For a Modern Realm [COMPLETED]

Absalonhöll
Býkonsviði, Prydania

Magnus Brandt leaned into his cane as he and Reynir Aaker were escorted by Knights of the Storm to the King's office in Absalonhöll. The Prime Minister seemed in good spirits, but "jolly" did seem to be his natural disposition. The Minister of Defence was a bit more nervous. The Cabinet had been developing a "constitutional roadmap" for some time. It had technically been a project that went back to the election of a Free Democratic government in 2018. It had picked up steam though, as Magnus himself began to steer the project.

It had essentially been an internal debate over reforms to include in a potential codified constitution. That had been one of Magnus' cornerstone election promises in 2018. And finally, the government was prepared to present its opening gambit in negotiations with the Crown.

"Do you think we're asking for too much?" Reynir asked.

"Yes" Magnus replied cheerfully.
"That was the point. We want to leave ourselves some space to negotiate down."

"His Majesty doesn't strike me as the haggling sort" Reynir remarked.

"No, he's not" Magnus replied.
"It's not him I'm looking to haggle with. It's Mathies Jórvík and Sören Högh I am worried about."

Reynir nodded. The Thane of Jórvík and the leader of the Conservative Party (and Official Opposition) had both joined the side of the Crown for the Constitutional negotiations. The Thane was understandable. It was assumed by many- correctly- that any government attempt at a codified constitution for the Kingdom of Prydania would look to eliminate the thirty unelected Peer seats in the Alþingi. That the Peers- led by the Thane of Jórvík- propped up the Free Democratic government made for a unique negotiation.

"I still have no idea why Sören worked his way into this" Magnus remarked.

Reynir understood that too.
"He's angling for a share of whatever we agree to. Say these negotiations are successful, Magnus. You'll go into the next election being able to tell the country 'I delivered the constitution.' Sören is here to make sure he can siphon some of that good will off himself."

"Mhm" Magnus remarked. He truly hadn't considered that. Mostly because he wasn't thinking towards the next election. He hadn't told anyone this- not even the members of the Cabinet- but he was going to step down as Prime Minister after these negotiations. Succeed or fail. It was his final political battle. After years of working in the shadows with the ÖSU, and later years working in the FRE during the Civil War....he was content to know his last battle would be a peaceful one.

"Still" Reynir mused.
"How much do we need to worry about Sören and the Thane? They're only there to advise His Majesty."

"It would be prudent" Magnus began, "to remember that His Majesty is only twenty-five. And has just started a family. I say this with all due respect intended to him; he's going to be a position to listen to his advisors. Especially Mathies."

Reynir nodded, and not because Mathies' son Rylond was the King's closest friend. Mathies Jórvík was a veteran FRE leader and an adept political strategist. He was the sort of person the King would trust, and the sort of person who could leverage what he needed out of a young monarch with half a mind focused on his family.
"I suppose we should be grateful His Majesty didn't bring the Thane of Eiderwig in" Reynir chuckled.

"That's what's refreshing about the Field Marshal" Magnus replied.
"He truly has no interest in politics."

The same could be said for Elo Daugaard, a former FRE commander and now Steward of the Royal Household.

"Prime Minister, Minister" Daugaard remarked, before turning to the Knight Captain who had escorted them.
"Thank you, that will be enough for now."

The Knight Captain nodded before leading his men away, leaving the Prime Minister and Minister of Defence with the Steward.
"This way gentleman" Elo remarked, leading them into the King's office. Each had been here numerous times, but they were a bit shocked to see that the King was not at his desk. Instead he, the Thane of Jórvík, and Sören Högh were sitting in the office's couches.

"Join us" Tobias said as he stood up.

"Your Majesty, thank you" Magnus replied as he and Reynir both bowed slightly.
Sitting on the couches was certainly a less formal setting than Magnus was expecting. He wondered whose idea this was. And if it was a negotiation ploy.

"I hear the cabinet finally has a proposal" the Thane of Jórvík remarked.

"We do" Reynir replied, handing a folder over. Sören took it first, looking through the assembled papers, looking up at the Thane and King, and sighing a bit. He had a good sense where this was going. He handed it to the Thane, who periodically shot glances up at the Prime Minister and Minister of Defence. He had half a mind to say something but realized it would reflect poorly if he spoke before the King. So he handed the folder to Tobias.

Magnus watched intently as the King read through the contents of the folder. He was taking a risk. He had followed the simple strategy of asking for a lot. He had the cabinet put forward as many transformative proposals as possible before re-working them all into a coherent series of proposals. He had done this knowing that it would leave him space to negotiate down.
It wasn't strictly that simple though. Mathies Jórvík had a vested interest in the status quo. Magnus' advisors had warned him- if the government's initial set of proposals were too much the Thane could use it as a pretext to shut down the negotiations early. At the very least force them to start again at a less strong position, if not kill the project entirely.
What Magnus was counting on was Tobias. He had just told Reynir that Tobias- being young and preoccupied with a young family- would be inclined to listen to his own advisors. What he was counting on, though, was that Tobias would insist on good faith negotiations. And negate any attempt by the Thane of Jórvík to shut down talks.

Tobias looked up from the folder and set it down on the old oaken coffee table the couches were arranged around.
"No" he said matter of factly.

Magnus' eyes went wide behind his glasses, turning to Reynir.
The government's mandate didn't run out until 2023. They had time, but Magnus had no intention of remaining Prime Minister until 2023. It's why he'd pushed to speed up this project now. And the King of Prydania had just flat out refused everything at once.

Reynir turned to Magnus who did his best to collect himself.

"Your Majesty, is that a 'no' to everything?" the Prime Minister asked.

"I'm not sure how much more clear His Majesty could be" Mathies Jórvík insisted, causing the Minister of Defence to jump to the Prime Minister's...well...defence.

"The Prime Minister was talking to His Majesty, not you, Your Grace." Mathies shot Reynir a look but it was Sören Högh who jumped in.

"That attitude isn't helpful, Minister. What we need..."

"What we need is a government proposal that won't turn this country on its head" Mathies said, speaking over Sören.
"Mister Prime Minister, Minister... perhaps we can try again when..."

"Ter wille fok*..." Tobias muttered. Everyone looked at him. It was Bayardi. That had to be directed at Mathies. The Thane seemed to know it too, turning his attention from the Prime Minister to the King. Tobias, however, shifted gears, now addressing Magnus.

"Magnus, you're asking for a complete removal of the Peers from the Alþingi. A complete disestablishment of the Laurentist Church. The abolishment of the Thanedoms. And you want the Alþingi to have a say in whether the monarch co-reigns in another country. I'm already Emperor of Norsos. How will this work? I just..."

"The Syndicalists also abolished the Peer seats from the Alþingi" Mathies remarked, sending Reynir off.

"Oh come on. You're going to play that card? Here? Now?"

"What about what I said wasn't true?" Mathies replied defensively.

"The Peers sitting with elected Þingmenn is a quirk of history" Magnus shot back.
"Only Arrandal has a similar arrangement, and their Peers number only seven. Compare that to the thirty Peer seats in the Alþingi. Unlected seats make up 14% of our legislator. That number is as low as 4.7% in Arrandal."

"What about an upper house?" Sören asked.

"Prydania has never had an upper house before" Mathies replied.

"What powers would it have?" Magnus mused.
"If such a house were established we would need to establish a working power balance between it and the lower house within the Alþingi. And that would on top of the balance of power we would need to establish between the Crown and the Alþingi itself." Magnus looked over at the King. He'd taken note that Tobias' objections didn't focus on the government's proposals regarding his own power. He had objected to the changes to the Church and the Peers in the Alþingi. The only proposal concerning the position of the Crown he took issue with was the proposed clause about the Alþingi needing to grant permission to the King or Queen of Prydania regarding reigning in another nation. Which he mostly seemed interested in seeking clarification on, considering his own role in Norsos.

"Goyanes and Saintonge have upper and lower house systems we can look to" Sören said.
"They are both case studies on stable bicameral legislative structures."

"I think I can speak for the government" Reynir replied, "when I say that an upper house is the sort of addition we want to avoid. We want to modernize the Prydanian system. Not switch to another one that has no history in this country. Goyanes and Saintonge achieved their legislative structures through historical developments. Their upper houses wouldn't exist today if you were starting from scratch in either country. Which is what we're doing here."

"What you're trying to do here" Mathies insisted.
"We have our own system, one we 'achieved through historical development.' You want to tear that down."

Magus eyed the Thane. There were multiple avenues to consider. He could remind the Thane that twice the Peer seats had sat by and allowed the SoComms to seize control of the country. This would dispel the myth that they existed as a stopgap should the popular will turn destructive. He wasn't sure if antagonizing the Thane was the best course of action though. He sensed the King was annoyed to a degree. That Bayardi utterance couldn't have meant anything else...but he wasn't ready to try and wedge a fork between them yet. So he opted for a softer argument.
"Your Grace, with all due respect...the Peer seats returning was understood by many to be a temporary situation. The bones of the old government structure had to be resurrected as a consequence of repealing fifteen years of Syndicalist governance. Discussions about doing away with the Peer seats were underway in the FRE even before the War was over though."

Mathies grumbled. That much was true. The FRE had begun planning for what the government would look like as they closed in on Býkonsviði. He had tried to downplay the idea of abolishing the Peers then, but it was an idea that wouldn't die. It was even discussed when Tobias called for elections to the Alþingi in 2018. Tobias had instead chosen to knight a number of people who had served with distinction during the Civil War, to fill out the thirty seats. Most of the old aristocracy hadn't survived. Even then though...there was discourse that it was a stopgap. And now here he was. Trying to hold back what appeared to be a flood.
"You two may not like the Syndicalist comparison" Mathies insisted, "but disestablishing the Church? After what the Syndicalists did? And the Thanedoms? And the Peer seats... get outraged all you want. You can't avoid the similarities."

"The Church" Magnus insisted, "isn't going to be hounded into the ground. That's the difference. All organized religion was hounded by the Syndicalist regime. Not just the Laurenist Church. Couratists, Revenists, Thaunics, and Shaddaists all suffered. So why should..."

"The Revenists? You're concerned about the people behind the Messianic League Uprising?" Mathies interrupted, but Magnus wasn't going to be deterred.

"...SO WHY SHOULD the Laurenist Church hold a position of privilege over the others?"

"Because" Tobias replied, having stayed mostly quiet through this.
"We're a Laurenist nation. Over 60% of Prydania is Laurenist. It's the largest denomination. The old acts of settlement regarding religion understood that. That was the point, yes? Freedom of worship, but the Laurenist Church is the state church to recognize that fact."
"The Church remains the state church, that's final" he said, looking to Magnus. He felt his heart pounding, and he felt a bit...righteous? He was styled "Defender of the Faith" after all...

Reynir looked to Magus. The Prime Minister had said they'd asked for too much on purpose. To negotiate down. Was this something he'd be willing to budge on? The Free Democrats counted the Courantist minority as a key bloc of support.

Magnus nodded though.
"That is understood Your Majesty. We will not attempt to knock the Church from its historical position."

Tobias and Sören both smiled. For Tobias he'd ensured he hadn't robbed the Church of what was traditionally their position of prominence within the country. For Sören the more devoutly Laurenist you were the more likely you were to vote Conservative. Mathies, however, was weary. Yes, his side had secured a win. That was the problem though. A win. They were negotiating. He'd hoped Tobias would throw the whole thing out, but here he was. Willing to negotiate.
He looked to the King briefly and then back to the Prime Minister. He'd have to reassess his game-plan.

---

*Ter wille fok= For fuck's sake

"I'd like" Tobias mused after a few more moments of back and forth, "to talk to the Prime Minister. Alone."

