[IC] Time's are Changing - Steampunk NRP set in the 1800s

[TomeBinder]

Economic Woes

The hot morning Italian sun was an unwelcome visitor to the blazing inferno of the King's mind. He'd drunk far too much Castel del Monte the night before, and had done more talking than was perhaps wise. He had been in the Great Hall of his palace, celebrating his final victory over Sicily, and the unification of his new kingdom. He spoke of victory, promised a thousand year Empire and laughed off all the doubts. He now regretted most of this.

He couldn't enjoy the evening, no, not quite. Every five minutes he was approached by a captain, or by an advisor, urging him to respond to the new nation's many needs. He'd batted them away, dismissed them until the morrow.

Now the morrow was here.

"Come back to bed my love," murmered a naked beauty from the bundle of silk blankets.

He ignored his latest conquest. Women could wait, for a King could have any of them he chose. It was his right.

"Get dressed, and leave me," he grumbled, moving away from the window. "I have a Kingdom to run."

With a bemused grin, the woman jumped out of the blankets and hastened to refix her dress. Meanwhile the King stared into space, turning his mind over and over.

Naples and Sicily had very little to offer this new world. A couple reserves of Blue Coal, some marble and some wine. If his nation was to survive any attempts by others to annex it, he would need to offer more than that, and his land would need to become rich and strong. The time of the horse and the sword may have well been over, but he wouldn't let it go without a fight. Not whilst valiant hearts were prepared to die for the cause.

He sat down at a table, drew a quill from an ink pot, and put his regal hand to parchment.

"By order of Royal Decree, I, King Pagani of the Kingdom of Naples, hereby propose the nation's Blue Coal reserves are released to the free market. Any foreign entity, be it country or company, will have full rights to them and five hundred acres of land in their immediate radius. In exchange, I will demand a yearly tribute. This wealth, we shall ply to our fields, so that the Kingdom can become self-sufficient in her needs. The peasants need food, and I need stability.

I humbly request Parliament's response on this matter, and urgently. The longer we dally, the weaker we become."

The King sighed, rolled the parchment and called in an errand boy to take it away. Parliament would fight him on this, he knew that much. The District Marshals had carried him to victory as wealthy landowners, and now he had appointed them some power. He could overrule them, but a King's strength came from the unity of his vassals. He needed their support, lest he split the Kingdom.

[gowia]

The United States of America

PEACE RETURNS TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

This morning, at nine AM local time, Alexander Stephens arrived at the White House, escorted by a party of guards. Although the press were denied access to the President's home for the meeting all are aware of what this meeting is about. Only thirty minutes later the President appeared for a press conference in the WHite House, greeting reporters and radiomen as they filed into the prestigious room. Presenting a signed document he announced 'The Civil War is over, America is, once more, a peaceful and united nation.' This comment was of course met with great roars of approval and applause by the crowd, including this reporter, as he handed the document around for us to hold. Although requests were made too question Alexander Stephens on his feelings having just declared surrender, the President refused stating 'this is not a time for grandstanding and mockery. Alexander has been escorted, out of a back room, to an awaiting airship. From there he is to be taken too Alcatraz island and await sentencing by a jury of his peers.' A noble gesture by the great Abraham Lincoln however it sparked some dissatisfaction from many Negro reporters who, though most held their tongue.

The Washington Post

Elsewhere in the USA two new bills have just been announced by the National Congress, under the State of Emergency Act that was caused by the Civil War. Attached to the joint bills is the clause that the State of Emergency Act is no longer in effect and that the National Congress must now go through normal procedure to generate laws.

The Bill states that with the recent Civil War, and a seemingly national feeling of alienation between the South and the Government, changes need to be made to how the country is structured so that a feeling of national unity is introduced. A major cause for this chasm in the nations people is the difference in location. Firstly the North is heavily industrialised and has been for some time, with a stream of different immigrants arriving and creating a large pool of cheap labour. However the South has received very little in the way of immigration and has maintained very agrarian roots. Secondly the North is home to much of the international trading ports and much of the infrastructure is based out of the North, meaning much of the South remains completely untouched by any of the growth experienced by the presence of such projects. To counter effects like this the following laws have been introduced/altered.

1-New zoning laws will mean that designated plots of wide, open land will be set aside for the agrarian demands of the country, whilst much of the land surrounding hubs of culture will be redesignated for industrial development, placing sizable discounts on land that is developed in the South for industrial purposes. Alongside this many sites of development in the North that no longer are in use, on the outskirts of cities, will be re developed as locations of agriculture. Even small plots will be turned into local farmland.

2-A Board of Railworks will be created, this boards job will be to allocate railway companies subsidies depending on the extent they promise to expand the network by, with those planning to expand greatly, and more to the South, receiving greater subsidization.

3-In accordance with the peace treaty signed by Alexander Stephens, slavery has been made illegal in the United States of America and every man, woman and child who currently lives as, or lived as, a slave has been hereby emancipated.

4-A new Work Projects board will be established. The job of this board will be to take immigrants who arrive into America and organise them so that they are sent to locations where industry is still growing. In an effort to spark industry by the creation of a pool of cheap labour.

5-Finally with the country needing to return to a peacetime economy the government has been authorized to buy up all excess war equipmnt and goods, so long as they are sold at a reduced price. Allowing companies to then revert to making peacetime goods again, as well as clearing any back stock of war time goods that would have ended up simply costing them.

The Reunification of America Bill

Recent conflict has left the US with very little in the way of strong diplomatic ties. Self interest has prevailed over international policy and this is an error that needs to be ammended. The following new/amended laws will take place immediately, in attempts to restart foreign trade and diplomacy.

1-Tariffs for goods from outside of America have been reduced, making it cheaper for imports to be brought into the country. However goods from Japan and China have had tariffs increased, making them more expensive to import.

2-Docking fees have been reduced and (air)ships over a certain weight can completely avoid the fee if they bring in, above, a set amount of goods.

3-Taxes on exports have been reduced, making it cheaper for foreign powers to buy American goods.

The Deisolation of America Bill

Finally with the surrender of Alexander Stephens, and the Confederacy, every man who served under the banner of the Confederate States has been asked to stand down. If they do so by the seventh of January then they will not be punished or harmed for their part in the Civil War, and will be allowed to return to their lives and homes.

[Taniel2Shot]

It was an ordinary morning of an ordinary day in an ordinary country; only, it wasn't. A meeting was being held between the German Emperor and his vassals on the future of their Nation. This meeting would have an impact on the future of the German Empire as well as the rest of the world. Their industry was booming. Their military was strong. Their wealth was vast. However, all of this was quickly being eclipsed by their neighbors as well as the rest of the world. A very small deposit of a very rare ore had been discovered, something the world was calling Blue Coal. The German Empire had only found enough of the "Coal" to fuel their dreams, but not bring them to life. The Kings of the German Confederation now gathered in the Kaiser's Palace in Berlin to discuss ways to get more of this Blue Coal so they were not left behind in the Great Race for Blue.

Several men sat around a large table in a central chamber of the Imperial Palace. "King Ferdinand, I appreciate your suggestion of not trading with the Eisenkreis-Kzechverin Hegemony but all options must be explored." Kaiser Bismarck knew of the old King of Bavaria's hatred for the Austrians.

"They're not to be trusted. That bitch who sits on the throne," he spit on the floor, "is not capable of ruling the filth that I pushed from my bowels this morning."

