NationStates Jolt Archive

ooc: I know this is short, but I wrote it in a hurry.

There were several things to celebrate in Pro Patria Puritania. The loyalist forces defeated the rebels exactly five years ago, the young Empress had ruled for one full year and she was turning 20, and one year had passed since Emperor Julius II's death.

Preparations for the celebrations had started months before. Massive military parades in many cities, free concerts and a state dinner were all planned out carefully. All that was missing was the guests. The Empress had only planned to bring flowers to the Great Civil War Memorial and to the statue of her father, but despite having inherited her father's stubborness and short temper, her subornidates had had their way.

The Puritanian Empire didn't have many friends, and many thought the Empire didn't even need the few friends it had gained. Nevertheless, an open invitation was sent to the leaders of the world.


To whom it may concern

The Puritanian Empire invites you to the greatest celebrations of the century. Should you decide to participate, the Empire would greatly appreciate a garland at the Civil War Memorial and the statue of the late Emperor Julius II, as well as participating at a state dinner. You will not be recquired to be present at the military parade in Neu Berlin, although it would be most welcome.

We will expect your response within one week.

Signed,
Claudia zu Gernstein
The Empress' Head Advisor

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http://img383.imageshack.us/img383/1717/sealxr7.gif
The Holy Empire of Zaheran
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Official Communique



Dear Madame,

His Imperial Majesty Dieter I will not be able attend this celebration due to matters of state, but the Holy Empire will send his most favoured son and the heir to the Imperial Throne, His Imperial Highness Dietrich Antonn, to represent Zaheran at this occasion. The Emperor sends his heartfelt gratulations to Empress Dora for her successful first year as ruler, and wishes her a hundred more.

Yours sincerely,

Marius Stee
Minister of Foreign Affairs

From: Lord Cody Wayne Lowery the 2nd, grand ruler of Ameriganstan.

"I would love to attend your little party. Nothing to lift the boredom of ruling a nation than a good party. Just make sure its an open bar"

MESSAGE END

OFFICIAL Diplomatic message

The Vice President Of the Republic would be more than happy to attend

ooc: Will post a reply tomorrow. Now it's time to get wasted.

Party Time! I'll send one royal prince in which is Prince Finnigan.

The Emperor would be delighted in attending the young Empresses event.

To: His Imperial Highness Dietrich Antonn, Prince Finnigan, Emperor of Zakuvia, Vice President of Battlehawk
From: Claudia zu Gernstein

You are most welcome to take part in the celebrations. You will be expected at the Julius Heide International Airport in two days, at noon. The Empress is not able to greet at you at the airport for security reasons, but I will be there in person to receive you. You are required to bring a gift for the Empress. Any security personell escorting you is expected be unarmed, at least in the Imperial Palace.

Air Force Two
En-Route to Julius Heide Airport

The VC-25 flew through sky, escorted by Four F-32's, at least until they reached the border. Aboard Vice President Gardener was reading up on the country they were visiting.

The foreign plane was joined by Puritanian Black Eagle IVs at the border. One of the pilots contacted the foreign pilot. "We're going to escort you to mainland Puritania. The flight is going to take around 5 hours. Sit tight and enjoy the trip."

To: Pro Patria Puritania
From: President Garrett Curry of the NFGA

I would be honored to attend your celebrations.

Sincerely,

President Garrett Curry

To: Pro Patria Puritania
From: President Garrett Curry of the NFGA

I would be honored to attend your celebrations.

Sincerely,

President Garrett Curry

Mr. President,

You are most welcome to attend. Keep in mind that any military aircraft escorting you will be expected to turn back before entering Puritanian airspace. Security personell must be unarmed, at least on the Imperial Palace grounds.

Signed,
Claudia zu Gernstein
The Empress' Head Advisor

To an observer, the Gulfstream G650 looked like it could have belonged to a wealthy businessman or artist. It had left a private airfield outside Zahran six hours earlier without any ceremonies and had no escort of fighter planes. Only the golden eagles painted on the wings and the tail revealed that it belonged to the Zaheranian government. The Holy Empire had since long realised that discreteness and secrecy, not bulky military escorts, were the best protections for its representatives. And the country this particular aircraft was flying to was, to some extent, friendly, requiring no extra attention to security.

