The First King's Ball

[Vedran]

The delegation from Arctica arrived without much fanfare, landing early to give the delegation enough time to meet with their representative in Terre Regius, Jacques Denel. While they were there, it wouldn't hurt to get business settled. Erik Vorster (no relation to the Transvaal PM) was in attendance along with the Sovereign, brought along to replace Denel as a full-time ambassador. Denel passed along his notes and briefed Vorster on Terre Regius before the ball.

Once everyone had gotten ready, Vorster and Denel joined the Arctican head of state at the ceremonies, arriving at the palace just in time despite the brief search. Despite the inconvenience, the unarmed delegation appreciated the security measures being taken. Soon enough, the Rolls Royce Phantom state car pulled up to the palace, disgorging a well-dressed driver who opened the doors for the Sovereign and the diplomats. The men were dressed in reserved, but formal suits, Vedran opting for a fedora which he promptly removed to look around the palace district of the city.

"It's very...aristocratic," commented the Sovereign upon seeing the lavishly appointed area of the city.

"It certainly is, Your Excellency," remarked Vorster.

"So, shall we?" The three men climbed the steps side-by-side as the driver parked the car. The Arcticans gave off a very dignified and self-secure look, having dressed modestly and not having brought along a guard. Once they were inside, Vedran left his hat with the staff and entered the general reception area, looking around at the many delegations in attendance.

Vorster chewed on his lip a little as he noticed a few of the representatives. "It appears as though the vultures have descended upon this newest of African states, Your Excellency," he mentioned in a quiet tone. Vedran simply smirked and strolled through the ballroom. They had arrived just in time to see the entrance of King Andrea, and the Arcticans of course made their way to their host.

They observed protocol quite well, and Denel, the official representative from Arctica stepped forward to King Andrea. "May I present His Excellency the Sovereign of Arctica." Vedran nodded respectfully. "Your Majesty. I must say it is a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm honored you have extended your hospitality to us. Monsieur Denel speaks highly of your country, and I can see that he was not in error."

Edited September 29, 2012 by Vedran

[Centurius]

[quote name='TheShammySocialist' timestamp='1348878511' post='3035462']
"That would be correct, a pleasure, Valerio," responded Ignacio, recognizing the individual who had turned to them, shaking the offered hand firmly. "This is my fiance, and Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Elena Vasquez," he added, presenting Elena.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Moretti," nodded Elena, with a warm smile, offering a soft hand to shake.
[/quote]

Valerio took the hand, choosing not to follow European traditions out of previous experiences with a certain Asian lady. "It is a pleasure to meet you" He said.

"So how is life in Colombia these days?"

[Justinian the Mighty]

It was not long before Emperor Mikhail III of Vostokslavia arrived with famous Vostokslav ballerina Natalia Semyonova on his arm. Their delegation was nothing impressive, just a few courtiers and aides who followed in separate vehicles. Overall the event would be used to open the door to the possibility of future interactions with Terre Regius.

As their car crossed into the Royal Quarter Natalia leaned over to pluck a stray thread from Mikhail’s uniform. “I feel a little nervous, Natasha. These events rarely end well when I am there”

“You’re being silly, Misha. Trust me.” She said resting her hand on his knee comfortingly.

They met after a performance at the Bolshoi Theater and were instantly smitten with one another. He was immediately drawn to her for her because of her gentle demeanor and her sensitive touch in matters like this. She was especially helpful at court gatherings where rumors and gossip ran rampant. She had the added benefit of keeping him grounded in reality in a country where the aristocracy often found themselves disconnected from the rest of society.

When they arrived at the palace Mikhail and Natalia were led to the ballroom. Natalia’s off-white gown draped perfectly over her body and she moved as if she were walking on air. Mikhail chuckled, because in comparison he looked like the commoner. His collar dug into his neck and one of the pins that affixed the medals to his uniform was jabbing him in the chest. As they entered the ballroom Mikhail could not help thinking that the irritation caused by his uniform was not half as bad as speaking to parliament.

[J Andres]

[quote name='Markus Wilding' timestamp='1348872156' post='3035424']
Queen Stephanie of J Andres would soon be met by Chairman Sergei Volkov, sipping from a chilled glass of club soda. In Georgian-accented English, he said "Queen, I have heard much about J Andres." Bowing a bit but still keeping eye contact, he added, "Chairman Sergei Volkov, the Socialist Republic of Georgia. The pleasure is mine."
[/quote]

The Queen turned to face the gentleman addressing her. She smiled warmly, "It is a pleasure to meet you Mr. Chairman. I hope the things you have heard about our nation were good! In our 72 year history, there certainly have been plenty of bad times, but I am thankful to say we are currently doing well. After all, we've had a government in place for nearly a year and no one has nuked our country yet, so already we are doing better than the last time we tried this..." The Queen though back to the day 20 years earlier that began the tumultuous tailspin that would destroy the Fourth Maritime Republic. "Speaking of nuclear advances, the last time I remember hearing news out of the S.R.G. you had successfully completed a nuclear test. I offer my nation's congratulations. Nuclear weapons are a necessary evil of the world in which we live in."