The Kaiser slammed his fist down on the table. "We are gentlemen here, are we not King Ferdinand?" The King nodded before apologizing to his Emperor. "Very well, I do not intend to trade with The Red Queen or Princess Csilla unless all of our other options are exhausted. That is why I am sending my most trusted advisers to meet with the heads of several nations in hopes of opening trade routes for the Empire. You, King Ferdinand, will be sailing to meet with the Emperor of Japan. They are one of the most industrialized and wealthiest, when it comes to Blue Coal, or Buru Sekitan as they call it. If we can work something out with them then that will be in our best interest."

"Kaiser." Bismarck's best friend, as well as the King of Saxony, spoke up. "I have received word that the Kingdom of Naples has discovered two very decent sized Blue Coal deposits within their borders. Perhaps, we could send some soldiers in to occupy these areas and liberate this coal so that a more modern and civilized society could make use of it."

The Emperor scratched the short hair on his chin as he thought. "I don't think it'd be best to invade a country on no grounds other than for resources. We couldn't very well call ourselves civilized if we did so. We'd be barbarians." He slammed a palm down on the table as he decided, "no." He pointed to his friend. "But I want you to send your most trusted dignitary to Naples. I want a diplomat in King Pagani's court. If he could be persuaded to seek our help or investment to exploit these deposits then that could help us immensely."

King Widikund nodded. "I have just the man, Kaiser. Hans Olo has never disappointed me. I will send him to Italy, immediately."

"And you, my friend, shall be heading to the Americas. I want you in the States to try and persuade the Yanks to open up trade routes." As he dismissed his advisers he pulled a long pipe from his coat pocket and began to pack it with tobacco. King Widikund of Saxony was the last one in the room and closed the doors behind the rest, so that it was only he and the Emperor left in the room. "Fuhrer, the Americas? Are you sure that we shouldn't look somewhere... closer to home?"

Bismarck smiled as he exhaled a ring of smoke. "You are correct. I simply said you'd be going to the States for King Ferdinand's sake. I actually want you to travel to Eisenkreis to treat with The Red Queen. See if we can't negotiate a deal, perhaps even an alliance with our southern neighbors."

"Ferdinand will not be happy about that." Wicca laughed. Wicca was a nickname given to him during childhood.

"His business in Asia will keep him plenty occupied." He smiled as he rose from the chair. His ambassadors would all be gone by this time tomorrow. In the meantime, he wanted a report from his scientists on their Blue Coal prototypes.

[MonkeyBusiness]

Commonwealth of Australia Capital, Sydney

The Prime Minister of Australia stood at the window of his officer wiping sweat off his face as he looked out at the Bay of Sydney watching the large metal ships steam in and out of harbor as merchants went about their work. He missed the days when he could hop on a merchant vessel and be off to some far away lands but that was before he had given up his life as a merchant and became the ruler of an entire nation. Prime Minister Lockly had pulled his graying hair back into a ponytail to keep it out of his face while he looked over the papers in his hands explaining the situation that the Republic of Van Diemen (Tasmania) was continuing the harass Southern Australia with a dozen airships that they had captured when the British had pulled out of the Oceanic region and now refused to surrender their small population to the Commonwealth of Australia.

As he returned to his desk, he placed down the paperwork and looked at a report showing giving him an update on the war raging in America which had been hindering trade with the country. The outward stance of the Commonwealth was that they frowned upon the war that tore their ally apart, but they had secretly for over a year now been supplying blue coal to both sides. Now that Parliament had finally come to an agreement about supporting the Northern side which was why at this moment there were three cargo ships full of blue coal headed across the Pacific to supply the North with enough coal to hopefully win the war.

On another note, the Commonwealth did not like to turn their eyes to the northern nations very much but that being said they had sent a couple airships to several nations asking for help building up their military power in exchange for gold and blue coal. These nations included the German Empire, Eisenkreis-Kzechverin Hegemony, The Empire of Japan, and the United Kingdom of the Netherlands. They hoped the incentive of gold from the new gold mines would help loosen the hands of some of the nations to come to the Land Down Under and help build the growing nation.

3 days off the coast of California

Commander Francis Philips stood aboard the airship, CAA Redemption as it soared through the sky leading the way for three large cargo ships full of blue coal bound for the American Northern government. He smiled to himself as he rubbed the gold emblem on his chest recognizing him as a fleet commander where only twenty years earlier he had been a English prisoner bound for the colony of Australia to serve out his sentence. Philips had been given the mission to escort the cargo ships to San Francisco before taking the Redemption to the Eastern Coast of America and meet with the Northern Government with new terms for the partnership of their two nations.

[TomeBinder]

A King's Right

"PAGANI! PAGANI! PAGANI! PAGANI!"

The crowds roared their King's name, as he made his triumphal march from the Palace to the House of Parliament. The peoples' memory of his victories against the evils of technology were still fresh in their minds, and he was eager to make the most of this. Draped in oiled plate armour, and riding a dark destrier of likewise attire, he looked the very stuff of fiction.

His retinue of war heroes wore similar armour to him, all of it immaculately maintained and awe inspiring. The people called their names too, though the repeating "PAGANI!" drowned these out in short order.

In truth, he'd gone to the efforts of dressing up for one reason: to intimidate the District Marshals. He hoped that such a public display of affection, would ease them into accepting his proposal regarding the Blue Coal reserves at Vesuvius and Etna.

As he approached the steep steps of Parliament, he hopped from his saddle in once graceful manoeuvre - despite the weight of his armour - and the crowds cheered further. It was of utmost importance for a King to display his mastery in all things, especially physical feats. Indeed, Pagani's charisma and tact with the masses was what won the war.

The sixty District Marshals stood atop the steps, draped in the simple gowns of spun wool. Pagani thought them incidentally reminiscent of Roman senators, although perhaps that was their plan. They wanted to appear humble, they wanted to appear poor. The King squinted at them, as the thought passed his mind that maybe, just maybe, they wanted the people's love.

"You do us much honour, Great King, for answering our summons so readily," the House Speaker said, smiling. Pagani thought he saw a smirk.

"The honour is all mine, gentlemen," Pagani replied, flaunting his own grin. "Come, let us put this matter to bed."

With a final turn and a wave to the huddled masses, the King vanished into the large columned expanse of the house of Parliament.

###

"With respect, your majesty, parliament vetoes your proposal," the House Speaker said, his voice wavering. "We feel that selling the one resource that the people believe lies at the root of all evil, will jeopardise your image."

The House Speaker's words were met with silence. The King stood with his head bowed, in the centre of the House, with a cemi-circle rank of benches to his front. There were a few nervous grunts and coughs, and no doubt some feared the King would launch into a rage-fuelled rant. He was known to be... temperamental at times.

Instead, he sighed. "Gentlemen," he said, "when I rose against Francis II of the Two Kingdoms of Sicily, I did not intend to launch a world-wide revolution. I did not intend, to turn back the clock. I only intended to free my countrymen of the evils of industrialisation. This I have done, but make no mistake, we are weak. Very weak."

"How long do you think we'd stand in the field against the Germans? The British? The Chinese or the Japanese? Our valiant hearts, so splendid in their strength of virtue, would fall to the war machines our enemies are raising against us. Make no mistake, my kin- our kingdom, is hours, not days, away from being invaded by a nation we would be unable to contend with."