In the luxury cabin of the airplane, the two passengers were sitting opposite each other in their seats, far more comfortable than anything a passenger on a regular airliner would ever experience. Crystal glasses filled with the finest wines from the vineyards in Rosenheim were standing on table next to them, momentarily forgotten as the men leaned over the chess table that had occupied their attention for most of the journey. The board was made in mahogany and the set of pieces in ivory, both richly decorated with silver and precious stones. The two players matched the chessboard in splendor, with their silk shirts and trousers, heavily embroidered with gold and silver. Heavy opera cloaks, similarly decorated, had been hanged over the backs of the seats. The purple and gold colours showed that the two were nobles, members of the house of Rosenheim-Holstëin. A silver crown rested upon the head of the younger of the pair, but even without it, most Zaheranians would have instantly recognised Prince Dietrich Antonn, the Emperor's oldest son and the heir to his throne. He had inherited his father's bland handsomeness, piercing ice blue eyes and raven black hair, but also his quiet demeanour and dark sense of humour. In much, he was like a younger version of Dieter I, and though he had not yet had the opportunity to display the ruthlessness and cold determination that was sometimes required of the leader of a nation, it was widely regarded that he would not lack in those aspects neither.

His companion was less of a celebrity. Franz Wilhelm von Rosenheim-Holstëin was the third son of the Emperor's brother and therefore a cousin of the crown prince. He was sixteen years older, thirty-eight years old, and had the same black hair and blue eyes as his cousin, like most members of the family. Though he was of noble birth, he was not only the travel companion of the prince, but also his 'shadow', a bodyguard chosen at a young age to protect the heir to the Imperial Throne against his enemies. He wore the same lavish clothes as the prince, but beneath them he had more weapons than most men thought was possible. The only weapon he wore visibly was a Beretta 92 semi-automatic pistol in a side holster, but with his outer appearance it looked more ceremonial than anything else.

As the plane enter Puritanian national airspace the pilot radioed in their position and a request to recieve clearance to land at Julius Heide International Airport. The cabin personnel took away the chess table while the two passengers readied themselves for the landing.

"This is the Puritanian Airtraffic Control, you are clear to land on runway 23. Welcome to Pro Patria Puritania."

The weather was great. The temperature was at a pleasant 25 degrees celcius and not a single cloud in the sky and there was a slight breeze. As the Zaheranian plane landed and came to a stop, a group of slaves rolled out a red carpet for the royal visitors. A woman in her late 20's dressed in a golden robe waited at the ground. There were no curious people or press present, just the woman, some soldiers and the limo driver.

As the two Zaheranian royals got out of their plane, the woman took a few steps forward. "I'm Claudia zu Gernstein, and you must be Prince Dietrich. Welcome to the Puritanian Empire."

As the plane come to a stop, the two Zaheranians clipped their seat belt open rose from their chair. While they waited for the red carpet to be rolled out and the stairs to be moved into position, they made the final touches to their appearances and fastened the opera cloaks around their shoulder with brooches in the form of golden eagles. Dietrich adjusted the silver crown on his head slightly, more out of nervousness than actual need. He had been to Pro Patria Puritania before, less than a year ago, but Puritanians could be...unpredictable at times, to say the least.

After what seemed like an eternity, in reality less than two minutes, the pilots came into the cabin to tell them that everything was ready. The prince took a deep breath and walked out of the plane. The bright sunlight made him blink after many hours in the dim light of the plane. A woman in a golden robe was waiting for him at tyhe end of the carpet, a woman he recognised as Claudia zu Gernstein, the Empress' head advisor. He took on a polite smile and began to walk towards her.

Franz Wilhelm followed a step behind as customs prescribed, cautiously letting his eyes slide over the small welcoming committee, searching for possible dangers. He held a small package in his arms, containing Zaheran's gift to the young empress. As the welcoming phrases were uttered, the prince bowed his head courteously in greeting. His companion's bow was considerably deeper, reflecting their different statuses.
"An honour to meet you, Miss Gernstein", Dietrich said with a smile. "We thank you for your greeting."

ooc: will post a reply later today, I'm busy with RL stuff atm.

"Mrs Gernstein, actually, but it's ok. If you'd please follow me into the limo so we can get going. The others are late. A perfect example of the sloppyness of democracy."

The limo took off and was surrounded by 4 Imperial Guard patrol cars, dark blue with the Puritanian crest painted in silver on the sides. The drive to the Imperial Palace was quite long; The closest airport was almost 50 kilometers away from the palace, but the Neu Berlin skyline could still be seen. The city was gigantic, nearly 90 million souls lived there.

Claudia opened the window on her side and lit something what looked like a normal cigarette. The cigarette contained opium instead of nicotine; The Puritanian Empire had relatively loose drug laws.

"I suggest you get comfortable, we're going to be stuck here for some time depending on traffic conditions. A city this size can't afford close any roads, even for a state visit."

