NationStates Jolt Archive

....for his son.

H.R.H. The Crown Prince is looking for a wife of royal blood. Until the moment, we have three proposals, but we are not sure about them. We need the perfect candidate to be the future Queen of Brasland.

OOC:

Tag!

Post will come shortly. :)

OOC: I'm confused. Are you looking for a wife or a consort?

OOC:

He's looking for a wife for the Crown Prince of Brasland. :)

IC:

Isangrad, Magnus Valerius
The Imperial Palace

The Valerian Imperial Ministry of Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs (abbreviated as VMDFA), after being tied up in a conflict with Iansisle, was busy going through reports from across the globe as Magnus Valerius slowly regained some diplomatic edge in world affairs after the late Tsar Alexander II's isolationist period. At the moment, the current ruling emperor, Tsar Alexander III, is out on the field in a military campaign against Iansisle and has left his son, Crown Prince Ivan, in charge of the Imperial Estate. Ivan, who is 18 and will soon be graduating high school, relies on his befriended mentor, the 56-year-old Minister of Diplomacy and Foreign Affairs Feodor Gagarin.

One sunny day, as Prince Ivan was shooting the breeze by swimming laps in the Imperial Palace's swimming pool, a servant approached him with a message from the VMDFA. He leapt out of the pool, thanking the servant for the message and bowing to him before the servant left. Opening the wax-sealed letter hastily with his fingers, Ivan was glad of the freedom he had without his repressive and apparently unstable father around.

"Let's see here," Ivan thought as he glanced the letter from Gagarin. Gagarin had written about a little-known Kingdom of Brasland, a potential ally and friend for Magnus Valerius. Apparently, His Royal Highness of Brasland was looking for a future Princess Consort to the Crown Prince of Brasland. Ivan thought for a moment, and thought what an alliance a royal marriage could bring. After all, he was ready to marry off his sisters, and Constantina (age 18), after a bad breakup with her last commoner boyfriend, said that she does not care if she is married off now; she had said that she has a duty to marry 'exotic' princes from other lands. Of course, it all depends on the age of the Crown Prince of Brasland. Ivan and Constantina have other, younger sisters. There are also members of the extended Imperial Family too.

Ivan quickly dried himself off and walked into the palace. Ivan did not care about the "indecency" presented; he walked around the palace to his office in his trunks. Many chambermaids gasped, or sported flattering glances at the prince as he walked by the women of the palace.

Sitting at his desk, the prince wrote an official letter to Brasland to offer the hand of a Valerian Princess to the Prince of Brasland.


http://i45.photobucket.com/albums/f63/ValerianEmpire/CoA.png

The Grand Empire of Magnus Valerius and Shorehaven

Greetings, to the King of Brasland,

I am Crown Prince Ivan of Magnus Valerius. My father is, at the moment, away, so I have been granted power over the Imperial court and represent him in foreign affairs. I must say that I am quite interested in your proposal to arrange a royal marriage for your son, and I have to reply that we have several princesses here in Magnus Valerius that could make some excellent candidates for marriage to your son, the Crown Prince.

I have to ask some questions before I offer you our candidates, however.

First, what are the names of His Royal Majesty, the King of Brasland and His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince? I would like to know, just for formality.

Secondly, what is the age of the Crown Prince? The oldest candidate for marriage in the ruling house, the House Borivich-Vassilakos-Seleukios, is eighteen years old, but we have younger candidates as well as older ones in our extended family.

Thirdly, what is the religion, language, and the culture of your nation? It would help us, an Orthodox Christian nation, better understand your nation and help us in perhaps establishing some future, cemented relations between our nations.

Please, if you have questions about us, please respond to us. I await your response cordially.

With Best Regards,
Prince Ivan Alexandrovich of House of Borivich-Vassilakos-Seleukios
By the Grace of God Crown Prince of Magnus Valerius, Archduke of the Crown Empire, Prince of West Veiden, Count of Tsarskoye Selo, Scabbard of Saint Valerian, The Seed and Future of The Grand Empire.

Unfortunately, our Prince is already engaged. Two days ago he engaged to Sophia of New Sparta, a noble from New Eleusis. That engagement was broken to let His Royal Highness marry H.R.H. Princess Rose of Scaperune, daughter of the sovereigns of that kingdom. However, we would be willing to break that engagement, as we think an imperial princess is much more a better option as a future Queen of Brasland.

