A Union United, Part 1

[Ahrana]

It had been many years since a member of the House of Elde had talked to anyone in the Imperial House of Ahrana, the Elde Government had pretty much turned its eye on the Ahranaian Government after the fall of the Kingdom by the hands of the Nationalists. The House of Elde felt that a connection to the Imperial House was not needed as they felt abandoned, but after many years of that thinking and finally the logical thinking had reemerged and with the new Grand Duke of the House of Elde now in power the idea of reuniting with the Motherland had never sounded any better.

The People of the Grand Duchy of Elde have seen what the People of Ahrana have gone through, they have seen their Brothers and Sisters struggle to survive since the fall of the Second United Kingdom. Now that the Socialists and the Nationalists have all but almost been pushed out of the Government and the Moderates have entered the political scene once more the People of Elde feel more at ease and feel more willing to help their brothers and sisters in Ahrana achieve a prosperous nation once again.

Parliament House

Victoria, Grand Duchy of Elde

"This Session of Parliament will now come to order, the agenda for today is the Article of Reintegration with the Third United Kingdom of Ahrana along with the Article of Nullification of the Constitution of the Grand Duchy of Elde. Each Article will be given sufficient time to be debated on the Parliament Floor, need I remind you all that this house will not allow any behavior that is unfitting of the Chamber and to what it represents if any Member of Parliament wishes to behave in such a way like the last Floor debate then they will be ejected from this house. I open the floor to the Right honorable Gentlemen, First Minister Alexander Lorvin."

"Thank you Mr. Speaker of the House, right the Government and I along with the Grand Duke have decided that the Grand Duchy of Elde should rejoin the Untied Kingdom of Ahrana or the Motherland as we all call in our history classes. It has been some time since we originally left the Motherland and our Brothers and Sisters to deal with the Nationalists and the Socialists, now that that time and era has officially passed and that our brothers and sisters need help we the government feel we owe it to them to help rebuild the Kingdom of Ahrana to its glory of old. To what it once was and what it can be! This House needs to decide exactly what is best for their people and do what must be done and that is to rejoin the Kingdom. The Government once these two Articles that have been tabled have been passed will begin preparations and will contact the Ahranaian Government begin the talks of rejoining the Kingdom. However, I feel that this house has much to discuss before we are ready for that. On that note I give way to the Honorable Gentlemen of the Opposition, Isaac Urgo."

"First Minister Alexander, why would you and the government believe that we people of Elde would want to rejoin Ahrana! After all it was them who gave us the ultimatum to either help fight or leave, in my opinion let them all rot in whatever mess they have created! They would do the same if we were in that position!"

"Honorable Gentlemen Isaac, Do you remember in the 1970s the Grand Duchy of Elde was struggling with a epidemic a disease that is not no longer a issue in Elde? That help we got at that time was from the Kingdom of Ahrana, it is because of Ahrana that your Family is still here and it is because of them we all were born and did not die a horrid death. Also, do you remember in 1945 when the People of Elde were starving because of a bad crop and because of a massive recession from us leaving the United Kingdom was still affecting us so harshly? Well the majority of that aid came from none other than Ahrana! It is because of or Brothers and Sisters to the North of us that we survived that era of starvation! Honestly if the Honorable Gentlemen of the Opposition would remember the History lessons from class he would remember that Ahrana has helped Elde to where it is today! It wasn't till the rise of Ivanoff that all communication and ties with Ahrana was severed. I give way to the next Honorable Gentlemen."

"Thank you First Minister, On be half of the Moderates of Elde I would say that we support the idea of rejoining the United Kingdom and have wished nothing less than that. The Platform of the Moderates has always been to rejoin with our brothers and sisters in the Motherland. So we Moderates support both Articles that are in motion and request the motion go forward."

"Thank you The Right Honorable Victoria Vicsson. I do employ every Member of this Parliament to think within reason what rejoining with Ahrana means for this Duchy and its People. We would not be losing any land or significance in our Duchy we just would be reunited under the Old Banner of the Motherland to which we are part of in history and culture. We in the government believe that with the new Ahranaian Constitution the Duchy of Elde would retain huge amount of say over the internal affairs of this land, we could even ask to be a Autonomous Region inside Ahrana like Xara and Thralhaven are."

"I do believe that if not most but enough of this House has already decided on what the outcome of this discussion will be so I will motion to have a vote if none object.........Very well the rules of voting are as follows:

-The MP may only Vote once

-The MP may vote Aye, Nye, or Abstain

-The House must have at least two thirds for the motion to pass, meaning out of the One Hundred MPs at least 60 must vote Aye

The Voting will now begin please select you vote on the tablet in front of you and once all votes have been casted the results will be announced."

 

As the MPs casted their votes, the Grand Duke who was in the upper balcony watched down below and hoped the outcome would be a delightful one and one that he could work with if not then the government would try again and again till they get enough votes or at least enough for a Ducal Decree.

 

All Votes have been casted and the following are the results that are certified by the Chair of this Honorable House:

Nye: 25

Abstain: 1

Aye: 74

The Ayes have it with a majority higher than required, the motion for the Article of Reintegration with the Third United Kingdom of Ahrana has passed by all MPs, the Government has their mandate on this Article. The next article follows in conjunction with the previous and is declared as passed automatically as it is to follow with the previous Article as per the Constitution of the Grand Duchy of Elde. By the power of the Chair of the Speaker of the House I call forth to the Grand Duke, Henrik of House Elde, to come forth into this Chamber and declare the ratification of the Articles."

As Henrik walked down from the upper balcony and through the outside hallway leading to the Chamber, he let out a sigh of relief that the Government was able to actually get the backing before the session started. As Henrik walked down the last set of steps and turned the corner the Guard of Arms was waiting to escort Henrik in and announce his arrival to the chamber. As is custom though he would not ender to the chamber and take the seat of the Speaker of the House as was done in the past, Henrik introduced a different style upon taking the Seat of Power one of a mere Constitutional Monarch with no Legislative Authoirty.

"To all those present His Grace, The Grand Duke of Elde and the Princely holder of the Baton of the Ducal Estate, Grand Duke Henrik!"

"Thank you Guard at Arms and thank you Mr. Speaker of the House. It is with great privilege and honor that I say the following, the Article of Reunification and Nullification have been passed by the Parliament of Elde with a clear mandate given to the government. The Right Honorable Gentlemen, First Minister Alexander, has his work cut out for him and will be given a deadline by the Parliament and myself. I do say this however, today is a historic moment for the future of Elde and our children and their children and so forth. I do believe that you have all made the right choice, I would have preferred a unanimous vote for Aye by everyone but at the end of the day this is politics we are talking here! Once again thank you all for doing what you do, I leave this Chamber and hope that one day soon we will meet again as a Duchy still but as a entity inside the Kingdom of Ahrana to which we belong! Thank you."

"If this House has no other business for this day then I declare this session ended."

 

 

 

(OOC: This is the start of the reunification process for the Grand Duchy of Elde to rejoin Ahrana, over the next few weeks and months the style of RP will be one of Official Letters and meetings between the two governments.)