A District Marshal stood from the benches, "Balls!" he yelled, "we beat Francis II, and he had weaponry of their calibre. We'll beat the Germans too, and the British, and the Chinese and any other 'eses' there may be."

The King grunted with a nod, "brave words from a brave man. Let us not forget, though, that Francis II's military paled in comparison to the more established Western nations. We do not possess the numbers to counter-weight their strength, and our enemies will have wisened in the wake of our victory. No, we must find friends, so that we may flourish."

"By whoring our blue coal?" the District Marshal retorted; some of his peers chuckled at his remarks. "We'll be inviting the devil into our bed, and he'll fuck us up the arse, mark my words!"

The King winced at the words ill-befitted to the House. Winced, at his man's flagrant opposition. "The devil," he said at last, "will fuck us up the arse whether we sell the coal or not. Let me put it plainly to you, valiant marshals. Our peoples are starving, our military is weak, our infrastructure has collapsed since we de-industrialised. If we do not act, we'll be facing a revolt of the masses as soon as their heady memories of victory wears off. We need to give them grain, and we can't do that unless we have money to invest into the farming systems."

"Bah," spat the District Marshal. "The peasants will revolt, if we are seen to be hypocrites. We told them blue coal was evil, and the Church agreed with our rhetoric. What would happen if we were seen selling sin to the demons arising around us?"

"There would be anger, granted," replied the King after some thought. "My holiour-than-thou image would be damaged, yes. But my Kingdom would prosper, and in time, foreign investment will make our way of life viable indefinitely. We must first secure food for ourselves, and then we can pursue other industries inside the borders of our morals."

"Parliament will not support you," the Marshal retorted. "If you sell that coal, we will refuse to lend you our knights."

King Pagani felt a surge of anger rush into him. He wanted to draw his sword, and put down the miserable dog that had obviously rallied his peers against him. By Christ! He owned these men. They all owed him something, and already, they were showing how ungrateful they were.

"Regrettably," the King snapped, gritting his teeth. "It is a King's right to ignore the threats of Parliament. The coal is going to the free market. Make it happen."

"But my Lo-"

"I HAVE SPOKEN," the King roared, losing his composure to the folly of rage. "I have spoken. Do my bidding, or I'll march my men in here and have you all arrested for treason!"

And with that, Parliament's false powers were revealed to the world.

[null123]

Near Seoul, Japanese Korea
Yun Kim, a teenaged age korean, awoke from his bed, the sunlight coming in through the small window of the hut he lived in. His black hair shone in the bright light as he dragged his tall body out of bed. His green eyes turned towards the window as he took a look at the Korean sunrise, it was still quite early out as the sun had barely risen yet. Throwing on his school uniform he began walking towards the kitchen as he grabbed the various things he would need for the day, as well as a small canteen of water for the long walk to Seoul.

Upon entering the kitchen he was surprised to find that his father had yet to wake, his father had usually been awake before them. Ignoring it for now the teen turned to the stove and began preparing some coffee for him and his father. Looking around he found some biscuits which he could cook, throwing them together he made a simple breakfast of coffee and biscuits with some honey he had found in the pantry. Quickly wolfing down his breakfast and drinking his coffee he could still hear his father sleeping. Not having time to wake him Yun Kim quickly grabbed a piece of paper and a pen, writing down a short note for his father,

“Went ahead and left to get to school, I already prepared coffee and breakfast for you. -Yum Kim” he wrote on the note. Grabbing a few things he left the small hut and walked into the morning sunlight, the sun now fully visible in the sky. Turning towards the road he began the long walk to Seoul.

Imperial Court, Kyoto
Emperor Meiji sat on the throne that had been built back when the Boshin War had first ended. It was brilliant, with fine velvet pillows and had been built to be comfortable. Gold and Gems were set into the stone of the throne, showing off the opulence of Emperor Meiji and the Imperial Court. The hall itself had been rebuilt after the Boshin War with wealth gained from blue coal, vast marble pillars decorated the wall as well as paintings from all corners of the ear. The Emperor listened to the needs of various nobles and factory owners, hearing their complaints and concerns. Most of the time he did not take their words into consideration, as it was just the whining of the upper-class.

It had not been long before those seeking his word had cleared out, leaving the Emperor alone in the vast hall besides his squads of dedicated guards. They did not wear ceremonial armor, taking on a normal military uniform and a gun, but they all did have ceremonial swords on their hips. The Emperor slumped down in his throne as he let a minute past before he heard someone come into the hall.

“Emperor Meiji! Word from the United States states that they raised tariffs on goods coming from China and Japan.” stated a diplomatic aide, bowing before the Emperor.

The Emperor paused for a minute, motioning for the aide to leave. He grabbed a piece of paper and a pen, and headed into his office.

Letter to the United States

“To Whom it may concern,

It has recently come to the attention of the Empire of Japan that your nation has decided to raise tariffs on goods coming from our great nation. This is highly concerning to us as we have recently begun exporting goods to assist in the rebuilding of the south, and this has added quite a bit of money to our economy. We request that you remove these tariffs, in the name of free trade and commerce so that both our nations may grow.

Emperor Meiji of the Empire of Japan”

[Alfhedil]

Her dress flows red, shimmering,
Reflections of the damned cast upon these walls.
They scream for salvation.

"Execute him."

She gave the order with little compunction, her face showing nothing as she watched the hammer rise above the man shackled to the slab. His eyes closed as the steel head came crashing down with a wet smack, crushing his skull and leaving little more than paste upon the stone. Of course, she had already left as soon as the hammer was lifted, knowing the deed done without needing to observe. The man had been a traitor, committing the dire offense of attempting to sabotage relations between the twin monarchies. Not that it had been near successful, as the man's lies had been just that. Lies and treachery, pure and simple. Now his cohorts who had gone un-noticed would know the price of their efforts, and cease them. It did not matter to the monarch, however, for she cared nothing for whether they were executed for their crimes, only that they know that her law was absolute.

Beyond was her throne room, the great hall occupied only by a courtier who held news from the surrounding regions and awaited her response. "Alphonse." She greeted him, a slight bit of warmth in her comment, but overall without tone. The dark-haired man bowed deeply and held out the correspondences for her to read. "My lady, Marianna. I bear news from Naples, America, and Kzechverin, courtesy of her highness Princess Csilla herself."

"Very well. What news comes from the Americans?"

Unwrapping the cord around the letter, he opened it and read out loud for her, "From the Eisenkreis foreign detachment, we report that at last peace is coming to the United States of America with the capture of the Confederate general. We will remain here until the order is given to return to our homeland."

Marianna thought on the matter for a moment, her chin resting in her hand as she looked over the words "Well, it's about time they sorted their shit out. What of our neighbor, Naples?"

"Of course my queen," He returned, unrolling the next letter "Word has reached us of King Pagani's victory over Sicily, and his intent to stabilize his nation by shoring up the economy of the feudal nation. We believe he will look to sell their Blue Coal reserves, but the move is liable to incite unrest in the nation. The nation is also in need of restructuring and fortification against other, less civilized western powers who would see the nation as weak."