Our sovereign, King Frederick V, is having health problems and has given all his powers to the Crown Prince, who was appointed Regent of the Kingdom.
Our Crown Prince (whose name is George) is 27 years old. His mother, Queen Maria Anna (née Princess of Brasland, she was a first cousin to her husband), died some years ago. The Prince has five sisters, all of them married to commoners or nobles, so they have lost their succession rights. Thus, the Prince is the last hope for the survival of the dynasty.
About the princess, we think that one of your sisters would be very adequate. You can tell us who is willing to marry. We only require her to be virgin and never, and we are very clear on this, NEVER ask for a divorce. Once married to the Prince, divorce is taboo. Royals do not divorce in our kingdom. We'd like to know the name, titles and styles of the princess you choose.

Brasland is a Kingdom, based in the region of Ixnay. Our language is English, but most of the population also speak Braslandian, and in some areas of the country some local dialects are spoken. Most of our population is Roman Catholic. Brasland is a very conservative nation, with a strong sense of wildlife protection. Our capital, Markund, is famous for its palaces and cafés at the borders of River Sirala, who passes through the city. The royal family lives in the Royal Palace, and owns other residences outside the capital. The nobility is a very influent group, but commoners are equally active in all the areas of the society and economy. The Royal Court of Brasland is very austere and protocol is not stressing here.
Your princess will be not forced to renounce to her faith, unless she wants to.
We are willing to hear your answer.

Prince Ivan read the letter from Brasland with piqued interest. "Well, it looks like they have a 27-year-old prince as the last in line for their throne... could be problematic if he doesn't produce an heir! I guess It's great to have the opportunity to change the course of history for a nation." The young prince reviewed the response from Brasland with his fraternal twin sister, Constantina. Constantina was a virgin, despite what many of her enemies at school claim (they say she is a ten-kopek hooker). At 18 years old, she is the eldest daughter of Tsar Alexander III and is ready to marry. After having some bad fallouts with her commoner boyfriends, she had given up dealing with them and has decided to make her debut as a princess, ready to be married to a prince of her dreams. With her long, elegant, golden hair and mystifying green eyes, Constantina is no doubt in anyone's minds beautfiul, and she has developed a healthy tan from her activities in swimming. She stands at 5'7", rather tall for many a Valerian woman.

With Brasland's prince the last in line of the Braslandian throne, Constantina has agreed with her brother to visit the prince with Ivan and offer herself for marriage. As Ivan and Constantina boarded a plane with a small regiment of Imperial Guards to leave for Ixnay (and thus Brasland), Ivan sent out a letter to announce their intentions to visit Brasland.



Dear Crown Prince of Brasland,

To give you more insight into The Grand Empire, I must say, it is interesting how your nation has some similarities to ours. For example, our capital, Isangrad, is located on the River Vedus which runs through the center of the sprawling city. Isangrad is known for its teahouses, palaces, factories, and of course, The Tsar's Arena, a gargantuan sports stadium complex that sits on an islet in the middle of the river. The main languages in usage in Magnus Valerius are Valerian and English (the lingua franca), although numerous regions speak different languages. The state of Nikeah, for example, prides itself with a French-speaking base. Valerians tend to be trilingual. The aristrocracy run a lot of the government here in Magnus Valerius, although the commoners are mostly free; we still have some farmers that live in a similar way to serfs, except that they are free to leave the land of their lord.

Now, for the princess. I offer you my sister, Princess Constantina, in the stead of your other engagement. She is eighteen years old, which is quite an age difference for you. However, she is the eldest of my father, the Tsar Alexander III's, daughters. The marriagable age in Magnus Valerius is 16, but my younger sisters Charlotte (Age 17) and Sophia (Age 16) do not wish to be married just yet and want to finish their educations. Princess Constantina is a beautiful young woman, as I can soon show you: we are en route to Markund and we shall be visiting you very shortly. I will present you her in the stead of my father. She has agreed to not pleading for a divorce, although she has said that she will likely remain Orthodox. Constantina has said that, even though she will be of a different religion, she will try to restrain herself from causing a ruckus like "Bloody Mary" of England; as you may know, Mary tried to suppress Protestants, and she was a professed Catholic.

