A Very Lodjain Switch of Policy

[Libby]

Natalya had been Queen for just over a year now and to the average Lodjain nothing much had changed. The chaos of the "civil war" was over and much had been done to bring those responsible to justice, Natalya had rebuilt a government after some were dead, a few missing and question marks hung over the head of several now former ministers. With the train back on the tracks Natalya had been spending a fair bit of time with the Priestess Arina Maksimov. Natalya had always followed Sessifet but was never what could be described as deeply religious, now though she was the Guardian of Sessifet and the goddess, so it was claimed, lived inside her. As such Natalya was determined to make sure she became a fitting Guardian as her people would demand. She was a fast learner and as she learned more of the theology of her native faith she also came to understand a great deal of her nations past and it was clear that they had become distinctively un-Sessifet, at least to her. This therefore would lead to today.

Her morning started when her alarm went off at 6am she had a rather torrid evening of sleep tossing and turning as she wondered what Hahona Mere, her Maori lover, would say. Last night they had dined together and Natalya had informed him of her first plan. It was expected that the Queen would mother several children, hopefully female,  who would aid the Queendom, either entering the Priesthood or as many of Queen Sonya's offspring had done as diplomats. The issue had been though that in subsequent reigns of Viktoriya and Klara there had been a lack of children. Natalya was hopeful of a long reign and while the Lodjians were far from racist the idea of Maori man fathering the off-spring of Sessifet was probably going to be a tough pill to take. Natalya had discussed their future, she loved Hahona but knew one day he would lead an Iwi of the Maori and therefore their futures would likely mean time apart. She though wanted him in her life and so had discovered an aspect of Lodjains darker past that could have put a path forward. In the 1500's the Lodjains had banned slavery but before then it had been custom for the Queen to take as gifts slaves for her bed chamber, when one found a special place in her heart he was named "Holy Consort" and as such was treated well and more importantly for Natalya was permitted to be seen in public with the Queen as her partner. Natalya had asked Arina if such an arrangement was possible without slavery and was thankfully informed it was however there had been none since the ending of that practice. With this explained to Hahona he had not exactly taken it well especially with the connections to slavery and his nations own past. He had been invited to the 8am Conclave meeting and there Natalya hoped he may have an answer. Now all she could do was shower and wait for her Ladies in Waiting to arrive to help her dress.

The Queens suites were at the terminus of a dead end corridor. Eight smaller suites stood before hers, traditionally those doors on the left as your approached the Queens chamber were for the four Ladies in Waiting, those on the right had two furthest away from the Queens door reserved for honoured guests, the two closest for her Lord of the Conclave and Head of Security. The corridor was guarded by two men at all times and these were from a very selective group of soldiers, they knew many of the coming and goings of the powerful and discretion was important and gossip was largely the fuel of the Lodjain Court. The door of Lady Jasmina opened. She was the most senior of the Ladies in Waiting and therefore closest to the Queen. The two guards were not surprised that it was actually the Morelander Peter Kade, cousin of King David, who backed out as though quietly trying to leave unnoticed, rather ironic with the guards at the far end. "Stay" a sweet female voice whispered as Jasmina grabbed his tie.

"I can't" the Morelander said his face turning red as one of the guards turned and gave a respectful "Good Morning Sir" type nod. "I've got that meeting the Queen called at 8 and I have to speak with Northfort first." He explained as Jasmina grabbed his tie and pulled him towards her planting a kiss on his cheek.

"Ten minutes" she pressed against him in her fluffy white robe. "Its not like the Queens going to turn up without me helping her first. Ten minutes" she pleaded but Peter, his face now feeling like it was burning gently removed her hand, kissed her cheek and then apologising to her left. As he passed the guards he heard her door close and he said to the guards, "Just arranging things for the Festival of Sail." he said by way of explaining his presence in the room despite their affair being only the second worst kept secret in the Palace after the Queen's own love-life.

"Of course Sir, enjoy your day Sir" one of the guards, a Sergeant in the newly formed Queen's Honour Guard Regiment said trying top keep his face straight as the Morelander headed off to his own chamber within the Palace, likely to change into a new white shirt that didn't have lipstick on the collar.

