Thirty Days | [Closed]

The Chamber of Law
Norvalle, Sil Dorsett
Friday, 9 December 2022

31 Days Until Election Day

Princess Claidie waited alone in the back of the Chamber of Law as the Members of Parliament performed what was to be their final act in the chamber's session. One by one, the representatives were called by name to vote on resolution to request Parliament's dissolution. It was tradition that members were given thirty days time to campaign uninterrupted by legislative business, tradition that the members requested dissolution, and tradition that the monarch granted it in the chamber.

"Beauvilliers..." Speaker Jean-Baptiste Chastain called out.

"Oui," MP Théo Beauvilliers replied.

"Boissonade..." the speaker called.

"Oui," MP Rébecca Boissonade responded.

The voice vote carried on until all twenty-eight elected members voted. The unelected peers all abstained.

"The yesses number twenty-eight, the noes number zero. The resolution passes and is to be presented to Her Highness Princess Claidie forthwith," the speaker declared before driving his gavel into the block.

The speaker picked up a piece of parchment with the text of the resolution and rose from his chair, walked around the peers seated directly in front of him, and went down the center aisle to a waiting princess. With both hands firmly gripping the parchment, he held it in front of him and bowed to his liege. Claidie took the paper with both hands and, with a nod, sent the speaker back to his seat. Only once the speaker was seated did she begin to read the paper. She already knew what it was; it was only for appearances sake that she pretended to read it closely.

Once she was finished, she walked down the aisle and in front of the peers and made a short speech.

"My peers and elected members of Parliament, for the past two years you have served your nation with integrity and distinction. You have heard and responded to your constituents, and represented their opinions, desires, and ambitions in this chamber. Now it is time for you to return home, and, should you desire, face your constituents again and win their trust and their approval to serve this nation once again. On January 9th, the citizens of the principality will decide who will serve in the 2023-2024 legislative session.

"Until then, I declare this Parliament to be adjourned and dissolved."

La Boîte à Images TV Studio
Cote de Bannard, Sil Dorsett
Tuesday, December 13th

27 Days Until Election Day

Madeline's opponent in the Prime Ministerial Election, Gauthier Masson, was trailing in the polls badly. Gauthier's only attack against Madeline, to paint her as nothing more than a "pretty face," had fallen flat. He was painted as misogynistic and out of touch with the everyday citizen, and even his supporters were starting to become concerned that he didn't have a real plan to take the incumbent down. He neglected to show any of his policy ideas in the electoral pre-season.

His first engagement of the regular season was on a late night think tank show, "La Table Ronde de la Nuit," where he and a few others from the Foundations party were guests. The host of the show, Reinald Thayer, addressed Masson's early blunder directly.

"It didn't work out, did it? People seem to think she's good enough, or maybe dismissed what you said as just partisan bluster. There must be something else, right? Month to go... we need to know your plans," Reinald asked.

"I will tell you, but there's a fact I want to remind you of first," Gauthier replied. "Have you heard the story of Prince Robert?"

Reinald looked confused. "I can't say I have."

"I didn't think so," Gauthier said. "It's not a story the Syndicalists would tell you.

"Oh?" Reinald wondered.

"He was the brother of King Anders of Prydania, and he had a friend in politics. Does the name Nielsen ring a bell?"

"Oh, right. Thomas Nielsen, the Syndicalist leader," Reinald answered.

"Yes, and not even being friends could save Robert from a terrible fate at Thomas's hand. You know they were friends before, right? Robert's wife, Hanna, said so herself before she was murdered too. But, Thomas wanted to exterminate the royals and take power for himself, so he did. He did not care for his friends. He only wanted power."

"Are you suggesting that the Prime Minister wants to remove the Dorsett family from power... with deadly force?"

"All of this talk of republicanism and the princely family moving out of politics is a power grab," Gauthier suggested. "The princely family, the crown, is part of our identity. It is our nation. We cannot just put that aside. And then, Solidarity, W.C.P, and N.D.F... You remember N.D.F., their party leader was convicted of sedition... They put out that statement. They want to discard tradition. They want to end Claidie's rule. And Alice's. Madeline pretends to be their friend, but she will betray them just like Nielsen."

"And so this is all about preserving the monarchy?" Reinald asked.

"This is about preserving our nation. To not let it fall into the hands of someone who does not respect our way of life."