Sören and Mathies looked at each other, and then to Reynir.
"Your Majesty..." Mathies began but Tobias just smiled.

"Please" he insisted.
"I'm tired of everyone talking in circles. Just...give us a moment."

Reynir stood, followed by Sören and Mathies who all made their way to the door that led to the room where one would wait to be called into to see the King. Mathies looked back at the King and Prime Minister, his jaw clenching just a bit.
"The damned kid" he thought as he stepped out of Tobias' office. He liked him well enough, but he was only twenty-five. He was his son's age for fuck's sake. Not that Tobias had the same habits that made Mathies worry for Rylond but still. This was why William needed to win that election. He could have guided the King for another five years at least. He'd probably made the right call to throw the Peers' support behind the Free Democrats. They had won, barely. Still, he often wondered if things could have been different. A more subdued Tobias perhaps, with William in the Prime Minister's seat.
William retiring right after the election made things easier for Mathies though. He could own his choice to go with Magnus and the Free Democrats. What was the alternative? Tenna Nygaard? Ha. Mathies never liked her. Even before she opened her mouth and torpedoed the Agrarian Party.

"Still" he thought, "Tobias alone with Magnus can't be good."
He couldn't trust Tobias not to throw the whole thing away. He was a good kid, but he let his idealism get the best of him at times. William seemed to be the only one who could talk him down to look at things practically.

"So" Sören began, "what do you suppose they're discussing?"

"The most likely answer" Mathies answered, "is that they're going to cut throw the noise. A lot of ideas got tossed around. There will likely be a significantly reduced list they've both agreed to when we get back in there."

"That's not a bad thing" Sören mused.
"There's something to be said about streamlining things."

"I'm just concerned about what he'll agree to cut" Mathies mumbled.

"Well" Reynir interjected, standing a bit away from the others, "Magnus isn't beyond compromise himself. You two seem awfully worried for being on His Majesty's team for this."

"He's young, he has a family" Sören shrugged.
"He's got other things to worry about than this. And he very much wants to be a constitutional monarch. Him and everyone else. We're here to make sure he's not taken advantage of in that respect. I saw your list of proposals. It's a bit extreme, even given what we've all agreed to in principal."

"And I'm worried" Mathies added, "that His Majesty doesn't fully understand the weight he can leverage with his position."

"Well" Reynir said with a chuckle, "I'm not sure Magnus understands his regarding his own office."

---

Tobias stood and walked around the couch area a bit.
"Just stretching my legs" he said, smiling at Magnus. The Prime Minister just nodded as he watched. Tobias discarded his sports jacket, tossing it over one of the couch arms before sitting down again.

"Magnus...what the fuck was that?"

The Prime Minister looked a bit confused. Also concerned. The King could be rather emotional when he got upset. He seemed calm here though. An angry, yet calm, Tobias. That was a new one. He wasn't sure how to react.
"I'm unsure what you mean, Your Majesty?"

"Disestablishing the Laurentist Church. The King or Queen needing the Alþingi's permission to take a foreign throne. The elimination of the Thanedoms. The one thing I could agree with, removing the Peers in the Alþingi, is going to be hard enough."

Magnus raised an eyebrow. Did the King just laid his cards out on the table?
"I already agreed, Your Majesty, that the Church will not be touched..."

"I'm wondering why you even asked. You saw what all of us saw during the War. You want me- the head of the Church- to disestablish it after what the Syndicalists did?"

Magus nodded softly. Tobias still sounded calm yet angry. Maybe family life had mellowed him?
"I never imagined you'd agree to it. Truth is, I don't really want to do it. Have you ever heard of 'aim for the stars and hit the moons, Your Majesty?"

"It was a negotiating tactic?"

"Yes."

Tobias grumbled, running his hands through his hair.
"I hate playing games."

"It's often how politics works, Your Majesty" Magnus replied, calmly.

"I'm not a politician" Tobias shot back.
"You know that."

"I'm afraid you may be taking things too personally Your Majesty" Magnus said frankly.
"We're negotiating."

"I just want to deal in good faith Magnus" Tobias replied.
"I'm not disestablishing the Church, because God knows it's been through enough. I'm not requiring my successors to have to get the Alþingi's permission to reign in another country because who knows what will happen in a hundred years? A future King of Prydania may need to take the Norsian crown for the sake political stability. And I'm not eliminating the Thanedoms after we worked so hard to bring them back."

"Did we fight a war to bring the Thanedoms back, Your Majesty?"

"We fought to undo Syndicalism" Tobias answered, sure of himself.

"We fought to free this country from the Syndicalists, but you know as well as I do that Prydania was not a perfect country before them..."

"God" Tobias shook his head, "do you know how tired I am of hearing that?" his voice was now tinged with irritation.

"Your Majesty" Magnus began, beginning to slip into the role of a lecturer.
"You're well aware of the abuses your uncle..."

"My uncle" Tobias rolled his eyes, in no mood to actually be lectured.
"My uncle, my uncle, my uncle" he shook his head. "Why does everyone forget my grandfather? In twenty-eight years he took us from defeat in the Fascist Wars to a booming economy and a functioning democracy. Everyone wants to say he was...what was it...an aberration? Those twenty-eight years were the best this country's had in a very long time. And I'm not going to write them off. I can't, Magnus. And neither can you. What else do we have otherwise?"

Magnus watched the young King as he spoke, and he could see it. That emotional buildup. It had been missing, but there it was. And this is how it came out. The Prime Minister shrugged. It should be a blessing that the King loved his country that much, that he wanted it to be what he thought it could be. Tobias wasn't a cynic. Which was impressive when you considered he probably had the right to be one. Magnus knew how he could handle Tobias when we was like this though. He was good at thinking on his feet.
"Your grandfather..." Magnus began, picking his words carefully, "was a reformer. He fell into a trap so many do though. He made things better, and yes he made things better with what is essentially the current system, but it all rested on his personal authority. Not that of the office of the King, but him as a person. Your grandfather was a great reformer, Your Majesty, but he never planned for what would come after. As such the same personal authority that allowed him to be the reformer he was allowed your uncle to be the tyrant he was. That is why I believe in this initiative, Your Majesty. So that the freedom we all fought for isn't dismantled down the line. That in two hundred years what we fought for is still alive."

Tobias' mind raced. His first instinct was going to be to ask Magnus if he believed if either of his sons would grow up to be tyrants, but of course the answer was that Magnus didn't know. No one could tell the future. Which was Magnus' point. Tobias sat there, looking a bit downward before forcing himself to look up at Magnus again.
"The status quo regarding the relationship between the Crown and Alþingi...it's going to be codified, not changed?"

"We're reformers, not revolutionaries, Your Majesty. We believe the precedent that defines how the Crown delegates power to the Alþingi, and how the Alþingi determines the government, is perfectly acceptable. We just want it codified."

Tobias nodded and thought for a moment.
"I'll give you the bit about a King or Queen of Prydania needing the Alþingi's permission to reign elsewhere on two conditions, Magnus."

"I'm all ears, Your Majesty" the Prime Minister said with a soft smile.

"The first is that it's made clear this will not be applied retroactively. Alycia is Queen of Prydania. I am Emperor of Norsia. These facts must be made clear if this is going to pass."

"That should be easy to accomplish, Your Majesty. Those deeds are done, anyway. I don't believe anyone has the stomach to attempt to undo them. What is your second condition?"

"That you meet me halfway on the Thanedoms."

"Halfway in what way, Your Majesty?"

Tobias smiled, just a bit.
"I said I agree with you about wanting the Peers out of the Alþingi. How am I going to convince Mathies to be ok with that, if you're going to eliminate the Thanedoms too?"

"Well Your Majesty" Magnus began, "the Thanedoms as legal entities are remnants of the feudal system. Only resurrected because repealing Syndicalist legislation en masse meant the old legal frameworks were willed back into being."

"I'm not talking about feudalism" Tobias replied.
"I'm talking about reform" he smiled a bit. "Let's make the Thanedoms...not provinces...but we accept that they exist. And we codify it that the local elected authorities there, and the national government, have the final word. Make the Thanes symbolic, while also keeping the Thanedoms."

Magnus couldn't help but chuckle.
"You said you weren't a politician."

Tobias couldn't help but laugh too.
"It just came to me."

"It's a solution I believe the government will find agreeable. Even then though, you're suggesting that the Thanes be officially reduced to figurehead status. They have practically been that for hundreds of years, but if it's codified as that well...I'm unsure how Mathies will take it as a consolation prize to losing seats in the Alþingi."

"I know how to deal with that" Tobias smiled. Indeed he did. He had, in fact, been prepared for this. Beyond just what Mathies and Sören had prepared for him. He knew exactly how he'd handle the question of the Peers in the Alþingi.
"I know how to get the Peers to vote in favour of their own dissolution."

"You want to abolish the peers?" Mathies Jórvík asked. Tobias couldn't tell if he was shocked or angry, though "both" would be a fair estimation. Still, he didn't look at Mathies, instead looking up at the fall skies as he made his way through Absalonhöll's gardens. The overgrown sense of it all called to mind the eastern forests. Which was why Tobias had never asked for it to be returned to its pre-Syndicalist pristine glory.

"Thirty unelected seats in the legislature seems a bit anachronistic, don't you think?" Tobias replied, looking up at the grey skies.

"If I may be so blunt, Your Majesty," Mathies replied, "that's the sort of thinking that led to Syndicalism."

Tobias stopped for a moment, letting the comment pass over him. Did Mathies say it because he thought he could get a rise out of him? Or did he say it precisely because he had stopped letting such things bother him? Thane Mathies of Jórvík was hard to read like that.
"We shouldn't ever try to make things better because of a cabal of criminals who called themselves reformers?"

"It's all just compromises on the way down the slippery slope, Your Majesty" Mathies shrugged.
"We managed to climb back up the slippery slope the Syndicalists shoved us down. I'm not eager to start down that again."

Now that...that caught Tobias' attention. He looked over at the Thane for a moment. Did he expect him to believe that? To fall for that? People he loved, people he trusted, had withheld information from him for most of his life. They had their reasons. He believed them when they explained themselves. Yet it had left him with a very short fuse when he believed someone was not being truthful. He only ever asked that people deal with him in good faith. He never felt like he was asking for too much.
"Are you worried about the slippery slope, or the loss of influence that comes from losing the Peer seats in the Alþingi?"

That was the down side to Tobias' short fuse when it came to dishonesty. He tended to be blunt right back. It wasn't out of a sense of aggression...he just wanted to deal with truths. What he had said to Magnus the other day was true- he was not a politician.

"Your Majesty" Mathies replied in a firm voice. It also had an air of indigence politicians tended to have when called out for their nonsense.
"I fought with the FRE. You know that. What I want to make sure we preserve what we all suffered through to bring back."

Tobias was looking Mathies dead on, but his vision couldn't help but wander, his eyes shooting here and there briefly before returning to the Thane.
"We didn't fight for unelected seats in a legislature" the King replied, trying to sound as firm as the Thane who would be his father's age if his father were alive. With all the political experience that brought.
"We all fought to make this country better. And getting rid of the peers will make this country better."

"By who's metric?" Mathies asked, not giving any ground and managing to marry his defiance and conviction with a certain calmness. A patience that came with dealing with an unruly child. He wasn't wrong to carry himself that way, really. His own son was Tobias' age.

Tobias felt his heart begin to race a bit. He thought of so many things he could say...so many combative things, really. Something strange happened though. He was feeling himself on the verge of getting aggressive, argumentative, but then...there it was. The rationale, the justification for what he wanted to do...it floated into his mind. And it made the tension, the anger, the need to be combative...just vanish.