"My sincere apologies, Mrs Gernstein", the prince said as he climbed into the car. "And my congratuations to your marriage. So the other delegates have not arrived yet? How unpolite of them."
Franz Wilhelm climbed in after him, adjusting his holster so he could sit comfortably. The bodyguard seemed relaxed and carefree, but Dietrich could see tension in his eyes, like if he expected an assassin to suddenly spring from nowhere and attack the prince. It was highly unlikely, with the security precautions the Puritanians had taken and the relative secrecy about the whole visit, but it was a bodyguards job to worry.

With a silent sigh the prince sat back and relaxed. Through the window he could see the skyline of the Puritanian capital. He had heard that it had nearly ninety million inhabitants, which made it clearly larger than most cities in Zaheran, excluding Wulfenstein and Zahran, which both had over a hundred million inhabitants.

"No, they haven't. You'd think that heads of state could at least notify their hosts if they've decided to cancel", she replied while exhaling a puff of smoke.

As the cars finally entered downtown Neu Berlin, the architechture of the buildings changed dramatically. Outside the city center the architecture was what one would expect from a modern city, but in downtown the buildings followed the architecture of ancient Rome, the older buildings looked like those in the capital of the Roman Empire, and the skyscrapers looked like they were designed by an architect from those times as well.

The main street had been closed off in anticipation of the upcoming military parade, which was a chance for the Puritanian Empire to show off its military might.

As the limo neared the Imperial Palace, the escorts drove off. The limo stopped at the gates, and the driver stepped out, and so did Claudia. "Wait here, I'll be right back.", she said as she got out of the car. A few minutes later a guard knocked on the window on Franz Wihelm's side. "Sir, if you're carrying weapons we're going to have to take them. Don't worry, this is the most well guarded place in the Empire, and you'll get your weapons back when you leave."

The bodyguard looked at the prince and got a short nod in answer for his silent question. With a sigh he took his prized pistol from its holster and handed it over to the guard. He then hesitated for a moment until Dietrich gave him an irritated glance.
"All of them, Franz", he said with emphasis. "We are in friendly territory, remember?"
Franz Wilhelm pulled a sour face, but started to hand over his hidden weapons. It was an impressive array: apart from the Beretta he carried two Glock 18 machine-pistols in holsters under his armpits and a total of seven knives of various sizes, all strapped to his body so that they would not bulge out under his clothes. Dietrich watched in amusement as the seemingly harmless noble removed one deadly weapon after another and handed them over to the guard with an increasingly sour expression. Franz Wilhelm did not like being unarmed, but the prince knew that his cousin was almost as deadly without them, having been trained by the masters of the art of killing with one's feet and hands. He glanced at his watch, wondering when Claudia would return.

If the guard's face would have been visible trhough his two-part helmet that covered his face, the Zaheranian royals would have seen his jaw drop to the ground when he saw all the weapons Dietrich's bodyguard was carrying. Even the guard wasn't as heavily armed, and he was part of the Praetorian Guard, the elite of the Puritanian Imperial Armed Forces. "Thank you for co-operation, sir." he uttered. Back inside the guardhouse he spoke to his collagues. "Can you believe all the crap this guy was carrying? Glad we got his weapons, if he'd gotten into the Palace with these we would have ended up mining Uranium."

Five minutes after the guard was gone, a gunshot could be heard from inside the guardhouse, and shortly thereafter Claudia returned with one of the guards. The guard sat behind the wheel and Claudia got back to her seat in the back. If the Zaheranians would ask what came of the previous driver, she'd have an explanation ready.

"Sorry for the delay, but you can't be too cautious. The terrorists would love it if something happened to you or the Empress when you're here."

The prince raised an eyebrow when he heard the gunshot, but showed no other outward sign of surprise or emotion. As a high noble in Zaheran, you learned to conceal your emotions, and Puritanians shooting each other was nothing to be surprised over. Killing people in various gruesome ways seemed to be a part of their culture. Franz Wilhelm was a bit more unsettled by the sudden gunshot and looked at the guardhouse with worry in his eyes. He said nothing, but Dietrich could see that he had begun to regret that he had handed over his weapons to the guards. He opened his mouth to reassure his cousin of their safety, but saw Claudia return with a guard from the guardhouse and changed it into a polite smile instead.

"I thank you for your consideration, Mrs. Gernstein," he said when the car began to move again. "The Puritanian Empire takes good care of its guests."

ooc: If people still want to participate, they can.

"Yes, we try to, at least."

The guard drove through the gate onto the palace grounds. The palace grounds were quite different from the surrounding metropolis, there were beautiful fountains, ponds, trees.. The whole place was a big garden, and home to some 1000 soldiers of the Praetorian Guard, mostly housed underground apart from a few ancient barracks. Slaves in their grey overalls were taking care of the plantations with a few slavemasters idly supervising their work. Every now and then the noise of whips could be heard.

