A royal visit [closed]

[Imeriata]

"It seems Imeriata is trying its best to defy that current however, is the interior of these cottages as . . . traditional as its outward appearance, your Royal Prince?" the queen said as they looked at the distant village
"well we indeed do your royal highness as conserving once culture and way of life is indeed one of the greater trademarks of civilization!" Primus answered before he looked at the village again "it really depends your royal highness if it is a slave or non-human village so is it a rather high chance that it is however it would be doubtful that we would find one this far to the south so it is likely that they do have some kind of isolation and some limited electronic devices at their deposal" he said after a moment that he had tried to judge what kind of village it was or if the residents where indeed free men or not.
However when they passed the village so did primus saw something, well nothing strange really as it was right common but the sunset showered the village in golden light making it look as it was on fire and a quick look at his pocket watch confirmed his suspicions that the clock indeed where four which was another sure sign that the winter was not far gone and soon would the sun stop rising at all in the morning and a couple of months in complete darkness could be awaited.

[Izzyshipper]

Queen Sophia stiffened once again at the mention of slaves, at despite a surge of irritation she managed to keep herself from saying anything this time. As the Prince spoke she scoured the outside village, searching to see whether this was a settlement of free citizens or slaves. As she looked she was interrupted, well taken aback really, by the marvellous sunset that took place.

Golden light bathed the settlement in an wondrous tawny glow, and despite Sophia's previous view that Imeriata's landscape was a barren wilderness so bleak and dull, for a moment she gazed and saw true beauty in the harsh landscape.

"Magnificent!" she whispered softly, lost in a true fairy tale villiage for the briefest of moments, before linking once or twice and turning to Prince Primus. "Such beauty in a sunset almost justifies the winter your Royal Prince, although we may not be saying that as the winter chill sets in!"

[Imeriata]

"Such beauty in a sunset almost justifies the winter your Royal Prince, although we may not be saying that as the winter chill sets in!" the queen said as the golden light gave the otherwise grey autumn world a yellow light and a rainbow could even be seen at the other side of the horizon as the rain despite the beautiful sun still fell.

"On the contrary your royal highness it is when the landscape is covered in snow which glitter in the light of the dawn that fändereslandet truly show her beauty!" he said and stopped himself from rambling about different famous federal painters that had captured this specific image and did instead simply said "that is of course the time when the sun raise at all which it do not have the tendency to do half of the winter but the first sunrise for over three months in the snow is indeed something any artists would kill to paint!" he added knowing that he himself had tried to paint the same motive on a couple of occasions despite he never where satisfied with the result even if the servant he brought with him had said so but then again he where a servant and a commoner so his artistic opinions where not the one Primus valued the most.

[Izzyshipper]

The Queen smiled at the mention of Imeriata's snowy landscape, "Indeed your Royal Prince, Snow is rare in our humid land, it is a sight we do treasure to gaze upon." Sophia said, thinking of the few occasions where the conditions had been right for snow in her life. The last time was three years ago, and so enchanted by it Queen Sophia had ordered that state affairs where to be unaddressed for the day.

It had been a wonderful day with her family, yet it was ephemeral as dew and gone the next day. Despite the enjoyment she gained from it she suspected she would not be so happy to see it if she lived in Imeriata, where constant snow ceased to be magical but merely mundane and a pest.

Taking her eyes off the window she turned to speak to Prince Primus, "Tell me your Royal Prince, we so often see the decline of Royal Court in our travels, is it still practised in Imeriata and if so, what is it's function?"

[Imeriata]

The prince simply nodded to the queens comment as the idea of snow where indeed something Primus looked forward to as he never had the problems the commoners had as the palace always where kept as snow free as possible with large roads one could follow in the man sized piles and when he were younger had he always found it a great joy to dig tunnels in them and at the end of the winters had he been the king of a rather substantial sized domain under the snow. His fond memories where however cut off by the queen who said "Tell me your Royal Prince, we so often see the decline of Royal Court in our travels, is it still practised in Imeriata and if so, what is it's function?"