Concerning her full title, it is:

"Princess Constantina of House of Borivich-Vassilakos-Seleukios
By the Grace of God Crown Princess of Magnus Valerius, Archduchess of Arnach, Princess of Vedus, Duchess of Sheffield, Countess of Mikhailovsk Gavan, Lady of the Rose."

As for her referencial styles, she uses the following:

Reference style: Her Imperial Highness
Spoken style: Your Highness
Alternative style: Lady

By the way, may I ask what may be the Crown Prince's, er... your name? It would make good for adding it into the annals of our family history if you choose to marry Princess Constantina.

Well, we shall meet soon. It will be cordial. Shall you meet us at the aerodrome?

With Best Regards,

Prince Ivan Alexandrovich of House of Borivich-Vassilakos-Seleukios
By the Grace of God Crown Prince of Magnus Valerius, Archduke of the Crown Empire, Prince of West Veiden, Count of Tsarskoye Selo, Scabbard of Saint Valerian, The Seed and Future of The Grand Empire.



(OOC: aerodrome is "airport" in the particular Valerian dialect. :p)

Dear Imperial Highness:

We are delighted that your sister has agreed to marry my son, the Crown Prince. We will send a special delegation to receive our imperial visitors, which will be presided by the Prince. As we stated in the previous letter, the Princess will not have to become a Catholic if she doesn't want to, but her children will belong to the Roman Catholic faith, as it is the tradition in the Royal House of Brasland. We also have to inform you that as consort of the King, the Princess will have no political powers. Her role of consort is to support the Crown Prince (and in the future, King) on his duties, and she will have duties of her own. She will receive an annual allowance from the State, which has to be approved both by the Senate and the Privy Council.
There are several Orthodox churches here in Markund, so there will be no problem for Constantina to attend masses. Also, if this is her wish, we can build an Orthodox chapel inside the Royal Palace, so that she doesn't have to attend a public church, with all the attention that this kind of activities would carry out to her.
Finally, you ask for my son's name. His complete name is George Augustus, but in Brasland everybody call him just 'Prince George'. His official title and style are "His Royal Highness The Crown Prince of Brasland", or "His Royal Highness Crown Prince George".

We are hoping to see you and your sister very soon.

Best regards,

Frederick R.

Markund, Brasland

The Valerian Imperial aerocraft came down slowly as it arrived at the airport in Markund. The plane touched down, with the tires screeching as the engines slowed down and the hunk of machinery and metal came down to a slow stop. The door opened and a staircase emerged, being put into place by the Valerian pilots. Soon after, numerous Imperial Guards marched out with their midnight colored uniforms and rifles in tow. Their plumed helmets were silver, and had red and gold feathers. It was a sign of pomp as Crown Prince Ivan was the first to emerge from the plane. The Valerian National Anthem (God Save the Tsar) was played by some of the guards, who brought musical instruments instead of guns off the plane.

Crown Prince Ivan was tall, handsome, and well-built. He towers over the rest of the Valerians at 6'3". He walked down the staircase with another Valerian official who wore a pinstripe suit and had a large, red beard. As Ivan and his official reached terra firma, the official ordered the silence of the crowd, from the Valerian delegation and the Braslandian one.

"Her Majesty, Princess Constantina!" announced the red-headed man, with a flourish from the guards.

From the moment of his voice, a dainty foot stuck out from the door. From the shadows came a frilly, elegant green dress as the beautiful Constantina emerged. Her hands were clasped around a bouquet of Valerian primroses, which were roses of a splotched purple/gold/white color. A thin veil fell before her face, hiding her shy green eyes and nearly perfect facial features. Long, flowing golden hair fell down her back as she came down slowly on the stairs with God Save the Tsar playing softly in the background. She was stunning, and as she came down the plane she stood next to her brother and held his hand. She looked up and scanned the Braslandians for her prince, while Ivan stood solemnly while sharing some glances with Constantina.

"It'll be alright, Tina," Ivan whispered. "I'll be here for you."

"Alright, Ivan, but I know already that I'm going to miss you... but I guess it is my duty as an Imperial Princess to marry," she whispered back.

The Valerians then stood there for the Braslandians to make their introductions to them.

