Royal marriage of the Crown-Prince of Eiffelland

[Rheinbund]

Weissenfels

"Hello Alfred, join us to form the triumvirate of unofficial wedding festivities," Johann shouted when the Frankener Prince Alfred visited him and Wolfgang. A few minutes later, Johann's and Wolfgang's brother Karl joined them.

Later that night, a group of about 30 princes, princesses and non-noble friends of Friedrich and Laura went into the inner city of Weissenfels to celebrate. Like they always did, the Eiffellandian princes drank just enough to be funny but not enough to get drunk and loose the control, because they all hated loosing the control.
The group ended up in a karaoke-bar run by an Oikawan immigrant. They all sang some songs, but Ludwig stole the show several times with a couple of nearly perfect performances, both in German, and in French, and in English.

The next morning, everybody was fresh and fruity again for the wedding. The weather was great. A completely blue sky without a cloud, and it was already 22 degrees in the morning. The civil marriage took place in the garden of the Zwinger and was performed by the Mayor of Weissenfels. He also welcomed the foreign guests in English and explained the procedure: "Of course the whole ceremony will be done in German, but I will tell you the most important word of it. It is the word 'Yes' in English, 'Oui' in French, 'Si' in Italian and Spanish, 'Sim' in Lusitanian, 'Aiwa' in Arabic, 'Ken' in Ivrite, 'Hai' in Oikawan and 'Ye' in Korean. That word is 'Ja' in German. And indeed, it sounds similar to the same word in Dutch and Aren." Later on, it was the word "Ja" that sounded twice.

 

[Großlausitz]

Weissenfels

"Ouw-oooh", Prince Alfred murmured under his breath. Indeed, he hadn't drank too much, but obviously it had been a bad idea to drink various alcoholic beverages instead of sticking to one. This earned him ironic looks by his brother Prince Sebastian and his father. Sebastian gently bobbed his sibling. "Wein auf Bier, das rat ich dir. Bier auf Wein, lass das sein. (1) And I thought you'd pay attention in our school's fraternity at least." Their mother Franziska Isabel interrupted them with "Gosh, isn't our cousin (2) Laura beautiful? She and Prince Friedrich are such an adorable couple." - "Certainly. And both boast a healthy self-esteem. Their marital life will certainly be interesting.", Crown Prince Jakob remarked. "Such as ours, m'dear.", Princess Franziska Isabel countered.

(1) First wine then beer, that's fine. First beer then wine will make you whine (rough translation )
(2) The cadet branch and the main line only occasionally inter-marry. The title of "my cousin" is a privilege granted by the king.

 

[Rheinbund]

Of course Prince Johann had noticed that Prince Alfred did not feel completely well. While the entourage moved from the Zwinger to the Hofkirche, Johann walked to Alfred to offer him some "moral assistance". "You Frankener usually drink us Eiffellandians under the table, but apparently you have to pay a price for that," he joked. "Anyway, Wolfgang tipped me about a tip he got from a friend of his, who studies medicine. Drink a lot of water the day after. Don't ask me why, but it helps quite well."
After that, Johann and Alfred talked a bit about the night before.

The music choice in the Church was a bit unconventional. It was a mixture of classic and modern music. It was a clear choice not to play Mendelssohn's wedding march at the end. "Heard too much in too many bad ways," according to Crown-Prince Friedrich. Princess Laura was less explicit about it, but she agreed with Friedrich. Instead, Friedrich and Laura had chosen the Duet between Papageno and Papagena from the operette Die Zauberflöte. Other pieces by Mozart (Friedrich's and Laura's favourite classic composer) had been chosen as well. Out of Love by Air Supply didn't dissonate with that.

 

[Großlausitz]

OOC: The plural nominative case is "Franken", e.g. "Ihr Franken sauft zu viel."

IC:

Prince Alfred scratched his head lazily. "It seems reasonable. It's worth a try." As protocol was paramount - even if the protocol was less strict than at the Wieser court - at royal marriages, Prince Alfred, his siblings and their parents took their seats alongside Prince Alfred's namesake and grandfather King Alfred IV and his wife. Whereas Prince Alfred just wore a dress coat, his older brother proudly sported the Orden des Heiligen Georg insignia - the most noble order of chivalry of Franken. He was somewhat envious that he had to wait for another year till his grandfather would admit him and grant him his personal coat of arms. It was irrational to care about a badge, some rusty sword and an ancient logo, yet it ran in his blood. Prince Alfred could rebel as much as he wanted, still the Knýtling genes would reign supreme.

