Queen Melty walks through the halls of the International Senate, with the meeting still ringing in her ears. From what the assembly completed, to what her sister said about said resolutions, child slavery, and Prince Edward. She had a bad feeling about her sister, but more than usual because of how easily this could lead to another war between the two nations, so she prefer to not openly speak out against Rome whenever they are participating in an public international event. As she walks, she is stopped in her tracks at the sight of Prince Alphonse.
"Alphonse" Melty said as Alphonse catches up to her. "You're still here huh?".
"I just wanted to hand you this" Al says giving a letter to Melty. "It's a letter to my brother. Since Malty is holding him hostage, and seeing you two are sisters and all, I was wondering if you can find someway to convince her to give this to him". Melty puts the letter in her purse.
"I'll see what I can do about that" Melty says, she also looks at him sadly. "I'm not sure how many time I can apoligize for my sister's cruelty to your brother. If only there was something I could do about it".
"I know there isn't much you can do, your sister is just insane" Al replies in the same tone. "I miss my brother a lot, but we really can't pass your sister's thick skull can we?".
"Yeah" Melty replies.
"You know, if it makes you feel better" Al proposes, "Along with the letter, I was wondering if I can catch a ride with on your way home on your private train?"
"What?" Melty asks.
"Your private train does go through my homeland yes?"
"Yeah I know, but if you are asking for a ride, how did you even get here to begin with?" Melty asks Al.
"Well, it's actually embarrassing" Al begins. The basic rundown is that Alphonse took the plane down to Heathrow Airport, but by the time it landed at the foreign dignitary's hanger, the engine just gave out, it would take a week or so to get it done, and now it's going to take longer because of a wing that broke as the engineers were trying to fix the engines. Melty of course obliges with Al's request, and Tsarista Rachel McKenzie of Russia also joins them since she did join Al on his plane trip to London. Hours later, the three of them boarded Melty's private train and beings it's journey through the English Channel and through France, making it's way through Germany. The three monarchs engage in a conversation in the private dining car on the way to Berlin.
"Thanks again for the travel home" Alphonse says to Melty.
"Like you said, it makes me feel a little better" Melty said in return.
"I still do not understand why you should defend your sister, besides the fact that they seem to impose embargoes and such on you for nothing more than family feud?" Rachel asks.
"Well, my mother and father got into a tiff, my mother the queen was more lenient on foreign and domestic policies that enrich the lives of all of our citizens under the Roman banner, while my father was a ruthless autocrat who hated peasants and demi-humans. His foreign policies were very ruthless to the rest of the world, if you remembered, he helped ignite the Second International Catastrophe. It also didn't help the fact that my mother was a follower of the Four Heroes Church and my Father was a follower of the Three Heroes Church, and for two monarchs of Rome to be on different sides of the political spectrum can cause a riff between the two".
"And that's when your mother filed a divorce right?" Rachel asks.
"Exactly" Melty replied. "My Mother then took me to her homeland in Greece, since she came from that lineage. In fact, I'm technically in line of succession for the Roman Imperial throne".
"You're saying that right now, you can challenge your sister for succession rights to Rome?" Al asks.
"I could" Melty said, "but I know for a fact that my sister would probably send her armies and missiles towards us. And besides, being a follower of the Four Heroes Church, my sister excommunicated me in front of their pope, so they wouldn't even recognize me as their leader anyway". While they continued to talk, a young butler with brown hair and a double hair-curl appeared in the train car along with a tray of teacups.
"Your evening tea ma'am" the butler say putting down the tray in front of the monarchs.
"Thank you Mr. Karpusi" Melty replies, and before he leaves, Melty grabs his attention. "Oh by the way, can you remind me to recruit more archaeologists to work for the government when we get back?".
"Of course ma'am" He replied as he leaves the train car, and leaves the monarchs to continue their conversation while drinking tea.
"So these archaeologists are for digging out to find the lost lineage of Egypt correct" Al asks.
"Yes" Melty replies, "I'm sure we still have plans for senate backed rebellion in the Egyptian territories of Rome". This was a rather hot topic among the leaders of the world stage. Whether this was an attempt to destabilize Roman power, or just another nation to be used by the senate to place military units in their borders was not really important. What mattered was that this Egyptian revolt was the first step to a worldwide coalition against Rome.
"I had spies in those territories earlier this year" Al says, "and what they theorized was that somewhere near the old pyramids, lies a mass grave of government officials killed in the Roman invasion. We assume that is most likely where the royals were buried too".
"Well, it's not like you could dig it out, Malty would get suspicious. And besides, no other foreigner besides dignitaries are allowed in her borders, unless you want to get screwed over by her foreign policy on foreign trafficking" Rachel adds.
"Except you, you have an ambassador there don't you" Melty asks Rachel.
"Well yeah, I'm not sure what that has to do with anything?"
"How about a trade deal" Melty proposes, "We have our archaeologists go under your nation's embassy, and in exchange for that... uh...". Melty begins thinking what Russia could need at the moment. Just then, the butler came in with a telegram.
"Telegram for her majesty, Tsarista Rachel McKenzie".
"Thank you" Rachel replies receiving the telegram from him. She opens it up, and reading it, she starts shaking her head.
"What is it?" Al asks.
