Ponterre's Crossroads

[Highton]

Prologue

Ouestal, Ponterre
9th of March, 2019

It had been twenty-six days since the nation of Ponterre had been turned on its head. King Charles’ former advisor Gautier Courbet had been placed in charge of a committee to organize what would surely be the most watched event in the history of Ponterre. There were four days left in the national mourning period, and the funeral for the deceased head of state was less than a week away. The death of Charles had been a shock to everyone– reports of the deadly pile-up on the Trans-Rochelle Bridge spread like wildfire and plunged the nation into a state of grievance. Nobody knew what was coming next.

Courbet had been a close friend of the King. He had known Charles since he was a child, and his death was difficult for him to comprehend. He checked the final list of invites several times before finalizing it, wanting to make sure it was perfect but was overcome with emotion while deciding who should attend the funeral. Sometimes he felt sad for the loss of his friend, but at other times angry that the drivers could not avert the accident despite the wet conditions. Once the list had finally been completed, all the invites were mailed out in black envelopes with a white Ponatis star on the back.

Gautier looked out the window at the city of Ouestal from his apartment a few minutes away from the Royal Palace, unsure of the future of Ponterre. The loss of the King would see his eldest daughter Natalie rise to the throne. Natalie had been prepared since her birth the be the first female monarch of Ponterre, but at only 15 years of age she seemed ill-qualified for the crown, thought Courbet. He had seen her only once in the past month, and she was confused and did not seem like herself. Her younger siblings, Hélène and Julien, had been just as depressed and had not at all been prepared for this dramatic shift in their life. Courbet had full faith that in time they would be able to be strong leaders, but he also feared the those opposed to the monarchy would seize this opportunity to gain full power and put an end to the Kingdom.

 

[Highton]

"Longue vie à la Reine"

Ouestal, Ponterre
11th of February, 2019

Princess Natalie typed away at her smartphone. She had received it for her birthday just over two months earlier, and it was her first. Her parents, the King and Queen of Ponterre, had not allowed her to get one up until this point for security concerns. Natalie often found herself scolding her friends for discussing sensitive information in text messages, as she was well aware that a member of her father’s security team was always monitoring her device. Although she was the heir to the throne, she still attended high school, albeit the most expensive private school in Ponterre.

The eleventh, a Monday, was an ordinary day for her. She woke at 6:00, put on the clothes prepared for her by a member of staff, ate breakfast, was escorted to her limousine, where she sat in the back for the 10-minute drive to the Anjou Park Private School. As she exited the automobile, she made the short walk to the door of the school flanked by a pair of guards. Her whole life it annoyed her that whenever she was in public she was never further than a few feet away from a guard, but whenever she asked her father about the topic he reminded her that their presence was required for her safety. This always puzzled the Princess, as never in her life did she ever remember being threatened. It was an ordinary school day for Natalie– she went through her rotation of six classes and when the class was dismissed at two-thirty she was escorted back to the limo which had been parked outside all day. Here, Natalie met up with her younger siblings Hélène and Julien who attended the Primary/Middle School across the street. They began homework on the car ride home to the palace, and upon arrival were escorted to their rooms. Natalie sat at her desk and placed her bag on the floor. At that moment she received a phone call from her close friend Genevieve.

“Hey G, how’s it going?” responded Natalie after picking up the phone.

“Not much different than 20 minutes ago when I last saw you,” Genevieve chuckled. “I’m a bit tired, but I’m planning on heading down to the park tonight. Want to join me?” The Princess was intrigued by this proposal, but she knew that would not be possible.

“You know they won’t let me. I wish I could,” she replied with some disappointment. She was rarely allowed to do things with friends without permission of the King, who was often away. Today, he was in Rochelle at the opening of a new museum but would be returning tonight. “You can come over here if you please,” Natalie countered.

Genevieve knew that she could never turn down an opportunity to visit the palace as she had many, many times before: “Of course, Nat. I’ll see you this evening.”