---

After the show, two of Gauthier's party associates and candidates for Parliament, Clotilde from Lower Norvalle and Jourdain from Chateauroche, went to the studio lobby to chat about the show themselves. Both of them were displeased and now lacking in confidence in their party's pick.

"Jourdain, on est foutus...^[1]" Clotilde whispered to her party-mate, dejectedly.

"I don't know how he won the primary. He's a bumbling buffoon, and he isn't doing us any favors making up bullshit theories like that one."

"Oui, I have no idea how he beat Cicelia^[2]. I'm thinking of endorsing Ellison because of this, and maybe try to save my own campaign."

"Think we could get Cicelia to enter late as an independent?"

"It's too late. She won't make the first debate, and that'll make it hard to poll well enough to at least make the second. Besides, it would only split the foundations vote. Ellison would win anyways."

"Then I guess we just play our own game."

---

Meanwhile in Estornel...

Madeline had been watching the show with her husband back home while preparing for a campaign kickoff event later in the week. The accusations Gauthier made left them both enraged.

"What a piece of s..." Will started to blurt out, before Madeline caught their eldest daughter watching from the stairs.

"Rachel, c'est l'heure du coucher^[3]," Madeline commanded, interrupting Will's expletive and sending Rachel off to her room. Afterwards, she moaned about the what was to come in the days ahead. "I don't know how I'm going to debate this guy next week, if that's how he's going to play."

"At least you have an agenda. This guy's got nothing," Will said reassuringly.

"I don't think we need to see any more of it," Madeline said, before picking up the the remote and shutting the TV off. "That'll be an interesting phone call when I talk to the sisters in the morning. I get to reassure them that I'm not going to turn into another syndicalist psychopath. Ça va être amusant.^[4]"

---

[1]"Jourdain, we're screwed."
[2]Cicelia Bouchard, the Foundations party chairwoman.
[3]"Rachel, bedtime."
[4]"That will be fun."

Channel WSDA TV Studio
Norvalle, Sil Dorsett
Monday, December 19th

21 Days Until Election Day

"Malorie Allen," Madeline named, and immediately Gauthier Masson smiled, lowered, and shook his head in disgust.

Madeline and Gauthier were at the roundtable, the common setting for political debates. It was early in the night, and the moderator had called back to one of Madeline's past interviews when she mentioned that her husband, William Bowers, was retiring as Minister of Foreign Affairs, regardless of Princess Claidie's objections. The question the moderator had posted was who would replace him. Madeline had just sung Malorie's praises, and Gauthier believed that she had just blundered early with her move. He was prepared to pounce with what he believed was a brilliant move of his own.

The moderator took notice of Gauthier's reaction. "Monsieur Masson, you do not approve of Miss Allen?"

"Of course not," Masson replied. "Worst ambassador we've ever had. She ruined our relationships with the nations of what was once the Phoenix Union. She ruined our relationship with the Malorians in the north, and she ruined our relationship with our southern neighbor Arrandal..."

"... who we already had strained relationships with," Madeline interrupted. "At least those didn't deteriorate into hostilities. But think about the good she did. We now have a close ally in the Prydanians and a respectful and cordial relationship with the Cogorians, who, by the way, didn't start a war with us because of her efforts..."

"... after a Phoenix Union member struck the Cogorians first, believing they had the protection of the alliance. Whose fault was it that they were not properly vetted? When you are no longer Prime Minister, Miss Allen will not have a job."

"I spent the early portion of my term attempting to please everyone, but I ultimately realized how impossible that is to accomplish. I have full confidence in Miss Allen's abilities to strengthen relationships with our allies, repair strained relationships with those with who seek peace, and hold a firm stance against those who desire to threaten and subjugate us. That will be what defines my foreign relations platform going forward."

The moderator addressed his next question to Gauthier. "Monsieur Masson, how does your foreign policy differ from that of Miss Ellison?"

"Madame Ellison has made enemies of two monarchies and made friends with a communist nation not unlike what was seen in Prydania prior to F.R.E. victory. I will reverse this trend. I will reverse the apathy she has portrayed towards Arrandal. I will reverse the hostility with which she treats the Mintorians, the Malorians, and the Syrixians..."

"...despite the fact that much of the hostility towards the Mintorians and Syrixians is derived from the two princesses who you believe should continue to be involved in politics, even though they don't want to," Madeline interrupted, again.

