The Crown (Private|Invite Only)

[Kingdom of Derita]

There are those who are ruled. And those who rule. The Powerless and the Powerful. King’s and Queens, Presidents and general’s, all cut from the same cloth. It is the story of the weak and the powerful and their constant push and pull on one another that shapes the story of nations. One way or form, everyone wants a Crown.

Episode 1. All Hail the Conquering Hero: Concluded
Episode 2. No Simple Goodbye: Concluded
Episode 3. Kissed: Concluded
Episode 4. For Crown and Country: Concluded
Episode 5. Sacrifice: Concluded
Episode 6. Heirs of Blood: Concluded
Episode 7. :The Spectre’s Song Ongoing

[Kingdom of Derita]

January 1

Prince Alexandre sat in his ceremonial Amperiale Army uniform in a private jet as he headed north from Paphon back to Fontainebleau. The war was over and it was time to go home. Alexandre had fought bravely and valiantly. Now he was being held as a hero for being the one to kill the dreadful Hoàng and bring down the Republic of Seidang. For Deritains everywhere, it was a sign, an official seal that the Celestial Empire was once again an up and coming superpower, one not to be trifled with.

From the reports that Alexandre had read in the papers, the public had gone absolutely made with delight. The last week had been nothing but parties and celebrations of the most lavish of kind. Vanessa and Grendlefe were both covered in seas of flags of the Celestial Empire as nationalism ran rampant. And at the center of it all was Prince Alexandre.

He was the conquering hero, the boy who had brought down the crumbling Republic of Seidang and made the Celestial Empire proud. They were calling him the Panthére Noire in reference to his famous all black armor. It helped that Alexandre was beautiful. Following his success at Há Bai and capturing of Buôn Ma Ria, his father had quickly moved to make him the face of the Celestial Empire, quite literally the nation’s poster child.

But now Alexandre looked to take a bit of a rest. And he had to. He had broken his arm during his fight with Hoàng and doctors said that it would still be another five weeks before it would be all healed up. He would stay at Fontainebleau, but that didn’t mean that he hadn’t enjoyed his time at war. He had loved it. It had been thrilling and excited. He loved the feel of a weapon in his hands and power invested in him.

But alias, War could not last forever. Now it was time to see the Celestial Empire reign in peace.

[Royal Genes]

Queen Maria Theresa walked through the halls of Fontainebleau, her metallic silver and black dress sweeping the floor behind her as she walked quickly. The redhead Queen of Naples and Sicily was exited to once again see her dear son, Alexandre. He had been so brave during the war and now that it was over, she was so glad that he was coming home. She wish her husband was returning with him, but alias André had to play politics as usual.

Behind the Queen was her mother, the Duchess of Parma and Dowager Queen of Venise, Antoinetta. The 69 year old woman followed behind her daughter draped in black, having worn the color for years after the death of her first husband and though she’d remarried eleven years ago she still enjoyed the color. The grandmother of the future Emperor of Derita was excited as well to see her grandson return home safe and sound.

[Northe Scotland]

Queen Adelaide followed her new mother-in-law with her arm around her husband. The Queen of Dvits had been absolutely inseparable with Prince André, the Duke of Normandy since their wedding. It had been a small but lovely affair and perhaps it was simply the honeymoon phase that effected all relationships, but nonetheless she couldn’t dare imagine a world without her darling husband from now on.

Alongside their elder sister the Queen of Scots was Princess Adela and Princes Sofia. The two girls were barely more than two years younger than their older sister, all three of them having been born in rapid succession of one another. The two princesses had accompanied their sister and queen to Fontainebleau and now thought of the palace as more of a home than any castle in Edinburgh and as such had grown up alongside the Deritains. They were both excited to see their brother-in-law.

Princess Sofia, as they walked to the foyer tossed her long black hair over her shoulder and poked to another member of their group, talking quietly with a sly smirk.

“So, Adrikins, are you excited to be seeing Alexandre once again?”