"By everyone's metric, Mathies" he said calmly.
"If you truly aren't out for your own interests then think of everyone we liberated. We gave them back a say in their own government. Do they deserve to have that mitigated by unelected seats?"

It was only a half truth of an answer though. That was one reason Tobias had come around to the idea of abolishing the peer seats in the Alþingi. The other...which he didn't dare admit to Mathies...was that he believed he had to, for Prydania's own sake internationally. What the world thought of Prydania had been a never-ending class Tobias had been thrust into since becoming King. And it wasn't so black and white. Not so clean cut. For every diplomat, head of state, or op-ed that showed both himself and his nation kindness, that offered aid, there were those who held the Civil War as proof of his country's backwardness. People who only spoke of Prydania to use it as an example of how their political system was fundamentally broken. How his country was broken.
Tobias looked away from Mathies as he looked up at the overgrown foliage. It was calming in a way. And yes...this was necessary. What had Thorsteinn told him?

"Your Majesty, this is your destiny, your purpose. To be the one who will lead Prydania out of the mire that it is in."

Tobias nodded to himself.
For a people dispossessed and broken...they deserved a democratic Alþingi. And a proud people at that, who had to bear the shame of what had befallen them, they deserved an Alþingi that would not be held up to ridicule and study as a "curiosity" by foreigners only interested in the country in so far as they could study it as an example of what not to do.

Mathies thought on how to answer the King's question. It was a sort of idealism that was common in men His Majesty's age. He found the best damper for that was the reality of the matter.
"Your Majesty" he began, "the fact is that the Peers still do exist in the Alþingi. And we are the third largest voting bloc by affiliation. And we will not vote for our own dissolution. Getting a working majority without us would be very difficult. It would behoove both the Prime Minister and yourself to work with us. Not against us."

This though...more than anything else...this was what Tobias was waiting for. He smiled softly.
"The Peer seats almost died off...well...naturally, I guess. There were discussions that they just wouldn't be seated, since much of the nobility that made up those seats were killed during the War. Who was left? Just you, Niels, Stig, and the Priests. It was decided, though, that I should knight those who served valiantly in the War to fill out the thirty seats. Nineteen seats...nineteen Peers who owe their Peerage to me. Not their bloodlines, but to me. When it comes time to vote in the Alþingi, will they listen to you? Or me?"

Mathies chuckled.
"And you tell everyone you're not a politician, Your Majesty."

"I'm really not" Tobias chuckled in return.
"I just know what I believe in." He wanted to add "sometimes that's enough," but thought better of it.

"You'll have your chance to argue your position though, Mathies. And convince everyone."

"The Alþingi?" Mathies asked confused.
"Of course I will. The negotiated constitution needs to pass to be approved."

"No" Tobias shook his head as he made his way back inside.
"I mean everyone."

Mathies looked on, a bit confused. And feeling unsettled that the King had managed to turn things around on him. He felt a bit uncertain, unsure. What did he mean? Everyone? The agreement was that the negotiated constitution would need to pass through the Alþingi before going to the King for Royal assent.

Tobias though...he had been thinking.

"Your Majesty, this is your destiny, your purpose. To be the one who will lead Prydania out of the mire that it is in."

What if that called for him to give the country a chance to be better? A chance to show the world that it could be better? No one knew what he was planning quite yet. Not Mathies. Not Magnus. No one else...but he would pledge to only give the negotiated constitution Royal assent if it had the backing of the people of his country. He would hold a referendum. A chance for Prydanians to effect change, peacefully.

Vistulahöfuðból
Eiderwig, Prydania

"Pabbi!" Laurits Eiderwig called out as he made his way through Vistulahöfuðból, the Eiderwig family estate. He made a beeline for his father's office, finding him not at his desk but off to the side with a partially assembled rocking chair.

"What is it Laurits?" Stig replied as he continued to work on his project. He'd found more time to devote to carpentry now that the War was over. It was comforting. He could focus on projects, and that focus allowed him to work through some of the guilt and anger he felt from the War.

"Have you seen what they're debating in the Alþingi?" Laurits asked, his voice tinged with a degree of both panic and anger.

"The Alþingi debates a lot of things" Stig replied, still focused on his chair.

"The Constitution!" Laurits replied.
"Have you read it?"

"No" Stig replied.
"I'm not just blowing smoke when I tell people I'm a soldier and not interested in politics. I don't even take up my seat in the Alþingi."

"Well you should!" Laurits insisted.
"Or you won't have it much longer." His voice was full of urgency now, but Stig's only reaction was to shrug.

"They're talking about abolishing the peer seats, eh?" he said with little concern.
"Like I said, I don't even take it. What's it to me if it's gone?"

"I don't know, tradition?" Laurits replied.
"And the traditions of our family that we fought to win back?" Laurits paced his father's office as Stig focused on his project, clearly not sharing his son's concern. Laurits, however, wanted to vent. The Constitution was before the Alþingi, which meant the Cabinet must have come to an agreement with the King on its contents.

"I can't believe Tobias did this to us" he grumbled.
"After all you did for us, for him!"

That caught Stig's attention, setting his tools down and looking over at his son.
"You think I watched young men and women die for fifteen years, so I could have a seat in a legislature I don't even want? No. I did it because because fifteen years worth of hell were worth it to save the country from those criminals. And now that we've all won? It's time to let the politicians do their jobs."

"You're not the least bit angry?" Laurits shot back.
"That after all you did for Tobias he's gone ahead and agreed to abolish our House's ancient privileges?"

Stig stood up. Slowly. He brushed his hands against each other and walked to his son. He thought of saying any number of things to him. How he should show his cousin respect, as King. How he should understand that duty was about doing the right thing, and not about expecting favours in return. He contemplated telling him all of that, but years of fatherly experience had given him insight into what was truly bothering his son.
"You can think and do what you like when it's just yourself. Or even just us. But find a way deal with your animosity towards your cousin if you're going to interject yourself into the political realm. I won't have my son dragging his family drama into public over something as petty as a useless seat we don't even take up."

Stig walked past his son, leaving his office. He was hungry.

"Pabbi!" Laurits called out. Stig just stopped and turned around.

"Deal with it privately, or stay quiet publicly. I don't care which, but those are your options."

Laurits stood frustrated. Part of him felt betrayed by his father just now, that he hadn't sided with him. A deeper part though...that part stung... was that his father knew what lay at the heart of his frustrations.

---

Absalonhöll
Býkonsviði, Prydania
the present

Klara Eiderwig hugged her cousin as she sat down with him in Absalonhöll's banquet hall. Just the two of them, on one end of the long table.
"It's good to see you, Toby" she says with a smile as they both began to nibble on the tray of smjörbrauð* that was prepared for them.

"It's always nice to see you Klara" Tobias replied. His words were honest, but his voice was a tad forlorn. He adored Klara and Laurits when he was younger. And he'd since had to grapple with the notion that those affections were not necessarily returned.
"I wish we could talk more often."

Klara nodded a bit nervously.
"Well I don't get to come out to the capital much. Pabbi seems to like the ideas I have to improve the infrastructure in Eiderwig."

"That's good" Tobias replied.
"I hope that, assuming the constitution is passed, you get involved in Provincial politics."

"That's sort of what I'm here to talk about" Klara said, getting to the point. Tobias sighed. He wasn't expecting to hear more whining about the Thanedoms being reduced in importance from Klara of all people.

"Look" Tobias replied, "we have a chance to fully modernize the country. Put the feudal structures behind us and..."

"Toby" Klara shook her head, holding up a hand.
"I'm not here to argue about that. I think it's a good thing. Pabbi putting me in charge of the Thanedom's infrastructure projects has made it painfully obvious how outdated the system is."

"So" Tobias mused, "what do you want to talk about?"

"It's Laurits."

Tobias rolled his eyes.
"What does he want?"

"That's...sort of what I wanted to talk about. He thinks you're betraying our family, after all Pabbi did for the FRE."

"That fucking..." Tobias growled, his hand clenching into a fist. Of all the fucking things Laurits could say... for him to insinuate that he had any desire to hurt Stig?
"He really thinks that?"

"Pabbi told him he was full of shit" Klara nodded, reassuringly.

"So what do you want from me?" Tobias asked, frustrated.

"Pabbi called him out. He said Laurits has some issues with you that he was letting influence how he felt about this."

"Wouldn't surprise me" Tobias muttered in response.

"Yeah, well, that's why I'm here. I want to see what it'll take to make this better, between the two of you."

Tobias looked at his cousin for a moment and then lowered his eyes.
"You know all about it."

---

Vistulahöfuðból
Eiderwig, Prydania
one day earlier

"Pabbi doesn't know what he's talking about" Laurits grumbled.
"Thinks this is personal on my end."

"Well...is it?" Klara asked.

"It's about the principle of thing! Tobias just let them write off our Thanedom! Pabbi's seat! After everything we all went through!"

"Pabbi doesn't care about the seat, and he doesn't care about politics. So stop using him as your excuse" Klara said matter-of-factly. Laurits looked at her angrily before shaking his head.

"Not you too."

"Oh come on" Klara said as she rolled her eyes.
"Come down off the cross. We need the wood" she said, mocking her brother's attempts to play the martyr.
"Pabbi doesn't care. The only reason you do is because when he's gone you'll be Thane, and you want all the pomp that you feel should go with that."

"That's not true!" Laurits shot back defensively. Klara just shrugged though.

"Well that's what I have to believe your motivation is. The alternative's somehow even more petty."

"Yeah, what's that?" Laurits mumbled.

"You know damn well. You've always given Toby a hard time. For reasons I've never been able to figure out."

"Oh come on" Laurits replied.
"You think this is about some past bullshit?"

"Isn't it?" Klara asked.

"You're one to talk!" Laurits rolled his eyes.
"It's not like you and him were close either."

---

Absalonhöll
Býkonsviði, Prydania
the present

"I...I know what Laurits thinks" Klara said softly.
"But I've never...I mean I've guess what you've thought about about. I just never heard you talk about it."

"No, you'd have to..." Tobias almost said "care" but he stopped himself. At least Klara was here making an effort.
"...we'd have to talk more."

Klara nodded, blushing just a bit. She and her brother...well...the stories about their history with their cousin were similar. The difference was Klara had grown to feel bad over it, seeing it as something to improve. Even if she found herself sometimes too busy for it. Laurits, however, just reacted to it by getting self-righteous about it and looking for excuses to justify his past behaviour. If that was how it was going to be then...well...fine. Only now Laurits' quest to chase windmills was possibly leading him into a public confrontation with his cousin and King, in the middle of a constitutional debate. One their father wanted nothing to do with.
If she could fix it, mend this relationship, then she would. And if that meant actually reaching out to her cousin and hearing him out then that's what she'd do. Even if it was full of awkward familial baggage.

"I know Toby" she said softly with a nod.
"I want to talk now though. I think you and Laurits...well I think I can help."

Tobias wanted to grumble. Klara, in his mind, wasn't really in a position to take that stance. Again though- she'd made an effort. That wasn't nothing.
"I've always wanted siblings" Tobias muttered. He blushed too, and looked over at Klara nervously. Unsure if she'd find what he said sad, pathetic, or funny. To his immense relief his cousin only smiled softly, understandingly.

"As a kid at first. And then...well...Mamma and Pabbi were killed. Astrid was killed. I really felt alone, and I would think if I had a brother or sister...it would be easier to have someone to be there for, and for them to there for me. Sometimes I'd imagine Rylond, Fylkir, or Bjarkar were my brothers." He chuckled nervously.
"That's pretty sad, right?"