Her hand gripped the throne she sat upon tightly as she thought of the destabilizing effect a conquering of Naples would have upon the region, her lips curling into a sneer. "Let the good king Pagani know that I have the desire for two things his nation has in great supply," She said, a rare smile gracing her lips as she leaned forward. "I wish to build a monument to my ancestor, Baldur Von Eisenkern, and a new palace for myself and Csilla. My building material of choice is marble, something that he should have no problem acquiring. Second, I think it's time that we celebrate the joining of Eisenkreis-Kzechverin in earnest. It has been a month, and everyone is so dour, order as much wine as you see fit."

"Of course my queen." Hesitating, he looked at the seal on the letter from Csilla, noting the personal crest upon it. "Just hand it to me, probably for the best." She said, taking the letter from him and dismissing him to begin writing her missives. For a moment she sat upon the throne, her hand straying to the warhammer which had been embedded into the stone of the floor since Baldur himself had struck it there centuries ago. It had never been moved since that day, though many had tried, and all had failed. It amused her that she was so like her ancestor, a trait that others did not find as amusing. Well, others aside from Csilla. She got up from the throne and began to wander off, heading towards her bedchambers at first, but slowly deviating as she wandered.

Eventually silence filled the halls in between her footsteps, the click of her heels echoing for no one else but her own ears, and the dim corridors wrapping her in their gloom. "I am this country..." She whispered, her soft voice adamant in her words. For a moment, she paused, stopping at the portrait of her father Isaac Von Eisenkern. Looking around, she found that she had wandered into the royal halls, where the nobility had lived prior to her seizing of the crown. Dust caked the walls of the corridor, the moonlight dancing across the floor and shining on the refuse that had sat for fifteen years. Walking forward, she peered into the first room she found, that of a lesser noble, a pile of bones lying against the foot of the bed and a broken sword impaled into the wood. A sudden flash crossed her mind, of a small hand holding a blade and shoving it into the meaty flesh of a man cowering for his life, the force of the stab breaking the ceremonial weapon. A mirror hung loosely from the wall where years ago a girl of just fifteen had smashed it for her own reflection.

The dim light showed a woman of thirty, green eyes hardened in irritation as she looked over herself in the mirror. A modest dress hung on her thin frame, the curves of her body throwing shadows on the cracked reflection before she turned in impatience and left the room. Continuing past the remaining doors, she at last came to the room at the end of the hall, the one which had belonged to her father before she took the throne. Again her past flashed before her eyes, that of the door opening slowly and entering as her father slept in the bed. Slowly her hands wrapped around his throat, constricting the much larger man's windpipe and forcing him awake in a panic. His eyes widened as he came to understand what was happening, his struggle lessening as he saw the determination and tears in her eyes.

"The throne is mine!" She yelled, coming back to her senses as she knelt in the dusty sheets, her hands wrapped around the broken vertebrae. Climbing from the bed, she shook herself free of the dust and left the hall in a hurry, ducking down a side hall to avoid guards in the next hallway. Her door shut nearly as quickly as it opened, her feet shuffling her over to collapse in the plush bedding of her own bed. Laying there, she shut out everything around her, focusing only on the small frame which sat upon the table next to the desk, her eyes slowly closing in sleep as she drifted off as she did every night.

[Zoldyck]

Paleis Noordeinde, Den Haag

It's a calm day in the Netherlands. The snow is still falling and all seems peacefull and the people seem happy. Children are playing in the snow and people are iceskating. Yes, it seems so peacefull. But in King Willem III's office the atmosphere is tense. The king sits behind his desk and infront of him sits Julius van Zuylen van Nijevelt, the minister of forgein affairs. Van Nijevelt has come to discuss the new developments in the world and has so much to do this day. But the king is just sitting behind his desk, drinking a cup of tea as he is reading the newspaper. They have been sitting like this for five minutes now and van Nijevelt is getting impatient. He coughs once, hoping to get the king's attention. The king doesnt seem to react. He then looks up at the king, opens his mouth and says: "Your grace, I have more to do then just sitting here. There are pressing matters I must discuss with you."

The king smiles. "It's about damn time you grew a spine van Nijevelt." The king puts down his newspaper and looks van Nijevelt in the eyes. "Well, you have our attention now, what is it we need to know."

Van Nijevelt lets out a sigh of relief. "Well your grace, there have been certain developments in the world these last few days. The most notable is ofcourse the end of the Civil War in the United States of America. The Union was victorious, as was predicted. But the war is not important to us besides the fact that we have a stable tradepartner now. We have calcualted that they would need alot of resources to rebuild their wartorn nation, resources we have. The heads of the WIC and the VOC have reported to me that we are able to supply large amounts of blue coal from to colonies to the USA and that they would supply us with the agrarian goods we require for our growing population. All we need is your approval."

The king raised an eyebrow. "And what about Thorbecke and the Staten-Generaal? Dont they get a say in this?"

Van Nijevelt smiles. "Your grace, you remember that the WIC and VOC are officially independent companies dont you? Just like the AMC they are trade companies which officially do not have any ties to the government. So the Staten-Generaal has no say in their actions."

Info about trade companies in the Netherlands

The West Indische Compagnie, Verenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie and the Afrikaanse Mediterraanse Compagnie are Dutch trading companies which devide the Dutch trade interests in 3 parts of the world. The WIC has control over the trade in the Americas, the VOC in Asia and the AMC in Africa and the Mediterranean. Every company is led by their own "seventeen gentlemen" who are on paper completely independent of the government, allowing them to trade with nations which are enemies of the Dutch or their allies, making sure that commerce shall not suffer from a war. They are offcourse loyal to their stockholders, and by a complete coincidence the Dutch royal family is in control of nearly 50% of the stocks from the three companies.

Willem smiles at van Nijevelt. "Indeed. Well then we guess we shall have to write a recommendation on the course the WIC and VOC need to take." Willem continues smiling. "We take it there are more reasons why you've come here."

Van Nijevelt folds his hands together. "Yes your grace. It concerns the Kingdom of Naples." Willem frowns at van Nijevelt. "You mean that country which sees technological progress as the devil's work?" Van Nijevelt nods. "Yes my lord. As your grace might have heard before the Kingdom of Naples has two fairly large blue coal mines and it is rumoured that they are willing to sell the coal to the highest bidder. The reason for this is that the Kingdom of Naples is a fairly useless land when it comes down to agriculture. They need capital in order to purchase agricultural products like wheat and corn. Not only that, but they also fear that industrialised nations would want to invade the country for it's blue coal. We cant let that happen for it would destabalise the entire region and that wouldnt be good for commerce."

Willem nods. "Indeed, we would be very displeased if the commerce in the mediterranean would be disrupted by war. What is your recommended course of action van Nijevelt?"

Van Nijevelt looks down at the king's desk. "There are several options. One would ofcourse be to do nothing but that would be squandering a great oppurtunity." Van Nijevelt now looked at the king's eyes. "The second option is for us to secure the blue coal mines and enforce our monopoly on it. We would promise to supply them with any amount of agrarian products they require and we would post our mediterranean navy to patrol the Napolian coasts. If they would allow us we would also offer to mine the coal by ourselves, not using any Napolitans but imported workers. This way the local population does not have to find out that we are actually mining the coal and King Pagani would not need to fear an uprising by his people."

Willem leans back in his chair and meets van Nijevelt's eyes. "But didnt you just say that we needed the agrarian products outselves?" Van Nijevelt smiles at his king. "Indeed your grace, you are very perceptive. But with the new blue coal we can get more agrarian products from the Americas and maybe even Germany. Dont worry about it my lord." Van Nijevelt leans back and looks to his left, to the east.