[Dutch-Empire]

Prince Adrian blushed slightly, his pale cheeks turning pink while his nose was more the color of a tomato. He both loved and despised Sofia’s nickname for him. He knew that when she had come up with it was meant as a sweet and affectionate nickname and she had made that association quite clear when they dated. Now however, Sofia used it as a mention of teasing him to no end. Sofia claimed that she did it only be default, but Adrian knew that was a bold face lie.

“I... I have no idea what you are talking about or what you may be implying. I’m happy to see Alexandre just as much as anyone else. It’s not like I am more excited than most—“

Adrian cut himself off. He was babbling. Sofia always did this to him, made him put his foot in his mouth. It was a skill that was quite impressive to some degree.

“It will be good to have His Royal Highness home once again.”

[Northe Scotland]

Princess Sofia chuckled softly. She spoke quietly to her ex-boyfriend as she twirled a long lock of her hair around her finger.

“Ah Adrikins, always the perfect courtier. So usually calm and collected. Not too hot and not too cold. You are such a great controller of your emotions. Usually. But when it comes to Alexandre you mess up. You can’t fool me.”

[Dutch-Empire]

Adrian looked away from Sofia and picked at a nonexistent speck on his suit. He had decidadex to wear one of his nicer suits, a dark gray three piece suit with a dark blue tie, one that matched his brilliant blue eyes that he’d inherited from his mother. While his elder brother and sister William-Frederick and Juliet-Alexandra has inherited their father’s side of the family’s red hair, Adrian and his sister Zoe had inherited their mother’s dark black hair and big blue eyes.

Adrian collected himself, not wanting Sofia to fluster him, or at the very least not any more than she already had. He stood straight and tall with his hands behind his back, as he had been taught since he was a toddler and took up an air of humble regality. Yes, Sofia was right, Adrian had been formed into the perfect courtierin his young life.

“As I said, I don’t know what it is you are talking about. It will simply be good to have the Prince home.”

[Kingdom of Derita]

Prince André had a small permanent smile on his face as they reached the entrance and came to a stop. Fontainebleau in the years since before he’d even been born had become a central hub of royalty, both from within the Celestial Empire and outside it. It was a place of grand entrances of all kind. André spoke softly to his lovely wife.

“I wonder if war has mellowed my brother.”

---

Meanwhile, Prince Alexandre watched as his car that had picked him up from the airport rolled past the golden and obsidian gates and into the courtyard. It was winter in Fontainebleau and as usual the palace and its massive grounds were covered in snow. A page was waiting for him as the car rolled to a stop. The page opened the door and tried to help Alexandre out, but he waved him off. His arm may be in a sling but he would not become dependent on others now.

Alexandre stepped out of the car and walked up the steps, they had been cleared of snow for safety, hearing the heralds announce him as he stepped inside.

[Northe Scotland]

Adelaide didn’t even try to hold back her laugh. Her brother-in-law was anything but mellow. Even from a young age he had always seemed to be absolutely bursting with energy.

“Knowing your brother... I’d be less surprised if he mellowed war.”

Meanwhile Sofia rolled her eyes at Adrian. Prim and proper as always and absolutely gorgeous in his suit. As they came to a stop as the herald announced Prince Alexandre’s arrival, Sofia half-nudged, half-pushed Adrian forward.

[Dutch-Empire]

Adrian wasn’t expecting the push, for that what it really was, from behind and as such he went stumbling forward, almost falling face first into the ground as he was caught off balance. He had to catch himself, his arms whirling through the air like windmills for a moment before he could once again regain his footing and trying to regain his composure that Sofia had once again stolen from him.

[Royal Genes]

Queen Maria Theresa smiled as her stepped into the palace from the snowy air outside. She held out her arms. She barely noticed that Prince Adrian had nearly fallen on his face behind her. Behind her Antoinetta crossed her hands together in front of her and smiled warmly as her grandson stepped inside.

“It’s so good to see you Alexander.”

[Kingdom of Derita]

Prince Alexandre looked around, seeing his mother before the others as he walked inside, the massive palace doors closing behind him as warmth spread around him, welcomed against the cold of the outside. He looked to his mother and started to walk towards her.