[TheShammySocialist]

[quote name='Centurius' timestamp='1348882319' post='3035484']
Valerio took the hand, choosing not to follow European traditions out of previous experiences with a certain Asian lady. "It is a pleasure to meet you" He said.

"So how is life in Colombia these days?"
[/quote]

Elena bowed her head slightly, with a smile, shaking Valerio's hand gently.

After exchanging pleasantries, Ignacio would grin slightly at the Athenian's query, "Well, depends on how you look at things, I suppose. Right now, we are in the midst of a political shakeup, after the suspension of the legislative branch of government. Given the fact that ten percent of the members of the Chamber of Representatives were found to be in league with a criminal organization that tried to orchestrate an attempt on my life, the shakeup was necessary. I can only hope that the situation is settled in short order, however."

Elena smiled grimly at Ignacio words, before adding a bit of a more positive assessment, "Luckily the political crisis has not precipitated an economic crisis, which fares well for us, an economic crisis in the midst of a political crisis could only worsen both. Our economy is still playing catch up in growth forecasts that were lost due to the fallout crisis that was a result of the Umbrellan Civil War, I think I am grateful when I say that Umbrella fell, given their military decisions to use massive nuclear retaliatory strikes against civilian populations. Once this political crisis is taken care of, I have no doubt that Colombia will continue to develop its reputation as a stalwart nation amongst those of the western hemisphere."

Edited September 29, 2012 by TheShammySocialist

[Markus Wilding]

[quote name='J Andres' timestamp='1348922051' post='3035603']
The Queen turned to face the gentleman addressing her. She smiled warmly, "It is a pleasure to meet you Mr. Chairman. I hope the things you have heard about our nation were good! In our 72 year history, there certainly have been plenty of bad times, but I am thankful to say we are currently doing well. After all, we've had a government in place for nearly a year and no one has nuked our country yet, so already we are doing better than the last time we tried this..." The Queen though back to the day 20 years earlier that began the tumultuous tailspin that would destroy the Fourth Maritime Republic. "Speaking of nuclear advances, the last time I remember hearing news out of the S.R.G. you had successfully completed a nuclear test. I offer my nation's congratulations. Nuclear weapons are a necessary evil of the world in which we live in."
[/quote]
"Indeed," Volkov replied, swirling his drink around. "I only hope we do not need to use them. But, thankfully, any enemies we would have used them on are no longer a problem," he said, grinning. "I am curious, how exactly does a queen survive in the middle of a democracy with parties who propose an end to the monarchy?" Chairman Volkov took another sip, awaiting the reply.

[Gloval]

[quote name='Chancellor Patrick' timestamp='1348868518' post='3035394']
The Grand Prince, dressed in a fine [url="http://p2.la-img.com/241/22852/8015725_1_l.jpg"]uniform[/url] of imperial style with a jewel encrusted saber at his side, approached King Andrea Gloval. He extended a white gloved hand to the King [i]" Your Majesty, allow me to introduce myself. I am Grand Prince Anatoliy Bogomolov of the Union of Salekhard. It's a pleasure to meet you. Thank you for inviting me to this wonderful ball. Your kindness will not soon be forgotten."[/i] said the Grand Prince as he stroked his long white beard. The same beard that may have won him the election, besides the fact that he secured independence for the Union.
[/quote]
Andrea shakes Bogomolov's hand and smiles, "Please, it's my honor to receive the leaders from across the world. See my kindness merely as that which should exist between all righteous states." Before he could say more, the Artican delegation had approached;

[quote name='Vedran' timestamp='1348879150' post='3035464']
They observed protocol quite well, and Denel, the official representative from Arctica stepped forward to King Andrea. "May I present His Excellency the Sovereign of Arctica." Vedran nodded respectfully. "Your Majesty. I must say it is a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm honored you have extended your hospitality to us. Monsieur Denel speaks highly of your country, and I can see that he was not in error."
[/quote]
Turning to them, "As I was just saying to the Grand Prince here, the pleasure is mine. I'm glad to hear that you do not regret accepting my rule over what was Tunisia...though I believe I have not personally met Mr. Denel. He holds out his hand to both of them, "I assure you, I've heard only good things."

