Henrietta Morris had been the CEO of Red Door since 2010. Everyone in Bakkermaya had said she was crazy for taking the job. She'd left a good career as a executive at the nations largest operators of tourist attractions and moved not just to a new country but into a new field of business all together. She'd known nothing about the adult industries and she knew even less about Lodja, but it had looked an adventure and if she played it right a lucrative one. Since then she'd turned what was already a successful venture into one that had become an institution and iconic brand here in her new adoptive home. She had set very high standards for staff and as a result the exclusive venue was a place the rich and famous gathered even if they didn't partake of the more adult offerings of the establishment. There had been in the past several attempts by people outside the business to do what Dario Accorsi was trying to do but they'd mainly focused on the more salacious side of the business in their pitches. Accorsi meanwhile seemed more focused on the luxury nature of their brand and he had a decent portfolio to boot. Even if the deal didn't go the way of Accorsi getting a franchise there was still perhaps a deal to be done.

Henrietta had sent a car to pick up their persepctive business partner. The Red Door kept two luxury cars just in case they had any VIP visitors or acts playing and while Accorsi may not be an A-Lister he was a man of great wealth and connections. The car sat waiting at the exit of the arrivals section of the Gaia international airport with a smartly suited driver waiting holding a sign with Accorsi's name written on it. Upon meeting his passenger the driver offered to take any bags and ensured he was sat comfortably before heading into the capital city. The Red Door sat on the edge of what was now the central business district. Alexander Urlan Street had once been a luxurious hotel and even before that had once been a warehouse and guild hall. The buildings front looked magnificent with white stone work accented by marble columns and cornice work. The other buildings on the exclusive street had a similar look but were much smaller but what really made the building stand out was a large double width red door from which the venue took its name. From the outside the view through the windows that could be seen from the street gave no indication of the venue being a brothel. To the left side of the door it would have looked like a restaurant filled with well dressed customers enjoying fine food served by smartly clad waiters. To the right it seemed like a luxurious lounge of leather upholstered booths, deep sofas and comfy armchairs. Works of art worthy of many galleries hung on the walls and even passers by walking to some of the nearby bars and restaurants that attracted the upper classes of Gaia glanced in almost enviously.

As the car stopped at the door one of the two rather imposing doormen dressed in smart pin-stripe suits stepped forward and opened the door. "Mr.Accorsi this way please." he allowed their guest to step past him as the second doorman held the famed red portal open. Inside Henrietta was waiting. Dressed in a knee length black pinstripe skirt with a white blouse she extended a finely manicured hand towards Accorsi. "Its lovely to meet you" she said as she waited for him to take in the sights. It was early in the day and the place was already slowly buzzing. A few people sat eating in the restaurant, a couple of men dressed in suits were playing chess in the lounge and a young lady gentle played the piano in the corner. A large oak desk stood perpendicular to the door, it was from here most guests would be welcomed and appointments made. At it sat a young blonde lady, Mia Wendowski, the protege of Henrietta who was acting as the shifts duty manager. She discreetly let the staff know that the evenings most significant expected guest had arrived. A few more scantily clad women mingled among the staff wearing uniforms as waiters and bar staff but these were what most people had actually come for. Henrietta made her way over to a quiet part of the restaurant, a large booth that gave direct views into the kitchen but couldn't be seen by other tables. It was their equivalent of a chefs table and Henrietta's favourite. "I trust you've had a pleasant trip so far. I must admit I was surprised by your request and I want to be honest with you I'm not automatically interested in giving out our name as a franchise. This meeting though should show that I think perhaps their is potential otherwise I wouldn't have wasted your time allowing us to make the trip. So I thought we could have some food if you wish, discuss what you can bring to our business and then maybe take a tour. How does that sound?" As she finished a young man in black trousers, white shirt and with a smart crisp apron around his waist appeared carrying two small plates which he gracefully placed before them.

" I present you a tartlet of smoked salmon and caviar, served with a lemon-dill crčme fraîche" the waiter gave a small bow and backed away allowing Henrietta to pour some of the wine that had been sat chilling ready.

Natalya had rather wanted to attend the new Gothi's inauguration however it had been Olimpia and Alana who had been dispatched. The two had opted to watch from a balcony, it would have given them much better view and as far as Olimpia was concerned it would be slightly warmer. She wondered about what her own coronation, which she doubted would ever happen, would be like in comparison. As far as a Lodjain was concerned this was rather a plain ceremony and this Dr.Robertsson, clearly a pretty young woman, looked positively average. The ceremony itself and following speech gave Olimpia hope that Nya Aland was a nation that Lodja could perhaps at least form some strong relationship with. There had been previous green-shoots after Lodja's minor involvement in disaster relief and more recently they'd supported operations in the Alucard trying to stem the crisis of "deportations" there. Once everyone moved inside Olimpia and Alana headed off to try some of this famous Nordic mead and mingle.

Natalya meanwhile placed her tablet on the table, it amazed her that David still preferred such an antiquated way of drafting things but there was something oddly nice about sharing the bit of paper. She glanced over what was written and was relatively happy with everything that was put down. She thought for a moment about the predicament Lodja's unique situation had placed them in. "I plan in the long term for the division between the two groups, Patrician and Plebeian, to narrow to a point it is largely symbolic but that would be asking a lot to change in our nations culture and I think we're talking a multi-generational journey there. What I do suggest though is that I'd be willing to add these as provisions."

6. In order to comply with the Lodjain legal framework every Morelander staying in Lodja other than for tourists reasons will be required to obtain a status as either Patricians or Plebeians. Patrician status shall be given to any individual who has in East Moreland any of the following.

a) Holds a title of nobility under East Moreland law
b) Is descended from an East Moreland noble.
c) Has served in the East Moreland military for a period of five years.
d) Has been enrolled into one of East Moreland's chivalric orders or received a civilian medal from the monarch.

Any individual meeting these criteria are granted the associated rights of Patrician status.

"Does this sound about right?" She said handing the note with her scrawl on back.   

When Astrid had told her mother she had a part-time job she had been pleased. The family weren't well off and putting their daughter through University was going to make the next three years even tougher but they knew it would be worth it as once she'd graduated the world would be her lobster. She'd then told her Mum it was at Red Door and the look on her face had changed to one of deep concern, Astrid hadn't considered how that would be interpreted and quickly added that she would be serving cocktails, and remaining fully dressed. It wasn't that her family were prudes, far from it being devout worshippers of Sessifet they had little issue with a more libertine outlook on life, just not perhaps when it involved their beloved daughter. Mum was now much happier and wished her luck for her first shift which would be tomorrow.

When the day came Astrid was nervous. She'd been given some very strict conditions in her contract and was nervous that she would accidently break on and lose this job before she'd even started. As she exited the bus at the end of the street she double checked her backpack and pulled out the list she'd laminated for herself. She'd written a summary of the key bits to remember and then sealed them in plastic to ensure she didn't lose it. "1. You must arrive via the rear door and not in uniform." She walked past the iconic Red Door, turned right between two buildings and found a iron wire fence halting her progress with a swipe card reader attached. Signs confirmed it was the staff entrance. "2. When reporting for your first shift use the intercom" She read from her card. She pressed the button and then when the polite voice came through she gave her name and almost instantly heard the door buzz open. She stepped through and then could see another door which said "Staff Only" and made her way to it, she tried the handle and it pulled open with ease. She entered a room where she was essentially penned in by a series of desks.