As Jasmina headed back into her room there was a knock on her internal door, each of the Ladies Rooms had internal doors meaning they could move between their neighbours without exiting into the main corridor and also Jasmina could enter directly into the Queens. Jasmina opened the door to Tonya her 2nd in command of the Queens Ladies. Tonya was already dressed for the day. "10 minutes? Thats all you wanted?" She teased.

"I think thats all he could handle." Jasmina joked as she headed for her bathroom. "He's a gentleman but not exactly red hot lover material" she confessed. "He's useful though, the favourite cousin of King David, can't hurt to keep him happy. I mean he's not an Emperor." She laughed as she looked at Tonya.

"Just doing my bit for the Queendom" Tonya waited for her boss to get herself a shower and dressed in the plain blue dress that was uniform for the Ladies. As first Zhenya and then Svetlana joined them they quickly ate breakfast and then knocked on the Queens door which opened pretty quickly. As always Natalya was practically ready, she had grown up without the trappings of servants that many rich Lodjain nobles had the advantage of having grown up in the Commonwealth of the Iwi. She needed help with the pale blue and gold dress that much like the Ladies in Waiting formed her own uniform. It had a sewn in scarf, elaborate cuffs and then of course there was her hair. By 7:30am she was ready and Svetlana, the least senior Lady in Waiting, informed the guards they were ready. Two more guards appeared and having saluted the Queen the Ladies formed a kind of protective square around the Queen while the guards then formed a diamond around them. They headed off towards the Grand Council Chamber, a room close to the entrance of the palace which despite its name could seat only 50 or so people, governments of Lodja being rather streamlined compared to many. Natalya was nervous as she walked, what she was about to tell the assembled people would have a big impact on the Queendom.

"Make way for the Queen" the Sergeant of the guard periodically yelled as the morning hustle and bustle of the Palace's corridors potentially blocked the way. Several people made their way to the sides of the corridor and bowed to the Queen as she passed wishing her a good day, several asked for a moment of time, often with envelopes in their hand but the Queen ignored these as the Ladies in Waiting, going in reverse order of seniority, would hurry and collect them before trying to gracefully run back into position. Most of these letters were from nobles asking for blessings for daughters to marry, a tradition that meant the Ladies in Waiting essentially sent a standard response letter, a few were from foreign ambassadors asking for meetings which Jasmina would schedule and then arrange. A few people the Queen did stop and speak to so that by 8am she stood at the door. Inside where her current Conclave, people holding royal titles thanks to connections to Queen Sonya and Queen Viktoriya, a few hand picked ambassadors and the leading Priestesses.

"Ready Your Divine Majesty?" Jasmina asked as she reached towards the door handle.

"Yes....no.....lets go" Natalya said and Jasmina did her best to give her a reassuring smile before pushing the door open. The sound of seats moving as people stood knowing what was about to happen filled the corridor. Jasmina waited for the sound to stop. "Her Divine Majesty, Guardian of Sessifet, Queen Natalya of Lodja has arrived" Jasmina announced, stepped aside to allow her four soldier escort in and then the Queen followed with her remaining Ladies behind. She looked around the room checking that everyone she needed was here and satisfied that they were she took her seat trying to gauge the look on the face of Hahona who was sat in the second row among several other ambassadors. Realising she needed to begin she gave a small cough, "Thank you for coming, I am bringing you good and bad news. Good news is that I am introducing reforms to make Lodja a stronger nation, the bad news is for some of you......you will not like what I am to say but you will accept it." 

[Libby]

Lubos Kubik may be getting on in years but that wasn't going to stop him doing what he had most days since he'd been sixteen. He started the day with a egg white omelette, glass of milk and a quick blast of cardio. He may be 75 years of age but the two guardsman who accompanied him on his short "Scuttle" around the Palace grounds were also breathing heavily by the time they finished. "Same time tomorrow gentleman"  Lubos bumped fists with each of them, "assuming I'm not sacked."

"Not a chance sir!" One of them said confidently.

