In the Footsteps of Metternich

[Sarah Tintagyl]

[quote]
[b]TO: HRH Robert Dinsmore of the United Kingdom
From: HIH Maria Magdalena von Hapsburg of the Austrian Empire[/b]
[i]
Your Majesty,

The world has been rather troubled as of late and Europe almost seems to be at the center of such discussion. I have watched, sadly, at the conversations taking place within the Zurich Bloc, the constant chatter where neither of the two sides that seem to be forming any such ability for compromise and progress. It is something that you and I both know that to maintain Europe's sanctity and purity cannot be allowed to continue. Though I fear bringing up the desire for quieter talks will not happen without interruption, I would like to extend an invitation for Your Excellency to come to Vienna where we can discuss the recent problems in Europe and across the world, not as politicians, but as concerned people of the global community and perhaps, as friends.

My hope are that during these talks that you and I can come to an unofficial stance on the future of Europe without causing major arguments among the various European representatives of our beautiful continent. I have never had the pleasure of meeting you in person, Highness, but I anticipate the night to be elegant and constructive. They say it takes the voices of the quiet to come to an agreement that the loud will follow. I hope that such an agreement can be reached when you arrive in Vienna.

Sincerely,

Maria Magdalena[/i]
[/quote]

[Yawoo]

[quote]To: HIH Maria Magdalena von Hapsburg of the Austrian Empire
From: HRH Robert Dinsmore of the United Kingdom

Dear Imperial Majesty,

Thank you for your generous invitation to visit Vienna. Events in Zurich have, unfortunately, shaken my confidence in the Western Region's long term involvement in the bloc. I look forward to hearing your thoughts on the matter.

Best Regards,

Richard Dinsmore[/quote]

[Sarah Tintagyl]

Dinsmore's arrival would be, contrary to most royal invitations, rather small. There would be no expansive military parade, no massive honor guard hailing the United Kingdom's monarch. However, the pomp and circumstance was replaced with a much kinder and humble gesture from the Austrians. When the plane would arrive in Vienna's airport early on a bright, cloudless day, there would be one limousine parked and ready to transport the monarch to Hofburg Palace. While there was a small detachment of soldiers for security and some regalia, the greatest surprise was who awaited the King at the end of his walk. None other than the Empress Maria herself.

Maria was dressed conservatively, yet still exemplified the Austrian beauty that ran in her veins and the veins of her sisters and ancestors. Her blonde hair hung low over her shoulders and her white coat reached down past her knees, hiding the black dress that ran parallel to the coat. Walking out to the King, she bowed her head gently and smiled in taking his hands. "Forgive the lack of pageantry, Highness, with the tension in Europe I figured both you and I could use a break from the officialism of our posts. I hear the citizens of my country talking fearfully, more and more, about the possibility of a coming war and perhaps it would be best if we could put our feet in the same shoes that walk the streets of Dublin and Vienna. If you'd care to join me for a promenade around Vienna, I would be very much obliged, its a beautiful day and I would rather not spend it in a stuffy palace."

She took Dinsmore over the limousine and from there the driver took them to Vienna's old city. The cobblestone streets were the stones that once boasted the feet of Mozart, of Haydn, Archduke Charles and the Empress Maria Theresa herself who the younger Empress emulated. As the limousine stopped on the side of the road near one of the opera houses, Maria got out of the vehicle and waited for Robert to do the same, then allowing him to take her hand they began to walk down the bright street.

"What I wanted to discuss with you, Highness, is that Austria is having her doubts of wanting to stay within the Zurich Alliance. For us, it feels dominated by the United Kingdom and Germany, with the Commonwealth piping in every time they feel the need to be recognized. I am not going to hide the fact that Austria is close to Athens and their recent withdrawal has placed a large burden on our diplomatic responsibility and desire. To be honest, I have given a great deal of thought to emulating the Swiss Regime of the 20th Century. That aside, I still want to see, above all else a Europe that still has the chance to remain united as one family." She said as she smiled to a passing couple who bowed their heads graciously. "I wanted to know your thoughts, personally, not those from a committee about how we could possibly solve Europe's problems. The seeming influential differences and then maybe chat about our friend in North America who seems to be causing all the trouble."

[Yawoo]

[quote name='Sarah Tintagyl' timestamp='1303337127' post='2694899']
"What I wanted to discuss with you, Highness, is that Austria is having her doubts of wanting to stay within the Zurich Alliance. For us, it feels dominated by the United Kingdom and Germany, with the Commonwealth piping in every time they feel the need to be recognized. I am not going to hide the fact that Austria is close to Athens and their recent withdrawal has placed a large burden on our diplomatic responsibility and desire. To be honest, I have given a great deal of thought to emulating the Swiss Regime of the 20th Century. That aside, I still want to see, above all else a Europe that still has the chance to remain united as one family." She said as she smiled to a passing couple who bowed their heads graciously. "I wanted to know your thoughts, personally, not those from a committee about how we could possibly solve Europe's problems. The seeming influential differences and then maybe chat about our friend in North America who seems to be causing all the trouble."
[/quote]

"My dear Madam, if you're looking for reassurance of Zurich's stability or for me to talk you out of your doubts then I'm afraid you have chosen the wrong man. You, no doubt, have seen what the English are doing' my diplomats attempts to have Zurich step in to assist us have been slow coming. While the UK does indeed voice its sentiments... rather loudly, I can assure you, that it is not our desire nor our intention on dominating the Zurich pact. It is only fairly recently that the United Kingdom and Germany have been verbal opponents in Zurich - while the Athenian departure did indeed leave a hole in Zurich, I am unconvinced it was the Athenian's absence which has caused tensions to mount, merely allowed them to be more visible to the naked eye."

Richard Dinsmore reached up and touched his hat, in greeting, to the couple as they passed him and the Empress.

"Europe is a continent as old as any other - its age makes it strong, but for those who live in the past, it also makes it weak. Pardon me, but I assume you've read about the nuclear attacks on London, many years ago now? I do not regret ordering the destruction of London, it is my belief that had I allowed European forces to invade Wales and Ireland then there would have been a much greater death toll for Europe, and the world, than eight million souls. Naturally, I grieve for the innocents who lost their lives, but my nation has moved on from that war - we have mended differences with many nations. We protected a nation who warred us, Scotland, when they went into anarchy, and helped them back onto their feet - and in turn relations, so long cold, became warm and healed as time went on. The Commonwealth of England and Maine, England, in particular, seems to be living in the past where the wounds of that war are still open and seeping. They have placed thousands of troops on the United Kingdom's border and boasted they don't trust the treaties they hold with us. To solve Europe's problems, my dear Empress, nations must get over their past and move towards great cooperativeness with other nations. I've struggled with this myself, I have been brash and quick to action - but as my nation grows older, I have forced myself to become more diplomatic, more open to other foreign ideas. We must evolve, or we will succumb to pressures both internally and without."