A visit before a visit (Spain - Inimicus Summit)
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Emperor Artabanos's superyacht was already in its harbour of departure in North Diessen, ready to be used by the cream of European society for His grand opening of the Diessenar canal. Nevertheless, before festivities began, He had agreed to host the Spanish Royals for a State Visit, and afterwards they would travel to North Diessen together.
As was now His custom, He semi-anxiously waited on the steps of the Imperial Palace, where so many other foreign dignitaries had gone before. The Inimician summer was now in full swing, and He wished He had tasked His Curator Palatii Martin von Royston to stand here with a parasol. Unfortunately, Martin was far too busy in North Diessen, ensuring events there were going smoothly and enough drinks were being served.
The Spanish Royal motorcade came into view along a main road lined with fans -- Spanish expats in Inimicus, Inimician supporters of the alliance between the two countries, or simply curious tourists. It had been a long while since Artabanos had met the Spanish Royals -- indeed, He reflected on how the last time must have been His welcome back party almost two years ago now -- so it'd be good to catch up.
The Inimician sun welcomed the Royals as they arrived at the Imperial Palace.
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Edimburgo, Escocia
17th June 2022It was another routinary day for the King of Spain, Felipe VI, who that early morning found himself reviewing the Scottish troops of the Spanish army with one of the most symbolic marching songs. The guards stood still, seeing how the Highest Commander of the Spanish Armed Forces and their King was passing in front of them, looking at them. They felt special, sort of, not everyone had the priviledge to say they had seen the King, or that he had looked at them. After this routinary act, the King was joined by the Queen and the First Minister of the Pre-Autonomic state of Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon. The First Minister, who was a nationalist, surprisingly did not mention independence, but rather urged the King to finish what started in 1814, after the War of Independence against the French. All what Scotland seemed to want, or wish, was to be an autonomous community.
After the visit was over, the King and the Queen headed to the airport, where their jet was waiting for them. That time, they would fly in the Royal Falcon Dassault, which the President of Spain, Jesús Aguilar, used for short flights within the Spanish mainland or the proximities of Spain. Eurorail was also regarded as a good choice, but the security of the Royal Family prevailed and the secret service advised to take the plane instead. The jet departed from Edinburgh on time, and headed towards Telum. The day before, the Princess of Asturias, Leonor, had arrived from the United Kingdom after spending a whole school year in a private school. It was part of her educational training, which Felipe designed to be similar to his. When the heir of the throne of Spain became an adult, she would enter the military academy and receive formation. But that wng not wparency bac Felipe now, he needed to bring transparency back to an institution that his father, the King Emeritus, seemed to aim to ruin.
Telum, Inimicus
17th June 2022The King and the Queen arrived at Telum, and were surprised of the good weather that the Inimican capital had at that time of the year: "it is pretty similar to the Spanish weather, how lovely Inimicus is on summer", said the Queen. Their last trip to the country had been 2 years ago, which also was their last international trip; as the President of Spain, Jesús Aguilar, advised the Royal Household to keep a low profile internationally while the situation in Europe was tense. Aguilar handled himself all the mess, while the Royal Family covered him on inner affairs. The motorcade headed to the Imperial Palace, where the Emperor was waiting.
Felipe and Letizia waved the crowd, who seemed excited about their visit. And when the motorcade came to a she car tnd wa King and the Queen came out of the car and waved again, before reaching Emperor Artabanos, who both greeted with 2 kisses, one on each cheek. The King spoke: "Emperor Artabanos, nice to meet you once again! How are you feeling today? It has been a while since the last time, hasn't it?" Then, the Queen added some words too: "Felipe and I were amazed by the nice weather you are having today, it is lovely. It reminded me of the Spanish climate, but at least you are not going through a heatwave, so you can feel lucky", she said.
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"Ah, Felipe, Letizia, my good friends -- welcome again to Telum. I trust your journey was all to your satisfaction? Trust me, you're in for a real treat over the next few days. The best of Inimician hospitality is at your disposal! But, I guess we should first give the press their formal moment of flashing bright lights at us, shouldn't we? Do please follow me."