"No" Klara replied insistently. She paid attention to what her cousin was saying. "As a kid at first." It highlighted how much she didn't know about her cousin, because it just dawned on her. Tobias- either subconsciously or consciously- considered his parents' executions the end of his childhood. He was only seven at the time...and yet...that was the end of being "a kid" to him. She'd known him most of her life but she had never known that. Until just now.
"No" she continued, "it's not sad. I thought it was the end of the world when Mamma died, but...well. I don't think it's sad that you looked for someone following all of that. It's not sad at all."

"I looked for you" Tobias said bluntly, his heart racing for a moment before he calmed down.
"I looked for you and Laurits. I mean...look" he paused as he tried to collect his thoughts.

Klara blushed again, trying to give her cousin space. She just nodded and sat there, letting him work out what he wanted to say.

"I wanted siblings back before all of that, when everyone was still alive. Astrid was...well she could be nice whenever Uncle Andy's influences weren't showing. You and Laurits were my cousins too though. Older cousins too. I thought you were both so cool" he chuckled softly.

Klara couldn't help but chuckle, only to see Tobias' wounded face. She had a bit of a panic and quickly moved to insist she wasn't mocking him.
"Sorry, no. I'm not laughing at you...it's just funny because Laurits kind of thought the same thing about you."

"Huh?" Tobias replied, dumbstruck. He'd actually looked up to Laurits when he was a kid. That Laurits might have felt some envy towards him seemed unbelievable.

"He never said as much, but he thought Býkonsviði was the coolest place on Eras. And you got to live there as a kid, while we had to go back to boring old Eiderwig after visiting. And Uncle Robert took you on his motorcycle while Pabbi was just 'study, study, study!' in those days. He definitely felt that way about you."

"Well he never showed it" Tobias mumbled.
"He was my older cousin, and he always acted like I was burdening him. The thing is...I kind of get it."

"You do?" Klara asked, knowing how Laurits felt.

"Kind of," Tobias emphasized.
"At first, before the Syndicalists. He's five years older than me. Does an eleven year old really want to play with a six year old? Especially an annoyingly excited one like I was?" Tobias chuckled. Klara chuckled too.

"You WERE very eager to pull us this way or that way."

"Yeah, because you were my big cousins and I wanted to spend time with you...but I get it. That's not what this is about. It's about what happened....after."

That hung in the space between them, heavy and intimidating. They'd each lost family when the Syndicalists couped.

"I didn't want to 'hang out' with my big cousins after that" Tobias said softly.
"I wanted to be with my big cousins because you were the only family I had left here. I wanted a big sister, and a big brother, to tell me things were going to be alright when I..." he wanted to say "woke up screaming" but he thought better of it. He had awoken screaming many times as a child after he'd seen his parents executed, and William was always there to comfort him. He wasn't going to guilt trip Klara.
"...when I felt scared. You and Laurits...you never were there with me though. Rylond, Fylkir, Bjarkar...Krista...everyone moved around, but there was an eight year period after the Syndies took over where I didn't see Laurits. I saw you...now and then...but not him. And seeing you, well...it must have meant he just didn't want to be there."

"Those were hard times for us too, Toby" Klara said softly.
"Mamma was gone, and they didn't want us three together. In case the worst happened."

"Yeah" Tobias muttered.
"Eight years though. I saw you in that period. Not him. Never him."

Klara could only nod. She knew why...

"I already felt like my family abroad had abandoned me. And then....the last family I had here did too. My big cousin Laurits. He would just rather not have anything to do with me. Just like he always did."

"You need to understand" Klara replied, "that what he was feeling..."

"I don't know what he was feeling" Tobias said, interrupting.
"I know how he expressed it though. I know how he insulted my father, and how he'd rather I be a good little figurehead instead of actually being there for me like family's supposed to be." Tobias' voice was raising, but he stayed calm. Careful to not erupt.

"Laurits," Klara replied, "is a selfish person. Well...he was. To his credit he's worked on fixing that. But at the time..."

---

Vistulahöfuðból
Eiderwig, Prydania
one day earlier

"No, we weren't close" Klara replied to her brother.
"Maybe I should have been though. Maybe you should have been too."

Laurits clenched his jaw.
"I had my own shit to figure out!" he shot back.
"Mamma was gone! Pabbi was fighting a war! I had to care for you! I didn't have time for Toby. Besides, he had William and Axle. He didn't need me."

"Maybe we could have cared for each other" Klara replied, herself trying to choke back tears.
"We had Pabbi at least. Even when we couldn't be with him, we knew he was there. Toby lost Uncle Robert and Aunt Hanna."

Laurits sighed and shook his head.
"Everyone says Uncle Robert this and that. You know he trusted the people who shot him? Good judge of character he was."

"Everyone has to come to terms with the fact that their parents aren't perfect" Klara replied.
"Lord knows we had to. Imagine how hard it would have been to accept Pabbi's flaws if he was taken from us too though. Now imagine some of the only family you had left screamed those flaws in your face. You didn't need to go off Toby about Uncle Robert. He probably had a hard enough time dealing with his father's faults as it was."

Laurits grit his teeth. The fucking motorcycle thing.
"I don't...look...I don't hate Uncle Rob. I mean fuck...that would be pretty fucked up. But he didn't...he had his flaws. He was too laid back, he trusted the wrong people. And then I saw Toby- who our soldiers were pledging their lives to fight for- just acting like his pabbi because of whatever the hell reason. I'm sorry if I was harsh but..."

"You were harsh" Klara shot back. "I still don't know what possessed you to say that to him."

"It's what Pabbi would have done" Laurits replied bluntly. Klara could only stare dumbfounded for a moment.

"What?"

"Pabbi is...he's the responsible one. He was always the one who always cut through the crap and told it how it was. That's what I was trying to do."

"Pabbi never told an orphan to stop looking up to their parents" Klara replied softly, still trying to process her brother's justification.

"Yeah well..." Laurits rolled his eyes, "Toby needed to hear it. He was always bugging us for attention as a kid, and then when the War started I donno...he became this icon to people, but he still acted like an impulsive, angry kid. I was sick of him being childish, Klara. So I did what I thought Pabbi would do, and I told him flat-out why maybe Uncle Rob wasn't the best person he should be looking up to."

"That's not what Pabbi would have done. Because that's not what he did" Klara insisted.

"Pabbi felt sorry for him. I did too, but we're closer in age. It was my job to tell him."

"Who gave you that job?" Klara asked, knowing the answer.

"I did" Laurits replied.
"No one else would, so I gave it to myself."

---

Absalonhöll
Býkonsviði, Prydania
the present

"You've been getting along with your Santonian cousins" Klara said as she ate.

Tobias nodded with a smile.
"They're nice. All of them. I..." he stopped. He wasn't sure what he should say. What could offend Klara or not.
"I feel like I can call them my brothers. I don't really know if they feel the same way about me, but they've welcomed me into their lives. I'm..." he smiled hesitantly. "I'm grateful for what they've done for me. I haven't felt, I mean I haven't felt family like that since Mamma and Pabbi were killed."
He blushed. His own desire for family was a deep vulnerability for him.

Klara took another bite of the smjörbrauð she was holding, thinking about what her cousin had said. Tobias both seemed to embrace his relationship with his Santonian family, but also qualified it. "I don't really know if they feel the same way about me" was what he said. Everything she had seen- and heard- was that they all got along well. Why did Tobias feel the need to say that? Maybe because...because he'd needed her and her brother to be his family in a time of need and they really...hadn't been? Had their unwillingness to be there for him left him in a place where he doubted his own worth, even to relatives who were ready to embrace him?

She swallowed her food and nodded.
"I'm sorry" she said.
"For not being there for you more."

"You were there more than Laurits" Tobias said.

"It wasn't enough" Klara replied.
"I can't defend myself. I can only explain it. I want you to know, so that whatever else you feel, you know the truth about how I felt, and you don't carry any of that forward with you."

Tobias picked up a smjörbrauð himself but set it down, not feeling hungry. He nodded at his cousin.
"Ok" he said softly.

"Back before the Syndicalists you were annoying" she said with a disarming smile.
"It wasn't your fault, but Laurits and I were just at that age where teenage disinterest in everything was just taking hold. I don't know what our relationship as cousins would have been like in a world where the Syndicalist Coup and the War never happened. I'd like to think we'd all have gotten along as we got older" she smiled.

"But that's not what happened. Laurits and I were devastated with Mamma's death, and Pabbi was fighting an insurgency. Maybe you could have said that it was understandable, but we should have supported you with your losses, like we did with each other. I'm...I'm really sorry we didn't. I've wanted to reach out and make it better between us, and I'm sorry I keep finding excuses not to. Please, Toby. You're my cousin. I want...I want us to be there for each other now."

She felt her heart racing as she spoke, nerves putting her on edge even as a few lone tears escaped her eyes. Tobias smiled meekly.

"I love you Klara" he said softly.
"I'm always ready to be there for you. And Laurits. I just don't know if he will be."

Klara choked a bit on her heart seemingly pounding into her throat, but nodded.
"He will be."

---

Vistulahöfuðból
Eiderwig, Prydania
one day earlier

"You gave yourself that 'responsibility' because you wanted to be Pabbi, but you couldn't get over being a little kid. You were twenty-three at the time, but you were a fucking child."

"Shut up sis" Laurits grumbled, but Klara wasn't having it.

"You just told me you laid into Tobias because, at the age of twenty-three, you were still annoyed at him for wanting your attention as a five year old. Jesus Laurits, maybe Toby was an angry, impulsive kid back then but so were you. So was I! We all were! We didn't have a choice. The difference was you were so full of yourself you thought you weren't. You were just using Pabbi as an excuse for your behaviour. Just like now, with this constitutional bullshit."

"I'm leaving" Laurits growled as he got up.

"No you're fucking not" Klara demanded.

"Excuse me?" her brother shot back.

"You don't understand, Laurits. This isn't some bullshit where you whine to Pabbi. This is serious. This is the constitution of the government of our country. This...." she shook her head.
"Do you understand that this is going to define what every one of us suffered through for? Forever? I don't know what Toby and the Prime Minister negotiated, but I know you weren't there, and neither was I. Pabbi could have been but declined. So I'm NOT letting you leave here today, ready to blow up this whole process because you want to air your selfish fucking grievances to the public!"

"My 'selfish' grievances? NO! I'm tired of..."

"Tired of what, Laurits? Tired that your cousin wanted a relationship with you? Annoyed at the prospect of actually caring for your fucking family?"

"You didn't care either and..."

"Yeah, well now I do. And so should you. Whatever problems Toby may have with you, I know he didn't negotiate a constitution to spite you."

"How do you know that?" Laurits demanded agrily.

"Because between the two of us I'm the only one smart enough to realize that you're not the centre of the fucking universe."

Laurits felt tense all over. He just stood there, staring at his sister. It was only a moment, but it felt like forever. Eventually....he sat back down. Anger...it was insidious. "I'm not angry, I'm annoyed." "I'm not angry, I'm disappointed." Anger had a lot of ways of tricking someone into thinking they weren't angry. All the while anger's clouding nature continued to grow. Laurits wasn't thinking in those terms, but he was experiencing the results of accidentally realizing that. With anger fading, and clarity returning.

"I wouldn't even know what to say" he mumbled.

"You could start by saying 'hey, it's your cousin. I'm here for you.'"

"There's too much bad blood for that" Laurits sighed.

"Well I'll see what I can do. I've been meaning to go back to Býkonsviði for a bit now."

---

Absalonhöll
Býkonsviði, Prydania
the present

"Will he?" Tobias asked.

"Yes, he will" Klara replied. "He's selfish, but like I said, he's grappling with that and understanding that. He'll listen to you if you explain to him the rationale behind the Constitution. And he's willing, finally, to put all of that bullshit from before behind him."

"Ok" Tobias said as he nodded.
"Ok" he repeated. "I'll invite him."

"You could come back to Eiderwig with me" Klara offered.

