NationStates Jolt Archive

Princess Aretha awoke in her bedchambers in her large palatial townhouse in the Royal District of Astevane. She laid upon luxurious silk sheets, under an burgundy silk blanket in a huge canopy bed. Her elegant room had marble floors, with high ceilings, elegant moldings bordering the room, and a chandelier hanging from the ceiling. The room was designed in the Baroque style, and most of the decor. Everything was extravigant, everything was in detail. She looked across the room at the marble fireplace, unlit as it was not the Aerion winter yet. She yawned slightly once again, rising in bed.

She picked up the silver touch-screen remote on the dresser beside her bed, which controlled many things in the "smart room". She pressed a few buttons on the remote, and an elegant wall mirror recessed to be replaced by an extra large plasma flatscreen television. She pressed a few buttons, and turned on the news. Another press of a button split the screen, showing her daily schedule on the opposite side of the news, prepared by her personal assistant. She pressed a button the touchscreen, and the red velvet curtains of the room opened to reveal the large windows overlooking the elegant cobblestone street below.

She lived on Rose Lane, an elegant lane in the Royal District of Astevane almost right next to the gigantic three mile Royal Palace, but on the opposite side of the Palace from the bustling Forum, the central square of the Royal District. It was a peaceful lane, closed to traffic, where many of the families of the highest Royal Government officials lived. Like their siblings if they were not corporate, or their elderly parents. The corporate elite generally lived in gated communities closer to the Financial District. The cobblestone street was lined with trees, and ended on one end at another lane that led to one of the many entrances to the Royal Palace. This entrance was through the Balkeo Garden, a very beautiful garden.

The Princess had been offered to live in the Royal Palace in one of the multi-room suites offered to those of her station, but refused as she did not wish to get so close to the many complex Byzantine intrigues the Royal Palace had to offer. She had heard that security had an eye on every single room, even the "private rooms", and she would have none of that. She was a young woman, perhaps the age of 19, but she was smarter than to get involved in the insanity of the Royal Palace. She was but a fourth cousin of the King, so could only be addressed as "Her Highness", rather than "Her Royal Highness", though as the blood of the Royal Family was considered so valuable she was given special treatment everywhere she went. She had grown used to it, since a young age. She sighed a deep sigh, her father, whom she was never close to, had died recently and she had came to the city from their country estate in the pristine wilderness across the vast plains of Astevane. She had never seen anything like Astevane, and did not want to see any more of it than the districts she frequented. Parts of it reflected its nature of being a huge megapolis, with gigantic skyscrapers, and cold concrete alleys. Other parts of it were more organized, such as the Royal District which also happened to be the "historical district". No buildings in the Royal District were over ten stories high, except for the Royal Palace, which its domes rose very very high.

She had the option of attending the Royal University after completing her education under her private tutors at her family estate, but she refused to. She decided she would rather spend her days idling away, spending time with her close circle of handmaidens, and friends she had made among the other upper elite young women from high society. One of her friends was the granddaughter of the Lord Chancellor, one of the Nine Great Officers of State, another friend was the younger sister of the Minister of the Interior, and the list went on and on.

She wondered what she would do today, other than the scheduled "social appointments" she was required to attend. She looked over the schedule, seeing quiet a few free slots open for a weekday. She wondered if she should go shopping in one of the high fashion stores on the Royal Avenue or in the high fashion malls, but she laughed slightly to herself. She already had three walk in closets, one just for storage. She had three full time wardrobers just to take care of it all. She probably did not need another $2000 purse, or $20,000 dress. But truly just because she had not thought of anywhere else to put it all....

She yawned once again, stretching, as she pressed a button on the touchscreen remote that would call her morning butler in. Her morning butler was a 65 year old man, and what irony she thought than old man such as him should be waiting on a young woman such as she. A few moments later, the high double white doors to her bedchamber opened, and the elderly gray haired man entered. "What may I do for you, Your Highness. He said." She smiled, "I would like some tea, and some light breakfest. I think I would like umm....fruit this morning." She smiled, and the old man nodded. "Yes, Your Highness." And exited the room. She sighed, wondering where her wardrobers were, and the maid that helped her get dressed in the morning. Not that she needed any help, but she was not expected to have to do anything for herself. She had thirty people total, thirty staff that tended totally to her, and her household. She laughed at this slightly, thinking of how high mantience she really was. Oh what would she do, what could she do without her thirty personal staff. She even had her own personal massage theraphist on call 24/7, who could also do such things as acupuncture and facials. Her own little private spa right in her household.

