The Dictator and the Princess (Closed/Meillur Only)

[Colfico]

It had been less than a week since Sebastian had made the infamous announcement, that he had been seeking a suitor. That was all the time that had passed since then, and now the Colficoan king, or so he and the military council would have others believe that he was, a false king of a false kingdom that was, in reality, a military dictatorship which had carefully disguised itself as a monarchy under Sebastian's leadership.

Seeking a suitor was simply another part of the great deception that he was putting on display for the world.

The Colficoan leader stood on the concrete steps of the De Leans, his personal Villa. It was modest by the standards of true royalty, and did not hold a candle to the beauty and Majesty of a proper palace, it's simple, utilitarian design seemingly matching it's owners own utilitarian mindset. It was here that he had made plans to meet with a Deritan visitor, sent to him interestingly enough by the Deritan Empress herself, the purpose of which he predicted had plenty to do with his announcement.



He was in his usual dress uniform, although this time had forgone carrying his sword, choosing to rely entirely on his handgun on this occasion, swords were a thing of the past, and era long gone and dead, it was time for him, and Colfico to leave those things behind, there would be no more clinging to the time before the collapse.


All that Colficoan dictator could do now, was wait until his visitor arrived

[Kingdom of Derita]

It was both terribly difficult to, and not to pity Princesses. For so long they had been destined to be playing pieces of nations. An thus were given the world in exchange. The Duke of Angoulême tried not to think too much on that as he helped the Princess Imperial out of the carriage, brought with her along with her entourage after they’d been redirected at the last minute from their planned destination of Great Hyruke.

“Welcome to Colfico, Your Imperial Highness,” the Duke of Angoulême said with a bow.

Amélie, Princess Imperial of Derita, as was her rightful title as the eldest unmarried daughter of the emperor, rolled her eyes from behind her veil.

“Uncle, you don’t need to be so formal to me. I doubt the Colficoan Royal Court or its king cares much for such titles.”

The Duke of Angoulême grinned beneath his own veil. His niece, his younger sister’s eldest daughter, had always been so clever, quick to cut through the fluff that surrounded her, while never degrading it. “I suppose that you may be correct in that regard my dear Amélie. I have found that here, the nation resolves around the King like planet-less star.”

Amélie merely nodded her head. The Princess Imperial, a tall young woman of 26, was dressed splendidly in a black and silver dress. It’s asymmetrical skirt fell behind her like a graceful beam of moonlight left murky in water, and showed off her black flats. Her sleeves were long and made from lace, with a high collar pinned with a silver and black choker necklace heavy with a large diamond. Diamonds dangled from her ears, and a tiara sat on her head, its small diamonds arranged like the feathers of a peacock. A long black and silver veil fell over Amélie’s head, hiding her hair, face and neck beneath the beautiful fabric. The only part of the Princess Imperial not covered were her slender cinnamon hands and long fingers, her fingernails painted a sparkling silver.

Amélie was joined, or rather flanked, by her ladies-in-waiting, dressed in equally fine dresses, though in soft pastels colors instead of imperial black. They too wore long veils that obscured their features, though let them see clearly. There were four ladies to the Princess: Lady Adriana Godey, Lady Jikela Magona, Lady Yejide Léger and Lady Frédérique Baugé. The ladies were all similar in age to the princess, for she had been allowed to select her ladies from her friends. To the horror of her mother, Amélie had selected women who were all the children of minor nobles, save for Lady Adriana, who was the granddaughter of a imperial prince and Duke. It was Adriana, curtsying to the Duke of Angoulême, who spoke first to Amélie.

“Is that the King?”

The Duke nodded.

“Certainly has an austere aesthetic,” said Lady Jikela. “We might as well have stayed in the pavilions of Gaosa.”

“I think it’s rather charming,” Adriana said.

“I will wish to sketch it, Amélie declared, her eyes passing over the king for the villa. It was not in a style she recognized. Decidedly foreign and exotic.

“It is beautiful,” said Lady Frédérique said through her thick Old Deritain accent.

“Let us hope that it is accommodating though.” Huffed Lady Yejide. She wore a large green gele on her head. I am not sure if this is a proper reception for a Princess Imperial, Your Imperial Highness.”

“A single sovereign,” Adriana said dryly. “Yes, terribly understated.”

