Raising a Dynasty (IC| Meillur Only)

[Dutch-Empire]

Amsterdam, The Netherlands

Anna Charlotte was dressed in one of her latest dresses, wearing her beautiful and famous Princess Necklace with a long flowing gray dress with a pink flower pattern. The Empress of the Dutch was to journey to Switzerland with her husband, Prince Consort Henri. Anna Charlotte, she had decided to have her two youngest sons, the second set of twins to be raised in Geneva were the Emperor and Empress of Etats Connuriste had recently had two baby girls. Anna Charlotte was already the mother of five, now seven, and she was being tactical.

Prince Anton and Prince Rafaël, the first true Princes of the Netherlands as they were the first to be born whilst Anna Charlotte was the actual ruler of the Dutch Empire; were to live in Geneva. They would be put under the care of their much older cousin, the frequently divorced Princess Marie Karoline. Marie Karoline, who was Anna Charlotte's neice by marriage through her husband, Prince Henri was single and childless and Henri thought that it would be good for her to get to raise children.

Anna Charlotte walked out of her bedroom that was in the Amsterdam Palace into the nursery across the hall. Anna Charlotte was a mother through and through, and she promised herself and her husband and her little baby sons that she would visit and care for them when she could. She would love Anton and Rafaël forever and always. She picked up her sons and kissed the small babies and put them in their respective carriers. Blue for Anton and red for Rafaël.

The Empress picked up the two carriers and walked with them downstairs into the living room where her other children were there waiting, Jacques, Jean, Alfred, Elizabeth and Henry. The older set of twin boys; Jean and Jacques, who were now 17 years old were dressed casually as was the rest of the Imperial Family of the Dutch. Jean was looking at one of the old paintings that lined the walls of the palace. Meanwhile Jacques ans Alfred were busy on their phones texting.

"Hey kids, we leave in five, where is your father?"

"In Argentina."

That response came from Prince Alfred, Alfie. Alfie was only 15 years old, but he was the eldest child of Anna Charlotte and her first husband, Henry Percy. Alfie and Elizabeth had both been hurt about the divorce, though it changed nothing between them and their siblings, they looked at their mother differently, especially Alfie. He refused to see Henri as his father and saw his real dad Henry Percy as his father. Anna Charlotte but her lip slightly hurt by Alfrie's words.

"Alfred, now you know that was not appropriate."

"Sorry."

Anna Charlotte signed and put Anton and Rafaël down. Elizabeth, Henry and Jean both silently looked at their moody teenage brother shocked by his words. The divorce had been nearly three years ago now and still he made it a big deal.

But today would not be willed with Alfie's moods, today they would take a quick trip to Geneva, stay a few days and such. Anna Charlotte wiped away a small tear and looked for her husband, trying to find out where he was.

[Communist Espana]

Henri Borbòn, Prince Consort of the Dutch and Prince of Asturias was pulling on his jacket as he hurried into the living room. Henri was still relatively new with being a father, sure he had father two sons, Jean and Jacques (whom he still struggled on seeing the different between the two) but he had not been in their lives. Now he had had more children, Anton and Rafaël (The Dutch version of what Henri had wanted to call them, Antoino and Raphael). Henri placed his hands gently on his wife's shoulders and kissed her cheek.

"I am right here darling. Come on, are we all ready?"

[Dutch-Empire]

Anna Charlotte smiled as her faces warmed as her husband kissed her. Anna Charlotte for years had felt such great passion for Henri that even now she felt as if she could barely contain herself. She turned around and looked up at the handsome Spainard. The Spanish Prince who spoke no Spanish.

"Love you."

"Mom!"

A chorus of disgusted teenage boys, Jacques, Jean and Alfie complained at the public display of affection between their parents. Meanwhile Princess Elizabeth giggled and smiled at her mom and (step) dad. Like most little girls she border lines saw love as pretty and gross. But she had concluded long ago that adults were very weird creatures. Anna Charlotte laugh at her son's, rolling her eyes.

"How do you think you all were made, hmm? First kisses, then some wine, and then you-"

"Mom!"

The Empress was cut off by yet another outcry, this time to shut her up. Jean looked over at his mother and father shocked and quite clearly horrified at the idea of his parents doing what needed to happen to have children. How could she be so cruel as to implant such vile images into their head. Jean walked over to Prince Henry, who was not even paying attention and covered Henry's ears.