The party proceeded up the stairs towards the Imperial Palace, where, in the entry hall, a photo set had been constructed. After a few moments of picture-taking, Emperor Artabanos felt He had had enough and continued to move through to the Palace's Great Hall, leaving His guests moderately flabbergasted at the speed at which He wanted to be away from the cameras. "You'll have to forgive me", the Emperor said after the King and Queen had joined Him inside, "Surely the press already know both of us."
The Emperor guided the royal couple around the halls of the Imperial Palace, showing off murals, paintings, sculptures, and the grand Throne Room. "Interestingly", Artabanos commented, "This is not where Emperors are crowned (in fact, Emperors are not crowned at all, but inaugurated instead) -- this happens in the city of Lacerta, as the Constitution prescribes. Perhaps something else I can scrap from there, come to think of it. Now that I'm at it, that is..."
The company then proceeded outside, into the courtyard of the Imperial Palace, where a detachment of the Imperial Guard in dress uniform was waiting for inspection. The Spanish anthem was played, followed by the Imperial Anthem of Inimicus, as customary for occasions where the Emperor is present. "Shall we, Your Majesties? Time to inspect some big, strong men in uniform", the Emperor said, gesturing the Spanish royals to a demarcated path along the front line of the guard batallion.
"I understand you only recently inspected a detachment of your own, Felipe? I hope my boys compare favourably at least in some ways. Now, all this inspecting has made me really rather thirsty, I suggest we proceed to My quarters inside so we can have a proper chat. All good?"
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"Everything went perfect, Emperor, we have enjoyed the ride from the airport towards your Imperial Palace. Letizia and myself are surprised for the large crowd that came to see what was going on, we would have never expected such an amount of people. And of course, let's give the press their formal moment". The King and the Queen followed the Emperor, and were then surprised by the speed of the formal moment, reacting a little bit late. Letizia thanked the press and then the royal couple went to where the Inimican Emperor was waiting for them:
"Of course, Mr. Artabanos, they already know us! -said Letizia- The press can sometimes be stifling, both Felipe and I have suffered their chase before we got married and after we did. They often criticise us for not showing enough images or videos of the Princess of Asturias, our daughter Leonor, who is studying in the United Kingdom and came back yesterday. But, coming from the media, I know that any image or video will probably be used against her in the future rather than in a way to benefit the institution".
The Royal Family then followed the Emperor through the corridors of the Imperial Palace, listening to what he had to say and nodding, looking interested. They finally reached the courtyard, where both main characters stood still listening to the anthems. Then, Felipe answered positively to the offer of the Emperor, and Letizia was authorised to join the inspection. She did not have any constitutional power to do so, but the President of Spain had made very clear that the King would be able to authorise the Queen to join him if required. So, there was nothing to worry about.
The King then answered to the Emperor's questions: "Indeed, Mr. Artabanos, I inspected a batallion of Scottish guards this morning, something I had pending to do since a few months ago. About your boys, they are simply awesome, capable of defending their Emperor without dishevelling. All good so far, so we can proceed to your quarters, I believe we are all thirsty around here!" The King said, smiling. Everyone proceeded to the Emperor's quarters, where Felipe asked for a cup of tea and Letizia decided to ask for a cup of coffee. The Queen then decided to start the conversation:
"So Emperor, how are things going around Inimicus? I guess you are really happy about the finalisation of the canal named on your behalf, which will be a game changer not only for your country, but for the Caspian Sea and the alliance we share and that we will all celebrate in Madrid in a matter of 2 weeks. We have been able to see some photos from the press, and it looks amazing. I have heard that the Duchian Prime Minister came here to search an agreement that benefited his country, is that correct?"
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"Oh yes indeed", replied Emperor Artabanos, "I can completely imagine having these photographer vultures hunting you and your daughter is anything but pleasant. In Inimicus, we have certain.... measures... aimed at preventing that sort of thing. But I won't digress, they've had their moment and they'll have to be satisfied with it. How is the family, by the way? Come to speak of them."