“Exactly,” Lady Yejide agreed. Amélie bit her lip beneath her veil, holding back a laugh. Few recognized Adriana’s Aukusan sarcasm.

“Amélie,” the Duke of Angoulême cleared his throat. Behind them, a small army of attendants were unpacking the many suitcases, trunks and bags of the Princess Imperial and her ladies. “The King.” The Duke offered his arm for his niece to take so that he could escort her to the steps. Amélie looked at her uncle and rolled her eyes, lifting her skirts slightly.

“Thank you uncle, but I am more than capable of walking a few mere meters.” With that, the Princess Imperial walked forward, her ladies following behind her in a V-shape formation. The Duke of Angoulême followed behind them. When the Princess Imperial reached the steps, she stopped, and smoothed her gown. The Duke of Angoulême stepped forward and bowed before the King, as Amélie’s ladies curtsying in unison, while Amélie stood.

“Your Majesty,” The Duke said, gesturing to his niece. “May I have the honor to present Her Imperial Highness, Amélie, Princess Imperial of the Celestial Empire.”

“It is an unexpected adventure to be in your country, Your Majesty,” Amélie said, “I hope it proves to be a pleasant one.”

[Colfico]

Sebastian listened carefully, barely picking out the words of the princess and her accomplices, however he did pick them out, and his eyes narrowed ever so slightly, they had already given him an idea of what to expect, and he was not impressed. He had not prepared such elaborate accomodations, they were wasteful and slowed down necessary diplomatic process, it was clear they did not appreciate that as much as his last Deritan contact had. However his face revealed very little, if any of his internal thoughts, as he carefully examined the Deritans in front of him, noting a repeat of the same formation that had been seen in the last meeting, this could be vital information in a conflict,and allow for a swift decapitation strike if it ever became a necessity.

He simply have a short bow, his face assuming his normal expression.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, your Imperial highness, I apologize for the lackluster welcome, however the times call for careful management of resources, especially military ones. "

He then stood, andand looking the princess in the eyes, spoke again, his voicemail xe leaving no Doug of his authority and command.

"I am King Sebastian, sovereign of Colfico, and the master of her armed forces. I can guarantee thatyot time here will be quite pleasant, even if it will not be as lavish as you are used to back home."

His eyes darted to lady Jikela, having clearly deduced that she had been the origin of one of the comments made.

[Kingdom of Derita]

Amélie was still as a statue. She watched the man’s face as he looked over them. He was a stony faced individual. A pillar of a man. Except for his eyes. And the eyes were the windows into the soul. She noticed how they darted to look at Jikela, the young lady holding her head high beneath the pink veil that matched her dress. So her prediction had been correct, the King of Colfico was a man with little interest in the trappings of majesty that his title claimed. She would have to make sure her ladies kept their conversations out of ears of the King. The Princess Imperial slipped into Aukusan, the old language marked with the sharp clipping noise that never translated quite right. Behind Amélie, Adriana let out a snicker, while Jikela let out an indignant huff. The Duke of Angoulême’s jaw tightened beneath his veil. He’d forgotten that Amélie’s wit was directed towards anyone and everyone.

Amélie crossed her hands together in front of her, her posture that of a princess posed for a portrait. She matched his authoritative tone with one rich with regality. He may have the weight of armies and absolute power behind his words, but Amélie had millennia of emperors and empresses in her veins and the spirit of every ancestor to guide her.

“There is no need to apologize, Your Majesty, it is only a pity that you look so lowly upon your charming estate.”

The Princess Imperial climbed the steps still she stood next to the King of Colfico, facing opposite directions. She spoke in the same regal tone, a small smile hidden beneath her veil.

“A monarch is never lackluster, guests are simply overbearing.”

[Colfico]

Sebastian listened carefully, not knowing the language himself, but knowing full well what her slip into it meant, and that was only confirmed by the snicker from one of the women following the princess. However, he also noticed the Princess switch her tone, much like he would sometimes when dealing with different people, it told him what he needed to know, he would have to be on his toes this time. His eyes now took up the same tone as the rest of his face, every expression and wrinkle carefully calculated to show exactly what Sebastian wanted it to show. However he simply checked his watch, he had planned something very different from the normal welcome, having taken advantage of some of the....unique equipment in the service of the Royal Army Air Service, that was until the air was slowly filled with a loud roar, until it was deafening. Untill finally four aircraft boomed past, four near mythical I-9 Sailfish interceptors, all in a flying V formation, the legendary, and rare, Mach 3 fighter that had survived the collapse, their sleek, swing wing design eye catching even when sitting still, let alone while breaking the speed of sound as they were now.



