Pastorale

[Holy Frankish Empire]

The next afternoon, Felix sat across from his bodyguard, Josef. Felix leaned forward and sliced off a peice of cheese from the small block in front of him. They sat in a quiet restaurant, waiting for their meal to arrive. They both were dressed in a relaxed fashion, slacks and blazers. Felix reclined, popping the cheese into his mouth. He frowned. "Goat cheese. How awful." Potenza had fantastic food but the cheese Felix found to be horrid. Josef looked out the large window and motioned with his head. "It appears as though we have extra company". The one car they had been assigned had magically become two. The four officers in the first car leaned against it despite the November chill talking and laughing, hardly paying attention. But the second car. The second car had a single man who watched them very closely through the window. "We are meant to leave today" said Felix. Josef nodded even though he already knew. Their food had arrived and they eagerly began to eat. They sipped the potent wine. "What are we going to do about this headstrong fellow?" asked Josef quietly. "If we give him the slip, it will be hard to do. He does not seem like another flat foot" said Josef coolly. Josef had been a paratrooper and was a member of Karlovia's secret police arm of its intelligence service. Now his job was to guard the Prince. The two had become close over the past few years, nearly friends. Felix shurgged. "Let him follow".

The two finished their wine and began driving outside the city. The staff would remain behind and attend a dinner at the Karlovan embassy.

 

[Potenza]

On the coast of the Potenzan Sea, there rested a fancy restaurant known by the simple title of La Trattoria. During the summer, it was a favorite visit of the middle class and wealthy of the Grand Duchy, coming to see the sights and enjoy the nearby beaches. During the winter, when tourism went down, it was the favorite visit of royalty. Now today, there was only one member of Potenzan royalty, sitting at a lone table at the far end of the large room. It was none other than the Countess Francesca della Torre himself. She was wearing a soft green dress that might have seemed strange given the cold of the season, a silk garment that hugged her body with a deep neckline and a split down the side of the skirt, which was showing a large portion of her left leg, which was crossed over the right. She was leaning on the table, waiting patiently for the Prince Felix, who was expected to show up soon.

Standing beside her, wearing a plain, conservative dress that looked like something from the previous century, was a young woman in her early 20's who served as her personal attendant when she was away from the palace. She went by the name Gisella, and bore a pale complexion with wide-set, large eyes of a dark, dark color, with long dark hair that she had in a bun behind her neck, a contrast to Fransceca who had let her hair run down and over her shoulder. Compared to the full figured body of Francesca, Gisella was a plain looking, thin girl with sticks for arms and legs.

"Do you think he will come, my lady?" Gisella asked in a soft, timid voice.

"Of course he will come," Francesca answered curtly.

Gisella bit her lip, whispering, "How do you know?"

Francesca turned her gaze to Gisella and replied with a smile, "Because I am here."

The lights were a dim yellow light, with more light coming in from the huge windows that looked out upon the waves of the Potenzan Sea, rolling against the beach. There was little staff at the restaurant at the time: the host, standing at the front in a fine white suit, awaiting the arrival of Felix and any guests he would have; there were a few chefs in the kitchen, awaiting the initial orders; finally, there was a small group of musicians on a nearby stage - men and women in fine black outfits - playing a soft, slow tune on their stringed instruments. All was set for the arrival of the prince in this large, gorgeous restaurant and resort. Would he arrive?