Meanwhile, Duke Rahal-Fallaci, a General in the Legio Vilgium only by name, approached the Tianxian party, his breath stinking of alcohol, "Emperor Jia, I must congratulate you on your swift success against the Northern Imperium. It's certainly more proof that a woman can't run a nation, a total travesty what she did to her own people! But that is the curse of the fairer sex...no offense to your wife of course."

[Vedran]

Special Envoy Jacques Denel was a little put off by the King not recognizing him, as they had made contact shortly after Terre Regius' declaration of independence. But, he didn't mention it. The Sovereign shook the King's hand fondly. "The other gentleman accompanying me is Mr. Erik Vorster, and he will be the new Arctican representative to your fine country. I also intend to extend our formal recognition to Terre Regius soon, and Mr. Vorster will present his credentials as ambassador if you will have him."

Vorster took this as his cue to step forward. "Your Majesty, Mr. Denel has briefed me fully and I am ready to take over as ambassador at your convenience."

"Well," Vedran began in closing, "I know you must be a very busy man, so I think I will enjoy your hospitality for now. Any questions, ask Mr. Vorster or myself. Thank you again."

------

After parting with King Andrea, the Arctican delegation gravitated toward the bar, discussing their host quietly. They all seemed to be in agreement that despite the social peculiarities of Terre Regius, and its somewhat antiquated system of governance, the state certainly had potential. Vorster and the Sovereign continued on towards the bar while Denel saw a familiar face in the crowd.

Leaning back against the bar, the two men eyed the collection of spirits. "Let's hope nobody gets into these too early, eh Erik?" Vorster gave a quiet chuckle. "Maybe, maybe not. There's a special entertainment value to a bunch of drunken monarchs and diplomats. As long as you're watching from afar, of course."

One of the bartenders noticed the men waiting and eased over, waiting for a good time to insert himself into the conversation. "Ah, Your Excellency," he finally spoke up. "Will you be sampling any of the spirits tonight?" The two men turned around to face the young man, looking over the beverages again. "I don't believe we'll be partaking quite so much...however, do you think you have any Franzharian wine back there?"

"I believe we may have a few bottles. Do you prefer the Finnish or African variety?"

"African. If you have a bottle of the...#399, please."

"Ah, excellent choice, sir. Shall I pour you a glass?" Vedran and Vorster exchanged looks before the Sovereign smiled affably at the ingratiating server. "Uhm...no, thank you. I'd be happy if you could save it, however. We'll be back for it later tonight."

"Of course, sir. Enjoy your evening." The two of them walked off to the non-alcoholic bar and got some rooibos before wandering back through the crowd. In the meantime, Jacques had struck up a conversation with a guard that he remembered from his first visit. "Sergeant Trentino, it's a pleasure to find you here. How have you been?"

[Sarah Tintagyl]

[quote name='Gloval' timestamp='1348939538' post='3035672']
Meanwhile, Duke Rahal-Fallaci, a General in the Legio Vilgium only by name, approached the Tianxian party, his breath stinking of alcohol, "Emperor Jia, I must congratulate you on your swift success against the Northern Imperium. It's certainly more proof that a woman can't run a nation, a total travesty what she did to her own people! But that is the curse of the fairer sex...no offense to your wife of course."
[/quote]

"Of course," said Theresia with a smug nod as she gripped Jia's hand tighter. "We should get moving to another part in this room before I try and end this fool." Turning back to the general, the Empress nodded again, "A pleasure to meet you, Your Grace, please take care."

However, as Theresia and Jia began to walk away, Nika walked from the side and grabbed the general's arm before putting her face and lips against his ear. In a whisper she held him still. "This is a party, so I won't try to make a scene, but if you insult my Lady again, I don't much care about the lack diplomatic immunity, I will knock your teeth out on the curb." She pushed his body up against hers one last time before parting from him, a few of her brown strands of hair falling over her face. "Take care, General."

Then Nika rejoined her party without bothering to look back at the man's expression.

[Triyun]

Jia looked at the man in mild annoyance, "You know, in some parts of the world it may be considered rude to insult the abilities of any man's wife. Much less the entire gender." he said to the general ominously. He blinked once as he felt his hand start to ache from Theresia's deceptively strong grip. After she spoke he shrugged, "We're just going to go over here..." he said to the general, "Away from you."

As they walked away he whispered to his wife, "You sure I'm the one at risk of burning the place down and raising the flag?" he asked jokingly as they approached the Russian Czar, "Czar Mikhail, what brings you to this part of the world." The Emperor said.

[Centurius]

[quote name='TheShammySocialist' timestamp='1348923882' post='3035607']
Elena bowed her head slightly, with a smile, shaking Valerio's hand gently.