[Ahrana]

Elde Government House

Victoria, Grand Duchy of Elde

Minister Alexander now had officially establish connections with Ahrana again as since the 1950s Elde had no official relations with Ahrana due to the Nationalists still holding power. As he stood at his desk with the official Parliament Document calling on the First Minister to establish diplomatic talks and to request a reintegration into Ahrana. Alexander looked out his Office window into the City of Victoria thinking of what it would be like to be the first government official of Elde to set foot in Moskovo in nearly 109 years, it was in fact the most historic moment in the history of Elde there was no denying that however there was one thing in the back of his mind that he might screw this up and his entire political career would be over in a flash.

As he turned and walked to his desk he started pondering on what he should start off his official letter with as it would be very important to set the tone that would be followed for the next several months.

Spoiler

 

Alexander stood up and walked over to finish proof reading his letter before he sent it off for delivery to the Ahranaian Government, he felt satisfied with his letter and sat it on the desk and once again looked out the Office Window. It was always a beautiful time of the year till it just wasn't which thankfully was not that moment yet.

He turned and walked to the desk picked up his letter and exited his office and walked down the hall to the secretary,

"Mrs. Stevenson, could you please get this ready for diplomatic delivery to the Kingdom of Ahrana please ma'am also be sure to mark it urgent if you would thank you."

"Right away sir anything else?"

"No ma'am that would be all thank you."

He then turned and walked to down the hall to the right and went down stairs to where the rest of the government was in the conference room talking politics of course. Once he entered the room he took his seat and the meeting resumed.

 

To be continued.....

[Ahrana]

Government Palace

Moskovo, Kingdom of Ahrana

 

Chancellor Bjorkman was walking the Palace corridors looking down at her meeting notes from the cabinet meeting that ended only just a few moments ago, as she walked she started to hear a hard clacking noise that heals make on hard solid floor. Just from the hardness of the steps and the timing of the steps in between each step she could tell the secretary was in a rush to get where she was going. Bjorkman started walking again towards her office and looking at the notes from the meeting when she got to the door and had her attention grabbed from the corner of her eye, it was the secretary waving to get her attention.

 

Chancellor Bjorkman there is a diplomatic communication for you and the Monarchs from the Foreign Ministry marked urgent.

Alright thank you Elisabeth, if you would please have the car pull around to the entrance so I can have a visit with the Monarchs. Also would you please call the Palace to let them know I am coming to meet with the Monarchs on behalf of Government Affairs today.

Yes right away Chacnellor.

As Bjorkman turned and walked into her Office she walked over to her desk and placed the letter and her notepad down on the desk and walked over to the radio and turned it on, the radio sprung to life and started playing a Concerto one that she used to play as a child under the old imperial government when she went to university. She closed her eyes for a few seconds and then walked over to the desk and opened the Diplomatic Communication, it was from the government of the Grand Duchy of Elde. It had been many years since the Ahranaian Government broke off all communications and diplomatic ties with the Duchy over simple and minor disputes to which she remembered learning about in university. As she read the letter she tapped her fingers on the desk to the rhythm of the music till the Office Phone rang:

Chancellor Bjorkman, the car is ready and the Palace knows you are in route ma'am.

Thank you Elisabeth, I am walking to the door now.

She hung up the phone grabbed her cellphone, her business case to which she opened and placed the letter into and walked out the office door heading down the corridor towards the entrance. She passed by the Secretary Desks waved and walked out the door. She stopped and placed her sunglasses on as it was a bright and sunny day for once in Ahrana which is a rarity, as she walked down the steps the bodyguard opened the door and she got in and the door was closed and like that the car was in route to the Monarchal Palace.

The Monarchal Palace is about three blocks down in the main square in what was once called the Peoples' Central Square. The car headed down the main street passing by pedestrians and other cars that moved aside for the car, in Ahrana the Chancellor and the Monarchs had the straight away and the direct use of the Federal Police to navigate through the entire country. Wasn't long before the car arrived to the palace and the gates opened and the car and the escorts rolled into the Palace Grounds, as the car rolled up under the main entrance the door opened and she got out.

Hello, Chancellor Bjorkman to see the Monarchs on official government business.

Yes right this way Madam Chancellor they are expecting you in the reception room, I trust you know your way?

I do yes thank you.

As she walked down the corridor to the little room that is called the reception room to which the Monarchs receive all Foreign Dignitaries and Government Personnel, she looked around and started humming the concerto that was playing in the office before she left. As she turned the corner the butler motioned for her to stop and walked into the room before letting Bjorkman enter.

Their Majesties will see you now Madam Chancellor.

She walked into the room and gave a slight bow to the Monarchs and went up to kiss their hands before taking a seat.

Your Majesties, so sorry to interrupt your day on such a short notice but the Chancellery and the Foreign Ministry received a Diplomatic Communication from the Grand Duchy of Elde this morning concerning the idea of rejoining the Kingdom of Ahrana once more. It seems that the Ducal Government and the Grand Duke have passed legislation in the Legislature of Elde that ratified the Unification clause in their Constitution and in return nullified their constitution by ratifying that Article. What are your Majesties thoughts and wishes for the next step?

Sigrid- Well, its most certainly great news to finally hear from our brothers and sisters in the Duchy it has been many years since our government communicated with each other. My main question is did they give a reason from wanting to rejoin the Kingdom?

Your Grace, I am afraid to say other than wanting to help Ahrana and its people in the times of trouble no other reason was given. Might I say this, I believe they wish to help Ahrana recover from the Socialist failures just from the tone of the letter makes it seem that way I could be wrong however.

Aleksandra- I believe this is the right step we need to take for the future of Ahrana and her people, who knows maybe with Elde rejoining the Kingdom the other Exiled Kingdom will want to rejoin which would help tremendously. I think we should send a Diplomatic Mission for the Transition to the Duchy with our response and create a commission between the two governments to oversee the process. What do you think Sigrid and Chancellor Bjorkman?

Sigrid- Agreed, surely this will create a stronger and unified Ahrana like once before.

Very well your majesties I will start on a Official Diplomatic Letter response that will be sent with the Diplomatic Mission to Elde, the Commission will follow soon after the establishment of Diplomatic Offices. I will personally accompany the Diplomatic Mission to Elde to speak on behalf of the Government and Your Majesties with the Grand Duke. If there is nothing else I will take my leave?

Aleksandra and Sigrid both stood up and Bjorkman once again kissed their hands before leaving the room, as the door closed she grabbed the business case that was outside in the hallway with the butler and walked down to the entrance. As she walked out the car pulled up and she got in and headed back to the Government Palace. The car sped down the street to the Government Palace.

Once back at the Government Palace she walked to her Office and set her things on the desk and took a seat, the music was left on and was still playing. She started writing the letter that would be sent ahead of the Diplomatic Mission and herself.