He took a sip of his wine again before he turned to answer her inquiry "the royal court?" he said and thought for a moment how best put his answer into words "It is very much alive and is made up of the various advisories highest members, representatives for the caretakers of his royal highness domains, me of course!" he said and chuckled a bit at his comment "the military high command and various higher members of the nobility or those who rule various important positions or their representatives!"

He took a quick sip from the goblet before he continued "our main duty is then to advise his royal highness and bring up various problems that needs to be brought to his royal highness attention and to act as advocates and prosecutor for both various issues and criminal matters as those are brought to our attention!"

[Izzyshipper]

"Much like our own then" the Queen replied, "However our Privy council rarely attend court at all much. Indeed the Queen herself often finds herself too busy to attend, and usually our husband and daughter attend in our stead."

After explaining simply the role of Izzyshipper's court, the Queen laid back in her seat and began to search through the last remains of the cheeseboard.

Prince Edward, who had been quiet up till now cleared his throat and went to ask Prince Primus;

"So tell me your Highness, are we to meet His Majesty as soon as we reach Imerbürg or are will we meet him later on in the evening or tomorrow?"

[Imeriata]

"However our Privy council rarely attend court at all much. Indeed the Queen herself often finds herself too busy to attend, and usually our husband and daughter attend in our stead." the queen explained to the prince whom simply nodded as it was indeed a sensiable idea and sometimes did he wish that he could skip of the work at court to some one else but the queen ended the conversation by starting to search the cheese tray which seemed shamefully empty so the prince nodded to the elves as they should have at least one tray left and indeed so did the knife ear find one and quickly (or as quickly possible in a moving car without risking to fall) walked up to the queen as and offered it to her.

how she reacted did Primus not have time to see as the prince cleared his throat so Primes turned his head towards him as he said "So tell me your Highness, are we to meet His Majesty as soon as we reach Imerbürg or are will we meet him later on in the evening or tomorrow?"

"I do believe we according to tradition will meet his royal highness in the throne room where the high king is supposed to receive foreign dignitaries but that would be as soon as we arrive at Imerbürg yes!" he said and stopped for a moment before he added "however what will happen when we have arrived am I not really sure of as did not have the foresight to ask the head of staff if they had planed something special to celebrate your royal highnesses arrival!"

[Izzyshipper]

Sophia listened in interest as Edward spoke, as her memory was a bit fuzzy of when Alexander explained the schedule of events to her, and as the Prince replied Sophia took the cheese tray off the elf, saying "thank you" again in Imerian, she picked a rather tasty looking morsel off the tray as Primus finished his sentence.

"I do believe we according to tradition will meet his royal highness in the throne room where the high king is supposed to receive foreign dignitaries but that would be as soon as we arrive at Imerbürg yes! however what will happen when we have arrived am I not really sure of as did not have the foresight to ask the head of staff if they had planed something special to celebrate your royal highnesses arrival!"

Sophia looked up surprised at the young man, "A celebration? My goodness your Royal Prince we did not think our mere presence would be a reason for festivities. Although, before we see his Majesty I may have to change, I fear my dress will get too wet for proper court attire" Sophia lied, the airport was bad enough and she was not going to see the head of an empire and merely get laughed out of court! Despite the Queens wardrobe mishap, she would not admit that the leers of the Imerians had been enough to make her change to Prince Primus, as she doubted she would get much sympathy.

[Imeriata]

The elves bowed before the queen and replied on the same language even if they had a weird accent "it is my pleasure to serve my betters your royal highness!" as they bowed again and drew themselves back to where they stood before as Primus talked to the prince.

"A celebration? My goodness your Royal Prince we did not think our mere presence would be a reason for festivities. Although, before we see his Majesty I may have to change, I fear my dress will get too wet for proper court attire" the queen cut into the conversation and made Primus a bit happy that he had ordered that proper dress earlier even if he had to figure out a way to present it to her without sounding rude about her own choice of clothing, sure a dress that revealed way to much but a dress she had chosen none the less.