"No, I think this will be better" Tobias said with a smile.
"You told me Laurits liked Býkonsviði. He should have a chance to see it since the reconstruction."

"He'd be thrilled, I'm sure" Klara said, grinning.

Tobias chuckled and stood up. His cousin stood with him, and Tobias hugged her.
"Thank you, Klara."

"Anytime, Toby" she replied.

---

Absalonhöll
Býkonsviði, Prydania
one day later

Laurits Eiderwig's visit to Absalonhöll was lowkey. Very little media reported on it, and there was no pomp.

"You've got a good name" Laurits remarked as he was escorted to his cousin's residency quarters by Laurids Hummel, the Lord General of the Knights of the Storm. Laurids chuckled.

"My mother told me that the spelling with a 'd' was the proper Austurland way to spell it" Hummel smirked.

"Eiderwig is in Austurland" Laurits protested.

"No, Eiderwig is Austurland's hat" Hummel chuckled.

Laurits smiled. He knew that the new Lord General of the Knights of the Storm wasn't from the aristocracy. Whether that was by choice, necessity, or it just simply didn't matter wasn't known to him, but regardless, he appreciated how informal he could be.

"His Majesty is spending time with his children, while Her Grace the Empress is attending to urgent business in Norsia. His Majesty wanted me to convey to you that he was excited about Prince Baldr and Prince Hael 'meeting their uncle Laurits.'"

Laurits smiled softly and nodded as Hummel led him through an ornate set of doors to a rather cozy looking room. There was a television that seemed to stand out against the stone walls and wooden inserts, but no one else.

"Enjoy your stay, Lord Eiderwig" Hummel remarked before leaving.

"Huh" Laurits said to himself as he looked around, slowly walking into the room.

"Laurits?"

Laurits heard his cousin's voice. It came from an adjacent room.

"In here."

Laurits made he way across the room he was in, to a side room that housed two cribs. His cousin was sitting in a chair next to them.

"You made it!" Tobias remarked.

"Yeah...Klara relayed your invitation. I'm...I mean..."

"Baldr, Hael?" Tobias interrupted.
"This is your Uncle Laurits."

"Hey...babies..." Laurits awkwardly remarked as he moved closer to the cribs. The twin baby boys both looked up at him.
"You must have staff to help you with them" Laurits remarked.

"Yeah, but I like to spend time with them" Tobias remarked, getting up to look at them with his cousin.
"They're my sons. I can't not want to be there..."

Laurits looked at his cousin. His father had told him parenthood changes people. This was the first time he'd seen Tobias since the Princes were born and....he seemed more at peace.

"So...Klara told me you have concerns about the Constitution Act that being debated in the Alþingi" Tobias said as he sat back down.

"Should we go somewhere else?" Laurits replied.
"You know, with the babies..." Tobias just waved his hand dismissively.

"Trust me, they don't care."

Laurits chuckled and dragged a chair across the room to sit closer to his cousin.

"I think we both know Klara talked to both of us about more than the Constitution."

"So we're jumping into the heavy stuff..." Tobias chuckled.

"Family stuff is heavier than the Constitution?" Laurits asked, raising an eyebrow.

"My wife overthrew her mother to become Empress of Norsia" Tobias replied with a laugh.
"Never underestimate family stuff."

"I guess that's fair..." Laurits said before pausing to collect his thoughts.
"I guess the two are kind of interwoven for me. I thought one affected the other."

"You thought our problems were behind the Constitution?" Tobias asked curiously.

"I mean..." Laurits replied, realizing how silly it sounded now.
"Look, man..." he said, his heart pounding. Admitting fault was not the easiest thing for him.
"I'm sorry" he said quickly, like he was ripping a band-aid off.
"I'm sorry for how things have been between us, because I think it's largely on me. I said a lot of things I shouldn't have said, and there's no excuse for it. So...I'm sorry. I've been unfair to you, and I...I failed to do right by you."

"I'm sorry too" Tobias answered softly.

"What for?" Laurits asked. He had come here with the goal of making amends. Not accepting an apology himself.

"Look..." Tobias replied.
"Whatever it was between us...me staying angry obviously didn't help you get over it. Maybe if I'd reached out earlier, instead of being mad."

"I know all about wishing I'd done things differently" Laurits muttered.

"And it just took a constitutional debate to get us to talk to each other" Tobias chuckled, smiling.

"Yeah" Laurits blushed.
"I just took all of that anger, and I saw what you were doing to the Peer seats and the Thanedoms..."

"The Thanedoms aren't going anywhere" Tobias replied.
"Stig's still going to be Thane of Eiderwig if this passes." He left it vague when he said "passes." He hadn't told anyone yet of his plans for a referendum.
"I just want the country to be the best it can be. And maybe it's a good idea to shake up a lot of the feudalism we inherited after we won the War. A Province of Eiderwig doesn't stop your father from being Thane of Eiderwig, it's just that now local administration is streamlined instead of going through all the old feudal layers."

"Klara was mentioning that, yeah" Laurits remarked.

"I told her I wished she would run for office if the Constitution is adopted."

"She'd be good at that" Laurits nodded.
"I was just worried...well no..." he shook his head. He was trying to break the habit of dressing his own concerns up as something else.
"Not worried...I saw the Thanedoms being reduced in status, I saw no more Peer seats...and I let that mix with our...my...past problems. I just...I want to be family, Tobias. I don't want this toxic anger lingering over everything."
Laurits was a ball of nerves now. It had been hard to admit fault, but once he had? He just laid it all out.

Tobias contemplated something for a moment before turning to Baldr and Hael.
"What do you say, boys? Should I make nice with Uncle Laurits?"

Laurits relaxed a bit and he cracked a smile as the baby Princes both laughed in that way babies do when they're paid attention to by their parents.

"Well I don't have a choice. They seem to like you" Tobias grinned.

"I'm glad they think so. I'd like to have a relationship with my cousin again."

Tobias nodded.
"Are you heading back to Eiderwig tonight?"

"I mean...I'm not really sure. I'd like to spend some more time in Býkonsviði."

"Then how about you spend the night and we can watch Konunglegur Býkonsviði play Alaterva? It's just me and the boys with Aly in Norsia. And as much as I love them they're not great conversationalists...yet."

Laurits nodded as he sat back in his chair. There were other things he wanted to do and see in Býkonsviði, but that could come later. He'd finally taken the steps needed to repair his relationship with his cousin. He nodded.
"I'd love to, Tobias."

"Great" Tobias replied.
"And thank you."

---

*smjörbrauð= "butter and bread," an open faced sandwich that consists of rye, butter, and cold cuts, pieces of meat, fish, cheese or spreads, and garnish

Prydanian Embassy
Norvalle, Sil Dorsett

Evenings in Norvalle always tended to put William in a good mood. The city's lights, the vibrancy of its nightlife... he was past the age where the nightlife itself held much appeal to him, but the energy of the city was still appealing. It was, paradoxically, calming.

That calm was starting to wash over William as the sounds of the Norvalle night life began to seep into his office.

"We'll be heading out, if that's alright, Mr. Ambassador" his chief of staff said, as he poked his head through the door.

"Of course, Karl," William remarked with a soft grin.
"Have a lovely evening."

"You're going to be working late?" Karl Brekhus asked. It was odd. Prydania and the Principality enjoyed good relations. Burning the midnight oil was hardly a necessity around here.

"No, no" William chuckled as he leaned back at his desk.
"I'm going to be watching the King grant royal ascent to the new constitution."

"Ah, right" Karl smiled.
"Well have a good night, Mr. Ambassador."

"You too" William replied as his chief of staff headed out. He leaned back in his chair and turned on the television that sat just to the side of his desk. Karl would likely tell him he could "stream" the feed from the RÚV website but he never got used to that.
He found RÚV and turned the volume down. He didn't really want to hear the talking heads go on and on about this. Besides, if they knew what he knew...

He swivelled in his chair and chuckled. The photograph hanging behind his desk was of Tobias- his royal portrait. It was still a bit surreal to William. He never objected to the picture- a portrait of Prydania's sovereign was proper for the offices of its ambassadors- but he'd known Tobias since he was a young boy. He'd raised him.
Seeing that portrait of him, as a proper King, made him smile because he knew him- he knew him as a child, as a teenager, and then as a young man. Not just as a sovereign or symbol, but as a person. The portrait also made him smile because, well, he was proud of Tobias. Proud of the man the child he'd raised had become.

"You're sure you want to do this?" William had asked him days ago when he'd run his plan by him. It was an odd move- William's own party was skeptical of a codified constitution. He himself had run against it in the 2018 election.
Magnus had won, though. However slim the margins, he'd won. And so William was happy to see Tobias negotiating with him in good faith, to give Magnus a chance to enact promises he'd made on the campaign trail. Still, Tobias' plan had struck William as odd.

"I am," Tobias had replied during that phone call.

"Then I'm not sure what I can say to talk you out of it," William replied with a chuckle.

"The Alþingi may not like it" Tobias had conceded, sounding worried.

"What are they going to do? Get angry at the prospect of too much democracy?" William had chuckled. There would be any number of commentators yelling to be heard about why Tobias was announcing a referendum. A particular professor in Zhen jumped to mind.
William knew why Tobias was doing it though- he simply believed in it. He'd seen the breadth of Syndicalist abuses across their country. In many ways he'd suffered alongside the people who their movement had liberated. Whatever one could say about King Tobias- he was not cynical when it came to trusting the people of the country.

"I have to confess Tobias, there is something I'm curious about."

"What?" the young King had asked, sounding a bit worried.

"There's something else" William remarked.
"I know you want to trust in democracy, but there's something else. You want to prove something." That had elicited a pause from the King.

"What is it I'm trying to prove?"

"I don't know" William replied with a chuckle.
"But I know you well enough. You're trying to prove some sort of point."

That had been days ago. Would the address he was about to watch answer William's lingering questions? Maybe. Maybe not.

Finally the feed cut from the RÚV studio panel to a graphic displaying the coat of arms of the Kingdom of Prydania. Which faded into a shot of Tobias at his desk in Absalonhöll, the Royal residence.

"Hello" Tobias began, staring into the camera.
"Back in 2018 Prydania elected a new government, of the Free Democratic Party. It has since been a privilege for me, as King, to work with Prime Minister Brandt on enacting the vision for the country he ran on, and that you, the people, have chosen."

"Nothing has been as hard to work out as the matter of the constitution, though. I didn't really expect much different. Important and worthwhile things are always hard to see through. I am very proud of the document the Prime Minister and I have agreed to. The Alþingi as a whole seems to have agreed, as they have voted in favour of it, sending it back to me for my approval."
Tobias gently pat the leather-bound document to his right, on his desk. William watched, studying him through the tv. Trying to sense if he was nervous, excited, or scared.

"The Alþingi represents the people of the Realm. And yet...in certain cases I believe a stronger voice is needed. This is no mere bill sent to my desk. This is a constitution. A fundamental reworking of our country. Your country. That is why I will grant the constitution approved by the Alþingi Royal assent- if it is approved in a nation-wide referendum."

"As I said, it is a reworking of the country. A country we all fought and suffered for. It wasn't just me or, or the delegates of the Alþingi, that struggled for freedom from tyranny for fifteen years. It was everyone in this country. Everyone who suffered and fought, fought for what they felt was best. Now everyone will have that chance, to make your voices heard peacefully. To enact change on your terms."

Tobias looked...calm. Which William found curious.

"I believe everyone in this country has the right to decide whether we adopt this framework for our nation or not. Something so fundamental can only, justly, be decided by the consent of the people. So with that justification in mind I am exercising my powers as King of the Prydanian Realm to decree that there will be a referendum on the twenty-fourth of February 2021 to vote on the approval of the Constitution already passed by the Alþingi. Approval of the proposed Constitution will result in my Royal assent to the document."