Spoiler

As she finished the letter she sent the final copy to the secretary for proof reading and asked that the Foreign Ministry send it immediately and for the Ministry to draft up a Diplomatic Mission Sheet to be handed over to the Ducal Government by the Ambassador and the herself.

TO BE CONTINUED....

[Ahrana]

Moskovo International Airport

Moskovo, Kingdom of Ahrana

 

Chancellor Liv walked down the corridors of the Airport waving to people in the Store booths making her way to her departure terminal. Liv had decided to take a less aggressive approach to the Airport departure unlike many of her predecessors, she wanted the people to see her as one of them and not something special. She had a small detachment of Bodyguards following a couple of feet behind her as required but asked them to act natural as well but do not allow anything to happen. 

She made her way around the corner and saw the departure terminal for her flight, she was taking one of the Government planes in particular one of the planes that are on standby for the Monarchs in a emergency. The Palace had given the government permission to use the plane for this purpose. Accompanying Chancellor Liv was the soon to be Ambassador and Integration Representative for Ahrana to Elde, Victoria Eriksson. They both looked at each other and Liv smiled as they walked up to the doors of the terminal and opened them. The walked down the terminal hallway to board the plane, several other Diplomatic Officials were already onboard the plane awaiting Liv and Victoria to board so they could make their way south to Elde. As they reached the Plane Door the flight attendants welcomed them and pointed them to their seats. With the two onboard the attendants gave the pilots the all clear to leave. The plane started to leave the terminal to make its way down to the runway. Given that this was a Government plane and had high priority and clearance all other flights for take off and landing were put on hold to allow them to take off.

The plane soon started to make its way down the runway, the speed of the plane could be felt as the roar of the engines could be heard as well as they were at max thrust. Before you knew it the plane was in the air and imminently banked to the left to head south. The plane would be given the green all the way down to Elde in the airspace and all other flights were asked to keep clear of the airspace corridor the Plane now dubbed AA-02 made its way to the capital of Elde.

The flight would be a short trip of no more than two hours if the airspace in Elde was crowded.

 

---

 

Elde Government House

Victoria, Grand Duchy of Elde

 

 First Minister Lorvin was walking down the hallway to the conference room to speak with the Elde Government Ministers when he was informed by his Government Aid that the plane dubbed AA-02 was in route. He nodded to the aid and walked into the room,

Ladies and Gentlemen the Ahranaian Delegation are on their way to the Victorian International Airport as we speak, can we and I mostly mean the Minister for Aviation get ahold of the ATCV and let them know to expect them and to have the corridor they are using to be clear as well have all flights inbound and outbound halted while they land please?

Right away sir will get right on that.

Also could we have the Special Detachment of the Constabulary ready to mobilize to and from the airport to the Ducal Palace?

Right away sir, they will be ready.

Good, that will be all everyone, remember they should be here no later than 1300AST so be on your toes for a earlier arrival alright.

Lorvin turned and walked out the room heading back to his side of the Government House to ready a few things and get ready to travel to the Ducal Palace. Lorvin picked up the phone and rang the Ducal Palace,

Please inform the Grand Duke that AA-02 is in route and will be here soon and that I will be arriving at the Palace shortly.

The Grand Duke will be notified at once thank you First Minister Lorvin.

He hung up the phone and walked out his office and down the stairs to the front door, he walked out and got into the car and left for the Palace.

 

---

 

AA-02

Somewhere over Victoria, Grand Duchy of Elde

 

The Chancellor and Ambassador were in a discussion when they were informed that they should be landing at the Victorian International Airport soon within the next few minutes, Liv nodded in agreement and took her seat and fastened her buckle for landing as well did Victoria. Liv looked out the window to see the capital of Elde a city which she grew up hearing about but had never seen herself till now. It seemed strange to see such a city in such beauty with no marks of war like Moskovo and many cities in Ahrana. She felt that this land had never been part of Ahrana in the past but she knew better thanks to her schooling but just by looking down at the city you would never had known this was once Ahrana. She saw the airport and was ready to get of this stupid plane as she called it many times in days ahead of this trip, she never truly liked flying but knew it had to be done. 

She felt a hard jerk of the wheels touching the tarmac of the runway and the harsh noise of the reverse thrusters from the engines engage, she felt another jerk which was the thrusters applying their force to stop the plane. The plane soon came to a roaring stop and as it turned to get off the main strip the Elde Government had set aside a huge part of the airport for the Ahranaian Delegation to be separate from the rest of the airport. Soon the noise of a step ladder latching itself to the side of the plane was heard, Liv got up out of her seat wearing her business casual suit and walked to the door with Victoria and several other officials. The attendants opened the door and out Liv walked out the door, first thing she noticed was that there were guards at the base of the step ladder with a few press down behind the barricade that had been set up. She walked down and was followed by Victoria and the other members of the delegation. They got into the cars that were there and they headed out through a gate behind the airplane she had just left.

The drive to the Ducal Palace was a quiet one to say the least not many words were exchanged, however a lot of window watching was done the whole ride given the reason why it was so quiet. Soon thought the Ducal Palace was within site. While it wasn't a massive palace like you find in Ahrana it was a nice size, one fit for a Duke to say the least one could say. As the car made its way up the road to the gates several hundred people lined the road to the Palace, some had flags of Elde and Ahrana and were waving them and of course several flashes of cameras were going off everywhere around the car. Soon though the car reached the gates and was let though. The car pulled up and the door was opened and the First Minister was there to meet the Chancellor and walk her down to meet the Duke.

As First Minister Lorvin, Chancellor Bjorkman and Ambassador Eriksson made their way down the large corridor they exchanged a few words and pointed at several pieces of art on the walls. Soon though they were at the Great Hall where the Duke would receive them. They all walked in and bows were made in respect,

Duke Henri, thank you for receiving us and thank you for welcoming us into your country. I do have to say it is quit beautiful, one might say that the land here has more beauty than the Ahranaian Countryside it is quiet breath taking.

Chancellor Bjorkman welcome and thank you for those kind words, also welcome Ambassador Eriksson to the Grand Duchy of Elde and my home the Ducal Palace. I am delighted to have you all here. I am excited to see what the fruits of our labor will bring for our two countries to be one again.

As am I your Grace, if you would give us the permission to present our Diplomatic and Integration Mission to you we would gladly get started?

Very well.

Your grace, as the Ambassador for Ahrana in the Grand Duchy Elde and the Reintegration Representative for Ahrana I hand you the official Diplomatic Protocol and Mission of the Third Untied Kingdom of Ahrana.

As the maroon colored book was handed over to the Duke the Ambassador did so with a slight bow to the Duke in respect of rank. The Duke took the book and in return bowed back in acceptance.

I do believe that we will meet again tomorrow, but for the time being I leave in the hands of First Minister Lorvin to begin the discussion of Integration. I look forward to getting to know you Chancellor Bjorkman.

As do I your grace. Good day.

They all bowed and exited the room. As they left the room Liv and Victoria exchanged smiles as the first meeting with the Duke had gone over well. They continued to walk down the way they came to the cars, this time the First Minister would join them in the car to the Government House to start the talks...