"Good evening Astrid" the man on one of the desks said and she recognised his voice from the intercom. "I'm Pavel, one of the security team here. We're going to get you set up and next time it'll be quicker. You bring the documents we needed." Astrid confirmed she had and pulled from her bag copies of her passport, ID card and the personal information form she'd been given." She handed them over to Pavel who inspected them and seemed happy with them. He placed them in a brown folder. "Excellent." He handed her an envelope of her own. "Empty it and check you had two ID cards." Astrid did, "That one stays in your locker during your shift, that's what you use to get in here. Its also what you can use to get your staff discounts, you know we get 15% of at the cinema?" He seemed genuinely thrilled by that. "This other one" he pointed to one that was held in a small clip on case, "That goes on your uniform while your on shift, it opens only the internal doors that are staff only most of the waitresses clip it to the waistband of their skirt" He next handed over a plain white blouse, black skirt and red scarf. "They should all be your size" he waited for her to check. "If they don't look good or feel right there is a storeroom next to the changing room and you'll find literally everysize going in there. You bring your own heels right?" Again Astrid confirmed that she had. "Nice, then you should be all set." He lifted one end of his desk which broke the entrapment Astrid had effectively been in until now. "Come on through" he held the leavered arm open while Astrid stepped through. "Your changing room is 2nd door on the right, a few other new starters are here already. Good luck." He said warmly. Astrid walked down the corridor and past a door that said "Male Changing and Lockers" and then as had been instructed the 2nd door was for the women. She pushed the door open. It looked almost like a school PE changing room only with much more comfortable looking benches. There were a host of metal lockers and Astrid checked them out, each was numbered and had a swipe card stuffed in a plastic pocket in the front. There were three others getting changed and apart from a polite "Hello" little conversation took place. She quickly put her uniform on and checked herself in one of the many full length mirrors that dotted the changing room. She looked fine but she wasn't sure the scarf was done correctly but that could be sorted later. She put her things in a locker and grabbed the swipe card and put it in the same holder as her ID which as suggested she'd clipped to her belt. She wondered where to go next and was about to ask when the door opened and a head appeared round it. A woman in her 50's with dark hair flecked by grey entered. She was wearing a trouser suit, red blouse and had on thick rimmed black glasses. "Astrid? Vanna? Ewe? Jana?" She named each of the girls checking their faces against a page held on her black clipboard. "I'm Helena, I'm from HR, any problems with anything my office is two down. I'm going to help you get to your department. Follow me." She held the door allowing them to exit, Astrid brought up the rear following the girl who had been named as Jana. The group made their way to the lobby of the building all the time Helena was pointing out little things to them like where the staff toilets where, how they could get a coffee during a break and such. Once in the lobby Red Door was a hive of activity. They had 30 minutes until the evening shift began at 4pm. Each day was split into two, 7am to 2:30pm and then 4pm til 5am. It gave staff on duty chance to just have a quick reset and tidy up and Astrid could already sense that the job may be more manic than she had imagined. Helena had them line up with their backs to the locked iconic red door. There was a clip clap of heels on marble as another woman joined them.

"Hello" Astrid recognised her from the interview, it was Harriet Morris the big boss. "I try and meet all new staff regardless of their role. I want you to enjoy working here but I also want you to remember you're the latest addition to a reputation that goes back 60 or so years. We have high standards and while we accept your learning it is important that you reach those standards quickly. Ewe you'll be one of our upstairs girls" Astrid could see Helena casting her eyes over Ewe, she was a tall long legged girl who would be one of the brotels sex workers. She was wearing a black corset with matching underwear and stockings. "Very nice, but maybe some kind of gown to put over, it will look more elegant on your visits downstaris. Speak to the girls and they'll help you. If you pop along to reception they'll get you up to speed." Harriet pointed to where several similarly suggestively clad ladies were gathering. "Jana and Vanna....oh that rhymes" Harriet beamed a smile at her own revelation. "You'll be in the restaurant. If you pop in and see Timo he'll tell you how he runs things........stop" she held an arm across Jana and quickly straightened her name tag that restaurant staff wore pinned to their shirt or blouse. "Better" Harriet stepped aside letting the girl proceed. "Astrid, you're over here, follow me." They walked without talking a short distance to where a long polished wood bar topped in marble was located. Already four black shirted barmen were busy filling ice bins, restocking fridges, chopping fruit and moving around bottles. "This is Astrid, Isaak help her get set up." Harriet walked away leaving Astrid with the barmen.

"Hi, you done this kind of thing before?" Isaak asked continuing to rhythmically chop limes and lemons.

"Never" Astrid replied.

"OK" Isaak sounded disappointed. "I'll keep it simple for you." he reached down and tossed a freshly laundered white apron to her and motioned to put it on. Astrid did so as her mentor carried on talking. "You'll find a notepad in the front pocket." Astrid found it with a pen tucked in the fold. "You go up to a table and write down the number. If you can't remember don't worry" He walked round the bar and over to a table closest to the bar. "Look there" he tapped with his foot on the ornate machined wooden leg of the table and there Astrid could see a clear but small number. "There is a pattern though." he pointed out that the tables were numbered clockwise starting from the bar but it got confusing in the lounge where there were clusters of tables and booths. "Write down what they want in terms of drinks, please tell me you have neat handwriting?"

"Very neat" Astrid said confidently.

"Brilliant, last girl we had it was like a spider had crawled onto the page and died." He returned to the bar and resumed his chopping. "You bring that to here and put it under that clip." He demonstrated the metallic strip behind the bar was infact a series of spring loaded clips. "We then make the drinks and put them down there" He pointed with the juice dripping knife to the far end of the bar where there was a large slab of marble with no seating in front of it. "We stick the drinks on a tray and put the order you have us back on. Take the front tray and deliver it to the table. Don't spill stuff, pick up any empties you see on your way back to the bar and put them in there." He pointed to a metallic looking door behind the bar, "Once it gets full the basement trolls summon it and off it goes, later they magic up clean glasses" He tidied up his chopping board and put his knife away satisified they'd be well stocked. "Be prepared to get stuck in because we might for example need to send you upstairs with drinks or pop into the restaurant. But the most important bit." He picked up a large glass jar behind the bar. "The tip jar. Everyone puts in anything they get given and at the end of the shift we share it evenly. You're the pretty, smiling face of the bar and people will hand you cash, sometimes quiet a bit, but if you're not bringing them drinks you'd get nothing, we're a team and a team shares.....you get that?"

"Fair enough" Astrid said and in truth it seemed more than fair, Isaak was of course right and if what Astrid had heard about some of the patrons and their tipping it should mean she'd come away with a good income on top of her wages which while not fantastic would be OK.

"Right here we go team.....cocktail time" A clock chimed indicating it was opening time and Harriet reappeared and quickly looked at the various departments, all that could be seen from the lobby. The cocktail bar's Isaak gave a thumbs up, the head waiter of the restaurant yelled to the Chef who yelled something back and then the waiter stuck his thumb up, Sergei grudgingly held up his thumb from the music lounge but perhaps most importantly was Ksneia who managed the working girls who were after all the man attraction. Ksneia quickly glanced round the handful of girls expecting clients and gave a thumbs up. There was a metallic scrape and Harriet opened the doors and pinned them back.

"Good evening" Harriet greeted the first guest with a smile. "Nice to see you again" she shook hands with the guest and could see several more people heading towards the door and waited to say hello. Once the initial burst of ten or so people had gone Harriet retreated to her office leaving the staff to take over. Soon Astrid was rushed off her feet and was slightly annoyed that the staff uniform policy insisted on heels. She quickly learned some new cocktail names, meet some of the regulars who seemed to like to chat a little and found the atmosphere rather pleasant. It could have been any sophisticated hotel had it not been for her two foryays upstairs where each time she'd heard the establishments main business as she passed drinks round a half opened door no doubt hiding the girl or clients nakedness. Soon her first shift was over and the tip jar she'd seen grow through the evening the team took into the staff room while the incoming team set up their own jar. There were four barmen and three waitresses and it was Isaak as head barman who took the lead in counting. "So we've $180 each, the usual $100 for the summer party fund and one phone number for Astrid." He handed over a piece of paper that had her name on followed by a phone number, the name Kova and "Call me for dinner". The team laughed, "Remember no dating customers ok?" Isaak said only partly joking. "Go enjoy some sleep for tomorrow we do battle with the hordes once again." He said as he handed each person their share of the money and screwed the lid back on the jar. Astrid was pleased with the money, it was more than she'd expected but she'd heard rumours that some nights staff could earn double that but she was sure she'd find out in due course. For now all she wanted to do was drop her uniform in the laundry as her laminated card instructed, put her street clothes back on and collapse into her bed back in her Halls of Residence.

