"Even the ancient republic of Remus, the predecessor of the once mighty empire of Romulus, understood that in the shock, speed and chaos of war and calamity, their democracy would be cluttered by both fear and indecision. Sometimes, one needs an unquestionable tyrant to stop a problem that bureaucracy cannot, both in time and casualties."
- Francisco Matteo Pierro, National Artist in Literature of Kingdom of Cattleya
A quote from his novel "Victims of War".
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
While many western countries in Promethea has abandoned their old monarchical governments in favor of democratic republics or communes, much of Ost is still controlled by dynastic monarchies and empires.
It may seem like a backwards system compared to the democratic and semi-democratic governments of the west that places all the power of the government to the vote and public sentiment of the people, but just like how Yropan people would largely prefer wheat bread and Ostadonians prefer rice, so are the systems that are tailor-fit to their respective cultures and histories.
However, in the case of Marl Kah, that is not the only reason why even with all of its dangers and history of bloodshed, conspiracy, power struggle and failures, the people would always retreat back to raising the monarchy after every single one of their "social experiments" ends in failure.
"That's enough out of you, you dumb, hapless boy!"
"Hapless boy? Says the crazy, old spinster who dreams of leading a nation yet doesn't even have a family of her own!"
"WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?!"
"YOU HEARD ME, YOU LOUD, FOUL HAG!"
Just like any other day in its meeting chamber, the members of the parliamentary cabinet of Marl Kah is once again in a riot among their selves in a matter that can be as simple as a request to add more variety to the public school system's lunch menus.
"ORDER! I SAID ORDER, EVERYONE!"
"Your party has drafted this law this way exactly so you can profit from it! Stop lying already and admit that it was you guys who embezzled the funds for this!"
"Embezzled?! How dare you accuse us of that crime!"
"The proof is as clear as day! Anyone with two eyes and a brain can see how much you favored your own companies in the bidding requirements for this project!"
"ORDER! I SAID ORDER, EVERYONE!"
"You should be impeached for all of this unexplained expenditures! Why is the Ministry of Education handing out billions of public funds just to replace flagpoles in a single province?!"
"...I invoke my right to remain silent. If you want an answer, find it yourself."
"W-W-Why you, you insufferable wench—!"
In a matter of minutes, the shouting match between two political parties in the parliament meeting escalated into insults, threats and eventually, a chair flew from one side of the aisle to the other and that marked the beginning of a fistfight with no considerations towards their enemy's age, gender or health.
"Get here, you little bast*rd!"
"I'll make you eat my fist, motherf*****!"
In a new record time, breaking the prior record by a mere few seconds, the parliament members descended into an all-out fistfight where no one is willing to be the ones to receive the last exchange of violence, perpetuating this battle.
A few minutes before the fight started, the parliament's sergeant-at-arms, his deputies and a few Civil Guards entered the chamber and broke up the entangled politicians, sometimes having to subdue some who have become a great danger to their fellows and their own selves. This was followed by some nurses and medics who looked at their wounds and bruises, and with the advice of the medics as well as the total disdain of the prime minister regarding the actions of his constituents, the meeting was suspended until a later date when everyone's heads are a bit more cooler.
"F****** hell... When will they ever learn...?"
At the office of the Marl Kahn Prime Minister, an old man with a bald head and a thin stature leaned back on his seat with a sigh of extreme exasperation and disappointment.
"...I'm gonna be honest. It was actually funny when the Senator Emmanuel lost his marbles and threw the chair to the education minister. She deserved that one for the stupidity of her cover-up work for the embezzlement."
"Alleged embezzlement... The case is still in the questioning phase. No matter how blatant it may seem, she's still innocent until proven guilty."
"...That's just because of the constitution, y'know? All about bureaucracy and hearings, to the point that actions only happen once in a blue moon... Don't you agree so, Prime Minister Reynato?"