After exchanging pleasantries, Ignacio would grin slightly at the Athenian's query, "Well, depends on how you look at things, I suppose. Right now, we are in the midst of a political shakeup, after the suspension of the legislative branch of government. Given the fact that ten percent of the members of the Chamber of Representatives were found to be in league with a criminal organization that tried to orchestrate an attempt on my life, the shakeup was necessary. I can only hope that the situation is settled in short order, however."

Elena smiled grimly at Ignacio words, before adding a bit of a more positive assessment, "Luckily the political crisis has not precipitated an economic crisis, which fares well for us, an economic crisis in the midst of a political crisis could only worsen both. Our economy is still playing catch up in growth forecasts that were lost due to the fallout crisis that was a result of the Umbrellan Civil War, I think I am grateful when I say that Umbrella fell, given their military decisions to use massive nuclear retaliatory strikes against civilian populations. Once this political crisis is taken care of, I have no doubt that Colombia will continue to develop its reputation as a stalwart nation amongst those of the western hemisphere."
[/quote]

"You are a very lucky man President, such an intelligent wife is rare." Valerio said after listening to them. "While we ourselves were allied to Umbrella I agree that by the end they were a threat to themselves and their people. Let's not even start on the rest of the world. I must say it is saddening that such groups manifested themselves but I am confident these violent dissidents can be taken out of the picture. I look forward to seeing Colombia develop, even if we do not have direct relations the prosperity of a neighbor is always important"

---

Meanwhile Ariadne after taking a glass of orange juice made her way to the host of this evening. "Your Majesty, it is a pleasure to finally meet our southern neighbor in person"

---

Finally Hektor would part from talking to locals to meet up with the Tianxian and Vostokslavian delegations. While in his office he had had many interactions with lower levels already but since becoming People's Consul higher foreign affairs.

"Interesting party, isn't it?"

[Padraig Rua]

[quote]Andrea shakes Bogomolov's hand and smiles, "Please, it's my honor to receive the leaders from across the world. See my kindness merely as that which should exist between all righteous states." Before he could say more, the Artican delegation had approached;[/quote]

Anatoliy took out his dúidín, which he acquired during his travels as a young man. He struck a match and lit it, and then placed the pipe in his mouth. [i]" Kindness. Hmph. That is a rare commodity in this world of ours. A rare word in diplomacy too. I hope a kind relationship will develop between our two nations. Salekhard is searching for friends who will be true to their word. Friends who will support us in times of need. Perhaps in time we can develop such a relationship. I would love to see strong diplomatic relations develop between Salekhard and Terre Regius. What say you?"[/i] finished Anatoliy, as he removed the pipe from his mouth, and stroked his beard, with a look of curiosity directed at the King.

[Captain Enema]

Outside of the ball a small group begins to gather. Not all is well in the happy little kingdom that is being set up on the backs of the disenfranchised Berber tribesmen. Though they have anger in their hearts, they are not yet ready to transmit this anger into physical violence. For now they'll content themselves to shouting slogans and protesting this rapidly growing new government. Through their protest they hope to bring attention to their plight and to gain support from the outside world.

As they gather, the leader of this group, Haid D' Salami, the former recon platoon leader of Legion, makes it very plainly known the first idiot who starts up with an act of violence is going head first into a bag of angry cats. Most of his companions know him well enough to know that perhaps he's not entirely speaking in jest and just as soon as he says these words the clatter of rocks and clubs can be heard hitting the ground as their previous owners shuffle away from them guiltily.

Before long this crowd of twenty men and women are holding signs and approaching the general direction of the ball as they chant, "TAKE YOUR CAKE AND SHOVE IT!"

And of course, "FREEDOM TODAY!"

One must not forget, "YANKEE GO HOME!" However, truth be told the chap chanting that is a bit confused as he's suffering from 1st stage senile dementia, but his grandchildren are along for the march and they are keeping him from wandering off and getting into too much trouble.

[Executive Minister]

Princess Sidamo and Minister Teguse would slip into the Ball without fanfare. Dressed in a simple white gown and veil, the Princess seemed to float amongst the crowd with the older, more grounded Minister who was dressed in her trademark powersuit and gloves.

This was the first time that both women were seen in public together - the Princess being the beloved figurehead of the cult of personality that ruled the Principality, the Minister, an avowed hawkish councilor on both the African Union and African Union Security Force panels. The pair exuded a familial, almost mother-daughter relationship as they walked. Rhianne gently held Corrine's stiff forearm as the pair made their way to a nondescript corner together.