"There will be frustrated members of the Alþingi. Likely even from the government. I understand. I didn't arrive at this decision lightly. I believe in this country though, and its people. I believe in our ability to shape our own destiny, peacefully. And so...we shall."

Tobias smiled into the camera.
"May God preserve Prydania."

The feed cut back to the RÚV studio panel, and William instantly lowered the volume.

"Heh" he chuckled.
"So that's what you wanted to prove."

Býkonsviði, Prydania

It was almost eight in the evening and a typical night in Býkonsviði in February, all things considered.

Valfríður Granseth was tending to her one year and eleven month old son Styrbjörn. She smiled as she grabbed a red fire helicopter made up of very simple Litspil* Spilvel blocs and chased around Styrbjörn's equally simple police car. It didn't matter thar a police car being chased by a fire helicopter didn't make much sense.

"Oh no we're gonna get you," Valfríður joked.

"Nah uh!" Styrbjörn replied, moving his car across the floor of his namesake's old room. Valfríður and Þorfinnur had moved into Þorfinnur's parents' house while Þorfinnur began his first year at university. And little Styrbjörn got his uncle's room.

"You're not going to catch Maxi, Mamma!"

"Who's Maxi?" Valfríður asked with a smile.

"The hvolpur*!" Styrbjörn said pointing to the picture of a happy looking cartoon dog in the back seat of the police car he was zooming around.
"He's the bravest!"

Valfríður smiled at her son as her husband came in, fresh from helping his parents with the dishes from dinner.

"Who's the bravest?" Þorfinnur asked with a smile.

"Maxi the hvolpur, pabbi!" Styrbjörn exclaimed.

"Well I'm sure he is," Þorfinnur chuckled. He kissed his wife on the head before sitting down with her and their son,

"He's been evading the copter all night," Valfríður smiled.
"How are you love? Another late one tonight?"

"No," Þorfinnur replied before hugging his wife and resting his head on her shoulder.
"Just stuff I can do tomorrow. But I'm all yours tonight."

"Mmm," Valfríður smiled. Her husband was working hard in his first year of university. He was older than most first year students, but the war had caused a lot of that. It wasn't so uncommon. Still, first year engineering as a program often left him up late. So she was happy she had him tonight. Þorfinnur having Fridays free helped too.

"That means bedtime for you," Þorfinnur said, smiling at his son as he rested his head on his wife's shoulder. Styrbjörn gave his father a devastated look but Þorfinnur grinned and ruffled his hair.
"Pabbi is almost ready to fall asleep, so you need to as well."

"I can play with Grandmamma and Grandpabbi!" Styrbjörn insisted, promoting his mother to laugh.

"Grandmamma and Grandpabbi need their rest too because they're old," Valfríður said as Þorfinnur laughed.

Styrbjörn protested but ultimately Valfríður and Þorfinnur managed to get their son to bed before heading off to their room, which used to be Þorfinnur's old room, now a bit more cramped with a queen sized bed worked in.

Neither of them were particularly tired- they were each only twenty-four. Yet they were still a bit worn down. Styrbjörn was going to be two next month, and the twos were always terrible according to every book on parenting they could find. And Þorfinnur had his studies on top of that. They both began to undress and put on old sweatpants and t-shirts for bed as Valfríður turned on the television. It was RÚV, running a story about the constitutional referendum.

"No, not news," Valfríður grumbled, switching to a hockey game much to Þorfinnur's delight before she switched again to Vorstífa, an inoffensive sitcom.

Þorfinnur didn't fight it, but neither did he pick up on his wife's desire to avoid news.

"This referendum's a circus," he muttered.

"Þor, you really want to talk about that?" she asked.

"Sorry, I just...ugh I don't see the point. Everything we fought for was to get rid of the Syndicalists, and we did. Why are we entertaining this?"

"Because Magnus Brandt won the election?" Valfríður replied. She sounded a bit defensive. She'd voted for the Free Democrats after all.

"Yeah," Þorfinnur replied. He'd voted for Aubyn and the Bandalag, but he'd not gotten into very many debates with his wife. A happy wife is a happy life and all. The constitutional referendum though, was something that raised his hackles.

"I'm just..." he sighed as he lay down on his bed.
"There's been a lot of change already. It's not all bad change but it's change. I want some stability."

"It's not perfect," Valfríður replied. She wanted to maybe settle this and move on from politics.
"I don't like that the Laurenist Church is the only established church in the new constitutional still..." she was a Courantist. In fact she had known Þorfinnur's brother Styrbjörn as part of Býkonsviði's underground network of Courantists during the Syndicalist era. And she'd been one of the the reasons- the other being his brother- that Þorfinnur had converted to Courantism.
"It's hardly a deal breaker though. After the Syndicalists one church getting a special star next to its name isn't anything to get upset over."

"Like I said, I just want stability," Þorfinnur replied.

"It's not a big deal," Valfríður replied.
"Either it passes or it doesn't. Then we all move on."

Þorfinnur grumbled. He'd been through the hell of War, fighting for freedom in his country. And he'd gotten it. They'd won. He wanted his country to move on from "constitutional questions" and just settle.
"I look at it and I go 'why? Why are we doing this?' Provinces, Thanedoms, does it matter? I don't think so. And if it doesn't matter then why go through with it? Why cause the ruckus of change?"

Valfríður couldn't help but chuckle.

"What's that for?" Þorfinnur asked, defensively.

"It's just cute," Valfríður replied.
"Because you're the one the studying to be an engineer."

"What does that have to do with it?"

"Think about it honey, isn't a less complicated and more streamlined system with more failsafes better?"

"Hmm," Þorfinnur uttered, He'd never considered it in those terms.
"You know..." he grumbled for a brief second before shaking his head.
"A country isn't a CAD model," he said, now reassured of his position.

Valfríður smiled and kissed her husband on the cheek. She wasn't going to argue with him further. Instead she leaned into him and nuzzled his shoulder.
"Well be that as it may, everything's going to be ok one way or the other. But you're going to be busy on projects tomorrow so I want you all to myself tonight."

Þorfinnur laughed softly and leaned in, kissing his wife. She was right. Politics could come later...there were more important things to focus on.

---

*Litspil- Spilvel's simplistic brand of toys for children under the age of four

*hvolpur- puppy

just outside of Kiojaleit, Prydania

The sun was just beginning to set and Rúrik handed an envelope of krossar each to to Askur Elkjær and Stefnir Abildgaard.
"Good work you two, I appreciate the help as always," he said to the two teenagers.

"It's our pleasure, Mr. Öxndal," Askur replied eagerly as Stefnir nodded. Stefnir's parents had died at the hands of the Syndicalist regime, but the Elkjærs had taken him in. He and Askur were like brothers.

"See you all next weekend then?"

"Yes sir," the boys both said, nodding before they turned to Askur's father Vali in his truck out in front of the Öxndal farmhouse.

"Hey Rúrik!" Vali called out as the boys climbed into the truck.
"No problems?"

"None at all Vali, hard workers like always!"
Indeed they were. Vali's father knew Rúrik's father and uncle, and Rúrik and Vali had reconnected after the War was over. That's when Rúrik hired Askur and Stefnir to work as part time farmhands. He needed the extra help, and the boys needed something else besides their studies to focus on.

"Great. I'll see ya later, Rúrik!"

"Bye!" Rúrik waved as the truck made its way down the road. He brought his hands to his mouth and blew warm air onto his palms and breathed deep before checking the mail box before heading in.

"Vote 'Yes,'" he muttered looking at one flyer in the mail.
Some bills, a banking statement, some
magazines, a "Vote No" flyer...Rúrik sighed. He stuffed the mail under his arm and made his way up to the house, his boots crunching on the ice and snow.

"Hey!" he called out as he entered, eagerly pulling his his jacket off.
"All done for the day!" he added as he entered the kitchen to kiss his wife Víf on the neck from behind as she finished up dinner.

"The pipes are all good? The tractors too?" Víf asked, grabbing her husband's cold hands to warm them up.

"Yep, done and done..." Rúrik nodded.
"Along with the firewood."

"You double checked the pipes?" Júlíetta asked from the kitchen table. Rúrik smiled at his mother and nodded as he let go of his wife to bring the mail to the table as he sat down.

"The pipes aren't even five years old Mamma," he said with a grin. Júlíetta was about to say something but Rúrik knew she was going to lecture him and cut her off.
"But yes I double and triple checked because I know better than to ignore my Mamma's advice," he said with a smile.

Júlíetta returned the smile.
"Because I raised a smart boy."

Rúrik chuckled before turning his attention to his son. Týr was watching the adults in an inquisitive way babies managed.

"Hey little guy," Rúrik said with a wave, causing Týr to laugh and mimic the wave back.

Víf began to serve kótilettur*, green beans, and potatoes, making her way around the table, and grabbing the mail when she was done.
"Look at all of these campaign flyers," she muttered.
"Is there someone we can call to get off of these lists?" she asked before sitting down next to Týr to tend to the baby.

"Archbishop Steen is just going on and on about it on tv, about how the Church deserves its peer seats," Rúrik replied.

"She's the only one though, right?" Víf asked.
"The rest of the bishops have said they're not weighing in? Even the ones with seats..."

"Archbishop Steen isn't nothing though," Júlíetta replied. Cecilie Steen was the Archbishop of Erkiengill. And the Archbishop of Erkengill was the Primus inter pares of the Prydanian Laurenist Church, the de facto spiritual head of the Church.

Rúrik ate nervously for a moment. He was a Laurentist. So was his wife. So was his mother. In fact he and his mother had leaned on their faith to survive the Syndicalist collectivized labour camps. He had no desire to disrespect the Church. Further? He had no desire to get into a fight with his mother. Still...

"Mamma, I don't want to speak ill of the Archbishop..." Rúrik began, causing his mother to give him a look that suggested he be cautious. It was warranted. The Archbishop of Erkiengill wasn't just the spiritual head of the Church. Her diocese was the largest city in the region.

"Your father," Júlíetta began with a hint of a smile, "said anyone who started a sentence like that really meant to what they said they didn't."

Rúrik smiled himself seeing his mother's grin. It made him feel better about what he was saying, that his mother wouldn't be too upset with him.
"I mean it Mamma," he said with a nod as he ate.
"I don't mean to do wrong by the Church, but it's there for my soul, and Pabbi's in heaven, and all of ours. Does it really need seats in the Alþingi though?"

His mother didn't answer right away, and Víf looked back between the two of them.

"Well," Júlíetta began, "I would perhaps say that the Archbishop would have a point except..." she shook her head.
"You're right Rúrik, if the choice is between more local autonomy or the Church keeping its seats, then the Church doesn't need its seats."

Rúrik grinned, shooting a relieved look to Víf before returning his focus to his mother. He was about to agree when Týr let out a joyful laugh.

"That's right Týr, Grandmamma's right!" Rúrik smiled.
"That's what it's important," he added, before turning to his wife.

"Góðajörð* has been very advantageous for us," Víf added.
"I think it's proven how helpful local autonomy can be."

"You don't need to convince me dear," Júlíetta replied. "After what...happened...well..." she said softly, causing Rúrik to place a hand over her's. Neither of them had it easy in the collectivized labour camp but Júlíetta's experience was nothing short of hellish.

"It's ok Mamma," Rúrik said softly, hoping to calm his mother's nerves. He had to be there for her when her memories brought her back to that awful place.

"Thank you," Júlíetta said softly, clutching her son's hand.
"I just mean to say...having local leadership would be good. I wish the Archbishop could see that."

"I'm sure she does," Víf said reassuringly.
"She's just...well she has a duty."