"Royal life comes with responsibilities. Noble life as well! You are trying to discard our nobility, but our high-born sons and daughters are eager to exercise their privilege abroad in service to their nation at home. Unfortunate that Her Highness married a commoner and that Princess Alice is engaged to another..."

"You're not helping your case with the Dorsetts," Madeline interrupted, yet again, this time drawing a rebuke from the moderator.

"But failing the two of them, imagine the benefits in our international clout if Baroness Covington^[1] were arranged to be married with Sultan Osman, for example, and the benefits to come with a strengthened relationship with the Aydinis," Gauthier continued.

Not wanting to draw another rebuke from the moderator, Madeline only shook her head, similarly to how Gauthier reacted before.

"Many of our issues with other monarchies can be resolved by returning to the traditional ways of royal diplomacy. I will encourage our co-Princesses to heed my advice, or I will act unilaterally, should they continue to be so inclined as to step away," Gauthier finished.

"Miss Ellison, a quick response?" the moderator asked, noting her prior reaction.

Madeline obliged. "First of all, no disrespect to His Imperial Majesty, but I am one-hundred percent confident that Miss Covington will decline such an arrangement, and not quickly enough.^[2] Secondly... my close friends will remember back when I was at university, before I even started in politics, that I loved a good Fantasy Faire... and I'm drawing from my experiences with fantasy to say that you, Mister Masson, are living in a fantasy world. Arranged marriages between royal families and nobles is a ancient idea relegated to fantasy and fiction. We do not treat our children as pawns in political games anymore."

"The Aydin Empire still practices arranged marriages, The Imperium Suavidici still does, Severogotia, Seinoku... I could go on. You continue to demonstrate your ineptitude in foreign affairs by failing to be cognizant of the cultures of other countries."

The moderator remained silent, giving up trying to maintain decorum and allowing the two of them to strike at each other mercilessly.

"Your obsession with royal marriages is not going to win us anything from the republics of the world who don't even have royal families," Madeline sneered.

"The principality will do better by focusing on relations with like-minded nations."

"And I think we'll do better by keeping an open mind as to where we look for opportunities."

There was an awkward pause as the moderator gauged whether the two combatants had finally finished, and he took the opening to finally move onto the next topic. "Let us turn our attention towards domestic affairs now, specifically, immigration..."

---

[1] Phoebe Covington, a cousin of Princesses Claidie and Alice.
[2] See The Six Point Agenda...
[3] Remember, politicians be politicians. Keep "in-character" in character.

The debate had been fierce since the beginning, with Gauthier attacking Madeline intensely on her foreign policy failures, and Madeline returning fire over Gauthier's antiquated and warped sense of the reponsibilities of royals and other highborns. But, another opportunity for Gauthier to take advantage of a certain persistent fear amongst the public was coming. The principality mostly accepted immigrants with open arms, but the citizenry held with mild distrust those wanting to be sheltered from the laws of their homeland. The change in topic to immigration was a gift to the Foundations candidate.

"I will be nice. I will say that Madame Ellison and I agree on something. We will never have any kind of open border where Mintorians and Arrandi can come and go as they please," Gauthier declared, highlighting a core tenet of Sil Dorsettian immigration policy. "But, where we disagree is with how we handle asylum. This woman allows criminals to come into our country and gives them a second chance for free, no questions asked."

"That is a total exaggeration of my administration's policy. A complete lie," Madeline countered. "We do not take murders, or rapists, or thieves trying to flee justice."

"You are taking in people who break the law, Mintorians especially. We see this from the northwestern border."

"The only asylum seekers we accept routinely are those in trouble for violating lese majeste, a political offense, and one that shouldn't be on the books anywhere. And the goal is not to provide them permanent residency, but to assist them in getting the charges quashed so they can return home."

"My administration will support, in full, law and order in accordance to each nation no matter our own laws," Gauthier declared. "If lese majeste is on the books, it is the duty of the citizens residing there to abide by it."

"I refuse to reinforce the fragile egos of those who hide behind such laws," Madeline replied. "Matthias should consider a royal decree to, at a minimum, suspend enforcement of that law. I will not help him enforce it."

"So then you do not respect the rule of law!"

"I respect Sil Dorsettian law. Whether I respect Mintorian law is irrelevant to how I will govern this nation."

