NationStates Jolt Archive

Morristown, Roseberg – November 10th, ****

“So, what’s the next item on the agenda?”

His Grand Ducal Highness Gawain I Morris had always been known as an easygoing sort in his youth, and now, several years in to his reign he hadn’t changed much. The way that he was dressed and his posture showed that clearly. He wore slacks and a cardigan and he leaned back precariously in his desk chair, hands folded behind his head. His guards often liked to complain he was going to break his neck. They weren’t the only ones. The person looking at him from across the desk, Royal House Chief of Staff Delores Hurley, shared a lot of that concern, but knew Gawain Morris too well to complain about it.

“Well, sir, there are the lists from the National Congress of those families and individuals identified as being fit to hold places among the Aristocracy. Also, there is new legislation in Congress arguing that Ground Combat Specialist positions in the Army should be open in full to women. The same crowd is backing it this time as the last.”

“I’d heard something about that,” said Gawain. “I shot that down the first time, and so the idiots keep pushing it, like I’m going to change my mind. I will not command the military leadership to reduce training standards, and that is an end to that. Let the Women's Liberation Movement scream."

“I’m not surprised,” said Hurley as she looked at the list once more.

“Regarding that list of families and persons, I know who they’ll want so put my signature in writing on it and send it back to them, would you?”

“Of course,” said Hurley, making a note.

“There is also this,” she said. “You mentioned not long ago the possibility of a visit to the Free Land of Bhreatain Mhor, and they have responded positively.”

“Have they?” asked Gawain. “Well this’d be the first time I’ve been away from Roseberg in a few years. Let’s send them a letter, shall we?”

************

For: His Majesty King Charles of the Free Land of Bhreatain Mhor
From: His Grand Ducal Highness Gawain I Morris of the Grand Duchy of Roseberg
RE: State Visit and Establishment of Formal Relations

Majesty,

For some time now, Roseberg and Bhreatain Mhor have been allied to Tremarendakia, an honorable kingdom with whom we both share certain ideals. It has occurred to me that, as my nation and yours are allied with Tremarendakia, it might not be a bad idea to establish links between Roseberg and Bhreatain Mhor, as well.

For this purpose, I would suggest that I as well as a small entourage should meet with you in Bhreatain Mhor at the first opportunity to arrange formal relations.

Respectfully,
HGDH Gawain I

From: His Majesty King Charles III of the Free Land of Bhreatain Mhor
To: His Grand Ducal Highness Gawain I Morris of the Grand Duchy of Roseberg
Subject: State Visit and Establishment of Formal Relations

Highness,

You and your entourage would be welcomed in Bhreatain Mhor and I would have no problems meeting you but it would be up to the Prime Minister of Bhreatain Mhor's Government to arrange diplomatic relations with your nation. Nonetheless, to meet you would not be a problem to me. You may arrive when you are able to do so and we may make a personal friendship alongside a friendship between our nations.

Signed,
Charles III,
King of Bhreatain Mhor

For: Edward de Montfort, Secretary of State for Foreign Relations of the Free Land of Bhreatain Mhor
From: Secretary of State Francis H. Murzycki of the Grand Duchy of Roseberg
RE: Diplomatic Relations

Sir,

Having considered my country’s present situation, and the simple fact that both Roseberg and Bhreatain Mhor are mutually allied to Tremarendakia, an honorable nation, which we both have much in common with, I should like to propose that our two countries should form a long-term mutual alliance.

For this purpose, I would suggest a state visit by His Grand Ducal Highness to Bhreatain Mhor be arranged at the earliest convenience.

Respectfully,
Francis H. Murzycki, SecState, GDR

From: Edward de Montfort, Secretary of State for Foreign Relations of the Free Land of Bhreatain Mhor
To: Secretary of State Francis H. Murzycki of the Grand Duchy of Roseberg
Subject: Diplomatic Relations

A long-term alliance between our nations is pleasing to our nation and we would welcome the Grand Duke of Roseberg visiting Bhreatain Mhor to our nation. He may arrive at whatever time he desires and he will be able to see our nation in person. Please consult us if you have any questions.

Signed,
Edward de Montfort,
Secretary of State

Morristown, Roseberg – November 16th, ****

“Father, why exactly do I have to go on this visit?”