Edited September 30, 2012 by Executive Minister

[TheShammySocialist]

[quote name='Centurius' timestamp='1348949887' post='3035723']
"You are a very lucky man President, such an intelligent wife is rare." Valerio said after listening to them. "While we ourselves were allied to Umbrella I agree that by the end they were a threat to themselves and their people. Let's not even start on the rest of the world. I must say it is saddening that such groups manifested themselves but I am confident these violent dissidents can be taken out of the picture. I look forward to seeing Colombia develop, even if we do not have direct relations the prosperity of a neighbor is always important" [/quote]

"Colombia prides itself on its track record of equality for all, Valerio," nodded Ignacio, lightly. "My ancestor, would, I'm sure, be very proud how far my country has progressed in that respect. Ours is a country of clashed cultures, European, Asian, African, with Native American, I can't see our country being able to stay together any other way." Ignacio would lightly laugh, before he downed another glass of the tequila.

Elena smiled gently, and then added, "Colombia prides itself on the stability it is helping bring to the South American continent, and probably indirectly to the Southern reaches of North America, it is my hope that our northern continental neighbor will be able to handle its' own internal affairs. This war against the Northern Imperium was a rather sad note that it took the intervention of exo-hemispheric forces to be dealt with. To that end, I have no doubt that South America has the ability to police itself as of right now."

[J Andres]

[quote name='Markus Wilding' timestamp='1348934104' post='3035648']
"Indeed," Volkov replied, swirling his drink around. "I only hope we do not need to use them. But, thankfully, any enemies we would have used them on are no longer a problem," he said, grinning. "I am curious, how exactly does a queen survive in the middle of a democracy with parties who propose an end to the monarchy?" Chairman Volkov took another sip, awaiting the reply.
[/quote]

"Um, well," The Queen stuttered briefly, not expecting such a question, "Our government is a complicated one. My father, Josef Mercton, was President before he was made the King. His Presidency is highly regarded as the beginning of the glory days of J Andres. There is not a soul in our nation who harbored dislike for him. In the mid-1980s there were some populist movements and the government in power decided that a monarch who wouldn't simply change with the seasons would lead to something more stable. The way how it was put into place, was that the Monarch, President, and something called the Constituent Panel, would each receive votes in our Commune, or legislative body. My father often abstained from votes and tried to not be politically involved in his later years as King."

"A Problem arose when my brother was elected President. He somehow used his authority to delay my coronation after our father's death. He attempted to consolidate all the power of the government into the Presidency. Thankfully he was unsuccessful, but this highlighted the issue of giving the President and Monarch authority in the Commune."

The Queen continued, "Once Evan McDowell was elected as President at the beginning of this year, he pushed for new legislation that removes the President and Monarch's influence from the Commune. Both of us can propose laws, but we cannot vote on them. The President is in charge of executing the laws, while I am the head of our judicial branch and I appoint other justices with the approval of the Commune. As you can see, our Monarchy is not one of authority, and now the true power of the Monarchy is more clearly defined in a checks and balance system. Other than that, the Monarchy's purpose is purely that of a figure head and historical relevance."

"And as for the Communist Party, unfortunately they lost their best politician with the death of Adrik Annan in 2016, and they have been searching for their identity ever since. I feel that their charge against the monarchy in this election cycle was a phase, to 'gauge it's popularity.' Former Premier Egorov is a good statesman, but he is not as elegant as Adrik was, and unfortunately, even whole branches of the Annan family have changed their affiliation to the Nationalist Party. I could speak for a long time of how the Nationalist Party strayed from their roots as well with all that imperialist nonsense. But alas, what is the political system in Georgia like?"

[Gloval]

[quote name='Vedran' timestamp='1348945010' post='3035702']
Special Envoy Jacques Denel was a little put off by the King not recognizing him, as they had made contact shortly after Terre Regius' declaration of independence. But, he didn't mention it. The Sovereign shook the King's hand fondly. "The other gentleman accompanying me is Mr. Erik Vorster, and he will be the new Arctican representative to your fine country. I also intend to extend our formal recognition to Terre Regius soon, and Mr. Vorster will present his credentials as ambassador if you will have him."

Vorster took this as his cue to step forward. "Your Majesty, Mr. Denel has briefed me fully and I am ready to take over as ambassador at your convenience."

"Well," Vedran began in closing, "I know you must be a very busy man, so I think I will enjoy your hospitality for now. Any questions, ask Mr. Vorster or myself. Thank you again."

------

"Sergeant Trentino, it's a pleasure to find you here. How have you been?"
[/quote]
"Of course. Do enjoy the events."

-----

Trentino, who was standing at attention near the bar, relaxes slightly and nods, "Ah, Mr. Denel, glad to see you could make it here. I've been fine, things have mostly calmed down in the city."

