The Iron Crown

[Tyonic Confederacy]

Upstairs room

Prochnow was pleased with how well this meeting was going, things are truly being hashed out and progress was being made. Assigning an ambassador to be on a standing council to meet within Windhaven worked well, being as Gunnland was the host nation who brought up the notion of a Northern Alliance. And agreements were made to list out powers and the extent of cooperation in article two, he was really pleased with the way things were going. "I agree with Colonel MacGarry on the inclusion of Caledonia into this treaty organization, the more the merrier."

 

[Elben]

The Freehold, upstairs...

"Agreed. Caledonia is in." Steiner nodded to his two colleagues and then turned to jot something down into his notebook. "Do we wait then to discuss Warre or do you both want to bring it in now as well?"

 

[Tyonic Confederacy]

Upstairs

"If we are still on the topic we should discuss the inclusion of Warre, especially as it still has possession of its colonial territory and its proximity to our nations."

Downstairs

Most of the food was excellent, Wilhelm had rather liked the haggis but his wife Elma was not fond of them. But, the food was delicious and was thoroughly enjoyed. Wilhelm was slightly disheartened that his words did not come out the way they should have and decided to leave the Bergenheimers to themselves.

 

[Gunnland]

The Freehold, Windhaven
​

When it became clear that the Grand Duke would not appear, Countess Mary sat down across from Julian, Albrecht, and Friedrich Maria. Her red hair was straightened and put back in an elegant bun, the horrible yellow MacLeod tartan shrunk to a shawl, a scarf really, thrown over a smart black dress and pinned with a comital brooch. She was making pleasant talk about whether Eiffelland and Elben would send teams to the Stephanitic Games in "her country," the County of Arundel. In an ample navy-and-green great kilt, Robert Gunn sat down and interrupted her. His smile, blond combover, and mustache combined for a roguish effect. Julian smiled. She liked the spider, as she called him, despite Adelaide's warnings.

"I thought this table needed another commoner." Robert winked down the table at the Muellers. "Someone bring Eiffellandian beer." He was hardly a commoner, though it was true that the clan chiefs, though they held the title thegn, were not technically nobles; young Prince Joachas inherited the title Duke of Clyth. Yet Robert Gunn was, if not the most powerful man in Gunnland, then the most well-connected. Ashild appeared almost immediately with several glass mugs of lager. Adelaide must have warned her. "Wein, Weiber und Gesang!" Robert toasted the Germans around him. "Sorry, noble ladies, it's the only one I know."

He was not too drunk by Gunnish standards to be rude. In fact, it would be rude in Gunnland not to drink to this point of conviviality, say, four drams for a man of Robert's size. But it would not be all pleasantries. "King Albrecht. Kadikistan flexes its muscle. The red armies threaten to cut Christendom in two. We lack the military strength in the North to hold them off, if we are cut off. What do your men think in Trier? How likely is war?"

 

[Elben]

Friedrich Maria listened to Mary speak about sending athletes. "Our final team will be assembled by the end of the week, I hope." Just then Robert arrived and beer was brought for a toast. The king was happy to take part for wein, weiber, und gesang. "You shall have to visit Elben and we shall train you on all there is to know about toasts in our language!"

 

[Rheinbund]

King Albrecht. That was not the way the King was adressed in Eiffelland. Actually, that was impertinent according to Eiffellandian standards. But King Albrecht was wise enough to understand that he wasn’t in Eiffelland now, but in Gunnland. Here people were more informal, so he didn’t consider himself offended by the fact that Robert Gunn called him “King Albrecht”. Furthermore, if Robert Gunn would have said “Your Majesty”, it would not have been clear whom he was talking to—there were five Majesties sitting at the table.
Apart from that, he from his side would also have to be unpolite. Eiffellandians were not known for their alcohol-resistance, and they generally got drunk sooner than people from other countries, especially Gunnishmen. And a drunk King, that was really something that King Albrecht refused to become. So at a certain moment, he refused the alcoholic beverages: “Doctor’s advice. I’m awfully sorry, but I have to limit the amount of alcohol I drink.” From then onwards, he toasted with water or fruit juice.

When Robert Gunn seated himself at the table and invited the Muellers over, King Albrecht and Queen Marinka heartily greeted the “commoners” joining the conversation.

“I don’t know how likely war will be, Mr. Gunn,” King Albrecht replied to Robert Gunn’s question. “I do know, however, that a war in Gallo‑Germania, with which I not only mean Bourgogne and the German‑speaking countries, but also Gunnland, won’t know any winners. Both Gallo‑Germania and Kadikistan will be in ruins after the last soldiers have killed each other, and at least all the men aged 18 to 40, or maybe even 18 to 50, will be dead. I hope that the Kadikistani understand that as well, and therefore think twice before they try to take over the next country. Gallo‑Germania did not intervene in Crotobaltislavonia. That decision had advantages and disadvantages. I don’t know yet if it was wise to let Kadikistan step in or not. However, should Kadikistan indeed invade Trivodnia, or Elben, or Ruthenia‑Galicia, Gallo‑Germania will have to act. Otherwise indeed all the countries will fall one‑by‑one. But that is not the only thing that has to happen. What every country outside the Rurikgrad Pact has to do, is to make sure that a communist future is not appealing enough compared with the status quo. That is the only way to stop the communist threat.”

King Albrecht took a sip of his water. Then he continued.

“Of course as soon as Kadikistan occupies a country, it will immediately impose communism, but that will mainly lead to problems when the citizens of that country don’t want to live under communist rule. Therefore, we have to make sure that communism is unappealing.”

OOC: Please note that King Albrecht was NOT offended by Robert Gunn adressing him as "King Albrecht". Maybe better if I make that crystal clear.