"Thanks Pavel" Lubos entered his rooms, a lounge, bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and office served as his home on the Isle of the Goddess and it was decorated as befitting the Lord of the Conclave. His Queen had informed him three days ago that she was going to address the Conclave and a large crowd of assembled guests but beyond that had given him no details. His job was to advise the Queen, to conduct discussions deemed too mundane for her to attend and generally take the load of her shoulders. He was good at it. He had been a commander of a Regiment for thirty years under the old military system where a persons wealth and status mattered more than actual sound military knowledge, back then it had been possible to quiet literally buy promotions yet under his father Lubos had been made to serve first as a Private, then a Liutenenant and then slowly work his way up. When his father became ill he did jump a few ranks to General and Lubos was proud that during all his time in command not as much as a single round of ammunition ever went missing. Those were the glory days of military corruption and Lubos had heard all manner of horror stories ranging from noble men taking crates of rifles and using them on hunting weekends to one man even ordering his unit a new helicopter simply to taxi his favourite call girl into his countryside retreat. Now Lubos was proud at the changes that they had made, he'd first served as Minister of Defence and had spent hour upon hour personally visiting military establishments making sure people where following the reforms they had made. First Viktoriya had called in the Morelanders, then Klara had given them even more free reign and now under Natalya it would appear the reforms were almost complete. There was one huge indication of that, one of her first decrees had been to consign the "Warriors of Gaia", the royal guard, to the past. The unit had failed in their duty to protect the Isle of the Goddess and several had even joined the rebel King Leopolds army. Now the Queen's Honour Guard Regiment stood in their place, a new unit created with only those who had completed the new East Moreland commanded training regime. So far the unit had been doing a good job and the two men who joined Lubos on his run were fine soldiers, or at least Lubos had that impression and he prided himself on being a good judge of character.

His morning routine over he donned his favourite dark blue suit with thin grey pin stripes. His wife Brigette handed him his briefcase, kissed him goodbye and watched him walk away down the corridor discussing last nights boxing that had been on TV. Like everyone else he had no idea what the Queen would be saying but he had a good feeling. In the short time Natalya had been Queen she'd seemed positive, and decisive something Viktoriya and Klara had failed to do instead referring everything to the Conclave. Natalya of course did so too but normally she had all but made a decision on most things. It was the day to day matters that the Conclave now dealt with, something Lubos believed was its actual purpose. He entered the room and shook hands with friends, they mused over what it was. Lubos expected some kind of marriage plan that would see that Maori officer named as a future King. Lubos would have mixed feelings on that. On one hand having a foreign King who did not worship Sessifet would be in his eyes a problem however Lubos had got to know Hahona and actually liked him. When the young Maori army officer walked in it surprised Lubos, if it was a marriage announcement then surely he'd arrive with Natalya. When ambassadors and priestesses began arriving Lubos realised this was not going to be a normal announcement.

Lady Jasmina entered the room indicating that the Queen couldn't be too far behind. The room hushed and stood as the announcement of formalities was made. The Queen entered and Lubos bowed to her and then when permitted took his seat.

"Thank you for coming, I am bringing you good and bad news. Good news is that I am introducing reforms to make Lodja a stronger nation, the bad news is for some of you......you will not like what I am to say but you will accept it." Natalya said confidently. Lubos leaned forward in his chair, he had no idea what would come next but what he was sure of was that everyone in the rooms attention had been grabbed.

[Libby]

Alana Tar may have had the title of Princess but she was no relation to Queen Natalya. She held the title simply by being the youngest sister of former Queen, Viktoriya Tar. The family was one of the most respected in Lodja, their respect dated back so far that one of the islands of Lodja was even named after their family. Since her sister tragic death Alana meanwhile had faced a life a kind of limbo. On one hand she was shown great respect everywhere she went, on the other she had no control over aspects of her life, any job would need to be approved by the Queen, any potential husband approved by the Queen, even her place of residence. It was sad that her life had kind of been lost in the chaotic shuffle that had been the last few years of life in Lodja. She had managed to get herself to University on the Isle of Tar which had all but become her refuge. She graduated last summer with her degree in Music and had spent the time since enjoying the beaches of the beautiful island as well as helping establish the Tar Musical Library, a huge depository of musical manuscripts, recordings and even instruments. It was her hope the Library would have pleased her now deceased sister Viktoriya. Things had been made even worse for her once it had been discovered her mother, Duchess Helene Tar, had betrayed Queen Klara and sided with Leopold Hamsik. Now things had settled down she'd been largely ignored even more than before. She had therefore been surprised that she had been contacted and asked to attend this meeting.

