NationStates Jolt Archive

The Royal Jet left the Royal Family's private airport in Baradech. Soon the young queen in the first time in her life could see her nation from the sky. The great Central Mountains peakes up in the sky as a monument that represented the Mountainous Kingdom very well. The Bardarian Kingdom was a quite isolated nation, and royalty seldom left the country, her uncle Bardur I had never left Bardar, and her father Prince Orol Sarekh had only visited foreign nations a few times, all official visits as he had been the nation's Foreign Minister. She had never been outside Bardar, and only a few times outside the capital of Baradech. She saw how the mountains became smaller as the plane left Bardarian territory. The pilot announced the trip to Soryanastan would take 4 hours. The queen had met very few foreigners, and never another queen. She was thrilled about the visit, and about meeting the queen of Soryanastan.

The Queendom of Soryanastan was enthusiastic about the impending visit of the Bardarian monarch - seeing her visit as a way to show the resilience and preserverance of the citizens while their own monarch saw it as a way to make a new friend, a companion which she could talk with, a friend to enjoy the benefits of youth with before such benefits dissipated. While the citizens of Soryanastan waited eagerly for news of the Queen's arrival, the Royal Court in Olyan was feverishly finishing its final preparations. Janata, dressed in an elegant dress that showed off her family's wealth, paced the grounds of the palace while Asylov followed, back and forth, as the Royal Guardsmen stood at silent attention. The Parliament was still closed, the election still ongoing with projecting wins for the Zamenov administration, while the War Crimes Trial was still ongoing with graphic accounts of village massacres released to the public to read whenever they wanted.

As soon as the Bardarian plane landed - thankfully smoothly - upon the runway at Olyan International Airport, the honor guard went into action along with the bureaucrats that they had been accompanying, their plan to give the Queen of Bardar a mighty fine welcome was about to begin. As the Queen stepped out of the plane, as soon as she did, the bureaucrats went through the usual. Welcome to Soryanastan, welcome to Olyan, we hope you have a fine visit, and please follow us to the limosuine. Leading the group was Helmas Doran, the Foreign Minister of Soryanastan, who represented the Soryana Government. "It is a pleasure to meet you,' Helmas exclaimed, 'and I hope you have a great time here."

After they got into the armored limosuine - its defenses bolstered by the presence of heavily armed soldiers - Helmas began to speak about Soryanastan and what the Queen of Bardar could expect. "Queen Janata is one year older than you, you know, and she sees great potential in you being her best friend. Best friends forever, that sort of thing. She really could use a person like you. Her childhood basically sucked after the Revolution."

Helmas sighed. "The Soryana Revolution, though, is not something which I feel like discussing but I won't stop you from trying to learn about it. Anyways, you'll be staying at the Royal Palace, where Janata lives, and you'll be able to go on a tour of Olyan and, if you desire it, beyond the city limits. You may spend as many days as you wish in our nation, Your Majesty, and I assure you that nothing will go wrong during your visit. We are all very glad to know you chose to visit."

The motorcade drove through the quiet streets of Olyan with citizens of all ages trying to get a glimpse, wondering if they'd be able to see the Queen of Bardar in person, some were even trying to race after the motorcade in joyful affection. As the motorcade drove towards the palace, Helmas pointed out some of the landmarks to his royal ward. There were statues of famous individuals, the temples of the pagan deities still worshipped after so many centuries, the cafes which were often chock full of vibrant customers. Helmas adjusted his tie and brushed back his hair - he was pretty handsome and had the ladies' man look about him. "Olyan is our nation's capital. It's been the center of government since the Middle Ages, if my memory serves me right."

Upon arrival at the Royal Palace - the Royal Guard immediately moving into motion - Helmas escorted his nation's honored guest into the palace, pointing out the gardens and fountains before announcing her arrival. Soon, a young woman in an exquisite dress, a fourteen year old girl, came forth. Here was Soryanastan's monarch. With enthusiasm embedded in her voice and a firm handshake, Janata welcomed her Bardarian counterpart. "Welcome! I'm Queen Janata of Soryanastan. It's a real pleasure to finally meet you! Please, please come with me! Let me show you around!"

