NationStates Jolt Archive

The following invitation is sent to the heads of state of all allied and friendly powers, including all nations in the Western Atlantic, and all nations with whom Pantocratoria has a history of friendly relations. If you want to know whether you are on the list, TG me.

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Your Excellency/Majesty/Highness, (insert the correct form of address according to the Pantocratorian style (http://ns.goobergunch.net/wiki/pantocratorian_imperial_usage_of_styles_in_correspondence.html))

It is with great pleasure that We write to you to inform you of the impending thirtieth anniversary of the birth of Our eldest son and heir, His Imperial Highness the Most Pious Prince Andreus, Born to the Purple on the feast of Saints Theodora and Didymus of Egypt, in the fourth year of Our reign, Anno Domini MCMLXXVIII.

The occasion of the thirtieth anniversary of His Imperial Highness the Despot of New Constantinople and Dauphin of Viennois' birth shall be marked later this month with a celebration at the Imperial Court of Christ Pantocrator in New Rome, and it is Our very great pleasure to invite you to attend. The celebration shall be in the form of a reception given in the Purple Room of the Imperial Court of Christ Pantocrator on the feast of Saints Theodora and Didymus, the twenty-eighth of the month of April, the room in which Monsieur le Despot was born. The guests invited included other monarchs and heads of state, all members of the Imperial Family, all surviving witnesses to His Highness' birth, and various of our more prominent subjects.

Répondez s'il vous plaît to Monsieur le Secrétaire du Palais, Monsieur le Comte de Fizabault. Such arrangements as may be necessary to accommodate your household and staff may be made via Monsieur le Comte's undersecretary, Monsieur le Chevalier de Jeanville-prés-de-la-Mêr. We ask that all correspondence be so directed.




Given by Our own hand, at the Imperial Court of Christ Pantocrator, on the feast of Saint Dionysius of Corinth, in the thirty fourth year of Our reign,


Andreus I IMP


By the Grace of God, Emperor of Pantocratoria, Autocrator of the Romans, Caesar Augustus, King of France and Navarre, Equal of the Apostles, God's Vicegerent on Earth, et al

OOC: If you would like to send your head of state and their "household" (which is a very broad term which can be expanded more or less as you see fit), please post either a reply to the letter, a general description of the household, or some other "I'm coming" post. When a few people reply, we'll skip over arrivals at airports and the like and move straight to the actual event.

With all the spiffy high tech and advanced communication means around, the Vasilevs still preferred a good old audio call when it came to discussing various non-official matters with close people. This was why, separated by endless reaches of interstellar space (well, not so endless), Mikhail was discussing with Vethara the invitation to the Dauphin's birthday.

"And do you have any intention of going, brother?"

"So I shall. The advantages of having a Cabinet of Ministers is that you can delegate all sorts of matters to them and grant yourself some well deserved rest," the Vasilevs said pensively, as his eyes canned a report on the build up of his armed forces. "Even if one does have to keep his ministers on the leash at all times. At any rate, enough of politics. You shall come to the festvities with me."

"Oh, how kind of you, brother," he heard a soft melodic laughter. "But I am not the monarch of Taraskovya. I see no reason for my presence."

"First of all, you are next in line for the Taraskovyan throne," Mikhail said, closing the military report and leaning back in his arm chair. "Secondly, you are the co-monarch of Taurenor, which I daresay makes you a head of state. Lastly, you know the Imperial family of Pantocratoria better than I do, having spent time with them and, as such, you shall be my advisor."

"I love it how you place my heiress status above my status as monarch," Vethara answered pensively. "But yes, I shall come. Shall the Winter Palace respond for both of us, or shall my newly recruited Taurenori staff handle my part?"

"I shall have the Imperial Household reply for us both."

And so a proper formal letter, with all the proper styles of adress and titles was dispatched, confirming that His Most August Majesty the Vasilevs of all Taraskovya and his gracious sister, Her Imperial Highness the Grand Duchess/Her Majesty the Nillëtari, shall be of attendance at the event. Along with a small suite of staff and leib-guards of the Alexander and Lorelei regiments.

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To:
His Most Catholic and Imperial Majesty the Emperor

Vôtre Majesté,

I write to You, sire, formally objecting to the omission of my daughter, and thus, Your grand-daughter, from the list of those invited to my birthday celebrations at the Imperial Court of Christ Pantocrator.

Although I would it were otherwise, I understand Your reason for not inviting Mme de Montmanuel, and concede that it would be unseemly for Mme de Montmanuel to be invited to an event at which her husband, M de Montmanuel, will be attending. Mme de Montmanuel herself expressed her relief that You were so considerate as to not place her in such a difficult social situation.

However, the thought that my own daughter should be prohibited from attending my own birthday party is a reprehensible one. Mademoiselle Marie-Jeanne d'André is an adorable infant, agreeable in every respect, and is so accustomed to being about a busy court that I shouldn't expect she would even be disruptive through juvenile weakness. I have acknowledged her as my own, and while I am loathe to instruct Your Majesty, I feel it is time, sire, that You acknowledged her as Your granddaughter. I could ask no better birthday present.

Should You persist in refusing to invite my daughter to my birthday, I shall feel obliged to politely decline Your Majesty's kind invitation to attend court.

I have the pleasure to be, sire, Your Majesty's most humble and obedient servant,

Andreus Porphyrogenitus Princeps
Andreus Porphyrogenitus, Most Pious Prince, Despot of New Constantinople and Dauphin of Viennois

"His Highness isn't even going," said Sir John Benson. Sir John, the pale, rather unpleasant younger son of Baron Chatham was looking more directly at the High King of the Confederated Peoples than most would have dared.

"We were not invited by His Highness," said Grand Duchess Gwendolyn, the High King's younger sister, recently rendered single by an act of fractal reality. She idly ran a hand up to touch her elaborately done up golden hair, giving Sir John a slight smile which the already surly man couldn't help but consider self-satisfied.

"You weren't invited anywhere," said Sir John, turning sharply to the young woman. "His Majesty was invited with such of his household as he might see fit to bring." He took a moment to catch his breath before adding, rather insincerely, "meaning no disrespect, Your Highness."

Gwendolyn's satisfied expression faded almost instantly and her cheeks colored. The High King couldn't quite keep an amused smile from his face even as he said, "Sir John, please mind how you speak to my sister."

"Apologies, sire," the older man said. "Still, His Highness will one day be the Emperor of Pantocratoria. It might be prudent to establish a certain personal understanding now..."

"His Highness is not going to resent that the High King treated the Emperor like, well, the Emperor. You can't seriously be considering insulting one of our closest allies in the interests of some far-fetched..." Lady Jeanne Merrill, a dignified looking older lady, began, before Sir John cut her off.

"You needn't reject the invitation, sire. Perhaps a small sign, such as leaving some of your closest family behind..." He gave Gwendolyn a rather nasty look at that.

The High King sighed lightly, as though growing bored of the entire conversation. "More official advisors than you, Sir John, have suggested that I attend accompanied by my wife, my sister, the Queen of Finara, the Princess of Kagerlund, Princess Sarah, Princess Diana, Viscountess Kairis and Messieurs Scott, Eaton and Ochiang and I intend to follow that advice." With that, he rose and irritably left the room.