The morning of the meeting she had been escorted to the Isle of the Goddess by the Air Force after being flown in from the Isle of Tar. It was nice to see the capital again and she hoped to find time to catch up with some old friends once they had done, assuming she was allowed to. She was nervous what the summons had meant but upon arriving she relaxed a little, she was escorted into the Conclave room and found herself sat alongside Princess Anfisa, a great-grandaughter of Queen Sonya, a few of the other descendants of Sonya sat further down the row but largely ignored her. Anfisa gave her a small hug once seated and engaged her in small talk until the Queen was announced. The Princesses stood and gave a courtesy as Natalya entered and sat once the Queen signalled people may do so.

Natalya looked around the room and once it had gone silent nodded to a man in a smart suit by the door who turned on a video camera. Once satisfied this was being recorded the Queen began, "Thank you for coming, I am bringing you good and bad news. Good news is that I am introducing reforms to make Lodja a stronger nation, the bad news is for some of you......you will not like what I am to say but you will accept it." There were nervous glances and a few whispered words. "First I will reinforce, we are a nation that belongs to Sessifet. Devotion to the Goddess and her teachings must be and will be the centre of everything I do. That though does not mean other faiths have anything to fear. Sessifet recognised herself that other Gods existed, those of you following other Gods have merely yet to make the discovery of the truth of Sessifet, and that is OK, I will pray that one day you will embrace the Goddess and I know she will embrace you. The problem we have had is that over the last four centuries or so we've seen people steer us away from the Goddess as corrupt men and women manipulated the Goddess for feathering their own beds. That will end. I have always been a person with faith but no knowledge, thanks to Arina Maksimov's crash course in the teachings of the Priesthood I believe I am now capable of seeing our errors clearly." She paused, took a deep breath and noticed a fair few where nodding. He saw in the crowd Maria Shvets , another relatively young Priestess who had gained prestige within the faith, she smiled at Natalya and nodded approvingly which helped Natalya continue.

"Sessifet fought a war against the Gods who tried to corrupt us and won, as such she set up a hierarchy, she set up a system designed to have those with the ability to support those in need of guidance, help and love to do so. We have had the Patrician and Plebeian arrangement as a result and that will not change as Sessifet still needs those of us sat here to take our roles. What has changed is how we mark time, people live longer, people have more ways of making a difference to their nation and as such I will be making a route to Patricianhood even easier. One way I will do that is by creating a series of titles, these will allow me to elevate those who have shown they have made the progress to be able to support the ideas of Sessifet to attain Patricianhood immediately." A few of the Dukes looked a little concerned, would they lose land to these newly titled people whoever they were?

"Secondly I am tired of seeing the patricians exploiting the Plebians. We see laws that have been manipulated to allow our class to extort money from those less fortunate. We see, potentially even people in this room, who have taken money from businesses in their infancy to allow them to operate and then just sat back knowing full well they fail. I intend to pass a decree that means no Patrician may now take money in return for allowing a Plebeian to operate a business. Instead you may only take shares up to 10%, this as a result means if you want money you have to help the company grow. Far too many of you have not concerned yourself with growing our economy just your own bank balance." Dragan Knežević couldn't help but nod his head with a broad smile. He had served as finance minister for several years under Viktoriya and then for a while Klara and during all that time he'd pushed for similar reforms now it seemed once he'd "retired" back to his home town of Noginsk things were going to happen.

"I am also disgusted at how we sometimes hold love to ransom. We have the power to block the plebeians from marrying. While I am aware many marry not just for love but for what the marriage can bring to families. Many Plebians have found a route out of poverty and obscurity by simply having a daughter marry into an influential family. I am not going to stop that but once more things must change. Once any Plebian reaches the age of 23 they marry without permission of a Patrician. It will deemed as though I have granted them permission, so long as they can find a Priestess to conduct the ceremony. Sessifet promotes beauty and love above all and we can not stand in the way of that."