"It'll be another five minutes until we're at the palace." Claudia took another opium cigarette out of a silver box and lit it. "Would you care for one too?"

The two Zaheranians let their eyes wander over the beautiful palace garden. With its ponds, fountains and lush verdure it was very different from what they had seen of the country earlier, the steel and concrete of the airport and the city proper. The only thing disturbing the illusions of a paradise was the recurring sound of whining whips on the backs of the many slaves who worked to keep the gardens in shape. It was common knowledge that the Puritanians kept slaves and that their treatment of them was often cruel and ruthless, but this was the first time the two nobles saw it with their own eyes. And these slaves were the lucky ones, if what he had heard was true. The really unlucky ended up in the uranium mines, where the length of their lives could be counted in weeks, and where death was seen as a salvation.
"No, thank you," he said in answer to Claudia's question, his eyes still on the gardens outside. "I don't smoke."

The limo came to a halt at the palace's main entrance. The guard got out of the car and opened the door for the prince and his bodyguard. If the exterior of the palace was beautiful, the interior was something quite unimaginable: Gold, jewels, silk and marble everywhere. The Zaheranians were taken to the Empress' quarters. The Empress' quarters had a view to the ocean and the beach boulevard.

The guard escorting Dietrich and Franz-Wilhelm knocked on the door. A young girl, not a day older than 14 perhaps, came to open the door. A bar code tattoo on her forearm revealed her to be a slave. "Her majesty is ready for you. Follow me, please." she said after kneeling down before the two guests. She lead the foreign royals through a few rooms to the balcony, where the Empress was idly staring to the sea. The girl got on her knees again. "Your highness, your guests are here." The Empress turned around and smiled. "Prince Dietrich, welcome. Please, sit down, I was just about the have lunch. Are you hungry?"

OOC: Too late?

IC: The Holy Empire of Anemos Major is always open to potential new allies, and would be more than happy to send a representative/representatives to this momentous celebration.

By 'attending' the military parade, do you mean sending troops to take part? if so, we would be more than happy to, but it will have to be a small scratch force; at the moment we can send a platoon of the 6th Army (Reserve) Airborne, or a detachment of IFAM Fleet Security troops.

The representative will be Lord Councillor Arkal Therondis, Head of the High Council of Anemos Major (representative of Anemos Rei and the Fyrkondierikan region) and former First Marshal of the Army.

ooc: Not at all, just skip to the part where your plane lands.

To: Anemos Major
From: Foreign Ministry

You are most welcome to send your representative. The answer to your question is no. Your representative's presence at the military parade will suffice.

Signed,
Johann Zarkosy,
Foreign Minister

Dietrich had grown up in a palace and was accustomed to luxury, but the splendour of the imperial palace was still a sight like no other. The Puritanians had spared no expenses, everything seemed to be made in precious materials and of first-class design. He followed the guards through the lavishly decorated corridors, his cousin following a step behind. They led him to to a part of the palace facing the ocean, which he presumed hosted the Empress' personal quarters. Finally, the guard stopped to knock on a door. The girl who opened could not have been much older than fifteen, but he could see that she too had a slave tattoo on her forearm.

She led the two nobles through a series of rooms, if possible even more lavishly decorated than the rst of the palace, to a balchony overlooking the ocean, where Empress Dora was waiting. The prince bowed deeply, while his companion kneeled with lowered gaze, as per the customs in their country.
"I thank you, Your Majesty," the prince said with a respectful voice. He sat down on an empty seat. "Yes, please. I ate a bit on the airplane, but that was six hours ago."

"Anna, lunch for three. Make it fast. I wouldn't want to send you to the mines."

The girl ran off to the kitchen and returned in two minutes. She set the table and poured wine into the glasses. The lunch was pretty simple, a few loaves of bread, vegetable soup and fruit salad.

Dora sat down and gestured for Dietrich and Franz-Wilhelm to do the same. "So, how are things in Zaheran?"

The two men sat down. The servant had soon returned with a simple lunch and some wine. Dietrich took a thoughful sip from his glass as he listened to the Empress' question. The wine was of very high quality, he noted with no little satisfaction.

"Quite excellent, actually. My father is still holding the power, and will hopefully continue to do so for many years ahead. We have had some problems with some communist terrorist groups lately, a rather gruesome bombing of a nightclub a while ago, but nothing that we can't handle. We have got most of the bastards in prison now, awaiting execution. The Army of the Holy Cross has been more or less crushed since the Wulfenstein incident, but some remnants of that organisation are still stirring up trouble in our southern provinces." He shook his head. "Some people only learn if you put a bullet through their neck."

"Yes... Sad but true. Such a waste of human resources. I'm not quite sure, but I do believe that some of those people involved in that little... incident are still alive in one of the mines."

