Rodenka
16-02-2006, 00:27
Ulsburg, Capital of Rodenka
At the Royal Palace, Prime Minister Baron Pieter Von Dresdau, Knight of the Order of the Golden Cross paced back and forth in a small room adjoining the bedchamber of His Majesty King Karl von Ulhelm XI. The king lay on his deathbed, wasting away from sickness and old age. Pieter could remember the King as he had been, a young man apprehensive at being named king of the young nation nearly 40 years ago. They had all been young then. Fighting the Communists and driving them from their nation. And now they stood strong and solid, a respected member of the international community.
He loked over the other nobles and ministers who sat or stood in the chamber, waiting. They all dreaded the words they would surely hear soon. That the King was dead. And then his son, the 24 year old Prince Fredrick von Ulhelm IV would ascend the throne. Pieter swallowed nervously and nodded at Sir Otto Eskerwald, the Minister of Armaments.
"We shall have to hope, Otto. Hope that young Fredrick will make a good king." Otto looked up at von Dresdau.
"He will have to be."
The response was a simple and to the point. Von Dresdau nodded and went back to pacing. The entire room, which was filled wiht whispered conversation went deathly silent as door cracked open and the personal physician of His Majesty exited the bedchamber, pale and tired looking. He was followed by a priest, who closed the door softly behind him. The doctor looked at the assembled nobles, then shook his head sadly.
"The King is dead, my lords."
Though they had been expecting this horrible news, there was a collective gasp as the full magnitude of this hit them. Their leader was dead. Chief executive power of the land and symbol of Rodenka, the king was no more. A few of the nobles broke down into tears.
Von Dresdau swallowed and nodded.
"Prepare him for burial as soon as the Prince is done in the bedchamber. We have work to do..."
Two days Later
The public funeral of the King took place in Ulsburg, a parade of finely dressed soldiers and a black draped gun carriage wound it's way slowly down the main street. Crowds had turned out, some coming from as far away as Seestadt and Nordholm to see the beloved king one last time. Many wept as the gun carriage carried the king to his last resting place in the cemetary that housed the other illustrious members of his house.
Prince Fredrick watched silently as his father was laid to rest with his mother for the last time. He said a silent prayer as the Arch-Bishop of Rodenka murmured softly in latin, tossing a handful of dirt onto the coffin that housed his father's body. As the grave diggers began to shoveling dirt into the grave, and the uniformed soldiers of the King's Own Regiment of Foot, shouldered arms and turned leave, Fredrick turned to the Prime Minister and beckoned to him as he walked away from the grave.
"Yes, Prince?"
"The House of Lords is prepared to vote in favor of the King's Act, I have heard."
The Prime Minister gave a start, but continued walking. The King's Act was a law that was being hotly debated in Parliament currently. It proposed returning supreme executive power to the King of Rodenka, and placing the House of Lords in a mere advisory position, while doing away with the House of Commons altogether. It also gave power back to certain noble houses, returning ancestral lands siezed when the Communists had ruled the country for a short period. He nodded slowly.
"Yes, your Highness. The House of Commons is unlikely to vote in favor, but that is the reason the House of Lords has always been larger then the House of Commons. Let the peasants decide things? I always thought the idea was rather sordid my self."
Prince Fredrick nodded, rubbing his ungloved hands together in the cool fall air.
"Good. We'll have to wait until after the coronation, of course..." The ceremony was to take place after a week of mourning for the old king.
"Yes, your Highness."
One Week Later
The Arch-Bishop placed the crown on Fredrick's head, then spoke.
"Rise, King of Rodenka! May God bless your Reign."
Fredrick rose, looking out over the sea of faces that stood in the Cathedral of Ulsburg. To his left and right stood the men of the King's Own. Colonel Sir Henri Thornwald raised his hat, stepping forward.
"LONG LIVE THE KING!"
A roaring reply broke forth from the throats of the assembled mass.
"LONG LIVE THE KING!"
Fredrick merely smiled and waved. They adored him.
Breaking News, Ulsburg News Channel
A shocked looking reporter shuffled hsi papers, then began speaking.
"This is Julian Fischer for the Ulsburg Action News. We're bringing you a breaking story from the Parliament. We have just recieved word that the House of Lords has forced a bill returning all power to the King through Parliament. The bill has dissolved the House of Commans as well and increased the terms of the members of the House of Lords. The entire Liberal coalition stormed out in protest after the vote, a spokesmen saying that 'This is a step toward fascism of the worst kind!' the Prime Minister had this to say..."
Prime Minsiter von Dresdau stood in front of a battery of microphones, speaking.
"This is a step in the right direction for our country. We have full confidence in the king and his judgement. The House of Lords will remain in effect to advise the king and vote on military and other important actions. That is all I have to say at this time."
The Prime Minsiter steps away from the podium, to the shouted questions of dozens of reporters. The camera cuts back to the reporter.
"We have been told that the people's freedom of speech, religion and press will not be effected by this surprising shift in power. Alll of Rodenka is surely wondering 'What will happen next?' This is Julian Fischer of Ulsburg Action News, reporting."
