An Unlikely Partnership (Closed)

[Les Etats Connuriste]

Lausanne Palace
Lausanne
Connuriste

There was no doubting that the past few years in the life of the Emperor of Connuriste had been turbulent, filled with many uncertainties, revelations and stumbling blocks. If he could look at himself and his circumstances now from where he had been five years ago, he would have rubbished most of it as ridiculous, and whilst he had done his best to roll with the punches, the punches kept on coming. In the case of today, it was best described as another uncertainty, though he hoped that by the day’s end it would be a situation he would have a clearer picture of.

Within the last five years, there had been a time when he and his old adversary, the She-Wolf of Wied, had met in secret to discuss resolving their differences, and instead work together on a goal that they both happened to share. It had in fact been partially successful, Marie and him had found their common ground and ended their feud, although from his perspective actually achieving that goal had not worked out so well. The two of them had no contact since, save for immediately in the aftermath of said goal not working out as they’d hoped - at least until the other day, when a letter from Marie had ended up on his desk, suggesting that they should form a partnership and work with each other once again. It had taken the Emperor of Connuriste by surprise - not so much that they still had a common interest - but rather why it had taken a couple of years for the matter to be brought up again. That, along with the precise nature of how they might work together again had been wholly unexpected. It was something much better suited for conversation in person rather than sending letters back and forth, that at least was certain.

And so Marie had her second invitation to have an audience with him, except this time she would not have to sneak into the country to meet him under cover of darkness. It was only right and fair that a woman of her stature be welcomed into the palace in broad daylight, and to tell the truth, he was looking forward to it. The Emperor was a little bit anxious, yes, but it was nothing compared to how anxious he had been the last time they had crossed paths, when each of them had been half expecting to come under attack from the other. By the conclusion of their short meeting however, Connor II had found himself quite fond of her and the way she conducted herself, not that he would have ever made that too clear at the time - but sorting out their conflict and putting it behind them had really opened his eyes to the fact that there was much to admire about her. He could only imagine if that would end up serving as a solid foundation for building up their future relationship or not as he finished the remainder of the small glass he had poured himself earlier, which had steadily become a habit of his over the years, one stiff drink before anything remotely important.

Another recent habit of his had been looking his best at all times, which of course was only appropriate for an Emperor, especially if you were going to host royalty anyway, but Connor had taken an extra level of pride in his appearance as he neared 50, in an effort to preserve whatever good looks he might have had left - after all, he was single - but the measures he took were nowhere near as drastic as the ones undertaken by his late wife. He wore what he considered his signature outfit, which was quite literally the same exact thing he had worn last time he had met Marie - white shirt, black trousers, black oxford shoes and brown leather watch. The outfit was almost a constant in many of the most important moments of his life, something that remained familiar no matter how contexts and scenarios changed, it had pretty much become a part of his identity.

Putting the glass away to one side, the Emperor stopped for a second to observe the bright and sunny day out of the window, hopeful and optimistic that the pleasant weather in the capital today foreshadowed a good and satisfactory outcome to however the day went from here.

[Dutch-Empire]

Lausanne Palace
Lausanne, Connuriste

Over the course of the last five years Marie of Wied had gone from the greatest advisor in Great Hyruke to being an internationally hunted criminal to fallen queen in Mantara. There she had settled in as the royal grandmother of her eldest grandson, Kaiko. That was of course, only a small snapshot of the type of life that Marie had lived. Marie had spent her entire adult life making decisions in order to survive. Now as she entered her fiftieth year, she intended on more than surviving.

Marie’s last visit to Connuriste had been one of dramatic secret entries and nighttime drinks over schemes with Connor II in order to save their sons. Marie had been blessed to have her son João returned to her. Connor had not been so lucky. Marie didn’t blame herself, she had learned long ago that self pity did one no good. Connor’s son Julian has been her godson, the closest friend of her son Charles and his death had been tragic, and had ushered in the advancement of her greatest rival.

In the years since Julian’s death Marie had avoided contacting Connor II, in fear that he would hold a grudge against her for getting her son whilst he had failed in getting his. But it seemed that time apart from his lost prince and the explosive revelations in the wake of his wife’s death had left Connor II changed. And Marie and the world too had changed. It was strange to slowly see a newer younger generation take center stage, but Marie could feel it happening. Her children’s generation were taking their place in the spotlight of the world. And with that came new threats.

Although her spy rings had been either dismantled or bought out by the Aurelians, cold blooded royals who worried even the She-Wolf, she still collected information. And that information lead her to believe that a new grand conspiracy was cooling around the world’s heart. But Marie had little more than that to go on. She had been pushed to the side, regulated to the icy fields and fjords of Mantara whilst the action played out elsewhere.

Marie had made Mantara her home. Her grandsons Kaiko and Anakele were wonderful, the future of the monarchy in Mantara. It had been a great sign of progress that Adrian had agreed to leave Kaiko in her care, though he and Alexandre visited bi-weekly and always kept an eye on her, it was progress in their relationship. Adrian had always been her favorite and his eldest son had snatched the title as well amongst her grandchildren. It was thus why Marie had left Mantara for Connuriste. To protect him and his throne.

Marie wanted three things. To get back into the thick of it, to be in the center of the action. To protect her dynasty, her children and grandchildren and their subsequent thrones. And lastly. To be an Empress. This she looked to Connor II, a man who could be a strong partner, give her a crown and who she personally found to her liking. And this time she intended to meet him not in some clandestine yacht meeting, but by walking through the front doors of the Lausanne Palace.