[quote name='Chancellor Patrick' timestamp='1348950819' post='3035731']
Anatoliy took out his dúidín, which he acquired during his travels as a young man. He struck a match and lit it, and then placed the pipe in his mouth. [i]" Kindness. Hmph. That is a rare commodity in this world of ours. A rare word in diplomacy too. I hope a kind relationship will develop between our two nations. Salekhard is searching for friends who will be true to their word. Friends who will support us in times of need. Perhaps in time we can develop such a relationship. I would love to see strong diplomatic relations develop between Salekhard and Terre Regius. What say you?"[/i] finished Anatoliy, as he removed the pipe from his mouth, and stroked his beard, with a look of curiosity directed at the King.
[/quote]
"Well, I'd certainly be happy to send a formal diplomatic mission to the Union. At the end of the day, the leaders of a state are, effectively, the state. I don't see why our nations cannot be allies if we ourselves can be friends." He stops as they're interrupted by a man yelling, "...Excuse me for a moment. It seems one of my nobles has thrown a fit." He walks briskly towards the commotion.

[quote name='Sarah Tintagyl' timestamp='1348946738' post='3035712']
"Of course," said Theresia with a smug nod as she gripped Jia's hand tighter. "We should get moving to another part in this room before I try and end this fool." Turning back to the general, the Empress nodded again, "A pleasure to meet you, Your Grace, please take care."

However, as Theresia and Jia began to walk away, Nika walked from the side and grabbed the general's arm before putting her face and lips against his ear. In a whisper she held him still. "This is a party, so I won't try to make a scene, but if you insult my Lady again, I don't much care about the lack diplomatic immunity, I will knock your teeth out on the curb." She pushed his body up against hers one last time before parting from him, a few of her brown strands of hair falling over her face. "Take care, General."

Then Nika rejoined her party without bothering to look back at the man's expression.
[/quote]
"How DARE you threaten me! I am a DUKE and GENERAL! GUARDS!" The Duke Rahal-Fallaci yells, drawing quite a bit of attention to him. Two guards move quickly over, hands on their holsters, but they stop as Gloval steps between them and the general. Gloval could smell the booze from several feet away, and simply looks at the Duke in disgust, "Duke, explain yourself. This is hardly the time nor place for such outbursts."
"This foreign WOMAN has threatened me! I want her arrested..." Before he could finish speaking, Gloval interrupts, "Yes yes, we all heard you before...You, waiter, what did you see?" He turns to one of the platter-carrying servers who had been near the group the whole time, collecting empty glasses.
"Your Majesty, the Duke was speaking with the delegates about how women are inferior. One of the delegates then grabbed him. I couldn't hear what she said."
Rahal starts to protest about the King listening to a servant, when Gloval again interrupts, "I hand picked my palace staff for a reason. You, unlike they, have embarrassed this nation with your actions, not to mention embarrassed me. You are dismissed; if you wish to have the guards escort you from my palace, then be my guest and continue to wail like a child." He turns to the guards, "If he resists, shoot him...but do it outside. I don't want blood on my guests."

Leaving the guards and the blubbering Duke behind, he walks up to the Tianxian group, "I apologize for the Duke, hopefully your evening isn't ruined?"


[quote name='Tidy Bowl Man' timestamp='1348979112' post='3035820']
Outside of the ball a small group begins to gather. Not all is well in the happy little kingdom that is being set up on the backs of the disenfranchised Berber tribesmen. Though they have anger in their hearts, they are not yet ready to transmit this anger into physical violence. For now they'll content themselves to shouting slogans and protesting this rapidly growing new government. Through their protest they hope to bring attention to their plight and to gain support from the outside world.

As they gather, the leader of this group, Haid D' Salami, the former recon platoon leader of Legion, makes it very plainly known the first idiot who starts up with an act of violence is going head first into a bag of angry cats. Most of his companions know him well enough to know that perhaps he's not entirely speaking in jest and just as soon as he says these words the clatter of rocks and clubs can be heard hitting the ground as their previous owners shuffle away from them guiltily.

Before long this crowd of twenty men and women are holding signs and approaching the general direction of the ball as they chant, "TAKE YOUR CAKE AND SHOVE IT!"

And of course, "FREEDOM TODAY!"

One must not forget, "YANKEE GO HOME!" However, truth be told the chap chanting that is a bit confused as he's suffering from 1st stage senile dementia, but his grandchildren are along for the march and they are keeping him from wandering off and getting into too much trouble.
[/quote]
The protestor group would never make it into the Royal sector, stopped at the whichever gate they went too by men of the Legio Vigilum. As the crowd comes to within 100 yards of the gate, floodlights flash on and loudspeakers speak up in both Italian and Arabic, "Stand down and go back to your homes. We are armed with live ammunition. This is your only warning."
Behind the now-elevated concrete barriers of the gate were lines of soldiers, rifles and machine guns aimed and ready. Atop the wall were more men, as well as Bofors 40mm autocannons.

OOC: Tidy, I'd appreciate it if you kept this stuff in the Bacco's War thread. Why villagers traveled 130km to the capital is beyond me.

