Old Oaths, New Allegiances

[TheShammySocialist]

Henri Broussard looked at the letter he had written, it brought back memories of when his parents and grandparents had spoke of his ancestors. Broussard was a name that was held in the highest regard in the Cajun communities even before the Federation had existed. This stemmed from the long memory of history that the Cajuns had, and their contempt for their forced expulsion from the Canadian Maritime at the hands of the British. Joseph Gaurhept Broussard had a strong and inspirational leader of the people that would become the Cajuns of Louisiana, the Acadians. Instead of swearing an oath of allegiance to the British Crown, requested at the hands of Edward Cornwallis, the founder of modern-day Halifax, Broussard had resisted like many other Acadians and local natives.

Joseph Broussard led a number of raids against the British, striking even as far as Halifax, and causing widespread turmoil for the British in Nova Scotia. Working in cohesion with Father Le Loutre, Broussard effectively resisted the British for a few years until the capture of Fort Beausejour, although he had escaped the fall of the Fort, which saw the capture of Father Le Loutre. He had finally been captured in 1762, but released about two years later, and shepherded out of the province to Dominica, never again to see his place of birth. News of his exploits did reach the court of Louis XV, the Bourbon monarch of France. For his extraordinary efforts in Nova Scotia, and despite his low stature in terms of status, the French king bequeathed the self-modest Broussard with the title of "Prince-Etranger of Acadia", raising his bloodline to the status of nobility. Although he accepted this generous title with no reluctance, Broussard never took it upon himself to see this title recognized by those around him.

Unable to cope with the climate of Dominica at the time, Broussard was the leader of some of the first Acadian settlers in Louisiana. The Prince of Acadia was hailed by his fellow settlers for his heroism, and was the de facto leader of the group which arrived in Louisiana. His glorious but failed efforts to stem the tide of the British in Nova Scotia was not forgotten, and he was appointed the leader of the colony the Acadians established in Atakapas, now known as St. Martinville. Every year, Henri Broussard would remember going to St. Martinville to pay their respects to their ancestor, whose title had passed down the line legitimately. The House of Broussard owed an oath of allegiance to the Bourbons, having been granted their title by their hand, with the connections between the Cajuns (formerly Acadians) and the Bourbons as a strong historical one, Henri decided it would be perfectly legitimate to reach out to one of the ruling monarchs of the world.

In recognition of these connections, the Prince of Acadia had penned the letter he now reviewed to the Emperor of the Western Athenian Federation, Valerio Moretti of Bourbon.

[quote][i]Your Grace,[/i]

The House of Broussard has always considered itself a close associate with the House of Bourbon since the bequeathing of the status of Prince-Etranger of Acadia during the times of New France. I feel that reviving this relationship in the form of international cooperation between our two countries would be beneficial to both of our countries. I believe that, in a world troubled by conflict in this day and age, a reviving of old partnerships and allegiances would certainly be a friendly reminder of what historical ties can accomplish.

For these reasons, I would like to personally invite you to a meeting in New Orleans to discuss a possibly revival of these historical ties between the Broussard family and the Bourbon Dynasty.

[i]Signed,

HRH, The Prince of Acadia
Henri Broussard[/i][/quote]

[Centurius]

Recently the old allegiances and family ties his house had made in the past had resurfaced. His cousin in New Spain and now a family that had been welcomed to the French court centuries ago by one of his ancestors. This was a development he didn't mind at all and the rise of the Bourbon house quite frankly felt like a great development. A modified Airbus A380 would travel over the Atlantic, like was common for the plane it carried a large amount of press, guards and key officials to the Office of the Western Emperor. After all matters of state were still handled.

The plane would land at an airport in New Orleans after which the Emperor followed by a group of 4 guards and a personal lieutenant walked towards the group that was there to welcome them.

[TheShammySocialist]

Awaiting the Emperor of the Western Athenian Federation would be Henri Broussard himself, surrounded by a few of his own closest associates, including the sharp-witted Marquis Jacques Montcalm. A detail of soldiers from the 1st Infantry Regiment was also on hand for protection, as well as a few private security guards dressed in various clothing, wearing ballcaps and sunglasses. The arrival was simple and crisp, as was customary for the Cajun Federation Armed Forces for foreign nobility, seven of the servicemen from the 1st Infantry Regiment fired three rounds in quick succession.