Janata giggled. "We'll see as much as you want, as much as we can. I'll let you see every inch of this palace - thank Fortune that the renovations are complete!"

Barazene I was astonished by the wealth and glamour of the Soryanastan monarchy, the Bardarian nation was young, and the Bardarian monarchy was a creation of her uncle, Antroil Sarekh who had lead the Bardarian independence battle. A few months ago she had been Princess Kishene Sarekh, before both her uncle and her father had been assassinated. Now she was Barazene I, the sovereign queen of Bardar. Best friends?? That sounded right, she had never had a best friend. She had been third in line for the throne, and brought up that way. No one hac thought she would be queen, all had expected her uncle to remarry and get a son, however that never happened.

In queen Janata she saw a soulmate, a friend in her own age, pretty much in her own situation. A girl she could really call her friend. She knew uncle Lavriv, or Prime Minister Asmolach II had favored the friendship with Soryanastan, another proud nation as politically important, but she couldn't think of politics right now. Instead she giggled and called for a servant.
"Look what I brought for you"!
The servant brought a basked with a baby leopard.
"Did you know that the leopard is the Bardarian national animal"?

The monarchy in the Yon region have announced they would also like to meet the Bardarian queen. The Alanean monarchy-the Black family-would like to strengthen relations with foreign monarchies.

Thank you. Purple Corp. Report.

In queen Janata she saw a soulmate, a friend in her own age, pretty much in her own situation. A girl she could really call her friend. She knew uncle Lavriv, or Prime Minister Asmolach II had favored the friendship with Soryanastan, another proud nation as politically important, but she couldn't think of politics right now. Instead she giggled and called for a servant.
"Look what I brought for you"!
The servant brought a basked with a baby leopard.
"Did you know that the leopard is the Bardarian national animal"?

Janata was amazed at the sight of the baby leopard. It was unexpected that she would gain a pet to have run around in the halls of the palace, but Janata didn't mind that one bit because she knew that the leopard would be a trustworthy companion. "I am very thankful for this gift. Thank you very much, this leopard's going to have a fun time here. I've read that the leopard is the national animal of Bardar....the White Tailed Eagle is the national animal of Soryanastan. I can easily get you one to take home to Bardar if you'd like."

Janata smiled. "If you follow me, Barazene, I'll show you around. You can just call me Janata, because there is no need for monarchs like us to resort to titles. So, come on, follow me! The leopard will join us." Janata patted the leopard on the head as she cradled it in her hands, uttering loving words in the Soryana language. This really seemed like a mutually beneficial venture, Janata thought. As the two walked down the gallery of paintings and portraits, Janata spoke. "You should tell me about Bardar. I am very interested in learning all about your nation. As for Soryanastan, let me tell you the basics. Our nation has been a monarchy for centuries, albeit we were originally an absolute monarchy until we had parliamentarism introduced to our homeland. The people didn't seem to mind our British-influenced system although there were those who feuded with the democratic monarchists, as we call them, over the role of the Crown. Nowadays, our constitution is more of a power sharing agreement between the Crown and Parliament. My powers are still held by my regent but I'll get them when I'm of age as they say.....but let's not talk about politics. Let's learn about each other; let's just enjoy ourselves."

The two queens soon ended up in the Queen of Soryanastan's personal chambers, which were as furnished as one could expect from a monarch's personal chambers, and Janata giggled. "Feel free to look around. I have all sorts of items here including some notebooks, portraits of loved ones, and some various items of note." Janata had the leopard still cradled in her arms. "Is this a male or female leopard? I wouldn't want to give it a wrong name..."

Barazene giggled;
"It's a male, and a proud one, real royal material".
Barazene was amazed when she enrtered Queen Janata's personal chamber, it was so different from her own, but her was still kind of under construction. The palace had been hit by a terrorist attack during her uncle's regime and large parts of the palace was still being reconstructed. Barazene decided she would order the arcitect to redraw her personal chamber when she returned to Baradech.
"Are you scared about ruling?" she asked, "I am a little, it's expectef I take the full responsibility as the head of state next year when I am 14. Sometimes I am afraif I am not up to the task, even though I am born with the blood of the Sarekh family".