Yanna Markova was normally a patient lady but this Sergei character was beginning to get on her nerves. She hadn't signed up for some snobby dance master to be yelling at her. "You can stick that cane up your ass" she muttered under her breath causing her colleague Elmira beside her to stifle a giggle. This was supposed to be an opportunity that could net these ladies with a bumper summer paycheck but Yanna wasn't sure the stress was worth it, after all it wasn't exactly her real paycheck anyway. With Red Door's popularity growing in the 1980's until it reached a point that the establishment became super exclusive some brain in the intelligence community had a bright idea. Contacts from across Mundus, or even informants from foreign embassies or businesses needed a place where they could meet without drawing attention to themselves. Lodja's intelligence community would simply sort them out getting a membership and then arrange for a girl to work there. To both any outside eyes and even the staff at Red Door it would appear that a customer was just coming in requesting a girl they liked and then going upstairs for their appointment. That though was the perfect place for the information to be passed and over the past 40 or so years there had always been one girl embedded her. It was now Yanna's turn. To the people running Red Door she was someone much like the other girls, a Pleb girl from a poor family just doing her best to make a good living for herself. The digital age had made it even easier for the handlers to ensure that their asset never actually had to offer any real "services" but always had a full schedule. It often meant sending some minion from the intelligence agency to just sit and have a chat with Yanna over a cup of tea but Harriet Morris, Yanna's Red Door boss, was happy with her performance. Yanna had tried to duck out of these dance lessons but it was her success that had proven a double edged sword. She was able to pick and choose her clients with ease, ensuring she never actually slept with any of the clients, meanwhile the management did push her to the front on some occasions. She was pleased when Ksenia had arrived and cut short the dance class. As they headed for the door Ksenia pulled her to one side. "Yanna we've a late booking for you, remember Josef? He'd like to see you in 20 minutes, should I delay him in the bar?" She asked. Yanna knew Josef, he was a Drenovian who infrequently visited Lodja and had some often useful information about smuggling from their Albionic neighbours. Nine times out of ten his information was useful but he wasn't expected so Yanna wondered what must have sparked this meeting.

"No worries. I'll go change." She headed upstairs past the white line. Her wrist band had a chip in it which opened Room 8, her preferred "working room". Inside it had a thick red carpet with a polished wood four poster bed. The bedding was a mixture of creams and purples presenting a soft inviting scene. There was a table with large gold framed mirror and a low stool. A door lead to a large bathroom complete with double tub should it be required. She had her selected attire for the evening hanging on the back of the door. Quickly she changed into a racey red set of underwear and draped the lace ruffle tailcoat around herself giving guests a tempting glimpse of what was on offer. Her long blonde hair hung loose around her perfect face. Each of the girls had their own style but guidelines said "tempting but elegant" and while Yanna may have been unavailable to all but her contacts she had noticed the almost envious looks of some of the establishments guests. Fastening the clasp on her heels she headed downstairs.

"Hiya" Astrid waved as she was propped on the end of the cocktail bar which sat next to the vaunted "white line". She was one of the new cocktail waitresses and a stark contrast to Yanna's attire. Dressed in a black pencil skirt, white blouse with a red silk scarf tied around her neck she would hurry drinks around the lounge. She'd a mutual love of reading with Yanna which they'd discovered when one evening while waiting for a "client" Yanna had been sat reading a book on celtic mythology. Astrid was a student at the University and while studying World Literature had leaned towards the Celtic world.

"Hi" Yanna replied with a smile. "Nearly done with that book you loaned me." She said almost apologetically.

"No rush" Astrid said as Yurik, the mixologist behind the bar began pouring drinks from the silver shaker he'd been rattling. "Your guys in." she discreetly nodded her head to where Josef was sat facing the restaurant door his back towards the bar. "You want me to bring a drink over?" Astrid enquired.

"No thanks" Yanna replied, "I think we'll be going straight up." She checked her tailcoats tie front was done up correctly and said "I look ok?"

"No....stunning" Astrid responded as Yurik finished placing the refined cocktails onto a silver tray. "Have fun" Astrid picked up the tray and headed off to where a group of three gentleman were enjoying a drink or two after work. While the Red Door's primary function was to serve pleasures of the flesh it never failed to also cater for those members just seeking a quality cocktail, steak or even musical experience. Yanna meanwhile had reached Josef's table and sat down. They exchanged the usual small talk to ensure nothing seemed odd then after a few minutes Yanna took his hand and headed upstairs placing a plastic token with her initials on a hook corresponding to her room thus letting everyone know where she was.

Once inside the room she kicked off her heels, slid the tailcoat off and pulled on a hoody. "There's cans of coke in the fridge, I think some snacks too." They'd be expected to be at least an hour so Yanna kept her mini fridge well stocked. "What you got to tell me?" She asked as she sat on the bed while Josef opened the fridge and removed a can, offered it towards Yanna who shook her head. The Drenovian shut the door and sat beside her on the bed.

"We have information that someone is hoping to move a group of people through Drenovia in the coming weeks, I have a list of names." He took off his jacket and ran his hand along the inside lining until he discovered a small opening and then manipulated a piece of paper through it. "We think they were taken from Nya Aland. We were worried that they may be destined for Eboricum and their sacrificial thing but its too late for that so we're not sure their purpose. What we do know however is that the ship carrying them is expected to dock on the Isle of Tar in three days. You guys might want to intercept them." It was useful to know and while Yanna was not the one who would be making the decision she hoped something could be done. They chatted a little more about the situation, Yanna probing Josef with questions which he did his best to answer. When everything had been covered Yanna looked at the clock.

"We've 20 minutes left." She announced, "Chess?" she offered.

"Go on then." Josef waited for Yanna to retrieve the board she kept in a drawer and then set it up. He wasn't much of a player but he had been getting a little better. They didn't have time to finish the game when the clock reached the hour mark. Yanna picked up the room phone and said they'd be down once they'd cleaned up which let the front desk know everything was OK. Yanna quickly put her head under the shower head to give the impression she'd showered and donned a new set of underwear. Knowing that once her token was taken down housekeeping would be up to change the bedding she ruffled the bedsheets up and placed a condom wrapper on the bedside cabinet sticking the item itself in the hygenic bin in the bathroom. All pretence put in place she escorted Josef back down to the lounge retrieving her token as she passed. "I'll see you next time" she said loud enough for any of the management and hostesses in the lounge to hear and then kissed him on the cheek once again making a pantomime of cleaning lipstick from his cheek. "Thank you for your visit" She added as Josef headed outside. Soon Radovan, her contact from the agency would appear and the show would begin again as she passed on the information she'd just learned. It was this way that for 40 years the nation had secretly ran a den of information. Yanna suspected six months or so she'd begin training her replacement in much the same way 18 months ago a girl called Anya had trained her. In some ways she'd be sad to leave the place, the girls were friendly and often she could just get away with sitting a sipping a few nice cocktails, eating a few nice meals every now and again while even catching some of her favourite bands, it certainly built looking at all the computer screens she'd been doing before this post.

"It go ok." Astrid slid past on her way back to the bar with empty glasses on her silver tray.

"Pretty good" Yanna said following the student back to the marble topped cocktail bar to await Radovan.