The Kings expression barely changed as he lowered his watch, they had been just a second late, understandably, the maneuver was extremely dangerous at such high speed, so there was no rushing it, even if it meant being a little late. The king had clearly planned this, rather than a traditional welcome. The fighters each split off in a different direction, the two outer to the left and right respectively, and the two middle went up, one slightly to the right, the other slightly to the left, demonstrating a large amount of skill and coordination on the part of the pilots.

The King looked at each of the guests in turn, having clearly planned for the unannounced air show that had occurred overhead, and simply gave a small smile, before turning on his heel to face the same direction as the princess, facing towards the doors of his Villa, with a snap that came with more than a decade of military experience, before speaking, this time dropping the air of authority, and his voice taking a serious, even and near emotionless tone.

"Weather I am lackluster or not to my guests is in the end irrelevant, so long as I achieve results that are acceptable, that is all that matters."

[Kingdom of Derita]

Amélie and her ladies turned at the sound of jets cutting across the sky. They watched as the jets swooped overhead and spilt up. The Duke of Angoulême let out a low whistle. While the others clapped in appreciation at the sky show, Adriana climbed the steps, stopping just below the dictator and the princess. She leaned forward towards the Princess Imperial.

“My Your Imperial Highness, you may not be able to make him smile,” the veiled lady nodded her head towards the sky, “but you can make him fly jets over head.”

“Don’t be ridiculous Adriana,” Amélie said with cold neutrality. “The King of Colfico is a man of careful management, especially of military resources. He would never have such valuable assets put in display for a lavish little princess like me. I am sure that impressive training exercise, was but a coincidence.”

Lady Frédérique and Lady Yejide glanced at one another. Lady Yejide whispered, “Is she flirting with the king or is she insulting him?”

Lady Frédérique cocked her head as she looked up the steps. “I do not know.”

Amélie matched Sebastian’s cold tone, imagining she was her mother speaking on a matter she had no stake in with the state councilors.

“Do lead the way Your Majesty. Perhaps you can provide a progress report of how acceptable your results are.”

[Colfico]

Sebastian's expression did not change, even for a moment, and then he realized something which he had not, the veiled lady, it was yet another pattern, he made a mental note, remembering that even the smallest of details could be crucial in the immediate future. However, he also knew that he held some crucial cards in his hand, and he would play them carefully, and when the time was right.

"Of course, these types of training exercises are regularly performed, my pilots must test their skills regularly to remain the elite aviators that they are, least they must find themselves having to actually use that expertise. Even the most valuable of asset is useless without the even more valuable expertise behind it."

He listened, without once turning his head or changing his expression, to the conversation behind him, he could barely hear it, but he could make out just enough to figure out what was happening. While he listened he made his way up the concrete steps, towards the door, which opened as if by his will, two guards, both in their normal battle dress uniform and wearing helmets. One had an assault rifle, a AR-4, slung over his shoulder, however the other, the one on the left was the one with an interesting weapon, a shotgun, the SG-5, loaded with slugs, perfect for the kind of indoor fighting to be expected inside of the Villa, and terrifyingly deadly to anyone unfortunate enough to be on the receiving end. The message sent was loud and clear, they weren't there to look pretty, they were fully equipped to do their job, and to do it well.

"I would be happy to provide that report once it becomes available, my criteria for acceptable is very flexible at this point in time."

[Kingdom of Derita]

“A most efficient commander. And yet flexible,” Amélie observed neutrally. She walked with careful orderly and graceful steps, the result of two decades of etiquette school by the best tutors in the Celestial Empire.

Behind her, Adriana and Frédérique let out twin gasps at the sight of the guards. Though that was where the similarity to the two women’s responses ended.

“Mon Dieu,” Lady Frédérique said, gathering her skirts as she followed after the King of Colfico and the Princess Imperial. “I thought this was a villa, not a fortress.”

Lady Yejide rolled her eyes beneath her veil. “What were you expecting? A team of servants with trays of sparking wine?”

“It would have been a nice change of pace,” Lady Frédérique shrugged her shoulders.