"Damned revolutionaries in the balkans" Rachel replies, "Some woman named Rose Quartz wants the government to become communist, and I don't know why".
"Must be a power struggle" Melty replies, which gives her an idea. "Say! How about we help solve your revolutionary crisis. I can have my elite guards take whom ever this Rose person is and crush this rebellion, what do you say?".
"You won't believe how grateful I am to hear that" Rachel replies, shaking hands with Melty for a new deal.
"It's what we do to show Rome who's boss" Melty replies, "oh by the way Al, I heard that your father and Queen Charity are trying to set you up with one of the English princesses".
"Yeah, her name is Princess Pepper Mills, you know the duchess of York" Al says, "I kinda do like her. Gets my mind off of things going on. Hope it doesn't end like my brother" he continues, ending that last part less enthusiastically. The train after a long ride begins to arrive in the into inner German territory. Melty's butler enters the train car once more, carrying a portable radio.
"Your majesty" Hurcules Karpusi says, "It is time for the evening international news report".
"Excellent" Melty replies, "can you set up the radio on the table please?".
"Yes ma'am" he replied putting the radio down and adjusting the dial to the proper channel. This international news broadcast was transmitted from America, on which the rest of the world's broadcasting towers receives through the great firewall. The channel is set and the broadcast begins.
-RSMO 10.0-
KENT: "Good evening ladies and gentlemen, Kent Brockman here reporting live from Springfield here with the international weekly update. First off, I would like to congratulate great musician Maestro Ludwig Van Beethoven for a wonderful debut of his Fifth Symphony at the Berlin Opera House last week. Music critics adored Beethoven's style and use of It was also reported that the German Crown Prince Alphonse Elric honored Beethoven by giving him the coveted Merit Cross, one of the highest honors a civilian could ever achieve.
On a more serious note, the Roman Empress Malty Melromarc declares a new law that would enslave destitute children from Roman slums and force them into indentured servitude. Meanwhile in the seaside city of Salernum, where after the slum fires that destroyed many homes, she declares the construction of a summer home for herself on those same slum areas, thousands of Roman destitute are now homeless and on the streets, except for the aforementioned children, where they will become slaves to Rome, like many others conquered under the Roman banner.
Speaking of Rome, The Empire of Russia sent its first ambassador in 40 years since the last ambassador got pulled out due to diplomatic tension. Chadinov Evengi Dicksonski, the former ambassador to Japan is now ambassador to Rome. And in a letter to the tsarista Rachel, he plans to use his skills as a diplomat to turn Roman policies around.
And speaking of Russia. A revolutionary attempt in the Russian city of Yaroslavl, and right now it is successful with revolutionist Rose Quartz and her group the Crystal Bolsheviks taking control of the city. In an interview with RSMO, Rose started that pure nature is the incentive in creating a new communist regime in Russia. The Tsarista has no comment since she is out of the country on buisness.
In other news, the International Senate is pleased to announce the launch of the International Space Station project. In a vote of 39 to 21, the International Senate approves all governments to subsidize factories to create parts, research, and tool to help create the International Space Station, which will help further our transmissions of important information around the world. This will also help in research and the future colonization of the final frontier.
In more recent news, a trade agreement with England and the United States has been declare, with two billion tones of southern cotton being exported for three million pounds of Welsh coal. A rather hefty price of $100,000 to England was also agreed upon by the two nations.
The Japanese Theatre Company is going on tour in Europe, performing Great Writer Voltaire's Candide L'Optimisme. If it's one thing we learned from this is that Fools have a habit of believing that everything written by a famous is admirable. For my part I read only to please myself and what suits my taste.
That is it for tonight's broadcast. We will be updating you on current international affairs when they come. From RSMO 10.0, I am Kent Brockman".
-RSMO 10.0-
Melty dials down the radio and the three monarchs begin conversing again.
"Your sister seems to be enjoying her tyranny" Rachel remarks. Melty just pinched her head in annoyance for her eldest sister.
"Your sister is an ass" Al replies. Melty shrugs that off.
"Enough about my sister" Melty says. "Why din't I congratulate you Al for your great musician's wonderful debut and contributions to the arts".
"Thanks" Al says, "Maestro Beethoven is fun to have around the court. His Fifth Symphony is one of the bests, but I also like his earlier works". The train reaches the Berlin train terminal, the Frankfurter Bahnhof, as there train halts to a complete stop. Melty's butler came in again.
"You majesties" He said, "we have arrived in Berlin, I'll grab your luggage Prince Elric and Tsarista McKenzie".
"Thank you Mr. Karpusi" Melty replies as he leaves to find their luggage. Alphonse and Rachel get up from their seats and stretch. "Well, I hope to see you all Friday for our monthly security council meeting. Al, tell your father I said hello, tell him that I hope he's doing well, and that I am trying to get Edward out as soon as I can".
"I'll tell father that, thank you" Al responded.
"Rachel" Melty says looking at her. "I'll have my elite guard to Yaroslavl crush that communist rebellion as soon as possible".
"It's embarrassing" Rachel says, "but thank you". The butler has grabbed their luggage and the two monarchs leave the train after saying goodbye to Melty. And Melty is left on the train. The train begins to leave the station and headed back to the royal Greek capitol Athens. But not before making one quick accidental detour into the Austrian territories.
-End of Chapter Seven-