NationStates Jolt Archive

Prince Damoen and his family had been staying in the Resurgent Dream and other places as he traveled for a period of time while the iron fisted rule of the Lord High Marshal continued in the Grand Kingdom of Aerion. This rule was not deemed to last for too long, however, and still loyal elements of the Royal Guard had been able to convince the others who had turned sides to return their loyalty to the Royal Family, as was promised that Prince Damoen would be a “different” ruler. And here Prince Damoen found himself on his private jet, returning to his beloved country, with his wife Princess Cathrane and his daughter.

Prince Damoen was a different man. A different Prince. He had viewed the corruption and decadence of the high class of Aerion. The corporate moguls, those favored by his cousin the King, and the other wealthy elite of Aerion. He was, inwardly, disgusted. And yet, he did not have the power to fight them, as he acted as he was expected to act. He himself was an stockholder in the Royally chartered corporations, under the system that the King held 10% stock of every corporation in Aerion, and every major corporation bearing an Royal Representative on the Board of Directors.

This system had been temporarily done away with by the Lord High Marshal, but as Prince Damoen returned he would be expected to restore this system, the behemoth oppressive corporations supporting the Royalty and the Royalty supporting the oppressive corporations, with the common man left out as wage slaves to the corporations. Most of the favored of his second cousin, the King, had been killed or left the country when the Lord High Marshal took over. Perhaps their absence would make it easier for him to make changes, and yet he knew the corporate moguls would be vying for positions in the temporary Privy Council, the cabinet, he would have to form to take the reigns of government from the military supervisors the Lord High Marshal had put in their hands.

The man felt guilty, yes, but he fought his own personal demons. He pulled an small round shaped golden pill box encrusted with diamonds from his pocket, and opened it to reveal the white powdery substance. He snuffed almost the entire contents, all of the cocaine inside, and tilted his head back.

Soon they would be landing at the Royal Family’s private airport, near the Royal Palace in the capital of Astevane. And then, the future chapter of Aerion would begin…….

The airplane of the Prince landed at the Royal Airport, across the Royal Park from the Royal Palace at the heart of Astevane. He had watched as the massive multi-layer metropolis of the city had given way to the preserved ancient and elaborate architecture of the central city, and the Royal District in its style of mixing Greeko-Roman and Baroque architecture. He had observed as they landed the river, which separated directly the Royal District on one bank, and a large four lane secure bridge leading from the Royal District to the poorer areas of the city such as the Industrial District and the massive sprawl of unorganized growth.

No less than thousand Royal Guard, in full dress uniform, were lined up along the edge of the runway to greet the Prince in his arrival. As the Prince’s private jet came to a landing, stairs were positioned into place for him to step down, and two men unfurled a long red carpet. The Prince made his entrance, looking tired however, though cordially smiled to those gathered. He looked back as the personal Royal Bodyguard, those who were most certainly and surely still loyal to the Royal Family, were positioned close around him, and his family who now stepped down behind him.

There was an atmosphere of distrust even here, as one was not sure if any agents of the just fallen regime had placed within the ranks of those now claiming to be loyal to the Prince.

It was truly an experience, the first time he had set foot on his homeland for several months. And so much had changed in those several months. Many he knew were dead, many men who had been loyal to King Wasterin X, and many lived in fear. Many had been “traitors” to the Royal Family, even those who had been previously so loyal to the Royal Family, but no doubt out of interest for their own safety from being killed by the military regime. The regime had been brief however compared to some such regimes in Aerion’s history, and so the Royal Family or at least the Prince now in line for the throne was poised to return them to their glory.

He was greeted firstly by several officers of the Royal Guard, the Military, and others who had proved their loyalty to him by killing the Lord High Marshal and his officers and bringing the Royal Guard back into order.

An luxury sedan, no doubt most secure, was positioned at the end of his long walk. He spoke with several of them for just a moment before he, and the current commanding officer of the Royal Bodyguard, the Royal Guard detachment responsible for guarding the Prince’s bodily person and his family from harm.

The sedan pulled away and began the short, approximately two mile drive across the Royal Park and to the side gates of the Royal Palace. It was a beautiful drive, the Royal Park having elaborate gardens and this road being made to look like a drive through a forest with trees high on each side. They reached the guarded gates, and the car entered the grounds of the Royal Palace…

The Prince had arrived……….

The Prince had been shown to the Royal Chambers, and his private quarters which were lavishly decorated in elegant Baroque style. There was the Royal Suite, his private study with library and office, an small private dining room for when he wished to dine alone, sitting room, and a very private garden just off his bedroom.

And so began the competitive search for loyal, and highly skilled servants for the new royalty. Many of the old servants who had been kicked out off the Royal Palace by the Lord High Marshal would be brought back, some of them faithful servants of the Royal Family. Others would be new.

The Prince had many tasks ahead of him, and he went to sit at the long elegant polished oak table in his study to read the scrolling data-screen, and make the numerous phone calls he needed to make on his video phone to the highest officials across Aerion.

He would appoint officials, he would fire officials, all on the word of other trusted “officials”. The task was great, potentially with disastrous results.

The work had just began, to root out disloyalty and those who were still loyal to the Lord High Marshal in the Royal Army, and what was left of the Government.

The Prince had also to cater to the megacorporations in Aerion which had control over the people as well.