"Ahh" she said, she leaned back into bed once again, stroking her long black hair. She wondered sometimes what life must be like on the "other" side of the river, for the "others" or "commoners" as they were called, for the less privileged of Aerion society. She never even looked across the river at the "other" side, for she never left the Royal District which had all she needed, and a fairly large wall was around the Royal District which prevented seeing the other side if one did not specifically intend to. Ahh, but she was content, very bored, but content. She had not time to think of the "other" side, for what entered her mind next was if she would eat lunch in, or out at one of the five star restaurants.

(To be continued......)

Part 2 of Story of an Aerion Princess

Princess Aretha had finally gotten ready after eating some light breakfest, her wardrobers had helped her put on an elegant outfit for the first part of the day, and helped her comb her hair. Her chosen outfit of the day was a black skirt, with an black silk top which draped across her elegantly. She wore a very short white fur jacket, that came only mid-way up her stomach. All in all, the outfit she wore for the day cost her $10,000 counting all pieces including her $2000 designer handbag, and $2000 casual watch. She had applied her makeup in her elegant all marble bathroom, and then prepared to step out onto Rose Street. She walked down the street, and pulling out her miniature handheld, a combination of all electronic gadgets one would need. The handheld was a cellphone, PDA, mp3 player, remote TV, GPS, and wireless miniature laptop rolled into a small device the size of her palm. She pressed a button on it to call her chaffeur, and she spoke to him. A few moments later, her car pulled up to the curb from a hidden parking garage, and the formally dressed chaffeur complete with cap stepped out of the car to open the door for the Princess. She got into the car, and the driver began driving the car down the street. She leaned back, yawning slightly, as she gazed out the window. Ahh, how beautiful it was. Elegant palatial townhouses with beautiful gardens lining the street, and small parks. Finely dressed people walking along the sidewalks. This was the life indeed.

Inside the back of the car, the Princess checked over her schedule on her handheld. Ahh, she was to have morning tea with the wife of the Minister of the Interior, Mrs. Malera. She was a middle-aged woman, a wild partyer. She hoped the woman did not have a hangover when she got there.

She punched into her handheld, and the directions to the site were sent to the screen GPS in the front console of the car for her driver. The Royal District was by no means small, with many winding streets, and expanded out from its center past the older wall to the newer areas. Mrs. Malera lived in the newer area.

Traffic was heavy as they passed through the Forum, the center of the Royal District. It was a grand, magnificient looking affair, lined with buildings of marble, some even having gold plated decoration. The architectural style was a mixture of Baroque, Greeko-Roman, and Arabic. It was truly all magnificient. A wide avenue winded through it, and traffic slowed to a halt for at least five minutes before it started again. The road planning was not so well as this was a historic area. Limousines had been banned for all but the highest officials because of the road space they took up, and so one would see many touring limousines or luxury sedans along the road. She watched out the window as they passed the Royal Opera House, and various other luxury locations. Finally, they were passing the large Dalek Park, and turned onto Diamond Boulevard. After approximately a mile, they had arrived at the drive to the stately mansion of the Minister and his wife. Her driver pulled around the circular drive, and she got out. The mansion was in the French Baroque style of many other mansions in this area of the Royal District, and was one of the newer ones. Sometimes she wondered if she should obtain one of the large mansions further away from the Forum, where there was room for such things, but then again as a Princess it was protocol for her to live as near to the Royal Palace as possible if not in it.

She stepped up to the door, and the automatic sensors alerted the doorman on duty to her presence. The doorman, a butler assigned to the specific role of answering the door along with other duties, answered the door. He bowed slightly, "Your Highness, the Mistress is expecting you." She nodded regally, and stepped into the foyer of the mansion. The butler showed her through the double doors into the parlor, and she took a seat. A few moments later Mrs. Malera came through the door, and curtsied to the Princess. "Your Highness, it is a pleasure to have you for tea this morning."