 

[Holy Frankish Empire]

The small green car carrying the Prince and his companion parked down the street from La Trattoria, determined to make their friendly little escort walk as well. They smiled as they saw Lieutenant Garibaldi pull behind them on the side of the street. The prince, wearing a somewhat casual suit, was unusually casually dressed though he still appeared in good form. Hardly ever in Karlovia would he appear in public in such a manner. Felix remained seated in the car, his face now expressionless. His bodyguard, Josef, exited the car. Tall but unassuming, Josef stepped out of the car and looked both ways; taking in all of the surroundings and looking for anything that may threaten Felix. He strode in a carefree manner towards the car of Lieutenant Garibaldi. Josef approached the car, noticing that the Lieutenant was basically ignoring him. Josef smiled, amused by Garibaldi's move. He bent over and knocked on the window for several seconds before the window was rolled down. "Do you know who I am?" asked Josef in fairly good English. While he wasn't sure if the Lieutenant spoke it, his only other language was Karlovan which was not a 'wordly' language. Still unsure if he understood, Josef continued, "I was once a police officer..........not like you, no. My job was a lot more observation; much like you're doing at the moment. Now my job is to protect him from all threats" he said pointing at the car in which Felix sat. "I just wanted to share a thought with you. Sometimes as a government employee such as you or I, you have a duty to do, but you must also walk the tight rope of politics. You may notice that Felix has no authority whatsoever in this country" said Josef, taking a Karlovan 2 dollar note from his pocket and holding it in front of him. Prince Felix appeared on all coins but only the 2 and 5 dollar notes. The two dollar note featured a small image of him in his coronation regalia. "The man in that car has his face on money. Actual political power or not; one does not have their face on money without power. With power comes influence. For your career's sake, I wouldn't repeat more than is absolutely necessary to your.........handler. Of course this conversation never happened" said Josef, jamming the note back in his pocket and nodding to the car. Felix, watching in the rear view mirror exited the car.

 

[Potenza]

Garibaldi had been greatly surprised by the confrontation of the prince's personal bulldog. He had not been aware of Prince Felix's exact power, let alone that Felix's face was on Karlovian money. As Josef made his way back to Felix's vehicle and the two men proceeded towards the building, several thoughts ran through Garibaldi's mind. He thought about his clean record with the Law Enforcement Ministry. He thought about the rumors of his possible promotion to captain, taking over a precinct in the San Salvo division. He thought about his wife, who was close to the expected birth of their child. At the same time, how much danger was he really in? He had been personally assigned to this task by Count Niccolo Grimaldi, considered by some to be the second-most powerful man in the Grand Duchy, just between the Grand Duke and Prime Minister. Surely he would defend any attack against his career. And how could a Karlovian politician make matters bad for someone living in Potenza? Still the possibility perhaps was there.

The lieutenant took out his notepad and a small pencil, jotting down notes. He recorded that, at this time, Prince Felix of Karlovia had arrived at La Trattoria at this location, and didn't write anything else. He didn't quite have it confirmed that the Countess Francesca della Torre was inside, though that was a possibility...but until he saw her, he would play dumb and imagine the prince was just going for a meal. Still, he also wanted to play it safe, in case that large brute beside the prince got any ideas. He got on his radio, calling in for some of the officers under his command to join him at the location...

As soon as Prince Felix entered, he was greeted by the cordial host, who walked from his podium and opened the door for him, "Your royal highness! Benvenuto! Please, come in!" As soon as Prince Felix had entered, the host picked up two menus and motioned towards the large room, "Please, follow me, her royal highness is waiting for you." The host walked Felix into the large, gorgeous room of the restaurant, taking him to the single table where Francesca and her attendant were. The small group of musicians were already playing Symphony No. 40 of a famous Germanic composer, have been alerted to start playing as soon as Felix's car pulled up. When they got to the table, Francesca arose nimbly, the host introducing her: "Her Royal Highness, the Countess Francesca della Torre, sister to His Royal Majesty the Grand Duke." The ease of those words hinted that the host was used to serving nobility."

As the host left them the menus and departed, Francesca held her hand out to the prince, "I am happy to see you, my prince - this is my personal attendant, Gisella. She will mean you no harm, nor will she trouble us."

Gisella looked up at Felix sheepishly and curtsied slightly, but kept her distance and held her tongue.

