04-15-2020, 11:07 PM
Saturday, April 11 - Evening
Twin Trees Eco-Resort, Minsheng, Laeral
The Twin Trees eco-resort, located around some hot springs in the mountains of Minsheng province, was now home to a rather agitated Xiomeran crown prince, on what was supposed to have been the last day of his state visit to Laeral but had been suddenly interrupted by the news from home. After he concluded his phone call with Chancellor Lancaster, Texoccoatl found himself pacing and staring at his phone, brooding. Even the luxurious surroundings of the resort brought him no comfort. When it rang a second time, he answered quickly. “This is Crown Prince Texoccoatl,” he said.
"Your majesty," said an elderly woman's voice: slow, slightly rasping and with what Texoccoatl thought was an Andhran accent. "This is Tanvi Misra, the Foreign Minister of Laeral. I'm here, with instructions from the president, to talk about the situation in your home country, and what exactly this means for your future relationship with the Allied Provinces of Laeral."
”Minister Misra, thank you for calling. This is indeed an....unexpected development, for both you and for us. We are still ourselves trying to get details on what exactly is happening in Xiomera right now, but the junta which has taken over the government has cut us off from our communications,” Texoccoatl said. “I apologize for the fact that my presence here in your country means that you now have this issue on your hands.”
"You're kind to offer apologies," Misra said, "but I prefer to think of this as an opportunity for the two of us. Many of us within the government were applauding your mother's reforms, and your tour of the last several days has gone a ways towards winning hearts here as well. Among those hearts-" she paused slightly, which Texoccoatl thought was surely meant for dramatic effect, "-was that of Liu Mei-han, who has a penchant for setting the course of our foreign policy. Allow me to offer my congratulations; it's quite a feat to put oneself in her good books, and it's borne fruit for you already. You see, I'm here to offer you a bargain. A framework for our future cooperation, so that we may see the junta removed and your mother returned to power. I take it you're interested?"
”I am most definitely interested,” Texoccoatl replied warmly. “And despite what the junta will no doubt claim, I do still have the authority to negotiate for my country. What did your government have in mind?”
"As we speak, a statement condemning the coup and calling for all political prisoners to be released is being drafted, for release tomorrow," Misra said. "As you are unable to return to Xiomera at the moment, my government can offer you political asylum in Laeral for the foreseeable future, and we can offer you lodgings, access to the national and international media, and protection should you desire it. You would be free to leave at any time. You'll find no better place to seek political asylum- you can just ask the dozens of Kerlian exiles living in Althea. In exchange, we ask for your cooperation when it comes to our shared goal of returning Xiomera to your mother's rule."
”That is a fair exchange, more than fair actually. I would be honored to accept it. I’m grateful that you have decided to support us. Xiomera will need all the friends it can get in this dark hour.”
"I'm happy to hear that," said Misra. "And I will be happy to tell the president that you've decided to take up my offer. If you remain where you are, I can arrange for you to be picked up and taken to a secure house in Laeralsford by tomorrow morning, where you can speak with the media and be closer to the center of decision-making as we work out our approach to the situation in your home country."
”That is extremely generous of you, Minister. I will await your vehicle, and please thank President Liu for me as well. Your country doesn’t have to put itself on the line like this for us - trust me, Xiomera will not forget this.”
"Thank you, your majesty," Misra said, matching the sincerity in his voice. "It isn't always in politics that the opportunity presents itself to do good, so I always seek to take advantage of such opportunities as they appear. President Liu shares the same belief. Have a lovely evening, your majesty. Hopefully there will be much more good news in the morning."
”I certainly hope so. Have a good evening as well, Minister. I look forward to speaking with you again soon,” the Crown Prince replied before ending the call. He looked reflectively outside at the peaceful Laeralian countryside, hoping that the same peace would eventually prevail back home.
