a suit and tie.

When Claidie arrived to the dinner table, she gave her beau a joyful smile, and the pair sat down to eat.

"Let me guess... you found out about the Alnarian royal wedding invitation," Claidie asked. Isaac only gave a coy smile, like he knew he was caught. "I take it you had another conversation with Madeline?"

"Indeed, and I'd be lying if I said that had nothing to do with this," he replied. "To be honest, I feel a bit jealous of it."

"Jealous? Isaac, dear... I'm the one who should be feeling jealous. You're the one still on the fence about this."

Claidie struggled to fathom how Isaac could justify his jealousy, since she believed that Isaac wasn't trying very hard to move the relationship along. The pair had been together for more than a couple of years, and there had been no indication that Isaac was on the verge of proposing marriage. Things between the two were moving much slower than she had expected.

"I know," Isaac confessed. "It's not like our relationship isn't the worst kept secret in the whole country anyways."

"So what's stopping us from getting on with it?" Claidie asked. "It's the idea of royal life, isn't it?"

"Yeah. The expectations, the image you have to portray, the sense of duty that comes with it. You just... can't be yourself. You can't have a typical life anymore."

Claidie figured as much. She recalled when her reign started, and how it came too soon for her. Since her father passed away too early, Claidie lost her opportunity to experience the life she really wanted before settling down as an elder ready to sit upon the throne. She expected she was going to be in her fifties or even sixties before she took the throne, having already lived through the ages of discovery and productivity. She began to think that perhaps Isaac was feeling like the same was about to happen, only he had a chance to prevent it, even if it costed him the relationship.

"Royal life isn't for everyone. It's terrible, to be honest," Claidie told him. "I just wish I knew how to make it easier, and make it so that we wouldn't be so confined."

"I can think of a way. You have to change what royal life is, completely. Get rid of the mystique around it," Isaac suggested, leaving Claidie confused. "Be more open," he then said.

"I've been trying, but what else can I do?"

"For instance, have you ever been to a bar, just to hang out with the locals, talk about random things, and really get to know the people?"

"My security team would throw a fit," Claidie suggested. "Besides, what would I do? If someone comes up to me, asks for my name and what I do, do I tell them 'Hi, my name's Claidie. I rule the principality?' That seems silly..."

"...and a bit pompous," Isaac added. "See, you've been wanting a way to change the job and the role of not only the nobility but of the princely family as well. How about this sound instead? 'Hi, my name's Claidie. I'm a philanthropist and capital investor, with a focus on supporting environmental engineering projects.' Saying that instead of 'I'm the princess' is what will get people more comfortable with you."

Claidie paused for a moment, realizing that Isaac had effectively described her work on the E-Series. She had championed a cause and put more of her time and energy into that cause instead of being a "ruler". She started thinking deeply about what her life could be if she once again bucked the old royal traditions and duties and let the Prime Minister truly take the reins of the government without looking over her shoulders all the time. She thought about how that would free her to pursue her personal interests once again. How she didn't think of Isaac's suggestion before confounded her. It was the path to everything she wanted.

"It'd be a more rewarding job than standing on balconies waving your hand awkwardly. The last thing you want, and honestly, the last thing I want, is to be giving off the impression that we're telling everyone in the nation 'I'm better than you, and you know it.' I don't want us to be heels."

"You're right," Claidie said, nodding her head. "Thank you... That is exactly the inspiration I needed. I just need to get Alice on board with it, and I think we can do this."

Isaac smiled with confidence, pleased that he had put his girlfriend's mind at ease and provided her with a goal for the future. "So, the wedding..."

"Ours or theirs?" Claidie asked, playfully interrupting to provide a hint.

"Theirs," Isaac clarified. "Are we going or not?"

"It'd make for an interesting date. I don't know either of them personally, and Madeline's closer to the Essalaneans anyways, but, I do still have responsibilities."

"Then it's a date. Now, I'll bite... Ours?" Isaac asked.

Claidie blushed and gave the most joyous-looking smile of the night. "Family and close friends only, please, and whenever you want."