"Speaking about Germany, I've heard they are looking for blue coal aswell. They might prove to be an annoyance with Naples. If you would allow me then I will schedule an appointment with the German ambasador and discuss their lack in blue coal. We are a small nation with a very large Asian colony, 1/5 the size of the European continent. We have far too much blue coal for our little nation, I am sure the Germans will agree and they would be happy to unburden us." Van Nijevelt smiles at the king. "Doesnt your grace agree?"

The king nods. "Indeed, we think that our German brothers would be happy to aid us in our 'burden'. Is there anything else you wanted to discuss with us minister van Nijevelt?"

"The is one more thing, it concerns the Australian Commonwealth. They contacted us and want to start a trade relation with us. They offer us gold and blue coal in exchange for military technology."

Willem shakes his head. "Military technology for those resources... We can not accept that. The weapons of our state are for our state alone. If we are giving them so easily to one state then what stops that state from spreading all of our technologies over the world? No, we can no accept that offer."

"Thank you your grace. Those are all the matters I had to discuss. If there is nothing else then I must beg my leave." van Nijevelt prepares to stand up but is stopped once the king raises his hand.

"There is one matter we would like to discuss. It concerns the Eisenkreis-Kzechverin dual monarchy. We would like to go on a state visit to that state, you think you could arrange that?"

Van Nijevelt nods. "Ofcourse your grace, I shall work on it at once."

Willem nods. "Good, then you are dismissed."

Van Nijevelt bows infront of the king and walks out of the office. Willem gets out of his chair and looks through the large window looking at the collum of soldiers who are marching in the square infront of the palace. They are mounted hussars and their sabers shine in the sunlight. They are willing to give their life for him, their king, without a second thought. Willem hopes that that day will never come.

He walks back to his desk and picks up the newspaper and his tea and then walks over to his sofa. He sits down and opens the newspaper. He then takes a sip of his tea. Dammit... It's cold.

[Taniel2Shot]

Hans Olo, German Dignitary in Naples

Hans Olo was surprised by how beautiful the Nation of Naples had been. He certainly didn't expect to enjoy being in such a poor and backwoods country as this. He made his way into Parliament, presenting all of the documents appropriate to prove he was on a diplomatic mission from to present the District Marshals with the Empire's proposal. He had been able to get a meeting with one of the Marshals and made his way to the Italian's office. After being offered a beverage and deciding on some of their famed wine he began. "Sir, it has come to my emperor, Kaiser Bismarck's, attention that your Nation has discovered the extremely rare and very sought after resource of Blue Coal within your borders."

He sipped at the glass that was presented to him. It was quite tasty, though a bit dry. He was never particularly a "wine man" anyway. He looked to the Marshal with a smile of approval before continuing. This Coal, as I'm sure your King and Parliament are aware, is very uncommon, especially here in Europe. Many nations will do anything to get their hands on it. Nothing short of fabricating reasons to declare even a war just to be able to invade. Now, my Kaiser does not want to see your glorious and honorable country fall to some ambitious Kingdom or country just so shortly after reclaiming your land from the evils of industrialization." He knew to appeal to the taste of the opposing party but always be caution of coming on too strongly.

"That is why my Emperor is willing to provide your Nation with a yearly gift of money and agriculture supplies in exchange for the sole rights to these Coal deposits. Now, no man under the command of the Emperor or any of his generals will set foot on Italian soil without word of approval by your King and Parliament. The mining companies will be solely independent, but based out of Germany. However, he will also extend a military alliance with your nation for as long as you wish to allow these companies to mine and export these deposits. Should any foreign country seek to invade Naples they will have to think twice now, knowing King Pagani has the entire German military at his back." He smirked at the Marshal before taking another sip of his red wine. "So, if you would like to take this offer to Paliament I will be staying here in the capital indefinitely and await your response."

King Ferdinand, German Ambassador in Kyoto, Japan

King Ferdinand was in awe as he stepped from the cart. It had been a long journey on a Steam Transport from Germany to Japan. He was finally here in the capital of Kyoto. He had sent wired ahead, letting the Empire know that he would be arriving as a dignitary from Germany on behalf of the Kaiser himself. He had a meeting set today with the Emperor and stood stunned before the temple. He had seen many wonders since he'd been here, but one of the greatest was the Japanese airship.

Ferdinand had chosen his finest blue suit to wear today, discarding his royal garb. He was no King, nor noble here in Japan. He was simply a foreign ambassador to negotiate with one Empire for another. He made his way into the throne room, bowing deeply to the man who sat upon the throne. "Emperor Meiji," he had practiced the name several times, not wanting to mess up the pronunciation or delivery. "I have come to your great Empire all the way from Germany, in hopes that we might negotiating a promising trade between our two nations that will only result in great friendship between Japan's Emperor and Germany's own Kaiser.

King Widikund, German Envoy in Vienna, Eisenkreis

Wicca's horse drawn carriage shook and rattled along the road as he made his way through the city of Vienna. He traveled with a small company, not wanting word of his journey to reach Bavarian eyes or those of Ferdinand's supporters. His Fuhrer had given him a special mission and, as a man who owed his Emperor everything, he wanted to succeed in keeping this visit as discreet and quiet as possible. He thought back to his teen years growing up with Bismarck, before he'd worried about running an Empire; before there had ever been an empire to run. It wasn't that long ago, in fact. He laughed. Only ten years, give or take.

Widikund's father had seen his youngest son as the more suitable prince. He didn't spend his nights bedding nobleman's daughters or gambling at cards throughout the night. He thought to name him as his heir to the Kingdom of Saxony. However, Bismarck had made it very clear to Wicca's father that in order to be apart of the German unification he would have to keep to the tradition of primogeniture, ensuring Widikund's inheritance. His father had no choice but to accept the Kaiser's ultimatum, not wanting to be left out of the greatest German achievement since the Saxon invasion of Britain, or so his father always said.

He lurched forward as the carriage came to a stop just outside the Eisenkern palace. He pulled the curtain back, peering through the small hole in the carriage door. Several guards had surrounded and stopped the carriage, demanding to know who was inside. He pushed the door open and stepped on the foot hold hanging just below, gripping the roof of the buggy. "Gentlemen, easy. I am King Widikund of Saxony, here as an envoy of Kaiser Bismarck, great Fuhrer of the German Empire. I have come to treat with the Red Q- with the Hegemon, Queen Marianna Von Eisenkern. The messenger I had sent ahead must have been intercepted, or perhaps shirked his duty." In truth he dared not risk sending a messenger. "Tell Queen Marianna I am here, and trust me gents, if you put your hands on me or any of my company I think she might be most displeased. And you know, as well as I, that you don't want to upset the Hegemon."

[TomeBinder]

Dealing With the Devil

King Pagani had not slept for a week. He was exhausted, far from sober, and finding little comfort in his beautiful and exquisite bed warmers.

Being a King had not been everything he expected.

With a sigh and a misty head, he rose from the stacked fur blankets of his bed with a heavy heart. Moon light shone dimmly through the opening of the curtains to his chamber's balcony. The same balcony he proclaimed the death of Francis II to the people of Naples. How they had cheered, how they had roared his name in utter ecstasy.

He felt he'd live to see a hundred, that day.

Now he was unsure if he'd see the coming Winter.