Artabanos had, of course, heard about the Scottish Guards the Spanish King had inspected that very morning. He had, specifically, heard of their grandour, their prowess, their stature, their immensely attractive facial hair. "You see", Artabanos said after the inspection was complete, "The Inimician Imperial Guard used to be just all ceremony. But, well, that's immensely boring, so I have steadily increased their duties, their powers, and indeed their number, up until the point where we now have three -- well, four, but openly, only three -- divisions of the Imperial Guard: the Investigation Unit, the Anti-Terror Command, and My Personal Protection Division, which is who you saw parading around here. Don't tell anyone, but the Imperial Guard Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Division is the fourth branch, but that's real hush hush."
The monarchs sat down in Artabanos's study, which had been decorated for the occasion in yellow and red details and trimmings. The King and Queen's requests for drinks satisfied, Artabanos began: "Yes, John Peter Key was here recently, you're quite right. As a matter of fact, he sat right where you are now, Letizia, but don't let that put you off! Of course, these meetings are more or less bound to secrecy, but it will come as no surprise to you that he requested concessions and assurances regarding the Canal, which you will yourself observe shortly. There were some other minor points of interest which I was happy to agree to, but I couldn't give him anything regarding the Canal. Of coure, I didn't just tell him I was having none of it -- one always has to cloak this in more, shall we say, diplomatic terms, doesn't one? So it wasn't just Me who didn't want to regulate the Canal, it was the Board of Trustees. Which, of course, is Me, but don't let Peter Key know..."
"Apart from the whole Canal business, which is naturally very exciting, things are prospering in Inimicus, it must be said. Not that we're achieving Yosai-esque growth levels, no, but then again we never have. No, the Inimician is content to have his home, job, and security -- which is far more than he had before 2011, of course, and far more than he would have if he said certain things in this day---- eh, if he eh, if he moved across the border, that is. Excuse me." Artabanos swigged a large gulp of His drink before continuing. "Anyway, what keeps your Kingdom busy these days? I apologise for already mentioning the thorn in your side, those folks in Yosai, and I apologise even more for attempting a rapproachment. I'm sure your people and politicians will understand, however."
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Leitizia looked at Felipe confused when the Emperor asked about the family, so she decided to speak of her family and then the King would answer about the Royal Family: "Well, Emperor, when it comes to my side of the family, we are all doing alright, even though I do not have much time for them, you know, consequences of marrying a King - Leitzia laughed slightly, while Felipe got ready to answer about his side of the family - and about the Royal Family, I am sure my dear husband will be able to tell you more", she smiled, leaving all the mess to Felipe. The King reacted quickly: "well, my father has been acting a little bit rebellious recently... As you know he was living in Nofoaga after Corinna decided to tell the world about their relationship and the corruption scandals, but he has moved to Huriyah recently without telling me, he's got some friends there, even if they have literally backstabbed his country. Recently, he came back to Sanxenxo to take part on a sailing competition, we met in Zarzuela but he felt he did not need to give any explanations and told me he really wanted to come back. When it comes to the rest of the family, everyone is doing well, except Cristina who has recently divorced from Iñaki Urdangarín, and glad they did. He was also a corrupt, and even went to jail. A pretty normal family, as you can see!"
Letizia and Felipe then promised to keep the fourth branch of the Inimican Imperial Guard as a secret, after having listened to the interesting history of the branch of the Inimican Armed Forces they had just inspected. Letizia then listened the details of the summit with the Duchian Prime Minister, on whom he commented: "He seems to be very... peculiar. President Aguilar called my husband after their summit and he seemed to be keen on attempting to convince Jesús about ‘how bad it was to keep the Strait policy at Gibraltar and that boring stuff’. But we are glad that the Straits are not on the spotlight anymore, as the Government thought it was a nice idea to consider Adventuranza a sea instead of a Strait, so the policy changes. Isn't that great at all?"
Felipe then proceeded to tell the Inimican Emperor about what was going on in Spain those days: "Don't worry Mr. Artabanos, it is fine to mention Yosai, as my wife said we have some good relationships now, everything was fixed as you already know. Things in Spain seem to be unsettling more than I would like to, as President Aguilar is trying to pass an electoral law reform and Ciudadanos, the party that supports his Government, does not seem to be very convinced about it. They fear, or that is what I have heard on TV, that the electoral law will be made to give the President an advantage to regain his absolute majority. Some even say Mr. Aguilar could call for a general election after he manages to pass the law, so we will see. Andalusia votes in 2 days, and that will be Aguilar's first test after the sacrifice he has had to do in Castille and León, reaching an agreement with the far-right. Mr. Mañueco, the President of that autonomous community, has confessed to me in private that he feels really uncomfortable with those guys on his cabinet.