At the Royal Palace, Prime Minister Baron Pieter Von Dresdau, Knight of the Order of the Golden Cross paced back and forth in a small room adjoining the bedchamber of His Majesty King Karl von Ulhelm XI. The king lay on his deathbed, wasting away from sickness and old age. Pieter could remember the King as he had been, a young man apprehensive at being named king of the young nation nearly 40 years ago. They had all been young then. Fighting the Communists and driving them from their nation. And now they stood strong and solid, a respected member of the international community.
He loked over the other nobles and ministers who sat or stood in the chamber, waiting. They all dreaded the words they would surely hear soon. That the King was dead. And then his son, the 24 year old Prince Fredrick von Ulhelm IV would ascend the throne. Pieter swallowed nervously and nodded at Sir Otto Eskerwald, the Minister of Armaments.
"We shall have to hope, Otto. Hope that young Fredrick will make a good king." Otto looked up at von Dresdau.
"He will have to be."
The response was a simple and to the point. Von Dresdau nodded and went back to pacing. The entire room, which was filled wiht whispered conversation went deathly silent as door cracked open and the personal physician of His Majesty exited the bedchamber, pale and tired looking. He was followed by a priest, who closed the door softly behind him. The doctor looked at the assembled nobles, then shook his head sadly.
"The King is dead, my lords."
Though they had been expecting this horrible news, there was a collective gasp as the full magnitude of this hit them. Their leader was dead. Chief executive power of the land and symbol of Rodenka, the king was no more. A few of the nobles broke down into tears.
Von Dresdau swallowed and nodded.
"Prepare him for burial as soon as the Prince is done in the bedchamber. We have work to do..."
Two days Later
The public funeral of the King took place in Ulsburg, a parade of finely dressed soldiers and a black draped gun carriage wound it's way slowly down the main street. Crowds had turned out, some coming from as far away as Seestadt and Nordholm to see the beloved king one last time. Many wept as the gun carriage carried the king to his last resting place in the cemetary that housed the other illustrious members of his house.
Prince Fredrick watched silently as his father was laid to rest with his mother for the last time. He said a silent prayer as the Arch-Bishop of Rodenka murmured softly in latin, tossing a handful of dirt onto the coffin that housed his father's body. As the grave diggers began to shoveling dirt into the grave, and the uniformed soldiers of the King's Own Regiment of Foot, shouldered arms and turned leave, Fredrick turned to the Prime Minister and beckoned to him as he walked away from the grave.
"Yes, Prince?"
"The House of Lords is prepared to vote in favor of the King's Act, I have heard."
The Prime Minister gave a start, but continued walking. The King's Act was a law that was being hotly debated in Parliament currently. It proposed returning supreme executive power to the King of Rodenka, and placing the House of Lords in a mere advisory position, while doing away with the House of Commons altogether. It also gave power back to certain noble houses, returning ancestral lands siezed when the Communists had ruled the country for a short period. He nodded slowly.
"Yes, your Highness. The House of Commons is unlikely to vote in favor, but that is the reason the House of Lords has always been larger then the House of Commons. Let the peasants decide things? I always thought the idea was rather sordid my self."
Prince Fredrick nodded, rubbing his ungloved hands together in the cool fall air.
"Good. We'll have to wait until after the coronation, of course..." The ceremony was to take place after a week of mourning for the old king.
"Yes, your Highness."
One Week Later
The Arch-Bishop placed the crown on Fredrick's head, then spoke.
"Rise, King of Rodenka! May God bless your Reign."
Fredrick rose, looking out over the sea of faces that stood in the Cathedral of Ulsburg. To his left and right stood the men of the King's Own. Colonel Sir Henri Thornwald raised his hat, stepping forward.
"LONG LIVE THE KING!"
A roaring reply broke forth from the throats of the assembled mass.
"LONG LIVE THE KING!"
Fredrick merely smiled and waved. They adored him.
Breaking News, Ulsburg News Channel
A shocked looking reporter shuffled hsi papers, then began speaking.
"This is Julian Fischer for the Ulsburg Action News. We're bringing you a breaking story from the Parliament. We have just recieved word that the House of Lords has forced a bill returning all power to the King through Parliament. The bill has dissolved the House of Commans as well and increased the terms of the members of the House of Lords. The entire Liberal coalition stormed out in protest after the vote, a spokesmen saying that 'This is a step toward fascism of the worst kind!' the Prime Minister had this to say..."
Prime Minsiter von Dresdau stood in front of a battery of microphones, speaking.
"This is a step in the right direction for our country. We have full confidence in the king and his judgement. The House of Lords will remain in effect to advise the king and vote on military and other important actions. That is all I have to say at this time."
The Prime Minsiter steps away from the podium, to the shouted questions of dozens of reporters. The camera cuts back to the reporter.
"We have been told that the people's freedom of speech, religion and press will not be effected by this surprising shift in power. Alll of Rodenka is surely wondering 'What will happen next?' This is Julian Fischer of Ulsburg Action News, reporting."