Adriana meanwhile stared through her veil at the guards, or rather at their weapons. She grinned with delight. “You were right Your Imperial Highness.”

“Of course I was,” Amélie said matter of factly.

The Duke of Angoulême cleared his throat as he brought in the tail in of the group. “The Colficoans are proud of their strength, you ladies,” he explained. “It is to show how secure and prepared they are. It is quite charming once you understand the local culture.”

“Another sign of their expertise?” Amélie asked vaguely in Sebastian’s direction.

[Colfico]

Sebastian gave a simple nod, making careful notes as best he could of her manner and way of speaking, it was difficult, but it was something that he could work with, and the former tank commander made the decision to stay the course for now, to see if he could find a chink in her armor. It was from the side that a small scar became visible on the side of his neck, just peaking up from his collar, a deep burn mark, the result of a near miss from the copper jet of a anti-tank rocket, fired at his vehicle during the time of conflict known in Colfico as the Time of Despair, clear evidence that the medal on his chest was not for show.

"I am unwilling to be anything but efficient and flexible, those who are not flexible and efficient die on the battlefield."

He listened to the comment on Colficoan expertise, and disagreed to an extent, while the soldiers there were undoubtedly excellent at what they did, the action they had performed had nothing to do with their expertise as soldiers.

"Expertise is an essential component of military affairs, a skilled soldier willing to fight is worth the merit of ten or more unskilled, unwilling soldiers, and a soldier with expertise will be issued a weapon that suits that expertise, and his purpose, well. Raw strength alone is not enough in war, one must be cunning and deceptive to survive on the modern battlefield, let alone actually be victorious."

[Kingdom of Derita]

“Better to bend as not to break,” Amélie said, repeating the proverb. “A sentiment popular among many monarchies. And a necessity amongst soldiers.”

“In that His Majesty and I are in agreement,” Adriana said. “A lone soldier with enough skill and determination can, under the right circumstances, be as destructive or as victorious as any army. Though I am not sure how my tutu kane would feel about your view of deception. Even on the battlefield surely there must be some honor.”

Amélie remained silent at that. As did the rest of the ladies. None of them were willing to too directly address that subject as Adriana had raised it.

“Deception is a tool that has long been employee by conquerors and the conquered alike,” Amélie said after the pause the conversation. Again she directed her question roughly in the King’s direction. “Is there any counter to it?”

[Colfico]

"Yes, wit and intelligence, however, as for honor, in this day in age, Colfico has no room for honor, victory must be achieved by whatever means are necessary, war is terrible, and a commander must focus on achieving victory in the manner that is least costly to his own forces as possible, even if it means committing acts that would undoubtedly be seen as unethical. It is an unfortunate truth, however we live in an unfortunate time, and I cannot waste time dwelling on the ethicality of what is necessary to ensure the survival and future prosperity of Colfico. I take no enjoyment in it, and it may make my enemies hate me, but it is what must be done."

The hall of the building was as simple and practical as its exterior, the carpets made efficiently, and with only a basic color. However they contrasted the walls well despite this, having been carefully chosen. There were some paintings lining the wall, most of them depicting the acts of soldiers during the Time of Despair, however there were also timeless pieces as well, some of them foreign in origin, predating the collapse. They all made one thing obvious, the Colficoan king appreciated art as much as any man, but he also went to a near painstaking level to study and perfect his craft. He was not merely a commander because he was forced to do it to become King, he did it because he truly enjoyed it.

"However, in time do believe that you will find that Colfico is very different from most monarchies, we have abandoned the outdated, and failed methods of the past in favor of moving forward and making the most of our new future."

[Kingdom of Derita]

Amélie paused in the hall, coming to a full stop. Behind her, her ladies followed suit, the quartet of women seeming to come to a stop like clockwork. She found the conversation had turned darker than she would have liked. The Princess Imperial looked up at the paintings, her eyes passing over the ones that depicted such horrors and despair, instead looking at the foreign ones. The timeless ones.

“Do you paint?” Amélie asked, her voice light and bubbly. She imagined she was her sister asking the question. Soft and light. Anything but this constant talk of soldiers and ruthlessness. Her own family had enough ruthlessness about it, she didn’t wish to hear more from this man, at least not at the moment. “My grand uncle tells me that every great statesman paints. And every great painter would never become a statesman.”