The Prime Minister of Marl Kah, Reynato Aurelio Galsim y Makota, is a man known for his staunch attitude regarding his work as a politician of great power second only to the King. Having spent the past 52 years of his 74 years of life as a public servant, starting from the lowest village Cabeza (village leader) to his present highest civilian position as the prime minister, there is no one else in Marl Kah who deserves this position more than he does... and likewise, there is also no other person in Marl Kah who understands the pathetic and tiresome world of democratic politics than him.
"...Stop trying to bait me into agreeing with your radical ideals, Miguel. You know that our connection is nothing more than that of distant acquaintances." he replied to the young man wearing a brown-colored suit, white undershirt and a red tie.
"Are you seriously saying that while almost always soliciting my help with the "problematic" ones hanging around the woodwork?"
"The members of your Makabayan political group are disjointed thugs at worst and a barely-acceptable political faction at best. I've done nothing but turn a blind eye to the brutalization of your political opponents that I know that you are ordering them to do... so don't test my patience by thinking that you can spin it as us having the same ideals in mind." He spoke while shooting a frightening gaze towards the young man.
"Alright, geez.... You don't have to stare me to death like that." Miguel replied, stepping back a little as if putting on an act to feign weakness. "In any case, you have to fix the cracks of the parliament parties. They're all frothing at the mouth with the idea of getting a majority seating in the next election, and I'm sure they're trying to fight against each other to put on another show for the public for the sake of securing votes for themselves."
"...I'm aware."
"I know... but there's a point there where I know all of this would collapse."
"...In what way?"
Concerned with the claims of Miguel, the elderly politician straightened up on his seat to hear what the young man has to say.
"...."The boss" is going to make a big move soon. I'm sure that whatever he's planning, it would probably hit the parliament and its members really hard." after giving that foreboding statement, Miguel left the room and let the prime minister to guess that it could mean, and moments later, he finally understood it.
"I see... so he's been aware of it all this time..."
Although in paper, Marl Kah is supposed to be a constitutional monarchy as the royal family took a backseat in running the country and instead left it at the hands of the elected parliament, it was only backed by just an agreement from the royal family's side to hand their powers and authorities to the parliament.
This means that every decision that the sitting monarch makes cannot be controlled or limited by the parliament if they deem it so... and because of that, the parliament's power and legitimacy is entirely at the hands of someone who is slowly losing their patience with their infighting and ineffectiveness.
"I must know more... I can't afford to lose legitimacy just because I am surrounded by fools."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Since I decided to follow Martha's idea of traveling to Marl Kah incognito, I decided to follow through with the idea and spend some time away from my work and responsibilities before our force arrives and my arrival becomes "official".
"Howdy... or should I say Mabuhay?"
Outside the capital province at a private resort that is known for their exquisite beach, I was sitting on a reclined chair beneath a sunshade while drinking young coconut juice straight out of the shell when a certain someone laid down beside the other reclining chair beside me and I greeted them with a local greeting.
"Both are acceptable, no need to feel confused about it." replied the young man as he placed his sunglasses over the brim of his head, and if not for his hair ruffled by the sea breeze, he can be easily identified as Prince Ignacio Salonga. "Sorry about not being there when my elder sister welcomed you into her mansion. I got preoccupied with some work."
"Don't feel bad. Lady Leonor was very kind and hospitable... even went as far as providing some of her bodyguards to Martha while she was sightseeing around the city at night."
"Well, that's on-brand with her. I've never known a guest of hers who never praised her hospitality... and from how Ms. Robinson looks right now, it seems like she'd be singing praises to my sister for the foreseeable future."
"Heh. Can't deny that..."
At the beach, Martha was having fun swimming, making sand castles and taking pictures with some women that she befriended just recently. It seems like they're enjoying their time particularly with taking pictures as they began to break into daring poses that would make straight-laced old ladies to huff and fume in disapproval, and may even make professional models to cry blood in envy.
"By the way, I've sent our people to talk with everyone that you interacted with ever since you arrived. We made sure that they'll keep your presence here as a secret until the right time comes..."
"You have my thanks, Your Highness." I replied politely.