Janata sighed. "I suppose that I'm pretty nervous about ruling over the nation of Soryanastan because, truth be told, I expected my reign to begin when I was a full grown woman but the circumstances of our day - the Soryana Revolution and its aftermath - propelled me into where I am. If there's any advice that I could give you, it's to be strong and determined. I may be born with the blood of the Kaurovs, the family that, for centuries, ruled over Soryanastan....but I can never subscribe to the doctrine of any man that suggests merely having royal blood makes you great. This palace here, now, was once owned by my parents. If the Revolution had never occured, I would only be a princess and you'd be talking to my father."

The baby leopard was walking around Janata's chambers while she spoke to Barazene. "It was through the determination of the people of Soryanastan, through men and women such as the famous essayist Adra Alhadot, that our nation was able to emancipate itself from the cruel yoke of the Communists. It is a subject which many here, even myself, choose to not really discuss. Now, let's continue with our tour. Tell me, Barazene, are you hungry?"

"Yeah, acctually I am starving, haven't eaten since the plane".
She looked Janata in the eyes and smiled;
"Yet another similarity between us, I hate the Communists too. They tried to succumb the people of Bardar for generations". She shrugged.

Janata nodded. "The Communists were some of the most ruthless and brutal people I have ever known. Perhaps they will be the most wicked individuals that I ever will have come across but I hope that it is never proven otherwise."

Janata led Barazene down the halls of the Royal Palace - towards the lavishly furnished dining room - hopeful that she could get to know Barazene more than she had, for in her Janata had found someone her own age - and status - to connect with on a personal level. It wasn't that she didn't have any friends, for she had many of them, but she wanted to make friends among foreign monarchs and leaders who may, if she ever needed it, help her out if trouble plowed through Soryanastan again. As they walked down the halls,the people of Soryanastan were relishing their newfound freedoms. The words of Alhadot and the members of the Red Rose Association had been held in high regard by the revived democratic government and, as a result, the masses were once again free to live their lives as they wanted.

When the two queens had entered the dining room, Janata ordered the cooks to prepare a fine lunch for herself and her 'most noble' guest while Asylov - her aide-de-camp - stood his ground at the wall, looking as handsome as always, and giving a smile to Barazene in the hopes she wouldn't distrust him, that he wouldn't look frightening or coldhearted. "Barazene, I would be honored to show you around Olyan after lunch if you would like that. Olyan, our capital, has stood here for centuries. As a result, it has a long and rich history chock full of intrigue and passion."

Janata smiled. "The city of Olyan was the primary center for the First Kingdom which, as you already have known, had been overthrown by the Communists. It's a sort of naming convention here in our nation - right now, we are in the Second Kingdom. I didn't expect to be presiding over the nation as its monarch just yet....but circumstances, as the wise man said, rule men and not the other way around."

Janata sighed, right before the butlers began to serve all sorts of Soryana food such as spiced meat on metal skewers which were quite popular at rest stops along highways. As Janata began to eat her meal with delicate refinement, she spoke to her new friend. "I hope you enjoy your meal, Barazene. The cuisine of Soryanastan is really sublime, in my opinion. Please, feel free to talk too. I wouldn't dare have an honored guest such as yourself frightened to speak."

Barazene looked at Janata and said;
"Olyan is sure diffrent from Baradech, or Hadifa or Pesche for that matter. Bardar has few beutiful places in the cities, the legacy of the Opressors. Centuries of occupation by foreign powers has made our nation, well ugly. But we have our mountains. The soul of our nation, that no one can take away from us."
She looked at Janata and asked;
"Is your future planned out, mine is pretty much. Other people are deciding what to do, whom to meet, when to serve in the army, and ultimately whom to marry, that is the thing I really hate about being a queen."