[Colfico]

The Colficoan King shook his head, he had never had much of a talent for art besides making marks on maps, however he came to a different conclusion. He had also noticed the Princesses hard stop, and made note of it, clearly he had either hit a sensitive spot, or one where she was uncomfortable.

"I do not paint myself, my own talent in art leaves something to be desired, although I do dearly wish that I could, there is much that someone can learn by studying and observing art, about the person that painted it, about the place that it originated from, and even the mindset of those it is meant to target. It can be a constant window into the soul of an entire culture. I have had had better luck in music, even if I do not get to play much, I enjoy the sound of a Cello very dearly, and have even played n public at one point or another, although it has been years since then, my duties both as a military commander and as a leader have taken away much of the time I had to play as a young man."

He stopped and turned towards the group, his facial expression unchanged, however, barely noticeable, was a glimmer in his eye, as he discussed music and the arts, a break, ever so slight in his emotional guard. Even if he was purposely letting it through the defenses he had up.

[Kingdom of Derita]

The Princess Imperial considered this, her eyes still on the walls. “I have never heard the cello played before. It is a foreign instrument. Perhaps you could fit your playing of it into your schedule. In the most efficient manner possible of course.”

“I wouldn’t have expected the cello,” admitted Adriana, who had heard what the cello sound like. “Though your ability to play is no doubt an interesting skill.”

Amélie turned to look back at Sebastian. “You would enjoy the sounds of ikawu I believe.”

[Colfico]

Sebastian nodded, he had not heard of it before, however he was always interested in listening to and studying the art and music of other cultures, as much because he was interested in it, and enjoyed it, as he did because it provided valuable strategic and tactical insight into how his potential opponents might act in certain situations. The King continued to study the princess, however his eyes did not move to the areas that one might expect, instead he was studying her body language and stance, using as much information as he could get his hands on to try and read her.

"I will be sure to look into it once i have the chance, perhaps during a visit to the Celestial Empire once the occasion comes to pass."

He then turned back to his intended path of travel, before continuing down it.

"It is a calming and soothing sound, and it puts me at ease when I hear the music as it comes off of the strings."

His eyes closed for a moment as he played one of the songs he had performed through his head, remembering with near exact detail every note and sound, as if it had been recorded. His eyes then opened again, as if nothing had happened.

[Kingdom of Derita]

Amélie, after a moment, fell back in step with the dictator, folding her hands together as she listened to his description of the music that the cello produce. She was pleased to find that his thought could drift somewhere other than the cruelty of warfare.

“It makes me think of smooth night music in Aukusa. People would play it through the city and the soft melodies would dance through the air and make their way to the palace windows.”

[Colfico]

Sebastian nodded, and this time his eyes were watching hers, although he did multi-task carefully watching were he was heading, and taking a turn to the right, bringing a double door into view. A door that lead to the back courtyard of the Villa, a place that not many people had been allowed to visit.

"It is a bit deeper, but I was introduced to it as a child, we Colficoan may be thick skinned, but our hearts move with the river, it has shaped our very fabric, we are warriors when we need to be, but when we don't, we simply wish to make our own way in the world, wherever that path may lead."

He was letting a bit more of his personality show, however it was clear that war and strife had shaped the King, however he was not heartless, even if he were unafraid of doing what he had to.

[Kingdom of Derita]

Amélie considered Sebastian’s words. She paused as they reached the double doors leading to the villa’s courtyard. She looked it, and found it curious. Most the time when there was a courtyard or garden in a hone in Derita, it was located in the center of the home, not behind it. An interesting difference.

“Rivers all follow in the same direction, Your Majesty. Downhill towards the sea. And all rivers only ever hope to find the quickest path to that goal. How can one carve such a new path when the valleys of the world have already been carved by our forebears?”

[Colfico]

"They do indeed, however a nation does not behave as a river does, there is no one sea that all nations are attempting to get to, one may follow the paths of the valleys already created, or one can build a bridge over them, and build their own path to the future. I have no intention of taking the same path, because that same path will inevitably lead to the same conclusion, and humanity may not be able to recover from a repeat of the Time of Despair."