The pair finished their meal and made their way to their living space. Claidie's mind was racing with thoughts about the conversation, but as she reflected on everything Isaac had suggested, one question came to her mind.

"What did you mean by you 'don't want us to be heels?'"

---

Episode 15: Whose Strings Are Pulled

(Madeline's POV)

I knew that nights in the more rural parts of the Landereau district were usually quiet. I had made it a point to spend a lot of time here getting to know the residents, since they trusted the elected government a lot more than the unelected barons and princesses. I'd often stop by the local bars on the weekend just to have a few drinks and an impromptu chat. Tonight was going to be a bit of an exception though, as I was holding a formal town hall event in the local high school's gym.

I liked to give attendees a chance to speak with me face-to-face before I stepped up to the podium to give a whole speech about my plans. I wanted them to be comfortable with me, to see me as approachable and not some mysterious enigma or recluse as royals often were. Sometimes people had real issues they wanted to ask about, sometimes people just wanted to know how my family was. It didn't much matter to me what the question was; I was more than willing to give an answer.

We're now less than a year away from the first Prime Ministerial election that would see the incumbent have to defend her seat. That's me. With the political reforms of four years ago escalating the importance of and amplifying the power of the Prime Minister's office, I knew had to do more than convince the people that I could serve as a liaison to the princely family. Now, I had to convince the public that I could lead, and I had to convince them that my party was in a better position than New Democratic Frontiers. The NDF was abnormally more popular in the western part of the country compared to the rest, and gaining a better share of the vote was going to be more difficult than just pulling people away from a declining Foundations party.

---

I touted my plan for the future - incentives for small business, job creation, smarter and more efficient government spending, lower taxes. Of course, I made all of the typical promises any politician would make before the election to then pass off to after the election to figure out how to actually get it done. There wasn't much left to do in a year, but I could somehow keep the people's favor, I'd have six more to work with.

After my speech, I started taking some more questions from the crowd, only this time for everyone to hear, and it was then that I hit my first snag. Rumors had been flying around that my government had been looking into convincing some of their foreign allies to bring up accession into the Bergum Pact. The rumors were making the public anxious as they remembered the old short-lived stint in the Phoenix Union, and the threats that surfaced after a rogue state within it escalated an incident of civil unrest into a full-blown international war. Sil Dorsett had been threatened, and it wasn't even their fault.

A woman in her fifties took a microphone and brought up the rumors to me and the crowd. She explained that her son enlisted in the army, and her daughter was a local militiawoman, and the idea of the Bergum Pact made her fearful for her children's lives.

"Miss Ellison, please be honest. You aren't going to be sending our children into foreign wars, are you?" the woman asked.

I paused for a moment, looking for the right way to address her question. Yes, the rumors about the Bergum Pact were true, but I knew just coming out and saying that wouldn't fair well for me. I needed to justify it.

"Ma'am, I believe the key thing to remember regarding your son is the oath that he took upon enlisting. Though I never swore it myself, I know it. Let me recite it to you: 'I solemnly swear that I will support and protect the Principality of Sil Dorsett, its lands and its people, from all adversaries both within and from abroad, and that I will courageously serve the Crown and obey the orders of my superiors in accordance with our laws.'

"The key point in that oath is three words: 'serve the Crown'. If Her Highness believes that intervention in foreign conflicts is in the interest of our nation, she will order it, and the army will do it. The militia has a different oath, just to defend the homeland, and so that is all we could ask of your daughter. We will never send militia overseas or abroad, but anyone enlisting in the regular army must be aware that they could be asked to do so.

"Now, let me address that rumor. Yes, the Bergum Pact is something the government is looking into^[1]," I replied. I could hear a few groans, but the response overall seemed to be quieter than I expected. I expected all out jeering and booing, but that didn't happen. "But," I interjected as loudly and forcefully as I could before the crowd turned, "we won't make the same mistake we made in joining the Phoenix Union. Membership in the Phoenix Union did not serve our interests. All that union did was serve Syrixian interests, and we nearly paid a heavy price advancing their arrogant hegemony over the continent^[2]. We made a mistake joining that alliance without the consent of the people, and that is not a mistake we will make again. If there is an offer from the Bergum Pact, a referendum will decide it."