His District Marshals were moving against him. His open defiance of them in Parliament had been a foolish move, for even with his absolute power, it was a dangerous business to shame ambitious men. They had denied him their Knights after he had forced them to put the Blue Coal on the free market, which was of no consequence by itself - The Kingdom was not at war.

However, the District Marshals had also taken it upon themselves to immediately leak the details of the meeting. The whole Kingdom was outraged, and in mere days, tens of thousands of his angry subjects had come to protest outside of his Palace. At first, he met them with the compassion of a misunderstood father, but as their chants continued through the nights, and their numbers swelled, he ordered the Palace Guard to disperse them.

It wasn't a blood bath, thankfully, for his men were obedient, restrained and noble. Still, it had proved symbolic of his true relationship with the people - that he was their master, and they his slaves. His was all powerful, and it was his to make decisions, not theirs. Even if those decisions were against their wishes.

All the while, the District Marshals were sewing further discontent with the masses. He hadn't definite proof of their actions, but he knew it in his heart. They were subtly trying to oust him from the throne.

"BASTARDS!" he roared, picking up a wine-stained chalice and throwing it against the wall.

A woman squeaked from within his bed, pulling the blankets close to herself as if they'd offer protection from the King's rage. He'd been very unstable of late, and had become acquainted with some rather bizarre erotic practices - so much so that even women skilled in the arts of pleasure, were quickly becoming afraid.

King Pagani had not slept for a week. He was exhausted, far from sober, and finding little comfort in his beautiful and exquisite bed warmers.

He looked down at the two documents, one presented to him by the Dutch, and the other by the Germans. Both offered him the security and the investment he sought, and either one could save him from his impending doom. He was under no illusion of the District Marshal's plans; soon or later they would challenge him openly, and he doubted he could raise enough men to fight their forces. They controlled 80% of Naples' army, after all.

But a Western Ally, with all its industry - they, they could ensure the survival of his reign. They could save him. With their help, he could dismiss the District Marshals, put them all to the gallows, and proclaim his power as absolute - as he should have done from the start. Many would die, but then that was the point of being a King, right? It was his duty to carry the nation's guilt, and his duty to delight in its prosperity.

He hated factories. He hated guns. He hated the idea of chaining one's self to a smog filled ghetto, plying away youth to a better's fruition, until diseased old age snatched them from the cruel Earth on which they were enslaved. But if he was killed, or dethroned before he could create an alternative, then what would be his legacy?

"Here lies King Pagani, the Fool. The Blind. The ... the Unjust?" he mumbled to himself, pausing with grim resignation as the last words rolled from his tongue. "Curse this world. Curse Blue Coal. Curse God, curse him for-" his rant stopped dead in its tracks.

Hastily he dropped to his knees, clasped his hands and stared intently at the Moon through the balcony's curtains. Taking a few deep breaths to calm his temper, he started a prayer unknown to Bible.

"Oh Father, who art in Heaven," he began, his voice wavering. "Give me the Strength to be the Man I once envisioned myself to be. Give me the Wisdom, that I may see to the needs of my people. Grant me Dignity, when I must stray from your Path, for know I shall return. Give me the Courage, to love my enemies. Amen."

As if the prayer had been an energy-inducing elixir, the King jumped to his feet with renewed vigour. He hastily sat himself down at his table, and drew a quill. He knew what his people needed, and by God's Grace, he'd see to their prosperity - his life and legacy be damned.

"My noble Kaiser of the German Peoples,

Having reviewed your generous offer for gold and agricultural assistance, as well as the guaranteed territorial sovereignty of my Kingdom, I hereby declare the Blue Coal mines of Mt. Etna and Mt. Vesuvius territory of the German Empire. Take them, they are yours. Take the lands around them, too, do with them as you wish. The sooner their deposits are extinguished, the better. They are an evil upon my Kingdom, and I will not have my people suffer the temptations offered by them. Nor will I have the rest of the world eyeing them with bloody minded envy.

So long as the gold, agricultural assistance and security guarantees are honoured - to put it frankly, as King to Emperor - I do not care what you do with them.

You have my love, and my thanks,

King Pagani, of the Kingdom of Naples."

"Steward!" Pagani shouted out, excited. The blanketed girl flinched, unsure if he was having another aggressive turn.

The doors to the King's chamber swung open, and in walked a refined man of middle years wearing a suit of polished mail. He came to a halt half way across the room, and bowed.

"Take this to the German diplomat. Tell him to present it to his Emperor," King Pagani ordered. "But do not disclose the contents. At any cost. You are to die before they fall into the hands of anyone but the Diplomat's. Take the whole Palace Guard with you, if you must."

The steward nodded, and stood. "My life for your order, my Lord."

With that, the steward took the letter and headed off to hand it to the German diplomat.

And then the King returned to his seat, to put quill to another letter.

"Most Holy Father..."

[Taniel2Shot]

"It was wise of you, sending King Widikund to Eisenkreis rather than overseas. And, withholding this knowledge from Bavaria, another smart move, mien Fuhrer." The Empress, Maria, moved behind her Kaiser, resting her hand on his shoulders as he peered over the letter that head had read several times. "They have proved quite useful in the past, the Austrians. And they have had their hands on this sought after material for quite a bit longer than we. Their technological advancements with it can provide us a great boon to our military." She leaned close to his ear. "If Ferdinand has anything to say about your wise and honorable decision, you must remind him who the Emperor is. You could burn Bavaria to the ground, if you so saw fit."

Otto Leopold rose from his desk before turning to look at his wife and Queen. "Yes, I am the German Emperor. My say is final."

"The Great German Emperor," she corrected him. "A good ruler seeks the advice of his vassals, and a great one knows when to ignore it." Just then the door to the Emperor's office swung open. "Mien Fuhrer, Hans Olo is waiting to see you."

Kaiser Bismarck turned back smiling. "Excellent, send him in." The envoy had returned today from his mission in Naples, but had sent word ahead of his success. "Ah, Hans. Welcome. King Widikund told me that you have never failed him. I am glad to see he was right." He extended a hand to the man and gestured for him to have a seat in front of his desk. Otto von Bismark took his own seat and looked to his wife. "Could you leave us to talk, darling."

"Of course, your excellence." Her hand lingered on his shoulder as she stepped away from his side before she stopped just beside Olo. "You have helped this nation immensely, thank you." She smiled at him before stepping from the office.

"She is right. It is for that reason that I would like to invite you to stay here in Berlin. I would name you our Minister for Foreign Affairs and Vice Chancellor, as well as the Duke of Pomerania." He smiled at the man who only gave a smirk.

Finally. Hans' grasp was reaching higher than his ambitions had ever dreamed to go. His secret background, being the child of a lowly pig farmer had not prepared him for this. He had one day hoped to hold a position of office, but never to rise so high as to become a Duke and hold lands of his own. He wasn't certain he'd even wanted the responsibility of maintaining a realm. That's what delegating was for, however. "Thank you, mien Fuhrer, you are most generous. I humbly accept the honors, though I feel they are too great for one such as myself."

"Nonsense," he waved the humility off as he held up the letter. "You have secured us two significant deposits of Blue Coal. What's even more, you got the King to offer more than I had even asked." He was referring to the Italian lands that would now be under German control. Olo would not dare that that part of the arrangement had not been his doing.