"We have innocents in the room."

[Communist Espana]

Henri chuckled at his sons and stepson. Anna could really surprise him at times, she was usually so Celestetain amount things, he guess she liked to sometimes trip people up with outburst of things. Henri rubbed his eye and looked back at his kids.

"Well, your mother is right. Though for some of you that be a conversation for later. Now come, is everyone ready to hit the road?"

Henri was excited to go to Geneva, he loved his sons Anton and Rafaël, but he simply thought that it might be better to have them live in Geneva, at least for now. And he wanted his niece, Marie Karoline to raise them cause he truly believes that she needed it. Her divorces had broken her heart two too many times. She needed to have someone to care for, someone to love. And if she couldn't have kids of her own, Henri would simulate it.

[Dutch-Empire]

Jean uncovered his younger brother's ears and Anna Charlotte laughed. The family, the Dutch family that wasn't really Dutch stood up and got ready to go. The footmen that served the Imperial had already packed up the jet that they would be taking to Ghent, then to Grenelefe and finally to Geneva. They would get in the car and be taken to the airport. In the Empress and the Imperial Family's absence she would be having her cousin Aura, Archduchess of the Netherlands and Burgundy and Princess of Belgium serve as Regent. Aura had done so unofficially throughout the years and she held large land plots legally and she was 65 and inambitious.

"Alright, let's go."

Anna Charlotte, never one to do struggle work handed Prince Anton over to Henri and brushed a strand of her hair out of her face and then picked up Rafaël. She lifted up the carrier and handed over to Jean.

"Jean, can you carry your brother."

It wasn't really a question even if it sounded like one and so the young Prince took the carrier, looking down at his brother, titled already as the Duke of Ede.

"Of course mother."

Anna Charlotte then turned and grabbed the two baby bags. Prince Jacques, the eldest son and older twin was already and took the bags from his mom before she could even ask. Anna Charlotte, as liberal as her political agenda was (mostly due to the liberal men she was with, her husband, father and sons), she herself was very much conservative. Men carry heavy things and that was that.

As they got everything they walked out the door, Prince Alfred opening the door and holding it, something even the gloomy boy had learned from his mother and father. Elizabeth and Henry were first out, then Ann Charlotte and her husband followed by Jean and Jacques. Jacques turned to close the door, but the valet, an elderly man named Frederik on Vicers had already done so.

"Merci Vicers."

The large family piled into the limousine whilst Jean locked Anton and Rafaël into their car seats.

[Communist Espana]

Prince Consort Henri buckled in himself and Henry and Elizabeth. He placed his hand over Anna's own.

"I have never been to Geneva before, one can only imagine how nice it will be, imagine how beautiful is. The mountains, the snow, the giant lake. I can not wait to see it."

[Dutch-Empire]

As the car left the front of the Amsterdam Palace to go to get quickly to the airport, Prince Jacques and Prince Alfred returned back to their phones. Alfie placed his earphones in and began listening to his music whilst Jacques looked at the latest updates on social media, snapping a quick selfie of himself. Anna Charlotte wasn't much better, unlocking her hot pink smart phone with a push of her thumb on a button.

Jean, the one son who wasn't completely dependent on his phone, well, most of the time anyway; laughed at his mother and brothers. Instead he played with his little brother Prince Anton, Rafaël had gone straight to sleep once they entered the car. Anton giggled and grabbed Jean's finger trying to put it into his mouth. Elizabeth, delighted by her baby brothers craned her neck trying to look at the laughing infant.

Meanwhile the car speed through the city, a motorcade of cars and guards protecting one of the most important families in the world.

[Communist Espana]

Henri smiled and relaxed, closing his eyes to snooze. He hated car rides, he hated that he had to wait to get places. After all Henri had waited for many things. He had waited to be freed from prison in Madrid. He had waited to be an adult. He had waited for Anna, to marry her. If seem that he spent so very much of his life waiting and so small tedious things such as waiting between home and the airport, of a simply car ride annoyed him ever so much.

[Dutch-Empire]

The motorcade reached the airport, upon where the Imperial Family of the Dutch were instructed to exit and make their way to the private jet. The jet had been a gift of Anna's fathers. He had given it to her six years ago when she had become Archduchess of Benin. And even though she no longer ruled over that small part of the globe, she had kept the jet. With ease and grace of an experienced empress, the beautiful Empress exited the car followed by her children.