Darlene Morris and her father, the Grand Duke, were sitting in the latter’s private study, a large, but still cozy room, located deep within the Grand Ducal Residence. Darlene would have normally been happy to be there, alone with her father, able to speak to him, without having to worry about the bloodthirsty media hounds.

Now, however, she was a little bit mad. Her father’s news that she was to accompany him in his entourage when he visited the nation of Bhreatain Mhor was somewhat exciting but irritating at the same time. Darlene Morris held an officer’s commission in the Navy, with her present rank being that of a Commander, captaining a submarine. It was a job she was loathe to be separated from, even for a while.

“Darlene, you know I’ve already answered that question. We must be sure that we leave a nice impression in these people’s minds, and one way in which that is done is by ensuring it is obvious to them my next-in-line will be just as competent as I am. How can our hosts learn that if they can’t meet you face to face?”

“Father, it isn’t yet certain I’ll be the one to replace you,” Darlene argued.

“Really?” he retorted at once. “James is married to a Tremarendakian princess and would likely still be living in Tremarendakia with his wife if that country wasn’t just about to be invaded. No, my daughter, when the time comes, the people will choose you.”

Darlene had nothing to say to that.

“Well, then,” said Gawain, leaning back in his seat. “It is settled.”

Early the next morning, the Grand Duke’s party set out on a plane. With the Grand Duke in the small group was his daughter, Darlene, a few aides and officials and one other man included in the group because of his recent ascension to nobility status.

Michael Stearns was the first person in Roseberg outside the Morris family to be initiated in to the fledgling Roseberg Aristocracy.

"The Grand Duke of Roseberg will arrive soon."

Edward de Montfort, the man who controlled the Foreign Office of Bhreatain Mhor looked at a report he received that said the Grand Duke of Roseberg and his group would be arriving at an airport in Londain. He was spending time looking over notes to make sure every preparation for their arrival had been made and that Anna Harris, the beautiful maiden of the tourism industry, was ready to be the official tour guide. As he was reading, he heard a familiar voice as a man dressed in an expensive suit came into Edward’s office. “Mr. de Montfort, has Gawain arrived?” Walter Hale, Prime Minister of Bhreatain Mhor stood in front of Edward’s desk as he fixed his suit before looking for a moment at a portrait of Edward’s family.

“He has not arrived yet, Prime Minister.” Edward said calmly, placing the report he was reading on the desk before looking at the Prime Minister, who had been a close friend of his for several years. “When he does arrive, we will give him and his group proper hospitality. I am sure Ms. Harris will charm them.” Walter said with a smile as he looked at his watch for a moment before walking towards the door but before he exited the room, he stopped and turned his head towards Edward. “Let us hope this goes without any problems.”

At the airport, Anna Harris had been waiting for the Grand Duke and his group to arrive. Dressed in the best dress she could find for the occasion, she waited in the lobby for her honored guests to arrive. She was a bit nervous about being the official tour guide but told herself that she could handle showing her nation to the Grand Duke of Roseberg, repeatedly in her mind did this message replay itself: she could give a tour and she would give the Grand Duke what he came for and so she continued to wait for the guests to arrive while she fixed her clothes so she would look more presentable.

Henry Bailey was a hard working diplomat who was quite popular with female workers for his good looks but inside he was a goodhearted person. When he was chosen to represent Edward de Montfort, he immediately began collecting papers for use in negotiations and soon was ready for his meeting with the Grand Duke and his group in a diplomatic negotiation. He decided to go to the airport so he would be known early by the Grand Duke. Everyone was ready, all that was needed was the Grand Duke and his group.

Londain, Bhreatain Mhor – November 17th, ****

“Highness, we are soon to be landing. The pilot requests that you all please remain seated in your assigned places to avoid injury.”

He had directly addressed the grand duke, but really the Air Force sergeant was talking to more than a dozen people, including Darlene Morris, Michael Stearns, and several people in the grand duke’s staff/Protection Detail. Nobody complained as they all knew he knew his business, and within minutes everybody was seated and secure.

“Well then, it seems we are almost there,” said Gawain. “This will be the first time I have left Roseberg in years. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a little excited.”