When the more unusual wedding music pieces were played, the Prince looked in his parents' and grandparents' direction. Neither of them seemed surprise. Both his father were wearing their respective military uniforms, Jakob's a rear admiral, King Alfred's a grand admiral. And they were smiling quite serenely and when the Prince looked more carefully he realised both enjoyed it a lot. "Was being a senior representative of the state not so dull at all?" The young royal's greatest fear was to become a tedious bland old man if he accepted the rules of the establishment. He wondered whether he could discuss this with his cousin Johann. He was a decent chap, Prince Alfred thought.

 

[Wieserreich]

This whole international representation business sometimes tired the 78-year-old that was Karl Maximilian, only son of Emperor Friedrich Wilhelm II of Wiese. Since 1941 was he [wiki]King of Wiese[/wiki] (what others might call a crown prince for their monarchies) and yet his ancient father, standing like a mountain (or a vampire) refused to yield even to death. Now Karl was an old man, and though he was effectively a co-emperor by now, the semantics remained problematic.

Such weddings had long tired him. Nothing wrong with family, extended or not, but the sheer number of family a royal such as him had meant they were ending up tiresome for someone of his age. And yet there he sat in the first row, proudly clad in his uniform of the Generaloberst with his baton, his terrifying row of medals and the rich general's hat with the feathers, the Imperial insignia, and what not. His uniform was coloured black, with neat gold trimmings and decorations, and not an ounce of other colour to it; signifying it was a Wieser uniform, and not one of the lesser states that composed it, which would have a third colour for recognition.

The duchies, or even Saxony and Swabia (the only of the six states that used black and gold uniforms) didn't have senior officers anyway. Senior officers always had the Imperial, Wieser uniform, even if the difference between a Saxon captain and a Thuringian captain was not in the badges or insignia but merely the colour of the ceremonial uniform and its feathers. The Wieser military was colourful like that, each of the six states possessing its own ceremonial colours, battle flags, and whatever. It was good for tourists too, but Wiesers often took offence if you implied they did it for the pesky tourists.

This delegation was not so colourful however, given it was composed of high-ranking military officers. Black and gold seemed to be monopolising the uniforms, and other colours came strictly from the bands of the medals, as well as a female figure with bright red and blonde hair (clearly dyed so) in a smart, if revolutionary (by Wieser protocol standards) outfit. The men, and especially Karl (who sat besides the 17-year-old) seemed particularly embarrassed, but helpless about it. Of course, it meant she was none other than Eleonore Immanuelle, Karl's first grandchild and presumed a future Emperor-elect. The rebellious teen was also Emperor Friedrich's favourite, much to the dismay of the Emperor's more conservative son.

"Opa, it's boring. Why can we not go talk with the others as well?" Eleonore protested. "Other than the typical greetings and hello-how-are-you-buh-bye, we said almost nothing!"

Karl Maximilian rolled his eyes and leaned his head slightly at her direction. "It's all about protocol. We're in a house of the Lord! It's the wrong place to chit-chat!" he countered with a frown, his well-trimmed moustache making his granddaughter trying not to laugh. "And stop being informal! We're in a royal wedding ceremony, not at Hofburg playing Risk!" he corrected her, finding the term "opa" inappropriate. "Großvater" was so much more decent for this.

"Yes opa" Eleonore sighed boredly, opening her purse in the process. "I mean, jawohl Herr Kommissar." The old man sitting beside her looked with suspicion, not exactly trusting the notorious and rebellious archduchess and princess due to a long history of unpleasant surprises in formal events. Like King Edvard's crowning anniversary, when she had snuck out of the palace, somehow flown all the way to Arendaal, and snuck into her uncle's palace.

Archduchess Eleonore Immanuelle of Saxony, first daughter of Archduke Franz Ferdinand and Archduchess Lena of Arendaal, took out an expensive, state-of-the-art, professional digital camera from her purse and began setting it up, whistling with a low voice. Karl coughed, which only made Eleonore speed up the process and exclaim: "Now, where's the couple!"

During the ceremony she would be standing and taking her own pictures, like one of those lowborn photographers and journalists would. If they weren't before other royalty, if this wasn't the wrong place, if--! Karl would definitely be confiscating that camera! Instead, however, he had to keep his cool and ignore her. She was always like that, after all. But if unconventional wedding music was allowed, why not unconventional princesses?

That girl was definitely a descendant of his father, thought Karl. As rebellious, as protocol-ignoring as Friedrich Wilhelm had always been. As a child, Karl remembered his father's antics before the infuriated and panicked court assistants, and little Karl tilting his head ever-so-inquisitively.

Thus, Karl learned respecting the protocol and the poor assistants more than his father's heritage, which was why the Emperor preferred him for going in such events after all. That, and because the Emperor was only supposed to leave his country's borders leading the Imperial Army.