[Communist Espana]

Prince Henri grabbed the two youngest children, his beautiful sons, Anton and Rafaël and climbed out of the vechicle, following his wife. That was one thing that the Spanish Prince was learning and hating. He was merely a consort and that put him two steps behind Anna Charlotte. It was not that he minded women taking the lead, after all his mother, Queen Veronica, and two of his dear sisters, Infantas Antonia and Raphaella, we're all very strong and entitled and most importantly, at least to them, empowered.

However that did not mean that it made things easy. Henri did not want to spend his entire life, his entire marriage playing second fiddle. He had played that role for far too long already. He was second to brother, King Carlos II by rank. He was second to his brother by age as well. He had been second to Henry Percy as Anna's husband. He had played second far too long.

And so as Prince Consort Henri carriered his two youngest son's in their carrier, he tried to shake his mind of being second. He instead moved as quickly as he could to get over to the private jet, taking the lead.

[Dutch-Empire]

As they entered the jet via up the steps, Anna Charlotte following her husband, she went over the rules in the jet.

"Remember kids, no jumping or running. Don't go walking around unless Captain Gor says it's okay. And when told please get of of your phones and pads and pods and watches and tablets and whatever."

There was a collective groan from the children but no one really protested. Besides, it would be a short flight from Amsterdam to Ghent to visit the Archduchess of Netherlands and Burgundy as well as pick up her grandson, currently Prince Jacques's love interest of the decade.

The Imperial Family entered the Airborne 539 whilst the pilot and the co-pilot, Captain Gor, a older man from Benin with bright white hair, and Captain Emezal a much younger man who was still relatively new to flying, a Dutchman whom The Empress recently hired.

The stairs that went up to the jet folded up and then front door to the private jet closed up behind them. Soon the private jet was being taxed by employees of the airport. The Airborne 539 was soon being started up as the engines turned on, soon it was hitting the run way and beginning to climb up into the atmosphere, the wheels disappearing into the vechicle.

The flight was a quick one, lasting only 40 minutes, during which they all watched a short movie on Netflix. Something comical but unrememberable. Around 10:35 the Airborne 539 was landing in Ghent.

[Communist Espana]

Henri stood up and stretched, rolling his neck. Ghent was a place that he was not really common with, other than the fact that his sister and brother-in-law lived here for part of the year.

Infanta Antoina, who at 44 years old was the eldest child of Queen Veronica of Navarre. However for all legal purposes, people believed that instead Infanta Antonia was only 41 years old. The princess had been born a bastard, therefore there were some complications until things could be settled. Infanta Antoina, like Henri's other half sisters, were technically princesses of Espana, Portugal and Navarre, but the throne of Espana was off the table for them.

Henri chuckled as he thought of how Navarre, Espana and Portugal in that order have a monarch from each generation, Veronica being the first, Carlos II being second as Veronica's son, and Luís II of Portugal as a grandson of Veronica being the third.

[Dutch-Empire]

The Children of Anna Charlotte were ready to get off the private jet. Prince Jean grabbed the younger twins and then all filled out of the jet, climbing down the steps. Anna Charlotte turned to Henri, speaking softly.

"Do you think that your sister will be there? Antonia can be so... You know. But it would be nice to see her, after all her daughter is going to be taking care of Anton and Rafaël."

Prince Jacques shivered silently. Auntie Antonia was a stuffy old woman in his opinion. She wasn't exactly the most open minded person, and she was Catholic to the core. Though Jacques guessed that he couldn't expect much better for a Infanta of Espana.

[Kingdom of Derita]

Prince Reschnov smiled as he walked out of the airport building up to the private jet. The eldest son and child of Princess Aura, the former Queen of Serbia, Reschnov took after his father and grandfather. He was a giant, 6'5" tall. He wasn't as fat as his father, his weight was far more stable and his shape more muscular. At his side was Princess Antonia, Prince Consort Henri's older sister.

The Prince had arrived so he himself could escort the the visiting Dutch Imperial Family to the palace here in Ghent to see Reschnov's mother. Guards flanked the Prince as he spoke to the Empress.

"Your Imperial Majesty, it is nice to have you visit us here in Ghent."

[Communist Espana]

Prince Henri laughed a little. he whispered into his wife's war as they walked up to Reschnov and Antonia.

"Speak of the devil."