"Maybe," Rúrik continued, "but the King saw what we all went through during the War. He saw the camps. That's why he wants us to have a say in our own affairs, directly. I truly believe that. And the Archbishop is a Godly woman, but I listen to what the Bible says- 'Render unto the King's the things that are the King's, and unto God the things that are God's.'"

"I'm not sure that's what the good book is referring to, sweetie, but I appreciate the sentiment," Júlíetta replied with a grin.

"I'm just saying," Rúrik said with a chuckle, "politics is politics and the government is government. You shouldn't mix the two!"

"Yeah," Víf replied.
"If you mix politics with anything it's love, like Addý!"

Rúrik chuckled and then that chuckle grew into a laugh. He couldn't help but think back to New Year's. It was a nice evening. Askur Elkjær was their first footer, and they chatted with their family in Saintonge over webcam as the clock struck midnight in Prydania. They then let their Santonian family go before they enjoyed a nice New Year's meal and went to bed. Rúrik went to bed just sort of knowing that his Santonian family would be celebrating their own New Year's two hours after they did and not thinking much of it.
And then he woke up to find a text in all caps from his cousin Markþór.

"ADDÝ AND THORBJÖRN HOOKED UP! BRO THIS IS CRAZY! IT'S CRAZY RIGHT? WHO KNEW? OUTTA NOWHERE!"

"Sorry," Rúrik chuckled.
"Just the way Markþór broke the news to me. It's just funny. He was so clueless about it. Addý told me about how she liked him back in November."

"Thorbjörn Höjsleth is a good boy," Júlíetta said seriously. She remembered him when he was little, when they'd watch him and his siblings, or when his parents would watch Rúrik, Markþór, and Addý. That seemed like a lifetime ago...
"You shouldn't tease your cousin," she added.

"I'm not," Rúrik chuckled.
"I hope it works out for both of them. I'm just still laughing at Markþór's text is all."

"Well don't tease your cousins," Júlíetta added with a chuckle of her own.

Rúrik smiled and continued to eat, Týr was tended to by Víf, and Júlíetta let some calm wash over her.

"Another reason to support the constitution, our Þingmaður* voted for it," Rúrik said matter of factly.

"Ísgeir Aðaldal?" Júlíetta asked.

"Ja," Víf replied.

Ísgeir Aðaldal, the young Þingmaður from Kiojaleit, was elected as an Agrarian to the Althingi in 2018. He'd broke from the Conservative-Agrarian Bandalag* over then Bandalag leader Tenna Nygaard's rhetoric about Thorbjörn Höjsleth's stabbing. He also became the first Þingmaður to sit as a member of Peace not Blood, turning the social movement into a political party. Fifteen other young Agrarians had joined him.

"The guy had the foresight to dump Nygaard," Rúrik added.
"So I trust him."

"Tenna, Tenna, Tenna..." Júlíetta replied. "What a waste," she uttered.
"What sort of heartlessness do you need to have to do say the things she said?"

"She was a puppet of Syndie backers," Víf shrugged.
"What else can you say?"

"She was incompetent," Rúrik added.
"Most of the Conservatives are old FRE people, but around half the Agrarians were those young folks, like us," he said, smiling at Víf.
"The Agrarians had the Bandalag's future leaders, and Nygaard's incompetence lost it."

"Heartlessness," Júlíetta said as she corrected her son.

"Why not both?" Rúrik replied with a chuckle.

"Both indeed," Júlíetta replied.
"The news doesn't focus on us older folks who Nygaard alienated, but we're here too. I hope she gets a reckoning like they say she will."

"Enough politics then," Rúrik replied. "A reckoning is a good place to leave it anyway" he added before turning to his wife.
"Dinner was amazing as always" he said with a smile. Víf kissed him, and his heart slowed down. He was there for his mother, and Víf was there for him. He had her. To remind him of all he had.

And he knew a "yes" vote would give the most previous thing he had the best future- his son.

---

*kótilettur- breaded pork patties
*Primus inter pares- First among equals
*Góðajörð- a Prydanian farming co-operative corporation that is a subsidiary of the Terrebonne farming co-operative corporation in Saintonge
*Þingmaður- MP
*Bandalag- Alliance

OOC Note: Thanks to @Kyle for help with some of the ideas here

Nelspruit, Prydania

The Lentelee pub was alive with conversation as the radio played pop music at a low hum.
The live music for the evening had finished their set, much to Vos Duiker's relief. The building was old, and not made for live music that was blared from loudspeakers. It made it impossible to hear the person next to you.
Though right now he wished he didn't have to hear his friend, Jan Boshoff.

"So Vos..." Jan began, "the Thane's gonna be having another rally. This time in Klerksdorp. Can you believe..."

"Jan? Please," Vos put up his hand.

"I'm just saying the Thane keeps going on about how this is a travesty but he doesn't realize..."

"Jan?" Vos said interrupting.
"I've had to listen to you go on and on about this for a month now and buddy? I've held my tongue, but I agree with the Thane."

Jan gave Vos a shocked look as Vos took a drink to get out of this nervous situation. Jan was his best friend but he'd gotten really political about this new proposed constitution and Vos had felt it prudent to just nod along and change the subject as soon as he could whenever the subject came up. He didn't want to fight about politics. Lord knew everyone had enough of that after fifteen Goddamn years.
Jan though- he'd just pushed him too far tonight. He had to speak his mind.

"But..." Jan began, only for Vos to cut him off.

"I've heard it all," he said with a chuckle.
"But what can I say? I think the Thane is right. Jórvík would lose its special status if we became one of fifteen provinces."

"Yeah but as a province we'd have more autonomy!" Jan insisted.

"Autonomy from the Vor River to the Svartvatn River! From Klerksdorp to Bloemfontein. That's it. Just a little province. But as a Thanedom- the last great Bayardi homeland- we had sway!"

"The last great Bayardi homeland?" Jan smirked.
"Jórvík's a Nord name."

"Then Yewboom*, whatever," Vos replied as he rolled his eyes.
"I don't have time to go over the particulars, but a fully realized Thanedom meant we had a say. Kings listened to our Thanes. It wasn't just Jórvík. We helped run the whole country. We helped build the country!"

"Ok but that's kind of informal isn't it?" Jan asked. Jan wasn't one for ethnic nationalism- he found it got people talking about the wrong issues- but he wasn't going to challenge Vos on that.
"Like ok. It's all based on maybe the Thane of Jórvík being close to the King and..."

"The King's best friend is Rylond Jórvík, just saying," Vos chuckled.

"You know what I mean, come on!" Jan replied.
"Do you really think Mathies Jórvík even really cares about all of that? He just wants the influence that comes from his seat in the Althingi."

"Maybe," Vos shrugged.
"I fought under him for years in the VNE*. People wouldn't accuse him of the selfishness they're accusing him of if they knew what he sacrificed."

"Everyone sacrificed during the War," Jan replied with a frown.

"I'm just saying, I don't see the worst in a guy I saw struggling with everyone else. Besides so what if he wants his seat? I don't give a damn. He can have two if it means our Thanedom gets to keep its status."

Jan raised an eyebrow.
"You're not going to convince me with appeals to nostalgic history," Jan replied, switching between Bayardi and Prydanian halfway through. And smirking. He knew full well Vos understood every word in both languages.

"Why'd you say it like that?" Vos asked.

"Because we're all one country," Jan replied.
"I was with the VNE out east. You struggled, the Thane struggled, I did, people in my company did. Bayardi or Nord, it really didn't matter. That's why I said everyone sacrificed."

Vos sighed.
"I'm not trying to make this an ethnic thing man, but come on. We have our own land here. And being a Thanedom meant we could keep our culture."

"No one's taking away our culture, Vos," Jane insisted.

"Nah, no one is. You're right," Vos replied.
"I'm just afraid that as one of fifteen provinces we'll get overwhelmed."

"Local provincial autonomy my man," Jan winked.
"Don't get me wrong. I'm proud of our culture but I really don't think we lose anything."

"Well let's see," Vos mused.
"Leon! Come on over!"

A burly looking man in an old cap came on over as Jan shook his head.
"Come on..." he insisted.

"No, let's see what Leon has to say. What's up Leon?"

"Was enjoying my drink before you called me over. What's up?" the farmer asked.

"Leon, thoughts on the constitutional referendum?" Vos asked.

"I'm with the Thane. Is that all?" he asked.

"Well Jan here is voting 'yes,'" Vos smirked. Leon just rolled his eyes at Jan and walked back to the table with his friends.

"Thank you Mr. Burger!" Vos called out smirking.

"You done?" Jan asked.

"I think I made my point," Vos said, sipping more of his beer.

"Well I'll be there when this thing passes to point out how the sky isn't falling," Jan remarked before digging into a bowl of peanuts.

"I look forward to it," Vos replied with a chuckle before finishing his beer.
"Catch up, Jan. I'm ordering another round when the waitress comes back."

---

*Yewboom- original Bayardi name for Jórvik
*VNE- Bayardi for "FRE," Front of National Unity

Dofrar, Prydania

Jóngeir Bakken sipped some coffee as he scanned the screens of Dofrar's Prydanian Gold mining facility's security hq. Everything looked good and so he switched from RÚV 8 to STV Prydansk. It was ten o'clock. The ÍDP* games were all over, but Saintonge was two hours behind. He could catch most of whatever Santonian league game was on. It was convenient, actually. Extra hockey after the ÍDP's slate of games ended made the late shifts easier. And STV Prydansk was there for him. He settled into the game already in progress.
He was in a good mood. Keris, his team, had beaten Midland earlier. Though how much longer Keris would remain his team remained to be seen. The ÍDP had announced a six team expansion for next season. Krummedike- the largest city of this corner of Prydania- was one of the new teams. How he dealt with that remained to be seen, but he'd give the new team a chance. Hell, it was close enough that he could go to a few games. Keris just wasn't doable. Not with his work schedule.

"Hey Ekholm," he said into his radio.
"What's the ETA on that popcorn?"

"You should see the fucking microwave down here," Aldar Ekholm, Jóngeir's partner for late shift security work, relied with a crackle.
"I don't know WHAT these guys have been making down here but it smelt awful. Had to clean it, but the popcorn's in."

Jóngeir chuckled. It was a mess hall for miners. What did he expect?
"Well hurry it up. Turned on a Santonian game."

"10-4," Aldar replied. It was military jargon but they both came by it honestly. Jóngeir was former Syndicalist People's Militia. And Aldar was...well he was former FRE.

It was amazing, really. Aldar came from Darrow. Jóngeir was from out here, in the western mining country, but he'd been stationed in Darrow as a nineteen year old in the summer of 2012 when the hangings of Darrow happened. He wasn't directly involved in that, but he was among those tasked with burying the bodies in an unmarked grave outside of the town.
It remained that way until his daughter was born after the War and... he had an attack of conscience. He anonymously confessed to the grave's location. And there was now a memorial there. It didn't undo what he was complicit in, but if the families of the dead could feel some more closure then...it helped him sleep at night, knowing he'd do anything for his own daughter.

This made it seem all rather unlikely that he and a former FRE soldier would not only work together, but be on friendly terms. It had, in fact, started rather tense. Until the two of them decided to talk it out. Best to try and work things out if they had to work together.

And...well...they bonded. It started with Aldar opening up about being from Darrow. How he felt after returning to Darrow to help liberate it after the news of the hangings half a year prior. And now? Well they were both in Jóngeir's home town.
Jóngeir didn't reveal the role he played in revealing the grave of those killed in the hangings- he'd reported the location anonymously for a reason and he didn't want Aldar to think he was trying too hard to win his favour. The truth was Aldar's story kind of opened his eyes in a way. He'd long known Syndicalist propaganda about the FRE was nonsense, but meeting a FRE soldier made it clear; he wasn't a fascist. He was just a guy- a guy who wanted to save his home. It made it easier for Jóngeir to open up.
He was frank- explaining why he'd been a Syndicalist. What he thought he was fighting for, and the reckoning he'd gone through, both when the horrors of the Syndicalist regime were too much to ignore and then when the whole thing crumbled.