I seemed to defuse one of the crowd's fears before it exploded into hysteria, and even elicited a few claps for it. Perhaps a reminder of a regular army soldier's responsibilities was all they needed, or perhaps it was my heel turn against what was the widely unpopular Phoenix Union. But, now I had them hooked, and I was pulling their strings.

---

After my declaration, I was asked about what exactly our military interests were, and I explained that my move was all about deterrence; making foreign powers think twice about launching an invasion. Another asked how it was different from the Phoenix Union, and I double-downed on the idea that the PU was an attempt at Syrixian hegemony, and that the Bergum Pact was different because there is no hegemony.

The crowd seemed to buy it, but the mother who challenged me didn't. Once the town hall had reached the end of its scheduled time, and as people were leaving, she walked up to the stage, raising her hand to grab my attention. She didn't have to try very hard; I was expecting her.

"It's still wrong..." the woman said, "...getting involved in other countries' wars. If my son is to die, I want him to die fighting for us, not anyone else. Would you want your daughters to die for something that was never our problem to begin with?"

She knew exactly which string of mine to pull, and it was enough to make me second guess myself. Everyone knows I'm protective of my daughters, and I would give up everything for them, even the prime ministership. "No, I wouldn't," I told her. "But this isn't about me or my daughters."

"What is it about then? It's certainly not about our country."

"I think it is," I replied. We both knew we weren't going to change each others minds, and we just walked away from each other without saying another word.

I spent the rest of the night thinking about my daughters. Would I really send them into a foreign war? I certainly wouldn't want to be the Prime Minister that decided to do that. Of course, I don't think any sane person would willingly throw their own children into a war. One would have to be really heartless do it, and I'm certainly not. It makes me wonder if one has to be heartless to be a leader. It makes me wonder if I can continue to be a leader.

---

Notes:
[1]. This story occurs before Mintoria was considered a potential candidate. That event significantly shakes things up.
[2]. Politicians be politicians. Please keep "in-character" in-character.

Episode 16: The Highlight of a Civil Registrar's Career

Raphaël^[1], a septuagenarian who kept the same job for forty years and never retired, usually didn't work Saturdays. There were exceptions to the rules, of course, for emergencies and at the demand of very important persons. Today was one such appointment. In a barely-lit room, he stood in front of a bookcase, poking every large book one by one, reading off the year marked on its spine. "Nineteen eighty-four, nineteen eighty-five, nineteen eighty-six..." he said to himself aloud, before eventually finding the book he was looking for. He removed the book from the shelf and sat down at a nearby desk, flipping through each page to find a very specific, special one, and marking it with the book's ribbon. His search complete, he stepped out to another room, where a younger couple were waiting.

Princess Claidie and her boyfriend Isaac were waiting in the office of Norvalle's civil registrar, along with Alice. It was a rather large room, spacious enough to seat a dozen people, though there were only the three of them. They were conversing about the future -- the upcoming election and a transition to less prominent roles -- as Raphaël walked in.

"Found it," he said to the couple, though not as excitedly as one might be if they had found long lost treasures. He opened the book to where the ribbon marked and laid it on the desk for the pair to view. "July Ninth, Nineteen Eighty-eight; Stéphane and Liliane's marriage certificate. I still remember that day. It's hard to forget royal marriages."

Alice and the couple looked at the certificate, with the signatures of Claidie and Alice's parents and that of their grandfather Christophe as a witness.

"Must have been the highlight of your career," Isaac suggested.

"It most certainly was not," Raphaël retorted. "The gaze your girlfriend's grandfather laid upon those two was precursor to murder, I say, and her parents didn't look too thrilled either."

"They didn't like each other even that early?" Claidie asked.

"Fear, I think. They seemed okay with each other, just not with the idea of being married. Any other couple, I would have told them 'No,' and to do some soul searching before I'd sign off on their nuptials. With the prince there, though, if I did that I'd probably be bones in Chateauroche Oubliette right now."