"why of course your royal highness!" He said as he abandoned his attempts to figure something out and decided to simply say that it was a gift from the federation to honour her visit and blame the tailor why it was so late "after all the visit of a person with your title do demand to be acknowledged and I do remember that I read in the newspaper about a jousting tournament might be that the court had in mind!" he speculated as he took jet another sip of wine before he continued "I do also believe that it would be manageable to find you a room where you could change undisturbed if you so wished!"

[Izzyshipper]

". . . I do remember that I read in the newspaper about a jousting tournament might be that the court had in mind! I do also believe that it would be manageable to find you a room where you could change undisturbed if you so wished!"


If the Queen had been shocked before it was nothing to what she felt now. "A jousting tournament? My how very grand, such activities have not been in Izzyshipper for generations! We should very much like to see that your Royal Prince!" Sophia looked at her husband excitedly, Edward looked more bemused at her than anything else.

"Roi durna ets a copara carna, fi?" he asked softly in Izzerian, to which the Queen merely waved a hand at;

"Ets tradacia, al botta Oh'n certana ets grazia!" she murmered just as softly. Shaking her head slightly and rearranging her mind back to English Sophia spoke once again to Primus, "As I was saying, your Royal Prince we are most looking foward to such an event, and thank you for allowing me a brief interval before meeting with His Majesty."

Roi durna ets a copara carna, fi? = You Realise its a blood sport, yes?"

Ets tradacia, al botta Oh'n certana ets grazia! = it's traditional! And besides I'm sure it's volountary!

[Imeriata]

"As I was saying, your Royal Prince we are most looking forward to such an event, and thank you for allowing me a brief interval before meeting with His Majesty." the queen said after she had finished her conversation with her husband and as Primus himself had used Imerian on more than one occasion so had he no right to complain so instead did he simply said "I do assure you your royal highness that it is indeed something to look forward to as it is not much that can overcome a test of skill like that as two lardins* ride at one another with armour of our ancestors with lances lowered trying to get the other one to fall in the mud!" most likely so would the spectacle not involve any of the more exciting aspects where one or teams of lardins tried to take on beasts in a battle to the death as most foreigners found those competitions rather appealing for some reason and sure it was sad when the contestant fell but he died as a warrior and it would not be a competition if the challenger always won.

---

*OOC: Imerian name for their answer on a knight

[Izzyshipper]

"I do assure you your royal highness that it is indeed something to look forward to as it is not much that can overcome a test of skill like that as two lardins ride at one another with armour of our ancestors with lances lowered trying to get the other one to fall in the mud!"

The prince explained, and Sophia has to admit it did sound exciting. When she was young she had been raised in fairy tales, where the Princess gave her favoured knight her token to win on the jousting arena. Such childish stories had always enthralled the young Sophia, who as a Princess at the time had found the stories to be even more interesting than even an average child. Indeed when she was four she had refused to let anyone cut her hair for four months in case she would have to throw it out a window for someone to climb up.

Now an adult Queen Sophia had grown out of such things, but it sill appealed to her romantic sense of chivalry that had so enchanted her as a child.

"My it does sound fun, and indeed young men do tend to enjoy such sports, although I have to admit I was partial to fencing when I was a Princess, although I gave it up when I took the throne, I did not think it becoming for a Queen."

[Imeriata]

"My it does sound fun, and indeed young men do tend to enjoy such sports, although I have to admit I was partial to fencing when I was a Princess, although I gave it up when I took the throne, I did not think it becoming for a Queen." The queen explained and primus had to agree as no matter how often women had reached Imerian high government positions and that they were treated as equals as only birthright should determinate once chances so had he as most Imerians thought that such violent activities where nothing befitting a lady and there were much more appropriate and more traditional activities they could indulge themselves in.

Then on the other hand could he understand her wish to practice such a sport as even if it was the international variant instead of the Imerian version where you fought with two dull blades and armour so where it indeed still an enjoyable activity so he did instead only reply "I can surely understand why you thought fencing an interesting game as swordplay is a rather challenging sport while still being dignified!"