Bismarck rose from the desk and stepped to the fireplace, gazing into the burning flames held within. Hans followed suit, rising as his emperor did. "We must act quickly. We should get men on those deposits, setting up mining facilities immediately. As well, I shall build a military fort at either site with a strong garrison to hold the base from any invading force or rebelling peasants. I want you to hire only those you find most loyal and trusted as your staff. We need a permanent dignitary in King Pagani's court to be my voice of reason in his ear should any confrontations arise between him and his government, or any foreign emissaries. Also, I want you to write a letter on my behalf to the Dutch. Get a feel for their thoughts on Pagani's decision. See if they feel any amity towards us. I should like to know where they stand in the realm of politics. If we need to be reinforcing our western borders I shall need to know."

Hans stood there, nodding until Birsmarck turned back to him, looking confused. "You are dismissed, Duke Olo."

[MonkeyBusiness]

Berlin, German Empire

The Australian airship landed in the designated zone given to them by the German air coordinator. The massive airship barely fit into the large landing strip as steam filled the area when jets of steam blasted out of large pipes aimed at the ground to slow down the decent of the ship. Once the ship had settled a large door opened up revealing a storage hull filled with cages and automobiles. Out of the smoke stepped a man dressed in a black suit with short red hair flanked by two men with breech-loaded rifles in tan colored military uniforms complete with tan slouch hats.

Dock managers approached the men asking what business they had in Berlin with such a large ship flying the Australian flag. "I have come to meet with your Kaiser Bismark on behalf of the Commonwealth of Australia." The managers nodded and stepped away to go take care of other work as the man turned around and gestured back into the airship where an automobile was heard starting and rolled down the ramp towing a trailer behind which held a large chest and a cage housing a small kangaroo.

The three men got into the steam-powered car which left the airfield and headed into the city passing horse-drawn carriages on the way and receiving gasping stares as they passed. "We will find a good hotel to stay in tonight while we wait for an audience with the Kaiser to be prepared." The middle-aged diplomat told his attendants as the pulled in front of a large nice looking hotel to stay in for the night. "Go talk to the Kaiser's attendants and let them know I request an audience with their leader." The car driver nodded and sped off in a cloud of steam as the three men walked into the hotel to get rooms for the night.

Vienna, Eisenkreis

The young diplomat stood at the bridge of his luxury airship as it drifted through the air over the Capital city of the Hegemony. "We will remain on the airship until an arrangement is set up, so that I can meet with the Queen and hopefully the princess as well. Remember we are the embassy of the Commonwealth and we must show it." He spoke through the pipes that were used as an intercom system throughout the ship. A few minutes later an engine was heard as a plane was launched from the lower decks and flew in the direction of the airfield carrying the message from the diplomat.

[gowia]

The United States of America

"Tariffs!? They send a message from the god damned Emperor over tariffs!? Why do they care so much? This is a mockery of us. We need to answer back, we are well within our rights to change OUR tariffs as we please. They go above themselves to tell us how to run our business." The Secretary of State, George Mathews, continued his angry rhetoric for a good five more minutes before he finally returned to one of the large sofas in the Oval Office. Mathews was a fierce lobbyist for the small percentage of ant-east citizens, however he was kept in check by the President and other members of the Cabinet. As the room fell silent President Lincoln rose from his chair by the biggest desk in the White House. He wasn't a huge man but he managed to emit an aura of power, authority and presence. He was not a man to be argued with. Hell, he had just won a civil war. The trademark hat hung on a stand to the side so the President looked shorter than in public however he was still taller than most of the men in the room.

"I hope you are done now George, the fact is the rise in tariffs directly affects their income. I'm not going to repeal the change and I am not going to raise it any further. The move is calculated and the extent of the tariffs is not extreme. The fact is Japan and China need to be curtailed from our economy, but certainly not excluded. They still are powerhouses and the biggest suppliers of Blue Coal in the world. Let's be sensible now. Antagonising the Rising Sun achieves nothing. Now control yourself and we can move onto other business." Mathews raised an eyebrow and retorted.

"So we're not responding to the letter?"

"No, we are not. Tariff policy is our prerogative and we will not be dictated too, that will not be dignified with a response. If the Japanese feel that strongly then they can send a party to discuss this. If they don't then it is nothing more than warning shots here." And with that President Lincoln pulled out a number of other files. The first was on the arrival of the next shipment of Blue Coal from Commonwealth of Australia. "It seems the Commonwealth is honouring their deal with us, the next shipment should arrive soon. I want a small party to greet them and then get the Blue COal onto a train as soon as possible. That stuff is vital now and we need it to start rebuilding immediately." Tristan Marks, the Secretary of the Interior, stood and and spoke to the President.

"I have already allocated a number of carriages of a cargo train, as well as that a timetable has been drawn up and tested that will allow the train a non-stop journey, whilst providing minimum delays to the everyday planner." The President nodded.

"Thank you Tristan. Finally, I have one more thing to discuss with George. The rest of you can return to your Departments." With that the men around the room begun to file out. It was only a small council of the Cabinet and so it wasn't long until the President was alone with George Mathews. "George, I want you to get into contact with the Dutch embassy. We have details to discuss. In terms of square miles they are small but they are also rich in rare and valuable resources. Contact the embassy. I want King Willem III to make a diplomatic visit to us. It is better that he hears a proposition from me, rather than from one of his own diplomats. Can you make this work?" With that George Mathews simply nodded and stood.

"Thank you, Mr President." Leaving Mathews immediately returned to his department. Drafting a telegram he had it sent to the Dutch Embassy, outlining a visit to the US and the propositions surrounding this deal.

[TomeBinder]

A King's Burdens

The streets of Naples were jammed with a thousand jeering mobs of disgruntled peasants; all of them come to convey their anger at their liege lord, for his selling of the Blue Coal deposits at Mt. Etna and Mt. Vursuvius. Indeed, their anger was infintely amplified by the fact he had actually given away Naples' sovereign land to what they perceived as an evil power.

Placards and banners were held high, decreeing slogans such as "THE KING IS THE DEVIL", and "DEATH TO PAGANI". To make matters worse, the District Marshals had withheld their troops, and so law and order of the city fell to Pagani's very own guard. He had thousands of men in his employ, each one a great warrior, each one a hero of his righteous war with Francis II.

But thousands could not quell the multitudes of his Kingdom.

And so, he left the safety of his palace, dressed in the same armour he wore to break the armies of Sicily almost a year ago, and marched into the street with a hundred men at his back. Immediately he was pelted by rotten fruit, yelled at, cursed at, threatened and one daring old man even came close to hitting him with a putrid fish. The King paused before them, bowed his head, and allowed their cries of anger to drown out the world around him.

He stood there for hours, and his gleaming armour soon became soiled by the muck and the filth the peasants threw at him. His guards, nervous and anxious to defend him, were powerless to do so as he had explicitly declared them to stand down. As the sun started to decline, the voices of the peasants had become hoarse, and their rotten ammunition was running low.

In a lull in commotion, the King saw his chance, and he lifted his head. Eyes burning with compassion.

"My people!" He yelled, "my beautiful people! How right you are to disdain me. How right you are, to curse my name."

The crowds fell quiet, eager to hear the man they called King. They edged close to him, straining at the shield wall his guard had created a few feet in front.

"I have sold the Blue Coal, this is true," he continued, much to shouts of dismay. "I have too, given the lands around those deposits to the Germans."

"THE GERMANS ARE EVIL!" harked some beggar woman, with one misty eye and a set of rotting teeth. "May God have mercy upon your soul!"