Prince then smiled brightly, stepping forward to hug his sister. Antonia as dressed as usual in a regal black and red dress with golden thread. Infanta Antonia was a woman very much aware of her position and ancestry, taking great pride in it. The colors of her dress were usually red and black for colors of Navarre, where her aging father was the king with her aging mother. She was also are that as the wife of Prince Reschnov, she was to look her very best, at all costs.

Around Antonia's neck was a series of golden necklaces, a large gold and Ruby gem cross of Jesus being the centerpiece of them all. Antonia had once been very pretty, and now she looked more homely and like that of a older mother and wife. Her long black hair was loose, hanging down past her shoulders whilst her eyes, with wrinkles at the sides bright as she hugged her younger brother, by far her favorite. King Carlos II was self obsessed and a bit scheming and such that was all unpleasant to her. Her younger brother Jean-Pedro had been gamblist and had turned crazy before he died. Henri was her favorite.

Ah, Henri, how good it is to see you here. You visit so rarely. Ah, and you brought the little children."

Infanta Antonia walked forward and aggressively pinched the cheeks if her nephews, Jacques and Jean. Though she couldn't really tell which was which.

"They are so precious!"

"Thank you sister. Though please, don't rip the cheek off of their faces."

[Dutch-Empire]

Anna Charlotte curtsied politely to Reschnov. They had only meet once before at Anna and Henri's wedding, though she knew the older prince was a gentleman and great courtier. Anna Charlotte turned to Antonia, hoping that she had not heard here from just moments before. She did not want to offend her sister-in-law.

"Antonia, Reschnov, it is so nice to see you both once again. How have you been?"

Prince Jacques and Jean both grumbled as Auntie Antonia tired to kill their faces with her bony fingers.

"Heyyyy Auntie Antonia."

As she released them, Jacques rubbed his cheek, holding to ease the pain, Jean, who was holding his younger brothers had to simply suffer through the pain. Meanwhile their siblings, Alfie and Elizabeth were more formal. Elizabeth curtsied politely, her voice uncharacteristicly small as she spoke to them.

"Hello."

Alfie meanwhile looked up from his phone and merely nodded his head in greeting and returned to his phone. Prince Henry grinned, stepped forward and shook Reschnov and Antonia's hands vigorously.

[Kingdom of Derita]

Prince Reschnov smiled at the visiting royal family that was also his in-laws through his marriage with his wife. Reschnov linked his arms with Antonia and waved his hand in a peaceful and gentlemanly gesture.

"Please, follow me Your Imperial Majesty. I will take you all to the Ghent Palace. My mother will be delighted to see you all."

[Communist Espana]

Henri smiled happily and followed the example of his brother-in-law and Linked arms with his dear beloved wife, Anna. In this way, he could feel, if for only a brief moment, that he was the one who could be in charge and lead them after the the Prince and Princess of Hollande and Serbia.

"I will delighted to see her again as well. The wise and grand Princess is a marvelous woman and great sovereign."

Antonia smiled at her husband and walked proudly beside her husband. She wanted to seem that she was a great woman who was proudly showing off her adoptive country to her brother and the imperial family of the Dutch Empire.

[Dutch-Empire]

Anna Charlotte was more than happy to follow. Holding the skirts of her dress in one hand and the hand of her son, Prince Henry in the other, she followed them. Elizabeth and Alfie walked directly behind their mother, Elizabeth getting a bit too close to Alfie, her foot stepping on the back of his heels, much to his annoyance.

"Hey, watch it Eliza."

"Sorry Alfie."

Alfie rolled his eyes, he hated when his sister said his nickname. It sounded so much like a kids name. Then again Alfred itself made it sounds as if he was old old, like Mom and Henri's age, which had to be like a gazillion or something.

[Kingdom of Derita]

Prince Reschnov lead the group out of the small private part of the airport, the few civilians who were there crowded around in hoping to gain a picture. The Royal guards kept them back and they reached the car that Reschnov had gotten for them. It was a big black hummer limousine, with bullet proof Windows and sides, just in case. The Prince opened the door, letting in his wife's dear in-laws before he himself entered the car.

With the dozen or so royals in the protected vechicle, the Royal guard motorcade was off and on it's way, traveling through the city of Ghent with ease that only royalty could really have. The motorcade slowly curved south from the main of the city till they were just a little bit outside of it next to the lazy river that rolled next to it. It was here that the elaborate palace of Reschnov's youth lay.