When everyone just about finished with their lunch, the slave girl came back to the balcony. She got down on her knees before speaking. "Excuse the interruption, but the High Priestess has sent a message saying it's time to go to the Civil War Memorial." Dora finished her wine and stood up. "Right. Anna, clean this up and you can leave for today." Shen then turned to Dietrich and Franz-Wilhelm. "Shall we?"

Two guards escorted the royals to an armoured limo. The security measures had been quite extensive even with the two Zaheranian royals, but when the Empress herself was going to be with them, the security measusers increased dramatically. Something happening to foreign representatives would be unfortunate, but if something were to happen to the Empress, it would be a catastrophe.

The limo stopped at the Imperial Square in the heart of the city. The square had been sealed off from the public with electric fences until the Empress had payed her respects to the heroes of the civil war. As the three got out of the car, the High Priestess of Apophis, Julia Hoffmann was waiting for them. She was quite zealous, as required by her position, and as such did not bother with the two Zaheranians who in her eyes were infidels. She merely greeted them and then ignored them.

A guard handed Dora a large garland. She turned to Dietrich and Franz-Wilhelm again. "If you have something to place at the memorial, now is the time."

The two nobles followed the Puritanian empress in silence. Dietrich could not help noticing the increased security. The Puritanians seemed to regard the safety of their young ruler as a serious matter. He understood them; many a leader had fallen victim to an assassins blade, or rather bullet nowadays. He climbed into the limousine and made place for Franz Wilhelm.After what he believed was just a matter of minutes, they arrived at a large square, sealed off from the rest of the city with electrical fences.

A woman he recognised as the High Priestess of Aphophis from his previous meeting was waiting for them. The prince bowed corteously and gave her a charming smile, but the woman simply greeted him coldly and proceeded to ignore him totally. Dietrich shook his head slightly, but said nothing. The High Priestess and her followers had caused a diplomatic incident at the state dinner during the last visit, and he did not want to provoke her into another outburst. Instead he just did as the Empress had suggested and gestured to Franz Wilhelm to open the package he was carrying. The bodyguard did so and took out one of the items inside, a beautiful flower garland made of what was in Zaheran called 'ice roses', white roses with a pale blue shade. He placed it on the monument and bowed his head in respect for the dead.

The memorial was made out of polished black stone, with the names of the fallen (only the Imperial troops) of the battle of Neu Berlin engraved in gold. On top of it was a bronze statue of a soldier driving his bayonet into another soldier already lying on the ground. Over 15,000 names had been written on the slab of stone, officers and front line troops separetely.

Dora placed the garland at the middle and also bowed her head for a moment. The High Priestess also placed a garland made out of black and white roses and golden ribbons, the colors of the most important Puritanian deity, the serpent Apophis, god of wealth and prosperity. After a moment of silence in honor of the fallen heroes, Dora lead Dietrich and Franz-Wilhelm back to the limo. The High Priestess stayed behind, only to be dragged into an APC by two Praetorian Guard soldiers.

In the limo Dora apologized for the High Priestess' behavior. "My father gave her too much power during his reign. I'm not sure if you remember the incident at my father's funeral... She was punished, and she will be punished this time as well. She needs to learn humility."

Dietrich stood silent and studied the monument for a few moments while the Empress and the High Priestess lay down their garlands. The solemn black stone, engraved with what probably was the names of fallen soldiers and crowned with a bronze statue of a soldier driving his bayonet into a fallen enemy, did not invite speech. The prince was by no means a religious or superstitious man, but the ominous monument awoke a small shiver somewhere inside him, a feeling of the fragility of human life. He could barely conceal his relief when he finally could turn his back to the memorial and follow the Empress back to the limousine. In the corner of his eye he saw the High Priestess being dragged into a military vehicle by two men dressed in what he had come to know as the Praetorian Guard's uniforms. In a way, he was not particulary surprised. He had since long learned that the power dynamics in the higher echelons of Puritanian society could change very quickly, influenced by undercurrents a nonexperienced man could easily drown in and even an experienced man could have trouble to see. He did not comment on the High Priestess' arrest, if that was what it was, until the car doors had closed.

"I remember. That was with that Leistungi prince, Ostermann I think his name was, wasn't it? No, that could have turned into a not-very-pretty debacle, if it wasn't for you intervention."

"Ostermann... Yes, it must have been. It's a shame he left in such a hurry I didn't have a chance to explain the situation." Dora leaned towards the driver. "Take us to the ministry of defence."