To be continued...

[Ahrana]

The Government House

Victoria, Grand Duchy of Elde

 

As the car made its way down the main gate to the Ducal Palace back down to the streets below the hill top the palace sits on top, the sides of the road still lined with people holding Ahranaian and Elde flags with the occasional shouting of the Ahranaian State motto being heard every once and a while. Soon though the lines of people started to thin out and you could see the people of Elde just carrying on with their business like a normal day.

As the car made its way down the main road towards the Government House Chancellor Bjorkman and Ambassador Victoria turned to one another and gave a slight facial agreement of acknowledgment that the next step was about to start. Soon the Government House was in sight and it was a simple little building nothing like you find in Ahrana. It looked like a apartment and that maybe a family of 6 lived in the building, you would never guess that the Head of Government worked and lived in this building. Before Elde had split off from Ahrana the Office of Prime Minister worked in a palace but now it seemed like the office of First Minister had downgraded tremendous amount. The yellow color on the exterior of the building however made it seem like home given the color of the yellow was common in Ahrana. As the car pulled up and came to a stop Chancellor Bjorkman closed her eyes and composed herself and then got out of the car, thankfully there were no reporters or civilian's around the area due to the fact that the Elde Federal Police set up a No-Go Zone on the area the Government House was located.

AS she got out of the car and made her way into the building followed by Victoria, they were lead into the Conference Room where the Minister of the Elde Government were waiting for them. They were joined by the First Minister who showed them to their seats and then the first meeting started:

Welcome, Chancellor Bjorkman and Ambassador Eriksson, to the Government House of Elde. Today we shall begin the re-integration talks that after today will be handled by the Reintegration Representative of Ahrana, Ambassador Eriksson. As the First Minister of Elde and as the Head of Government I am delighted to finally meet you both and to have these talks start. Before you in the folder that each of you in this room were given today upon your arrival to the Government House layouts the timeline and gives details to certain things that are deemed important to the Government of Elde. So I believe the first place to start is the Government Systems.

The Grand Duchy of Elde has maintained a Parliamentary Democracy that was founded during the Ahranaian period of rule. The Grand Duke is the Constitutional Monarchy of the Grand Duchy and holds pure ceremonial power and authority over the government, the true power is invested into the Government and the Ministers of that Government. We have a Unicameral Parliament that is called the National Assembly, in which the First Minister is elected from the Members of this Assembly. The First Minister is elected by the People through a Direct Election with secret ballot. So if the Government of Elde and the People of Elde is to ultimately join the Ahranaian Motherland again we will need assurances that the Monarchy of Ahrana will not repeat what happened in the past.

First Minister, as the Chancellor of the Kingdom of Ahrana who is the Head of Government I can assure you that the current Ahranaian Monarchy is fully independent from Political Opinions and Authority unlike the previous structure. The Monarchy cannot and will not due to Constitutional Decree interfere with the Government, they are there to approve legislation that the Government wishes to adopt, acknowledge Ambassadors, Government Appointments and Receptions of Foreign Heads of State and Government. The Constitution of the Third Kingdom of Ahrana outlines point to point what the Monarchy may or may not do, and to violate that constitution is to violate the supreme law of the land to which they are not immune from prosecution if need be depending on the severity of the action done.

I do understand what is in the Constitution but what assurances do we the Government of Elde have that the situation of 1910 will not happen again, you can tell us the political things all day but we here know and have heard the false hopes and promises of the Ahranaian Government.

First Minster Lorvin and the members of the Government of Elde, the assurances you are asking for are found in the Constitution of the Third Kingdom of Ahrana. If you want specific assurances well I am truly sorry to disappoint because that would mean I would have to violate a clause that goes with corruption in the Anticorruption Policy we have in Ahrana and I will not and I refuse to violate that policy. Furthermore, the Ambassador is still under Ahranaian Law and must follow the Law while she is the Reintegration Representative for Ahrana to Elde. If she violates this policy or any policy she will be held accountable for her actions. So once again I say this your assurances you are asking are found in the Constitution and that is that, no other assurances will be granted just for Elde, if the Government of Elde cannot trust the political process of Ahrana and its Policies then I ask you all to consider exactly what are you all wanting to achieve here if all you want is to get a specific deal just for Elde and not for a United Ahrana like you all stated to start with?

The room went still and quiet after Chancellor Bjorkman said that, she grabbed her glass of water and took a drink while making eye contact with First Minister Lorvin who had a slight grin of his face. She thought to herself, "What in the hell is he smiling about, over here asking for specific assurances and for me to violate government policy. Who the hell does he think he is!" As she finished getting a quick drink she placed the glass down and folded her hands together and turned her head to Lorvin to see what he had next.

Very well Chancellor Bjorkman, we will agree with that. In order for Elde to fully reintegrate into Ahrana we want to be able to cut a deal that the process will take about four years to completely happen, during that time period the Duchy of Elde will allow the Kingdom of Ahrana and the Federal Government to represent us in the International Arena while at the Federal, Republican and Local Levels we ask that a method similar to that of Xara be implemented. We want to rejoin Ahrana but we wish to be an Autonomous Region for up to four years after which full integration of Elde can be achieved to match that of say Moskovo and such.

We do agree that the process should take up to four years to fully complete but where we do not agree on specifically is the part of Autonomous Region. The Autonomous Kingdom of Xara is only structured the way it is due to the fact that the Xara Accords, the Duchy of Elde however is not in that scope of such treaty. The Autonomous Province of Thralhaven is set up due to the majority of the people there are Andallans and have the right to form a Government in their way so as long as it meets the requirements the Ahranaian Government and Constitution has laid out. If Elde wishes to be something similar then we would have to restructure of the Constitution to allow another Autonomous Region as it only allows for two. 

However, I do believe something similar can be done for the Grand Duchy of Elde. What I propose is the following: The grand Duchy of Elde will be declared a Member State of the Third United Kingdom of Ahrana and will have the right to form a Regional Parliament like the other Member States of the Kingdom, the Duchy will be granted a High Representative in the Federal Government for up to and no more than Five Years after which a Governor-General will be appointed. When the Governor-General is appointed the position will be held by the Grand Duke of Elde and only the heirs to the Duchy of Elde will be allowed to occupy that Office so as long as they follow all Ahranaian Laws and the swear a oath to protect and follow the Constitution of the Third Kingdom of Ahrana. If the Line of the House of Elde goes extinct then the Office of Governor-General will become an Elected Office that is nominated by the People of Elde and Confirmed by the Regional Government of Elde and is accepted by the Ahranaian Federal Government. How does that sound?

Please continue we are following.

Secondly, the Office of High Representative for Elde that is in the Ahranaian Federal Government will be the Grand Duke respectively unless otherwise desired to be someone else. The Regional Government of Elde during and after the reintegration period will be as the current Government of Elde is, however the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Defense, and Justice will be given to the Federal Government while all other Ministries will be responsible to Elde. A Ministry of Cooperation of Member States will be created for all Member States and will be headed by the Federal Government. The Office of First Minister will be allowed to stay to run the Regional Government at the Regional Level which is equal to the Office of the Primer in the other Member States. The Duchy of Elde would have to of course acknowledge that they are not above the other member states but are in fact equal in status to the other member states of the kingdom.

