(OOC: This is a resumption of role play activity after a four year hiatus. If you've role played with me in the past, feel free to join. If not, please telegram first. This is only the first of a series of introductory/catch-up posts.)
New Liberal Party Headquarters, Citadel Excalbia
Several party leaders sat around a polished walnut table watching the large TV on the opposite wall. On the screen, a journalist in a dark suit with a bright red tie sat across from an attractive woman with flowing brown curls. The woman, wearing an expensive ivory suit - cut a little tight and little low for Excalbian standards, was clearly dominating the conversation.
“... no one is more loyal to the Sword than I,” she said with a faint Pantocratorian accent and a wave of the hand, “and no one could be kinder, wiser or more morally upstanding than our beloved Emperor. However, the fate of a nation should not depend on the character of one man.”
“That sounds awfully close to republicanism, Baroness Skrastins,” the journalist said, finally intruding into the woman’s soliloquy.
“Heaven forbid,” the Baroness said raising both hands, palms flat towards the journalist, “I am no republican. Republican government is not suitable for all nations, and even in those nations with republican governments, there have been no end to sorrows. Consider the history of coups and dictatorship in republican Upper Virginia or the near civil war in the Confederation. Even without violence, republican governments are all too susceptible to the populist: consider Knootoss.” The woman laughed lightly. “No Excalbian wants to see our nation become Knootoss.”
“So, what, then…” the journalist tried to interject.
“No, Alex,” the baroness continued, “what we need to do is restore balance. I have lived in a country where one man was all-powerful…”
“You’re speaking of Pantocratoria?”
“No, the Despotate of New Constantinople… part of Pantocratoria, but it was separate when I lived there.” The baroness frowned slightly. “When one man… or woman can set policy for a whole country, then the country is at the whim of that person…”
“Sorry, Baroness,” the journalist said, “but the Emperor is not all-powerful…”
“No,” the baroness smiled, “of course not. Yet, he is powerful enough to overturn the will of the Senate, if he wishes. Local governments stand or fall by his leave.” Her smile broadened. “David IV, of course, is a wonderful man. Compassionate. In most other empires or kingdoms, even many republics, I would have been punished for my late husband’s foul deeds,” her eyes seemed to tear up, “but not here. Not under the rule of our gracious Emperor. However, no one man, not even a good man, should be more powerful than the entire Senate…”
Dr. Arturs Anders, the Minister of Defence, turned off the TV and tossed the remote on the table. “This is what you’d have us make align with? A party girl from Pantocratoria? The widow of a traitor, who has - somehow - parlayed the notoriety of her husband’s treason into extending her fame well beyond her allotted 15 minutes?”
“That,” Kristine Lielupe, the party’s communications director and chief pollster said frowning, “may be a former Pantocratorian party girl - there are certainly enough rumours about how she came to be in Excalbia; however, she is also the leading voice among the barons and the informal leader of the devolution movement. Her husband was certainly a traitor, but the fact that she overcame that - and all her other baggage - demonstrates that she is an astute and natural politician.”
The other party leaders looked skeptical, but Lielupe continued: “Our polls show that as we head into this year’s elections the National Union and the Christian Union will be eating our lunch. The NNU can boast that they’ve implemented most of our agenda, without those,” she made quotations with her hands, “divisive social issue,” she dropped her hands and frowned slightly, “and that they did it without incurring the Sword’s disapproval. The CU, for its part, can claim - rightly so, I might add - that it’s votes helped put those policies in place, despite not being a formal part of the coalition.” She shook her head from side to side. “In fact, the polls show that the only thing that differentiates us from the NNU are social issue - secularization, abortion, LGBTQ rights, etc.” She paused and took a deep breath. “And support for those issues remains the lowest in the region. In fact, they’re driving possible Liberal voters to the NNU or the Christian Union. Simply put: we need a new issue.”
“I’m not sure this is the right issue to hang our hat on,” Lord Solomon Myers, the Minister of Labour and Welfare and the informal leader of the New Liberal Party spoke through steepled finger, “the people may not soon forget that the leaders of the old liberal party aligned themselves with the republicans and that their actions played into Prince Jeremiah’s attempted usurpation and the late Baron Skrastins’ treason…”
“It does no harm to at least talk with her. Hear her out,” Geordi Powell, the party’s nominal chairman said turning towards Myers. “She’s made it clear that she’s not advocating for a republic…”
“Do as you will,” Lord Myers said standing, “but I want no part of it.”
