01-04-2025, 10:01 AM
Inhaling her cigarette into her mouth, Olivia Hall, Leader of the National Labour Party and now Prime Minister had just came out of what she could safely consider as the 5 most stressful and annoying hours of all her political career, after having successfully arranged an government coalition with the Greens, she then needed to tackle the appointment process with the Greens' co-leaders having submitted a list of names to appoint in the Cabinet, then she had to handle the Emperor who was (arguably) less than pleased to see her appointment list.
She could see it through his eyes as he read through his next ministers, Green politicians taking over the Foreign Ministry, the Energy Ministry and so on. The monarch wasn't petrified, he was livid. But nonetheless, while he wanted to say something, he reluctantly approved of the list submitted by the Labour leader and promptly appointed as her as Prime Minister, seemingly in an effort to get this over with.
Now, she was the Queen. While not linked to the regal title of Queen, she thought of it as in a game of chess, the Queen was the second most important piece in a game of chess and now she had to take on that role. Watching through the balcony, she sees the night slowly setting in on the capital, she continues to smoke and sighs heavily. "It's not possible...", she thought "It's just not..."
"Darling?", she was interrupted in her thought by her husband's voice setting in the dark room, brining with him his smile that had become so inseparable from him, at least that's what his wife thought. Here he was, with that smile, although less happy that usual, and more worried about his wife who for the last 3 hours had secluded herself in her office, "Are you...okay?", he asked, his wife filled with worry.
"Yes, I am.", disregarding her cigarette aside in the garden of the Prime Minister's-no-her residence for the next five years. It was a thought that couldn't get off from her head, after more than 3 decades in the opposition, after succeeding one of Labour's most charismatic and successful female leader who didn't lead the Party to victory, no one could've have bet that the 41-year old woman, who was considered by many to be too inexperienced or centrist by many to actually pull off such a victory.
And yet she fucking did pull off that victory!
Normally any normal party leader would just relax and enjoy their victory and honeymoon period as much as they would, but she can't, she couldn't. Not after what she just heard.
It was at 4 pm, her meeting with the intelligence officers came up, they came in their bruising and expensive black suits alongside other people from the Foreign Office, compared to the welcoming atmosphere of her previous meeting, the tone and seriousness in the officers' voice came to destabilise her a little bit, although, with all her force, she managed to remain calm and composed as the men introduced her to the greatest dangers that Luthori is facing today.
From Kundrati in the West to Kalistan and Lourenne to the East, all threats towards the Luthorian Empire and Luthorian Commonwealth were exposed to her, even though, their seriousness was exposed during the meeting. While in theory, learning about threats against Luthori wouldn't have moved Olivia, one thing that a senior official from the IFIA did.
"Prime Minister, we have good intelligence on the fact that it's highly likely that the Mainland Government of Kundrati has developed nuclear weapons.", one phrase, relating one idea, simple and straight to the point. Kundrati having nuclear weapons? Impossible, she would think. Even more improbable than all former nuclear powers reclaiming their former arsenal. Yet.
She couldn't bring herself to completly refute that claim either.
Kundrati having developed nuclear weapons would, as annoying as it would sound, not change Luthori's strategy against the fledging, backward, former regional power. Containment of Kundratijian fascism was the policy of every successive Luthorian administrations ever since the end of the Extean War, where 100.000 Luthorians have been either killed, wounded, captured or even dissappeared. For the two latter, no one knows what became of these "unlucky ones".
She could at least reassure herself with that.
She has been an adament anti-fascist throught her life, her career and today, at the helm of the Empire, she now had the opportunity to reshape the Empire into how she wished it to be, an adament anti-extremist power that would do everything to avoid the specter of radicalism takes hold over the Artanian continent. "I'm fine, sweetie", looking into the eyes of her beloved with a fake smile to contain her nervousness, trying to control her emotions as fear takes hold of her body, shaking, yet, united in a resolved vision for the Empire.
"I know you are lying, sweetheart, I know that body language, it's not like we have been married for 2 minutes, y'kno-", before he could finish up his sentence, he was cut off by his wife, who, realizing the futility of fighting or lying to man who knew everything about her, just splashed it out.
"I'm worried, Nathan. I'm worried, I'm scared, I don't know what I am doing here?!"
Silently, her husband approached her into the balcony of her office and gently placed her head upon his shoulders as to reassure her. Realizing the critical situation in which she was, having been briefed about everything for the last day, he knew she had to be stressed. After all, who wouldn't lose their shit upon learning such critical information?