All of this is reasonable and in fact what we should strive for during the process, we can accept these terms that have been stated currently. Please continue Chancellor.

Thirdly, the Government of Elde would have to immediately adopt the Statute of Peace & War in order for the Government to progress forward to represented by the Federal Government in the International Arena, this is not negotiable and it must happen as soon as possible.

Ah, yes the Statute of Peace & War. The Government of Elde understands the reasoning of the Statue and why it must be ratified but we do not necessarily believe with the core tannates of the statute. If you remember back when it was originally adopted the lands of Elde did not support the statute as it was seen as authoritarian in nature and a way for the Government to impede the regional governments.

Yes I do remember learning this in school, but surely you will remember the true purpose of the statute and why it was created....remember the wars that happened the alliances that almost brought down the country! Since the ratification and adoption of the Statute of Peace & War the peace in the country has been maintained without foreign intervention unlike before. Might you also remember the Statute of Peace & War has been updated and modified to represent the changing nature of the governments as well to respect Democracy and the Constitution of the Kingdom. I assure you and this Government that the Statute of Peace & War you remember is not the same.

Very well, the ratification of the Statute of Peace & War will be ratified by the Grand Duchy of Elde and will be signed by the First Minister and the Grand Duke at the final day of reintegration talks. I do believe now would be a great time to take a quick break for say fifteen minutes.

 

TO BE CONTIUNED....

 

[Ahrana]

The Government House

Victoria, Grand Duchy of Elde

 

The Fifteen minute break ended very quickly, not many people took the break most just stayed in the conference room talking amongst themselves speaking in Xaraian but with the Elden dialect which is very less known back in the mainland. Chancellor Bjorkman was feeling quite uneasy about the chatter she could hear as for one she understood what was being said, however he counterpart did not understand what was being said so she was completely lost and kept asking Liv what everyone was saying.

Chancellor Bjorkman kept hearing the sentence, "They think they are better than us and have nothing to concede in these talks, nothing has changed in the motherland they are all still arrogant as hel..." The Chancellor knew what most people in Elde thought of the people in the motherland and knew full well that she was going to hear about the arrogance of the Ahranaian People. It was not uncommon for the Ahranaians to come off as arrogant and better than all since that is how the pride of the people are, it was nothing that could change it was just simply that Ahranaian Pride in their nation and their identity. The Chancellor did understand that she will have to give the Elden Government and Nation a few things they want in order to make this Union work again.

As the last few people came back into the conference room the First Minister was the last to enter and took his seat and looked over to his minsters to see if they were ready to resume to which they all acknowledged. He then looked over to Liv and Victoria and was given a nod in agreement to resume.

Okay, let us start again. Chancellor Bjorkman we had a very long discussion in my office about a few things and we the Elden Government have a few things for the Ahranaian Delegation to consider. First, if the government of Elde when integrated into Ahrana cannot have similar organization to Xara or Thralhaven then may we propose a creation of one unique only to Elde and only for Elde? I do believe that is not to much to ask for.

I am listening, please deliver the proposal First Minister Lorvin.

We like the idea of having a High Representative is understanding and desired we do not wish to have a office of that creation, instead we would like that office to be the office of the Grand Duke. The Duke is a relative and descendent from the current Imperial House and we believe he is deserving of such an office in the new joined government. The Office of Grand Duke is merely just the Federal Government Representative to the capital and will be much like the other High Representatives. We agree with the International representation, however the Regional and Local levels we want full autonomy in this area to do what we wish. So what we are asking at the Regional Levels is to remain a Autonomous Region of the Country indefinitely.

Chancellor Bjorkman looked at First Minister Lorvin with a glare because they just came to an agreement about these things before the break and now they want to change them. In her mind she was furious that they wished to change these points agreed on in the first half of todays talks. She looked to the ceiling for a bit as if she was praying but instead she was thinking.

Okay so from what I am getting here is that we are not accepting what we agreed upon in the conversations before the break and we want to have something else instead of what was proposed and agreed?

Well not entirely Chancellor Bjorkman, we want a few changes after the four year transitional period we wish for the Autonomous Region to be permanent and to continue unless the People of Elde wish to be a Federal Entity like that of Ahran and Moskovo and so forth. We also want to be able to have our own Constitution with the same status as the Federal Constitution and that of Xara as well.

First Minister Lorvin, Xara is unique in its requirements and set up. However, Elde would be and is desired to be a Federal Entity unlike Thralhaven and Xara. Federal Entity Status would help Elde much more than Autonomous Status would which would hurt the country in this case as there is no reason for it to stay Autonomous past the four years required. I do accept the idea that the High Representative is replaced by the Office of Grand Duke of Elde which would give him or her status in the government but as a mere representative for Elde at the Federal Government, if the office of grand duke is to have power it will need to be cleared through the Federal Courts of course.

We understand that Xara and Thralhaven are unique in the reasoning of their Entity status and we do understand your worry of the benefits for Federal and Autonomous Entity status. After the four years of transition we can propose a referendum to the people and allow them to decide on the Entity Status after which the results are binding and cannot be changed by either the Federal Government or the Elden Government.

That is agreeable we can do such a thing.

Secondly, we want to be able to have a small defense force for Elde, the defense force would be more of a militia and nothing more. However in the case of defense we do accept the idea that Ahrana is responsible for such an act.

A Self Defense Force is what you are asking for? What would this Force be used for and why does Elde need a independent force from the Federal Military?

The Elden Self Defense Force is merely a Militia that would be responsible for the Passport Checks on the outer border of Elde and the Port of Entry. We ask for this as to be able to handle and extremism that may happen. The last time we were part of the Union the Military failed to protect the people in Elde so we do not wish for this to happen once again.

That is understandable, if the Self Defense Force is agreed upon the following would have to agreed on today as we discuss this. As per the Federal Constitution all Nationals in the boarders of Ahrana and of Ahranaian Citizenship aboard must serve in the Ahranaian Military. There will be no waver from service instead they can have the option of serving in this defense force for the required time. This Defense Force will be included in the Ahranaian Military as a separate service branch and will be included in the Ministry of Defense. In addition to, when a Declaration of War is ratified the Self Defense Force will be activated as it will be treated as a Reserve Unit and will get Full Military Active Service Status. If this is not agreed upon then no Self Defense Force will be allowed at any point.

We will accept this proposal and agree to his fully and we are happy with this proposal Chancellor Bjorkman. We would like to be able to control how the economy gets integrated into the Federal Economy.

Very well, so as long as your economists work with the Ahranaian Governments Economists fully on this matter. Of course there will only be one type of Monetary allowed in the entire Country and that being the Krone.

Yes of Course! Everyone I believe that is a good place to stop for the day, we will resume this tomorrow at 0800AST tomorrow.