Professor Dominika Popova has today become the first female leader of the Conclave in 300 years. The 55 year old is the Duchess of Kisokan and also the Sheriff of Inarigda, two significant former coal mining areas that have become part of a large hydro-electric generation scheme. The announcement was made this morning during a series of proclamations connected to the Queen's intended reshuffle of the nations highest council, the Conclave. The first announcement signalled that this would be some major shake up when it was announced that Lord Lubos Kubik, the current leader of the Conclave, would be stepping down. The 77 year old assumed the position following the nations recent civil war and was the Minister of Defence before that. In her proclamation the Queen said, "Lubos has served the Queendom since he turned 18, first in military uniform and then as a minister. He was one of the most respected and incorruptable army officers we have ever had and much of the push to reform our military came from him. He has now earned a very long and happy retirement but he has assured me, as you would expect from a man of dedication such as him, that should I ever need his advice or guidance then he is only a phone call away. He has agreed to remain in the Palace for the next few weeks to help our new Conclave get up to speed." Moments later the announcement confirming his replacement came. "Duchess Dominika is more than qualified to fulfil this role. She has overseen an ambitious and innovative project in her home estates, she is a Professor of Geographical Studies and a well respected scholar. She has held a multitude of local government roles and I'm aware of many members of the Conclave seeking her advice from time to time. She is a perfect example of someone who is very wise and very well versed in the culture of Sessifetism. I am confident she will help me shape my vision for what I want Lodja to be moving forward."

Duchess Dominika later said that she was "honoured to be able to break 300 years of convention and serve the Queen." She is expected to arrive on the Isle in the next few days and will be joined on the new look Conclave by 10 other new members in a council of 18 individuals. Duke Maxim Schnoor retains his place as Minister of Education and Lord Besarian Ivanov remains as a special envoy. The swearing in ceremonies of the new members will take place over the weekend and will utilise the new cameras set up in the Conclave's venue to allow the public to witness the ceremony for the first time. The Queen has confirmed that one seat remains unfilled and that is for the Tribune of the Plebs who she hopes to have in place by the end of the month.

 

Today Queen Natalya has announced while being interviewed by national TV that there will be several major changes to the Conclave. The Queen confirmed that the existing plan to install cameras in the chamber where the Conclave meet will go ahead. "There are some discussions so significant to the people of Lodja that I want the public, both Patricians and Plebleians to be aware of exactly who has said what. There are some matters were quiet rightly we need to be held directly accountable and the idea of allowing the public to see just how I reach the decisions I do is important. There will obviously be moments we discuss matters that must remain in that room and we will be able to silence the microphones, turn of the cameras and talk as openly about more classified material as we need to." It is expected that the first televised debate of the Conclave will be shown next Wednesday when the Conclave are scheduled to discuss further co-operation on the project with Tanith, Eboricum and Aosta to build a co-operative trade centre.

The second change comes in the make up of the Conclave. "In the coming days I plan a major reshuffle. There are many people on the Conclave who have given service for a very long time and while we should celebrate their commitment to the Queendom I think we need to occasionally bring new blood into the leading council. As such I plan to do exactly that. You can also expect that I will be further using this reshuffle to ensure that the older corruption that our faith endured will be removed. While Queen Sonya is an icon in our nations history it is certainly true that in the last three decades of her extremely long rule she was manipulated in part to take away the divine guidance of women on the counicl in favour of a more manly make up.  While I will not introduce quota's that are gender based for membership of the Conclave I will be ensuring there is much more female representation. We have previously had ten seats plus myself with each seat holder filling a Ministerial post, I am also going to expand the number of seats and some will be filled on a day to day basis depending on the topics at hand. Its my hope the Conclave will become a much better bank of experts than its ever been by ensuring everyone is appointed based on their expertise."

The Queen finally stated that she will reinstate the tradition of the Tribune of the Plebs having a seat on the Council. Currently the position is vacant and moves are in place to hold elections. The position has always been granted a weekly audience with the Queen and has utilised this to present suggested legislation from the Plebeian Council. For a brief time Queen Viktoriya did experiment with the Tribune of the Plebs being put onto the Conclave but was only for certain debates. Under Queen Natalya's leadership the Tribune would have a permanent seat.

The Queen also spoke of her hopes to further expand Lodja's overseas connections saying. "We've laid some very soldi foundations with several nations across Mundus but now is the year we capitalise on these. I'm planning several trips and I hope to host several nations. We're going to clock up some serious air miles if everything goes according to plan." The Queen was not drawn on her first overseas visit.

With the start of 2025 Polo season a month away it will mark the first time that the Lodjain Premier Polo Conference (LPPC) will include the Queen's Club. While the club has existed since 1892 it has always functioned as an invitational team playing only 171 games in its existence, usually against visiting teams from overseas. As such the club has never had a delegating skipper responsible for decisions during matches and supporting with selection. With Queen Natalya having registered the team for competitive action and with the Lodjain National Polo Federation (LNPF) assessing the club as having "exceptional resources" it was determined the club would be entered directly into the LPPC, the nations highest league, on a provisional basis until they declared their first 10 man squad. At this time it would be determined whether the club had "sufficent depth and quality" to actually play in that league or whether it would move to a lower one. Today Yakim Sergeyev was unveiled as the clubs first skipper and first registered player. The 20 year old is the son of Lodjain legend and 10 goal handicap player Matvei Sergeyev. In polo players are rated by their national body using an handicap system from -2 to 10. In matches that use handicaps a four man team add up its handicap and any difference between teams is reflected as head-start on the board. In the history of polo there have been less than 100 players with a handicap of 10 goals and currently there are only 12 in the World. 2/3 of all players in the world have a handicap of 2 or less. Yakim Sergeyev is currently rated as a 5 goal player making him the second highest rated in the nation behind Radmir Markov with a rating of 7. Markov is currently having a season off stating a back injury as a cause. The Queen's Clubs now historic skipper said. "Any player wants to have the access to the best conditions to showcase what they have got, to reach that almost elusive 10 goal rating. I think our Club has the best facilities of any professional polo club in the world and access to some amazing horses. I'm honoured Queen Natalya is allowing me to be her skipper and I pray to Sessifet I can do her proud." Over the next week Sergeyev is expected to announce the remaining nine players on the squad along with helping form a womens team for the first time in the clubs history.

Polo is a highly popular sport among the Patricians of Lodja and LPPC matches are usually well attended social events as well as competitive. The season features a league between what will now be 13 professional clubs playing in a round robin format. There will also be a knock out competition between all 64 clubs in the professional pyramid in both handicapped and non-handicapped matches. The Pelagiya family have also this year sponsored a new knock out competition for players under the age of 25 which will be called the Development Trophy and carry prize money of some $5,000,000 for the winning squad.

---

Lady Jasmina Danilov, the Queen's Head Lady in Waiting is considered by many to be among the most influential women in Lodja. As the Head Lady in Waiting she spends more time with the Queen than anyone else and is responsible for overseeing the Queen's appointment diary and handling arrangements for foreign visits among other duties. Often she is said to be among the inner circle of advisers trusted by the Queen. Lady Jasmina became a Lady in Waiting aged 18 in 2017 and was named Head Lady in Waiting when Queen Natalya took the throne following the death of Lady Anna Immich. Today Queen Natalya granted Lady Jasmina the title of Duchess of the Halls a title that hasn't existed for 200 years. The title was traditionally given to a female resident of the Isle of the Goddess who held significant influence on the community that live there. The 25 year old new Duchess said "I've always been honoured to serve the Queen of Lodja but to be considered someone that is worthy enough to be renewing a title such as this is one of the happiest moments of my life. I believe I have many years left serving the Queen and look forward to 2025 being a fantastic year for Lodja and the Isle of the Goddess."