Which is exactly what happened. It was a sight that will no doubt go down in the history books, the entry of the She-Wolf of Wied. Marie wore a brilliant scarlet red backless cape jumpsuit, and a pair of designer high heels. A glittering diamond necklace-a gift from the Kuhina Nui of Mantara-looped around her throat and her hair, back to its natural raven black was in ponytail down her back. Marie of Wied, her red clutch purse in hand, entered the foyer of Lausanne Palace as she had the Royal Palace in Amsterdam, thirty years ago, determined, pleased and ready to conquer.

[Les Etats Connuriste]

Lausanne Palace
Connuriste

There was no doubt that Marie was the most significant person to set foot in Lausanne Palace for quite some time, and she had a demeanour that suggested she not only knew that fact, but relished it as well. Even when she had been unfairly considered as an enemy of the state, there had always been something iconic about her and her attitude towards adversity - the ability to bounce back, adapt and regain one's strength - and the self-belief that fuelled those capabilities was readily apparent in her outward behaviour.

The Emperor of Connuriste had expected a blonde like the one who had showed up last time, Marie's change back to her natural darker hair colour prompting him to study her appearance more closely than he would have done so anyway, something he had plenty of time to do as he stood still as she entered the foyer. It was very much a look that was as striking as her personality, which helped her make the kind of entrance that deserved to be immortalised in a piece of art, although of course Marie's last encounter with a talented artist had led to her most recent divorce. Now, she looked to him, which made him feel flattered but also wary. Nevertheless, Connor was more than content to play host to her whilst he entertained her proposal, only from discussion could he find out what formalising their partnership might look like and whether he considered it a good idea or not.

This time they met however, there was no great compulsion for Connor II to work with Marie. Last time had centered around information about his lost son, circumstances which had forced his hand into having that clandestine meeting on the yacht in the first place, and had subsequently developed into concerning the matter of how they could help each other be reunited with their respective sons, which had pushed him towards working with her whether he had liked it or not. This time it was much more of an actual choice whether or not they chose to resume their partnership in any format, let alone in the style that his counterpart had suggested. Of course, it was true that their interests did align... and Connor was confident that co-operation would have its benefits, but beyond that there was no true necessity dragging them together, at least certainly not on the same scale.

As she approached ever closer, the Emperor of Connuriste cast his mind back to their previous meeting, recalling how she had been disarmingly casual with him, as if they had always been friends, talking together side by side rather than face to face. Such nonchalance was not his style, but having that memory in mind reassured him that he need not be overly proper either.

"Your Majesty, thank you for coming. I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear that I've asked my security staff not to shoot you."

There was a short lived lighthearted smile at his own silly joke, which he hoped wasn't poking at a sore spot, either figuratively or literally. Still to this day, she was the only person Connor had ever directly tried to have killed, the fact that they were potentially to become close allies being a great example of how the world worked in odd ways that you could never foresee coming. He decided to move on that from quickly rather than let the comment linger, turning himself around so that they could walk alongside one another as they went further inside the palace, unsure as to whether they would simply wander aimlessly whilst they discussed things or have a seat somewhere. If they were going to wander aimlessly, perhaps the gardens might be a pleasant place for it, it was a nice day out after all.

"I hope your journey here was a comfortable one?"

[Dutch-Empire]

Marie put a tastefully manicured hand to her chest with a sly smile at Connor’s little joke. Marie was no stranger to humor. And she had over time decided that it would be better if she were able to roll with the punches. Including those that came in the forms of jokes.

“I thought I felt the disturbing lack of the feeling of sniper scopes trained on me. My, I don’t think I’ve felt that since, Hmm, what was it? ‘83? ‘84?”

Marie and Connor had decided to let it be water under the bridge in regards to his attempted assassination of her on her son’s wedding night. Marie had decided that big she had made peace with Anna Charlotte, a rather cold peace but still, then she could let it go that the man that had tried to have her killed was also the man she wished to make her bridegroom. It made sense strategically and besides, she had dealt with people who had done far worse. Marie herself also didn’t have the best track record for treating her husbands well. So they were even.

“Regardless, the trip from Mantara was a long but nice enough. The mountains around here remind me of Mantara City, sans lava of course. You wouldn’t believe how many jokes I’ve heard about me living into a Palace on a volcano.”

[Les Etats Connuriste]

The Emperor was pleased that his guest had took his comment well - if the lack of weapons trained on Marie was something she found disturbing, he could always have it arranged, if she insisted. It could even be considered as a little something to make her feel more at home, but alas, given that it was something in the past and behind them, he felt it might be better to not continue too much further down that line of conversation. Referencing it once would be enough.

"I've never been to Mantara, so I've not heard such a comparison before." admitted Connor, who thought that if anyone was going to live in a palace on a volcano, Marie would likely make it near to the top of his list. "It's just lakes around here, I'm afraid." he added, though of course Marie ought to be quite familiar with that given it was where they had met previously.

The Emperor of Connuriste didn't spend too much time in the palace here in Lausanne, preferring instead the additional comfort and privacy of his own homes that were dotted around the area. The Palace was more of a symbolic building in Connuriste, the home of an institution rather than the home for a family or for yourself, and he hadn't spent an extended period of time here since the death of Empress Charlotte, portraits of whom had long been absent from adorning the walls of the corridors they walked down.

"It was nice to chat over a couple of drinks last time, if you don't mind doing so again?"