The Princess smiled politely, all the while thinking that the woman does indeed have a hangover, she could tell. She smiled, as Mrs. Malera took her seat. The woman said, "How have you been, Your Highness?"

The Princess cleared her throat, "I have been well, I went to the ball hosted by the Royal Arts Foundation yesterday. Funding for the arts is so important. We are trying to beautify some of the Financial District, though the corporations seem to like the intimidating facade of their skyscapers, and concrete sidewalks."

Mrs. Malara nodded, and they continued with petty small talk. The weather, shopping, new fashion designers, new trends, the latest scandals and gossip, all were acceptable topics. Then Mrs. Malara brought up something that was not in the course of day to day conversation, "My husband has a new mistress, he had the audacity to bring the bitch home last night."

The Princess gasped, placing her hand over her mouth, and then quickly recomposed herself. "Ahh, really?" It was not uncommon for unmarried women to be very wild, and men. Many of the wealthy youth often had very wild parties..to say the least, but acceptable members of society as they grew older were expected to tone down their activities. However, most men did have one or two mistresses. Though the Princess knew she had heard the Minister was quiet wild, with both boys and girls. Though he was a bit younger, approximately in his thirties, such behavior might be expected.

Mrs. Malara nodded, "Yes....so I contacted one of my gentlemen in the Royal Guard, and had the bitch beat down in a place where there is no surveillance." She laughed, "And my husband has no idea where she has gone..."

The Princess frowned a bit, "Ahh, I see, well...perhaps it is for the better."

(Aerion has changed and months have passed since this....)

Several months later….

Princess Aretha awoke in her chamber from a nightmare, dripping in sweat. She thought she had heard gunshots in the street, but was unsure if it was just her imagination, or if it was her.

She jumped up out of her bed, startled, and ran in her nightgown to the large window overlooking the street. She looked down to see the two Royal Army soldiers outside her townhouse near the Palace. She gulped, and simply stared out the window a few moments.

Princess Aretha was barely able to sleep any more, for she was living in a total state of fear. General Amothar Kadolen, self-proclaimed Lord High Marshal had practically led a bloodless military coup, and had taken over her country. Most of the Royal Family had fled the country, but she was not able to, and therefore had been put under house arrest by the Lord High Marshal. Lately things were getting worse, as all her friends had fled the country with their families, almost all had fathers and mothers in the Royal Government which the General had declared “defunct”, and had expelled all the highest officials in the Royal Government who had not been killed in the bombing that destroyed the Privy Council.

She stared out her window, a sickening feeling in her stomach, trying to remember even though she did not want to the nightmare she awoke from…

Suddenly, she heard a knock on the door, and she almost jumped out of her skin.

It was her elderly butler who entered. He had a more serious look on his face than usual, and this disturbed her. She cleared her throat, “What is it” He carried a bag in his hand, “Your in terrible danger, Your Highness, we have to get you out of here.” He placed the bag on the bed, “You have to put these on immediately, Your Highness, and place your valuables, anything you can sell into the bag. I have gathered some of your most valuable jewels, and placed them in this pouch.” He reached into his pocket.

She turned ghost white, “What is going on! What do you mean I am in terrible danger?!”

He looked at her, “The General has sent his men here to come get you, and I am afraid of what they are going to do to you. Some others have been disappearing lately, several government officials who remained in the country. You need to leave, now.”

She gasped, “What! I am a Princess, a cousin of His Majesty the King! The General would not dare lay a hand on me!”

The butler shook his head, “We don’t have time for this, Your Highness, the General is in control now. Now get these on. Mary, your maid, is going to drive you and your handmaiden to the train station. You will then get out of the city, and to a safe place until we can figure out how to safely smuggle you out of the country.”

The Princess shook her head. The elderly butler said, “Your Highness, you are in grave danger, do this now.”

She quickly reached for the bag, fighting back tears of fright. The butler nodded, and walked out. She quickly pulled the clothing out of the bag. Common clothing, as common as can be. She took off her luxurious silk night robe, and changed into the cotton clothing.