[Sarah Tintagyl]

[quote name='Gloval' timestamp='1349024930' post='3035990']
"How DARE you threaten me! I am a DUKE and GENERAL! GUARDS!" The Duke Rahal-Fallaci yells, drawing quite a bit of attention to him. Two guards move quickly over, hands on their holsters, but they stop as Gloval steps between them and the general. Gloval could smell the booze from several feet away, and simply looks at the Duke in disgust, "Duke, explain yourself. This is hardly the time nor place for such outbursts."
"This foreign WOMAN has threatened me! I want her arrested..." Before he could finish speaking, Gloval interrupts, "Yes yes, we all heard you before...You, waiter, what did you see?" He turns to one of the platter-carrying servers who had been near the group the whole time, collecting empty glasses.
"Your Majesty, the Duke was speaking with the delegates about how women are inferior. One of the delegates then grabbed him. I couldn't hear what she said."
Rahal starts to protest about the King listening to a servant, when Gloval again interrupts, "I hand picked my palace staff for a reason. You, unlike they, have embarrassed this nation with your actions, not to mention embarrassed me. You are dismissed; if you wish to have the guards escort you from my palace, then be my guest and continue to wail like a child." He turns to the guards, "If he resists, shoot him...but do it outside. I don't want blood on my guests."

Leaving the guards and the blubbering Duke behind, he walks up to the Tianxian group, "I apologize for the Duke, hopefully your evening isn't ruined?"
[/quote]

Turning around, the Tianxian delegation faced the King of Terre Regis with stern looks, none more solemn and angered than Nika, the shield-maiden. "Our evening isn't ruined, King, but it doesn't reflect well on your society to have men of that caliber running around taunting guests. Both the Empress and I have paid attention to the events surrounding your nation, the genderization of your work force into two legions, it reeks of sexism. I would hope that what happened tonight would serve as a transition to a changing in your society. Men and women can do equal work and until you realize that, you'll have more people running around like this Duke."

Theresia sighed at Nika and then nodded her head. "Normally I would say we could be quieter about such things, by my Lady has a point. Prejudice starts at the top, Excellency, which would be up to you to change it."

[Triyun]

Eager not to be left out of a good pile on, the Emperor smirked as he crossed his arms. "Also just saying, if you're going to threaten someone with arrest, I suggest starting someone who doesn't have two million battle hardened soldiers with a sworn oath to defend them." Jia added perhaps slightly unhelpfully. "I do keep a trigger happy nut job as the second in command encase anything ever happens to me or my family for a reason. After all this world is defined by superior fire power."

[Markus Wilding]

[quote name='J Andres' timestamp='1349015561' post='3035952']
"But alas, what is the political system in Georgia like?"
[/quote]
Chairman Volkov's eyebrows danced at the mention of Georgia's politics. "That's a can of worms with another can inside it," he commented. "Georgia's politics are dominated by the Communist party, of course. The socialists and Marxists among us are...tolerated, to put it lightly." Placing his glass on the bar so a bartender could refill it, he continued, "Chairmen like myself are elected for life. Elections are internal, Communist party members only. If you aren't a party member, you do not get a vote. We've found it prevents the 'unorthodox' and 'non-conformists' from trying to reverse what we've done for Georgia's good."

[Gloval]

[quote name='Sarah Tintagyl' timestamp='1349025379' post='3035991']
Turning around, the Tianxian delegation faced the King of Terre Regis with stern looks, none more solemn and angered than Nika, the shield-maiden. "Our evening isn't ruined, King, but it doesn't reflect well on your society to have men of that caliber running around taunting guests. Both the Empress and I have paid attention to the events surrounding your nation, the genderization of your work force into two legions, it reeks of sexism. I would hope that what happened tonight would serve as a transition to a changing in your society. Men and women can do equal work and until you realize that, you'll have more people running around like this Duke."

Theresia sighed at Nika and then nodded her head. "Normally I would say we could be quieter about such things, by my Lady has a point. Prejudice starts at the top, Excellency, which would be up to you to change it."
[/quote]
[quote name='Triyun' timestamp='1349027520' post='3036005']
Eager not to be left out of a good pile on, the Emperor smirked as he crossed his arms. "Also just saying, if you're going to threaten someone with arrest, I suggest starting someone who doesn't have two million battle hardened soldiers with a sworn oath to defend them." Jia added perhaps slightly unhelpfully. "I do keep a trigger happy nut job as the second in command encase anything ever happens to me or my family for a reason. After all this world is defined by superior fire power."
[/quote]
Raising an eyebrow, Andrea sighs in annoyance, "Not every leader has the power of two million soldiers and an experienced bureaucracy to run their nation. A young state must work with what it has, not off of wishful thinking; and I'd happily accept the claim that my nation is imperfect as long as I can keep it functional and moving towards a better tomorrow. I'm fighting two thousand years worth of cultural development, not to mention the chaos of countless modern nations rising and falling over these very lands. I am laying the foundations, the brickwork which will drive change to occur, but until that foundation is laid, it would be absurd of me to start making decrees based off of idealism instead of reality. Without any fraction of doubt, I can assure you that I would weep for joy to see my fine nation so rapturous as to follow the utopian principals you have so clearly built on, but I find principles is scarcely a sound foundation to build a home on, let alone a nation. Now, if you excuse me, I have an address to prepare for, do enjoy the rest of your time here." He turns and starts to head for one of the sets of double doors.