Dora had been attempting to separate religion from the state ever since her coronation, but it wasn't an easy task. First she had to get rid of the High Priestess, but simply throwing her down into the mines wasn't an option. The Geheime Reichspolizei had started a smear campaign, making the newspapers publish stories about the High Priestess' alleged involvement in many activities that could be deemed as obscene, traitorous and some allegations even neared treason. The Geheime Reichspolizei was attempting to raise public outcry to remove the High Priestess from office so that Dora could appoint someone more obedient and less zealous. Dora had the silent support of the aristocracy and military, and it was all that mattered; The paramilitary Serpent Guard wouldn't dare to risk getting thrown down into the mines along with the Christians they had enslaved.

The limo soon arrived at the ministry of defence, one of the tallest buildings in the Empire. The guards escorted the three royals to the second floor and to a balcony overlooking the main street. Grand Marshal Gerhard Repke was waiting for them, along with someone who looked like exactly like him, only 20 or so years younger, his son, General Repke Jr.

The Repkes bowed to the royals. The more decorated, obviously, Grand Marshal took a puff from his cigar before speaking. "Welcome, your majesties. The parade will begin in five minutes. I'm biased of course, but I'd say it's the high point of this day. Anyone care for a cigar?"

"It was a bit premature of him to rush out like that, though," the prince added after a moment of silence. "Those Leistungis have no respect for other people's cultural outlooks."

He then sat silent for a few minutes, observing Neu Berlin as the city passed by outside the window. A very tall building, one of the tallest he had seen, soon came in sight. It looked very formal, and by the looks he guessed that it was operated by a government agency. He had guessed right, a minute or so later the car stopped outside the building, the defence ministry it turned out. Dietrich, Franz-Wilhelm and the Puritanian monarch were excorted to the second floor and to a balcony overlooking the street below. Two men were waiting for them. One he he recognised as Grand Marshal Gerhard Repke, the supreme commander of the Puritanian armed forces. The other he did not recognise, but judging by the similar looks of the two men, it must have been the Grand Marshal's son. He gave the two men a respectful nod in answer to their bows.

"No thank you, Grand Marshal," he said with a smile. "I have never got into the habit of smoking."

"Well, it's your loss." Repke gave a cigar to his son and they lit up. The street had been filled with people since Dietrich's arrival. An aide brought a tray with a bottle of scotch and glasses, bowed and left. Repke poured a glass for himself. "Please, help yourselves."

The parade started with the national anthem playing from loudspeakers placed throught the street, the people sang along. The first colum of infantry appeared from the end of the street goose-stepping, followed by Tiger XIII's, the Puritanian MBT. More infantry followed along with TELARs. After 10 minuters into the parade, 50 Black Eagles flew overhead, followed by attack helicopters.

After 30 minutes it was the Praetorian Guard's turn, and if one looked carefully, he would see that their equipment was by far better than that of the regular military, and their equipment was modern as well. When the first columns of infantry reached the balcony, the younger Repke opened his mouth the first time. "That's my division. Most of them are stationed in our beloved neighbouring country, though... What's left of it, that is. I'm sure you heard about what happened six months ago."

Franz Wilhelm poured a glass for the prince and held it out with a small bow. Dietrich accepted with a grateful smile and turned back to the street. The Puritanian national anthem began to play in the loudspeakers placed strategically along the street. Soon the first goose-stepping soldiers appeared at the end of the street, followed by tanks, more soldiers, some kind of missile-launch vehicles and after a while airplanes and helicopters. The two Zaheranians watched with impassive faces as hundreds upon hundreds of military vehicles and soldiers passed by. It was an impressive display of Puritanian military might, intimidating yet strangely beautiful. Dietrich was no stranger to military parades, he had seen many as crown prince of a nation where the ruler was a former general and the military was held in high regard. He had even marched in one or two himself during his military training, saluting when he passed the podium where he had stood many times at his father's side. And yet they never ceased to impress and fascinate him. Such an organised display of military force had a strange effect on the mind.

After about half an hour a new group of soldiers came in sight. These looked fitter and better outfitted than the others. It was easy to see that they belonged to an elite unit of some kind. Their uniforms confirmed his suspicions: they were Praetorian Guards, the elite of the Puritanian military forces.
"That business in Shanestan?", he said in reply to the younger Repke's statement. "I know that the government collapsed, that there were some nuclear explosions and that you moved in to restore order, but that's about it. Maybe you can fill me in on the details?"

The older Repke interrupted his son. "Oh no, that business in Shanestan has nothing to do with what my son is talking about." He took a quick look at Dora, who stayed silent and then continued. "Ganos Lao, now known as the province of Puritania Minor, is only 50 kilometers from our eastern shores. We had occupied the country after the civil war. Their communist resistance movement managed to incite an uprising and tried to assassanite the Empress. I'm sure you understand we had to... get rid of the Ganosian people."