 

[Holy Frankish Empire]

Felix nodded to the 'help' and quickly turned his attention to his counterpart as Josef took a post at the front of the restaurant while he sipped on some ice water. Felix ordered a vodka and lemonade and smiled at Francesca. "I trust your trip from the city was well?". His smile turned to a frown- "You know I was followed here. A policeman" said Felix sipping his drink as it had just arrived. "Josef" began Felix, motioning his head to the tall man by the front door whose eyes continually scanned the room; "spoke to him. I don't think that the policeman will be a problem but be warned that I think that our little escort goes beyond just security duties". Felix looked over the menu and could not decide. After several minutes of small talk, Felix ordered a chicken breast with white wine sauce. "So what does one do in this town besides eat?" said Felix, starting his second drink with a smile.

 

[Potenza]

"A Carabinieri?" said Francesca as she sat down, using the Potenzan policemen's Tiburan name. "Probably your escort in the grand duchy. Perhaps my brother's crony put him up to it. He won't harm you, I assure you. You should be flattered. You know, Gisella is fond of men in uniform."

At that comment, the attendant giggled a bit and blushed, hiding her face from the two nobles, "My mistress, please." This seemed to bring a smile to Francesca's face, and it was clear that the countess had said that simply to get a reaction from her.

The waiter - wearing a lovely uniform that further betrayed the restaurant's high class status, complete with a handkerchief over his arm - came and took the orders of the two nobles. Prince Felix ordered the chicken breast with white wine sauce, while Countess Francesca ordered a fish filet with squash. The small orchestra beside them was still playing that symphony, some of the musicians eyeing the two with a level of curiosity.

"There is a lovely walkway that goes along the beach near here," Francesca replied as she was poured some red wine, which she happily sipped before continuing, "at evening, it is especially glorious. The sun sets west of here, but the sky is colored beautifully. Perhaps we could walk off our food afterward - is that what my prince was thinking?"

 

[Holy Frankish Empire]

Felix chuckled. "Harm? As in physical harm? I had not the slightest fear. I just do not see why I must be followed around by these gentlemen if I do not wish it so. No harm will come to me. I have Josef and others who would protect me. But why should anyone target me? There are at least 100 Karlovans wealthier than I. I hold little political power. I would venture that perhaps only the occasional person in this nation would even recognize me. Do you know how many reporters met my contingent at the airport? 5. 2 were Karlovan and one was a university publication! I am not bemoaning my position. Merely musing on the fact that anybody outside of Karlovia very much would think to hurt me. I live a quiet life my dear. I have only a few residences, a hunting lodge, and I own a sports car which I am not allowed to drive. I go on the occasional business trip or the occasional diplomatic mission. I live a boring life; I am not even sure why you enjoy my company" said Felix laughing before finishing his third lemonade and vodka.

"If madam desires a walk, madam shall have a walk. I would be ever so delighted!"

 

[Potenza]

Only a few residences, a hunting lodge, and a sports car? Francesca thought to herself, Yes, what a quiet and boring life indeed. How many in the Grand Duchy would kill for even a third of all that. The countess pondered if the prince was attempting to give a passive aggressive brag, or if it was merely his free flowing thoughts, and he wasn't aware of the irony of his wording.

"To quote the Aren bard," said Francesca, pursing her lips, "methinks thou dost protest too much. One Carabinieri, and you throw a fit like a little child. If anything at all were to happen to you, then my brother, who is your host, would be humiliated. How cute you are when you're upset, however." She sipped a cup of tea that the server had brought, adding, "When Prince Christian of Danmark came to our Grand Duchy, he had an entire team of Carabinieri attached to him. I think you have been given a far lighter restraint. Funny thing is..." Francesca rolled her dark eyes up to the ceiling, as if lost in thought over something, "...I believed that Prince Christian came not to see my brother, but to see me...perhaps he has grown a fancy to me...what say you, my prince?"

Outside the restaurant, another vehicle had arrived, and a team of three Carabinieri got out. Garibaldi left his own car, walking over to them. The officers all saluted, and the lieutenant told them to remain in their vehicle and just follow his lead. He then returned to his own vehicle, jotting down a note that his reinforcements had arrived now.