It was a frank, honest talk. What was remarkable was that neither raised their voices. Even if both seemed on the verge of tears at points. They just...opened up to each other. And they'd come out of it understanding each other. Jóngeir even showed Aldar around his home town; introducing him to friends, showing him the best places to eat. And now, well, they got along rather well.

"Sorry," Aldar replied coming in with two bowls of popcorn,
"Ingiveig called just before I was about to head up."

"Oh," Jóngeir chuckled. Ingiveig Grönblom was a friend of his, who he'd hooked Aldar up with.
"Everything cool?"

"Yeah," Aldar smiled, setting the popcorn bowls down before sitting.
"She misses me," he added with a wide grin.

Jóngeir laughed.
"She's a sweetie to lie to you like that."

"Shut up," Aldar replied before he began munching popcorn.

"Well we're almost at intermission," Jóngeir muttered, but Aldar shrugged.

"We missed the beginning of the game. We'll watch highlights!"
Jóngeir nodded.

"That's true."

"So," Aldar said after a brief pause. "You gonna start rooting for Krummedike next year or are you staying loyal to Keris?"

"I don't know," Jóngeir shrugged.
"I've been a Keris fan all my life. Feels strange to just quit that, ya know?"

Aldar nodded as he munched on popcorn.
"Yeah I guess. Thankfully I don't have this problem. Haland Víkingur forever!"

Jóngeir rolled his eyes.
"The only reason you don't have this problem is because Darrow isn't big enough for a team."

"It would be amazing though," Aldar chuckled.
"We'd be called the Sjómenn*," he continued chuckling. He loved his home town, but yeah. Darrow wasn't getting a team anytime soon.
"It's not like Dofrar's getting a team," he added. Jóngeir nodded. That was true. It wasn't incorrect to say Haland was to Darrow what Krumedike was to Dofrar.

"Well you know. Krummedike's easier to get to, to see games. So maybe they'll win me over that way. Who knows? Maybe you'll come with and be converted with me?"

Aldar smirked.
"Maybe. Who knows? I DO kinda like it out here."

"Yeah, it's not so bad."

Aldar nodded. He popped a lukewarm can of Toki's and took a sip.
"Hey. I don't mean to prod but...I'm kinda curious about something. We don't need to talk about if you don't wanna."

"Eh?" Jóngeir asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. Aldar and him had opened up to each other and generally didn't hold back if they had to say something. So this was curious.
"What's up?"

"It's about the referendum. Kinda curious what your thoughts are on it," Aldar said, kind of softly.

"Oh!" Jóngeir chuckled.
"Is that it? I was worried. Thought you were gonna ask about relationship advice."

"Hey! I said Ingi misses me!"

"Ingi?" Jóngeir asked, rolling his eyes at Aldar giving a longtime friend of his a pet name.

"Yeah! I'm Aldi, she's Ingi!"

"I'm gonna throw up my coffee and popcorn," Jóngeir chuckled.
"But this disturbing news aside, why did you want to ask me about the referendum?"

"I'm just curious," Aldar replied.
"I've heard there's a split among ex-Syndies. Some are in favour, some aren't."

"Aye," Jóngeir replied with a nod.
"The old timers and hardliners won't ever like anything the government does but you know what? They're idiots."

"Oh? So you're in favour of it? The constitution?" Aldar asked.

"Yeah," Jóngeir replied. "And like I said, the ex-Syndies who aren't are idiots. 'cause think about it. If you really joined the Syndicalist Party with the best intentions- and I think I did- then you'd recognize that the constitution the King put up is a modernization. It ain't everything some people want but fuck man...these old timers are nuts. 'Tobias Loðbrók and Magnus Brandt are SoComms in waiting!' and then 'Tobias Loðbrók and Magnus Brandt put together something to modernize the country and push democracy! Booo!' Like what sense does that make? Recognize a good fucking thing when it happens. Even if you have to admit you were wrong about everyone to the right of Rune Leth being a secret fascist."

"Huh," Aldar mused.
"I mean that makes sense, but then I'm not an ex-Syndie. I don't know what it's like, you know. In that group."

"It's like anything," Jóngeir shrugged. "Most are normal people who are just trying to make it now that the regime's gone. And then you have the crazies. Good thing is the crimes of the regime have made it harder for the crazies to dominate, even when they yell the loudest."

"I never asked you about this but...you don't seem to dislike the King?"

"He's an alright guy," Jóngeir shrugged.
"I mean...like..." he paused to think through what he was trying to say.
"I got locked up when Erkiengill fell. And I honestly thought I'd either be shot or spend the rest of my life in prison. It became apparent the former wasn't going to happen so I slowly made my peace with the fact that I'd never leave a jail cell again. By the time the war was over I'd accepted it. And then just a few months later well...I got the pardon. And I couldn't believe it."

"I don't think many people did," Aldar replied.
"I think a lot of people, we were shocked, but also kind of relieved? It meant...well...I guess it meant they were serious about reconciliation."

"Yeah, but I didn't believe it. Not because I thought Tobias Loðbrók was a secret fascist but because I wouldn't have blamed him if he didn't pardon us. That's what I had to come to terms with in that jail cell after I was captured. He was King now. And fuck...I'm on the side that shot his mamma and pabbi. If I were in his place...would I have pardoned us? I don't think I would have."

Aldar sipped his pop some more before replying.
"I'm glad he did," he replied.
"'Cause you're a good guy. You deserved a pardon. Definitely."

"Thanks, bud," Jóngeir said with a grin.
"What about you? What're your thoughts on this whole constitution thing?"

"It's kind of funny. The FRE people are split like the Syndies!" Aldar laughed.
"Some think that the country as it is was what we fought for, and don't like the idea of widespread changes. But then others think it's a good thing that changes things for the better."

"And which are you?" Jóngeir asked curiously.

"I'm a 'já' vote. More autonomy is good, I think," Aldar replied.

"Right, of course. You're from the boonies. What did I expect?" Jóngeir laughed.

"Hey! We're fishermen in Darrow. Not farmers!"

"Calm down, I'm joking," Jóngeir laughed.
"Look at us," he said in a calmer voice.
"Voting the same way."

"Yeah, even if I know it means the People's Party will win in Krummedike."

"Damn straight," Jóngeir grinned.
"You're Peace not Blood though?"

"Yep."

"Wow. A former soldier in PnB."

"Well we are the best people to tell you why war isn't a good thing."

"True, true. You know Aldar. Think about running. As a PnB candidate."

"You serious?" Aldar asked. He got along with Jóngeir but that didn't mean they agreed when it came to contemporary politics.

"Look, PnB isn't as strong here as they are in other places. They'd be happy to have bodies. Who knows? You might just win! If nothing else you can lose and say you did it."

"Yeah but if I won," Aldar answered, "you'd have to hate me because I'd spend all time in the Héraðsþingi* needling your guys."

"I can't hate ya, Aldar. Annoyed maybe! Hate? Nah. If you're going to do it, though, you really need to start rooting for the Krummedike team. Politics won't even matter otherwise. No right minded mining country denizen is voting for a fucking Haland Víkingur fan," Jóngeir chuckled.

"God, how does Njála stand you?" Aldar asked rolling his eyes.

"I have no idea," Jóngeir said with a smile. "I think she might be married to me for charity or community service."

"Heh, well... what do you say? x200 on this game? I'll take the home team."

"Deal," Jóngeir replied, each of them tossing some krossar bills on the desk. They each leaned back in their chairs as the game started back up.

---

*ÍDP- Íshokkídeildin Prydansk- Prydanian Hockey Leagye
*Sjómenn- Fishermen
*Héraðsþingi- Provincial Assembly

24 February 2021
11:29 pm
On a Wednesday
Absalonhöll
Býkonsviði, Prydania

Tobias straightened his tie a bit after hanging up the phone. He'd just finished speaking with Magnus. The Prime Minister seemed to be in jolly spirits as was his norm, though it was a bit of a contrast from the panic he sensed from him the last time he made a nation-wide address to tell everyone that there would be a referendum on the constitution Magnus had just forced through the Alþingi.
It didn't matter now, though. The worry, the questions, the suspense. 72.84% yes. Over 50% of eligible voters. It was done, and Tobias could barely be contained from smiling. Not necessarily because of the result per se but rather....

"We're going live in a minute Your Majesty," the RÚV director said. Tobias nodded with a soft "thank you" before he sipped some water. He wasn't nervous for these addresses- not anymore at any rate, he'd been terrified of them at one point- but he still tapped his fingers on his desk as if he were. Production people made the final adjustments to the national flag and royal standard behind him before moving out of the shot.

"Five...four...three...two...one....live..."

"Hello," Tobias began. He hadn't been nervous but he felt his heart race for a moment like he was. It was what he was planning on saying.
"What happened tonight is, in my opinion, very special. It's not something I could have imagined five years ago. Or even a year ago. The Messianic League's aborted rebellion stirred up old ghosts of mine. Fears and anxieties I had, about our country. I had to wonder, could we be better? Was there something, perhaps about ourselves, that doomed us to the ruin I knew Prydania to be? It was a malaise I felt in my teenage years when I fully realized that the peaceful memories I clinged to of my early childhood were set against the brutal regime of my uncle and his Social Commonwealth lackeys. It was very easy for me to question whether our country could be pulled from the muck, and to wallow in the implications. I wasn't alone. It was a fear, an anxiety I knew many of you had. Many beyond our borders wondered it allowed, not caring that we could hear them. And it's easy to reinforce negativity when you hear it. When it wear on you. But..." he looked into the camera and then down at the leather-bound constitution sitting next to him.

"...I remember my grandfather. I remember what his generation did. They picked this country up from the Fascist Wars. They led this country to unprecedented growth and prosperity. They dismantled tyranny, replaced it with freedom, and they did it without violence. People say my grandfather failed. I...don't believe he did. I don't believe the Prydania of his generation did. His reign ended, it led to my uncle's, but what he did still matters. What Prydania did still matters. My grandfather believed that this country could control its own destiny, and become a country as wonderful as beautiful as its people. We are not bound by our recent past, we can be better, and today we chose it. Not because of who won the vote, no. We chose it because we decided on our future today, at the ballot box. Today we said 'there will be no more violence, our country will only accept change peacefully.'"

Tobias pat the constitution to his side.
"I truly believe the work of my grandfather King Robert VII, Kristvin Austdal, and others of the post-Fascist War generation was finished today. Our future is ours to make, and we made it."

"To the No side...I understand the frustrations of the vote not going your way. I wish to say that the Bayardi's rights to self determination in Prydania are as strong as ever, and that their place in our nation shall never be diminished. To Vesturmarch, we will not leave anyone to suffer or want as rebuild our nation. The national government will work with all provinces to ensure communities receive what they need, no matter where they are in our realm."

"Today though, is a victory for democracy. In a place rocked by war and seemingly insurmountable divisions not so long ago. Today we take another step towards moving forward."

Tobias reached and opened the leather-bound constitution, signing it. He smiled as he looked at his signature, holding it up for the camera before signing two more documents. The first was an act passed by the Alþingi to re-arrange the court system in line with the new provinces. The second was a Royal proclamation assigning the fifteen Undirkóngur* to each newly created provincial government to establish administrations before elections could be called for provincial legislatures.

"May God preserve Prydania," Tobias said with a smile.
"And may God preserve democracy."