“We know you are, father,” said Darlene. “You are practically bouncing around with how happy you are about all this.”

“No need to be so glum, Darlene, dearest,” said Gawain. “We all know you’d prefer to be rubbing elbows with sailors inside a long piece of sewage pipe underneath the ocean.”

Darlene glared, but it was too halfhearted to be taken seriously. It was well know Darlene loved the sea, and loved being a submarine CO. She had even chosen to show up wearing her Navy dress white uniform. She had replied to any questions with the argument that an important meeting like this required the utmost formality. Her father, in contrast, wore an immaculately clean, but very basic looking dark blue suit.

Michael Stearns looked on in silence as he looked back and forth between the two Royals making casual conversation. He was still not used to his new title, and he was thus having incredible difficulty acclimating to his new position in society as Duke Brightmont, a title he had been given as reward for his late father’s works. Just being in the presence of such important people made him nervous. He wasn’t even sure why he had been invited to join in this little expedition between countries. Maybe it was just a basic publicity stunt.

Minutes later, the plane had landed, and the party was debarking. The grand duke and the majority of the party were outwardly very calm and composed, but Michael, being new to highly publicized situations like this, was struggling to remain calm. He just kept his eyes locked forward, and tried to look calm and dignified.

Anna Harris had been waiting in the lobby with a couple of guards for the Grand Duke and his group to arrive. Every minute that she waited she spent thinking about the Grand Duke and the people who were with him and how she would greet them. Finally, they had arrived and Anna Harris calmly walked towards them and gave them a smile that showed her sparkling white teeth.

“Welcome to the nation of Bhreatain Mhor.” Anna said to the Grand Duke, giving him a curtsey before she said the same words to Darlene and the others. As the group walked to the limousine that was waiting to take them to the city of Londain, Anna told the Grand Duke that they would meet a diplomat who they would negotiate with and that they would also be allowed to have a tour of the city if they desired. She did not know that her beauty had caught the eye of Stearns as they all took their seats inside the limousine before it drove into the city.

“Before we arrive at our destination, you can look out your windows to see the city of Londain.” Anna said to the visitors from Roseberg. She was sitting next to Stearns and just looked out the window for a while.

“Holy Mother of God, she’s the most gorgeous woman I’ve ever laid eyes on!”

Before entering the limousine, Michael Stearns had been experiencing not looking around like a country rube at the scenery. Now, he was still examining the scenery, while praying his occasional glances at Ms. Harris would go unnoticed. As he took another glance at the lady, he couldn’t help but think there was good reason she was in the tourism business.

“Skill aside,” he thought idly to himself, stealing a sidelong glance. “You can’t deny, she is really easy on the eyes.”

By that point he realized his fellow travelers were getting suspicious, and a nudge into his leg by Darlene confirmed this. He shifted his eyes from Anna, and began actually looking in silence at the passing city, which was quite nice.

“Not as nice as her, though,” he thought, and immediately tried to shake that notion with little success, though he did manage to keep looking out at the city.

“Ms. Harris,” the Grand Duke spoke up from his seat. “I was wondering, I know Londain is a fairly old city, but I haven’t heard an exact figure. Just how old is this place?”

"Londain has existed for centuries, Sir, I believe it has existed since the Medieval Ear or even earlier." Anna said as she looked over the Duke of Brightmont at the Grand Duke. The limosuine continued to drive through the streets until they came to a stop at the Diplomat Hotel, established to house foreign dignitaries and diplomats and which was near the foreign embassies that one could find in the city of Londain.

"This is the Diplomat Hotel. I thought it would be good to show you where you will be sleeping." Anna said as they walked inside the hotel together, it looked like one of those hotels only wealthy people could stay in.

They found a couple of rooms and Anna said to the Grand Duke and his group which rooms they would be staying in. "Feel free to look inside your rooms before we leave." Anna said to the visitors from Roseberg while she stood outside the door of Darlene's room.

“Excuse me Ms. Harris, but could I slip past you for a moment?” asked Darlene, stepping into the hallway after a few minutes. “I need to speak with Duke Brightmont for a second if you don’t mind. Nothing too serious, but I’d like to get it done.”