[Dutch-Empire]

"Of course," Marie said with a pleasant smile, looking around the palace corridor. Marie had always admired palaces, having been forced from them, whether by angry oligarchical revolutionaries or by literal armies. Marie gestured for Connor to lead the way to the drinks, not surprised that Connor II would have a grand spread of choices. "You have a great taste in drinks, and your selection from what I remember was quite enjoyable."

Marie put her hands together, maintaining her smile. "Mantara is quite nice, lovely scenery, comparable to even your Alps dare I say, full of beautiful fjords and mountains, and you can find lava flows and glaciers sitting side by side. But of course, you will always have your lakes." Marie let out a small laugh.

[Les Etats Connuriste]

The smile across Connor's face grew larger as Marie agreed with him that some drinks would be a good idea, indeed he did have quite the collection of alcohols and they did have to be drank at some point. It was a collection that from the very beginning had always been expanding faster than he actually consumed them, and now seemed quite the appropriate time to make some progress on that front. Drinks were always fit to be shared between friends, especially more so when discussing intrigue, not to mention topics such as marriage which more than called for a liberal application of them. He had often wondered if it reflected poorly on him that he was quick to bring out a bottle when in the company of his equals, but it had always been true that he felt more comfortable being ever so slightly under the influence. The Emperor of Connuriste had never considered himself naturally charismatic - at least in comparison to most of his royal peers - and his social circles had never been particularly large even when they had been at their heights. The people with whom Connor II was unreservedly open with made for a short list, and whilst it was his intention to properly and fairly discuss Marie's proposition, he knew that he would have to be completely honest with her. He supposed that at least the pair of them had established a precedent for that before, although Connor still couldn't shake the feeling that he had been put on the back foot by the letters he had received.

"I hear that the finest scenery in Mantara has actually decided to come to Lausanne today." he joked, having little else to say about the foreign country and changing the subject before he slowed to open the door into another room. "It's not much, but this is probably the best place for us to chat."

He decided to lead her to his study, which was the room he used by far the most at Lausanne Palace and therefore it was indeed one of the nicer ones, at least in his opinion. It was not a huge room, in fact it was one of the smallest in the entire building, but it was hardly tiny. Given the hours he had spent in it, it effectively doubled as a personal lounge too, where he could temporarily down his tools and take a break for a short time. Whilst maybe it was not the most exciting place for his esteemed guest, he would have easy access to his most important documents about his enemies in the shadows, as well as a small section of his alcohol collection, of course he only kept the finest and his favourites in the study. At the back end of the room stood a robust and rustic desk with many drawers, on top of which computer screens, an ashtray and a couple of small picture frames featuring his family members usually lived, the desk accompanied with an expensive chair and behind that was a window which looked out over one angle of the palace gardens. At the other end of the room closer to the door, there was a comfortable seating arrangement with a few small couches around a coffee table, a television on the wall, and to the side a grand view overlooking the gardens from that angle instead. The walls were intermittently decorated with bookcases (some of which with actual books and others with folders of letters and files) and a couple of pictures, most significantly an official portrait of the Emperor's mother and father together, although the official portrait of himself was absent from this particular office.

Connor II gestured for Marie to take a seat around the coffee table wherever she liked, hoping that she wouldn't mind too much the modest styling of his personal sanctuary in what was otherwise an elaborate palace. Going over to his desk, he retrieved a bottle from one of its many compartments, a gift he had recently received from his daughter Charlotte on his birthday, a birthday which always coincided with the anniversary of him taking the throne, although this year had been the thirtieth of such anniversaries. It was an ornately decorated bottle of foreign wine, which she had told him to save for a special occasion. Quite infamously, someone had tried to poison him with a bottle at his twentieth anniversary, and instead nearly killed the Crown Princess, but whoever had supplied that had never quite been figured out. Some people even thought it could have been his wife, given her admissions to poisoning some family members in small doses in her leaked documents, but the truth was still unclear. What was important was that Emily had made a full recovery and that this particular bottle came from a trustworthy source.

"Do you like wine, Your Majesty? It seems to me as good a time as any to open this one."

[Dutch-Empire]

Marie chuckled at Connor's joke, or rather compliment, for that was what it truly was. She did not remember him being quite so charming, though to be fair to him when they'd last met, they had had far more pressing matters than a casual flirtation with one another. Times were different now. They were in an era of peace and romance, and when one considered the kind of offer that she had presented him with, it only made more sense that they flirt. Besides. It was refreshing to have a nice conversation. Even if it did have to revolve around a deal, a proposal, why should Marie not get to enjoy herself?

She followed Connor to the study, admiring the palace as they travelled threw it. It brought her a great sense of pride. A great deal of her time in palaces as been as a prisoner or in the midst of battle or schemes. It was a nice alternative to those two states of being. She had of course suspected that Connor kept alcohol in his study. Marie feared that he might be an alcoholic. Everyone loved a good drink or two, but Connor was always quick to do so. It was what had nearly gotten himself poisoned. But that was a mostly manageable disease, and Marie had dealt with men who suffered from far worse ailments.

Marie took her time to admire the walls of the study, ignoring the garden view and instead focusing on the books and files that surrounded them. She found herself running her fingers over the spines of several of the books before gazing up at the portrait of Connor I & Alice. Marie had reigned in the waning days of Alice's reign. And Alice after leaving the throne, and watching them go to war with one another, not to mention marrying Anna Charlotte's father, would have likely only ever seen Marie as an enemy to her son. How might she have reacted to knowing that her grandson had married Marie's daughter? That Connor might end up Marie's groom?

She turned away from the portrait and sat down. At least she wouldn't have to worry about in-laws. She smiled at Connor.

"One can never go wrong with a good bottle, Your Majesty."