-----

An announcer would state that the guests should start moving to the dining room.

[Triyun]

Jia looked at the man with fiery anger in his eyes, "Listen. I suggest you correct your attitude and read a history book. The fact is that Tianxia [i]did[/i] start out as a small city state. It [i]did[/i] face large powerful nations on all sides. And I [i]did[/i] hold it together with my own two hands often against the traditions of a much older civilization than the one here. That is not an excuse to allow such . Now I suggest you learn some manners and keep your people under control. If you are too weak or ineffectual to keep your nation in one piece while maintaining civility, you should either take some classes, get out of the way for someone better to run it, or grow a pair. Because trust me when I say you do not want to be having this conversation with me or any other world leader when I'm at may day job instead of trying to enjoy the evening. Now go get me a god damn beer."

Edited September 30, 2012 by Triyun

[Centurius]

[quote name='TheShammySocialist' timestamp='1349008994' post='3035934']
"Colombia prides itself on its track record of equality for all, Valerio," nodded Ignacio, lightly. "My ancestor, would, I'm sure, be very proud how far my country has progressed in that respect. Ours is a country of clashed cultures, European, Asian, African, with Native American, I can't see our country being able to stay together any other way." Ignacio would lightly laugh, before he downed another glass of the tequila.

Elena smiled gently, and then added, "Colombia prides itself on the stability it is helping bring to the South American continent, and probably indirectly to the Southern reaches of North America, it is my hope that our northern continental neighbor will be able to handle its' own internal affairs. This war against the Northern Imperium was a rather sad note that it took the intervention of exo-hemispheric forces to be dealt with. To that end, I have no doubt that South America has the ability to police itself as of right now."
[/quote]

"The Northern Imperium was a sad case, though admittedly with the exception of Mexico it does feel like North America is a continent that can not stand on its own. More than once now Eurasia has had to intervene for the greater safety of all mankind. I can personally understand your circumstances. Athens is in many ways the same, we have a clash of dozens of cultures. Let's not even start about the dozen religions that all have vital regions inside the Federation. It always is and always will be a careful balancing. As for South America, it is one of those continents where Eurasian intervention has hardly ever been needed. I am confident Colombia and Mexico will keep it this way."


[quote name='Triyun' timestamp='1349047366' post='3036089']
Jia looked at the man with fiery anger in his eyes, "Listen. I suggest you correct your attitude and read a history book. The fact is that Tianxia [i]did[/i] start out as a small city state. It [i]did[/i] face large powerful nations on all sides. And I [i]did[/i] hold it together with my own two hands often against the traditions of a much older civilization than the one here. That is not an excuse to allow such . Now I suggest you learn some manners and keep your people under control. If you are too weak or ineffectual to keep your nation in one piece while maintaining civility, you should either take some classes, get out of the way for someone better to run it, or grow a pair. Because trust me when I say you do not want to be having this conversation with me or any other world leader when I'm at may day job instead of trying to enjoy the evening. Now go get me a god damn beer."
[/quote]

By now it was a bit hard to miss the events developing, with a short sigh Ariadne approached the collection of people. "Did you really start the fun emancipation debate without me?" Ariadne said after Jia finished. "Add one for me to that order"

[Vedran]

Denel made some more small talk with the Sergeant while the other two members of the Arctican delegation watched the exchange from afar. It appeared that a copious amount of alcohol wasn't necessary to make people behave so coarsely at such an event. Sipping at the sweetened red tea, they found it easy to observe, especially given the raised voices. "Fascinating," murmured Vedran, finishing his tea just as the call to move on was made.

United once more, the Arcticans retrieved their bottle of wine from the bartender and brought it along to the dining room, each silently wondering if there would be any more incidents.

[Justinian the Mighty]

Mikhail smiled after overhearing the spat between the Tianxians and the King of Terre Regius. He knew that Emperor Jia wasn’t averse to speaking his mind in any situation, nor were the other members of Tianxia’s royal family. They always knew how to make any event more interesting than before.