Queen Natalya has today meet with troops set for deployment to Kritamala. The Queen visited Gaia Military Airfield where around 500 troops were readying to go to the Aranye country in crisis to held tackle the Kaiju Virus. Speaking to the troops before they began boarding civilian airliners chartered for the flight she said. "A few years ago we relied upon the support of Mundus to help us clean our nation of the horrors of war. Now we have a chance to do our part. The men and women of the military are, I hope, not going to be using their skills as soldiers but will instead be using their skills as medics, carers and engineers to help rebuild a nation. I am keen to see their success come quickly and then visit Kritamala, which my officers have told me is a beautiful nation. Kritamala should stand as an example of where Mundus demonstrates the best of itself and shows just how important global co-operation could be."

The Queen presented two individuals, Arsen Maximov and Akala Grezhnev, with papers elevating their families from Plebleian to Patrician after they had each completed ten years of military service meaning that three consecutive generations of the family had served the crown. Maximov was also awarded the Queen's Baton of Honour having been nominated as the nations most dedicated soldier this year. Maximov not only served as a member of the Queen's Royal Cavalry but has also represented Lodja in climbing at the Mundus Games but also has undertaken a charity climbing challenge that has raised over $500,000 for orphanages across the nation. The Queen presented the award saying "Sergeant Maximov has set a fine example to his soldiers this year and is well deserving of this award. He is someone I am proud to think of as serving our armed forces and I wish him, his men and all Lodjains about to head to Kritamala good fortune."

With everyone now seemingly in place it was was time for the new Crown-Princess to make her way to the Isle. At the causeway there was time for her and her new guardsman to undergo the rites of purity. This was something they'd done before but today it was televised to all of Lodja thus leaving no doubt that the future Crown-Princess was purified. While the others had been permitted to drive or sail over Olimpiada had no choice but to walk. The start of the ceremony being timed so that by the time she had finished the walk across the causeway the first lapping waves were beginning to spill onto it almost as if her passing closed the access to the Isle off. Once on the island itself she was not meet by the railway but instead had to walk the winding road up to the Palace itself. At various points along the way there were small shrines to Sessifet and at each she stopped and left a small gift of honied almonds from a small velvet bad she held in her hand as they walked. She left the bag at the final shrine and then approached the gates of the Palace. All those who had been entertaining the guests or who had been on the Isle but not invited into the throne room. As Olimpiada crossed the small draw bridge that marked the official entrance to the Palace some people knelt or bowed, much as they would to the Queen, but others stayed standing and quickly motioned for others to stand, this wasn't the actual Guardian of Sessifet and while she soon would be considered royalty she was for now simply a Duchess which many in the crowd where themselves.

In the throne room itself Maria Shvets had arrived and made her way to the front of the throne room to where all the guests would be focused. The throne room had four steps that made a kind of stage. There was a single ornate chair on the top, that was the Queen's throne, behind it where four plain wooden stools, lower than the Queens throne. It was there that the four official Ladies in Waiting would be sat during audiences. On the next step down there was nothing, it would be on this step that the Kings of Lodja would sit but as Natalya was unmarried they were empty. The third step down was again empty, this is where the seats of any of the Queen's offspring would one day go. Finally on the bottom step was a new throne that sat empty and beside it were two stools like those for the Ladies in Waiting. Maria stood on the top step having first bowed to the empty throne the queen would occupy. With a loud clack of her white wooden staff on stone flagging she got peoples attention. "Your Majesties, Highnesses, Lords , Ladies and honoured guests please be upstanding for Her Divine Majesty and Guardian of Sessifet Queen Natalya ." The locals turned and bowed as first Svetlana and Tonya passed by with Queen Natalya in the middle of a square formed by her other two Ladies, Jasmina and Zhenya. As she reached the throne Zhenya ensured the long flowing cape she was wearing was lifted so Natalya didn't stumble on it. Then as the Queen sat on the throne the pale blue and silver cape was draped across the back of the throne. The four ladies took their own seats and then waited. Maria began speaking again. "While the Goddess Sessifet left us with guidance on how to live she also knew that the world would change for she gave us the free will to seek our own paths and to manage Mundus in her name. With that she is the constant voice guiding our Queen to ensure her truely faithful walk a path that will lead them to a better world. As times have changed it is clear a nation can not afford to be without a leader and while Sessifet has ensured wise guardians we as a nation have faced uncertainty during those weeks of transition. In her infinite wisdom she has guided Her Divine Majesty to ensure we shall never be without Sessifets guidance again. Today we shall transition to a new tradition regarding our monarchy." There was a round of applause from the Lodjains gathered. "As such I call forth our first ever Crown-Princess, Her Highness Alana Tar."

A door at the side of the room opened and the current Crown-Princess entered wearing a yellow dress. She smiled at the crowd and walked to the bottom step and faced the Queen. She knelt on both knees, her backside resting on her ankles. Then she reached up and took her crown from her head. "Your Divine Majesty" She said loudly, "I have for the past year carried this crown ready to exchange for yours should Sessifet have required it. Today I am thankful to give up that burden and honoured to have carried it. May Sessifet continue to grant you long life." She held her crown, which in truth was more or less a a very fancy tiara. Maria descended the steps and took it from Alana before carrying it to the Queen who stood.

"Princess Alana. For the past year you have carried the blessings and love of Sessifet with dignity and love. Understand that from this moment on you may always consider yourself as my sister and my family. You shall forever be a Princess of Lodja and a Lady of Sessifet. We both thank you for your service and give you our blessings." The Queen handed the crown now to Jasmina who held it on her lap in a pale blue cushion. Maria had a young Priestess positioned at the back of the throne room and then spotting her signal it was time for the main part of the ceremony.

"Sessifet you have blessed us with a perfect Queen." Maria said loudly. "In your wisdom you selected Natalya to carry your spirit and in return you have guided us to this point. For the good of Lodja and Mundus you have deemed to find us a vessel you consider worthy, an individual that should the time come you would be willing to guide in the same manner as you have Natalya. Please send that individual to us now." There was a fanfare and the room watched as the procession of Lubos Kubik, the guard escort and Olimpaida made their way down the aisle. Many of the Lodjains seemed pleased with how she appeared and many of the men commented on her beauty. As she reached the steps the guard fanned out across the room while Lubos Kubik made his way to a seat at the front of the Lodjain side. "Who has come before us seeking Sessifets blessing?"

"I am Olimpiada Your Divine Majesty" she addressed Natalya despite Maria speaking.

"Queen Natalya do you approve of Olimpiada as a potential guardian." There was a pantomime of Natalya leaving her throne and accompanied by Lady Tonya approaching the kneeling girl and walking around her as if inspecting her.

"I shall approve" Natalya confirmed moving back to her throne.

"Then Olimpiada you shall be named the Crown Princess. You shall understand that should our beloved Queen die in the next year then it shall be your duty to provide yourself as a vessel for Sessifet. You understand that you enter a life of service to Sessifet, to Lodja and the all world. You understand that you must be above all a example of faith, duty and beauty. You understand that you become a sister of the Queen and should act in no way to bring dishonour to her name. You understand that you will be guided by the Goddess at all times. Do you understand and accept these things."

"With all my heart" Olimpiada acknowledged. With a nod of the head Maria instructed Jasmina to bring forth the crown. Maria took it from Jasmina and held it above the kneeling girl. "I call upon all of you to witness this act. To those of you from our shores Olimpiada is now your Crown Princess and thus shall be entitled to the loyalty and status that brings. To you visiting our shores she is now recognised as a member of our royal family and thus we would expect respect in accordance with her rank. To all of you recognise a Princess of Lodja." She placed the crown on her head and then herself knelt. Olimpiada stood and turned to face the crowd.

"Sessifet bless Crown-Princess Olimpiada" the Lodjains said in unison before Maria stood and guided the new royal to her own throne.

