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International News Networks / Re: Tytorian Broadcasting Service (TBS)
« on: May 05, 2024, 10:11:30 PM »Tytorian Broadcasting Service
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Rokkenjiman Empress Announces Breakup on Instagram
TSARGRAD - Fans of the budding romance between Rokkenjima's Empress Asuna and Tytor's Thomas Waverly-Edwards, the Earl of Eastwood, had their hopes dashed this weekend by a post the Empress made on Instagram on Friday. In the post, which went live just after 6 PM in Tytor, the Empress announced, "I am single." She continued, "I just realized maybe no, I'm not ready to tie myself down. I'm only just an adult, let me make some mistakes."
This announcement comes as some surprise to watchers of the royal family, as the Empress and the Earl of Eastwood had been seen together less than a week ago, shortly before the earl departed Rokkenjima aboard HTMS Agility, the frigate on which he has been stationed as a midshipman, with no indication given of strain in their relationship. Due to his deployment, the Earl of Eastwood could not be reached for comment, and the Admiralty declined to comment on what it called "the love life of a regular commissioned officer". The office of the Prime Minister similarly declined to comment.
Reached for comment, the Rokkenjiman embassy in Tsargrad gave TBS a statement which it authorized for full publication: "It is not the policy of Her Imperial Majesty's Diplomatic Service to comment on the personal life of the Empress, nor on statements shared via social media. As per the operating policies and guidelines of HIMDS only those statements which are shared via Chrysanthemum Throne itself are regarded as legitimate for the purposes of this office. As Chrysanthemum Throne has not made a statement on this matter one way or the other it would thus be inappropriate to comment on the matter further. Once such a statement has been made we will consult with Chrysanthemum Throne.
"In official talks with the Imperial Palace the Embassy has been instructed to relay the continued importance of the Rokkenjiman-Tytorian special relationship despite what it views as a temporary passage through disturbed waters."
With the relationship between the Empress of Rokkenjima and the Earl of Eastwood now in the past, TBS asked Tsargrad Times pollster and foreign policy analyst Mark Ashland for comment. "This smacks of damage control," Ashland says, when asked about the Rokkenjiman embassy's statement, "Obviously the diplomats can't comment publicly as long as the Imperial Palace is silent, but even a blind man could see how damaging this will be to popular perceptions of Rokkenjima here in Tytor.
"As of the most recent polls, published last month," he continues, "Empress Asuna had a favorability rating nearing eighty percent, with much of that resting on the popularity of her romance with the unfortunate Earl of Eastwood. With the relationship terminated so abruptly, I can't imagine her popularity in Tytor ever reaching those heights again."
While the long-term impact of the breakup remains to be seen, there have been reports that Prime Minister Madeline Thatcher summoned the Rokkenjiman ambassador to her office on Saturday morning. These reports, which TBS has not independently verified, suggest that the news caught the Prime Minister by surprise, and that the summoning was intended as a way for her to express her displeasure at being left out of the loop, as it were.
Ashland suggests that these reports make it clear that the special relationship between Tytor and Rokkenjima is in danger of imminent collapse. "Here we have a personal relationship that symbolizes the international one between the two major cross-straits powers," he says, "And the Empress throws it away without any warning to the Tytorian government. That doesn't make it look like Rokkenjima sees Tytor as its equal on the global stage, and that bodes ill for the long-term viability of our bilateral relations."