Apart from that, I have been informed that the preparations for the Telum Treaty summit, where we will have the chance to see each other again, have started. I have been told by the Royal Household boss that the city is going to arm itself for the summit, that we will be suspending free trade and free travel agreements without going back to tariffs and that they are going to deploy around 40,000 police officers to protect us all. Are you looking forward for the summit, Mr. Artabanos?"
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"Yes, yes", said Artabanos, realising He had accidentally hit a sore point by asking about Felipe's family and, especially, when asking about his father. "Terrible business, about your dad -- and especially him moving to Hurriyah, why on earth would anyone do that? He could've come live in the Imperial Palace guest wing for all he wanted, although I suppose your government would not have been best pleased! I do hope you'll come to some sort of reconciliation though -- and, of course, if there is anything I can do, just let me know. I'd be happy to be your relationship counselor. You know I do love gossiping..."
Ah, yes, the Telum Treaty summit. Artabanos's first chance to head abroad in the company of His new protege, friend, and possibly more, Nestor Karaman. He was looking forward to chatting about Simon Bridges together with all His chums and to devise more strategies to irate him playfully. "Of course I'm looking forward to the Telum Summit! I very much appreciate the security measures your government has taken -- of course, if you need some Imperial Guardsmen to help you all out, just drop me a line. We're quite good at protecting important individuals these days, especially after some known failures in the past. Do you remember that time in 2014 when I was kidnapped by some Rimrothian groups in their capital? That was fun. Quite the scare, but they were fairly handsome in the end."
Spanish politics had always been far too transparent for Artabanos. Spain appeared to be a place where voting actually mattered, where politicians were forced to take responsibility for their actions, and where a careful system of checks and balances kept everyone well behaved. Artabanos had worked for 8 years to eliminate those systems in the Empire. "I'm very glad to hear things are going swimmingly well with Aguilar and the other amazing folks who make your country work so well, Felipe. I'm sure I'll hear all about it from Jesus when we meet. I do wonder though, what is your position in this all? Was there a time when Spanish royals had some real power and punch?"
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"Of course Emperor, if there was anything you could do I would tell you about it. But right now, my father is old and wants to live life... I still remember the day we went to visit him and we were told he was not there. My mother inquired the guard and then came back with a disillusioned gesture to our car. I guess he got caught by her...", Felipe said, in a normal tone. The King had got used to his father adventures and romances, but he hoped that one day, both could reconcile and his father excused himself to the Spanish society for his behaviour.
"The Telum summit will definitely be one of the events of the year in Madrid, that is for sure. I have not been kidnapped, but it is not an adventure that I would like to experience. You made many of us worry about you, those Rimrothian could have been smarter and not blowing up whatever they wanted to get with such a silly move", Felipe said before being politely interrupted by Leticia, who wanted to know more about the Emperor's kidnap: "may I ask what was the funniest part of it, Emperor?", the Queen asked.
Felipe was happy to hear that Artabanos and the Spanish President had a good friendship, and he could not hide his smile when he got to know. "There was indeed a time when the Royal Family, mostly the King, had the power to appoint and dismiss some representatives, but that was before the French invaded us. Carlos IV and Fernando VII, father and son, were not very good at carrying along well, just like my father with me! They got easily busted by Napoleon, and jailed in France for some time until the Spanish raised in arms against the French and we managed to kick them out. While that happpened, some liberals in Cádiz made a constitution and tried to impose it on Fernando, but he did not accept it and in 1920 a Coronel raised against him and he had to sign the Constitution. However, three years later a huge army made of 500,000 French soldiers entered the country and ended with the liberal regime, so Fernando kept absolute power until 1833. When he died, the lack of a son and the repeal of a law that did not allow women to become queens, made Spain go into a civil war and Isabel, his daughter and the following sovereign, had to get the liberals support to win it. And that is the history of how we lost mostly all of our powers. But, I will be honest with you: I prefer it this way, Spanish politics are messy."
The Kingdom of Spain