"No problem... although I must say, you really surprise me with your secrets."
"Hm? Secrets? I don't believe I'm following here..."
Confused about what he could mean with that comment, I asked him to be more specific and his answer made me want to shoot myself in my mouth.
"You never told me that you and Ms. Robinson are in a relationship. I gotta hand it to you, you have good taste, man."
After he said those words, I was reminded of the lie that I gave days ago at the immigration checkpoint about the purpose of our arrival in Marl Kah and how Martha and I are connected.
"Y-Your Highness, that was just an ali—"
"I know, I know. You have your positions to consider and your parents might be against it given how it may seem like you're favoring one of your subordinate houses. But if push comes to shove and you need someplace to elope together, our family is willing to lend the same aid that your family gave to us decades ago—"
"Hold on! There's a misunderstanding here!"
After a few minutes of explaining and clarifying the truth, the sincere and kind tone of Ignacio's speech was replaced by one that seemed to seep with boredom.
"Eeeehhh...? Is that so...? Coooooool..."
"...What's with that soulless, nearly-hollow tone? If you're annoyed that it isn't as dramatic as you think it is, sorry to disappoint you that my life isn't as interesting as a Marl Kahn theatrical melodrama."
"I'm not disappointed... Not at all... It's not like I was imagining how it would turn out if another girl came to your wedding and claims that she's carrying your child and you have to break up with Ms. Robinson right when you were about to exchange your vows at the altar."
"Whoa, whoa! What on Promethea's eight great peaks are you talking about? How did you even come up with a sudden plot progression like that?"
After we had this exchange, I remembered something that Joshua told me about prince Ignacio when they were young childhood friends.
{"Ignacio is... one of "those kids". Y-you know... the ones who has more interest about "stories" around them, than minding their own business. I... proved this when I saw him munching on fried peanuts while watching two of our maids fighting over who is the real girlfriend of the dismissed horse stable worker. I suggest that you avoid giving him any material to spin a story with enough drama to make even a Francois playwright to sh*t his pants in suspense."}
Basically, he's a "theater kid"... someone who revels in other people's life dramas.
"Oh no, here we go... Just pretend that I'm not here, buddy."
"Huh? What? Ohh..."
While I was thinking back on that, I didn't notice Martha was walking towards me after swimming at the sea. Her hair glistened with drops of seawater and the fabric of her swimsuit stuck close to her skin, accentuating her tight figure that rarely shows itself given that her usual clothes are maid uniforms and formal gowns.
I was stuck in a trance while looking at her that it took a few seconds before I noticed that she was calling out to me.
"Jonathan-sama... Jonathan-sama!"
"O-Oh! ...Sorry, were you saying something?"
I can only stutter a reply as she stood in front of me while wiping her hair using a bath towel.
"Geez... and here I thought you heard me. Are you alright? Is the heat getting to you and you're getting lightheaded?"
"I-I... Umm..."
"That's not good. Should I get you a new cold drink or—"
"I'm fine, I'm fine! I'll take a dip at the sea then if you're worried."
Unable to tell her what took my attention for a while, I went for the easy excuse to cut the encounter short and escape from her hold.
She gave me a few reminders that made it sound like I'm a child, so I teased her while running away to the sea.
"Make sure your head cools down, alright?! And don't go to the deep waters without warming up your legs and arms! You'll get a cramp!"
"Alright, mommy! I'll be good boy!"
"What was that?!"
"Ahahaha!!!" she shouted with an enraged tone, enough to make me laugh loudly.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
"Dammit... He really never stops that habit of his." I whispered to myself as I laid down on the seat that Jonathan left after covering my body with a beach bath robe.
"Quite a handful he is, it seems."
"Hm? Well... he is, but I still have to look after him no matter what."
Suddenly, a stranger beside me gave a comment. I seems like he heard my exchange with Jonathan and what I spoke to myself.
"Guys like that usually only act that way with people that they truly trust... I can see it in him, most of the time he's carrying lots of responsibilities and does far above what's expected of him..."