She quickly grabbed some of her jewelry from the vanity drawers nearby, and rushed into her bathroom. She was scared, very scared. She stared in the mirror, stared for a few minutes, before she heard another knock.

The butler rushed in, “Your Highness, you have to come now, we have to get out.” She rushed out of the bathroom, and grabbed the bag off her bed. She took one last look at her bedchambers before she followed the her butler down the back stairway, and to the staff entrance at the side street. A car waited there, a car with tinted windows, an old looking car. Her maid was in the driver’s seat, “Get in the back.” She nodded, and the butler quickly opened the door. He looked down the back street both ways, and quickly shut the door behind him. The car sped off……

Princess Aretha sat in the back of the old car, gazing out into the relatively empty streets other than marching soldiers. The driver, her maid, looked scared to death and wide eyed as she drove the car at the speed limit through the Royal District toward the six lane Central Boulevard, which would take them out of the Royal District. As they passed through the Forum, Princess Aretha looked out the windows at the massive domed Royal Palace that she was entitled once to enter, and the huge magnificent buildings overlooking the Forum.

The once lively, packed Forum which would be packed at even this time of night with the elaborately dressed of Aerion high society returning home from various social occasions, their servants, and many others was relatively empty other than a few scared looking civilians looking down as they crossed it in somber suits, and overcoats which they wore to look less conspicuous. As soldiers of the Royal Army marched through the square, and newly empowered officers walked confidently with their bodyguards. Several army tanks, and artillery emplacements were positioned around the Royal Palace, and the massive Forum. It was a frightening sight to see. The maid spoke loudly, “Put your head down, but don’t look suspicious, act like your just riding miss.”

They pulled onto the Central Boulevard where army jeeps, and other vehicles were moving along. She looked up as they passed under the Royal Arc, a triumphant arc that heralded the entrance to the Royal District, and finally to the wall where massive gates allowed entrance into the Royal District, and there was a guard post usually manned by the Royal Guard but which had been turned into a military checkpoint. Armed soldiers with AK-47s stood guard. The maid cleared her throat, and attempted to keep her cool as she drove the car up. The soldier looked through, “Your ID card, now.” The maid got out her national ID card, and held it up. The soldier used his handheld data scanner to scan over it, and got her name as well as other information. He clears his throat, moving toward one of the officers, “Lieutenant.” She hears he calls, and a middle aged man comes out of the guard post. He reads over the data scanner, and goes into the guard post. A few moments later he emerges, and approaches the car. The maid is almost shaking by now, barely able to contain her fear, “

The officer stared at her through the window, “You’re an maid in the employee of Princess Aretha Wasterin. There has been a call out on Princess Wasterin, the Lord High Marshal wishes to see her. Do you know where she is?” The maid shook her head, attempting to keep her voice steady, “No sir, I am just here taking my daughter home. She had to come to work with me.” The officer frowns, “You have a daughter? Your identification information did not indicate that.” The maid frowns, clearing her throat, “She is like a daughter I mean, she is my niece. My sister is ill, and wished me to take care of her.” Which was true, her sister was ill, but her niece was away with her brother, and not with her. The officer cleared his throat, frowning suspiciously but the maid looked old and innocent enough, “Do you know where the Princess is?” She shook her head, “No sir, I don’t know. She left earlier tonight I think, but I just work downstairs in the kitchen and storage, I don’t get close to Her Highness.” The officer frowned, “Very well, move on through.”

The maid nodded, putting the car into gear, and driving through as the checkpoint gate is raised, and she drives her car across the massive bridge where the Central Boulevard passes over the river running through middle of the capital of Astevane, dividing the wealthier sections of the Royal District, Corporate District, and other districts from the general city. The boulevard merged into a large six lane freeway which passed through the poorer and industrial districts of the city, with massive apartment blocs, and multi-story urban mega-factories that stretched into the sky flanking the freeway. Roads and public transportation tracks passed over, and under the freeway in a chaotic networked mass.

The car sped along through the traffic, light at this time but still heavy compared to other cities. After driving thirty minutes through miles, and miles of constant urban area the maid veered off onto an exit which literally passed through one of the huge apartment blocs, and under down onto an avenue. Large digital signs indicated, “Rokelen Station, 4 miles ahead.”.