Janata nodded. "It was somewhat of a wondrous thing that we were able to preserve the beautiful landmarks of the Soryana nation, despite many of them falling into neglect due to the Communist contempt for things of old, symbols of what they believed was the cruelty of the old order over the working class. We restored temples, monuments, churches, and all sorts of places. As I sit here with you, restoration efforts are finishing up all over Soryanastan. As for my future, I would hope that I would be able to have the final word on who I marry and the like, I'm sure my friends would be capable of allowing me the independence. You should be able to do what you want, for you are an individual like those around you. As the Queen of Soryanastan, all I really want is to have my people be in peace, be prosperous, and know that the Crown and Parliament equally care for them. If there is any sort of wisdom I could give you, Barazene, it's that you ought to listen to the people."

Janata smiled. "The soul of the people of Soryanastan will never be destroyed. It may be in chains but it will never be in the grave, though I sincerely hope that I shall never have to see whether or not I am right about it. I am not really a pacifist but I don't believe in the phenomenon of needless bloodshed being of any benefit to mankind. I guess I sound too philosophical, don't I? That's the effect that my tutor had on me."

Janata wiped her mouth and smiled. "I hope you will not mind an in depth tour of the city of Olyan. Follow me, Barazene, and we'll be on our way - security will be handled by Asylov, the head of my royal guard and one of my all time best friends."

Asylov smirked as he led the two queens towards the armored motorcade waiting outside for them. He had always been there for Janata ever since the Revolution when he coordinated rescue efforts. Asylov was a proud monarchist, a supporter of the people's will, and he had rejected Communism not only in terms of its brutality but in terms of its foundations. Marx, to him, was deluded. That's just what Adra Alhadot said at her trial, to her Communist judges.

The streets of Olyan, Janata pointed out, were seemingly clogged with beautiful women and muscular men, of laughing schoolchildren and talkative elders. "The city of Olyan was founded during the medieval era, I believe, and has served as the capital of our nation for centuries. As our chauffer drives us, we'll be entering Alhadot Square. It was a recent, post-war addition to Olyan. It is named for Adra Alhadot, a young woman who wrote the powerful essay, Sapere Aude, in which she condemned Communism as being nothing more than theoretical utopianism, a delusion soaked in the blood of thousands, even millions. When the Communists arrested her, she offered no resistance and readily confessed her hatred of Communism to the judges at her trial. What I admire her about her is her strength, her inability to show fear, to feel fear, in the face of her opponents. Her essay was widely circulated in Soryanastan before, during, and after her execution. We've made her tomb into a national landmark and she is now honored as a hero of our nation. On the statue we have of her, the epitaph reads: "My flesh is in chains, my spirit is free."

The armored limosuine pulled up at the statue of Adra Alhadot and the Queen of Soryanastan stepped out whilst under the cover of Asylov and his royal guard, beckoning her friend to come out as well. The statue was marvelous. It depicted Adra with her hand extended towards the city, as if calling the people to the defense of liberty, and a book - presumably of her work - was under the other arm. "Adra Alhadot," Janata began, "was one of the leaders of the Red Rose movement. They felt Soryanastan was like a rose, made red by its people's blood. They believed in liberty and freedom and desired the return of the constitutional monarchism we loved. Many of them died. Some of them survived and continue to inspire us. I never met Adra, but I would surely love to meet her if I could."

After their time at the statue had been finished, Janata and Barazene re-entered the motorcade and it began driving towards the nearest landmarks, all of them equally loved by the people of Olyan. Janata was still thinking of Adra Alhadot, of her sacrifices and her love for liberty, which emboldened her as Queen to protect her people. The motorcade pulled up at the National History Museum which was able to preserve its entire set of inventory due to a Communist defector who believed the hatred of history was too horrible to let loose upon Soryanastan. He ended up becoming the curator of the museum, and was all too happy to see Her Majesty walk inside to meet with him, in his office, away from prying eyes.