[Izzyshipper]

"I can surely understand why you thought fencing an interesting game as swordplay is a rather challenging sport while still being dignified!" The Prince said, and the Queen had to agree that the majority of the nobility and royalty she had met had always been the sort for sports such as boxing, fencing and even archery.

"Indeed your Royal Prince, it is a delightfully combination of mental agility and physical prowess, indeed it is one of the very few things we miss about our time as the Crown~Princess. I suppose you shall find it out yourself when you become King, you have so much power but are denied many of the freedoms even the poorest of workers have. For we are bound by the eyes of the court and the people." Sophia explained, thinking of her time as the Heir Apparent which was a mixed experience to say the least, it was she remembered a time of comparative personal freedom, where her every move was not scrutinised by the media and court.

[Imeriata]

"Indeed your Royal Prince, it is a delightfully combination of mental agility and physical prowess, indeed it is one of the very few things we miss about our time as the Crown~Princess. I suppose you shall find it out yourself when you become King, you have so much power but are denied many of the freedoms even the poorest of workers have. For we are bound by the eyes of the court and the people." the queen said and while Primus did not really understood what she meant did he for the sake of curiosity nodded, as a ruler of the kingdom of Imeriata in his father’s place so did he himself have some rather large responsibilities to take care of but he still had the freedom to do a lot of things he found pleasurable, sure some would say that, that was only because his father intervened in his realm more often than the others as it was not only closer but he had himself ruled it for a rather long time before him but still it should not be totally impossible to rule and still have fun he thought to himself, as she where the queen so should her will be law and as a result would ruling be quick and efficient and Primus did actually looked forward when he himself where king and could rule without having anyone to consult if he did not felt that where necessary.

"I do believe I will manage your royal highness just as all my ancestors have managed to keep our domain intact for as long as this real where but a single kingdom as for the eyes of the people have I always found them rather distant and those of the court have always been something you could silence if you had the right knowledge or the right things in your possession!" he said as not only where he sure that he could probably get at least some free time as the sole ruler of his nation but he were also as it expected to do what he at least himself considered where amusing as it was expected out of any civilized gentleman.

[Izzyshipper]

"I do believe I will manage your royal highness just as all my ancestors have managed to keep our domain intact for as long as this real where but a single kingdom as for the eyes of the people have I always found them rather distant and those of the court have always been something you could silence if you had the right knowledge or the right things in your possession!"

When Sophia heard the Prince speak she gave out a small laugh, thinking him naive. "Silence the Court? A collection of the most influential and wealthy people of the land? My goodness if you displease the court your Royal Prince you will find your rule short and turbulent I'm afraid! Take some advice from a long time Queen, if you do not listen to your dear friends at court you will not notice when they become your enemies!"

Sophia hesitated after she spoke, not wanting to appear all knowing or condescending she spoke again, "Of course I am sure when the time comes you will be most ready for your time as King. Even as unprepared as I was when I was crowned I managed to get along some how

[Imeriata]

"Silence the Court? A collection of the most influential and wealthy people of the land? My goodness if you displease the court your Royal Prince you will find your rule short and turbulent I'm afraid! Take some advice from a long time Queen, if you do not listen to your dear friends at court you will not notice when they become your enemies!" the queen said and Primus where reluctantly forced to agree that she had a point but he had not really any chance to argue for his words despite that he had actually found out that a couple of bribes, a few nice words and some promises had a astounding ability to make the nobility see things his way, sure he had only dealt with the proper Imerian nobility but he had not really any doubts that the rest of the court would be that hard to control, sure he knew from personal experience what a stubborn and powerful man lord Edward of the royal foreign relation advisory was but he where surely a exception to the rule than anything else however so where his thoughts cut short before the queen continued.

"Of course I am sure when the time comes you will be most ready for your time as King. Even as unprepared as I was when I was crowned I managed to get along some how" and whatever its purpose was so did Primus feel a bit better of himself

"Thank you for your trust your royal highness it is all but to much!" Primus said as the car once more entered the forest after the short muddy field.

