Chancellor Elize Berenberg was having a hard time trying to sleep, more specifically as in regaining well-needed sleep; twisting and twirling in bed, and trying methods such as counting sheep didn't clearly have a notable effect on her. Her life had up to one year ago gone exactly as she planned and wanted it to be, ever since she received the ability to think as an independent, willfull woman with a strong character; no one could've perhaps expected that a woman of her poor background could end up becoming the undisputed leader of the People's Party and the coalition they were running alongside their more outspoken, eccentric Progress allies. On top of that, become the second female in Swastria's political arena to become the next Chancellor of Aranye's 'Pearl'. However, a life such as hers could've gone unnoticed without a pitiful disaster, of course not otherwise there wouldn't have been any excitement, right?
As Elize was lying there in main bedroom of the
Swastrian Federal Chancellery building, situated at central square in Wittburg known as 'Ballhausplatz', a synecdoche for the seat of power, she turned her gaze from the ceiling directly to the left side of bed. Her husband Richard was supposed to be lying there, acting as her dearest friend, loyal husband and passionate soul mate til' the end, but alas the end unfortunately came much sooner than expected and in a crude, cold form. The thing about cancer is that the success rate of one surviving, is if one's able to get medical treatment as early as possible as soon as it had been discovered. That proved to be the opposite for Mr. Berenberg who ended up spending his final days in palliative care, with his beloved family right by his, especially the two children in their twenties who he had raised up diligently as much as possible alongside the wife, who held his hand and uttering sentences that everything was going to be alright for them and all other assurances, with him stuttering the final words: "I love you too..."
Naturally Chancellor Berenberg tried to move on and focus on her duty towards her family and the country, but it was hard still even if it had gone some time since the state funeral which was held in his honorable memory he had done for his nation as a Banker; it was thanks to him that her status was brought up considerably into the upper spheres, his family was part of a long lineage of bankers and merchants operating at least since the times and in league with the Goughs, who happened to be the royal family of both Huisslandia and Swastria. Of all the women in her significant position, why was her family chosen by the Grim Reaper to suffer a heartbreaking loss she asked herself from time to time. She couldn't be bothered to book sessions with a shrink, it wasn't needed anyway in her opinion as her mental state didn't affect her working performance although there was a time when many including her own party expected her to resign considering the long effects it could've had on her after experiencing a devastating loss. In the end she persevered and continued to the best of her abilities carry her duties forward; perhaps all that she needs is a new man in her life to keep her company, comfort her and all that jazz.
In any case, as she looked at her watch reading 3 AM, a phone situated on a bedside desk on her opposite side rang. For many it would have been somewhat inappropriate to receive a phone call that early in the morning, but due to the fact that Elize was clearly awake and thus didn't matter much, as well as being the Chancellor like any other high level position required to take heed of important inquiries and emergencies, it was perfectly normal. She straightened her back on a giant pillow and picked up the phone: "Good morning to you too...It's alright, was quite awake already...Oh I see...Well I'm sure our Huisslander hosts wouldn't mind a bit of extra delay, after all we're keeping some of their questionable assets safely hehe, let's not use the plane unless it's urgent...Great, alright I'll catch you later, bye." It was per an environmental practice that as much as possible, the Swastrian government members would use the train lines instead of flight services when heading out for state visits to nearby countries in Aranye, as well as a political statement being made that the Swastrian trains were something to be cherished and prized for. An delay popped up due to the unexpected snowy weather which could be seen directly outside the Chancellery's windows, an endless amount turning every surfare into a silky white texture, and one had to wait until the storm itself calmed down a little.
The Chancellor stood up from her bed, put on her slippers and headed into the nearby bathroom. She put on some tap water and refreshed her face, taking a longer look of herself in the mirror: Elise clearly aged naturally as time progressed but thanks to a healthy conciousness of exercise, diet and natural creams that was considered to be an important aspect of Swastrian daily life, she managed to retain the finer features that caught the gazes of any man, especially her deceased husband. "Right, it's about time to head out there in the winter wonder land." she said, as the Chancellor went into the bedroom again and basically dressed up in her attire suitable for taking a jog, which she undertook every time sleep didn't come to her immediately and helped her relax and collect her mind together. The government-issued bodyguards were pretty much expecting this to be the case as they already prepared themselves by the Chancellery's entrance. With a few words of 'Let's Roll', Elise and her protective entourage began their leisurely early morning jog in the nearby quarters of wintery capital of Wittburg, planning to return after an hour or so for a filling Swastrian breakfast including
Bircher Müesli,
Butterbrot and coffee. With those first ordinary tasks of the day set in mind, the Chancellor was looking forward to the Huisslandian visit and what it would entail to begin with.