In the end, Karl and Eleonore were both looking forward for the wedding ceremony to be over, like true, impatient offspring of the [wiki]House of Thießen[/wiki]. Eleonore so she could go and chat with someone other than her dinosaur grandfather, Karl so that Eleonore would stop ridiculing herself and himself so blatantly.

 

[Rheinbund]

From the outside, you could not see that King Albrecht had even noticed Archduchess Eleonore with the camera. But he had. Afterwards, he would say to his wife: "I thought that I had seen everything after raising five boys, but Eleonore topples even Johann."

Also on the first row, King Albrecht, Queen Mafalda, and King Albrecht's parents (the former King Heinrich and the former Queen Alienora) could be found. According to the Eiffellandian court-protocol, the male members of the Royal Family wear the military gala-uniform of the unit where they served or still serve if they have to wear gala-cloths. In most cases, that means the gala-uniform of the navy. Former King Heinrich and King Albrecht wore the uniform of a grand-admiral. Crown-Prince Friedrich wore the uniform of a rear admiral. Prince Johann was a fighter-pilot, so he wore the gala-uniform of an air-force captain. Prince Wolfgang and Prince Karl wore the uniforms of navy captains. Karl had got his personal coat of arms a year ago out of the hands of his grandfather. Prince Ludwig was the only prince who hadn't served in the army yet, so he wore a jacquet. Johann, Wolfgang, Karl and Ludwig sat on the second row, together with Princess Laura's siblings. Laura's parents sat on the first row as well.

When Johann, Wolfgang and Karl saw Eleonora with the camera, they looked at each other and whispered: "Women." On the one hand, they considered it a pity that Eleonora had been kept inside the palace the night before, on the other hand, they were a bit afraid of her. You could have much fun with Eleonora, but she had her moments at which she was totally impossible to deal with. And that was even more difficult if you had grown up with only a lot of brothers and no sisters, like the Eiffellandian Princes.

 

[Großlausitz]

"Archduchess Eleonore, she is quite a handful, Franziska. Luckily our girls inherited Nordic sangfroid instead of Wieser hot-temper. At least to some extent.", Crown Prince Jakob told his wife afterwards, keeping in mind their teenage daughters' occasional mischief.

A bit away from the crown princely couple, the Duke of Bamberg, Sebastian III Knýtling-Bamberg, and his wife Duchess Andrea were obviously enjoying the company of their new in-laws, the Eiffellander royal couple. Crown Princess Laura's siblings obediently participated in the official part of the celebrations, but Prince Alfred could somewhat tell his distant cousins were looking forward to the more unofficial part. The only exception might be Laura's oldest brother Erbherzog Uwe, who was already married to the daughter of a wealthy and knighted Aren entrepreneur.

Despite the protocols' provisions and rules Prince Alfred found the banquet delicious and the music appropriate. Moreover, he was delighted to have his numerous Aren cousins next to him, whereas both their parents seemed chat eagerly as well.

 

[Rheinbund]

The weather was ideal for a day like this: A cloudless blue sky and 28 degrees celsius. The banquet and ball would take place in the Zwinger again.

But the first item on the agenda after the wedding mass was the tour through Weissenfels for Crown-Prince Friedrich and the new Princess of Eiffelland Laura, followed by the greetings on the balcony of the Weissenfelser Stadtschloss. Afterwards, they joined the guests again in the Semperoper.

Meanwhile, the young Prince Ludwig attempted to convince the young Wieser Archduchess of giving Mozart a chance. And that was needed for the next item on the agenda: Die Zauberflöte, but now the complete operette. "It is and remains a masterpiece to compose two hours of music for 100 musicians and 30 singers. And it is and remains a masterpiece for 130 people to let it sound correctly. Don't underestimate that. I have it easier in the schoolband."

 

[Wieserreich]

"I do not underestimate it. I just think it would be better for the occasion if it was in a more... party-like version. Die Zauberflöte is great alright, but we're supposed to be partying here!" argued Eleonore. In her wedding, she had decided, she would make glorious breakthroughs with the stupid court protocols. She would marry the beauty of classical music with the eroticism of techno, dance the Blaue Donau and the Radetzkymarsch, and what not.

She had a long way until then; she sighed unhappily at Ludwig's face. "Bloody hell. It's my second-to-last major event. After my great-grandfather's birthday, I am being summoned for military service" she revealed. This meant a good 42 to 56 months of living in military bases, if she was conscripted indeed; she instead hoped to spend a good 48 months in an officer academy instead. Perhaps the Imperial Army Academy in Karlsruhe or the Officer Training Institute in Erfurt.

