NationStates Jolt Archive

King 'Lude II sat at his desk and scowled, then, he let out a long sigh of resignation. "They're right" he thought. "It's time to think about Mauiwowee's future. I've secured our present, but I won't live forever." With that, he read the letter again:

Your Most Royal Highness:

We, the governors of the 10 states of the glorious Kingdom of Mauiwowee, the Duke of our colony, Norleans, the Chamberlain of the House of Royals, the President of the House of Peoples and the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Mauiwowee do hereby respectfully request that you consider marriage and the future security and stability of our kingdom and your legacy. You have united Mauiwowee under a single government after decades of civil war and factional fighting. You have ensured the freedom of the people while uniting them in a common cause under the first Constitution Mauiwowee has ever had. You have expanded our territory by securing the Duchy of Norleans for us without the firing of a single shot. You've built one of the most powerful naval forces in the world. You've attracted powerful allies in the form of Sarzonia and the Hawaiian Islands and built inroads for future political relations to such powerful nations as IDF, Roach Busters, The Generic Empire, Crazed Marines, Wirraway, Granzi and Serti. You've built our economy up to one that is to be marveled at and envied for a nation of our size. You've secured us an incredible interest in the world's petroleum industry with our ownership and investment in the NOOGEES oil company which owns all the oil fields of Texas, Louisisana and the Gulf of Mexico's offshore production facilities. You've amassed one of the most incredible caches of diamonds and embarked us on scientific endeavors into the world of nanotechnology and bio-pharmacutical research which are making our industries rich. In short, you've done in the 14 years of your reign more for this country than any other king or queen of the Narcosis family has ever done before. It is therefore, with great admiration, that we again ask you, King 'Lude Valeeum Narcosis II, to marry and produce a natural born heir. You have designated General Jack T. Ripper as your heir apparent, and while we trust his judgment and experience and would welcome him as a guardian monarch for a child of the royal family; his abilities as ruler do not equal yours and his position in the eye of the people would not be equal to that of a natural born heir to the Narcosis name.

With the utmost of respect and admiration, we remain your servants

/s/
Governors, Matthews, Marks, Lukes, Johns, Paulus, Sebastian, Pohani, Wihino, Moses and Gates,
Duke Huey P. Long, III,
Chamberlain Judith Laws,
President Sean Conner, and
Chief Justice Wahini Pakola

Putting down the letter, King 'Lude II thought for a moment and then pulled out a piece of parchment and began writing:

Royal Proclamation:

WHEREAS, His Royal Highness, King 'Lude Valeeum Narcosis II is 37 years old and unmarried; and
WHEREAS, His Royal Highness, King 'Lude Valeeum Narcosis II wishes to enter into a marital union with an eligible maiden; and
WHEREAS, The Kingdom of Mauiwowee and King'Lude Valeeum Narcosis II is in need of an heir to the throne;

IT IS THEREFORE DECLARED AND ANNOUNCED: That any eligible maiden who wishes to be considered for the position as Queen of Mauiwowee and the enormous responsibility that will attach to the position and who deems herself worthy of Marriage to King 'Lude II, shall present herself and her qualifications to the King for consideration forthwith.

IT IS SO DECLARED IN THIS, THE 14TH YEAR OF MY REIGN,

King 'Lude Valeeum Narcosis, II
Buddsville Palace

Thinking about it, he summoned his page and handed him the proclomation. "Page, I want this posted tommorow, but I want a copy of it delivered to Harriet Levine, the ambassador from Sarizonia within the next hour" That is all.


Portrait of King 'Lude
http://img37.exs.cx/img37/9168/vlad_tepes_big-x.jpg

Harriet Levine was sitting in her quarters at the Sarzonian embassy. She just received the notice from King 'Lude about seeking a mate and she was thinking back. She was single as well, and she really hit it off with the King. She admired his power and she thought he was hot. Not a bad combination in her book.

There was only one problem. If she gave her hand in marriage, she would have to resign as Sarzonia's ambassador to Mauiwowee. Parliament and President Mike Sarzo also would have to approve any title of nobility.

She picked up her phone. She punched the numbers in the keypad and the phone rang.