Count Andreas von Radobricz was astonished. During his nine years serving the Crown Prince of Brasland, not a single time he had seen him nervous or dubious. But there he was, the man who would inherit the throne was as anxious as a 7-year-old boy who's starting his first day at school. He was tall and athletic, with brown hair and blue eyes, considered one of the most handsome men in the kingdom. For years the gossip magazines in Brasland referred to him as the most eligible bachelor of the country, but that status would soon end, and Prince George wasn't exactly calmed. Not that he cared too much about those publications or that his marriage would make him loose popularity among the female population. He was scared of not knowing his future wife. George spent all the night thinking about her, Princess Constantina, descendant of emperors and kings, the woman that he would marry. He had seen her pedigree, it was impressive, perfect for the future Queen of Brasland. His father, King Frederick, was very satisfied with this union and even his health had improve because of the engagement. George knew that marrying was one of his main duties and he wasn't worried about that, but marrying an unknown person was something that he could not stand. He tried many times to convince his father to change the laws, so that he could marry her long-time partner, Marguerite de Soyes. But the king was inflexible: "Only a princess". So he had to put an end to the relationship. Marguerite was devastated, not because she felt too much love towards the prince, but because she wanted to become a Queen. George knew perfectly Marguerite's true feelings. The only reason to continue with her is that she was the only person that treated him as a normal human being, not as a god. But now he felt relieved of the end of his affaire with her.

***

It was 11 A.M. in the morning. The royal delegation was waiting for the plane at the airport. George was still nervous, and the Count von Radobricz indicated to the staff that no one should bother the Prince.
One minute, two minutes, five, ten, fifteen, and there it is, the imperial airplane from Magnus Valerius. Prince George whispered to himself "be calmed, be calmed", while some guards with music instruments emerged from the plane. Some of them started to play a melody -an anthem?-, which the Prince had never heard before. George was surprised, and looked to the Count.

- It's the Valerian National Anthem, Your Highness -said Von Radobricz, understanding his interrogative look.
- Nice-. It was the only word that went out from George's mouth.

A tall and young man emerged from the plane. A shorter and red-haired man -an official- followed him.

- The tall man is Crown Prince Ivan, your future brother-in-law -said Count von Radobricz.

The official announced a name, that George could not understand, as the accent was strange. He looked at the Count, but it seemed that even Radobricz could not understand the name. The Braslandian delegation was intrigued. There was some movement on the entrance of the plane. Slowly, a foot could be seen. Gracefully, a woman's body came out, and George found himself extremely intrigued. She was wearing a green dress that looked perfectly into her slim body, and was carrying a bouquet of flowers. His face was covered by a veil, but George could vaguely see her features. His attention was entirely for her. Her fresh and spontaneous gestures revealed her youth. However, her manners were soft and somewhat shy. "Just like a princess should be", George thought.
Princess Constantina walked down and held her brother's hand. George saw that she whispered some words to him. He closed his eyes, as both siblings started to walk towards him. A few minutes later he felt Radobricz's fingers slightly touching his shoulder. He opened his eyes, and the imperial princes were in front of him....

Constantina was timid at first as she approached her future husband. Ivan led her along with the few officials and guards who accompanied them. Constantina looked up through her veil and saw the features of her future husband. She breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that he isn't absolutely hideous, and he seems a little charming. It's just a matter of his personality and whether he is eccentric or not. Ivan was the first to speak to Prince George of Brasland, taking a bow in greeting. Constantina followed suit and bowed, with her gown spilling all over the floor. She lifted her head towards the prince of Brasland, and smiled as she handed him the boquet of Valerian primroses before curtseying before him. Unlike the Valerian man who announced their arrival, both Ivan and Constantina spoke English quite well and without a harsh Valerian accent, although the faint hint of an accent still lingered in their speech, especially when it comes to the "th" sounds (often rolled off as f's, d's, or t's in a typical Valerian accent).

"Greetings, fair broder, Prince George," Prince Ivan said as he gave a salute and had his guard soldiers (with their elegant navy-colored uniforms and plumed helmets) follow suit. "I am the future of th-the Grand Empire, as you may know, Crown Prince Ivan. It is finally good to meet my future sibling-in-law, and I hope that this will cement our two nation's bonds for an indefinite amount of time." Ivan let go of Constantina's hand and nodded towards her to begin to speak.