The King eyed his critic, and gave a firm nod. "Yes. I have condemned myself, this woman speaks truth."

The crowd stirred themselves into a brazen assault on the shield-wall at these words; axe and shovel fell against the armour of the King's men, and in return, they hit back with wooden clubs. The King winced with guilt, seeing his people impassioned in this way. They truely were fearful of God, and were more than prepared to kill their King to escape his judgement.

King Pagani wondered what Christ would make of all this. The thought brought a smile to him, oddly enough.

There was a break in the shield wall; one of Pagani's men fell backwards with a bloody face. The crowd took the opportunity to surge through the gap, and the King's men hastily reacted to cut them off. This they did, but one peasant fought past them, and sprinted for the King. Pagani let a hand fall to his sword, but did what he could to keep a neutral face.

The man stopped about ten paces from him, reached into his cloth tunic, and pulled forth a flint-lock pistol. Pulling back the hammer, he pointed it as his King. The crowds grasped, and Pagani's pursuing soldiers froze - not wanting to give the man cause to pull the trigger.

"I should kill you, my King," the peasant said. He was a man of middle years. Grey circled a crown of auburn, and his tired clothing of simple wool marked as a commoner. "And by God's grace, I will do so."

"Why?" Pagani said, bemused. "To gain your entry into Hell?"

"To save myself from it," the peasant spat. "You promised us righteousness! You promised to undo the evils of the factories! To clear the smog! To end the slaughter of man and machine! Yet here you are, whoring yourself to the Devil for gold!"

"I am selling the Blue Coal, so that our country becomes viable," King Pagani replied, firmly. His sword was half out of his scabbard. He weighed up his odds at cutting the man down before he pulled the trigger, and did not favour them. Appealing to the peasants' reason face-to-face had been a fatal blunder.

"Bah," the peasant sneered. "God's people always find a way. It is men like you, who slow them down. You'd lead us all into the lake of industry like a pied piper; I will not let this come to pass, devil!"

King Pagani racked his mind for something to say, found it, and grasped it with everything he had. "I've submitted myself to Papal authority. His Holiness, Pope Pius IX, will judge me accordingly."

For a moment the peasant's temper lulled as he contemplated his King's words. King Pagani felt himself relax, and a gentle murmuring went through the crowds.

And then the man pulled the trigger.

And the King fell.

[Taniel2Shot]

German-Australian Diplomacy

in collaboration with MonkeyBusiness

"Did you hear, mien Fuhrer?" Vice Chancellor Olo asked his emperor.

"About King Pagani getting shot with a pistol by a man who didn't want flintlocks to be brought into the country? Yes, quite ironic. Have our ambassador keep his ears open in Naples. We must know what happens. If the King is dead then Parliament will likely take over and place their own man on the throne. Wouldn't be surprised if those Italians were the ones who had him shot in the first place. But, if Parliament takes over they will undoubtedly try to take our lands back. We're not fully garrisoned there yet, but it's not the Italians I'd worry about. We could easily hold the forts against the peasant mobs. However, the dutch would most likely see this as an opportunity to get in their good graces." Kaiser Bismarck sat at his desk, reading over legislation proposals and foreign reports.

"Understood sir," Olo continued. "So, the dignitary from Australia has arrived at the palace and is just outside waiting to see you."

"Good, go ahead and send him in." Bismarck took the documents from his desk and tucked them into a drawer beneath, not wanting the diplomats prying eyes to catch something of note.

"Are you certain you have the time to do this yourself, Kaiser? That is why you appointed me, after all." Olo clearly didn't like feeling insignificant so soon after getting his position.

"No, he requested to see me personally. I should like to see what he has to say. You will, however, sit in for this meeting. It would not do well to appear that I am going around my Foreign Minister. After all, that is why I hired you," Bismarck smirked at his VC as the man made his way out to the waiting room.

"Sir, his holiness is ready to see you now." Olo led the Australian into the room and offered him a seat in front of Kaiser's desk, taking the one next to it. "Awe, Guten tag, Bismarck greeted, extending a hand. "I heard you arrived on a large airship. Most incredible. I would be most honored for the chance to ride on it while you are here. Speaking of which, I hear you are staying in a hostel here in the city. That is no good for a diplomat from the glorious Commonwealth. I will have the Vice Chancellor set up rooms in the Guest Hall of the palace for you and your men." The emperor took his seat. "Now, have they treated you, can I get you a refreshment?"
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Russel Harford straightened his suit as he walked into the room and took the seat across from the Germans. "You are most kind Kaiser. I shall take you up on your offer to stay in the Guest Hall, but as for refreshments I am quiet all right." He said with a smile and a nod of his head. "As for the airship you are welcome anytime you would like. I would like to show you around and display what the Commonwealth has to offer the mighty German Empire in regards of air power."

"Forgive my rudeness, but I would like to get down to business right away. As you know, the Commonwealth of Australia is a country which is still growing and establishing itself and as such we would like hire some of your military to train our standing army. In return, we are willing to pay in either gold, blue coal or even airships if that is what you request." At this point, he stood up and opened the door to present his two guards carrying a chest between them who stepped into the room and placed the chest at Harford's side of the table.

"I have brought some samples of our blue coal and gold from our newest mines." The diplomat explained as he opened up the chest and pulled a bar of gold out followed by a large rock of blue coal. Russel placed both items on the table in front of the Kaiser and Olo with a smile on his face. "This is the standard of product that is pulled out of our mines."
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Bismarck scratched his beard as he took in the offer. Sending troops all the way to the pacific would mean they had a long voyage to get home should something arise here in Europe. However, it also meant he would have a a garrison of troops along with a small fleet should anything arise on that side of the world. He would have troops in prime position to attack the Dutch East Indies should anything arise between them and the Netherlands over German mines in Italy. A military alliance would help as well.

He didn't want to appear too eager, however. "I'm no geologist," he said instead as he picked up the chunk of rock and inspected it. "I wouldn't know the difference between good quality coal, and bad," he chuckled to the Aussie. "I have a counter-proposition. If you let me put a proper military base in Australia with a garrison of... let's say a thousand infantry and three hundred Blue Panzers I'll send my most prestigious Colonel to oversee the training of the Australian military on both foot, and in tank. With this, I request a small squadron of, say three airships along with the schematics to produce our own. Also, you keep your gold. However, I'll pay for six monthly shipments of Blue Coal. That's approximately how long it will take to get our mines operational to a point where we can start exploiting our own Blue Coal."
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Harford already had his answer for the Kaiser, but drew out the silence a moment longer. "The Australian people would not like a entire garrison of German soldiers on the mainland along with tanks. We would be able to offer a garrison on the island of Papua New Guinea with transport being arranged by our own airships. This would only allow you to house one hundred Panzers due to the island conditions but your other requests we can accommodate." He told them with a slight bow as he knew the airships that were going to be given to the Germans would most likely be an older model, but that could not be helped as it would still be advanced to them.

"As soon as I arrive back at the Commonwealth, we shall launch a fleet of transports to return and bring whatever supplies are needed for your garrison. We will also give you the schematics that you requested along with three battle-ready airships." The diplomat said with a smile as he gestured for his men to pick the chest up and leave the room. "You may keep the gift of coal and gold and we have also brought a gift of exotic life for your pleasure. If you would make your way to the front of the palace we have a Kangaroo to present as well."