"I see. Well, in that case I understand you had no other choice. Sometimes hard decisions have to be taken." Dietrich fought down his revulsion over the genocide of an entire people and continued to speak in a casual way. He turned his eyes towards the soldiers still marching by below the balchony to prevent Repke from seeing the conflict of emotions that raged inside him. On one hand he admired the Puritanians, a proud and strong people not to different from his own, one the other he loathed them for the incredible cruelty they so often showed and for their utter disregard for human life. The inner battle waged forth and backwards for a few moments, but eventually he fought it down with simple reason. The Empire had no need of more enemies, and though the Puritanians disgusted him at times, they could still prove useful. He forced a smile on his lips and turned to Dora.
"A most impressive show, Your Majesty. The Imperial Armed Forces are truly a frightening foe for the enemies of Pro Patria Puritania."

Repke did suspect something when Dietrich turned away, but he shrugged it off. He still held a grudge against Zaheran because of the Wulfenstein incident. He felt that the Puritanian losses had not been compensated enough, and to be quite honest he had wished a full scale war... Zaheran would have been the perfect place to test biological weapons and a practically endless supply of slaves the Puritanian Empire needed.

Dora turned to Dietrich. "Yes... Thank you. Unfortunately it wasn't good enough to scare the Ganosian resistance into hiding and from..." She stopped in the middle of the sentence. The Ganosian resistance had attempted to assassinate her but the bullet meant for her hit her son instead, and it was something she'd rather not talk about. "Well, very soon they'll all be gone and we'll be able to take what's rightfully ours."

Franz Wilhelm, who was standing behind the prince, gave Repke a poisonous glance. The older noble did not trust the grand marshal in the slightest. Much Zaheranian blood had been spilled by Puritanian soldiers, both in the Wülfenstein and during the civil war, and he did not doubt that more would be spilled in the future if the Puritanians were given a chance. He suddenly felt himself wishing that he had not left his weapons at the palace. Not that he believed that Repke would dare to try something, but it would be an assurance to have a pistol or knife within arm's reach, just in case.

Dietrich, feeling the rising tension in the air, crossed the index and middle fingers of his right hand in a silent message in the secret sign language of the Zaheranian aristocracy to his cousin. Don't worry. He noticed that the Empress stopped in the middle of her sentence. What had the Ganosian resistance done? He made a mental note to let the intelligence services look into the matter once he returned home.
"That is good to hear, Your Majesty. I'm sure that you will handle the matter with your usual excellency."

"Yes, I'm sure we will."

The parade ended after 20 000 soldiers had marched past the Ministry of Defence. The royals and the Grand Marshal were escorted into a limo. General Repke stayed behind and ordered two Geheime Reichspolizei detectives to follow the foreigners. The other one was dressed as a tourist and the other as a businessman.

The limo drove back to the Imperial Palace. Repke got out of the car first. "Prince Dietrich, there's something I need to discuss with the Empress. I wouldn't want you to get bored while she's unavailable, so I've arranged a car to take you to town."

The prince eyed Repke suspiciously for a few moments. Like his cousin, he did not trust the grand marshal, and as he had grown up as the first-born son of the Emperor in an environment where paranoia was the norm rather than the exception, he had become wary of anything resembling an intrigue. But finally he nodded, realising that there was not much he could do about the situation, and turned towards the car, gesturing to Franz Wilhelm to follow him. The older man did so without comments, but Dietrich knew that his cousing was feeling uneasy.

When the car doors had closed behind them, the bodyguard opened his mouth to say something, but Dietrich shook his head and nodded towards the driver, forming a circle with his tumb and middle finger. We cannot speak freely. Franz Wilhelm nodded and began to move his hands in a series of quick gestures. I don't trust that man. Dietrich pulled an irritated face before replying with a series of gestures of his own. Neither do I. But we can't do anything about it.

The driver opened the window separating his seat from the back. "If I may, I'd suggest you go to the Aqua Regis. It's the perfect place if you're looking for something to bring back home."

Dietrich pondered the driver's suggestion for a few moments. He looked at Franz Wilhelm, but the older noble simply shrugged and continued to study the city outside the car window. Finally, the prince nodded. "Sounds like a good suggestion. Can you take us there, please?"

The driver nodded and closed the window. He drove into the city, where people had started their own celebrations: Drinking, singing and dancing. Even though drinking in public was forbidden, the police was powerless to stop it. If they'd arrest everyone in the streets the prisons and jails of the Empire would very quickly fill up. The limo pulled over in front of a jewelry store called Aqua Regis, the finest and the most expensive one in the Empire. If one were to look at the price tag of a "simple" platinum ring, he'd note that even the lowest price had five numbers in it.