That evening…

Inside her room was the only privacy the King’s eldest daughter got. There were no cameras and no monitoring with the exception of her smartphone. Genevieve and Natalie finished their homework and when they finished they gossiped about their classmates. They ordered dinner, and each got a hamburger via the chef downstairs. At around ten o’clock, Gautier Courbet knocked on the door and entered the bedroom. He signaled to the guard standing behind him to escort Genevieve out of the room. She said goodbye, and the Princess was left alone in the room with the King’s advisor.

“You may want to sit down for this,” said Gautier. He hated to be the bearer of bad news, but as a close friend of the royal family, it was his duty. He tried to articulate it in a way which would not put Natalie into a state of shock, if possible. “A few minutes ago I received a phone call from Rochelle which concerns your father, his Majesty the King… the King is dead.” He bowed as he said the next few words:

“Your Highness, you are now the sovereign of Ponterre.”

Natalie found her head in her hands. She was not at all prepared for this moment. Tears ran down her cheeks, but she was equally as shocked as she was sad. Gautier tried to comfort her, but she only made a beeline for her bed and closed the canopy instantaneously. She hoped it was all a dream, but it was not. She awoke the next morning, with twice as many guards near her room, breakfast already prepared, and to the news, she was not expected at school. Natalie’s life had changed forever, but she was not ready. Ponterre was not ready either.

 

[Highton]

"A New Age"

Ouestal, Ponterre
14th of March, 2019

The sound of foreign tourists of spring break filled the area surrounding the Prime Minister’s Mansion on the hottest day of the year so far. Many had visited from around the globe to their respects to the late King at his funeral, while others had simply come on holiday. Inside the mansion, Prime Minister Raphaël Gaubert was having a meeting with his cabinet to figure out what the best course of action was following the conclusion of the national mourning period which had finished a few days prior. A staff member closed the curtains.

“Now is the beginning of a new era for this great nation,” Gaubert said to his cabinet. “Our Queen is an ill-prepared child who is in no way qualified to rule her Kingdom. At this time I believe it would be best if the Parliament were to be in control.” The Cabinet nodded in approval. The refer to the Head of State so casually and so negatively in public would be considered outrageous, and one or two Ministers were not completely on board with this attitude.

“I have another concern,” continued the PM: “the death of King Charles will certainly prove a massive blow to the monarchy of this nation, a flaw in our state since its inception a century ago. After Natalie, there is no heir but her young siblings, which would be even worse than the current situation should something happen to her. As we have given power to the Anjou dynasty for the last 100 years, we should now give power to the people. Anyone on this cabinet who does not agree with my position should speak up now.” Gaubert looked around the room at the faces of his cabinet. Some looked motivated and some looked slightly nervous, but no one dared say a word. Raphaël was a large man and had been a semi-professional boxer in his youth, so this may have played a part in why nobody spoke out against him in this situation. He had been opposed to the monarchy for most of his life, but hadn’t made this view public throughout his political career. Until now, the Prime Ministership, as well as the Parliament, were limited in power by the monarchy but Gaubert sought to change that. “Good,” he said, in response to the lack of opposition to his speech.

 

[Highton]

"Going Places"

Ouestal, Ponterre
21st of March, 2019

Gautier Courbet came knocked on the Queen’s door to bring a letter. She allowed him in, and she opened the door. He bowed before her, as was custom. Natalie rolled her eyes yet again, as she thought it ridiculous that everyone she met had to bow down to her.

“This morning I received a letter via La Royale Poste which came from McMasterdonia. Prince Richard of the McMasterdonian Kingdom has invited you to an Ascension Festival to celebrate the King’s 18th birthday. Your mother [acting regent] is more than willing to attend this festival with you,” said Gautier. Since taking the throne just over a month earlier, she had never left Ponterre and had only been outside her home nation a few times in her life. “Many other leaders will be present, it will be a good opportunity to introduce yourself to some of your counterparts from around the globe.”

“Oh sure, I’d love to attend. I’ve never been to Kian before, and I agree that this will be a great opportunity to speak to other heads of state in person. As far as I am aware, there is nothing which would prevent me from attending, so sign me up.” Gaudier nodded and bowed once again before leaving the room. He took out his mobile device and use the government’s private computer program to make other officials aware of her decision to go to the festival.