[Izzyshipper]

"Thank you for your trust your royal highness it is all but to much!"

Sophia smiled slightly at the young Prince, and the surrounding evening light was cut off as they entered yet another forest. She decided to move the conversation to something lighter, as she found herself forgetting that Primus was only nineteen years of age, although he seemed so much older than even her own son, who was twenty-two years old. Perhaps the heavy duties and resposibility that being Duke of Imeriata had matured him earlier than most youths, as indeed becoming Queen at nineteen had done to her. Before adressing Primus she turned to the elves and began to search the smattering of Imerian she had learned before the trip to ask the elves for a glass of water.

"skullo ni hava . . . vanlighaten itt tage fram in glass auf . . .vatter?" She tried, guessing the last word for water. Hopefully correct in her estimation, she turned to Prince Primus.

"Tell me your Royal Prince, how long have you been Duke of Imeriata?"

[Imeriata]

The elf nodded and bowed "Sam eders khöngliga höghet önskar äro var lag!" she said as she withdrew to do as she was ordered to do and Primus was about to commend her Imerian as it was all but flawless but he never had the choice as she turned towards him and said "Tell me your Royal Prince, how long have you been Duke of Imeriata?"

"For most of my life in fact as my grandfather died the same year I was..." he stopped a moment trying to get past a word he would not rather use to much in civilized conversation as he looked for a better word "I was brought into this world!" he said even if he could not help that he blushed a bit "although" he continued as best as he could "when I was younger so where I mostly a figure head and it was firstly when I became a adult seven years I could rule properly aside my studies instead of the noblemen that had mostly ruled themselves earlier under the watchful eyes of his royal highness!" he finished as the elf servant re-approached the queen with the liquid she had requested and cut in as discretely as she could "Eders khögnliga höghets vatten sam eders khöngliga höghet eftersakte!"

Primus waited until the queen had received her water before he himself asked "if your royal highness do not mind me asking how long have your royal highness yourself ruled your own domain and her subjects?"

"sam eders khöngliga höghet önskar äro var lag!" = as her royal highness wish is my law
"Eders khögnliga höghets vatten sam ni eftersakte!"= your royal highness water your royal highness requested

[Izzyshipper]

“ . . . Since I was brought into this world” as the Prince danced around the concept, Sophia couldn’t help but hide a smile behind her hand as she saw the Primus’s cheeks redden. He surely could not have thought that a woman who had given birth to four children and been married for twenty-six years could possibly be embarrassed by such things.

“ . . . seven years I could rule on my own properly” Queen Sophia did a quick calculation in her head before she realised that the Prince would have been twelve when he became Duke of Imeriata. Surely he could not have been entrusted with such power at a young age; she knew marriage was possible in the Imerian nobility at this time but even with that it seemed like a big step.

She was interrupted in her ponderings when the elf came towards her offering her glass of water at least that is what she assumed as she did not understand the Imerian she spoke to her. Taking the glass she thanked the Elf woman, and took a sip of the cool water before replying to the question Primus asked her.

"if your royal highness do not mind me asking how long have your royal highness yourself ruled your own domain and her subjects?"A mischievous glint entered her eye before she replied, “My goodness your Royal Prince, and we thought you a gentleman, but here you are asking a woman her age!” she gave a small laugh before speaking next, “We merely jest your Royal Prince, our dear father died in 1989, where we ascended the throne when I was nineteen. We have since then reigned for twenty-one years, and we hope we learned a little more than when we were that scared girl!”

[Imeriata]

“My goodness your Royal Prince, and we thought you a gentleman, but here you are asking a woman her age!” the queen said and primus face lost its colour as she obviously had mistaken his simple question and he started with a “I” before the queen interrupted his thought out apology as she to his relief laughed a bit and said “We merely jest your Royal Prince, our dear father died in 1989, where we ascended the throne when I was nineteen. We have since then reigned for twenty-one years, and we hope we learned a little more than when we were that scared girl!”