"Sarzo."

"Hi, Mr. President, this is Harriet Levine."

"Oh, hi Harriet. What brings you over my phone lines," Sarzo said in a lame attempt to tell a joke.

"King 'Lude II is seeking a suitor."

Before Levine could finish her sentence, Sarzo could sense what she was about to say.

"If you love him, I'm all for it."

"Ge--getting married?"

"Yeah. I'll ask Parliament for you."

"Thanks, Mike. Oh, and if I do marry King 'Lude, would you appoint Jordan as the ambassador?"

"If King 'Lude doesn't object."

"Thanks Mr. President."

"You're welcome." Levine hung up before Sarzo could get out, "call me Mike."

Sarzo called House Speaker Josh Williams.

"Josh, this is Mike."

"Hey Mike."

"Listen, I need a quick favor. Convene the House and ask them if they'll approve it if Harriet Levine is asked to become Mauiwowee's queen."

"Queen?"

"Yeah, apparently, she and King 'Lude are really falling for each other."

"Hmm. I'll be right back." Williams put the phone on hold while he ran into the chamber. Ten minutes later, he and Karen Beltran walked back in. They put the phone on speaker.

"Hi, Mike. It's Karen."

"Hello Karen."

"We've approved it by voice vote," Williams said.

"The Senate also sends its blessing," Beltran said.

"That's great news," Sarzo said. "Thank you both."

"You're welcome," the two leaders said in unison.

Sarzo then opened the telegram program on his computer and sent a quick communicade to 'King Lude.

With the powers vested in me by the Constitution and the Parliament of Sarzonia, I hereby grant you permission to ask Ms. Harriet Levine for her hand in marriage.

He sent a copy to Levine. She saw the message flash across her screen and smiled widely.

King 'Lude read the telegram his page had delivered. He couldn't quite believe it, but it was all there in black and white. What an incredible union this would be both personally and for his country. What an ally Sarizonia had been and the unititing of their shipyards and his could lead to the creation of the most powerful naval force the world had ever seen.

"Page, stop all publication of the previous proclomation. I may have another for you soon though. Instead, send the following to Ambassador Levine."

Dear Ms. Levine, I have received a telegram from president Sarzo regarding our personal and our country's relationships and I would like to request that you please join me at the palace as soon as reasonably possible to discuss the matter. A limo is waiting in the courtyard. If you cannot come now, please let us know when you can arrive. Respectfully yours, King 'Lude II

"Also, page, get the royal chefs to send up some champaigne, our best, and some pate' and caviar. That is all."

::: picking up his phone and punching in the numbers::: "Robert, (the royal jeweler) you know that 5.25 carat, flawless white, heart cut diamond I had you mount on the platinum setting? I need it here, now! Oh, and keep your mouth shut about it for the moment, you'll get the credit when its time. I'm going to give you the contract for the new queen's crown. :::listening::: it's OK Bob, thanks, 30 minutes, great. I'll see you then."

Robert Carbonni arrived within 20 minutes, handing the ring to King 'Lude he said "If this means what I think it does, congratulations."

"I'll let you know" said the King. "Now, not to be rude, but I anticipate a visitor so, I'll see you later. Feel free to head on down to the dining room though and get whatever you'd like for lunch. Oh, and for your trouble :::handing Robert a 5,000 Bud Note::: consider it a tip."

Holding up the ring as Robert left, the king admired the diamond. It really was a beaut.

http://img8.exs.cx/img8/5171/HeartDiamond.jpg

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Levine received the missive from King 'Lude and immediately started saving files to her computer. She shut the computer down when she had everything in order and walked out toward the courtyard. She smiled as the door opened and she sat down in the seat.

She looked around the cabin where she was sitting.

Very nice, she thought. This is definitely traveling in style.

The limo sped on its way to the palace, and when it arrived, Levine stepped out. She strode confidently into the palace and was escorted to see King 'Lude.

She smiled when she saw the king.