[/hr]
Sunday, April 12 - Morning
Republic House, Laeralsford
Liu Mei-han, president of Laeral, had gotten through much of her morning routine and was sitting down to a lovely Sunday morning breakfast. The president’s living quarters at Republic House were spacious and luxuriously appointed, but for the first few weeks of her presidency, they’d also been quite lonely, with no one there but herself, her cats, and the various servants and bodyguards. She’d given in after a few weeks and invited her favorite brother and his wife and children to join her; now Sunday morning breakfasts were bustling and vibrant. Mei-han appreciated the children in particular- her niece Jianhui, now 17 and anxious to be leaving home for college, and her nephew Yuming, going through all the tempests of the early teens. She was just sitting down and grabbing a fresh-baked croissant (a favorite of hers, although now that she was getting older, a once-weekly treat) when her phone started to buzz.
Only a select few people could reach her at this time, and as she looked down at the screen she saw that it was the Prime Minister, Nicolas Martin. Excusing herself, she found a seat on the couch in the next room. “Nicolas! How are you? I thought you’d be at church right now?”
“I overslept this morning,” Nicolas Martin said. “No, I was hoping to talk about something Misra said, which is troubling me. Is it true that you’ve offered sanctuary to the Xiomeran crown prince?” Liu could practically see the dour expression on his face.
“Yes, I instructed Tanvi to offer sanctuary to Prince Texōccoatl,” Liu said. “He and his mother are the first chance in a very long time for real democratic reform in Xiomera. With the sudden coup there, it’s the least we can do to offer him political asylum here. Like we have many other refugees.”
“It’s not the asylum offer that worries me, Madam President,” Martin said. If he was using “Madam President” when she’d used “Nicolas”, he was evidently not in the best of moods. “It’s that this bears all the signs of you becoming personally invested in this Xiomera issue. And this issue has all the hallmarks of a quagmire. A bloody, tiresome sideshow of a conflict that ends up spiralling out of control and taking over our entire agenda.”
“I understand the danger of getting sidetracked by a foreign conflict,” Liu said. “And I have no intentions to get overly involved with this. But when there’s an opportunity to do good, and maybe turn an old enemy into an ally for the future, I say it’s worth it to go ahead.” One of her cats, the grey tabby Junjie, took the opportunity to crawl into her lap, and she absent-mindedly stroked him behind the ears.
“In just the past few years, we’ve sent troops to Lauchenoiria and to Vulkaria. We still have hundreds of soldiers in Vulkaria, and they keep being sent home in body bags. The opposition’s going to hit us on this issue, and if the news cycle keeps focusing on foreign entanglements, it gets much more difficult to advance our domestic agenda. I’m the one who has to try and pass our bills, and that’s nigh-impossible when all the National Assembly wants to talk about is the latest foreign issue.”
“I know it’s difficult, Nicolas, and I know that you’re in the trenches every day on this,” Liu said, now in a consoling tone. “And I’m as committed as always to getting that agenda passed. I’m still going to come down to Assembly Hall tomorrow to help get some movement on the public housing bill. But foreign policy is what’s important to me, and it’s an area where the president can do a lot of things all by herself. Without the National Assembly. And that’s why I like to take up and run with these issues, because I know I can make change on them without having to force them through the legislature.”
“I’d just like you to remember that we need to stay on-message and disciplined,” Martin said. “Pocketbook issues, kitchen-table issues. The things that keep ordinary families up at night, not arcane issues halfway across the globe. I have no issue with you taking on foreign policy- I understand it’s where your passion lies. But I’d like you to remember the other things as well.”
“Of course,” Liu said. “And I’m looking forward to being there tomorrow to work over the housing bill. And I’m hoping to have a proclamation for the national parks you suggested last month drafted within the week.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” Martin said. “I’m glad to hear that. And I’m sorry to interrupt your morning.”
“No problem at all, Nicolas,” Liu said. “And I’ll look forward to Monday.”
“The feeling’s mutual, madam president,” the Prime Minister said, before ending the call. Mei-han stood up, evicting Junjie from her lap, and then went back into the dining room to share breakfast with the family and finally enjoy her croissant.