[Les Etats Connuriste]

The Emperor of Connuriste couldn't agree more with Marie's assessment. There were indeed few occasions where a good bottle of something would be considered inappropriate. He couldn't help himself but watch Marie as she acquainted herself with her new surroundings, reminding him that whilst he had grown tired and weary of them, that others still considered them to be quite special. Remembering that she had seemed quite interested in the design intricacies of his yacht, it occurred to him that given the reputation Marie had, it wasn't often that people considered what she might be like left to her own devices, in those rare moments of her life where there wasn't a battle to be fought, a wrong to be righted, or a scheme or plan to be implemented. It was fair to say that Connor was curious to learn more, and curiosity was the best way of describing how he watched the she-wolf roam around his little sanctuary - as whilst she was certainly pleasant to look at, he was still instinctively on guard a little in her presence.

Pouring the wine into two equally sized glasses and setting them on the table, he was in half a mind to be direct, to almost question her directly about precisely why marriage was the idea that she had latched onto. After all, it did make it almost seem that it was a title that she was after first and foremost. Even if that were the case, it was something that could be worked with, for it was honesty that Connor ultimately sought, something of which there had been no shortage of during their last encounter. His inner cynic even dared to question whether her terms were to be perceived as a request or a demand, but Marie deserved at least the benefit of the doubt, something he had not been willing to give her for many years and made it all the more right that it was a luxury he afforded her now. They were to have a conversation like civilised people, not hold an interrogation - he could address his concerns in a much more palatable fashion.

Sitting down, he immediately wrapped his hand around his glass of wine, refraining from bringing it up to his lips and tasting it just yet, his attention firmly centred on his guest.

"You know, it's almost funny, Your Majesty. The two things I want most right now in the world are the information to bring down my enemies - justice, if you will - and a worthwhile relationship with a woman."

He paused briefly for a second or so, to collect his own thoughts (which order did he want those two things in?) and to try and read her reaction thus far.

"What are the odds that someone comes along, and might be able to offer me both? It's almost too good to be true."

In his younger years, he would have decided that it was simply fate, but nevertheless he couldn't help but smile, especially as he enjoyed a sip of the wine, which was every bit as lovely as he had hoped, almost reminding him of the one that had been on offer during the Cinyroite Septuagennial. Alas, he had not finished constructing his elaborate point.

"The first of those things I feel should be rather simple to discuss - I already know that I want to work with you on matters of intelligence. You have a certain level of expertise with that, and I have a certain level of resources. It makes sense that working together should only benefit us both in that regard. It is merely the second of those things that is a lot more complex to work out."

He ignored his worry that he was giving too much away - reasoning that in the worst case scenario, where Marie was out to manipulate him in a way not dissimilar to how Charlotte had done for decades, it was his and Connuriste's best chance of foiling those who dared to plot against not just themselves, but the wider world. In a game of 'would you rather', it was preferable for Marie to be his downfall than it would be for the Aurelians to be his downfall. And of course, all of that was predicated on the 'if' of whether or not she intended to take advantage of him.

"Now the way I feel - and let me know if you see it differently..." he began again, smile fading away into a more serious facial expression. "- is that we need to know more about each other before we can properly decide if such a thing is a good idea. I am more than happy to lay out all of my cards on the table, as long as you are equally happy to do the same."

He had another small sip of wine as he sat back and leaned deeper into his chair, knowing that it was wise to save quite a bit of the stuff for later when it came to discussing some specific topics. No doubt Marie would have certain expectations for what a partnership might include, as did he - and there was a lot she would have to know about him for her to make an informed decision.

[Dutch-Empire]

The Duchess of Wied picked up her glass as she listened to Connor, slowly swirling the liquid in her glass thoughtfully. She was glad that they seemed to be on the same page that this was not merely a matter of marriage, but the formation of a partnership that they were discussing. She had, over the decades become annoyed at the idea of playing games. Marie was good enough at it, but there were people who were better and Marie had more than once found herself in a trap because of it. She wished to get directly to the topic.

Marie was a bit perplexed by Connor’s desire for what he called justice. Marie absolutely understood a desire to bring down ones enemies. When you felt wronged, a Fire was lit under you and you had to fight, tooth and nail if you must. Marie had had such a savagery in her heart for so long. It was her vicious nature because of her burning desire to destroy Anna Charlotte that had earned her the title of the She-Wolf of Wied. But in the intervening decades, Marie’s Fire has started to dwindle. As she grew older and her children had children of their own, the Duchess of Wied found the origin of her vendettas muggier and muggier.

Marie’s own experiences made her understanding, but not necessarily sympathetic to others who felt the same way. Or perhaps she had once been sympathetic and time had sand some of it away. People always joked that the Pearsons were cursed and most unfortunate and Marie simply could not agree. The greatest tragedy of theirs had been the loss of Julian Blackthorn, and even then Marie felt it was a pain more to her and Francine’s heart than any of Connor’s family. Each of Marie’s children had been faced with trials and tribulations simply for being who they were, either personally or by blood. Connor’s children’s greatest misadventures had all been, ultimately, of their own doing.

But in the narrow regard of their enemies, Marie felt that she and Connor were connected. There old friends the Aurelians were a common threat, not simply to Marie and Connor, but the world. Where Marie and Anna Charlotte has been a tangled dance of rivals, with the Aurelians, Marie felt... nothing. Like facing an earthquake. It was indiscriminate and uncaring. Marie had watched as they’d stolen her intelligence network from her, and yet they bore her no ill will. The Russen Chancellor had been quite kind to her. Even with Elisabeth d’Aurelians there had been passion and emotion somewhere behind her actions. But they new younger generations had none of that in Marie’s eyes. Not cold nor warm, no love nor hate. Mere... indifference. It was... inhuman and thus unpredictable.