"Ms. Levine, I'm so very pleased you could join me. I hope the ride over was comfortable." said King 'Lude. "Please, have seat, we have some things to discuss. I know you received a copy of my Royal Proclamation, however, I've just received a telegram from president Sarzo and I . . . "

"I received the same telegram, your highness" interrupted Hariet Levine, Sarzonia's ambassador to Mauwiwowee "and I think I know what you want to discuss with me."

:::stammering::: "Uh, well" said the king "if you know, umm that's uhh, well it sorta takes the surprise out of things, but, umm, well, let me do this then. If you'll permit"

Getting on one knee in front of the beautiful Ms. Levine, King 'Lude II held out the small box in which the diamond ring was enclosed and said: "Ms. Harriet Levine, I would be greatly honored if you would consent to become my bride and assume the throne beside me as the Queen of Mauiwowee."

OOC: sorry, I needed to RP Ms. Levine for a second. She is still your's though. ;)

[OOC: It's all good. ;)]

Even though she saw it coming, what with the telegram from Sarzo giving his consent, Levine was still flustered with a rush of excitement.

Here I am, she thought, a simple Sarzonian girl about to say yes to royalty. She smiled a radiant smile that could have lit the room in a power surge.

"Yes, I would be honored to be your queen," Levine said. She opened the box and gasped when she saw the ring.

"Oh my God, it's so beautiful. Thank you your Highness!"

She leaned forward into King 'Lude's arms, embracing the monarch she had fallen totally head over heels for. Their lips met in a passionate kiss that seemed to do more than just join two souls in a bond of a lifetime.

Levine's heart felt like it was going to burst with joy. She could almost picture the look on her mother's face. The same woman who thought her youngest daughter would never amount to anything would now have to eat her belittling words. She was going to marry a King and a hot one at that.

King 'Lude, now estatic, and talking probably just a little too fast, felt like a kid in high school again:

"Harriet, I assume its OK to call you that now, are you sure you're ready to accept the responsibilities of being a queen? It's not all champaigne and caviar you know, Oh, and speaking of which" :::King 'Lude went to the bar and opened the bottle of Dom Perrigon that had been chilling:::"would you like some?" He said as he poured a glass full. "Anyway, as I was saying there is a great deal of work involved, I know you can handle it, but are you sure you really want it? I don't want to mislead you, I expect a little resistance since you're not a Mauiwowee native. It doesn't matter to me, obviously, but some might try to raise a stink. If you're up to it, if you're really ready though, we'll make a great team. I'll announce it to the country as soon as you say you're ready."

OOC: Do you have a pic. of Harriet. I have one I'll use if you don't. King 'Lude likes blondes and Harriet's a hotty, but I would expect, a little older than a swimsuit model because of her position. Also, I'm going to RP some resistance to the marriage once it is announced, feel free to join in, I'll leave some openings for you to do so through statements by Harriet, etc. also, I'm going to change the name of the thread to "A Royal Engagement" so if it disapears from your subscribed threads you can find it. I won't change it until after your next reply though

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[OOC: Go ahead and use your pic for Harriet. :)]

Harriet smiled.

"Of course you may call me Harriet. You could have a long time ago." She smiled a friendly smile that she knew would get her point across.

"I have done a lot of homework in the royal traditions of Mauiwowee and am fully willing and prepared to sit by your side as Queen. I am aware that my position as a foreign born consort may be an issue for some of the citizens, but I am willing to bridge whatever cultural gaps need to be overcome."

Harriet slowly raised the glass to her lips, then reached it out to make a toast.

"To us. To Mauiwowee."

The two glasses met in the manner of a traditional toast, but they also met as the joining of two people who were in love. She then pulled the glass toward her and sipped the Dom Perrigon. She was now more convinced than ever that she was up for the challenge.