“Ma mére—“

Alexandre stopped himself however when he saw Adrian. Immediately his mind and body switched gears, as if on their own and he turned towards the Prince of Wied. With the practices Order of a determined soldier, the Duke of Alençon marched across the room directly towards Adrian, and without a second thought marched up to him and cupped his face in his hand and kissed him.

[Dutch-Empire]

Adrian gave a small smile to Alexandre as he stepped in side, but then all of a sudden the Prince came marching towards him and for a moment Adrian was afraid that he was going to hit him, after all with Alexandre a punch to the face might be a fork of endearment.

“Alexandre—”

He was interrupted as Alexandre pressed his lips against his own. This was the second time that Alexandre had kissed him without his permission, while Adrian felt that he should be upset for that, he couldn’t be. Instead he felt a smirk ignite inside of him. Sofia has been right, of course she had been right. He found that he could do was cling to him as the only solid thing in a dizzy swaying world. And before a swimming giddiness spun Adrianbround and round, he knew that he was kissing him back.

[Royal Genes]

Maria Theresa turned and saw her son kissing the Prince of Wied. And then to her upmost horror Adrian started to kiss back. The Queen of Naples and Sicily held her arms out in frozen shock. She had never, ever in her life expected such... behavior from sons, least of all her dear precious Alexandre! Her jaw dropped in complete horrified shock at what her precious second son was doing.

“Oh my God!”

The Duchess of Parma too was shocked, her mouth falling open as she blinked, trying to understand, too stunned for words.

[Northe Scotland]

The three Scottish royals each let out something that was somewhere on the spectrum of a laugh and a gasp.

Princess Sofia was on the far end of the spectrum, brushing into a fit of laughter before he mangagec to strangle the noise by covering her mouth. Her side hurt and her face burned as she looked at the two princes. Alexandre, a true warrior and Adrian, a proper courtier. She hadn’t expected Alexandre’s brutal bluntness, but it was hilarious to her.

Queen Adelaide let out a gasp that was somewhere in the middle with a fit of nervous laughter. She hadn’t known the two had any such chemistry, she had always imagined the two as simply being very good friends, but clearly she had been blind. But clearly so had been her mother-in-law as she called out. She looked to Prince André for some sort of clue of how to react.

Princess Adela was on the opposite end of the spectrum as Sofia, letting out a silent gasp. She was quite shocked at that turn of events. Alexandre had always been so charming and suave. Of course if she thought about it, it had always been girls throwing themselves at Alexandre and not the other way around. Was Adrian the reason why?

[Kingdom of Derita]

Prince André shared his wife somewhat confused and nervous response. He’d completely forgotten about how close and intimate Adrian and Alexandre had been while they’d been in Asakura. And he hadn’t been around to see them together in the weeks before Alexandre left for Seidang. To him this was a complete surprise.

Alexandre, though he’d been the one to start the kiss, was the first one to pull away, though not because he wanted to. He wanted nothing more than to hold Adrian and suffocate him with kisses. Unfortunately, people need air and he could do that without passing out. He pulled away with a gasp of air and looked at Adrian, staring intently into his beautiful eyes.

“Wanna get married?”

[Royal Genes]

At the sound of her son’s words, Queen Maria Theresa dropped her hands and recoiled in absolute horror. Had Alexandre lost his mind in Seidang? Was he completely out of his mind? She let out a second gasp of horror and shock, her voice screeching and strained.

“Oh my god!”

It was all too much for the Duchess of Parma. She looked as if someone has bashed her over the head with a rusty frying pan, her face a mixed mess of dumbfoundedment, horror and complete confusion. She felt suddenly very light head. Then, the 69 year old Queen Dowager’s eyes rolled up in her head as she collapsed. Queen Maria Theresa turned back to her mother and screamed.

“Mother!”

[Kingdom of Derita]

“Mon Dieu! Grandmère!”

Prince André hurried over to his fallen Grandmother and held her up.

“Alexandre, help me.”

“André, I have one arm at the moment.”

“Alexandre!”

