A New Dawn on Largo Beach [CLOSED]

[Coconut Palm Island]

"I'm doing well today. And you? How was your morning? He asks back. "I held the daily Cabinet meeting at 9, and it seems like the Island's running pretty smoothly, for the time being. No issues whatsoever, and we're getting closer and closer to having a budget well ahead of schedule" While they spoke, the chef came out and quietly took individual orders from each guest.

Nicholas looked at him, "What about the situation?" he asked the King.

"Oh yes, we've had a hiker lost in the rainforest for a few days now," Alex explained to the guests. "It's okay," he said to Nicholas. "An overzealous agent woke me up in the middle of the night to tell me they found him." To the President, he said, "Yes, it seems like a minor thing to focus on, but the truth is, for the last month, we've had very few problems that needed my attention."

While the King and the President spoke, Nicholas was having a conversation with the three other Senators. He seemed happy to have someone to listen to him, as it was obvious the King did the majority of the talking when the two were alone. "This is our Royal Charter, our Constitution" he said, handing out booklets to the Senators, and passing one across the table for the President. "Note how our Bill of Rights is the very first article, rather than existing as a set of amendments like in the United States." The Senators looked at it. "Beyond the basic rights, it basically describes the balance of power between the Monarch, the Senate, and the Royal Court, as well as the role of local government, and rules about treaty ratification and amendments," Nicholas explained.

Finally, breakfast came out. Each guest got what they had ordered: Nicholas, a bowl of fruit and some cereal, and the King, a tall stack of french toast covered in butter and syrup.

"So, what's your Constitution like?" asked Nicholas.

"And is there any major news from the Huterric Union?" added the King, between bites.

[The Huterric Union]

"The constitution is divided into Acts which all cover a certain topic. Amendments are called clauses. Key acts include Act 1, Act 12, and Act 18. Act 1 is the declaration of Free Huterric Unity. Act 12 is our most famous act. It's known worldwide as the Clivewater Pact as many nations take it on as part of their constitution. Act 12 is the declaration of what the Huterric Union considers human rights. There are fifteen extra rights than what the UN consider, and the UN rights are the same as the first 30. So there's the tea on that - Huterrica is where the concept of Human Rights was founded. Act 18 is our foreign polict, by the way, and it is the only Huterric Law I am obliged to follow in other countries." The president says.

Then the King speaks between bites, and the president says "The news as of late...."
He then opens his phone as he repeats the phrase "Bear with"
He then loads the website for The Laculanite. The name is familiar. The Laculanite publish newspapers on CPI, but instead of covering Huterric news, it covers international news. The Laculanite is one of the largest news networks. Of course, the King and Nicholas didn't know where the name came from.
The president then speaks "The Laculanite is named for the city it was founded in, being Laclan, Huterrica. People from there are called Laculanites. Anyway, there's the tea on that done. What's going on in Huterrica? Let's see"
He then reads one and mutters "Yeah, Bruno would do well if it lartnered with Florida", before reading "Bruno man arrested for inserting penis in fish's mouth while trying to sell foreign cocaine on the street."
He then says "In Huterrica, all drugs are legal, but the catch is only drugs grown in Huterrica may be consumed. Foreign drugs are illegal unless medicines."

He then reads a sane one. "Huterric Smoke to be the first film featuring the completed Huterrica Square Pair."

The Huterrica Square Pair looks like a hexagonal, modern version of the original Twin Towers that were in New York. The original building destroyed in the 2003 attacks on the Huterric Union was rebuilt half a mile south of the new campus which it once stood on.

[Coconut Palm Island]

The King chuckled when hearing the story of the man and the fish. "Wow," he said, "That's... unique. And yes, I've heard of the Laculanite. I read it once in a while to get a feel for world news, although I usually read the Island Journal, our local paper."

The Senate President laughed. "The Island Journal is so dull that I thought it's only use was to read to children to put them to sleep," he joked. "Plus it's coverage of foreign affairs is he Laculanite is okay, though. Interesting if nothing else."

As they started to finish breakfast, they sat around the table talking, as the chef brought out a new round of beverages.

"Yes, as I've communicated, drugs are legal here, too," said the King, referencing the fish story. "In fact, it's a Constitutional right. Of course, the government produces the drugs, to ensure safety and consistency. This is where a big part of our income comes from-- citizens, and especially tourists, buy safe drugs from the government, and we pass the profits onto our citizens. And yes, foreign drugs are technically illegal here, but the police only care if the drugs are tainted or dangerous."

"But inserting your genitals into the mouth of the fish is definitely illegal," added the Senate President, with a chuckle.

The King, thumbing through an article on his blue-and-yellow government phone, says, "Yes, nothing too interesting this morning. Besides the hiker, getting rescued, the only other big story is that the High Court has been shut down for the day because all of the Justices somehow got food poisoning."