Calming her down was one of his most important job as his spouse, and after all, it was all fair due, as she was the one to reassure him when something went wrong and stressed him out when he worked at the MABC. It was just another part of life, being there for your partner. Carefully choosing his words, he threw himself in the lion's mouth. "It's normal. You are Prime Minister, y'know. You just have been thrown into an office that you've dreamed of, met people that you never thought you would met. I mean, you've met the Emperor, in a private session. It's normal to be stressed out. Nonetheless, you've got to calm down, relax, think and then act on this, because believe me dear, it's only going to get worse. Besides, regardless of what you are doing, the kid and I are still standing by your side, and that will be the case, always."
When saying these words, his gaze was focused towards the night of Fort William, "What a beautiful sight", he would think out loud enough for his wife to hear. "Indeed, it is.", she said. Turning her gaze towards him, she then, said through a soft voice that was uncharacteristic of her now, but really something indistinguishable when she was younger. "You are right. But, I need a moment, can you...?"
Letting go of his wife's head, Nathan turned to her, a soft smile present on his face, one of tacit acknowledgment and support, "Of course, I'll be downstairs if you need me, remember?"
"Hm." was all she could muster right now. "Well, then I'll take my leave now my bug", yet before leaving, he took her lips into his for a quick kiss. "Love you." he said, she answered with "Love you too, my sweet kurotane", then he was no longer there, she was once again alone, cold in the dark, with no one to support her. While the news greatly frightened and destabilise her, she wasn't going to let this happen ever. An unforgivable resolve was forged around this and she would make sure that the next Prime Minister wouldn't have to worry about Kundrati ever again.
Taking her phone, she chose to put a number that most didn't knew, an emergency service number from the FIA. When the line came, one, silent yet observing calm voice greeted the Prime Minister with a respesctful repeat of her honorific.
"Madam Prime Minister."
With an unbreakable will, she spoke up through the phone. "Director, Kundrati isn't just a threat, it's a total menace to the Luthorian way of life, conduct Operation Olympic and restart Project Purity. You have my and the Emperor's blessings."
Through the line, the Director of the IFIA, Sir Walter Crampton could only smile and be relieved, the IFIA's work wouldn't be threatened and with the Hutorians having launched, according to sources in the northern kingdom, an secret mission in Kundrati, collaboration will be key and paramount.
"Very well. We'll do."
In the Orange Palace, Emperor Richard received the news and smiled. It seemed like that leftist government wouldn't be that weak in second thought.
She could see it through his eyes as he read through his next ministers, Green politicians taking over the Foreign Ministry, the Energy Ministry and so on. The monarch wasn't petrified, he was livid. But nonetheless, while he wanted to say something, he reluctantly approved of the list submitted by the Labour leader and promptly appointed as her as Prime Minister, seemingly in an effort to get this over with.
Now, she was the Queen. While not linked to the regal title of Queen, she thought of it as in a game of chess, the Queen was the second most important piece in a game of chess and now she had to take on that role. Watching through the balcony, she sees the night slowly setting in on the capital, she continues to smoke and sighs heavily. "It's not possible...", she thought "It's just not..."
"Darling?", she was interrupted in her thought by her husband's voice setting in the dark room, brining with him his smile that had become so inseparable from him, at least that's what his wife thought. Here he was, with that smile, although less happy that usual, and more worried about his wife who for the last 3 hours had secluded herself in her office, "Are you...okay?", he asked, his wife filled with worry.
"Yes, I am.", disregarding her cigarette aside in the garden of the Prime Minister's-no-her residence for the next five years. It was a thought that couldn't get off from her head, after more than 3 decades in the opposition, after succeeding one of Labour's most charismatic and successful female leader who didn't lead the Party to victory, no one could've have bet that the 41-year old woman, who was considered by many to be too inexperienced or centrist by many to actually pull off such a victory.
And yet she fucking did pull off that victory!
Normally any normal party leader would just relax and enjoy their victory and honeymoon period as much as they would, but she can't, she couldn't. Not after what she just heard.
It was at 4 pm, her meeting with the intelligence officers came up, they came in their bruising and expensive black suits alongside other people from the Foreign Office, compared to the welcoming atmosphere of her previous meeting, the tone and seriousness in the officers' voice came to destabilise her a little bit, although, with all her force, she managed to remain calm and composed as the men introduced her to the greatest dangers that Luthori is facing today.