Darlene flashed the tourism diva a quick smile as she crossed the hallway, halting outside her travel companion’s doorway. She lifted a hand and knocked lightly on the door, using light but firm taps to be heard without being obnoxious, a useful talent she had developed in the Navy Submarine Service. When the young man inside opened the door and saw the identity of this visitor, he let her in at once.

“What brings you here, Princess?” asked Michael. “If I may be so bold as to ask, that is.”

“Knock it off, Stearns,” said the princess. “This situation is anything but formal. You can lay off with the titles and all that and just call me Darlene. I’m just here to talk to you and help you out with this situation you have gotten in to here.”

“Situation?” asked Stearns, trying to look puzzled. “I don’t know what-”

“I’m sure you don’t,” interrupted the princess. “I’m talking about Ms. Harris.”

“What do you mean?” Michael asked a bit more loudly than he had intended. Both people had been speaking in very hushed tones. They were not whispering, but they were being a little quieter than might be considered normal.

“I saw you ogling her, Michael, on the ride here. Saw something you liked?”

“I still don’t know what you’re talking about,” was the lame response.

“Come on Michael,” Darlene said, her eyes rolling. “If she asked me to jump between the linens with her, I’d have a hard time turning her down, and I’m straight.”

Michael choked on that one, and Darlene paused a moment as he regained his composure.

“Well…,” he said. “Thanks for that, Princess.”

“Darlene,” she corrected him calmly.

“Darlene,” he amended. “Anyway, so I was ogling Anna Harris, and why not? Most guys in Roseberg ogle at her when that commercial comes on.”

“Most men in Roseberg are not high ranked noblemen on a diplomatic visit.” Darlene had let a hint of steel creep in to her voice now, to make sure he got the point. “I’m not saying it’s wrong to look once in a while, but try to make it less obvious, if you please. It is more irritating than you know to be slobbered over like a piece of meat.”

“Like women don’t look at guys that way.” Michael was feeling bolder, obviously.

“I didn’t say they don’t, Michael,” said Darlene. “That’s beside the point. The point is an incident now could spoil everything for us, permanently. Be careful.”

“Don’t worry, Darlene,” said Michael. “I will be.”

“See that you are.” With that, Darlene left. Michael sighed once she was gone. Well then, it was obviously true what they said about submarine captains. They didn’t have any time in life for bullshit.

*********************

“I’ll be ready in just a moment or so Ms. Harris,” was all Darlene said as she walked back in to her own assigned room.

Anna Harris allowed Darlene to talk to Duke Brightmont privately for a while, not knowing she was the topic of their discussion. While she waited for the discussion to be finished, she thought about the tour in her mind and hoped that she would be a good tour guide: though in the Duke's eyes she would be considered to be good looking.

"Take as much time as you need." Anna said to Darlene before watching her walk away. For a submarine captain, Anna thought, she did not seem strict but rather calm. Anna walked to the room of the Grand Duke and knocked twice on the door softly but still hearable. "Are you ready, Your Highness?" Anna asked from outside before she noticed Darlene and Duke Brightmont coming out of their rooms, followed later by the Grand Duke of Roseberg.

"Now that you are all ready, we shall begin the tour." Anna lsaid as she led them back to the limosuine that was waiting outside for them and after getting inside, it began to drive through the streets of Londain once again. "Londain, though old, has adapted to the technological standards of the centuries." Anna commented as she pointed out evidence to them. Again Anna sat next to the Duke and he had to face the challenge of resisting the temptation that was Anna Harris, for beautiful women can often tempt men. A while later Anna began to speak about a building that she was pointing out to her group.

"There is the house of the Duke of Rosewood, the only nobleman in our nation to be a diplomat. He is currently in Vista Buena with his daughter while his wife and son are in Londain." Anna said while pointing at a townhouse that looked like it was built for aristocrats, the majority of townhouses were built for such people in Anna's beloved nation.

The limosuine continued on its journey through the city of Londain, a journey that for the Duke was both pleasurable and somewhat harsh in that he had to be led by a woman as beautiful as Anna Harris was. He had to make sure, as Darlene told him, not to ruin Roseberg's chances for good diplomatic relations with Bhreatain Mhor.