"Prince George," she began, "I am Princess Constantina, fair daughter to the tsar of Magnus Valerius. I am so happy to finally meet my future husband." Seeing Prince George up close and personal made Constantina blush. Why, he seemed to be a man of her liking. She lifted up her veil and flung it so that it now fell back on her hair. Her beautiful golden hair smelled of sweet berries, and her face was lightly painted; Constantina never really needed much makeup to hide infallacies, for she was almost perfect. Of course, having a beautiful face made up for her bosom, which wasn't busty but was still appeasing for many and just right for her shy character.

She continued on, "I wish to be your future wife, and your future Queen Consort when you rise to the throne in Brasland. I will devote my life to you, o fair Prince George of Brasland." As it was Valerian custom, Ivan held George's hand up, and then Constantina bowed down to kiss it tenderly. In Valerian custom, the tsar (or whoever is presenting a princess for marriage) has to hold the hand of the suitor up so that the princess may kiss it. Constantina looked up at her future husband with gleaming emerald green eyes as she meet the gaze with Prince George. "I am glad to be the one to marry you, Prince George, and I will fulfill my duty and... bear as many heirs as His Royal Highness wishes." Constantina stood up straight, alongside Ivan and the crew of Valerian guards looked on with solemn duty to protect the Imperial children.

After the reception at the airport, the imperial visitors were sent to Marsburg Castle, a residence for official guests in the middle of Markund. George was delighted with Constantina. She was beautiful, spontaneous, intelligent, all the qualities he liked in a woman, and also, in a Queen.

***

Count von Radobricz immediately went to the Royal Palace to inform the King about the reception. Although the King was old, his body had been shaped by years of disciplined exercise. He was tall, of about 1.87 m. His eyes were green, and his face was covered by a white beard. As every weekday, the King was wearing his military uniform, something George hated, as the uniform was really oldfashioned, very similar to those used by Emperor Franz Joseph of Austria or Kaiser Wilhelm. That day the King was in his cabinet, reading an important document that George had sent to him: the marriage contract. There was also a letter, a very offensive one, from King Roald of Scaperune, whose daughter Rose was George's former fiancée, an engagement that neither Rose nor George wanted.
Someone knocked the door.

- Come in- said the King, with his deep voice.

The Count's face appeared behind the door.

- Oh, Radobricz, it's you, come in.
- Your Majesty, I bring you news about the reception- said the Count.
- Yes, I know.

No one said a word.

Seconds later....

- Well?!? Are you going to talk?? - asked the King, irritated.
- Oh, yes, my lord, I was waiting for you to tell me when, but then I....
- Talk!!
- The reception was a success, Your Majesty, and the Princess is a real beauty and a well-mannered lady....-said the Count, quickly.
- And the Crown Prince? What did he say about his fiancée?
- Well, Your Majesty, you know the Prince, a quite reserved man, he liked the Princess very much, his eyes were shining...
- His eyes were shining? That's a lot to say coming from George, he must be in love with this girl, that's good, a good thing.........., and, well, Radobricz, what about the Valerian prince, Constantina's brother, what is his name?
- Oh, Prince Ivan, yes, a nice young man, he was very protective with his sister, and it seems they love each other deeply, the Princess held his hand all the time, and....
- Is he married?
- Married? No, Your Majesty, I studied some genealogies and biographies about the Valerian Imperial Family, and Crown Prince Ivan is single.
- Mmm, interesting -the King muttered.-. But well, this is not the time to think about that. Now we have to focus on George's marriage. I want to see the princess, tell George that he and I will have lunch with her and her brother tomorrow, here at the palace. Now you can leave.
- Yes, Your Majesty.

The door was closed, and the King was alone in the room again. A smile came out of his face....

Crown Prince George, heir to the Throne of Brasland, got married to Princess Constantina of Magnus Valerius, daughter of Tsar Alexander III and Tsarina Yekaterina, on October 14th, at the Cathedral of St. Nicholas, Markund. The sovereign dynasties of Brasland and Magnus Valerius attended the ceremony, as well as other members of NS royalty and heads of state.
After the long ceremony, a banquet was held at the Royal Palace to celebrate the newlyweds.