Twin Trees Eco-Resort, Minsheng, Laeral
The Twin Trees eco-resort, located around some hot springs in the mountains of Minsheng province, was now home to a rather agitated Xiomeran crown prince, on what was supposed to have been the last day of his state visit to Laeral but had been suddenly interrupted by the news from home. After he concluded his phone call with Chancellor Lancaster, Texoccoatl found himself pacing and staring at his phone, brooding. Even the luxurious surroundings of the resort brought him no comfort. When it rang a second time, he answered quickly. “This is Crown Prince Texoccoatl,” he said.
"Your majesty," said an elderly woman's voice: slow, slightly rasping and with what Texoccoatl thought was an Andhran accent. "This is Tanvi Misra, the Foreign Minister of Laeral. I'm here, with instructions from the president, to talk about the situation in your home country, and what exactly this means for your future relationship with the Allied Provinces of Laeral."
”Minister Misra, thank you for calling. This is indeed an....unexpected development, for both you and for us. We are still ourselves trying to get details on what exactly is happening in Xiomera right now, but the junta which has taken over the government has cut us off from our communications,” Texoccoatl said. “I apologize for the fact that my presence here in your country means that you now have this issue on your hands.”
"You're kind to offer apologies," Misra said, "but I prefer to think of this as an opportunity for the two of us. Many of us within the government were applauding your mother's reforms, and your tour of the last several days has gone a ways towards winning hearts here as well. Among those hearts-" she paused slightly, which Texoccoatl thought was surely meant for dramatic effect, "-was that of Liu Mei-han, who has a penchant for setting the course of our foreign policy. Allow me to offer my congratulations; it's quite a feat to put oneself in her good books, and it's borne fruit for you already. You see, I'm here to offer you a bargain. A framework for our future cooperation, so that we may see the junta removed and your mother returned to power. I take it you're interested?"
”I am most definitely interested,” Texoccoatl replied warmly. “And despite what the junta will no doubt claim, I do still have the authority to negotiate for my country. What did your government have in mind?”
"As we speak, a statement condemning the coup and calling for all political prisoners to be released is being drafted, for release tomorrow," Misra said. "As you are unable to return to Xiomera at the moment, my government can offer you political asylum in Laeral for the foreseeable future, and we can offer you lodgings, access to the national and international media, and protection should you desire it. You would be free to leave at any time. You'll find no better place to seek political asylum- you can just ask the dozens of Kerlian exiles living in Althea. In exchange, we ask for your cooperation when it comes to our shared goal of returning Xiomera to your mother's rule."
”That is a fair exchange, more than fair actually. I would be honored to accept it. I’m grateful that you have decided to support us. Xiomera will need all the friends it can get in this dark hour.”
"I'm happy to hear that," said Misra. "And I will be happy to tell the president that you've decided to take up my offer. If you remain where you are, I can arrange for you to be picked up and taken to a secure house in Laeralsford by tomorrow morning, where you can speak with the media and be closer to the center of decision-making as we work out our approach to the situation in your home country."
”That is extremely generous of you, Minister. I will await your vehicle, and please thank President Liu for me as well. Your country doesn’t have to put itself on the line like this for us - trust me, Xiomera will not forget this.”
"Thank you, your majesty," Misra said, matching the sincerity in his voice. "It isn't always in politics that the opportunity presents itself to do good, so I always seek to take advantage of such opportunities as they appear. President Liu shares the same belief. Have a lovely evening, your majesty. Hopefully there will be much more good news in the morning."
”I certainly hope so. Have a good evening as well, Minister. I look forward to speaking with you again soon,” the Crown Prince replied before ending the call. He looked reflectively outside at the peaceful Laeralian countryside, hoping that the same peace would eventually prevail back home.