Everyone got up and started walking out of the room, Liv picked up her things and was preparing to head back to Moskovo to end her day while Victoria settled in at the Ambassadors residence. The two exchanged farewells and walked out and got into two separate cars and left the Government House.

As the car carrying the chancellor neared the airport where the plane was she felt at ease and was beyond ready to get back to her office and chair. It had been a long and interesting day, one she would care not to have to repeat for a bit. She felt confident that Victoria would do her best in dealing with the Elden Government and decided not to worry much about that. 

As she got out of the car and headed up the stairs she did not do a turn back instead just heading straight into the plane and to sit in that comfortable chair on the plane. Soon the plane was heading down the runway and lifted off into the air and headed for the Capital.

 

To be continued...

[Ahrana]

As the sun slowly peaked over the horizon Victoria was a but anxious to start the day and to start the next meeting with the Elden Government, she had briefly spoken with Chancellor Bjorkman this morning for pointers on what to cover in the meetings today. As Victoria sat there in the dining room drinking her tea and reading the newspaper, The Elden Times. The Visit from the Ahranaian Chancellor was on the front page as well as herself. Soon there was a knock on the door and it was the driver ready to take her to the Government Office to have the next set of talks with the Elden Government.  She grabbed a few things for the Office when she would be done with the Elden Government Meeting and then headed out the door. She got into the back of the car and the car drove off.

As the car headed down the busy streets she noticed the amount of traffic that was in the capital, it was far more busier than it is in Moskovo but then again that is because the streets are in better condition compared to the ones on the Ahranaian Capital. In Elde everyone seems to be taking a car, bus or train to do their daily schedule while in Ahrana if you live in the capital you either Walk, take a bus or the train and if you dare to you can drive. Since the revolution some of the main roads in the Ahranaian Capital have not been repaired but that partly due to funding which the government is having a hard time of finding for the infrastructure. 

Soon she arrived to the Government Offices of the Elden Government and got out to make her way into the building. For todays topic Government Owned Companies are needing to be discussed as well as a few other things which would and should make this session a short session as both sides are nearing the end of the talks and the next step is agreeing on a single piece of legislature. Victoria walked into the Conference Room and greeted everyone and even had a few conversations with a few Elden Ministers before the First Minister arrived. Once the First Minister arrived the session started immediately,

Ambassador Eriksson thank you for joining us today, I believe that with the agreement of my Ministers and the Grand Duke another three sessions should wrap up the beginning of the process and the next step will be agreeing on legislation?

Yes First Minister Lorvin, my Government agree with that as well which is exactly what was said this morning when I had a phone call with the Ahranaian Chancellor. Today I would like to cover and discuss several things and one In particular are Government Owned Companies. The Ahranaian Government has stated that within the Four Economic Transition all State Owned Companies should be submitted to the Federal Government for Inspection of the Financials and Regulations to determine if the status of State Owned is the correct status that company should have and of course this would all be done after the Four Year Economic Transition if the Elden Government agrees?

Right to work I see Ambassador. Very well! The only government owned companies are the Defense Companies which are owned by the State and of course we would submit all information regarding the financials and regulations to the Federal Government before, during and after the four year economic transition. The Defense Companies are also partly owned by the Grand Duke and the Ducal House as well hence why its been given the status of State Owned. I will rely this to the Grand Duke and the companies to let them know what will be done.

Very well, the next thing is the following proposed excerpt from the proposed Act of Union from the Ahranaian Government. If you would look at page 4 and at Article 12:

Quote

Article 12.

The Elden Government and People have the legal right to introduce Articles of Succession from the Union of the United Kingdom of Ahrana for the following reasons and only these reasons that must be proved in a court of law before declaring succession from the Union:

Failure to protect the People of Elde

Failure to ensure the Diarchs allow the Democratic Practices to follow their true flow, in another term failure to ensure the Diarchs do not impede their beliefs on the Democratic Principles of the Union of Ahrana that are outlined in the Constitution of the Third United Kingdom of Ahrana

 

The Ahranaian Federal Government may declare the Declaration of Succession from the Union invalid and undemocratic if these are not the reasons for the ratification of such Articles are created, which the Ahranaian Government may take any means of action including Military if need be to restore order and Democracy in the Elden Member State.

 

(Excerpt from Proposed Act of Union, Ahranaian Version)

This Proposal is made to the Elden Government as it is written here, if the Elden Government does not agree then another proposal can be sought by this Council or by the two Governments in a Independent session of Government Cabinets.

We are quite satisfied with this proposal actually as since the worries of the Elden Government have been addressed in this matter and we accept this proposal.

Very well then the next proposed article in conjunction with this Article is Article 13 which states:

Quote

Article 13.

Any armed uprising in Elde against the Ahranaian Federal Government will be deemed as undemocratic and Military Force is permitted to be used in Elde to subdue these undemocratic events.

 

(Excerpt from Proposed Act of Union, Ahranaian Version)

This Article like the previous Article is proposed as is and if the Elden Government does not accept this proposal then one must be found to replace it in this session of council.

We would like for there to be a step before the use of Military Force is used, if possible could this have a two step solution to it such as the following:

"Any Armed Uprising in Elde against the Ahranaian Federal Government will be deemed as undemocratic and as a first step to the solution the Royal Constabulary and the Ahranaian Federal Police Force will intervene and if the first step fails then Military Force is permitted to be used in Elde to subdue these undemocratic events."

I will accept this edit to the Article that was proposed as it is a logical step and a reasonable one to help end the idea of these events without bloodshed which would happen with Military Force, no one wants to see us spill each others blood at all so Military Force will be a last resort which will be added to this article.

And lastly on my agenda in order for the Act of Union to be declared Legal and Democratic by both Parties Governments the People of both Countries must approve the Act in a Referendum. The result for the Act of Union to be legal and Democratic must be greater or equal to eighty percent that vote yes in the referendum. If there are not enough votes by the people then a second vote must take place and the final result of that vote will be declared as final.

We do agree with that and agree on the definition for Legal and Democratic in this instance. If this is all for this session Ambassador we will end the meeting for today and agree to meet again tomorrow say after lunch?

Very well.

Great, I call this session to an end for today thank you everyone.

As the session ended Victoria got up and gathered her papers and headed out to the car to make her way to the embassy to give the Government an update on the sessions. Since the first day was so productive and since the Governments have been working through private channels her job is much easier than what was expected. Soon she would be back in the Ahranaian Capital at home with her family and with great edition to add to her resume and biography.

 

TO BE CONTINUED....

 

(OOC: sorry for the silence I had a case of writers block and finally had some inspiration to write today. So a little details here, the Elden and Ahranaian Governments are working round the clock both in the Council Sessions and through Private Channels in the First Minister and Chancellor Offices to create what is being called an "Act of Union" that both Governments will both accept on the last session of the Council meeting. The next step after the Council Sessions is the Referendums which will be spilt up into two or three posts with the last post containing the final  results which will end this RP, 'A Union United, Chapter 1'. After Chapter 1 comes chapter 2 which is all able Uppsund which currently the Governments in Uppsund have already contacted the Ahranaian Government with a proposal of Act of Union as well. So with Chapter 1 coming to a close you will start seeing a few things that will open Chapter 2 up very soon.) 