 

[Gunnland]

The Freehold, Windhaven
An upstairs room.
​

Colonel Stephen MacAllister MacGarry was a cautious man by nature. But even he allowed himself to imagine a council of five northern kingdom established in Windhaven. They were an odd mix of conservative Celts and Germans. Alone, these traditional countries were simply curious pieces in the chess match between Trier and Rurikgrad, only relevant for this and that special purpose. But together... for Gunnland this could mean regional stability and regional leverage. And most importantly, a Council of the North could mean a modern diplomatic aegis to deal with the world, an end to the days of the awkward kabuki theater where Gunnish diplomats pretended to be medieval legates of the king addressing Christendom, some borderland tribal kings of ambiguous status addressing dukes and kings of a Holy Tiburan Empire that had long since ceased to have an emperor.

The colonel looked around with a smirking grin. "Let us extend invitations to Caledonia and Warre. I hope, sirs, that Racow and Eschenbach will look back on this day, along with Lumina and Dun Eidyn, as the first act of the Council of the North."

 

[Gunnland]

The Freehold, Windhaven
​

"Indeed, something fishy happened in those anxious Polesian countries," Robert nodded. His tone made it sound as if he was agreeing with King Albrecht, but of course he was hinting that Trivodnia and even Bergenheim, perhaps, shared some of the blame for what had happened. "What do you think, Mr. Mueller?"

The Gunn chief looked huge and hunched, but this was mostly an illusion of the wolf furs slung over his great kilt. It was cold for a kilt, if you weren't wearing a fur-lined and fur-trimmed cloak. The Freehold, with its great stone hall and roaring fireplaces, was one place this odd traditional dress didn't look completely out of place. And a chief did not wear trousers to a coronation. But Robert was not so unworldly. He did not look upon Albrecht's pantaloons as proof of his warlike barbarism, as Cicero had looked upon the Gauls.

The question remained open to the Muellers, but Robert carefully retreated from his near-provocation. Queen Julian was sensitive about the fact that the anti-Semitic Gunnish press lambasted Alexander Kahneman; she had even sacked one of the editors of the country's only newspaper, The Advocate. So Robert tread lightly on the subject. "We are simple people up north, and there is much about this southern politics we don't understand. Still, perhaps the menace of communism is not all bad, if it spurs good Christians to prayer, fasting, and obedience to our ancient sources of strength and consolation."

 

[Gunnland]

The Freehold, Windhaven
​

Grand Duke Charles and Grand Duchess Sophie had been delayed, but now arrived, and room was made for them at the high table. The pale winter sun had set, and now firelight gave the stone fortress a warm glow. After pleasantries were exchanged with the tardy Burgundian guests, Queen Julian decided it was time to make the appeal for her brother.

"Royal cousins, I hope you will return to Gunnland shortly for the Stephanitic Games in Ayr. I am proud of the progress my country has made in so many ways, and I want to show that progress to the world. You shall have heard, I believe, something of what I have had to endure since the death of my royal father Josias. No woman in Gunnland will endure what I have had to endure. This is the promise of my reign."

Robert Gunn looked down over the tables in the great hall, noticing that the chairs once occupied by Duncan MacLeish and his paramour were empty. He must have thought we were going to kill him during the feast. Bless her heart, the thought hasn't even crossed Julian's mind. Times were different now.

"You were friends of my father Josias. It has been difficult for us, his surviving children." Julian smiled at her four-year-old brother, who flashed back a big smile for the attention, clearly inattentive to the gravity of her tone or the meaning of her words. "You have noticed that our royal cousins from Jydermark-Østveg are not here. I am saddened to report that my sources tell me that in Jydermark-Østveg, the royal family is conspiring to keep my brother Joachas from the throne that is rightfully his. We believe they plan a constitutional coup to keep Joachas from the throne and change their succession laws. The people, of course, will not support this plot by the queen-consort Nadia and Princess Rikke to seize control of the kingdom. And they will be scandalized to learn that the agents of these royal women orchestrated the plane crash which killed my father, once they became convinced King Carl Frederik was no longer able to sire a male heir to defeat my father's claim. We survived, my friends, and now we need your help to maintain our place among the legitimate royal families of Europe."

Queen Julian sat down, the anger and hurt on her face obvious, and the celebration's atmosphere of bonhomie changed to extreme tension, as quickly as the onset of a sudden storm.

 

[Tyonic Confederacy]

Downstairs

Konig Wilhelm was both concerned and proud of Queen Julian and her bold plan, and her abrupt announcment of it. The plan was a bold one that would bring prosperity to Gunnland, but it would destroy Jydermark-Østveg and her peoples. And it could draw in war from the Mainland which would result in Gunnland's demise, and possibly draw us and others into a large scale war. He is concerned that this will jump-start something that would bring about their demise.

"Her noblest Queen of Gunnland and her peoples, you are most legitimate a ruler in our eyes. Do not feel the need to prove yourself, do not convince yourself that you are unworthy. Self-doubt will lead you down a dangerous path that will undo all that your people have accomplished. If you do continue with this, respect the laws and customs and go about it the right way."

 

[Rheinbund]

King Albrecht didn't know what to say on Queen Julian's claim. He decided to remain silent. He personnally disagreed with the decision to insist on the claim on the Throne of Jydermark-Østveg, simply because it would destabilise the region. On the other hand, he did not want to make public that he disagreed with it. He decided to treat this as a matter to be solved between the Clan Gunn and Jydermark-Østveg. At this moment, it was certainly a blessing that Prince Ludwig was gay!

 

[Elben]

The king of Elben frowned with sympathy at the pained expression on his young friend's face as she sat. A hand instinctively reached out to rest on the girl's shoulder, grandfatherly affection welling up and crossing Friedrich Maria's face.