They were headed for Rokelen Station, a general public train station that was smaller than the centralized train station in Astevane and that the maid thought they might be able to get through easier…or so she hoped. Her heart was still beating so fast she did not even speak to the Princess as they drove, there had just been an awkward nervous silence the whole way…

(Thread that ties into this one, describing events transpiring in Aerion: http://www.forums.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?t=408138&page=2&pp=15&highlight=Aerion)

The maid pulled the car into the passenger parking area of the train station, and looked for the car she was supposed to park near. It was a black Lincoln Continental with tinted windows. She pulled into a parking space behind the car, and looked through the driver’s mirrors suspiciously. A few moments later a man in large black overcoat with the collar pulled up, and a black fedora got out of the Lincoln Continental. He walked over to the car, appearing more as an Aerion business man would though one observant might be able to tell he was trying to hide his features. The figure approached the driver’s side where the maid was at. She looked nervous, but rolled down the window to look at the man. The man spoke clearly, “This is her new ID.” He glanced toward the back where the Princess was curled up, “This ID has an graphically altered picture with her with shorter hair, so you need to take care of that. Her new name is Emily Mereditha, from the town of Potharen in northern Aerion. Your story is she is going to visit a relative in the town. You will place her on the northbound train to Katek. You will then leave the train station, and return to your home.” The maid nodded, gulping. The man cleared his throat, “Get her through, good luck.” The man then turned, and walked back to the black Lincoln Continental. He got in, and the car backed out before disappearing into the night.

The maid did not trust the man, as some of the shadowy agents of the old Royal Government were no less sinister than the agents of the military government now. Yet she had to trust him, it was her duty to, to save the Princess. She opened the door, and motioned for the Princess “Come along.”

As soon as they walked up to the sliding glass doors of the train station, they had to pass between two armed Royal Army soldiers flanking the doorway. Princess Aretha was still in her commoner clothing with a shawl around her head, and so was disguised. Once inside, there was a crowd even at this time of night preparing to get on the trains. An huge digital board hanging above the main area scrolled departure and arrival times. The northbound express train to Katek was leaving in 30 minutes. They approached the ticket desk, the maid cleared her throat. “One ticket to Katek.” The attendant nodded, punching into the computer which printed the ticket through a special printer. He handed it through the window, “That will be 60 Gold Leaves.” Gold Leaf was the formal name of Aerion’s currency, which had stylized gold leaves on the edges, and had pictures of various Kings or royal figures on them. She pulled a $50 gold leaf bill from her pocket, and a $10. She decided it safer to pay in cash, and she passed it through. The ticket master handed the ticket through the window, and the Princess took it.

Princess Aretha was not used to this. Everyone was treating her just like some common girl, few noticed her, but she knew it was better that way. And yet it was odd not being called, for the first time in her life, “Your Highness.”

The maid nudged the Princess, and nodded. She spoke lowly to her, “Now remember, you are Emily Mereditha. Now” She gave a almost pale look as she saw the security checkpoint required to pass through before going through the trains, “Take your bag, and go through there. They probably won’t check it, they usually don’t for trains.” She gave a nervous sigh, but then smiled as if she was the girl’s aunt to complete the effect and the Princess took her bag. The Princess walked up to the security checkpoint where two armed Royal Soldiers stared. She started to pass through them to get to the boarding platform, one of the Royal Soldiers stopped her. “Your ID.” She looked startled, but grabbed out her new ID and handed it to the soldier. He used his handheld scanner to scan the barcode on the ID, and nodded as the small digital screen displayed the information. “Emily Mereditha, eh.” He looked at her, and then looked back at the ID. “Proceed.” She nodded, grabbed her id, and kept her head down as she crossed the stage toward where a digital scrolling sign showed the boarding platform that the northbound express to Katek would be stopping at. Her heart was beating so fast she almost felt faint of head, but strived to keep herself under control.

She stood there a long with a few others, as the shiny metallic silver colored bullet-style train pulled into the train station and to the boarding platform. An loudspeaker announced, “Train 105 northbound express to Katek is now at boarding platform 7.”