"Ok Harriet, I'm going to get the announcement out right away" said King 'Lude.'" Sitting at his desk he picked up the phone:

"Get me Governors, Matthews, Marks, Lukes, Johns, Paulus, Sebastian, Pohani, Wihino, Moses and Gates, Duke Long, Chamberlain Laws, President Conner and Chief Justice Pakola on a conference call right away." said the king to his secretary. After waiting a bit and watching as Harriet sipped quietly on her champaigne, "damn, she was the perfect person to be queen, wasn't she?" the King spoke again, "Gentlemen, I have received and reviewed your letter regarding your request that I marry. I am calling a special, joint session of the legislature, tommorrow 10:00 am to make a public announcement regarding your request. :::listening::: No gentlement, I will not reveal in advance what I plan to say. I am directing that all of you be in attendance though. I think you will be surprised as will the rest of the nation. :::listening some more::: No, I'm sorry gentlemen, that is all I will say for now. You can speculate and guess all you want, you'll find out the truth of my situation tommorrow though." :::hanging up the phone:::

"Dang legislators, always want to get the jump on things so they can stake their positions before something breaks to the public. OK, Harriet, I'm going to put out this announcement and publish it at the joint session tommorrow. I'm including your photo the royal photographer took at this year's Juneteenth celebration in the announcement." With that the king opened a drawer and pulled out a photograph of Harriet. Handling it with great care the king pulled out a piece of parchment and began to write:

To the people of Mauiwowee:

It is with the greatest of pleasures that I announce my engagement to Ms. Harriet Levine, former Ambassador to our great nation from the nation of Sarzonia. Ms. Levine has served as the ambassador here for several years now and she is well versed in Mauiwowee customs and traditions and loves us and our lands. She is giving up her position as ambassador to be my bride and your new queen. For those of you who do not know Ms. Levine her photograph from the last Juneteenth celebration is below so that you might recognize your future Queen when you see her. You will find her to be the most gracious of women, but of the strong heart and mind it takes to be a member of the royal family. I ask you to welcome her as your Queen to be.

Signed:
King 'Lude Valeeum Narcosis II

Photo of Ms. Harriet Levine:
http://img33.exs.cx/img33/2969/QueenMauiwowee.jpg

"Well Harriet, I guess we need to set a date and President Sarzo needs to appoint us a new ambassador. Any chance Mr. Deihl would agree to take the position? Oh, and of course I want you on my arm when we go to the joint legislative session tommorrow. If you're willing, I'd like to have you make a few remarks after I make my announcement. Now, let me get this announcement and photo out to the royal printers so they can have it ready to distribute tommorrow after the announcment to the legislature and get the press lined up to televise the announcement. We're gonna be the talk of the town tommorrow afternoon." ::: punching intercom button on the phone::: "Mrs. Jackson, could you come in here please."

After a brief conversation with his secretary, King 'Lude turned back to Harriet. "She'll keep her mouth shut until after the announcement and the royal printers will too. They're used to printing non-disclosable documents. Now, I'm sorry I interrupted our moment with business, how about some lunch, what would you like? We can work on your speech for the legislature later if you'd like, or we could just have an enjoyable afternoon and evening doing whatever comes into our heads."

Harriet nodded her ascent. She knew how to keep her mouth shut when she needed to. She was also beginning to realize just what an overwhelming position she was going to find herself in. After all, Sarzonia didn't have a royal family of any kind and she was actually the first Sarzonian to be granted any kind of title of nobility. She knew that Parliament and the President had to approve the measure; she was extraordinarily lucky that they did so.

"I'm sure Mr. Diehl would be delighted to serve as ambassador," Harriet said. "He wanted an ambassadorship for a while, so I'm sure he'll be delighted to take my place." Harriet also thought back to her conversation with Sarzo. He wanted Diehl to become ambassador now that he had the experience to do the job.

"And, yes, I'd be delighted to address the joint legislative session and to be on your arm as you address the legislature."

Harriet's smile showed a bravado that she was surprised to find. She was not used to very much public speaking, so the idea of addressing a lawmaking body in a position like that one was a little unnerving to her. Then again, she remembered that Sarzo once told her that no matter how many speeches he had given, he always got nervous.

"I'd be worried if I didn't get nervous," he once told her. Besides, she could just picture everyone in the legislature naked. That was a good way for her to break the tension of giving a speech.

"I would love to have lunch. We can work on the speech then and we can enjoy the evening afterward. It'll be the first night of many that we enjoy together."

Continued in new thread to make way for what comes next. Found here: http://forums2.jolt.co.uk/showthread.php?p=7155832#post7155832