It was now over to Natalya to address the crowd. "We are today delighted to have secured the future of Lodja for another year. It is my hope that next year we shall gather and install another Crown-Princess but if Seissfet needs it I pray that Olimpaida will be able to guide us to a better future. It is my hope that over the coming year she shall work alongside me with my twofold agenda. First, and to me most importantly, is to follow a policy of "retraditionalisation". Through the previous thirty years or so our nations faith has been corrupted to take away some of the traditions to allow an elite of nobleman to secure power within the nation. This had marginalised our faiths true ways and it has allowed people unworthy to gain power. I have solved the power issue but restoring our true faith has not yet been achieved. In all we do we shall endeavour to create a world Sessifet longed us to have and side by side me and Olimpiada shall try to do our best. The second is that it is vital our faith undergoes a migration. Sessifet is not a Lodjain goddess, she is THE Goddess of Mundus. While I would never seek to disrespect any religion it is my belief ours is the only true religion. We must show our beautiful religion to the world and spread its message. When the world truly knows Sessifet we can live in a world of perfection. Those goals are ones I may not be here to realise but that doesn't mean I should not take my turn at the wheel. I hope tonight you will join us to celebrate and to get to know our new sister. For now I thank you all for you attendance. To Princess Alana I will always value you as my sister. I hereby name you not only a Princess of Lodja but as Duchess of Taranav and our first Ambassador to the Four Corners Project." Natalya linked arms with Olimpiada on one side and Alana on the other and made their way out of the throne room the way Olimpiada had come in.

Maria stood and addressed the crowd. "If you make your way to the opposite side of the Palace the ballroom shall be open for dancing, the long hall next door has various foods and drinks, you are of course all free to walk the palace in accordance to your invite. Thank you for attending. May I speak briefly to the our foreign guests."  She made her way down to floor level and addressed the visiting dignitaries. "I want to again thank you for your attendance and reassure you our paths to Sessifets faith being increased globally and restored to its former glories hold no threat to any of you. I am hoping you'll enjoy a great evening, could I ask for a voulenteer though to start the dancing with the new Crown-Princess, some of you." she looked at David and Stasya, know only too well the importance of such signals in our court.

Behind waited several others, General Lubos Kubik was keen to talk with as many of the guests as possible, while no doubt others would be seeking a fun evening he was the highest ranked member of the Conclave and thus was more inclined towards business. The Four Ladies in Waiting stood ready to escort the guests through and several Lodjains with connections stood around too.

There was a kind of arrogance about the way Olimpiada moved, it was the walk of one who knew people's eyes would gravitate towards her because of a combination of her looks but also the grace that was inherent in her walk. It was the walk of elegance that had been drilled into her since the days of her mother forcing her to compete in pageants. She had arrived at the mainland residence of the Lord of the Conclave early that morning to prepare for the days ceremony. It was a strange one as normally such "coronations", they weren't even sure if the word was the correct one yet, were conducted in ceremonies older than living memory and in many cases hundreds if not thousands of years old. It would therefore be the case that Olimpiada knew that her name would forever be associated with the ceremony so she wanted it to be perfect. As attendants busied themselves helping Olimpiada get ready Priestess Maria Shvets arrived. "Good Morning Your Grace" she greeted Olimpiada for what would likely be the last time with her current title. "I'm to take you through the ritual one last time before we depart." Olimpiada spun in her chair forcing the hairdresser to scuttle around her. "Then we are to ride together to the quayside."

"Very well Maria" Olimpiada replied. "I think I'm pretty much across it though" she tapped the folder on the table next to her indicating that she had been doing her homework. The desire for the perfect day meant she listened to Maria carefully and while noting contained within was new to her she asked several questions. By the time the briefing was done her hair and make up had been completed therefore ensuring she was ready in good time. "Will I do?" She asked as she stood in her pale blue floor length dress. Unlike the Queen's it did not feature silver or gold embroidery but unlike the Ladies in Waiting it was not plain, instead the front of the dress was made of white lace The disappointing thing for Olimpiada was that the dress swept the floor as she walked, and while this added to her elegance, it meant she could not show off her long shapely legs which many men admired.

"Very pretty" Maria mused and then followed Olimpiada downstairs. There some of her family members waited alongside Duke Lubos Kubik, the Lord of the Conclave. "You look stunning" the Duke added with a bow, while at the moment they may still be the same rank he felt it only right he show her the respect of a royal as in just two hours time she would be. He would be her escort in the horse and carriage that they would ride in. He helped her into the black and gold carriage reserved for his own use on ceremonial occasions. It would take about half an hour to reach the causeway and crowds lined the streets to greet the new Crown-Princess. She waved to groups of children waving flags and as they passed through the large square an escort of eight black coated guardsman on white horses flanked her. They would be the official guardsman of the new royal and now began their first official duty in that post.

---

Over on the Isle of the Goddess Lady Jasmina had been given word that both Queen Natalya was ready and the future Crown-Princess was about to cross. Time was a little critical here and so Jasmina addressed the gathered group, "Honoured Guests, while normally we would offer guests the oppurtunity to walk up to the Palace to admire the beautiful little village here we are unfortunately going to have to use the railway today." In the heart of the village was a small stone fountain and a small marketplace where any more than four or five stalls would have filled the space. Opposite it was a funicular railway that would climb the hillside that normally took a good 20 minute walk in a matter of seconds. Jasmina waited to ensure that Khristofor Veniamin, the oddly titled "Watchman of the Rails" had seated everyone and was happy to get underway. The bald headed 70 year old gave Jasmina a discreet thumbs up telling her everything was ready and Jasmina had a tight hold of one of the hand rails. With a bit of a jolt the railway ascended the almost 100meters in just under a minute and then Khristofor was off out his seat opening the door and offering a respectful salute as everyone exited. Jasmina was last and slipped the "Watchman" the ceremonial coin that was always expected on state occasions for using the railway. She then hoped all the various people had remembered their assignments.

---

As the railcar ascended Nikita Andronikashvili didn't find it hard to spot her younger sister Katyusha. The elder of the Andronikashvili girls had joined the Priesthood at the age of 20 and now was going to be part of the proceedings today, in all but a small way. Her duties though didn't stop her being able to greet her sister with a warm hug before turning to Jack, "Nice to finally meet you" she added. Her religious duties had kept her from being able to meet the Prince so far. Their parents approved and while Nikita still hoped Katyusha would return to Lodja and find a couple of nice guys to marry she wasn't about to be critical, after all social climbing, while not religious, was seen as important in Lodjain society. "Come on I'll show you your seats." She wedged herself between the two of them and headed off towards the throne room. Seats were laid out in two blocks. "Now for the ceremony you'll have to sit seperately" there had been some discussion among the Priestesses on this matter but Natalya had insisted that this be the case. "Lodjains will be sat on the left, our foreign guests on the right." She moved about three rows from the front of the long lines of seats. "Prince Jack, you'll be here." she pointed to the aisle seat on the right, Kat you'll be here." She pointed to the seat on the opposite side of the aisle which was a couple of meters wide.

---

Princess Anfisa held her royal title by the luck of being the youngest grand-daughter of Queen Sonya who had died just over a decade ago. Lodjain tradition stated that any descendant, for two further generations, of a monarch could carry a royal title along with her siblings. Anfisa had been put to work in the diplomatic service and while she'd visited many nations and organisations she'd yet to have any interaction with Fusan. She spotted Fumihiko and made her way over towards him as he left the railway. "Good Morning Your Highness" she said with a wide smile. "Welcome to Lodja" she added, "I'm Princess Anfisa, for now I'll be the one making sure you don't get lost.....although the best way of thinking of the palace is a giant square made up of smaller square courtyards." She imagined the Prince had little interest in the cartography of the palace. "I trust Kalasin is treating you well, all things considered" she added knowing the Prince had been over there. They passed through a small courtyard where a girl in a white dress was playing a harp, one of many entertainers performing throughout the Palace. As they approached the throne room the Princess gently halted the Prince with a small tap on his elbow. She gestured to the every so slightly raised lip on the door threashold, "It caught a few Morelanders out with their swords in the past," she motioned remembering King David once almost tripping as his long sword had hit the lip. Once inside the hall Anfisa mentally checked her imemorised seating plan and guided Fumihiko towards a seat. "Once the ceremony is done if you'd like a tour, or to speak with any of the government just let me know."