And it was in the other respect that Marie felt she were connected to Connor. Marie had discovered that she didn’t do well alone. She’d been scarred by years of isolation in a Deritain prison—if that hellish nightmare could be called that. And yet all those she had once held close to her were disappearing from her grasp. Nicolaas had been her longest romance, and it had been a terrible, twisted and abusive thing, but it had at least been consistant. The same was true with Francine Blackthorn, who had been her ever present companion for a quarter of a century, but the death of Julian, who’d been her son in her heart, had broken their relationship.

Marie’s children had grown too far distant from her. The Duchess of Wied had been horrified to discover that her own daughter at one point had been ready to approve her execution. It wain part why she had latched so tightly into her grandson. And why her ill advised relationship with Rohan had occurred. Marie had always had to consider her love life with a mind different than simply love. She’d changed, but not that much.

“It is good to know that we already agree that a partnership of our work is for the best. For the safety of our countries, our families and ourselves you must agree that two heads are better than one. Together I believe we shall cancel out each other’s weaknesses and build on our strengths.”

The Duchess of Wied took another sip of her wine. As she pulled the glass away rom her lips, she cradled it gently.

“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised that you seem more concerned about marrying me than you do with allying yourself with me. And I’ll admit I don’t have the greatest track record with husbands.” Marie took on the same serious expression as Connor. “I have had marriages of convenience and of passion, and both can be terrible. I seek a middle ground. I believe we have chemistry and capability, emotionally and physically. I have tried younger men, and I must say, they are not to my liking. I fear a person who has not lived my kind of lifestyle, of royals and fates of nations, would be driven mad by it all, crushed under the weight.”

Marie stared down at her wineglass, her eyes going far away, away to a world of darkness that had been her prison for year after year. She had not seen the sun for five years. She had not heard so much as the sound of another’s human’s voice. “I, I don’t wish to be alone. And I don’t believe you do either. So why not try to not be alone together?”

Marie looked back up, trying to push aside the thoughts of darkness, of being trapped alone again, and forced a mischievous smile. “Plus, I’d rather like to be an Empress. Imagine the world hearing the announcement, Empress Marie, half of them them will have heart attacks.”

[Les Etats Connuriste]

Connor eyes lit up, relatively amused by Marie's mischievous final comment, for it did provide an entertaining mental image, and he had no doubt that the worldwide press, let alone the national press, would have nothing short of a field day with it. Even if Marie and Anna Charlotte had made their peace, it was still intriguing to guess what she might make of it when she returned to their world and learned of the situation in Connuriste. He imagined that overall, there would be very few people caught unsurprised by such an idea, even his small circle of associates and his family would likely find it to be a shock when they first learned of it. He even briefly wondered what kind of odds the gambling industry would offer on a union that was still quite unthinkable in spite of him and the Duchess of Wied having resolved their differences publicly. Even now, he was aware that the flavour of the gossip going around was still that Antoinette would be his next wife, if he were to take one at all.

The Emperor was reassured that not only did Marie seem to already understand his point of view, but practically mirror it. Their letters meant that he was already aware that their perspectives appeared to align, but hearing it aloud, coming straight from her mouth was naturally easier to place more trust in. He too found that in his relationships since Charlotte's passing that relationships with younger women did not work on a serious level. His latest fling with Kitti was always intended to be casual in nature, and whilst Kitti may or may not have hoped something more to her benefit in the form of titles to be a possibility, they had never been something that he had been willing to offer. That 'relationship' in particular had always been one built upon transactional foundations, which wasn't to say that it had been devoid of passion, but more so of genuine emotional attachment. That final thing was a possibility he had entertained with a common woman a year or two ago, and indeed that had been the longest of the relationships so far, but it was still measured in months, not years, before fizzling out. Marie was completely right to say that those unfamiliar with a royals life were not exactly compatible with people as entrenched in it as they were, and in his mind it was almost unfair to subject them to it. Commoners often assumed the life of royalty was one of freedoms from normal struggles, but it came with an entirely different set of restraints, burdens and pressures. Connor had always had a certain degree of chemistry with his long term politically ally (and former schoolmate) Aurelia MacDonald, and she was a woman of impressive capabilities to boot, but now she was married - and even if she wasn't, they could still not exactly be together, not with the new and added scrutiny it would bring to their entire political histories.