The palace was more like a series of rectangles, with grand gardens in the middle and interconnecting walk ways and halls than one single building. It was hot in Derita, and so it kept the buildings nice and cool, and provided never ending beauty of flowers and water and nature in general.

The car grounded to a halt and once again, Prince Reschnov himself opened the door for everyone to file out of.

[Dutch-Empire]

The Empress of the Dutch smiled as she entered into the palace. Anna Charlotte looked around looking at the beautiful building. Meanwhile her children followed the example, especially Princd Jacques who was amazed to see that this was the building where his boyfriend lived.

[Kingdom of Derita]

Prince Reachnov chuckled as he looked at his guests looking around that the palace. The Ghent Palace, like all Dertain Palaces, had a deep history, if a bit shorter in this chase. André Le Vau, the now 71 year old architectural master and Imperial favourite had designed the palace for Reschnov's grandmother in 2019, though building didn't start until 2023. For that reason, the four eldest children of Princess Aura; Reschnov, Christiné, Marie Karoline and Auguste; had been born in Serbia whilst the rest where born later in Ghent.

In the last 39 years, the palace has been the home of the Second Celeste Generation of Royals, those who will sooner or later inherit the thrones and crowns of Europe. Most famous is of course being Reschnov's sisters. However it was here in Ghent in the hospital wing of the building that the famous son of Prince Reschnov had been born, the Duc d'Angoulême.

But Reschnov was not a historian, that study fell to his brother, William-Alexander Sr., who had the family curse of at least one family member in every generation being a gosh darn history buff. Surprisingly enough, it was also through William-Alexander, who now well into his 30's had been the cause of such great scandal and shock through his various sexual preferences and exploits. Reschnov could never figure out how his boring brother was surrounded by such a sex involved web of people.

They reached the throne room where Prince Reschnov's mother was seated. Princess Aura was not like most Regents. She was good at being a people's person, but political she was a child. She was terrible at spending, but she was much better than her husband. Her ways should have had her failed years ago, yet she somehow ran things very well with some help. The Princess, though for here the title was more on the level of a queen do to her great power, was not an intimidating woman.

Light skinned, freckles across her face, her brown eyes covered by purple glasses and her hair was very short, especially for a Deritain, barely shoulder length. It was dyed black to cover the gray. She was also chubby, at 203 pounds she was large. In a nation where a woman's perfect figure was everything, Princess Aura had come to expect her body. She also had small fingers and a small nose. She wore a long Celeste style gray and black dress with stripe designs on her shoulders. At seeing the arriving Empress, Princess Aura clapped her handles excitedly from her throne.

"Ooh, my dears! Come come now!"

[Dutch-Empire]

Anna Charlotte smiled and rushed over to the Princess of the Belgiains with open arms. Anna Charlotte remembered the little woman from her youth. The Empress of Dutch greeted her happily.

"Your Royal Highness! How darling it is to see you again, come on, give me a hug."

Prince Jacques , not wanting to make a scene walked over to his uncle and aunt and whispered to them quietly, though of course quietly because, you know, he was whispering.

"Where is Leopold?"

[Communist Espana]

Infanta Antonia looked at her nephew, Prince Jacques of Orange. Antonia loved her family unconditionally, family came before everything in her opinion. Her children were her light and joy, especially her eldest, the famous Duc d'Angoulême. With a perfect wife and a baby child, they were the family that Antonia saw as perfect. Which was why Antonia saw her brothers' families with distain. Charles II with his many divorces and half children and illegitimate children, it revolted her. She had thought Henri was better, but then he married a divorced Protestant and had had twins with her out of wedlock. And so Antonia did not approve of her unorthodox in laws, even if see love them. But as she looked at her nephew with an bashful preference for the company of man, she was slightly disappointed. Antonia's morals were from a bygone era. With a sigh, she spoke.

"He is upstairs in the piano room, to the right of the stairs, you can't miss it."

[Dutch-Empire]

Prince Jacques smiled at his aunt, just to be respectful and not have to speak anymore. The Prince of Orange was not exactly the highest fan of his dear Auntie Antonia. He knew from his father, Prince Consort Henry, that Antonia was a crazy religious nut with a permanent bitter taste left in her mouth. But that was none of Jacques business and he hurried up stairs to see Prince Leopold.