A man came to Dietrich and Franz Wilhelm. He had a name tag with the name Alfons written on it, wore a dark blue suit and had blonde hair. "Are you looking for something spesific, gentlemen?"

The prince looked with some interest at the celebrating crowds as the limousine made its way through the city. Yet another face of Pro Patria Puritania: people singing, dancing and drinking on the streets. Not what you would expect of a society that at first look seemed so formal and stiff.

After a few minutes the limousine had passed the crowds and pulled up in front of a jewellry store, probably the Aqua Regis the driver had talked about. The two Zaheranians climbed out of the car and walked into the store. Dietrich's eyes widened a little when he saw the prices, but he said nothing. It was not exactly like he was lacking in money, the crown prince of Zaheran had a yearly income of several million reichmarks granted to him by the state, and to that came money from his share in the companies, shares and estate his family owned, nearly a billion reichmarks each year all in all.
"We might be," he said in answer to the clerk's question. "Do you have any necklace's for women in gold? Twenty-four carat, if possible."

"Certainly, sir." The clerk lead the Zaherians to a counter and pulled a tray full of golden necklaces with different shapes. He had pulled out the most pricy ones at first, as his wage was determined by provisions. "These are all twenty-four carat. See anything you like?"

At the same time, the other Geheime Reichspolizei detective, the one disguised as a businessman, entered the store. He positioned himself so that he could hear and see the Zaheranians, and browsed through a selection of wedding rings.

The two Zaheranians leaned over the tray and carefully studied its contents. Dietrich lifted a thin necklace and held it before his eyes, but after a few moments he shook his head and carefully lay it on the tray again, taking up another piece of jewellry. Franz Wilhelm watched the process without interest and tried to hide a yawn. He looked up when he heard the door being opened and gave the man who had entered a glance, but quickly dismissed him as harmless, just a wealthy businessman looking for a wedding ring, it seemed.

He waited patiently for about ten minutes until the prince found the necklace he was looking for, and then followed him to the counter. The businessman seemed to still be browsing through the wedding rings. Dietrich placed the necklace on the counter and ptroduced a large wad of banknotes, Puritanian reichmarks, from his pockets.
"How much?", he asked nonchalantly, as he browsed through the banknotes. "Do you accept cash or should I pay with a credit card?"

The busisnessman picked a ring and got in line behind Dietrich. For a minute her reached into his pockets, pretending to be looking for his wallet. As a policeman, even in the Geiheime Reichspolizei, he could never even dream of affording it. He left the ring on the counter. "Excuse me, I seem to have forgotten my wallet." He went outside to a cafe opposite of the jewelry store.

"75,000 Reichsmarks, cash is fine. Excellent choice, sir. Would you like it engraved or wrapped up?"

Dietrich raised an eyebrow in amusement as the businessman ran out of the store, muttering about his wallet. He turned back to the clerk and handed him the wad of banknotes he held, worth approximately 35,000 Reichsmarks. He searched in his pockets for more banknotes and produced another thick wad. He counted through the money until he had the sum the clerk had requested. After a brief moment of hesitation, he added two additional five-hundred Reichmark notes, as a tip to the man behind the counter.

"For your services," he said with a smile. "Wrapped up, please. Its a gift to a friend."

The clerk counted the money after placing his tip into his wallet. "Thank you, sir." He placed the necklace into an ebony box and wrapped it into silvery paper. "Please, come again soon."

Outside, the limo was waiting. When the Zaherianians had entered the car, the driver was just finishing a phone call. "Yes, yes.. I'll keep them busy for another hour..." He turned to Dietrich. "The Empress is still unavailable. Is there anything you would like to do?"

The Geheime Reichspolizei had its eye on Dietrich and Franz Wilhelm, in the form of decectives Tarrasch and Müller. Tarrasch, the one disguised a tourist, followed the limo as it took off on a rented scooter.

Dietrich thanked the man, took the package and walked out of the store, followed by Franz Wilhelm. A minute later or so the two nobles had once again crammed themselves into the car. Dietrich watched patiently as the driver finished his phone car and listened to what the man had to say.
"Are there any parks or green areas nearby?," he asked in reply. "I would like some fresh air."

The driver nodded and headed towards the Wolfsburg park. In ten minutes, they arrived. The driver stayed in the car while the Zaheranians wandered into the park. In the park there were thousands of people, but it still was quite spacious. In front of a cafe a man was beaten by a group of policemen. He was screaming for help, but the drunken and stoned people just laughed at him.

A waitress outside the cafe came up to Dietrich and Franz Wilhelm, even when it was just barely visible, as she only earned a meager 5 Reichsmarks per hour plus provisions. "Anything to drink, gentlemen?"