He looked more like a Victorian British gentleman than a former Soryana Communist, he had the amiable personality of a medieval knight, and bade Barazene a sublime welcome, even giving her a free item or two - a t-shirt and a hat - as a gift. "It is a pleasure to meet the Queen of Bardar and I hope that you have a good time in Soryanastan. You may address me as Mr. Barzendas. I am the curator of this museum and, yes, a famous Communist defector during the civil conflict. Let us, though, not dwell on that."

The tour of the museum began with the viewing of ancient coins and memorabilia from the pre-medieval days of Soryanastan. Barzendas dutifully explained the origins of Soryana paganism, which was still widely practiced, and he also talked about how life back then was based around collectivist lines, something the Communists, sadly, had exploited. "The people of ancient Soryanastan valued the individual but they believed that it was proper - though not necessarily a duty - to help one another in times of need. It was something discussed by the poets of those days, whose works are largely preserved due to scholars. Soryana communities were centered around select individuals entrusted with the power and authority over others, but they could easily be impeached if the people willed it, yet there had to be evidence supporting the impeachment."

Barzendas then led the queens over to the exhibit about Medieval Soryanastan, pointing out one part of it dedicated to a young woman who was well loved by the masses even to this day. "This dress, made of silk and embroidered with gold, was one of the personal items of Vara Karpavas, a woman who joined the army when Soryana communities were embroiled in bitter blood feuds. Vara Karpavas' time was when warlords, chieftains, and all sorts of men were scheming to take power from the court in Olyan. She lent her services to the court in Olyan and waged battle so well, that she was even named one of the King's top commanders by royal decree. Vara Karpavas was never once defeated and avoided capture, eventually retiring from the army after the court had regained control. Her descendants are all over Soryanastan, all from her marriage to a lowly soldier from her campaign. She became a hero to the Red Rose movement during the civil conflict, for her defense of liberty and freedom, her love of the common man, and her belief in true equality among citizens."

Barzendas pointed out one of the few portraits made of Vara from her time period and smiled. She was a surely beautiful woman, though the portrait was of the right side of her face, and the portrait was dated back to 1412. Vara Karpavas was one of Soryanastan's many heroes, Barzendas explained, along with other individuals throughout the centuries of existence the nation, the people, had. Moving on to other exhibits, they soon stopped at an exhibit dedicated to the famous writers of Soryanastan. The manuscripts of their work were preserved in compartments, their portraits - if one existed - hanging right beside them with relevant information. "There are places in Soryanastan where more modern writers are honored, such as the house where Ohnedas had lived. Ohnedas was a science fiction novelist of the 1960s best known for his controversial novel, Secret Weapon, which was about a girl just like you two with a secret."

Asylov chuckled when Barzendas was talking about the novel. He knew what the secret was but didn't think that it was proper to tell Janata and Barazene about how a girl was born with a toothed vagina, only to use it as a weapon against certain individuals. Ohnedas sure had a crazy mind, Barzendas thought, as he pointed out copies of works written by Soryana playwrights. "Here is a play about love and sorrow called The Doves, written by Teras Korpas, an enigmatic playwright who tackled social issues in his work. The Doves was about a young man who loves a woman only to find that love is arduous. It also had a lesbian character who loves the young man's girlfriend but, when she realizes that the two are inseparable, she swears to help them in any way she can. The Doves is still performed to this day in Soryana theatres and it is often said to be one of the best works produced. Korpas is one of our best playwrights. So, Your Majesties, any questions?"

"Lesbian?", Barazene began, "I am sorry, but, you see in Bardarian culture that's not really allowed. We are a conservative people. My teacher; Karim Huswari always says that we Bardarians don't have enough freedom, but the good Order was promised by the Lords of the Mountains and installed by my uncle; Bardur I, it is eternal".
Barazene smiled an continued;
"You must come to visit Baradech some time, our royal palace is perhaps not as glorious as yours, but the temple is very fine, a relic from ancient times still used byt the Church of Bardar."
She smiled again and sighed:
"Let's just hope the situation in Bardar one day become safe enough for foreign dignitaries to visit. Anyway, come before my military service begin next year, then I won't be able to take visitors for 18 months. And soon after that I will probably be married. Promise you come before my wedding."