The Princess got on with her bag, unwilling to let it go for fear of someone stealing the valuable contents inside. She sat inside at the seat her ticket showed, and watched out the window as crowds of others boarded the train up and down the platform. She put her bag under her seat, and stared out the window. An old woman came in, wearing a large black hat. She looked around before handing the luggage off to one of the bag men who helped her put it into the overhead compartment, before taking her seat next to the girl. She did not look like a pleasant lady, and looked rather tired. The old woman ignored the Princess as she laid back in the seat and looked as if she was close to dozing off. Across the aisle an man in a prim suit was working on his laptop next to another young girl who stared out her window as well.

After a few moments, the call “All Aboard” was given, and a whistle was blown. The doors to the train shut, as that strange sound as a subway train or train starts as if a ship were powering up echoed through the compartment. The train began to move, and exited the train station as it began moving through the city toward the vast plains. After about twenty minutes the train began to leave the urban area and move through the vast dark plains surrounding the mega polis of Astevane, the city kept regulated at a certain boundary with the plains being preserved. The train would travel through these plains until it reached the foothills, and then the mountains. The Princess stared out the window at the dark, chilly night and the endless plains around them. The city of Astevane illuminated the skies behind them with a massive orange glow, but as the train moved further away from the city there were barely any lights to be seen.

The Princess was on her way to Katek, an city in the cold mountains of the Katekan Mountain Range. An ancient city, with an ancient history.

(The continuation of the story as the story takes a most unusual, and compelling turn.)

Into the Mountains

Princess Aretha, or “Emily Mereditha” rented a small unassuming apartment that was indicated to her by one of the shadowy agents of the old Royal Government, of some secret agency even she was unaware of, but whom she knew or had been instructed to trust.

She had lived in this small unassuming apartment for months now. She spent many sleepless nights, sometimes dashing to the window as she heard sirens in the distance, and sometimes jumping at every sound as people passed through the hallway outside her door. She lived in fear, but the fear slowly subsided as days turned into months.

Though one day, everything changed, as she had become enraged and broke the mirror in her bathroom. And…suddenly, she stopped dead, horrified by what she saw. An camera, behind the mirror, and the mirror in fact being two way. She broke the lamp, and the frame on the wall. All had hidden cameras in them, which she discovered the smallest ones by seeing wires. They were not the most advanced hidden cameras available, and so she wondered if these had been planted by the agents of the shadowy agency that had been guiding her or someone else.

She knew she had to get out, and so she again had to flee. She threw all her belongings into her bag immediately, as well as whatever money she had left, and ran out the door.

Katek was an ancient city. Stone streets wove their way through steppes in the side of a mountain, with steps connecting some of the streets for pedestrian traffic. It was a mixture of the very old and the very modern, with Aretha having lived in the oldest part. The majority of Katekans in the Katekan Mountain Range were Buddhists, some following Makan Buddhism, and some Mahayana Buddhism. Buddhism was a rare thing in Aerion, having been carried there in the earliest nomadic days to the people of the mountains, and so therefore was very localized to only two provinces in Aerion, with Makan Buddhism being only in this area of the province she was in.

The people were therefore very helpful, as opposed to the rest of Aerion where the majority of people were agnostic or atheist, including most of the upper class and military, and the attitude was fend for yourself and make your pay.

She knew where she would have to flee, where no one would ever probably find her. The holy monastic city of Kathan, the place where literally hundreds of thousands of monks and the laypersons who supported them lived. The home and headquarters of Makan Buddhism. It could barely be called a city compared to the layered mega cities of millions across the rest of Aerion, but it was a city of monks, nuns, and religion. There was technology there, but the people there adhered to a very simple lifestyle, some saying the city seemed almost like socialism in action as far as how the people worked and lived. And yet, to enter this city she knew if she were found out on the outskirts that she was not a local she would have to meet in audience with the High Lama, a most mysterious man, the spiritual and secular leader of Kathan who was allowed or rather ignored by most Aerion governments in the past to administer his own domain. And yet, by sheltering her, this precious balance could be disrupted…….