And yet, whilst Marie was right as she reasoned why he might have a cautious attitude towards her proposal, whilst she was right to say that their partnership made sense, he wondered what made her so sure that they had emotional and physical chemistry with one another. Perhaps on paper it seemed plausible, but this was only their second meeting. How well did she think she knew him? By his own admission, the Emperor was not a hugely complex man to generally figure out, but someone's actions and ideals never painted a full picture of the people they were beneath the masks that they portrayed to the world. Yes, the Duchess of Wied was an attractive woman, and she may have indirectly revealed that she liked what she saw in him as well, but physical chemistry wasn't something that could be reduced purely to mutual attraction. And needless to say, emotional chemistry was typically more complicated. Being friends was one thing, but marriage was supposed to be about the long term intertwinement of such a thing - no matter how close friends you might be, it didn't necessarily translate well when taken to the next level, even when it came to tolerating someone day in and day out, let alone as a lover. That was part of the reason that Connor had never properly pursued Antoinette despite his interest, for he had the feeling that they wanted different things and wouldn't work as well as partners as they did as friends. He would have seen it as settling, which he was generally opposed to when the context was supposed to be as important as marriage, yet somehow Marie made the idea of settling - or seeking a middle ground, as she had described it - easier to digest. Perhaps it was the potential that with more time together they could build something good, or more likely that perhaps it was that their goals were aligned. Companionship wasn't the only thing on offer, after all. Regardless, Connor still had to consider if she would tolerate his indecisiveness, his vulnerability, and the fact that at least the way he saw it, he was not a man of particularly impressive talents or accomplishments, his best capability probably being that of delegation. It was not as if he was a military man or a tactician, a spymaster or even an extraordinary businessman. The leader of Connuriste didn't even particularly see himself as a master of politics, which if his education was supposed to prepare him for anything, would have been precisely that. It was hardly as if anyone looked up to him as a paragon of strength in any role, and it was a worry of his that Marie could have seen these characteristics as something indicative that she could twist him to her advantage, for he considered it less likely that for some reason she hadn't ever noted that amongst his equals he was relatively unremarkable. He had some anxiety stemming from the rumours he had heard that she hadn't been the best towards Nicolaas in her younger years, but it was not something he remained overly concerned about for he knew himself to be a vastly different person to the one he had been decades ago, no doubt something that was true for her as well.

Perhaps instead there was the possibility that she saw all these things about his character, and simply decided that they could be put up with, or even something that she sympathised with. There were subtle hints that maybe Marie wasn't so immune to having a softer side than her tough exterior and extraordinary feats suggested. Connor did not miss the sort of absent, distant look when she stared into her glass, in fact he felt it was something he recognised, the kind of look in someone's eyes that was born from trouble on one's mind, whether it was just innocuous as anxiety or betrayed something much deeper. Only sociopaths were ever exempt from such things, and although he had once been willing to label her as such, he knew in truth that it wasn't the case. The Duchess of Wied had been shot, imprisoned, been on the run, tied to that psycho Charles II, and separated from her children for long periods. That had to take its toll on a person, no matter the courage that they had - he had no idea how he would cope with all that on his plate when he was not brilliant at dealing with what was on his own.

"We have to be careful that we don't cancel out one anothers strengths, and exacerbate our weaknesses." he reasoned, not deliberately to be a pessimist, but to make sure they had a balanced view of things. "With that in mind, that's why I think it's right to paint a clearer picture of what we might expect from one another in such an arrangement. I know that it would be unfair for me to withhold anything from you that you would inevitably find out at a later point anyway."

Connor reached for his drink again, hoping that it would alleviate some of the nerves as he felt he was getting a little bit hotter, for which he blamed the discomfort that would come from discussing state secrets, and more uncomfortably, his personal secrets. They would ultimately be an Empress's business to know about, and he knew that secrets became harder to spill the longer you kept them for, much like how it was harder to tell the truth the more you lied and got yourself deeper entangled in the web of deceit. Such was his apprehension over the topic that he decided to postpone it to take place after other matters such as general compatibility.

"With that in mind, I do agree that a partnership done right will benefit us both. That is, after all, the purpose of a partnership in the first place." He paused momentarily, trying to find the words to inquire what it was she saw in him beyond the superficial.  "But chemistry is not as straightforward as wanting the same things, and although I'd admit that I admired a lot about you even when we were enemies, I feel it might be premature to judge whatever exists between us so soon."

The words had already left his mouth before it occurred to him that maybe this was what Marie had been alluding to when she mentioned being alone together. A scenario where they could each retain a certain level of independence, but fall back on each other for support if needed. Connor was playing a guessing game, and wanted to wait to see if her response brought him any clarity on the matter, however he gave in to his desire to elaborate further. He didn't want to end his piece on a note that could be considered standoffish. He had suggested laying their cards out in the open, and said it was right to give one another an idea of what they might be after, and he couldn't expect her to go first every time.

"Regardless, I'll let you in on what I'm looking for. You're right to believe that I don't want to be alone. I'm not used to it and I don't like it. I don't want to make excuses, but I've done silly things to try and fill that hole in the past few years." He stifled what would have been an audible sigh, grinning sheepishly. There had been some frivolous acts in his recent history - seeking sex, spending lots of money on fast cars and elegant spacecraft, an increase in habits like smoking and drinking, and he knew none of it was exactly productive or befitting a man of his stature. "I'll spare you the intricate details and specifics about what I'm seeking because otherwise we'd be here for quite a while, but in simple terms the most important thing is honesty. Trust is the foundation of all relationships, and we have to be able to place that in one another to stand up to our enemies to the best of our abilities. It's quite well known that my last marriage had little of either, on both sides to be fair." he conceded casually. Feeling like you were able to tell anything to someone was special in any case, not least when you had a position that meant you had to be very careful with who you shared information with. It bred attachment, a natural liking and sense of closeness and comfort around someone. "I realise that I said it might be premature to jump to conclusions, but I do believe that on an emotional level, as long as we master those two things, we would be fine." He didn't want to say it aloud, but assuming that they could manage that meaningfully, he felt that something physical would only be a logical development, and achieving that would be important to him.

[Dutch-Empire]

Marie listened carefully to Connor, periodically taking sips of her wine as he spoke of trust and honesty being the basis of a lengthy and successful relationship—not simply romantic but any type of relationship: Marie agreed, though that didn’t mean she had practiced it much. She had allowed herself to trust only a few select people in her life. None of them her husbands. Francine Blackthorn of course had her trust. Queen Caroline of Great Hyruke had had it before her untimely death. She trusted her father, the elderly Prince Frederick, Duke of Limburg who had raised her eldest two sons.