---

There had been some discussion on how to handle the Morelanders. They amongst the guests seemed to have an almost special set of circumstances. The East Moreland-Lodja relationship was perhaps the nations strongest alliance and King David had been personally involved in two of the last three coronations of monarchs. The fact Stasya had once lived on the Isle meant that in theory the couple would need little or no help finding their way. Masha was also following along chatting away with her friend Princess Rhiannon. The problem was not assigning a "greeter" of sorts would be seen as perhaps undiplomatic and so Roksana Pajari, the Duchess of the Rocks, was assigned. She was close friends with Stasya, having served as Ladies in Waiting together and considered King David a personal friend too. While the others exited the railway Roksana just made sure to show a formal greeting in front of the others. As was tradition on the Isle on such formal occasions people walked with linked arms and so she stood with David to the right, Stasya to the left and wandered to the throne room, something she was certain they could have done on their own. "Now, you'll both be sitting on the foreign part. Stasya, as always, has made it a little awkward." Roksana chuckled. Stasya may have been Lodjain but she was also a Queen of a foreign nation and so to Lodjains that mattered a little more, especially as the Queen had seemingly deserted Sessifet.

---

Baron Roman Chownyk was more a stranger to the Isle these days. He preferred the countryside but he also understood he had a role to play on occasions such as this. He spotted his target and moved to help guide them away from the railway. "Princess Sophie?" he spoke in more of a question despite knowing exactly who she was. "Welcome to the Isle, first time I think?" He wasn't entirely sure not living here on a day to day basis. "I'm Roman, Baron of Chownyk." He left out the title Prince, it just didn't seem right these days. "If you'd like to accompany me I'll help you find your seat." He offered his arm and walked her through the Palace. They'd each been told not to walk directly so as to avoid a bottle neck. Roman lead her along one of the corridors that looked out towards the sea knowing her homelands affinity for the oceans. " a teenage girl in a plain black dress sat on one of the bay windows gently plucking away at a guitar as they passed. "Once the ceremony is over you'll be free to explore of course, I understand all the courtyards will have something happening, rumour even spoke of fire-eating......not sure that'll be my choice." he added as they reached the door. "For the time being Your Highness I'll leave you here. I must sit over there." He gave her a farewell bow as he allowed her to take her seat next to Fumihiko.

---

The choice to meet the Eboran delegation would have been easy. Lady Svetlana had become close to Prince Henrik and had even begun mastering some of the language. There was however more to consider. First Svetlana was required more behind the scenes at the moment, and second an agreement existed that soon would see Alyona Feofilakt travel to become Henrik's official consort in much the way Astrid was for the Emperor. It was therefore Alyona who would be assigned to greet them. She smiled at Henrik and gave a discreet wave to grab his attention as the Ebora delegation looked for their guide. She then bowed to the Emperor, a man she would one day see as a kind of unofficial father-in-law. "Good Morning Your Imperial Majesty, Prince Henrik, Lady Astrid." she bowed to each. "I'm happy to meet you all. We're grateful you came." she had considered how to conduct them and while she would have liked to take Henrik's hand thus showing off her future attachment she knew protocol would mean her attention should be fixed on the Emperor. She linked arms with him and Lady Astrid, "Emperor Lucius I'm so happy you've agreed for me to come to Eboricum, I'm excited to see your wonderful country." She hoped Henrik was just as excited. As they reached the throne room she showed them to seats near the Rokkenjimans and quickly spoke to Henrik. "I hope we can find some time later." She bowed once more and then joined the Lodjain side of the hall.

---

There had been a similar conversation about the Abertonian Emperor. Tonya and him had become lovers but just as Svetlana had been required for royal duties so had Tonya.  His guide was Duke Tikhon the Duke was a man who had a reputation not too far removed from the Emperors and it was believed that the Duke was the one most likely to form a good friendship with an important partner. "Your Imperial Majesty" The Duke walked forward confidently with a hand extended. "Duke Tikhon Savva" he announced before saying rather quietly, "I know Lady Tonya is looking forward to meeting you later". He gestured for the Emperor to follow him and wandered off into the Palace. He found a courtyard where a group of ladies were dancing and not worrying too much about time found them a few glasses of wine. "I'm sure you know you're way around here but I'm supposed to ensure you get their safely. I suspect the ceremony itself will drag so perhaps we should leave it a moment or two." He summound a 2nd glass of wine before heading to the throne room and showing Marco to a seat.

---

Lady Ariana had not been assigned many diplomatic duties since not becoming Queen when Klara had been selected. Had she perhaps been born a day or two earlier, maybe even a minute or two later, then perhaps it would be her who sat upon the throne. That being said the eventual downfall of Klara made her glad that perhaps she had dodged that metaphorical bullet. She was pleased Natalya had found her roles on the Isle but today she was a little nervous. She looked for the twin royals and spotting the Crown-Prince went over to introduce herself. The formalities over she stood between them and taking their arms went for a walk. "Is it true twins have a kind of psychic connection? Your not chatting away while I mess up telling you the history of these corridors are you?" She chuckled as she halted in telling them about the art work on one of the walls. "Once the ceremony is done your free to wander, if there is anything or anyone you want to see let me know." She added. As they entered the throne room she checked to see where the foreign contingent had gathered and took the twins over. "I hope perhaps you'd grant me a dance after." She addressed Sigmund before bowing and spotting her family opposite walked over to meet them.

---

Dragan Knežević had been a little aggreived originally to be given a greeters role. He would have much preferred to just sit and enjoy some of the entertainments before the ceremony itself but in the end he understood it would help cement his status as one of the most important nobles and ministers in the nation. He had practiced saying "Brzdmtsveli" several times and as he approached he hoped he hadn't messed it up. "We're thrilled to have you" he added as he offered her an arm, unsure of the status of her assistant Nano (OOC-I'm assuming female, if not ignore this bit) he thought it perhaps the gentlemanly thing to do to offer her one as well. He checked the time, there was enough to mean they didn't have to rush, and so he swung a left turn and went to where a group of acrobats where performing balancing tricks on a lawn within the courtyard. He caught the attention of one of the waiters and ensured the Brzdmtsvel and Nano were given a chance to grab some of the tasty finger foods on offer. A 2nd check of the watch meant they'd have to be on their way. "You'll have to forgive me, I'm not familiar with your clan system, I do however hope your people are doing well." He asked as they almost reached the throne room. Once inside he double checked where in the blob of the foreign visitors the Brzdmtsvel and Nano were sat and ensuring they were settled bid his farewell.

---

Rebekah Knežević was the younger sister of Dragan and held the title Mayor of Noginsk. She had enjoyed the chance to catch up with her elder brother before having a rare opportunity to do something other than manage her city. The "Four Corners" project was something that had excited her, the port city she was Mayor of was not in the project directly but she knew that it would likely help them attract even more traffic. She knew very little of Tacitus but was pleased to be asked to accompany a Prince. She was the last to approach the people on the train, more due to the fact she wanted to be certain she had the right man. "Hello Prince Tacitus" she gave a bob of a curtsey before introducing herself. She offered an arm and linked together made their way off. "Now, rumour has it you came by train? Is that true, it seems such a more laid back form of travel than flying." She enquired. "Perhaps with all this co-operation we're building your train might find its way to Noginsk, we'd love to meet you in the city." They stopped for some wine before reaching the throne room. "If you need anything please let us know." She crossed the aisle and sat next to her brother while they waited for the new Princess to arrive.
 

Masha was born in 2012 in the city of Gaia. Her father is a Lt-Col in the Army and is the 3rd son of the Sheriff of Helaya, a small town to the North of Gaia. Her mother is a former actress with the Royal Theatre Company and the 2nd daughter of Lord Anatoly Shestakov. She has an older sister called Leva.