 

[Holy Frankish Empire]

Felix offered a thin smile. "A fit? No my dear. Merely annoyed. You must try to understand I am under some stress. Karlovia will be changing my dear. It will become more than the antiquated weakling it is" said Felix quietly. He ordered a ginger ale, not wanting to drink any more alcohol. He sipped it and frowned. "Madam, what Prince Christian does is of little consequence to me. I barely know the gentleman. If you are attempting a game of jealousy" said Felix, smiling again, "I will not take the bait my dear. If he fancies you that is his issue. You are here now with me, so why should I be concerned? Now, about this walk..."

 

[Potenza]

The notion of Karlovia "changing" caught Francesca's interest. Like most Potenzan royals, she had some interest in geopolitics, especially if it could possibly interest in the Grand Duchy. What sort of change would this detail? Would Karlovia go the route of Danmark and become a major empire, or would she merely seek to resolve internal issues that kept the kingdom from advancing? The only change the Grand Duchy ever feared was that which acted against her own interests, hence the words of Duke Francis II to Prime Minister Luigi Luzzatti in 1898: "We fear change."

"What sort of change do you speak of for Karlovia, my prince?" she asked, and then, standing up and holding out her hand, said, "Perhaps you can tell me on 'this walk' you so desire."

 

[Holy Frankish Empire]

Felix escorted the lady outside. It was a nice night despite the chilly breeze. Felix lit a cigarette and watched the the smoke float with the wind toward the sky. He knew not where to lead her but instead leaned against the railing of the small deck. Josef peered out a window at the two and was casually waved off by Felix. "My dear, Chancellor Beran is a bright man. He is a noble man. This is much we do not agree on but I respect him. His tenure has been a long a noble one but it is over. The Orange Party will remain in power but Beran is done. He is an educator and administrator; not a politician. I have quietly lobbied the correct people. This you understand, does not go anywhere. I have few rights as monarch. I am restricted.." he said puffing slowly on his cigarette, looking off into space. "I am given this title, this job, with no outlet. Well, I have found one. Firstly, Beran; whether he likes it or not, will retire. He will be given a noble title and given a small estate. I have quietly promised a few others titles" he said, flicking the butt of his cigarette.

He sighed. "Mind you I will not directly have control over any real decision. No, democracy must be protected. I am merely influencing it as many great kings and princes before me have. I don't want to rule Karlovia; but myself and others see what it can be. I want that. I want everyone to have electricity. I want everyone to have real plumbing. Some nations have these things. I want Karlovia to leave 1900 behind and come to the present".

He shook his head. "I don't want Karlovia to be the country that fell behind. Beran is trying but he won't break a few eggs to make an omelet. It may be vain but I do not want the name Felix to be a euphemism for failure"

 

[Potenza]

The chill did not bother Francesca much - the cold of southern Potenza was not as harsh as what the north experienced, up in the Duchies of Treviso and Cremona. It wasn't until January or February that the region around the capitol began to chill the cheeks or shiver the bones. For now, the countess was content with the shawl which her woman provided, and combined this with moving herself slightly against Prince Felix as the two stood on the deck, the prince leaning against the railing.

As he spoke, she listened intently. He seemed to be a man of aspirations, of dreams, of extravagant goals. All in the name of democracy, of course, which might have seemed foreign to Potenzan nobles, who tended to be afraid of granting too much power to democratic bodies, least they be deemed irrelevant.

"You seem to have many aspirations for Karlovia, my prince," Francesca said, "surely, however, you must maintain or grant more power to yourself, if you wish to see all these desires come to fruition. Even if it is power behind the curtain, such power will be needed. But my prince..." She leaned in a little closer, running one arm around his, while running her other hand up towards his shoulder, "...you have spoken so much about what you want for Karlovia...what do you want for yourself?"