---

The Masson Estate
Montrose, Sil Dorsett
Tuesday, December 27th

13 Days Until Election Day

The Foundations Party's chief campaign advisor, Ferrand Simon, spent the week following the debate reviewing every daily poll with mixed feelings. He met with Gauthier at his estate to go over the data and develop the strategy for the next debate the coming Monday. They believed they had struck a hard blow against the imcumbent Prime Minister, enough to knock her off her perch, but the data from the polls didn't seem to support it.

"The gap is closing, but you're still behind by quite a margin. Fifty-two to forty-one percent, with only seven percent either undecided or other," Ferrand announced. "Technically, it's still possible. If the undecideds overwhelmingly choose you and the margin of error swings in your favor, you can still win this."

Gauthier remained stoic while Ferrand continued on with the report, seeming unfazed by the less than optimal polling. "So what is the bad news?" he asked.

"The bad news is that your top priority is not the top priority of the people," Ferrand replied. "The people don't seem to care that much about foreign policy. The good news is that of the people that do prioritize foreign affairs, you have a significant lead over Ellison."

"By how much?"

"By thirty percent. It's sixty-five to thirty-five in your favor, but just amongst those that list foreign policy as their top priority."

"Then the strategy must be to make the people care about foreign affairs more. Monsieur Simon, by the final town hall, I want some talking points that emphasize the importance of rebuilding relationships on the continent. I don't care for them to have a rosy opinion on good relationships. If building fear around the consequences of poor relationships is more optimal, that is what I want to stress. Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir. I'll have our team work on it."

---

Prime Minister's Office
Norvalle, Sil Dorsett
Thursday, December 29th

11 Days Until Election Day

The night after the debate, Claidie's aunt, Marianne Covington, requested to meet with the Prime Minister. But, given Madeline's schedule and the Christmas holiday, it wasn't until more than a week later when she was able to meet with Marianne for something deemed non-essential. The delay was concerning to Marianne, and she wondered if it was too late.

"I had hoped we could have discussed this sooner. With less than a fortnight until voting, I don't think what I can offer you will matter that much," Marianne said.

Madeline looked puzzled. "Offer me?" she asked.

"A 'high society' perspective," Marianne clarified. "Can you name all of the houses of the peers?"

"Uhh... Let's see. Whittemore," Madeline began, only to be cut off.

"Used to be Larrousse," Marianne said, correcting her.

"Covington, obviously."

"Trintignant, originally."

Madeline paused for a few seconds, more confused than she was puzzled before, causing Marianne to encourage her to continue.

"Go on," Marianne urged.

"Bianchi, Cuvillier, Grosjean, De Guignes, Bailliarge, Alesi, Arnoux, Collard, Pic, Vautier, Maréchal," Madeline finished, with no further interruptions.

"Wonderful," Marianne said, praising the Prime Minister's knowledge, though imperfect as it was. "Now name the cadet branches."

"What?" Madeline grumbled, realizing the trap. "I don't know. What's the point of this?"

"It helps to know who your opponent is. The Masson family is a cadet branch of the De Guignes house, and I recently had a run-in with Gauthier. Obviously he has plenty of money for his personal ventures as well as business and politics, and he wanted use some of it to try to move up the social ladder. You know how he seems to have this obsession with arranged marriages?"

"Yeah, he embarassed himself over that in the debate. Probably why I still have the lead that I do."

"Well, you think he did, anyways. Point is, he offered me twenty million livres to set his son up with Phoebe."

"Did you take it?"

"Of course not!" Marianne snapped. "I wouldn't dare meddle in my daughter's affairs. Even I know the days of well-off families buying titles and political favors are long gone. And I'm not talking just through marriage, either."

"Buying titles!?"

"How do you think the Larrousse and Trintignant families lost their titles?"

Marianne had made the answer obvious, and Madeline didn't even need to reply for Marianne to know she knew it. Madeline just leaned back in her chair, arms crossed, looking unamused.

"So he's pandering to wealthy noble families and foreign monarchies, hoping to use his influence to play matchmaker and elevate his own family's status. That's his whole plan." Madeline concluded. "He wants the throne, doesn't he? Obviously not for himself but eventually for one of his descendants, even if he's not around to witness it."

"And now you know how the game has been played since the sixteen-hundreds. A game Martin created out of his own ego."