At the age of 10 she was enrolled in Gaia's prestigious Girls Grammar School. This school demands that all students take an exam to gain entry regardless of them being a patrician or pleb. Each year they take just 70 students and Masha was accepted. She is a talented cello player and also represents the school at athletics as a long jumper.

In 2023 she was assigned the task of helping Princess Rhiannon of East Moreland settle in as she spent time in Lodja as part of her education. The two have become close friends.

The National Dockyard Alliance was being headed up by Gurpreet Abbas. He'd been working in the docks of Kritamala in one place or another for 25 years now and the 6 major ports had all been in contact with each other since Bachchan's demise had been reported. The foreman at them had hasitly formed the Alliance in order to ensure that they were looked after in whatever post-Bachchan world there was, or if this appeared to be a hoax. Gurpreet meet with the Lodjain officer. He hadn't liked some of the implications that the Lodjain officer had talked about but he had to admit they'd likely not be able to stop anyone with that much firepower taking the port. He had just shy of 50 men ranging from some 16 year old apprentices to men in their 60's who drove the forklifts. He'd told the Lt-Col Kostantinov he'd report back to him in an hour and after speaking with the five other major ports he had a decision for them. "Listen I do not believe that KASA can yet claim to speak for the nation. They may have a lot of support but do they have the majority of the nation with them. I know Bachchan may not be popular but some of the original ideas of the Soviets was popular here. I am not simply willing to hand over key infastructure to a group that we have seen nothing of other than their ability to mass soldiers in their name and gain foreign troops. If need be we will leave the port after sabotaging it. While your boats will arrive and we would no doubt be chased away by your professional troops we would first make sure that nothing can move for months perhaps. Having consulted though with the other members of the Alliance, the five other ports along this coast, is that we will accept handing over control on two conditions. The first would be that when a new provisional government is established we want an agreement that there will be a member of our alliance on it, and in addition that the trade union movement will be guaranteed a seat at the table so to speak. If you grant us that then we will, for 15% more than the usual wage, hand over the port and sign on to work for your project."

With this Abbas guy putting forward a proposal it was left to Lt-Col Lavr Konstantinov to start discussions with Ayaan Mhasalkar, their KASA representative. "What do you think? I mean we're happy to pay these guys but the real issue is whether you are willing or able to give these people a voice in your new provisional government."

"I think there is every possibility that could happen. You can tell them we accept" Mhasalkar nodded as they turned back to Abbas.

"It seems you've a deal." Konstantinov extended a hand towards the dockworker. "Now if you're agreeable can you give us a tour of the facility? We could really do with getting a handle on what the situation is." The situation seemed to calm as Abbas motioned to the men he had on the gates and they were pulled open allowing the Lodjains to gain access to the docks without as much as a shot being fired. Konstantinov called for his junior officers to bring him some of their supplies which he ordered to be shared with the dockers. "I'm sorry to have to ask this" There would of course be a rather awkward moment ahead now. "But we've reports of a worrying virus spreading in parts of the nation. Can we ask if any of your team are ill at the moment? If so we'll have to take steps to quarantine them and anyone they've come into contact with, we've some supplies that we can use to treat the condition so the sooner we find out the better. If they're ill they'll have things like a fever and irritability."

While Kostantinov dealt with Abbas it was Warrant Officer Max Vladivac who was left to do the real work. The experienced NCO was finding places for the men to stay. He was busy marking out where each unit was to sleep and where vehicles would be parked. Despite the fact that they'd been welcomed in the Lodjains weren't fully confident that the situation would be smooth sailing. The port seemed in decent working order except for things just needing a bit of TLC but that would be a job for the engineers of their unit.

While the big wigs dealt with the situation 18 year old Isaak Menshev and his friend Sergi Ruzniv were coming up with their own plan. They were busy wandering around the port supposedly looking for as much fuel as they could find, what in fact they were hunting for was fishing equipment. They'd seen the villages further down the coast and figured they'd be great for fishing, a hobby both boys loved seeing as they came from fishing villages on the islands of Lodja. They planned to see if the commander would let them out for some free time fishing but first they had to find some rods or something. They began approaching the workers in hopes that they might have a few stashed away.

As the Queens Airborne Assault Regiment (QAAR) followed the KASA convoy towards the coast their commander, Lt-Col Lavr Konstantinov, was doing his best to try and get the most up to date satellite imagery of the region ahead of them. It was hard though to be confident that even if they did spot people would they be friendlies or hostile. There was a nervousness among the troops while simultaneously an appreciation for the beautiful scenery they were passing. Many of the members of the QAAR had grown up on the islands of Lodja, they tended to be slightly poorer than the mainland with tourism being their main income, that meant many of the youngsters saw a term in the military as there way of escaping the island way of life and potentially climb the social hierarchy that was so important in Lodjain society. Several of the younger boys had spotted villages they wanted to revisit thinking the fishing could be good, a few others sensing chances for some surfing or paddelboarding. At that moment it seemed like the QAAR boys would get quiet an easy posting, roll into a port, do a few patrols and then get some beach time in. As they reached the gates Konstantinov had'nt expected to see the gates locked, neither had he expected to find some workers union of sorts laying down the law to them. When he was asked how they wanted to proceed he thought for a moment. They had no idea how many people they were up against, nor what kinds of weaponry they had. There had been reports of missing military equipment and while it might seem straight forward that a heavily armed Lodjain regiment could take some dock workers without breaking too much of a sweat. He gathered together his senior officers and then the units four APCs fanned out at the various corners of the dock complex. a handful of Alligator vehicles sat amongst them bristling with remote roof mounted weapons systems. Konstantinov headed over towards the fence and waited to see if the representative from the Dockyard Alliance would come over. It took a while and then Kostantinov introduced himself. "We've been invited here by the KASA. We've driven for several hours from Chaudhuri airport and believe me when I say that no one other than KASA is in a position to be doing anything now Bachchan has gone. They've a plan in place that your countryman here can explain but either way this port is needed for the good of your country. Now in terms of what it'll take to get it up and working again is what I need to know. I've a fleet of Lodjain military vessels incoming here, due for about six days time. When they arrive we'll have a substaintial amount of aid to bring ashore and if need be the manpower to bring it ashore ourselves. What I'd like is for you gentleman to help us, you're the experts here and it'll help your nation so much more. Can we come to some arrangement perhaps putting you and youyr members under some kind of contract for this work? Now until that time we're just going to sit out here and wait for our ships to enter Kritamalan water and then we'll need to take steps to make sure that we can do the work we've been sent to."

Besarian had to admit it seemed like Tammana was well prepared even if it wasn't the most confident in terms of delivery. That was something he could handle though as if he was at least getting good information then he could help make decent decisions.  Kenet Zadovik and Besarian chatted a little as the Morelander military officers responded to Tammana. As they finished the Royal Envoy began to speak to their host. "I know that our government will also ensure what resources we can through our membership of the Global Childbirth Initiative will be thrown your way. While the Morelanders are talking of using their assets to secure the capital region I'm going to suggest you permit Lodjain forces to help support securing your largest port. While its fine flying things in here we must also realise that whatever support we put in place is not going to all be able to fit into the back of an aircraft, some stuff the dimensions will simply not permit to be transported by air. As such we'll be needing a port and if you're worried about cities becoming perhaps a little lawless I am assuming, perhaps wrongly, that you'll have a port city somewhere that will need a similar arrangement. We would also think that if everyone is heading back to cities we could potentially have power issues. I'd like to float the idea that we seek out the help of Altona. They are producing many portable nuclear reactors and as such they could fulfil a need here. There is though the issue of the MAEA treaty but the work around is that neither Altona nor Kritamala are members of that treaty and so if we can have any arrangement between those two nations we could potentially make it work."