 

[Holy Frankish Empire]

He shook his head. "It is the same. There never was a difference. What I want for myself is what I want for Karlovia. I am prevented from giving myself more power. It does not work that way, nor do I wish it to. I am merely nudging the country in the right direction. I am not steering the country. That is for the Snem. I will not betray the people's trust anymore than is necessary my dear. In a few days, an election will place the Orange Party back into power and kick Beran out of it. It is going to be a new, and expensive, era my dear"

 

[Potenza]

A sudden gust of wind overtook the two, flowing in from one side of the balcony to the other. Francesca shivered a bit, pulling on her shawl and leaning closer into Prince Felix's body.

"And what will happen, my prince, if the country does not desire change? If the Orange Party's power is not secured, or is only there for a moment? We have a saying in Potenza: No capitano, nessuna nave. Do you know where the Grand Duchy would be without my brother? If she was still in the clutch that Visconti vagrant? Or solely in the hands of that drunkard the people elected solely because his son was hit by a car? You will need to gain some influence over your government, even if your power merely exists in the fear of your shadow."

The Potenzan countess turned her dark, thoughtful eyes to the beach, where the waves of the Potenzan Sea hit, curling and foaming in beautiful shapes, emitting relaxing, comforting sounds. Her voice was not as seductive as it had been before, and was again intelligent and careful, as it had been at the opera house:

"Do you see these waves? The natives who used to roam about this countryside thousands of years ago believed that each foam was a tiny spirit guiding the waters along. When forces from Tibur came, they attributed it to their god of the sea, Neptune. When Saint Salvo came, do you know what he said? He said they were both wrong - every wave, he said, was directed by God the Father, according to His providence." She stopped and turned her dark eyes back to Felix. "What I mean to say, my prince, is that all three of them understood one thing: something was in charge. Something was directing. Something understood it's place in command. It is one thing to be in command, and another to understand your role and what it entails. My brother lives to be Grand Duke. One might say his bride is the Grand Duchy. They might say he is pulling strings and doing things wrong, but he understands that all he does is done with the interests of the Grand Duchy in mind, and the respect of his position most of all. Without him being the guiding foam of the waves, nothing he desired would ever be done."

She lifted up her tender, feminine hand, resting it upon the breast of Felix's outfit, "You, my prince...must take complete command..." Her voice lowered itself as the words came out, and got more breathy as she slowly finished that sentence.

 

[Holy Frankish Empire]

Felix stared at her for a long moment. He grabbed her fiercely, pulling her close to him. He kissed her as she pushed away at first; then she gave in. She briefly kissed him back before shoving him away hard. He cocked his head and sighed. Before she could respond he spoke aloud, "Madam, you must understand and trust me. Once you give me your trust you can see why I can never take the command you wish me to. I cannot violate my solemn oath to protect the democracy. It is a matter of honor. There is no doubt I could declare Karlovia a kingdom and be King if the situation was right; but Karlovia's identity of a democratic country is important to the people. If you are seeking a man who uses his power to rule; I am not your man. I use my power to not rule. I am not sure what you wish your future to be my dear, nor do I know where this is headed; but I live a mostly quiet and comfortable life. I head several charities, I hunt, and read history books. I protect the democracy and serve the military. I visit classrooms and enjoy the theater. This is my life Francesca. Perhaps one day I will be called upon to do otherwise..." said Felix who now held his hands out at his sides. "Now, is not that day"

 

[Potenza]

The sudden aggression shocked the countess. Felix was not the first man to have grabbed her so, but he was the first to have done it with such force. For a second she truly believed he was about to throw her off the railing, and she struggled even as he began to kiss. She relaxed for a moment, and then realized - there were people nearby, watching. Now was not the time for such blatant intimacy. She finally gave him a shove, panting heavily as she leaned against the railing, one hand holding the bars while another gripped her shawl.