At the Prime Minister’s Mansion:

When Raphaël Gaubert received the notification, a light flashed in his head. It has barely been a month since the death of the King and only a week since the secret meeting in which he revealed his ambitions to his cabinet. His golden opportunity had come much sooner than expected. It had come so soon, in fact, that he wasn’t even sure what his plan of action was. He knew that the absence of the Queen would leave a brief window where he was the acting executive, this leaving a chance for him to limit the power of the monarchy before her return. He had been in contact with some of his friends in the parliament- they promised not to block these reforms. The moment that Natalie’s plane departed from the airport, he would need to get to work immediately, as he was only granted executive power when the Queen was not on Ponterrean soil. Raphaël would only have a few days to do what he needed to do if he wanted to bring about him dreams of a fully democratic Ponterre where the people were the most important voice in governing the nation.

 

[Highton]

"Precious Time"

24th of March, 2019
Ouestal, Ponterre

“Natalie…” called Courbet, into the Queen’s bedroom. “I have another invitation for you.” He held a green envelope in his hand with the Syrixian emblem on it and placed it on Natalie’s desk. “You’ve been to Syrixia before, right?” She glanced at the envelope.

“Yeah, I went with my father last year. Very different place to home.” She opened the letter as Gautier spoke.

“We already have you down to visit McMasterdonia next week for the coronation of their new monarch. The Syrixian Emperor has now invited you to the Empire’s bimillennial celebration in Pataliputra in April. Much like in McMasterdonia, many world leaders and important people will be there,” he explained. “As a member of the Syrixian Commonwealth—” she cut him off:

“Yes, yes, I’ll go. But then can I take a bit of a break before traveling again?” She had only been on the throne for a month but was already overwhelmed. She was sick of seeing people on Fluttr calling for the abolition of the monarchy, though, and wished she could live a more peaceful life. Gautier bowed before exiting the room and pulled out his mobile phone to update the program. A notification made a noise on the devices of other members of the government, including the Prime Minister.
_____________________

Raphaël Gaubert’s House
Ville de Sainte-Hélène, Ponterre

The Prime Minister was eating his lunch as his phone buzzed with the notification that the Queen had decided to visit Syrixia in April. Yes, that is perfect, he though. It would give him an extra month to prepare for his “revolution,” as he called it to himself. The last time Ponterre flirted with the idea of a republic, it did not end well, but the PM was structuring his plan to hope that another Civil War would not happen. Instead of carrying out his plan when Natalie was in McMasterdonia, he could wait until she was in Syrixia- even further away from home, and a full three weeks later. He jotted some more ideas in his notebook for how he could fix Ponterre for what he believed was better.

 

[Highton]

“A Problem of Succession”

30th of March, 2019
Metz, Ponterre

“Two people,” said Marc-Antoine Marchal, another former advisor of King Charles II. Now, he found himself sitting next to the regent, Violette Yvens, the mother of the Queen of Ponterre. “There are two people in the royal line of succession behind your daughter. This is not a very good situation to be in.” The Queen Mother nodded as he spoke. “I am of the firm belief that this is not the way forward. I know Natalie has gone through a lot lately– and God bless her– but I feel as if it would be essential that she marry into a foreign royal family.” Violette looked at Marc-Antoine after his statement. From a state leader point of view, she knew he was right, the current state of the Ponatis line of succession was not good. But at the same time, from a mother’s point of view, she knew her daughter was not yet ready. She was still only 15 years old– her marriage had not been a thought which had ever crossed her mind. A thought crossed her mind, reminding her that there were no living descendants of the first king of Ponterre, Charles II, other than her three children, and that should something happen to them, it would be the end of the Kingdom.

“Your points are valid, Monsieur Marchal,” she said after a few seconds. “It is completely true that the future of the royal family is at stake. Although Natalie has matured much in the past few months, however, she may not yet be ready for such a huge step.” She rested her chin on her folded hands, trying not to make eye contact with the advisor.