Marianne stood up and walked towards the door to leave, but as she opened the door, she turned to give Madeline some parting advice. "If I were you, I would reconsider Miss Allen for your foreign affairs minister. Talking with others in my circle, having her around seems... ill-advised."

Marianne was about to shut the door, but Madeline called her back. "Before you go, a quick question," Madeline said. "How do you know all this, and why bring this up?"

"Remember my maiden name," Marianne replied. "Know this, Madame Prime Minister... I'm proud of my nieces."

---

The Ellison-Bowers Ranch
Estornel, Sil Dorsett

Madeline retreated to her ranch after her meeting with Marianne. Gathering around a fire pit to have some wine with her husband, she tried her best to relax after the long drive, but the recent polls and Marianne's advice were too hard to ignore, especially the poor marks from the polls in foreign policy. After telling Will about the meeting, she begged for some candid advice.

"I think Marianne may be right. Maybe Miss Allen isn't the right person to lead foreign affairs," Will suggested. "Gauthier made such a fool of himself over his royal marriages bullshit that you should be winning that category, but maybe Malorie has too much baggage."

"I don't think it's just that. I think it's also the Bergum Pact suggestion I made. Not that I think that'll ever go through," Madeline countered. "But Marianne didn't mention the B.P."

"Remember, she's married to a Malorian."

"Right... So who do you think is the best choice for foreign affairs?" Madeline asked.

"Malorie," Will replied, eliciting a chuckle from his wife. "She may not be the right choice, but she's the best choice." His remarks made no sense to Madeline, and she let him know with a raised eyebrow, leading Will to clarify. "The right choice would be someone with no baggage. Maybe Amanda Chéron or André Borbeau. But, they're not going to be the best at leading and managing the ministry. But, at the same time, Toby wouldn't appreciate you pulling his expert on Cogorian affairs back, either."

"Ah, yeah, that's true. She's probably most useful where she's at now." Madeline took a sip of her wine and thought quietly to herself for a minute. "I'll talk to her and Amanda, maybe work something out. They can assign pretty much anyone to T.C. It's an easy job. Hell, you could work a chien-chaud stand and do T.C. ambassadorial work simultaneously, it's so easy."

"You may want to slow down a bit with your drink," Will advised his wife, laughing softly.

"What else do you think I need to do? I've got one town hall left and then we're voting," she asked.

"Here's what I think. If you think that bastard is beating you up in foreign affairs, change the subject. Talk about something he's not going to focus on. Talk about the economy. Talk about jobs, energy, food, tourism. Talk about what people really care about. That is how you'll put him away."

Madeline leaned back, contemplating Will's advice but considering Marianne's insight. "It's not that simple," she said. "I need to show the people why he's wrong. About everything."

Channel WSDA TV Studio
Norvalle, Sil Dorsett
Tuesday, January 3rd

6 Days Until Election Day

For the final debate, Madeline and Gauthier had come to terms for the rules shortly before they were to go on the air. No moderator questions, no audience questions. They would be asking each other about what was on their minds, and they would each have one chance to address the question. Most importantly, they agreed not to interrupt each other or let the conversation devolve into back and forth squabbling.

Gauthier felt it was advantageous to him, since he could keep at least his questions focused on Madeline's weaknesses. Madeline also thought the rules favored her, since she could both follow her husband's advice and highlight the gaps in Gauthier's platform as well as exploit the knowledge she gained from Marianne.

Madeline was given the privilege of asking Gauthier the first question, and tried to expose him as being without any knowledge of the economy. But, Gauthier surprised her with a sermon on expanding the service economy, making foreign investment in the Silien banking system more attractive by cutting taxes, encouraging more tourism. Madeline, though intrigued that her trap didn't play out as expected, knew that his answer tailored more to those who are already rich. With the opportunity to answer her own question, she focused in on job creation across the board, subsidies for farmers and agricultural innovators, tax incentives for manufacturing companies that expanded their factories and hired more workers. Two different plans, but they each had a plan, which was not what the incumbent expected.

Gauthier brought up the Craviter Economic Association, and why Madeline had not approved of the principality's potential membership. Madeline reiterated what she had told the Dorsetts, that she believed in negotiating individually and tailoring deals with each other nation would be, though more diffcult, also more effective. Thus, the economic community wasn't an option. She compared the migration community to the Phoenix Union's common citizenship and the opening of borders she expected to come with it, which she knew wasn't popular among the Silien people. However, she made no mention of the infrastructure community, to which Gauthier pounced on when he answered his own question. He reminded her of the accords, and the goal of interconnected rail and highways. An economic boon to be sure, he told her. Gauthier had struck again.