She thought on it and her mind came to a blank. That was it. She had no one else. Of her children, maybe she trusted William-Frederick, but it was a one sided status truly, she feared that whilst her son was loyal, to a fault at times, his wife made his priorities drift. And he could be so incompetent that she could never fully let herself rely on him. So that left her friend who was in an extended despressed state in the Hyrukian countryside and her ninety-five year old father in the tropics of Jakarta.

Everyone else Marie has built a relationship with, platonic, political, romantic or otherwise had been either held at an arms length or one of them had betrayed the other. It made for a She-Wolf with a very close off heart. She wasn’t sure if the silver fox of Connuriste would be capable of getting around such defenses. Could she trust Connor with everything? Marie didn’t think she could. Perhaps with much, and perhaps everything moving forward. But not with everything about her. Some things we’re best left unknown. There were things, information and schemes that had existed between only Marie and Caroline, and with the Hyrukian queen’s death, it would be best of those things were to live only as long as Marie did.

Partners they, Marie and Connor, could be. But the Duchess of Wied could not change her soul for the sake of companionship and a crown.

“When I arrived in Londres and approached the late Queen Caroline, God bless her soul, she, a very paranoid but well intentioned woman, asked should she trust me,” Marie said, recalling the moment in Wattingham Palace. “Now, there are too ways to deal with someone with paranoia. The bold truth or the lie that makes them comfortable, calmed. Most people go for the truth, which is often met with dismissal and speculation. A calming lie shall make it easy to befriend them. Yet it means a sword dangles over your head, for should they discover your lie, you shall be in a much worse situation.”

Marie shrugged her shoulders. “So I have adopted the philosophy of tell the truth whenever it shall not harm you. So I told the truth, as I shall do now. No, you shouldn’t trust me. Not yet. Not fully. I am willing to trust you and I am willing to be the type of person who can be trusted. But that demands you know who you can trust in. Check every check in my checkered history and you will see that I have one common thread. I act in my and my family’s best interest. You are the path I see as in my best interest. If you are worried that my politics may changing, that is a matter every couple must consider. But if you fear me being like your last wife, poisoning you and your children, settle your mind. For all my credited status as a She-Wolf, I’ve never killed a husband.”

“People forget I’m the woman who walked away from the Mad King, not the one who killed him.” Marie stirred her wineglass. “Poison isn’t really my thing anyway. In my experience, it is typically men who change their mine as regularly as their outfits. It may seem cold, but it is also true. I wish to be clear that my trust goes hand in hand with fidelity, an allegiance to our vision. As I see it, if our ultimate interests are aligned, why should we have reason to fear one another?”

[Les Etats Connuriste]

Connor listened carefully to the Duchess of Wied as she recounted her relationship with Queen Caroline and the matter of trust between allies. He wondered how close Caroline and Marie had been during the time that she served as the Queen's top advisor, how friendly they had been with each other. After all, the Queen had fallen victim to the same murderer as the one who had taken his son. Connor felt that he had been unfair on his assessment of Caroline during her lifetime, and never had the opportunity to adjust it, ironically aware that his partnership with Marie would open him to the same criticism that Caroline and Marie's co-operation had been met with by some, if not more so given the precise nature of it. The Emperor also quietly felt that he didn't wish to end up the same way as his equal in Hyruke had, slain without consequence, nation handed over to their enemies. Whilst he didn't wish to outlive any more of his children, that did not mean Connor was completely okay with the idea of death, a fate that always seemed to befall his family and friends too soon.

Connor supposed that Marie's philosophy towards truthfulness was much the same as the one he held, tell the truth as long as it doesn't actively work against your interests. Sometimes over the years it had not served him all too well, but perhaps altering it, either to tell more of the truth even when it threatens you or to tell less of the truth would serve him worse. He respected that Marie knew all too well that trust in her was not something that could materialise fully so soon, and that she didn't fear saying it aloud in front of him. Some of the cards he held closest to his chest were matters he did not expect to surface, and if they never were going to, he could live with continuing to conceal them.

"I would like to think that I prefer the devil that I know, rather than the devil that I don't. But I know that those are easy words to say." he said pensively, his facade of being at ease starting to gradually crack. God, he really wanted a cigarette - a habit he'd never been able to rid himself of since he had started. "I've been deceived many times, and such a thing is well within your capabilities, should you be so inclined, yet I can't disagree that co-operation should work in both our best interests. So, let's assume we do this thing, what's our next move from here? How do we 'brand' our partnership?"

In truth, Connor had more or less intended to accept Marie's proposal from the moment he had invited her to the Palace, no matter the small collection of alarm bells that rang in his head. He would regret not taking that leap of faith, a 'small' gamble that could pay off for both the state's and his own personal gain. Maybe it was symptomatic of the increase in his erratic tendencies as of late, but he was only doing what felt right in his gut, which tied itself in knots the more he dwelled upon thinking of all the possibilities the future might bring with the woman directly across from him.

"I mean, we could just jump right into it, or we can build up to the main event at a slower pace. Hypothetically speaking, we can work together informally for some time, if that all goes well we could have an engagement and so on... it gives us time to build up our familiarity and trust with one another accordingly." A smile returned to Connor's face as he thought about how exactly they would 'sell' their partnership to the wider world. This way might not have quite the same shock factor as the world suddenly waking up to a new Empress of Connuriste, but him and Marie could still have some fun toying with everyone's minds, whilst simultaneously growing more assured that the path they chose to walk together was really having the favourable consequences they each hoped it would. "For example, I don't mind helping you grow more accustomed to life in Connuriste before we tackle some of the finest details, if there's anything I could do to that end."