The Queen was now heading for what would be the most controversial part of her speech. "In the beginning of the Queendom we did our best to emulate the ways of Sessifet. It was then in the 17th Century Duke Vitali Eramenko corrupted our ways. He used his influence with the military to make himself the effective Queen-Marker of Lodja and from that point on he manipulated our way to make a mockery of our name, Queendom. I am the embodyment of Sessifet, I am a leader, I am a woman, I may sound arrogant but I'm a beautiful woman and above all else I am determined. Sessifet is the strongest power in the Universe and I will channel that power. Women originally were the line of inheritance, now it has become the way that noble titles pass down the male line, that is now over. I will not throw families into turmoil by stating this starts immediately. Once a title of nobility has passed twice it shall head down the female blood line. I will maintain, as far as practical a Conclave of 50/50 but not by sacrificing quality. I will look for similar status within all government controlled spheres, it will take many generations but the balance of Sessifet will be restored. Leadership of this nation has for the past four years been chaotic, first the assassination of Viktoriya, then the rebellion against Klara and now me, none of us knew we would be Queen, none of us expected to be Queen. Look at our friends in nations such as East Moreland, they know one day Princess Rhiannon will sit upon their throne and the ten year old child is already more versed in how to be a leader than many people in this room. I will not and can not make Lodja a hereditary monarchy, it goes against the very faith of Sessifet. What I can do though is make sure that whoever Sessifet picks is prepared. I am therefore making some changes. Originally our texts tell us Queens were given the throne at 14, then life expectancy was much much younger, then it became 16, and then 18. I am therefore changing this again to 21. I am also making it the case that each year on the anniversary of a Queen's coronation they will name a successor for the next 12 months, should anything happen to the Queen then that girl will inherit the throne, no ifs or buts, as such we shall have a smooth transition. Should she accept I am naming Princess Alana Tar as the Crown Princess, she will be my heir for the next 12 months should she accept." Alana had not been warned of this and now she felt Anfisa grip her hand reassuringly as she felt a sense of surprise and panic. "Viktoriya was a strong Queen who would have made us a great nation, if her sister is half the person her older sister was then Lodja would have a great Queen. Alana has spent years understanding the workings of government expecting one day to be unleashed as a diplomat for our nation." Natalya turned to face Alana, "We shall speak upon this this afternoon." It was worded not as a request but an order and Alana just mouthed her acceptance. Natalya turned back to the audience, "To prepare for the future I am also taking a page from the Bene Gesserit book. We shall be opening a school for girls dedicated to ensuring the future Queen is ready. It will be open initially at the age of 4 to any noble girl, at the age of 16 they shall sit exams and those considered to be both intelligent and beautiful will proceed to further study until degree level at the age of 21. Once at that age all girls graduating shall be offered roles within the government in some form. The school shall begin in September with an intake for a University standard for 18 to 21 year olds and our first intake of four year olds. Over time the school shall expand and become one of the leading institutes not just in Lodja but the world. This is a matter I have been preparing for several months and I am proud to announce that we have secured respected East Moreland scholar Dr. Maddie Howard to establish the first year and then ensure the leadership is handed over to a scholar approved by the High Priestess. This brings me to my final message. Klara declared herself the High Priestess, this is not appropriate. I am the Guardian of Sessifet, she lives inside me but at times hearing what she tells me and understanding it is difficult. There must be a voice to help guide me, as such I will hand that title back to the actual Priesthood, it will be no surprise therefore that I appoint Arina Maksimov to that role. The role will assume similar standards to the Queens position. Only a graduate of the new school may assume the position and furthermore the incumbent will select a non-related successor, this successor will remain successor once approved by the Queen until such a time as the High Priestess selects a different successor. With no school present I will choose the first successor and that shall be Maria Shvets, between the two of these ladies our faith has been secure in troubling times and I thank them on behalf of the nation." A small round of applause in appreciation rippled around the room.

"There shall be decrees confirming all of this in the coming day. For now I will not be taking meetings. I wish you all well." The Queen turned and keen to be respectful people hurried to their feet understanding that the Queen was leaving. As Natalya left she could already hear people discussing what she had said. Duke Lubos was the only noble who was permitted to follow her.

"Your Divine Majesty" he called after her, she stopped and turned, "I know it was not discussed but you spoke of changes in the Conclave, if you desire it I will tender my resignation immediately. I think your proposals are ones I can support but I understand if you need your own choice. I serve at your pleasure." Natalya walked up to him and placed a hand on his large arm.

"Your still going to lead the Conclave, it'll just be a very different Conclave. You are quiet literally our nations rock Lubos, we'll speak tomorrow. For today relax." The Queen turned and accompanied by her entourage headed off to begin the considerably large amount of paperwork she'd just created for herself.