"Lesbian?", Barazene began, "I am sorry, but, you see in Bardarian culture that's not really allowed. We are a conservative people. My teacher; Karim Huswari always says that we Bardarians don't have enough freedom, but the good Order was promised by the Lords of the Mountains and installed by my uncle; Bardur I, it is eternal".
Barazene smiled an continued;
"You must come to visit Baradech some time, our royal palace is perhaps not as glorious as yours, but the temple is very fine, a relic from ancient times still used byt the Church of Bardar."
She smiled again and sighed:
"Let's just hope the situation in Bardar one day become safe enough for foreign dignitaries to visit. Anyway, come before my military service begin next year, then I won't be able to take visitors for 18 months. And soon after that I will probably be married. Promise you come before my wedding."


Barzendas smiled. "Your Majesty, the people of Soryanastan are conservative as your own but it is generally observed that the government stays out of the bedrooms of its citizens, but we respect the opinions of others. It is the opinion of the masses that homosexuality is to be tolerated, though some obviously would disagree with that. In Soryanastan, you would find plenty of homosexual-friendly places. Social liberalism seems to be rampant here. What is the Bardarian perception of freedom would be different from our own."

Janata nodded her head. "I would be honored to attend your wedding, though I would hope that you aren't being forced to love someone you're probably not going to love, yet sometimes, I suppose, arranged marriages can be profitable in that regard. I am pretty sure that I will not be married until I have found someone that I love. Oh, I would love to visit Bardar, whether there is a wedding or not. Just make sure you send me the relevant information!"

The two continued on their tour of the museum with the curator explaining everything that Barazene would have wanted to know, his mind somewhat still on the seemingly prevalent homophobia in her culture. Yet, he himself was neutral on homosexuals and thus didn't ask about it. When they were finished on their tour, Barzendas smiled. "Well, that seems to be about it. You're free to look around some more if you want, or you can be on your way. If you're going to be touring Olyan, then I would recommend several places such as the markets where Your Majesty could purchase some souveniers. Simply, you should check out every inch of Olyan, as much as you can."

As Janata got into the motorcade with Barazene, she smiled. "I would definately want to visit Bardar whenever it was possible. I'm sure that the differences between our peoples would not be an impediment to my enjoyment during the visit. Now, Barazene, are you religious? Would you be interested in visiting some temples and churches? The people of Soryanastan are Christian but we also have a lot of pagans. They've all lived together in peace for centuries."

"Yeah, I am religous, I follow the old Bardarian religion, but we have some Christians in Bardar too. I once visited a small Christian chapel in a village near Baradech, but I have never been in a large Christian church."
She shook her head.
"I am glad you can choose your husband, but in Bardar I won't have that luxury. It's all about politics, should I marry a distant Sarekh cousin to strenghten the dynasty, should I marry a Zum or a Berdin and alter the balanc between the Houses, or marry some from the smaller houses; an Alvaras, a Juggau or a Konstant. Politics is so complicated, but the 6 Houses all want me to favour one of them".
Then she giggled and said; "Uncle Asmolach has promised the marriage issue won't be raised before my military service is over, for that I am grateful."

Janata smiled. "I'm sure that there would be plenty of aristocrats' sons for me to marry although I fear that much of our nobility - and a lot of my relatives -were massacred by the Communists. I, for one, was nearly killed.....had not a common maid sacrificed herself on my behalf, I wouldn't be here today and talking to you. I've made her family - her entire family - part of the peerage of Soryanastan, and I've paid respects at her tomb. She was just an ordinary maid...."

The Queen looked out the window for a moment and sighed, remembering the horror of the final days of the pre-revolutionary Soryanastan when the Communists were marching in the halls of the palace, when the maid threw Janata away so that she could find safety, the faint sounds of screaming....then it all stopped. Janata didn't want to think about it. "You could, I suppose, want to marry someone from outside Bardar but I suspect your people wouldn't take too kindly to that. I don't know if anyone here would like me marrying a foreign boy but I'm sure I wouldn't have much opposition."