Madeline's first glimmer of hope came when she asked about national defense. She knew it was common for the upper class and aristocratic parents to request exceptions to survival and gun safety training requirements for high school graduation. Hinting that part of her agenda was to eliminate most of the exemptions, she pressured her opponent on whether he would do the same. As she expected, his answer was no, and in fact he wanted to eliminate the requirements altogether for everyone, and turn it into an optional elective. He elaborated on how he felt that bushcraft and warfare was barbaric, and that a higher, more civilized nation would have no need of it. Madeline figured that his response would be widely unpopular, but seeing the opportunity, she added on how such training developed cameraderie amongst classmates and communities, and developed the nation into a force not to be underestimated despite its diminuitive size.

Gauthier would try to turn his fortunes around by attacking the agricultural initiatives Madeline had addressed earlier. Madeline had been begging both the Chamber of Law and the co-princesses for subsidies to help farmers innovate, be more efficient with the land they have, and stay solvent even if harvesting didn't meet expectations. But, as this was taxpayer money being used to prop up what he believed to be a declining industry, he asked Madeline how the money could be used better. Madeline held firm, believing the money was spent where it needed to be spent, ensuring the nation wouldn't become completely dependent on food imports if it could be more self-sufficient. Gauthier's trap fired, as he replied with visions of revenue from a bolstered service economy providing funding for trade with contributing nations to pay for resources, and in greater amounts than before. Madeline believed this simplified form of international commerce Gauthier was proposing wasn't founded in reality, but the rules of the debate prohibited her from responding back. She had to move onto something else.

Madeline's husband's idea of attacking Gauthier on his lack of a broad platform wasn't working. It was clear Gauthier had been coached. Marianne's plan was all she had left. But, Gauthier also had yet to bring his plan to bear.

Though she wanted to avoid direct attacks on the opposing candidate's person and stick to issues the people cared about, Madeline was left with little choice but to make a blatant strike against the nobility, even the lesser of it.

"Monsieur Masson, in our past debates and in your past discussions with other media outlets, you focused heavily on the continuing role of the monarchy in our political atmosphere and in our cultural identity," Madeline lead on, before delivering the heavy blow. "Given that your family is a cadet branch of the De Guignes family and therefore related to one of the barons, is not your demand for greater princely involvement in the more social aspects of aristocratic life self serving?"

Gauthier was stunned by the question, and he struggled to find a way to answer and not leave suspicion. Ultimately, he found little option than to dismiss the question and strike back with a question of his own.

"You may think my platform is self-serving, but every moment of my ministership will be devoted to this nation. Can you say the same about your ministership? What of your little safari in Essalanea, for example? Did that serve our nation, or was that you taking advantage of the privilege of the office to do personal things which you could otherwise not?" Gauthier countered.

Madeline pointed to the moderator to indicate that Gauthier had both answered her question and asked one of his own, and thus she was entitled to respond, as per the rules. She also was entitled to the next question, and the moderator agreed.

"Considering our now improved relationship with King Gaiseric of Essalanea and King Tobias of Prydania as result of my participation in that hunt, yes, I do feel that it not only benefited me by improving my resolve but benefited the nation by improving our relationships.

"Final question, Miss Ellison," the moderator announced.

Recalling a piece of information her friend Malorie learned from Princess Alice many months earlier, Madeline pressed the attack against the minor noble's aristocratic "credentials."

"You've talked about the aristocracy being essential to the cultural identity of the nation. Exactly what has the Masson cadet branch, or even the De Guignes house in its entirety, contributed to the nation to warrant its place beyond financial support, and what would you do as Prime Minister to warrant..."

"I have nothing to say regarding your foul attempt to disparage my family," Gauthier said, interrupting Madeline's question and showing just how rattled he was.

The moderator halted Gauthier's response to give Madeline a chance to finish the question, but she declined, believing the audience at home knew how the question would have finished. Instead, the moderator prompted Gauthier to ask his final question. He was now divided between sticking to his plan of continuing to make foreign affairs more relevant or counterattacking Madeline's aggressive ploy against his family.