[Ahrana]

As the sun was peaking through the windows in the Ambassador Residence with great light and warmth as it hit the skin of Victoria, who was sitting at her desk in her office drinking a cup of hot tea that was still steaming vigorously as it was just brewed not long ago. As she sat there looking at the Elden Times which had an article on the recent publication of proposals of the Act of Unification, it seems that many opinions of the Editors and some of the Public were still extremely weary of the Ahranaians even after so long. It seems that somethings just never truly change after all.

She turned the page and saw that the story on this side was of a corruption sandal in the Elden Church involving a Priest and a few minor Church officials. She noticed that not only in Elde is the church having issues but the Church in Ahrana is also having many scandals involving church officials. The Elden Orthodox Church is separate from the Ahranaian Orthodox Church after Elden Independence was granted but the Högsta guvernören still holds some sway in the Elden Church but little.

As Victoria finished reading the Paper she closed it and placed it on her Dark Oak wood desk and grabbed her cup of tea and turned the chair to get up and walked over to the window to soak up some sunlight. One of the attendants came in and grabbed the paper and brought in after leaving with the paper some breakfast and turned on the music. Victoria closed her eyes as the music started to play, it was the old classical music from the 1900s period of Ahranaian Music. To most people today the era of "Big Band" was considered classical as only the older generations listened to it. She tapped her foot to the beat as she stood at the window with her eyes closed taking in the warmth from the sun and taking nice and mellow breathes, the last few days and weeks had been challenging and hectic with getting Articles together to create a Act of Union between Elde and Ahrana. Victoria turned around from the window and walked over to where the plate of food was and sat down to start eating the food. There was a fried egg with diced potatoes with a assortment of diced meats with carrots, tomato's and some spices to add some flavor. She started eating the food till the attendant walked back in to check on Victoria to see if she needed anything to which she waved to her in a manor that meant no. The attendant left but this time she opened the double door that separates her office from the rest of the Ambassador Residence. As she finished her breakfast she got up and walked over to the coat rack and grabbed her blazer that she would wear for the day and headed out of the Office heading down the hallway to the front of the residence, she walked over tot he kitchen and placed the plate and cup into the sink and walked to the front door where the car was waiting.

As she walked out of the front door she put on the blazer and walked to the car while looking up at the sky and her surroundings and just taking in the beauty of the day that was here today. She got to the car and opened the door and sat in the rear of the car and shut the door. As she got into the seat and placed her safety belt on the driver started heading out of the driveway to the main street to take her to the Embassy where she would spend a few hours before heading to the Elden First Ministers Office to hand the official Act of Union over for the final read over.

As the car made its way down the main road in the city center Victoria noticed the amount of people on the streets today and remembered that it was a Elden Holiday this weekend and that many people were getting ready for the festivities. She dug into her briefcase for a scratch piece of paper to make a note of a few things while the driver headed down the street. A few more lights and they'd be at the Embassy to which she would begin her day.

As the car approached the Embassy front gates she showed her ID Card and the gate opened and the car drove into the front of the Entrance and she got out and headed into the building. The Life Guards at the entrance on the outside and the inside of the door Structure came to life in a quick gesture of attention and a salute for the Ambassador then as quickly as they came to life they went back to what they were before as still as the sound of silence. Victoria headed up the grand stairway and to the left to her office and walked in and quickly grabbed for the folder holding the Act of Union. She opened the folder and started going through it circling and writing on the draft. As she went through it for the final time she placed her pin down and got up and walked out of the office and down the hall to one of the Attachés office and handed him the final draft. 

"I believe after these corrections that will be all from our side, whatever the Eldens want to add at this point will either be minor or not needed in this act."

She turned and walked out of that Attachés office back to hers and started looking through other paperwork.

Many Hours later.....

As the car headed down the street to the First Minister Office the drive motioned to Victoria that in exactly one minute they would arrive and she would have to get out of the car. As the car turned the corners and turned on the last street to head to the Office of the First Minister she grabbed her briefcase and got ready to exit the car. The car pulled up quickly with the Police escort still in the front and the back and as she got out the car quickly was rushed away and she walked to the door. This time there were no press no cameras no public bystanders, just pure city noise. It was odd to Victoria as she had come accustomed to the press and people  being at the gates every time she arrived here. However no harm done she thought, at least she wouldn't have to wave or smile to people.

Victoria stepped to the door and as soon as she got to it the door quickly opened and she walked in, the First Minister was waiting in the Meeting Room to which she headed to. As he walked in they shook hands, this time it was the First Minister, Deputy First Minister and the Leader of the Opposition and herself in the room. As she walked to a chair she sat down with the rest and handed out folders to the three politicians and they all started to read the final copy. Many minutes passed as they read but not once did any eyebrow raise in surprise. As they finished reading the Act they looked at one another and nodded in agreement and the First Minister said:

Well Ambassador Victoria I think it is safe to say that this draft will pass in the Legislature in Elde and then after that the People will vote on this and I do believe they will accept this Act as it is currently.

Very well First Minister Lorvin, I will let the Ahranaian know we have concluded our discussions and that any other backlog conversations can officially wrap up for the referendum to begin.

They both stood up and shook hands again and Victoria left the room and headed for the door where her car was waiting, she stepped out and got into the car and it drove off for the Embassy again. As they drove away she reached for her Cell Phone and called the Chancellor and told her the news.

Well Chancellor Bjorkman the final draft will pass the Elden Legislature and will be set up for a Referendum by the Elden People within the next week, so we can expect the end of official talks soon.

That is great, see to it that all preparations are made for the transition.

The phone went silent and then she placed it back into her bag. The car was now driving alone without the escorts and soon turned into the Embassy Gate access. She flashed her ID again and was let in, she got out of the car and headed back into the building.

 

TO BE CONTINUED....

[Ahrana]

As Bjorkman stood in her office she was given a message from the Chancellor that stated the Statute of Peace & War will be amended and that she should prepare for the possibility that the Federal Government will mobilize the troops. The note said nothing else so as to the question of why this would be necessary was another thing, but in the meantime she had to inform the First Minister of Elde and the Executive Ministries of Elde of the changes not that they would be able to deny the changes to the Statute as they have to accept any form of the statute as agreed upon. 

As she walked over to the phone so she could get a private line to the First Minister off the Red Phone;

Please get me First Minister Lorvin's Office.

A few seconds passed which felt like minutes before the line was connected and secured.

First Minister Lorvin, this is Representative Bjorkman I have some information for you that you and the Executive Ministry would most likely want to know. As of 0800AST the Embassy of Ahrana in Elde received a communication from the Federal Chancellor and the Presidium of the Government of Ahrana, the Statute of Peace & War of the second edition has been repealed and a new Statute has been implemented with the full backing of the Parliament and Regional Parliaments of the Kingdom of Ahrana. This is new adaption is law and must be accepted by the Grand Duchy of Elde per the agreements we made in the talks.