[Libby]

The summer was fading into a mild early autumn in Gaia. The leaves on the trees had yet to make their change but the winds off the Alucard had begun to take on a rather brisk feel rather than the pleasant coolness they had provided just a few weeks previously. The Palace of the Goddess was a hive of activity as always but it seemed busier now as the chaotic summer ball schedule was over and people returned to the Isle in order to be seen to be at the centre of Lodjain society. Natalya half consciously turned in bed half expecting herself to roll into the comfortable embrace of Hahona Mere but her arm falling through thin air her mind caught up. It had now been over a month since she had seen him and it seemed an endless military exercise had taken the Maori Liutenants attention because there had been very little communication from him despite her best efforts. Ever since they'd discussed a future together that was incompatible with each of their circumstances things had seemingly changed and now as the realisation she was alone dawned on her it made her heart sink. The path she was going to have to walk was one that she knew would see her having to make compromises between her own happiness and her duty to her people but she had held out a hope that somehow there would be a way forward with Hahona. She sighed and sat up. She could see the light just beginning to creep above the horizon through a feint crack in her curtains. Soon the door adjoining her Chief Lady in Waitings room would open and Jasmina would come in with todays outfit and hopefully some breakfast, Natalya could feel her stomach rumbling as she let her eyes adjust to the new day.

As if one cue the door opened and the flame haired Jasmina entered carrying a tray of toast and various condiments. There was of course the usual morning gossip. Which ladies had been spotted in the company of which noble, which foreign ambassadors had been in one of the bars and who had been coming and going. Jasmina in many ways was better than any spy could be and the information she knew was often helpful to Natalya in order to arrange her day. Today though the news wasn't as great as she'd hoped as it appeared the Maori had sent an official ambassador. Previously Hahona had been classed as an envoy and the fact he was a Chief's son had bagged him rooms on the Isle, not that he'd ever really used them. Now it seemed the Maori were shuffling their pack. A new ambassador meant a small ceremony would be necessary in the throne room. That was the first order of business after a quick shower, a few slices of toast and the donning of the traditional pale blue and gold dress. The Queen meet her other three ladies outside her room and together with her escort made her way to the throne room. Several well wishers lined the Palace corridors to try and speak with the Queen but she was this morning in a particular single minded mood to get this done with. Tonya dealt with those wishing to present letters to the Queen asking for things such as marriage blessings, business proposals and requests for the Queen to attend events. A small red velvet bag saw the letters tucked inside as she hurried to catch up.

Inside the throne room a wooden throne sat atop of six stone steps, several other chairs donned the other steps but today they were all empty. Some days they'd be for the King, if there ever was one, then any other husbands, next would be Princes and Princesses and then various chairs for the Conclave, military command and the like. Once sat the crowd, a handful of people with various approved in person requests to meet the Queen, settled down the Queen waited for the new Maori ambassador to be announced. Once he had been he walked forward, his official credentials in his hand. He was the brother of one of the Chiefs and as such would be treated as one might a Duke from somewhere like East Moreland. The Queen made a show of looking at the letter which was the usual ceremonial waffle from King Piripi and then the Queen motioned for Jasmina to hand her a pen. "I'm delighted to officially declare you as recognised as your nations ambassador. I hope you enjoy your stay in the Queendom." She signed the letter, proof for all that the new ambassador belonged on the Isle and a letter that would trigger the Master of Chambers to allocate a room, no doubt Hahona's old one. Before the ambassador backed away the Queen felt words suddenly jump out of herself. "How is the former Envoy?" she enquired. She suspected their romance had been no secret back in the Commonwealth.

"He is well, as far as I know, he's busy conducting some military training of some kind but sorry I can't be specific as I'm unsure exactly what it is they're up to." There was then some hesitation, the ambassador knew this would come up at some point in what he had hoped were the next few weeks to give him time to get accustomed to the courts ways but not being honest would be a worse impression and so nervously he continued. "I am also informed that his father is currently in negotiations with the Chief of the Ngati Tereawaiana Iwi for his marriage." The Queen did her best not to look like she was about to burst into tears. She took several deep breaths and noticed Jasmina concerned look.

"Wish him well on our behalf" Natalya said, "I'm sorry but I must deal with a matter" She stood and the crowd bowed their heads as the Queen walked briskly out the room, across the corridor and into her private office followed by Jasmina who just wrapped Natalya up in her arms as the Queen began to cry.