"But, I do suppose I could ask the same of you, Madame Prime Minister. My family helped to ensure the financial stability of the nation, ensuring the Dorsett's were able to pay their debts without asking for anything in return, to ensure they had the credibility to interact with governments around the world. What have you done to warrant your place?"

Madeline smiled, showing confidence. "I've made sure that our people have someone who listens to them. And I mean everyone, not just a select few with an excess of money. I think I've made my point clear. I'm in it for our people, while you're in it for yourself."

The people watching the debate would have to decide the answer to a litany of questions. Did Gauthier impress upon the nation the importance of his form of foreign affairs? Did Madeline fall off track by running a negative attack against Gauthier and the nobility instead of promoting her domestic agenda? With the final debate coming to a close, all that remained was election day itself.

Prime Minister's Estate
Norvalle, Sil Dorsett
Monday, January 9th

Election Day

The meeting hall in the Prime Minister's Estate was packed. Madeline, her husband Will, their four daughters, and all of her department ministers sat watching the projector as it showed Lodestar News's coverage of the election results. There was tension in the air, and they were all nervous. The final poll that was released Sunday sounded warning bells, as Gauthier closed the gap, helped by dissatisfaction with the course Madeline chose to take the final debate on. Eight in the evening was near. The polls would close, and Lodestar would make its early projections.

"Based on the exit polls, Lodestar can project that Madeline Ellison, the incumbent Prime Minister, will win the districts of Upper Norvalle, Montrose, Halmonde, Vaciennes, Athford, Lamonthe, her home district, as well as Landerau. We can also project that Gauthier Masson will win the Clarendelle district as well as Colseau.

"There is still Lower Norvalle, Chassion, Chateauroche, Chamont, and Branaire that Lodestar cannot make a projection on. The projections do not look good for Gauthier Masson, but it's not the runaway victory Prime Minister Ellison was looking for, was it?"

"It's not, and Clarendelle is such a huge loss for the Prime Minister. That's a huge district, and the fact that Lower Norvalle isn't decided... that's a lot of votes. Her appeal to the small town western part of the nation is what is carrying her right now, but I think she really alienated a lot of eastern, more well-to-do businessmen and upper class citizens. This isn't over. The exit polls aren't going to tell the full story. It'll be when the official results come in from the election commission when we know for sure."

As the results trickled in district by district, the picture became clearer. Ellison had won an outright majority in Upper Norvalle, 51% to 43%. She had actually won Upper Norvalle, 49% to 46%. Montrose saw it 49% to 45%, Ellison. Halmonde was a decisive victory for the incumbet 53% to 43%. Chassion was on a razor's edge, narrowly giving Ellison the win by a tenth of a percent. Chateauroche was decided by less than a percent, 48% to 47% in favor of Ellison. Vaciennes was Ellison territory, 50% to 43%. Colseau belonged to Masson, 50% to 46%. Chamont was close, but Gauthier edged ahead by six tenths. Ellison won Branaire by less than two percent, but owned Athford by nearly five. Lamonthe and Landereau weren't even real contests, with Ellison taking a commanding lead by more than twenty percent each.

Clarendelle, however, was Gauthier Masson territory, and the results that came in drove that point home. 81% for Gauthier, and less than ten for Madeline. Madeline's team was in shock, and she was left confused. There was no way this was right. While all of the other districts were fairly close, why was Clarendelle such a blowout? Gauthier lead the district 43,515 to just 5,211.

The answer came once the results were compiled and the totals known. Madeline had won, but only just. 10,598 votes separated the two, but Clarendelle only had a forty percent turnout, while the rest of the nation averaged between sixty and seventy percent. There were obviously votes missing, and given how large Clarendelle was, it could have been enough to put Gauthier over if his commanding lead of the district was accurate.

While Madeline was content to survive with a slim margin, Gauthier demanded a nationwide recount. But, with the margin being over one percent, this was denied. He would, however, be granted the recount in District 3, since the turnout was anomalous.

Lolcat Crew
Private Group Chat

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[LCC]Sunblade @L80EBP
9 January 2023 10:26 PM

Is this bit flip?

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LCC_xXx9999DPSxXx @9999DPS
9 January 2023 10:27 PM

I didn't do shit.

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[LCC]Djint @jinteki95
9 January 2023 10:29 PM

Looks like it could be though.