"That..."
"...So whenever he gets the chance, he lets go of that hardship to have the kind of fun that he doesn't usually get."
The stranger's words were kind of accurate to how Jonathan has acted ever since the death of the late master... No, it's probably more accurate to say that he has acted like that ever since he learned the circumstances of his family and had his own way of helping out with it.
"BWAH! It's so cold... FWEE! And so salty too!"
As I looked at him while he kept on dipping his head into the water and sweeping back his hair so it won't block his face, I was reminded that this is likely the first time that he got to swim at the sea ever since that time years ago when we were both still children.
"Not that I'm trying to get into your business, young missy... but that guy you're with likely needs you and people that he trusts the same way he trusts you more than ever if he's going to continue down that path of great responsibilities and expectations."
"Yes... I guess you're right..."
He has been keeping secrets from us for a long while... and while it's not proper for me as a mere servant and subordinate to demand to know what it could be... Maybe, just maybe as a friend that he trusts above everyone else, he can tell me about his struggles and help him by sharing that burden with him.
"...By the way miss, you don't happen to have a special someone in your life, don't you?"
Aaaand... there goes a proper, civil and wholesome conversation with a supposedly well-meaning stranger.
"..."
"M-Miss?"
Honestly... I guess I should've listened to Jonathan and picked a more modest choice of a swimsuit.
"...Creep."
"Gah!"
After taking the small cloth bag that contains my and Jonathan's belongings, I stood up and walked away from the weirdo who seems to have been shocked that I rebuked his attempt to court me. In a hushed whisper that he can still hear, I added insult to injury just for him which made him snap back and try to plead his case.
"Hmph! Excuse me, I'm not a cheap "kveth" who'd swing her legs because of a little praise..."
(T/N: "Kveth" is a word for a female dog (or it's crass equivalent) in Common Ostadonian)
"W-W-Wait! There's seems to be a misunderstanding here! I wasn't hitting on you, miss. I was just trying to know if Jonathan and you are—"
"Mind your own business, weirdo! Who do you think you are to stick your nose on our lives?"
"B-B-But I'm not just any guy! Come on, look! I'm Ignacio! You know, that guy who visited you guys just a while ago? Prince Ignacio!"
I turned to look at him after he made that claim and after he removed his sunglasses and tried to comb his ruffled hair with his fingers, I saw a lot of similarity with His Highness... but something about it still seems fishy.
"Stop lying and dragging the prince's name in the mud. Do you really think I'll believe that Prince Ignacio, the crown prince of Marl Kah and its future king, would have a hobby of probing and fantasizing about other people's lives?"
"Urk!"
"And stop going topless in the beach, boy. You have no muscles or abs to speak of. Even Jonathan has a better built body than someone like you who seems to already be struggling with looking thin."
"Argh!"
"Just stop following me, you're embarrassing yourself. Go back and sunbathe over there, maybe having a tan would make you stand out here a bit more and with some intact dignity."
After speaking my last words for him, I walked away and left him while he seems to be writhing in pain and shame at the sand while some people are looking at him with second-hand embarrassment and shame.
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
By the early afternoon, the car from Lady Leonor's mansion arrived at the snack bar where we were hanging out and picked me and Martha up and back to the mansion.
"Wow... Seems like you enjoyed your beach vacation, ma'am and sir."
"We sure did! I got a lot of pictures and even tasted some local cold desserts! Thanks a bunch for suggesting this place to us Mang Berto!"
"Ohohoho! You're welcome and I'm happy that you enjoyed it to the fullest, young lady."
During the past few days, we met and learned more about the staff of Lady Leonor's mansion. As it turns out, everyone of them, especially the old members, had a deep relationship with not only their mistress but also the two families where she belongs.
A prime example of this was none other than the driver of our car affectionately called by friends and family as Mang Berto. In truth, his real name is Bartolome Reynaldo Esteban Agoncillo. According to him and his fellow servants of the royal family, they've been in service to their masters ever since they were born, living through the ups-and-downs of both the nation and its leaders.