Well that is unfortunate but as we have promised the Grand Duchy of Elde will respect the promises and agreements it made in the discussion with the Government of Ahrana and yourself. The referendum will be held in two weeks and then we will have the final decision of the Duchy.

Very well First Minister, good day.

As she hung up the phone the light turned off to signify the recording had stopped, as required in all Official Government Offices the Red Phones are taped when used. As she turned around to the window the secretary came in with a copy of the new Statute of Peace & War for her to read so she knew what was going on.

As she read she understood this was a response to the Anglican Aggression the Wurld was seeing and marked the first time in the history of Ahrana since the inception of a United Ahrana that the Country was stepping out into the Wurld Arena. While it worried her to a degree she felt that it was time to change the laws to better suit what the future of Ahrana was going to be. She could only hope that the Acts that would be passed in conjunction with the Statute of Peace & War would not be abused like in the past but this is the new Ahrana she reminded herself.

 

 

[OOC: I am trying to make more details for this RP but school is making it difficult for me to write or come up with things. However, the Statute changing is an important part of this RP. How exactly? Well I am still working on that but this RP should be completed before the end of the year unless things happen in my personal life.]

[Ahrana]

As the weeks rolled on through the Elden News outlets and the Newspapers covered everything of the Acts of Integration and mood of the people in Elde was a mixture. One News Agency did a Poll on two thousand random people and found that two thirds of the people in that survey were comfortable with the Acts of Integration and felt assured that if Elde wanted out of the Union they had a way out. However, another News agency did a poll in another part of the country and found that the majority of the two thousand people they polled were not okay with the current proposal and did not like the idea of integration back into the Union.

 

As the days went on and the referendum date got closer the Elden Government stepped up the game in throwing support behind the Act of Integration and soon the Members of Parliament were out in their constituencies campaigning to the people to Vote Yes while a small amount of MPs were asking for people to Vote No. It was a strange sight for Ambassador Bjorkman to see as this is something you do not see in Ahrana due to the security issues that still plague the country. She did think it was a good practice and showed the true effect and style of Parliamentary Democracy at its finest.

 

The day before the Referendum however, Victoria was not able to sleep very much as her entire work rested in the hands of a undecided and mixed feelings set of people that she only knew about from her schooling. That morning she had gotten out of bed three hours before the sunrise and was already working on her next posting assignment which would be to the Kingdom of Uppsund to oversee the Acts of Union of the two Kingdoms. As the sun rose you could hear the main square clock tower chiming in the distance with its unique song that she had yet to figure out what it was. One of her secretaries came in with a cup and a kettle for the morning tea, which she gladly took quickly as she needed something warm and caffeinated in her system. They both looked at each other and you could see the tension in their eyes as both were worried what the result would be later that evening after the last polling station closed. The Secretary walked over to the Television in the corner of the Office turned it on and placed the volume on a low but distinguishable sound level and then walked out of the office. 

Victoria stood up and took her Tea Cup and Saucer and walked to the window, it was starting to get a bit cold at night here in this part of the wurld and it was the perfect weather as it reminded her of her childhood. As she stood at the window she could see the flag pole in the City Square and could see the Elden Flag being raised to full staff and then through the window she could hear the National Anthem and the Flag anthem playing. Such a proud people she thought to herself, they reminded her of the Ahranaians under the Second Imperial Government when Gustov was the King. A much simpler time but filled with so much conflict.

As the last note of the Elden Flag Anthem was played she turned away from the window and walked back to her desk and set the saucer and cup on the desk and looked at the Television. They were talking about the Vote and that they already had lines at the polling stations. Then the First Minister made a Speech outside his Official Office and Residence reminding the people about what today was and the importance that everyone casts a vote.

 

Hours passed and the sun was setting, the last polling station had closed two hours ago and the votes were being counted. Victoria had traveled to the First Ministers Office and was prepared to present a speech if the Yes Vote won the majority of the Vote. As they stood there she realized that they never discussed what to do if the people Voted No to the Act, no matter the Legislature could possible override the results of the Referendum and do what they believed was best for the nation like their Constitution states. As the last vote was counted and was shown being counted on the Television which everyone in Elde was watching no doubt the Phone, well the Red Phone, in the First Ministers office rang as it was the Electoral Commissioner. First Minister Lorvin answered the Phone:

First Minister Lorvin Speaking.

Minister Lorvin this is Electoral Commissioner Alexander Jacobs speaking. So as it stands currently the Yes Vote has 85% of the majority of Votes and the No Vote has 15% of the Vote. So the Official Results is 85 to 15 with the Yes having the Vote sir.

Very well thank you Mr. Jacobs, also smile and wave to the camera and thank you for your service tonight it is appreciated.

As First Minister Lorvin hung up the phone his face was gleaming with joy and surprise that the Yes Vote got that amount as he predicted a lower percentage.

Well everyone as it stands currently and Officially the vote is 85 to 15 with the Yes Vote taking the official results.

The room erupted with joy and heavy laughter and chatter, they all shouted "Long Live Elde and Long Live Ahrana!" several times and shook the Ambassadors hand. Victoria walked to First Minister Lorvin and shook his hand and walked to the black phone on his desk and called the Ahranaian Federal Chancellor who was awaiting her call:

Please forward me to the Ahranaian Federal Chancellor's Office please...Chancellor Bjorkman its Victoria here.

Ah Yes go ahead Victoria the Council is awaiting the results.....

Madam Chancellor please inform Their Imperial Majesties and the Government that the vote was 85 to 15 with the Yes Vote carrying the Vote. I will be making a Publicized announcement shortly with the Elden Government.

Very well Victoria great work see you soon.

The phone went dead and Victoria hung up the phone. She walked over to the group of Elden Ministers and took a glass of champagne and toasted to the future. Herself and First Minister Lorvin then set the glasses on the table and walked out to the front of the residence into the Rotunda where they would give the announcement. It was decided that Victoria would give the results if the Yes Vote won and that if the No vote won then Lorvin would announce the results. As they walked out together Victoria approached the podium and started speaking:

Good Evening all, as of roughly twenty minutes ago the Electoral Commissioner called First Ministers Lorvin's Office and gave the official results. As of 2105 AST the vote results are as follows, 85 to 15 with the Yes Vote carrying the Vote. As stated by the Act of Integration the official results of the Referendum will make Official the Act and make it Law binding. As of today Elde has voted to reintegrate into the Union of the United Kingdom of Ahrana, and we welcome our brothers and sisters of Elde back into the fold with open arms. Thank you all and good night.

The rotunda filled with flashes and clicks and reporters asking for comments, the room was like an interrogation room with the brightness of the cameras flashes. Lorvin and Victoria walked to the door back to the Minister Offices and shook hands. As of tomorrow when the sun rises the second flag pole will have the Ahranaian Standard flying next to the Elden Flag.