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LCC_xXx9999DPSxXx @9999DPS
9 January 2023 10:30 PM

I. Didn't. Do. Shit.

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[LCC]Djint @jinteki95
9 January 2023 10:31 PM

Not blaming you, deeps. Just saying *a* bit flip could have happened.

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LCC_xXx9999DPSxXx @9999DPS
9 January 2023 10:33 PM

Wait. That shit can happen on its own?

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[LCC]Djint @jinteki95
9 January 2023 10:35 PM

Yeah. Cosmic rays could have randomly flipped a bit in the commission's computer's memory.

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[LCC]Sunblade @L80EBP
9 January 2023 11:38 PM

How much do you think Madeline lost from it?

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[LCC]Djint @jinteki95
9 January 2023 11:40 PM

32768 votes would be my guess.

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LCC_C0NJUR3R @c0njr3r
9 January 2023 11:41 PM

So Madeline won?

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[LCC]Djint @jinteki95
9 January 2023 11:43 PM

Yeah. When they do the hand recount, they'll realize it.

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Notes:
Inspired by a real-life scenario. "The Universe is Hostile to Computers" by Veritasium

The Universe is Hostile to Computers

Tiny particles from distant galaxies have caused plane accidents, election interference and game glitches. This video is sponsored by Brilliant. The first 20...

www.youtube.com

The Masson Estate
Montrose, Sil Dorsett
Tuesday, January 10th

The Day After

Gauthier hadn't even won his home district, and he lost it by a significant four point margin as well. His only hope of defeating the Prime Minister was a group of upper class businessmen and pensioners living life by the coastline in heavily gentrified locales. He waited patiently with Foundations party officials into the night while the recount was being done. Lodestar estimated thirty-five to forty thousand missing votes to bring the turnout more in line with the average of the eastern part of the nation, and Gauthier would need three quarters of those missing votes.

At two in the morning, Lodestar News cut to breaking news. Their presenter, James Beaufort, stood infront of a large LED display, with Madeline Ellison's official portrait, subtitled "Re-Elected".

"Lodestar News can officially confirm that Prime Minster Madeline Ellison has won re-election. This comes after a recount of the Clarendelle district which originally showed an abnormally low turnout, and the revised result is significantly different. The new official total is 43,515 votes for Gauthier Masson and 37,979 votes for Madeline Ellison, not the 5,211 she was originally credited for, a difference of 32,768 votes. She still loses the district, but her overall margin of victory extends to 43,366 votes, or 4.31%.

"I want to bring on our Chief Technology Correspondent, Noëlle Sauvageon... Noëlle, you have a theory on what happened."

"Yes, James. The original result was clearly a computer error, and the difference of 32,768 votes is significant because of how computers do their jobs. Computers talk in binary, powers of two, and 32,768 is a power of two. So, one bit, one electric charge representing a one or zero, didn't work properly and was a zero instead of a one. This is probably a fault in the computer's memory. You would think that a computer so important would have error correction, but that apparently wasn't the case. I'm sure the election commission is going to look into that computer."

Gauthier shut the television off, and said nothing as he straightened his tie and left the room, bitter and angry over his loss.

---

Prime Minister's Log
January 13th, 2023

This will be the final entry of my first term as Prime Minister of The Principality of Sil Dorsett.

On Monday, Princess Claidie will swear me in for my second term in the morning, and then there'll be a dinner party in the evening. Barring any emergencies that night, I'll be back to work Tuesday.

Both Claidie and Alice have made it very clear that course this nation takes is mine to determine from now on. Together with my executive staff, we will continue to work towards building a safer nation, with more opportunities for everyone, and with fair partnerships around the world. I will continue to lead with transparency and integrity, as I believe I showed in my first term, especially through these log entries.

I can't ignore the intricacies of the results of the election, though. Gauthier Masson ran a strong campaign, far stronger than I could have expected. While the Foundations establishment didn't particularly care for him, he had the support of the upper class and those who preferred princely tradition and autocracy over the democratic ideals that even our monarchs want to see flourish. I expect a lot of resistance to this new direction in the coming months. A new direction in foreign affairs was also central to his message. He showed me that the promises I made, like job creation, a diverse energy profile, and fair trade were not going to be enough. The people of this nation do care about our standing in the world, and there will be a comprehensive overhaul of our foreign policy in light of that. I will work have to work with members of all the parties, not just my own, to ensure we get it right.

I have a lot of work to do.


-- Madeline Ellison