[Libby]

Imants Kozlov was used to extravagant requests. When you were the manager of the Labyrinth nightclub in Gaia it was part of the territory. The club was perhaps the most well known nightspot in Gaia and on any given night there was a huge number of celebrities frequenting its four floors of beach front opulence. If you were not lucky enough to know the right people it could take as long as six months to get your name on the guest list or you could take a gamble and just turn up and should the door staff deem you to have passed their largely arbitrary fashion dress code check wait for someone to leave. The line to get in was "one out, one in" and often that was even more desirable than some of the other clubs that were strung along the Zolotoye Naberezhnaya, or Golden Promenade. They opened at 9pm and at 6pm there had been "the" phone call. At first Kozlov had thought it was perhaps a wind up but when two large suited men arrived just after the phone call. They had introduced themselves with a flip of a shiny gold badge as members of the Queen's security detail and that the Queen was intending to come that evening with an entourage. Kozlov knew that potentially the night could become chaos, one the up side the Queen attending his club would be a PR coup, lots of people would see it and the Labyrinth would become even more well known however on the down side it would come with a lot of disruption. The Security detail quickly put one of the bars out of commission, it wasn't completely separate but with a few boths arranged to one side around its own small dance floor security could effectively rope the area off. That area though was one of the most popular  spots within the club but there was not much Kozlov could say.

The plan was all part of Jasmina's attempts to cheer up the Queen. During the past few weeks Natalya had been visibly down, the news of Hahona's impending nuptials had upset her. While she had been clear their relationship would need to change she had hoped they could somehow find a way to be together but it was now clear that dream was impossible and so Jasmina believed copious amounts of Vodka, Beyonce music and a good old boogie was the cure. There would be a whole entourage going with them and the traditional "uniform" was off the table. The Queen, her four Ladies in Waiting and various other noble women of the Isle had spent the afternoon getting ready and at 9pm the job was done. Semyon Lenin, the head of the Queens security detail, was not happy about the arrangement but having lost the argument with Jasmina he had insisted that a boat take them to as close to the Labyrinth as possible. A crowd was already waiting to get in and as the royal party arrived camera phones relayed the moment across Lodja by social media. The Queen wearing a little black dress gave a small glance at the crowd as Kozlov welcomed her and showed her to the area they'd reserved. The night started sedately enough with the eight or so girls ordering bottles of vodka yet by midnight things were getting more rowdy. Zhenya and Tonya had taken it upon themselves to go find people to "party" with the royals and soon a plethora of celebs, influencers and guys they thought were hot had been invited to join them. Each had been searched prior to getting anywhere near the Queen but with bottles of Champagne, shots and cocktails freely flowing towards their tables no one seemed to mind. Natalya was actually enjoying herself. She'd had a dance with friends, enjoyed several cheeky cocktails and even had the chance to meet some musicians she liked. "Your Majesty" Zhenya reappeared through the crowd. "I think you might know Kyrylo Stasiuk" she had lead a tall man with blonde hair and deep blue eyes through security. The name rang a bell to the Queen but she couldn't think why. "His mother is Ekaterina Stasiuk, Duchess of Potaki. The penny dropped with Natalya, Ekaterina was the head of a large company that owned hotels across Mundus, her daughter Oksana, for a short time at least, had been a Queen of Royal Seleucid.

"Nice to meet you Your Majesty" Kyrylo bowed deeply admiring the Queen as he did so. "Thank you for inviting me to join your little party." He added as he looked around.

"You're more than welcome" a slightly intoxicated Queen responded, she lifted a glass of champagne of the tray and handed it to Kyrylo. "Join me for a drink?" She asked and dutifully he of course did. Soon after the Queen and Kyrylo were splashed across social media as people at first were puzzled by who the man dancing with her was and the who it was the Queen was seen boarding the boat back to the Isle with. It was like Lodjian social media was more effective in working out people's identities than any national intelligence service as some several hundred kilometers inland from Gaia the Duchess of Potaki smiled seeing her heading back home with the Queen. Perhaps if her son played his cards right the Stasiuk's could once again consider themselves a royal family, but for now it couldn't hurt that Kyrylo was seemingly on the Queen's good side.