[Dutch-Empire]

Marie pressed her fingers together around her glass, leaning back in her chair as she listened to Connor, honestly surprised by his understanding of her position and philosophy. Part of her had expected him to outright reject her, but it seemed honesty did in fact work in favor of those who employed it. Marie didn't particularly know how she felt about being called the devil that Emperor Connor knew as opposed to the devil that he didn't. That, however, was something, regardless of how she might feel, that she could live with. It was always wiser to deal with the lesser of two evils, and if that was her, it was rather flattering.

Marie separated her fingers and leaned forward towards Connor, a smile twisting on her red lips. She loved how Connor had clearly thought about this, and came to it with a business mindset. It was quite admirable. She had considered exactly that kind of question, fearing that simply scooping each under up into marriage and an alliance would unsettle the rest of the world and only turn more people who already opposed them into greater high alert.

"I'm so glad that you said that," Marie said, "I think that a projected relationship timeline should be made. I think you make a brilliant point in that we should consider our options, and I think that simply jumping into it, as you put it, would be a bit too fast. I think that we should give it," Marie waved her free hand in a circle vaguely, "eighteen months perhaps? Paint the public a lovely story about us. And get to know just how well together we work together, as well as plan on how to counter those hiding in the shadows." Marie paused, smiling at nothing in particular. "You know, I don't think I've actually gotten to plan one of my own weddings. This could give me time to do so, as well as craft the perfect public image for us."

[Les Etats Connuriste]

The Emperor nodded with enthusiasm, in truth excited. It was not quite the overwhelming rush of excitement often synonymous with youth, instead restrained, tempered by decade's worth of cynicism that prevailed in spite of the fact that most of his risks paid off - yet still, he knew one way or the other that he was just starting to write yet another new chapter of his life. Yes, it could always prove to be a mistake, but until the moment that became readily apparent he could only approach it with the eagerness that accompanied anticipation. The Emperor of Connuriste often likened governance to gambling, no matter how well thought a plan was, it always had the potential to suffer mishaps. And with the roll of the dice always came a thrill, a feeling of euphoria that only grew in size the more that was at stake. It was more so than just an alliance or just a marriage that was on the line, or even just making a play in the shadow war against the enemies of his family, the intersection of all three added up to something greater. There had always been a streak of melodrama embedded within the Emperor, and to him what was on the line was the last embers of his hope that he could finally claim a triumph over everyone and everything that had opposed him, his family and his country.

"Eighteen months sounds reasonable to me as a ballpark figure." agreed Connor, picking up his glass. It was truly odd when you genuinely felt that the contents within would bring you closer to reason rather than take you further away from it, but he was having one of those moments right now. This was it - he was actually going through with this grand proposal - and it made him feel giddy. "It's been a long time since I've had a perfect public image, so if all else fails, at least I have that to look forward to." he grinned. "There'll be plenty of events for you to make appearances at whilst we're getting to know each other, get people used to seeing us in the same place, and then in the same place together, so on and so forth."

Perhaps they could even create a tale so convincing that they themselves would grow to believe it, but fantasising about love was a freedom to be 'enjoyed' (if that truly was the right word for it) preferably after the downfall of their enemies. In the moment, he could appreciate his late mother's choice to find another partnership that had came in the form of Anna Charlotte's father. That example had no emphasis on a political partnership on the side, if that was the right term to use, but having someone to keep company and vice versa was already an attractive proposition to the Emperor, even if his status as single had lasted only a few years and not a few decades like it had in her case. He could only imagine what she might think about it, if she was watching him from the next realm. In fact, there was a lot he would have loved to have had her viewpoint on throughout the last fifteen or so years, however long it had been. A regular and strong source of guidance was not something he had the privilege of for much of his life.

"Eighteen months or so, add or subtract some months as and when we see fit, it is no shortage of time for us to learn much from one another. Truth be told, there is much my daughter could learn from a woman of your gifts as well."

He drank as he waved his hand dismissively.

"Without getting too far ahead of ourselves, if we are going to form this partnership there are some ongoing diplomatic matters that I would welcome your input on. It would be fitting for the next Empress of Connuriste to advise on these kind of things." he grinned, unable to say those words without a straight face.

[Dutch-Empire]

Marie chuckled, pleased at how well this was going. She had mixed feelings about serving as a role model for any of Connor’s daughters. She had had limited success with her own daughters. Juliet and Zoë had nothing rejected the path of Marie, which had both its benefits and draw backs, and had resulted in this chasm between them. Though Marie supposed that her parental record was practically spotless compared to Charlotte who poisoned her own daughters.

Marie smirked mischievously, taking a sip of her drink before resting her hands on her crossed legs. Children were one thing. Politics were entirely different thing, though they did occasion intersect. Marie had found that she was better at dealing with the latter. She had found in her more recent years that while as head of state she might have had quite some difficultly, she fell incredibly well into the role of an advisor. She was much better at being the power behind the throne it turned out, than being the one on the throne.

Granted her success in that regard had depended on spies and backdoor deals, intimidation and shots of other acts that if discovered would place her in front of a court for crimes against humanity... again. But one had to break a few eggs to make an omelette. They say the road to hell is pathed with good intentions, Maria said that the way to heaven was cleared by brutal means.

“I might be able to help you in the diplomatic arena. I do have a wee bit of experience with such matters.”