NationStates Jolt Archive

The Trafalgar-class battleship, Allegiance sailed smoothly through the icy, black waters of the North Atlantic as it made it's way home. At just over 140 Meters long, the battleship was a respectable vessel, and actually quite powerful.

Still, it was undoubtedly not suited, at least in the opinion of others, to be the flagship of such a prominent man. Indeed, the Emperor of Tocrowkia, Josef Emmerich was aboard the vessel.

He stood quietly on the balcony outside the bridge, looking over the black seas. It had been a rough year on him. From his suicide attempt, to the Steward Willhelm Reinhard sapping his power away from him and setting him self up as the ruler of the Reich, to his 'epic' escape from his homeland to seek out his true love.

Yes, the only woman he ever loved, Brusca. She was a Valkyrja, or at least, she was. He remembered meeting her like it was yesterday. His government had posted an inane "want add" requesting marriage, and she showed up. She immediately proved her self separate from the rest. She even kind of kidnapped him, and dragged him home with her.

He was initially snide to her, and demanded to be taken home, pretty much spitting in her face. Months later, he realized she was trying to help him, and that he loved her for it. His regret led to him hijacking a small cargo plan and parachuting out over her homeland, crashing into a forest in the process.

Yes, it was quite an adventure. Certainly not one fit with the character of a modern day political leader. "Oh well, let the international community think what they will." He told him self.

Brusca had agreed to come back home with him to help him regain his power, something that pleased him immensely. He lent further against the rails, and sighed heavily, his breath visible in the cold night air. He wished his love would join him on the balcony, so as to have a moment of private conversation.

It had been as hard for Brusca as it had been for Josef, infact probably more so. Odin himself had sent her to Tocrowkia, her duty to set a son of Odin back upon the right track. She had done her best, tried her hardest and yes, had even taken him back to her homelands in order to do so.

It had not been her intention to fall in love, she was Valkyrja and as such had stayed pure and in Odin's service for more than four hundred years, but Odin had matched them well and it was, in the end his will for her to do so.

Brusca was mortal once more, as she was before she had become Valkyrja, she would age and die and she could be killed, but four hundred years had given her more than just the powers of the Valkyrja. She knew much, she was strong and could fight with almost anything that she could hold and none could fault the insight she had when it came to the human condition.

As she always did when Josef turned his mind to her, Brusca appeared at his side. She stood for a long moment looking out into the darkness, trying to see what he was seeing, then place her hand on his back, rubbing it gently.
"You called for me my love?"

"You could say that."

He said with a small smile. He rose his left hand up to touch Brusca's gently, still staring out at the open sea. As if he had guessed what she was thinking, he answered.

"Not really looking at anything, really. I just like the ocean."

She smiled, even though he could not see it and shook her head.
"No Josef, you will not fail, you have sent your message to Steward Reinhard and you made it very clear."

Brusca paused, remembering with pride how Josef had stood up to those who had entered her country, to take him back to "A place of safety".
There was no sign of that insanity that Reinhard had quite happily nurtured in the young Emperor, it was gone and now only the niggle of self doubt remained. This, she was sure, would slowly begin to leave him as he himself realised that he was capable of leading his people and taking his rightful place as their Emperor.

"Do not faulter Emperor, you know that it is right not only for yourself, but most importantly, for your people."

Josef smiled in response, comforted at her warm words. Standing silent for a moment, he thought over the current situation of his country for a moment before speaking again.

"Things have changed a lot since I was last home. I no longer believe Miss Reinhard to be our biggest enemy, if she even is one."

"She is her father's daughter, you would do well to remember that Josef."
Brusca sighed.
"I will not judge her until I have spoken with her, but her father made a good enough attempt at driving you insane and from your home lands , so why should he not have indoctrinated his daughter into believing that the Tocrowkian Empire is hers now by birth right?"

He considered this for a moment before he replied.

"That is a possibility, but even if it was true, she still wouldn't be as big of an enemy to us as her father would have been. I can't even begin to count the officials in the government that don't like her, and for that matter, don't listen to her. The Military is a prime example of this. It does as it pleases at the moment, with or without her blessing. Though there are grumblings recently that she's preparing to rectify this...by any means necessary."