The motorcade pulled up at the Olyan Temple, one of the best known temples of Soryana paganism and which had been relatively empty except for a few devoted worshippers praying on a day which wasn't when people went for services. These worshippers knew that the Queen was there but, in respect to their deities, did not shout in the temple. They only smiled. Janata spoke softly to her friend. "This temple was built by a prominent architect who wanted to honor the Gods. Now, you see, the Christians may not have liked the Soryana pagans for their refusal to accept Christ, but not once did they kill them. Both of them lived in peace for centuries, as they still do. The North is usually Christian, the South is primarily Pagan. This temple is dedicated to Arvas, the supreme deity of the Soryana pantheon."

Janata bowed - out of respect - and then pointed to the mosaics. "These mosaics depict events in the myths of the Soryana pagan deities. Arvas, the supreme deity, is best known as the creator of the world and administrator of divine rulings. From Him, the pagans tell us, come all the others. If we ever go to the village of Karpache, we may see the chapel dedicated to Seras, the goddess of love and beauty - who many Pagan women believe will give them good marriages and help them find men, vice versa for the men. Seras is a common girls' name, as well, in Soryanastan. I have a cousin, Princess Seras, who luckily survived the revolution and civil conflict...but she lives far away from Olyan. She's about sixteen, by now, and isn't your ordinary sort of princess....but she sure acts like one."

Janata giggled and then led her friend out of the temple, back into the motorcade from whence they immediately began driving down to St. Arhas' Cathedral where the tomb of St. Arhas, the Apostle to the Soryana, was to be found. "St. Arhas led the crusade for the conversion of our nation to Christianity and was seen as a handsome and caring man who did good will all his life. The cathedral is where he was buried."

When they reached the cathedral, they discovered that there was a parish priest standing by the doors. He was wearing the vestments associated with the Church of Soryanastan and smiled when the two queens walked inside the cathedral. Janata smiled as she pointed out the beauty of Soryana architecture, the altar at which the priests would issue forth communion, and the lovely mosaics of the saints. If they looked hard enough, they could see a little corridor which led to the tomb of St. Arhas. "A lot of people pray here on Sundays and on Christian holidays. I find the architecture to be simply stunning."

"Certainly more grandeour than the small Christan Chapels in Bardar, but when it comes to religous architecture I must say... nothing can beat the Temple in Baradech, the pride of Bardarian culture."
She slowly turned towards Janata and smiled;
"You really must visit Baradech sometimes, there's so much I want to show you. It's so refreshing to talk to someone of equal status for once, I haven't been able to this since the coronation. Oh, when you come to Baradech I must show you the Iron Crown, a real pride of Bardar."

"Certainly more grandeour than the small Christan Chapels in Bardar, but when it comes to religous architecture I must say... nothing can beat the Temple in Baradech, the pride of Bardarian culture."
She slowly turned towards Janata and smiled;
"You really must visit Baradech sometimes, there's so much I want to show you. It's so refreshing to talk to someone of equal status for once, I haven't been able to this since the coronation. Oh, when you come to Baradech I must show you the Iron Crown, a real pride of Bardar."

"It would be a pleasure to visit Baradech. I would hope that I could see every single thing that the city - and your nation - has to offer. Perhaps, after we are done here, we could go together to Baradech? I mean, when your visit here is done, I could go back with you to Baradech."

"Oh, that would be great! Of course, let me just call my staff to make the necessary arrangements! I have so much to show you!"

Janata giggled. "Why would I not let you do that? Do it now if you want!"

Barazene jus smiled at Janata, turned around and asked one of the Bardarian Royal Security Guards who had followed the Soryanastani Secrity Personal around in Olyan to keep an eye on the queen. She quickly ordered a direct line to Bardar and made arrengements in Baradech. When she was done she smiled and said;
"Everything is in order, they were of course shocked because of the short notice, but they can't refuse their queen. You will become the first foreign Head of State to set your foots on Bardarian soil. Don't worry, it will not be a high profile State Visit, just a private visit, no boring politics involved".