"I wasn't aware you had the authority to stop a marriage," Claidie said, smirking.

"I don't," Raphaël informed her, "at least not technically."

"Wish you had," Alice quipped. "Couple years ago I visited mom and heard the entire story about how they met at the casino and got caught sleeping together that night. It was literally just a few days that they had been 'dating' before they were married."

"Shotgun?" Raphaël asked, to which Alice simply nodded her head.

"Well, that I didn't know. But, like I said, what could I have done? But now, here the two of you are," he said, pointing to Claidie and Isaac, "doing the same thing thirty-four years later. No ceremony, just a certificate. How about another round of consideration before you put pen to paper? As my granddaughter would say, it's -- oh, how does it go -- 'kinda sus.'"

Everyone burst out in laughter, unsure of what was funnier; a civil registrar telling a princess to do some soul searching, or a seventy-plus man using gamer slang to do it. None of them knew.

"That just made my day," Alice blurted out, earning a sly smile from her sister.

"Jokes aside," Claidie said, breaking the amusement, "I assure you, we gave this a lot of thought. We're not being hurried, either. We just didn't want to make a big event out of it; we wanted to keep things private and simple."

"How long have you been together, now?" Raphaël asked.

"We've been dating for almost five years now..." Claidie answered.

"Could have fooled me," Raphaël jested. "Hadn't heard much about the two of you together in the news."

"Then we've done a good job. That's what we wanted," Claidie boasted.

Raphaël paused for a few moments, thinking about Claidie's convictions, looking at her smile, and that of Isaac as well. Even Alice was cheerful. He realized that today was nothing like 1988. It was a strange occurrence, but it was what was desired by them and not demanded of them.

"Very well," Raphaël said, acquiescing. "Besides, if anyone would show other royals how to be humble about their nuptials, it would be you, wouldn't it? I'll be right back."

As Raphaël stepped away to retrieve another book, Claidie and Isaac waited patiently, smiling and holding hands.

---

Notes:
[1] Played by Ray Walston

Episode 17: Traditional Roles

December 16th, 2023
Government Office Building
Norvalle, Sil Dorsett

In an ordinary government conference room, the Peers - the thirteen aristocrats whose families were gifted titles - were out of their element. They were used to meeting either in the Princesses' throne room in their presence or at some lavish dinner party at one of their estates. This time, they were in the Prime Minister's domain, and Madeline was making sure everyone knew who the boss really was. Tension filled the air; the Barons and Baronesses were dreading what the head of the government was about to say.

"My Lords and Ladies," Madeline began to address the peers, trying hard to hide her sarcasm, "I've asked you to meet with me today to discuss the future of our government, and your place within it."

"Or rather to tell us that there is no place within it," Sebastien Whittemore, a younger and more recently minted Baron, who only inherited his disgraced father's stripped title with Princess Claidie's blessing, arrogantly retorted.

"I'd appreciate it if you would let me explain the details and not interrupt me again, merci," Madeline angrily replied, attempting to seize control of the conversation. "But, you are somewhat correct, Sebastien. There will be no place in the legislature for you any longer. What I'm here to talk to you all about is an alternative that, honestly, has its place in tradition."

The Peers remained quiet, though Claidie's cousin, Phoebe, the Baroness of Norvalle, looked around the room, interested in the reactions of the rest of the group, of which she found none.

"What I am offering - and let's be clear, you wouldn't be getting this offer if this was Claidie's call alone - is for you to assume judicial roles for your historical baronies, as chief justices within your barony, as defined by the current legislative districts. Miss Covington, that would mean you actually get two districts, as the Barony of Norvalle consists of the Upper Norvalle and Lower Norvalle legislative districts."

Seeming amicable to the idea, Phoebe nodded in approval. To Madeline's surprise, the other peers also seemed to perk up with the offer, though there were a couple of questions. Gérard De Guignes offered the first.

"Miss Ellison, I have to admit that the offer is rather interesting. However, given the litigious nature of the public, would our new role carry any value when we could easily be overruled by their highnesses? I assume that they would be the final court of appeal in this scenario, especially given Claidie's penchant for hearing court cases in the past few years?