When he reached the double doors, he turned a deadbolt lock, with an audible, mechanical clicking sound, and then pulled the door open, holding it open for the group. What was revealed outside was a sight truly beautiful, and seemingly out of place in the otherwise utilitarian villa. A beautiful garden, planted with various flowers native to the river valley of the Great Colfico River, all flanking a small stream, a small branch of the river itself, running through it all, with a simple stone bridge crossing over it in a simple, but effective arch. The water was crystal clear, and fish of various types, some brown and blending in, while others, a form of tetra, wore beautiful shades of blue and red, a form of defense to trick a predator into thinking the fish was poisonous, could be seen swimming about in the gentle current. The most notable one was a large fish with a bright red hue, a species of arowana natural to the river which grew to great size and which was legendary both for being a thing of beauty, and for being a lethal hunter. It was a truly relaxing place, and one which the King liked to spend his time.





The King walked out into the garden, carefully following the path, a walkway made of simple brick tiles, not very flashy, but it was not meant to be, it was simply there to compliment the garden, not take away attention from it. He seemed to visibly relax, even if just for a moment.

[Kingdom of Derita]

Amélie and her ladies exchanged small whispers of appreciation as they enter the De Leans Villa garden, surprised to see the beauty and the splendor of plants and fish in the crystal clear water. Lady Frédérique squealed in delight as she ran her fingers over the red leaves and thin branches of bushes.

“It reminds moi of home,” Frédérique said lightly. She spoke somewhat absentmindedly as she observed the way the plants seemed to blend together, even as they stopped before the low cut lawn. “Though I must admit, Your Majesty, your gardens are far less... structured than the ones in the Piémont.”

“How unexpected,” Adriana nodded in agreement, her veil bouncing with the action. “I would have expected rows of vegetables gardens and bounded paths of orchards.”

“Perhaps, like people and the paths they choose, are like gardens. Different in placement and temperature, style and purpose, but in the end fundamental built from the same thing,” Amélie said. With the grace of a faerie brought to like off a ballerina’s stage, she stepped off the path and made her way to the water’s edge, lowering herself in a stunning curtsy, the gleaming silver of her dress sparkling as it’s pooled against the grass. She reached out and touched the water, sending ripples across and sending one of the bright red fish scurrying off. “Though it makes one wonder how different they can truly be when such a thing is considered. One can build as many aqueducts as they wish, construction as many dams and build as many bridges, but in the end they bow to nature. And who is to say that human nature will not bring us back to where we started? It so once before.”

[Colfico]

"We may like our things to be useful and practical, but even Colficoans need a break from the orderly and efficient occasionally, we are still people, with all of the emotions and desires that come with it, we just take a different path to get to them."

"Perhaps it may, and perhaps we can only do so much" he watched the fish scurry off, seemingly impossibly fast in the water it called home. "However, as a leader it is my responsibility to not only undo the damage of the past, but to do everything in my power to ensure that my nations future survives, and if possible, improves, just because something is seemingly impossible, does not mean that I should stop trying to achieve it if it would benefit those that trust in my rule. So perhaps it is impossible, then I shall die trying to make the impossible possible, I do not have the luxury of trying to do anything but everything that I can. In the end, it is all that we can do, fight for what we love until the bitter end, whatever that end may be."

Even he had to admit that the Princess was quite stunning, however, that was far too simple a criteria, such a decision could have consequences for decades or even centuries. It was why he had to take very cautious steps, least it come back to haunt Colfico later.

[Kingdom of Derita]

“Tutu Kane says that if you have achieved all you have dreamed by the time you die, then your dreams must have truly been small,” Lady Adriana said.

“I wasn’t aware he was one for proverbs,” Lady Jikela said.

“He has his moments.”

“I’m sure he does.”

Amélie glanced up from her perch on the edge of the river. “I suppose that fight may come in different ways. My family has served, ruled and reigned over the Celestial Empire for generations. My grandfather spent the entirety of his reign fighting to preserve a way of life that no longer exists.”

“Our traditions are what make us who we are,” Lady Frédérique said, pressing a hand to her chest. “It is the old ways and our ancestors who guide us after all.”

“What do they know?” Lady Yejide let out a small laugh. “They are all dead.”

Lady Frédérique recoiled from her with a sniff, wandering to a different brush. “You Aukusans have no respect for our traditions.”

Amélie ran her finger through the water, her painted nails dancing like sprites over the top of the rippling surface. “To fight for a world changed, what is the price? Why does it seem that when love is involved, especially for those that history shall praise or vilified for daring to how the reign of power, it must end bitterly?”