Alexandre scowled. He hadn’t meant for grandmère Antoinetta to faint, but he had been quite serious in his asking about marriage to Adrian. But it seemed that that would have to wait at the moment. He joined André as the Duke of Normandy waved off the others.

“We shall take care of dear grandmère, we’ll catch up with you later.”

André shot his brother a dirty look as they took their Grandmother to one of the palace’s fainting rooms to recover.

[Dutch-Empire]

Adrian stood dumbfounded. Alexandre had asked him to marry him. To marry him? Adrian felt dizzy. And not in a good way this time. No, in a very bad way this time around. He felt nervous and unprepared. He was worried about the Duchess of Parma, and upset that the Duke of Normandy had dragged Alexandre away. Adrian hadn’t even gotten a chance to respond to anything.

[Royal Genes]

Queen Maria Theresa started to follow her sons and her mother, but then stopped herself. No. She had a bigger matter to deal with at the moment, one that she could not simply ignore or leave to be dealt with later. No, this issue had to be addressed immediately. The Queen spun like a viper on it’s prey towards Adrian, her eyes dark with anger. She had stood supportively by her husband’s side when they’d taken in Adrian as a child, she had seen him raised alongside her children, so much that for a moment she’d had almost thought of him as a son. But this, this relationship that he had developed with Alexandre. It was a betrayal.

“You. I want you out of Fontainebleau. I want you out of the country.”

[Dutch-Empire]

Prince Adrian blinked as he stared at Queen Maria Theresa. Surely he must have heard her wrong. Was she... banishing him from the country? Could she even do that? And if so, what was he supposed to do? His parents and siblings were on another planet, so he could hardly just pop in over to them, not to mention he dreaded leaving the planet. Nor did he want to leave Fontainebleau.

“Your Majesty, I do not think I understand. Please, I beg your forgiveness.”

Adrian tried for humble, bowing to the queen, trying to get mercy. He had been told since he was five years old to recognize when he was at someone else’s mercy and in most cases it was better to bend than to break.

[Royal Genes]

“You may beg as much as you wish, you shall not receive it from me.”

The Queen turned her nose up at the Prince. She should have known not to trust him. He was a halfbreed of the worst kid, son of a Atmoran and a Dutchwoman. He was not one of them and therefore he did not belong. She and her family had showed him nothing but kindness and now her precious Alexandre was affected by sin. He had tainted him with the immorality of the Atmorans and the Dutch.

“I do not want you here. You are no longer welcomed in his house, nor any other in the Celestial Empire.”

[Northe Scotland]

Princess Sofia’s smile melted away almost instantly as she watched Alexandre and André’s Mother turn on Adrian with unexpected ferocity. Maria Theresa had always seemed a mild mannered House wife more than a Queen. Yes she was prone to her own little bouts of independence and sometimes even defiance, yet it had always been in such minor things like events or tours, never something as big as a banishment of someone, and most definitely not sweet Adrian of all people.

“Adelaide, do something.”

Queen Adelaide nodded. Yes, Maria Theresa was not the only queen there. The Queen of Scots stepped forward trying to step between the two royals.

“Your Majesty, I do not think it is your place to put such a severe punishment on Adrian. Nor should you want you. He has been a friend for years.”

[Royal Genes]

The Queen turned to her daughter-in-law.

“I am the Queen of Sicily and Naples, and Crown Princess of Derita. With the King-Emperor, the Empress and my husband not here, I am the de facto Régent here, Your Majesty. You may be a fellow future empress, but you will have to wait your turn.”

She shot another glare at Adrian.

“As for you, I’ll see to it that you are packed up. I want you gone by the end of the day.”

The Queen made it very clear that the conversation was over. She spun around and marched off to go find and check on her mother. It appeared that this day, meant to be so very happy, had been ruined.

[Dutch-Empire]

Adrian stood there unable to move. He looked to Queen Adelaide and her sisters. He loved the Scottish girls, they were ever so kind. But he also knew that even the Queen of Scots wouldn’t be able to stop Alexandre’s Mother when she was like this. He didn’t want to, but he had to retreat.

“Thank you for trying to help me Your Majesty. But I think that the Queen of Naples will not be swayed today.”