"Your concern is valid," Madeline reassured Gérard, "but there's two things to consider. First, Claidie and Alice aren't going to hear every appeal. They don't have the time for it, especially Alice with her taking on the more social appearances once expected of Claidie. Secondly, it would be prudent of them to take your opinions into consideration. You aren't legislating, you're interpreting, and I think Claidie is going to be more amicable to you doing that."

Arabella Vautier had a more witty question. "And what if we don't take this offer of yours?"

Madeline laid out all of the facts in front of them. "Quite simply, you would lose your peerages. My offer is trying to save them, for tradition's sake. Can't really be said for the financial impacts, however."

"What do you mean?" Arabella asked.

"A couple of years ago, Claidie and Alice began an investigation into the dealings of their ancestors, which revealed how your peerages were purchased and permitted to persist through pledging their purses. Your ancestors - and maybe even a couple of you might be old enough to remember the system? - paid past princes off to have marriages formally recognized as legitimate for purposes of perpetuating your peerages. And Claidie hired accountants to go through all of the documentation to determine a price to pay each of you in compensation for ending the peerage system. We are talking millions of Livres to each of your families."

"As if we needed yet another scandal," Paul Alesi, one of the peers, said while looking at Sebastien, the most recent beneficiary of a noble scandal.

"When would this take effect?" Phoebe asked.

"Immediately upon passage in the Chamber of Law. The expectation is that the thirteen of you would vote in favor. Otherwise, Claidie will go ahead with her plan of stripping your titles and paying you for them, since that choice is hers alone."

"And why are they being permitted to remain legislatively active while we're being stripped of it?" Arabella asked. "If the idea is to end the involvement of the unelected in the legislature, shouldn't they be rendered unable to legislate on their own?"

"I'm sure that can be negotiated. We can change the rules of princely assent. At least one of them, plus the Prime Minister's approval, plus the approval of the Chamber of Law for any legislative change, and no more princely decrees at all. Would that be acceptable?" Madeline asked.

Gilbert Cuvillier, another peer, replied. "I suppose it's better than being handed a wad of cash and being told to piss off. It was never about the money, Miss Ellison; it was about the prestige of having the monarch's ear. But, that's long gone, I suppose. I'm inclined to accept our new role."

"Well, it needs to be an agreement with all of you. Vote on it, come to a consensus on it, whatever you want to figure out, but this is not going to be a 'some peers take this while other peers take that' kind of deal," Madeline explained.

"May we discuss in private?" Paul asked.

"Certainly," Madeline agreed, stepping out of the room.

The peers would debate for only half an hour before returning their reply.

---

Peers Removed from the Chamber of Law
December 18th, 2023
By: Tristian Bachelet

Prime Minister Madeline Ellison, the thirteen Peers, and Princesses Claidie and Alice have come to an agreement to see the Peers exit their role as unelected legislators and instead assume new roles as chief justices in their districts. The measure accomplishes a campaign goal of the Solidarity, New Democratic Frontiers and Workers Comradeship alliance to see to the end of unelected, hereditary governance in the nation. The Chamber of Law was divided upon a party line vote, and the princesses abstained to allow the Prime Minister's sole executive vote to enact the new law.

Under the terms of the agreement:

The thirteen barons and baronesses will serve as chief justices in their legislative districts, excepting that the Baroness of Norvalle has two districts to serve.

The Chamber of Law will consist of 28 seats until the 2024 Municipal Elections, where the number of seats will be raised back to 41 on a proportional party list system, with details to come later.

The prior system that was established six years ago and refined two months ago where Princess Claidie, Princess Alice, the Prime Minister, and the Chamber of Law had votes allocated to determine the passage of legislation is abolished. The system of princely decrees is abolished as well. For legislation to be made into law, it needs the approval of the both the Chamber of Law and the Prime Minister, and either one princess approves the law or both of them abstain.

The chairs of each of the RSP/NDF/WCP alliance hailed the result as furthering the cause of democracy in the nation, while the RFP called it a power grab.