From Kundrati in the West to Kalistan and Lourenne to the East, all threats towards the Luthorian Empire and Luthorian Commonwealth were exposed to her, even though, their seriousness was exposed during the meeting. While in theory, learning about threats against Luthori wouldn't have moved Olivia, one thing that a senior official from the IFIA did.
"Prime Minister, we have good intelligence on the fact that it's highly likely that the Mainland Government of Kundrati has developed nuclear weapons.", one phrase, relating one idea, simple and straight to the point. Kundrati having nuclear weapons? Impossible, she would think. Even more improbable than all former nuclear powers reclaiming their former arsenal. Yet.
She couldn't bring herself to completly refute that claim either.
Kundrati having developed nuclear weapons would, as annoying as it would sound, not change Luthori's strategy against the fledging, backward, former regional power. Containment of Kundratijian fascism was the policy of every successive Luthorian administrations ever since the end of the Extean War, where 100.000 Luthorians have been either killed, wounded, captured or even dissappeared. For the two latter, no one knows what became of these "unlucky ones".
She could at least reassure herself with that.
She has been an adament anti-fascist throught her life, her career and today, at the helm of the Empire, she now had the opportunity to reshape the Empire into how she wished it to be, an adament anti-extremist power that would do everything to avoid the specter of radicalism takes hold over the Artanian continent. "I'm fine, sweetie", looking into the eyes of her beloved with a fake smile to contain her nervousness, trying to control her emotions as fear takes hold of her body, shaking, yet, united in a resolved vision for the Empire.
"I know you are lying, sweetheart, I know that body language, it's not like we have been married for 2 minutes, y'kno-", before he could finish up his sentence, he was cut off by his wife, who, realizing the futility of fighting or lying to man who knew everything about her, just splashed it out.
"I'm worried, Nathan. I'm worried, I'm scared, I don't know what I am doing here?!"
Silently, her husband approached her into the balcony of her office and gently placed her head upon his shoulders as to reassure her. Realizing the critical situation in which she was, having been briefed about everything for the last day, he knew she had to be stressed. After all, who wouldn't lose their shit upon learning such critical information?
Calming her down was one of his most important job as his spouse, and after all, it was all fair due, as she was the one to reassure him when something went wrong and stressed him out when he worked at the MABC. It was just another part of life, being there for your partner. Carefully choosing his words, he threw himself in the lion's mouth. "It's normal. You are Prime Minister, y'know. You just have been thrown into an office that you've dreamed of, met people that you never thought you would met. I mean, you've met the Emperor, in a private session. It's normal to be stressed out. Nonetheless, you've got to calm down, relax, think and then act on this, because believe me dear, it's only going to get worse. Besides, regardless of what you are doing, the kid and I are still standing by your side, and that will be the case, always."
When saying these words, his gaze was focused towards the night of Fort William, "What a beautiful sight", he would think out loud enough for his wife to hear. "Indeed, it is.", she said. Turning her gaze towards him, she then, said through a soft voice that was uncharacteristic of her now, but really something indistinguishable when she was younger. "You are right. But, I need a moment, can you...?"
Letting go of his wife's head, Nathan turned to her, a soft smile present on his face, one of tacit acknowledgment and support, "Of course, I'll be downstairs if you need me, remember?"
"Hm." was all she could muster right now. "Well, then I'll take my leave now my bug", yet before leaving, he took her lips into his for a quick kiss. "Love you." he said, she answered with "Love you too, my sweet kurotane", then he was no longer there, she was once again alone, cold in the dark, with no one to support her. While the news greatly frightened and destabilise her, she wasn't going to let this happen ever. An unforgivable resolve was forged around this and she would make sure that the next Prime Minister wouldn't have to worry about Kundrati ever again.
Taking her phone, she chose to put a number that most didn't knew, an emergency service number from the FIA. When the line came, one, silent yet observing calm voice greeted the Prime Minister with a respesctful repeat of her honorific.
"Madam Prime Minister."
With an unbreakable will, she spoke up through the phone. "Director, Kundrati isn't just a threat, it's a total menace to the Luthorian way of life, conduct Operation Olympic and restart Project Purity. You have my and the Emperor's blessings."
Through the line, the Director of the IFIA, Sir Walter Crampton could only smile and be relieved, the IFIA's work wouldn't be threatened and with the Hutorians having launched, according to sources in the northern kingdom, an secret mission in Kundrati, collaboration will be key and paramount.
"Very well. We'll do."
In the Orange Palace, Emperor Richard received the news and smiled. It seemed like that leftist government wouldn't be that weak in second thought.