I am sure your royal highness have Primus said even if he was a bit unsure why she would refer to someone that was 19 as a little girls as most persons he knew had not only started their careers and even had both married and gotten themselves their own heir but he decided not to comment on the fact and did instead continued as nothing do make you grow up as duty towards ones superiors and fänderesland even if you do make some mistakes in the beginning so do you learn quickly in my experience! he finished as he remembered the mistakes he himself had done during his first years as ruler of his father’s realm.

[Izzyshipper]

“I am sure your royal highness have as nothing do make you grow up as duty towards ones superiors and fänderesland even if you do make some mistakes in the beginning so do you learn quickly in my experience!”

Queen Sophia nodded at Primus’s comment, “Indeed your Royal Prince, we have made a few of those! Yet we do feel that we were aged before the course of our young life had ended. Although we were with child when we were seventeen, and motherhood is certainly something that makes one mature.”

Sophia said, thinking of the time when she had hid her pregnancy from her father for the entire year, leaving the court for a “Royal Tour” of the Sevri Islands, which she was Archduchess of at that time. It had been tumultuous time, where she had been terrified of people discovering either her secret marriage or daughter, and although she had hated herself for thinking it she had been slightly relieved when her father died, and she could be Queen.

[Imeriata]

“Indeed your Royal Prince, we have made a few of those! Yet we do feel that we were aged before the course of our young life had ended. Although we were with child when we were seventeen, and motherhood is certainly something that makes one mature.” the queen said as the car drove over a specifically bumpy road and a shocked peasant led his horse and cart of turnips of the road the let the car pass by while he said something to the companions he had brought with him from whatever village he had left.

"I would of course not really know how being a mother would affect ones character your royal highness as I am not even father myself but I am sure that you are quite correct on that point!" Primus said as the peasants disappeared behind the forest as they took a turn on the muddy road, although that he said it so lightly so where it something most members of court and the nobility raised their eyebrows over the issue as he was almost twenty and had not yet fathered a heir to the throne and even if he had married at an extremely late age compared to most marriages so where it still something he had to deal with and the horror that he or his wife where cursed and unfruitful was something that cased a bit stress on his side as it would effectively cut of his branch of the royal family that had ruled over the lands around them since the dawn of the kingdom almost one and a half millennia earlier.

[Izzyshipper]

"I would of course not really know how being a mother would affect ones character your royal highness as I am not even father myself but I am sure that you are quite correct on that point!"

Primus said as they passed a disgruntled group of villagers who had to go to the side of the road to make way for their car. She cringed slightly at their look of annoyance, “I hope we haven’t caused any problems . . .” she muttered under her breath as she craned her head to see the villagers trot away with their horse. It was odd, thought Sophia to see a horse, but she supposed that the Imerian commoners would be unable to afford any sort of mechanised assistance.

She thought wryly that the reverse was true in Izzyshipper, where horses were mostly kept by the rich and the wealthy, while the majority of the adult population owned some sort of automobile. Suddenly realising she had left Prince Primus waiting for a reply she quickly turned round to speak to the young royal.

“Well children do change ones life irreversibly you Royal Prince, although I am sure you shall find out soon enough. After all we were 33 when we had our youngest child, and you are just nineteen! I am sure by the time you ascend the throne you’re poor wife will be overrun with children!”

[Imeriata]

“Well children do change one’s life irreversibly you Royal Prince, although I am sure you shall find out soon enough. After all we were 33 when we had our youngest child, and you are just nineteen! I am sure by the time you ascend the throne you’re poor wife will be overrun with children!” the queen said which made Primus look at her with surprise before he regained his manners just a little but not before he had said "33 your royal highness?"

It was a bit rude he realized so he did quickly added "if your royal highness do not mind me asking but that do seem a bit late compared to most people I know!" in hope to hide his most embracing outburst as he flushed a bit and felt that the conversation did not really headed to civilized topics so he did decide to change the topic as soon as he had the ability to do so, but if he were to do so just after asking a question and not give her the ability to reply would not only be rude but it would also be unchivalrously and not a behavior worthy of a prince.