"Madam, you must understand and trust me," the prince began, "Once you give me your trust you can see why I can never take the command you wish me to. I cannot violate my solemn oath to protect the democracy. It is a matter of honor. There is no doubt I could declare Karlovia a kingdom and be King if the situation was right; but Karlovia's identity of a democratic country is important to the people. If you are seeking a man who uses his power to rule; I am not your man. I use my power to not rule. I am not sure what you wish your future to be my dear, nor do I know where this is headed; but I live a mostly quiet and comfortable life. I head several charities, I hunt, and read history books. I protect the democracy and serve the military. I visit classrooms and enjoy the theater. This is my life Francesca. Perhaps one day I will be called upon to do otherwise...Now, is not that day."

"And how, my prince, shall I give you your trust?" Francesca replied. "I do not desire a man who uses his power to rule absolutely...I desire a man who is not impotent in rule." She walked around behind him slowly, and then pressed her body against his back, running her soft arms under his and along his chest in a little hug. Her eyelids fell and she began to listen to the waves as they crashed against the shore.

"Tell me, my prince...how shall a countess of Potenza give a prince of Karlovia her trust? How shall you give the people your trust...?"

Meanwhile, back in the Carabinieri vehicles outside, Garibaldi was exhaling out of boredom, nothing having happened from his angle for quite some time. He glanced over at the second car, seeing the three officers all looking at one another from their seats. Their hats were off, and one of them had apparently brought a deck of playing cards, and all three were playing a game of scopa. Garibaldi banged on his window hard and loud, getting their attention. One look from him and they quickly had their hats back on and their cards packed up.

 

[Holy Frankish Empire]

Felix was silent and looked her directly into her eyes. "Trust? My people; the Karlovan people trust me. Most of them do. I trust them. I have earned it and I owe them mine. To gain your trust I must earn it" he said as if he was discussing the weather. "I am here. Yes, I have come to Potenza to renew past relations between our countries but am I not here; now, with you. I could be back lobbying members of the government. Instead I am here. Does this earn your trust? Of course not; but I hope you can see I am not here on ill intentions. Karlovia's position will change. We will return its former glory but we will not destroy the blessed nation we have built in the process"

 

[Potenza]

"If your people trust you," the countess began, "why must you do so much behind their backs, then? Come, perhaps you can take me down on the beach and tell me more of this."

Francesca slipped off her shoes, leaving them by the railing where they were. The ground on the patio was actually fairly soft, though cold in the winter air. The sands along the beach would feel much nicer to the soft flesh of the countess's toes.

 

[Holy Frankish Empire]

Felix did not expect the breeze to be as it was. He expected the breeze to be more forceful as they walked from the building where they had ate. He looked at the moon and at the fine sand. With each step, some sand would find its way into his loafers but he didn't care. The water made a soft and sweet sound as the waves gently crept up the sand as they made landfall. "My dear, the reason I am doing what I am doing is difficult to explain. I did this in the defense of democracy. Karlovia is in an interesting place. We have already had one attempted coup in the past 12 months. We have radicals, communists, anarchists....We needed a stable government. Why am I doing this in secret? To make it appear as democracy has saved Karlovia from a dangerous fracturing" he said looking at her as the moon reflected off her face.

 

[Potenza]

The countess pursed her lips and turned away, enjoying the feel of the breeze against the skin of her face. She was also permitting the prince to look at her, welcoming the attention.

"Potenza has few extreme groups," she commented, "Francis II took care of most of them a long time ago. Nowadays, we simply have parties and special interest groups that will test the limits of the current Grand Duke. They thrived under Eldizio, but I think they are frightened of my brother. They know he is not Eldizio, and they know that he will not tolerate any threats to his rule."

Francesca suddenly spun in such a way that her dress moved in a circular formation, settling as she planted her right foot before Felix, facing him. With a soft smile, she said in a whispering tone:

"But there is one thing I fear for my brother - he does it alone. He rarely shows interest in other women, and spends many times alone. The only ones who regularly visit him are myself and Count Niccolo. Tell me, my prince, do you feel alone...?"