"Welcome to Louisiana, your grace, it is an honor to finally meet you in person," said Broussard, with a warm smile as the Western Emperor approached. He bowed his head stiffly, as did Montcalm, regarding the newly-arrived guest.

Montcalm nodded, "It is an honor to have you in our presence, your grace, and a treat to meet one of the Bourbon line in person. We have a car waiting and available to take us away from this," Montcalm paused, regarding the cloudy and misty weather before continuing, "dreary setting. Shall we?"

[Centurius]

"It is an honor to be here and I thank you for your most kind invitation"Valerio said. "That said, I would like to request you to stop the bowing and addressing, I prefer to be informal among fellow leaders."

[i]"dreary setting. Shall we?"[/i]

"Thank you, I would like to see more of the country"

[TheShammySocialist]

"Of course," nodded Broussard, upon Valerio's request for a more informal addressing. He was unused to such addressing as it was, having only started using such language since he took leadership of the Federation. "It appears that Louisiana's weather doesn't like to cooperate, even when one of the esteemed leaders of one of Europe's leading nations comes to visit," he said, lightly, walking to a restored 1960s limousine, a door held open by a doorman.

He would stand until the Western Athenian Emperor entered the vehicle, smiling politely. Other vehicles for Valerio's entourage were also provided, as were vehicles for a Federation security detail. The route they had chosen into the city had been properly cleared ahead of time, and at this time on a Sunday, most traffic would not be a problem heading into New Orleans. Their destination would be Jackson Square, and Beausoleil Hall, which sat to the right of the gorgeous St. Louis Cathedral. Beausoleil Hall played host to government meetings and also dinners and social functions.

[IMG]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/2/2e/Stlouiscathedralnight.jpg[/IMG]

[center][i]Jackson Square.[/i][/center]

Edited June 30, 2011 by TheShammySocialist

[Centurius]

Valerio visibly enjoyed the buildings he saw along the way. "I must say you have quite a nice city, if your country as large is like this you are a lucky ruler"

"Now we have some time without press I must say it does bring my family honor to know that you still respect the title my ancestors gave you centuries ago. It speaks well of your loyalty to the house"

[TheShammySocialist]

"Thank you, New Orleans has always been the jewel of the Gulf of Mexico," noted Broussard, proudly smiling at Valerio as they traveled into the city. "We have been recently upgrading its flood control systems as well, to ensure that we never have to deal with the flooding this city has had to endure before, ever again. It is a cultural wonder, this city, in my own opinion, so many cultures came together here back in its early days. French, Spanish, English, Afro-Caribbean types, all came together to call this city home, it is a melting pot, and it has benefited from that distinction as such."

"My family, like this nation, honors its heritage. We never forget where we came from, we remember our history well here. We were given a great honor by the Bourbons after being expelled from the Canadian Maritimes by the Brits, and we will never forget that honor when we were bestowed with the honorable title of 'Foreign Prince', which ennobled the bloodline. We stand by our friends and those who have helped us in the past," nodded Broussard, as the caravan approached Jackson Square.

[Centurius]

"Let us hope that after this we are both, I for one look forward to seeing historical ties influence the modern world." Valerio replied as he noticed the car slowing down.

[TheShammySocialist]

"Welcome to Jackson Square, Valerio," said Broussard, as the convoy stopped in front of the St. Louis Cathedral. He stepped out when the doorman opened the door, and smiled at his Athenian counterpart, and waved his arm expansively. "This is where we usually conduct international business," nodded Broussard, who would lead the delegation through the elegant garden in front of the cathedral and around the large building, towards Beausoleil Hall.

Beausoleil Hall was beautifully kept for these exact occasions boasting a beautifully-polished hardwood floor and ornate hallways filled with paintings and tapestries. A long crimson rug branched off into different rooms, where comfortable lounges and dining facilities could be glimpsed through open oak doors. Broussard would lead the Athenian delegation into a sitting room which was adorned with a large library and comfortable leather furniture. Paintings on the wall of early French colonial history in North America adorned the walls, and Broussard smiled wistfully up at them.