“This is still true,” he said in response, “but we should still look into the possibility of producing an heir for Ponterre, otherwise, as we have agreed on several times, it may be the end of this Kingdom. It is a confusing time to be a Ponterrean, and securing a marital connection to another nation could be essential should something go downhill.” It was a good point, Violette thought. A connection to another nation would lock down an ally for Ponterre. But her initial concerns remained present.

“I believe that this meeting has run its course,” she said. “Please don’t speak to Natalie about this at all– I don’t want to worry her. But I will certainly keep it in kind. Have a nice day.”

 

[Highton]

"Out of State"

15th of April, 2019
Pataliputra, Syrixia

“So here we are,” said Natalie as she was escorted down the steps of the airplane at Imperial Pataliputra International. Today was the day on which all of the guests for Syrixia’s bimillennial celebration would arrive, and the Pontais delegation was there nice and early. Walking down the steps she could see the city of Pataliputra in the distance, the city which would host this great celebration. She had come to Syrixia when she was eight, when her father had been visiting the Emperor. On this visit, she would meet the Syrixian head of state for the first time since taking the throne. This would also be an opportunity to meet up with other heads of state from different nations. It was an important week for the future of Ponterre: a time for the new Queen to set the groundwork for the nation’s relationships with its counterparts from around the world.

The Prime Minister’s Mansion

Gaubert sat in his office looking out his window at the city of Ouestal. For the next few days, this Kingdom was his and the desk he sat at was his throne. His goal was to extend that beyond just a few days. The Queen and the rest of her delegation were to return on Saturday evening– this gave him 5 days to change Ponterre for what he believed was the better.

 

[Highton]

“Walking Tour”

17th of April, 2019
Pataliputra, Syrixia

As the group of visitors walked past the Imperial Palace, the tour guide droned on and on sending the guests to sleep. These were not just any tourists– it was a group of visitors at the Syrixian bimillennial celebration, and this grouping was mostly composed of the younger guests. Natalie, Reine de les Pontais, was among the group, but never having met any of the others on the tour before spent most of the tour dividing attention between the landmarks of Pataliputra and her smartphone. In addition, the tour was in Mercanti, which was nothing more than a second language for the Queen. Three weeks prior, the Queen’s mother had informed her that she would be continuing her mercanti tutoring, leaving little explanation save noting that it would be useful. The guide asked to be excused and ran inside a gift shop for a few minutes to take care of something, leaving a group of about a dozen uninterested young visitors, mostly royals. Natalie continued to look through her phone, unphased by the absence of the tour guide. From a bit to her left, she suddenly heard a greeting.

“Hello,” said the blonde figure to her left. “You dropped something,” he said, handing her the leather wallet she kept in her pocket.

“Thanks,” she said. Natalie took the wallet and placed it in her pocket again. She glanced at the boy and he took it as a cue to speak.

“My name is Kristian,” he said, reaching out for a handshake. “My older sister is crown princess of Andrenne,” he continued. Natalie shook his hand and introduced herself as Natalie, but didn’t mention her title. The Queen finally spoke more than one word, explaining to Kristian how she boring she thought the tour was. He nodded in approval. The guide returned and the group continued the tour. Now, Natalie had stopped staring at her phone and was now in a conversation with the Andennian prince. Later, as the tour concluded they said goodbye and went on their buses to their separate lodgings. Natalie had still never mentioned her title as Queen of Ponterre as the bus returned to the Shankar. Perhaps Gautier was right, she thought taking into consideration the conversation, perhaps this celebration would be important for forging friendships with leaders from other nations.

The Prime Minister’s Mansion

“Friday,” he said on a call to the Secretary of Education. “Remember. That is the big day. On Friday evening, we will pass through all the necessary legislation for the betterment of Ponterre thanks to the special executive power granted to me by the present absence of the Queen.” In Ponterre, whenever the monarch was not on Ponterrean soil, the Prime Minister was temporarily given executive power to run the country. Traditionally, PMs have done very little with this power but Gaubert knew he would be different. This is why it was absolutely essential that he kept his plan secret until he carried it out. He was ready to turn Ponterre into a strict constitutional monarchy and at least from his point of view, its problems could be solved.