[Colfico]

He thought for a moment, it was a difficult question to answer, however after some thought he did eventually come up with an answer. He walked over next to the Princess, watching every detail, every little ripple in the water as it flowed past, likely to continue to do so long after he had past, even if it did not retain its current form.
"it depends on what you are fighting for, and what yo are willing to sacrifice for it. To see the continued survival and prosperity of my nation and her people, I would be willing to make whatever sacrifice is necessary. To others, the answer may be the same, it may be different, it is a very personal question."

He thought of her statement on the end of things being bittersweet, and gave it some more thought. It was crossing into hypotheticals that he was no expert on, however, it was all that he could do to give the best answer that he could.

"It is more complicated than that, more accurate to call it bittersweet, it is bitter, because we may not see our work completed, or because we must part from the ones we love, however it can also have a sweet side as well, to know that our work is done and that we can rest, and that we may not only watch those we care about live on and prosper because of our work, but because we know, or at least hope, that one day we will see them again. In the end, there is no use worrying about death, or the end, because it is an inevitability, it is simply a matter of what we can do with the precious life that we do have."

He then paused to think, considering the notion and idea of love, it had never been a real thought until it had been brought up just now, and he had next to no true experience with it, having had no real drive to chase women, he had been far too focused on his country and his people for it.

"As for love, I would not be an expert on the matter, but if I had to give an educated estimate, It is more about what those in love make of it for themselves, rather than what others tell them to. But I do know one thing, of all the emotional forces in the universe, hate, happiness, anger, and sadness, love seems to be one of the most powerful, to the point where it can be the driving force behind the other four, and such a powerful force is incredibly unpredictable, and perhaps so powerful that it cannot truly be controlled."

[Kingdom of Derita]

Amélie lifted her fingers out of the water, flicking the droplets the clung to her nails and fingertips into the glass as she listened to the King of Colfico. Love was a foreign concept to her. At least romantic love. She understood familial love, for her parents. And sisterly love, for her sisters and her friends alike. She even understood worldly love, for she loved her nation. But as Princess Imperial, she outranked any man not related to her, and thus none were considered worthy of even the attempt.

And it was not as if she had many good examples. Her father and grandfather had both been madly in love with their wives. Their first wives that is. Amélie had been never had the chance to meet them, for obvious reasons. She suspected her late step-grandmother Anaressa had only been a breeding machine to her grandfather, a last ditch effort to secure more heirs when he saw the throne’s future rest on Amélie’s brother. For that, the Princess Imperial didn’t blame him. As for her own mother and father, it was clear that any love between them was not romantic. She was more his nursemaid than anything. Neither had had a choice, but Amélie knew that, if given the chance, to become empress her mother would do it all again.

“Love of one’s people is admirable.” Amélie said, rising gracefully to her full height. She was tall, Deritains were a tall people. Her father’s first wife had been a towering figure, and there were thousands of poems, most made by her father, praising the late Adelaide’s towering beauty. But where Adelaide would have dwarfed King Sebastian, Amélie’s Hollande genes had sabotaged her. At 5’10”, she was shorter than the King, though her heels were high enough that it brought her to the same height at him. “You truly incapsulate the benevolent dictator. Such fine velvet must line the glove you wear over your iron fist.”

[Colfico]

He listened to her, and noted her use of the word dictator, perhaps she might have caught on, however, he knew he could not give up the ruse, and his face assumed its normal state, concealing his emotions and internal thoughts, he now knew why she had delved into such thoughts, it had been an attempt to lower his guard. However, he could not, and would not, allow it to work not that he had caught on.

"Perhaps I do, and I will not attempt to hide the fact that many of my actions in the past are most definitely wrong from a moral standpoint. However as King it is my duty to do what is necessary, even if it means bearing the moral and emotional consequences of it later. If that fact leads to people calling me a despot, then so it must be."

He turned to slightly face her, attempting as best he could to read her eyes, even if the current angle made it difficult.

"If my work succeeds, and Colfico at the very least finds itself on a stable route of recovery, then my forbearers will not need to take such measures, and perhaps even begin the process of returning power back to the people. If I must bear the sins and punishment of my actions to make that future a reality, then I will happily open the gates of hell myself, and walk in without hesitation."