The guests stared at the King's smartphone-- it was one of the newer models, with the flag and the blue-and-yellow color tones of the Island tastefully imprinted on the back. "Oh yes," said the King, noticing the stares. "I custom-ordered a few hundred of these for high-level government officials. It runs like a dream, and all the data is on secure servers."

Finally, everyone finished their coffees. "So, would you like to visit Largo Beach U? They're expecting a possible visit a bit before noon" asked the King. "The Science department has some great things in development!"

[The Huterric Union]

"I'd love to see Largo Beach U. It sounds amazing" The president says as he eats his breakfast with concerning speed. He then takes an insulin shot, and continues with his day.

"This smartphone is beautiful. Let me show you more of mine" he then says. Beforehand all one could see was the screen, but now the king is able to see the case. It is a black case with the "M.L.L." written in magenta, and underlined in red. "M.L.L. stands for my name, Milán Lincoln Longton. Common misconception is that my surname is Lincoln-Longton. That's not the case. Lincoln is my middle name. Oh, and the red underline because my party's colour is red. CLAP uses orange. There's a law banning the use of the colours on the flag, as to not associate these colours with any other ideology other than libertarianism. This means no party is allowed to use yellow, magenta, or green on their logos and campaigns."

[Coconut Palm Island]

"That is a nice phone," said the King. "Yes, we drew up the flag before any political parties were selected. My party- the LibDems, uses the blue. The libertarians use the yellow. The Socialists use red, and the Nationalists use green."

"Yes," said Nicholas, obviously more knowledgeable on the Island's history, having been one of the original settlers. "Everything on the flag is significant. Starting with the center pattern-- the palm tree, ocean, and mountains represent the natural beauty of the land, and reminds us our policy must preserve our Island. The yellow stands for libertarianism here too, and is placed in the center because we view individual freedom as the central aspect of our nation. The blue stands for fiscal liberalism-- preserving social programs and the like. Finally, the white stands for honesty, hard work, and nonviolence, the things expected from each citizen."

They head back upstairs to the living quarters for the President changes out of his robe. "No need to dress up," said the King. The King wore a t-shirt, shorts, and sunglasses, but also wore his crown, creating a comical appearance. The King's crown was small and light and compact. It was gold with a single blue jewel. It appeared quite modern and minimal, but it was still a bit awkward.

When the King came out, Nicholas snickered.

"The university asks that I wear it on campus," said the King. To his guests, he noted, "I usually only wear it in the Senate or with the Cabinet, or while giving a speech. It's not something I keep on all the time."

Finally, they pile in the limo to head to LBU. Escorted by police cars and motorcycles, they sped down the road. Nearly noon, the beaches they drive past are full of life and activity. As they get to the university, they are surprised to see that many of the buildings are right on the beach. Many amphitheaters were in use; "Classes usually happen outside when it's nice out," said the King.

As they drove further from the beach, they saw a large building labeled "Nicholas Curry Science Center." The Senate President smiled smugly at seeing his name on a building. They walk inside, as the Chancellor of the college rushes to welcome them.

"Welcome," she said. "I've prepared a little exhibit of what we've been working on."

The King lead them past the first exhibits, which were medical in nature. Illustrated were new medical therapies, and a headset to be used for transcranial magnetic stimulation. The Chancellor seemed especially fond of the headset. "The possibilities with this are endless," she noted. "We can manipulate the brain in a variety of ways to treat several different disorders."

"Is the Huterric Union involved in research to the extent we are here?" the Chancellor asked. "I remember reading at least a couple publication from your nation, but I'm not familiar with the latest."

"Yes," asked the King, "What are your universities like? Research-based? Of course, not all of ours are this focused on research-- the community colleges are almost exclusively devoted to teaching."

"When you're ready," said the Chancellor, "I can show you the Political Science and History sections."

[The Huterric Union]

The president responds to the flag comment. "The first verse of our national anthem actually goes through the meaning of our flag. The next verses are about our values."

He then sings, albeit off key, "Glory to the Union, magenta cross for freedom. Yellow for our populace. One green crown for equity. One more crown for democracy. One last crown for Individuality. Let the word of freedom spread. Glory to Huterrica."

The president then looks at the King's crown and says "That looks so pretty! I like it. I'm obliged to wear this pin wherever I go."

He then points to the Huterric Flag pin on his tuxedo. Despite the occasion, he still likes to dress formally. He also only brought tuxedos with him.

He then spots the building on the way to LBU, and says "The new transport hub at Huterrica Square is called the Milán Longton Transport Centre. It's nice because lots of people will use it. Of all backgrounds too."

He then gets ready for what he is about to see

[Coconut Palm Island]

Finally, after much anticipation, the King opens the door. The second room is dramatically different from the first. It is dimly lit, with several artifacts, in pristine condition. "You'll notice no rust, no dirt," said the King. "Being founded in the 20th century, we knew the historical significance of all of this, and kept it in pristine condition." It looked more like a museum than a college classroom. It was clear that history and political science focused on the history and the politics specific to the Island.