"Anything to drink?"

[Centurius]

"Some port please, thank you." He said as he sat down on one of the chairs. "This place keeps amazing me I must say, anyway I trust we have a lot to talk about"

[TheShammySocialist]

An attendant would bring Valerio some port from the governments' own private collection for these occasions, Broussard himself would order a small glass of whiskey.

"Thank you, Valerio," nodded Broussard, upon receiving his compliment. He wouldn't sit down at first, preferring to pore over an antique globe of the world near the couches, before looking at Valerio.

"My ancestors, and many ancestors of those who live in this country now began as settlers in Canada, as you know. Our allegiance to France at that time, and the crown, of course which was Bourbon, at the time, was substantial. It was because of that allegiance, why we ended up here, I would be happy to know if my own ancestor knew how far we have come since," said Broussard, looking up at the portrait of Joseph Gaurhept Broussard, on the wall.

"That being said, although you may not be of the same national origin for us, it was your House that granted me the title I hold now, and for that, I am most grateful, despite we Broussards have rarely wanted to be addressed that way. I feel that although royal titles and where they came from may not be worth as much as they were back in those days, I still feel that there exists a bond between our peoples. The Athenian Federation and the Cajun Federation share many common goals, advancing our nations to the peak of development, sharing similar allies, and honoring our past, I believe that would be definite grounds for our nations to share a bond between one another," stated Broussard, as he sat down across from Valerio, taking a small sip from his glass of whiskey.

Edited July 4, 2011 by TheShammySocialist

[Centurius]

Valerio nodded. "I personally consider the Cajun Federation as equally important as New Spain, the country of my cousin. As such I also see no reason to go anywhere lower. I would propose our 2 nations get as close as they get without actually becoming one. A Mutual Defense and Aggression Pact with free movement and similar clauses to guarantee the prosperity of our peoples. On a different note, you have proven your loyalty to my house for centuries already. If you so desire I would gladly take you in fully and elevate your status within the house to that of King."

[TheShammySocialist]

"I believe that such a treaty would definitely be amenable," nodded Broussard, with a smile, as he took another sip of whiskey. He almost abruptly spit it out upon Valerio's next statement, sputtering out, as he dabbed his mouth, "K-king?"

[Centurius]

"Yes King, considering the situation has changed where the Holy Father no longer controls the monarchies this duty has befallen to the highest monarch within a house. You run your own country, a respectable country at that. It is only fair that you shall be known as a Bourbon King of the Cajun Federation"

Valerio would take a draft from his suitcase. "I propose this to be the paper that shows our alliance"

[quote]Article I:
The Athenian Federation and Cajun Federation hereafter known as the signatories will guarantee the sovereignty of each other and do everything in their power to guarantee it. Above non-aggression the signatories will maintain all articles of this pact.

Article II:
The signatories agree to open up their local markets to trade from each other. A free flow of goods, assets, people and other supplies should be guaranteed. In addition the signatories will assist each other in tracking down fugitives within their lands.

Article III:
The signatories agree to recognize an attack on one signatory as an attack on the entire pact, likewise they will consider an attack by a signatory to be equal to a Declaration of War by both signatories. All aid be it military, financial or diplomatic will have to be provided in a timely manner.

Article IV:
Intelligence vital to the sovereignty of a signatory must be shared with said sovereignty at all times.

Article V:
Due to the nature of this pact cancellation will require 7 days notice in which all articles are still valid and another 31 days in which no attacks upon each other may be conducted.

Signed for the Athenian Federation,
His Imperial Highness Valerio Moretti of Bourbon, Emperor of the Western Athenian Federation, Lord Protector of the Delian League, Supreme Commander of the Hellenic Forces, Hero of the revolution.[/quote]

[TheShammySocialist]

Broussard would review the treaty with a trained eye, some of his attendants also looking over the treaty over the Prince's shoulder. The terms were very straightforward, and he said, "This is a document that my country can certainly ratify, I believe this is a step in the best of directions. It is a great honor to add my own signature to this treaty."

[quote][b]Signed for the Cajun Federation,[/b]

[i]HRH The Prince of Acadia
Henri Broussard[/i][/quote]