Raising her eyebrows at the sight of the other Eiffellander princes looking at her as they did, she kindly smiled at their younger brother. "If you would please excuse me for a second" she said politely, something that in her grandfather's eyes would be a sign of malice and plans of that Imperial brat to do something mischievous. Which she did.

Eleonore hid her camera behind her back as she walked up to the collection that was Johann, Wolfgang and Karl. "Say cheese!" she commanded with a singing voice as she revealed the camera and took a picture of the three siblings from point-blank range, with the flash of course turned on, and focusing on Johann the most. Then, she walked just as calmly back to Ludwig, with a smile of satisfaction.

"I am sorry darling, I had to use the restroom" she excused herself lamely, simply wanting to provide him with some comic relief. "Now, where were we? Ah yes, Mozart. I do not quite mind Mozart, no. I do prefer Strauss, however, without trying to insult foreign composers. Which is your favourite piece, if I might ask?"

------------------------------

The old Karl Maximilian, by now, had resigned over his granddaughter's antics. No matter how careless Eleonore was, he knew she wouldn't do anything awesomely stupid, and as a result he found himself free to finally take some time and do some chit-chat with the reigning monarchs of Eiffelland and Franken.

Approaching Eiffelland's monarchs first, he offered a warm handshake and a smile under his thick, white, brushy moustache. "Your Majesty, a most wonderful ceremony if I might say" he said with a diplomatic greeting.

 

[Rheinbund]

“Hey, Paparazzo,” Johann yelled at Eleonore as she walked away after having taken the picture. “Don’t try to win from her, Johann, she is a woman,” Wolfgang said. “Well, with that mood, the Emperor should consider sending her to the Sarmatians. They will sign a non-agression pact immediately,” Karl said. “Let’s ask Alfred some tips about how to tame a tiger-woman. At least he has sisters, so he should know more about it than we do,” Johann said. And all the three Princes

“Indeed, Mozart was the topic. Well, actually, classic music in general,” Ludwig said after Eleonore had returned. “I don’t really have a favourite in classic music. Mozart was great because he was a pioneer in his time, and because his music is so sophisticated. But Bach did many new things as well. The same for Verdi. But Beethoven, indeed the Strauss family, Haydn, Händel, Chopin and many more were good as well. But I have to say that classic music isn’t my specialty. I value it, but I don’t know much about it. But you can ask me almost everything from the rock’n roll until now. I also sing and play the keyboards in the band of my school.”

---------------------------------------

“Thank you, your Imperial Highness,” King Albrecht said. “In fact, the music was chosen by the Crown-Prince and Princess Laura themselves. Also the modern parts. The problem with royal wedddings, is that quite a lot has to go via protocol and the people about to marry don’t have an infuence on that. Therefore, I left the music choice to them.”

 

[Großlausitz]

Prince Alfred smirked silently observing the situation between the Eiffellander princes and their cousin Eleonore. In fact, Alfred and her were related to some extent. Probably via his mother Crown Princess Franziska, who had been a member of the House of Wolfsburg by birth. But he could certainly not tell exactly. Despite his pondering he did hear Johann's suggestion and replied almost instantly: "Taming a tiger-woman, Johann? There's no general way. On the one hand, it's experience, on the other hand it's always smart not to yell at them. Pay attention to them, carefully observe them and finally don't give in to all of their whims. Even if they are your beloved cousins/sisters. In a nutshell, you can prevail by using charm and brain."

------

While King Alfred and Queen Margarethe strolled across the room to chat with the old king of Eiffelland, i.e. King Alfred's brother-in law, Crown Prince Jakob wearing his admiral uniform and the St. Georg insignia and his wife Crown Princess Franziska chose to engage in chats and informal talks with royals of their generation. After all, King Alfred intended to appoint his son regent and handing over daily business to him soon. Keeping this issue in mind, Jakob von Franken mingled with rulers and/or royals of their age. "Jakob, most of the behind the curtains and casual policy-discussing will be up to you now. As an almost-pensioner I will simply enjoy the weeding. Nothing more. You can always ask me for guidance. Still I think you'll make it perfectly, my dear son.", King Alfred had told his son before the ceremony.

 

[Rheinbund]

"Thanks for the tips, Alfred. I'll try them out after her next trick. One disadvantage of having only brothers is that you don't learn from childhood onwards how to deal with girls. That poor Fränze had to suffer a lot from us. She not only had to deal with her own two brothers, but also with five of us," Johann said. "Franziska Rathenau, daughter of the pater familias of the Rathenau family. She and her brothers are very close friends of ours," he added when he saw that Alfred didn't know who she was.

----

"I'm not disappointed with how Albrecht does it," Prince Heinrich, the old King of Eiffelland, said to King Alfred. "He had to come into action almost immediately after his coronation, and he did that very well."