[/hr]
Sunday, April 12 - Morning
Republic House, Laeralsford
Liu Mei-han, president of Laeral, had gotten through much of her morning routine and was sitting down to a lovely Sunday morning breakfast. The president’s living quarters at Republic House were spacious and luxuriously appointed, but for the first few weeks of her presidency, they’d also been quite lonely, with no one there but herself, her cats, and the various servants and bodyguards. She’d given in after a few weeks and invited her favorite brother and his wife and children to join her; now Sunday morning breakfasts were bustling and vibrant. Mei-han appreciated the children in particular- her niece Jianhui, now 17 and anxious to be leaving home for college, and her nephew Yuming, going through all the tempests of the early teens. She was just sitting down and grabbing a fresh-baked croissant (a favorite of hers, although now that she was getting older, a once-weekly treat) when her phone started to buzz.
Only a select few people could reach her at this time, and as she looked down at the screen she saw that it was the Prime Minister, Nicolas Martin. Excusing herself, she found a seat on the couch in the next room. “Nicolas! How are you? I thought you’d be at church right now?”
“I overslept this morning,” Nicolas Martin said. “No, I was hoping to talk about something Misra said, which is troubling me. Is it true that you’ve offered sanctuary to the Xiomeran crown prince?” Liu could practically see the dour expression on his face.
“Yes, I instructed Tanvi to offer sanctuary to Prince Texōccoatl,” Liu said. “He and his mother are the first chance in a very long time for real democratic reform in Xiomera. With the sudden coup there, it’s the least we can do to offer him political asylum here. Like we have many other refugees.”
“It’s not the asylum offer that worries me, Madam President,” Martin said. If he was using “Madam President” when she’d used “Nicolas”, he was evidently not in the best of moods. “It’s that this bears all the signs of you becoming personally invested in this Xiomera issue. And this issue has all the hallmarks of a quagmire. A bloody, tiresome sideshow of a conflict that ends up spiralling out of control and taking over our entire agenda.”
“I understand the danger of getting sidetracked by a foreign conflict,” Liu said. “And I have no intentions to get overly involved with this. But when there’s an opportunity to do good, and maybe turn an old enemy into an ally for the future, I say it’s worth it to go ahead.” One of her cats, the grey tabby Junjie, took the opportunity to crawl into her lap, and she absent-mindedly stroked him behind the ears.
“In just the past few years, we’ve sent troops to Lauchenoiria and to Vulkaria. We still have hundreds of soldiers in Vulkaria, and they keep being sent home in body bags. The opposition’s going to hit us on this issue, and if the news cycle keeps focusing on foreign entanglements, it gets much more difficult to advance our domestic agenda. I’m the one who has to try and pass our bills, and that’s nigh-impossible when all the National Assembly wants to talk about is the latest foreign issue.”
“I know it’s difficult, Nicolas, and I know that you’re in the trenches every day on this,” Liu said, now in a consoling tone. “And I’m as committed as always to getting that agenda passed. I’m still going to come down to Assembly Hall tomorrow to help get some movement on the public housing bill. But foreign policy is what’s important to me, and it’s an area where the president can do a lot of things all by herself. Without the National Assembly. And that’s why I like to take up and run with these issues, because I know I can make change on them without having to force them through the legislature.”
“I’d just like you to remember that we need to stay on-message and disciplined,” Martin said. “Pocketbook issues, kitchen-table issues. The things that keep ordinary families up at night, not arcane issues halfway across the globe. I have no issue with you taking on foreign policy- I understand it’s where your passion lies. But I’d like you to remember the other things as well.”
“Of course,” Liu said. “And I’m looking forward to being there tomorrow to work over the housing bill. And I’m hoping to have a proclamation for the national parks you suggested last month drafted within the week.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” Martin said. “I’m glad to hear that. And I’m sorry to interrupt your morning.”
“No problem at all, Nicolas,” Liu said. “And I’ll look forward to Monday.”
“The feeling’s mutual, madam president,” the Prime Minister said, before ending the call. Mei-han stood up, evicting Junjie from her lap, and then went back into the dining room to share breakfast with the family and finally enjoy her croissant.