In the center of the room is a crown. It is much different than the one that the King is wearing-- covered in jewels. Even in the dim light, it glistened brightly. "My father's ceremonial crown" said the King. "Only used in the first few years of our nation's existence, than retired for a less formal one."

Finally, in the back, was a wall lined with documents. "Now," said the King, "This is an authentic copy of the Royal Charter. It was printed, not handwritten, so there are twelve different "original" copies, all printed at the time, all signed by all delegates. This copy has been here for the last 20 years. Here you can see my father's signature, as well as Nicholas's."

"Yes," said Nicholas. "I was just a kid back then, but somehow I was elected to the first Senate. When the fighting and arguments broke out, I sided with Alex's father on almost all issues."

"Quick history," said the King. "When the Constitution was written, there were not yet political parties, but "plans." Different ideas for the Charter. There were five different plans. At the last moment, Nicholas submitted a plan-- the Curry Plan. When he presented it, he was laughed out of the convention hall. But my father took it and saw the value in it. The two stayed up all night, and in that one night they effectively wrote the Charter. The next day, after fighting about some stupid wording issues, the Royal Charter was signed."

"Writing the Royal Charter with King Paul (King Alexander's father) was the best thing I've ever done in this life," said Nicholas, with a tear in his eye. "After that, I stayed in the Senate for a while, as the King's eyes and ears. I was dumb, started all kinds of arguments, proposed some horrible bills. As I matured, however, I started climbing the latter. It wasn't hard, with King Paul by my side."

"Yes," said the King. "When my father passed, I had to be confirmed. Now, there's no rule saying that the King's descendant should be the next King or Queen. Technically, they could've made anyone 16 or older the King or Queen. But Nicholas pushed my confirmation through and got a unanimous approval that day. After that, he was seen as the leader of the Senate. After the next Senatorial election, the Senate chose him to be Senate President."

The Chancellor pulled out a key. "This, I can let you touch," she said to the guests as she unlocked a display. "It's laminated, but please, be very careful." She handed them a single piece of paper.

"This is special," said the Senate President. "This is the Coronation Document for the King. After he watched his father die, it would have been inappropriate to have a major, joyous coronation. So, the Senate held a quiet one. You'll see the signatures of all 30 Senators at the time-- my signature being at the very top. And the King's signature at the very bottom." The signatures, especially that of the King, appeared sloppy and rushed, as if they didn't stop to think about the significance of what they were signing.

"Yes, in the hours after my dad-- departed-- there was chaos," said the King. "As awful as it was, I didn't have time to grieve until after the process was over. The media didn't know, and the Senate wouldn't let the public know until I was signed in as the new King," Alex said. "Normally, the Senate President would have been in charge for a period, but this was before Nicholas was the Senate President."

Finally, they walked past a short handwritten note. The King turned white, but walked right past, not even acknowledging it. Following his lead, Nicholas did the same. The guests, who couldn't help but look, noticed that it was labeled "King Paul's Farewell Letter." As nice as it sounded, it was clear that it was his father's suicide note.

Sensing the discomfort, the Chancellor said, "Let's go see the ecological exhibit."

"Yes!" exclaimed the King. "That's always fun."

They walked into a room that seemed to be a mini-zoo, with some aquatic exhibits as well. "Much research is done here," said the King. He showed them many different species of lizard. "Now, our national animal is the Leopard Gecko," said the King. "The Leopard Gecko is native to the Middle East, but they're very popular pets here, with nearly 1 in 4 households owning at least one Leopard Gecko." As they explored, they saw tropical snakes, lizards, and birds, as well as sharks and alligators in the aquatic area."

"We have one of the best zoological programs in the world!" said the King.

As they walked out, a student walked by, and very informally fist-bumped the King.

"This is Robbie," said the King.

"Hey King Alex," he said, "I really enjoyed your lecture the other day."

"Thanks," said the King, "I put a lot of work into it."

To the group, he said, "Robbie is in my class. He's one of the best political minds the university has seen. Tell them about your plans, Robbie," he said.

"When I graduate, I'm gonna run for Senate," said the student. "The King promised to endorse me!"

"He's young," explained the King, "But his ideas are incredible."

"I've gotta go," said the student. "History class is starting."

As he walked away, Nicholas turned to the group. "Great young lad," he said. "He'll easily make the Senate-- he's a natural born leader."

The King nodded. "Usually his age would be a drawback, but he uses it to his advantage."

Finally, the zoological exhibit ended. It was obvious that, for a small tropical Island, the nation took education and research very seriously. "Anything else you'd like to see?" asked the King. "Maybe the old library, or the planetarium, or possibly the technological engineering invention area?"