During the revolution that overthrew the late King Fernando II, he was among the few who helped the royal family to escape to the mainland and after hiding away at the mountains as the rebellion died down, he negotiated the marriage of Lady Leonor into the Alfonzo family in order to both ensure her safety and clean up the false and scandalous accusations that was thrown around about the royal family during their exile.
However, I know that his knowledge and skills are not limited to diplomacy and hospitality. While those things are apparent to Martha as she is a maid first and foremost, someone like me who has been to battles and experienced all kinds of carnage can ascertain something about the old gentleman... despite his usual appearance, he's not someone to be trifled with in a fight.
"Ah! That reminds me, Lady Leonor told me that you have a meeting this night, Sir Jonathan. I'll be in your call once you're ready to leave."
"Thank you. I'll be in your care."
After we had dinner and a short time to converse with the mistress of the mansion about our trip to the beach, I prepared for my meeting. Martha insisted to help me, but I told her that it would be impolite to leave our host by herself and that officially she is on a "vacation" so she shouldn't mind work until then.
By the time that the moon is high at the sky and only the crickets and distant howls of nocturnal birds can be heard around the mansion, Mang Berto drove me out of the private neighborhood and into the still lively and noisy metropolis of Lakan city.
"...Baron Fenris Bougainvillea, while I know that you may already have a clue about it given he closeness of your family to the royal family, I still wish to caution you about some things." after we entered the city, he spoke with a low voice that he never showed before when Martha was present.
"Please, good sir. Do enlighten me about it."
"...His Majesty Fernando is currently in a balancing act with assured death on one side and the destruction of everything that we have worked for during the past decade on the other side." He spoke firmly and with conviction. "This meeting that you will be attending is not only vital to our nation but to the empire of Ostadonia as a whole. Mistakes here are fatal, failure means death and all around you, people who have boasted decades of knowledge, skill and experience in affairs of state will constantly question not only your competence but even your presence."
"..."
"They will see you as a crack in the king's supposedly unbreakable facade, and would constantly use you as an excuse to veto his words and opinions. Yet through it all, I wish you would have the wisdom and patience to endure these... for any negative reaction you would have will not only reflect to yourself but to His Majesty as well."
After a short silence, I gave my reply with a firm tone that I wish conveyed to him my genuine desire to see this through properly.
"I will, sir. I may have some history of outbursts and lack of respect towards people of power, but I have only done those when I knew that its repercussions are limited to me. As I was brought here to aid Marl Kah, I will do all that I can to not add to its problems."
"Hm! An excellent reply, Baron."
Before our conversation can die down, I slipped a question that made him look back at me with concern before giving a slight chuckle.
"If your masters are suffering so much from these men, why are you not considering "less-than-reputable methods"?"
"...Baron, there are right times to use those and unfortunately, this is not one of them. After all, those sights are still fresh from the minds of our citizens and most of the "old guard" are no longer with us or no longer willing to go back to how we used to do it."
"Is that so? I guess that's for the better."
"Indeed..."
A few minutes later, we arrived at Casa Estanza, the palace of the royal family and Marl Kah's seat of power. There, even when the night is already deep, government workers on the night shift are moving about in the corridors and sidewalks, carrying carts of documents and folders from one building or room to another.
The same went for the palace workers who swept away mud that tended to accumulate around and near the entrances and exits of buildings, as well as tending to the oil lamps that dotted the sidewalks as lightning magic stone powered lamps are limited to indoor lighting.
Lastly, unlike the Civil Guards and police officers that I saw before around Lakan, the Marl Kahn Royal Guards are undoubtedly on a level of their own.
"Halt! Who might you be, stranger?!" shouted one of them as soon as I stepped out of the car without waiting for Mang Berto to open it for me.
"Lower your guns! You are raising your weapons against a guest of the king! Disperse at once!" shouted back the elderly man whose identity and voice they recognized and immediately lowered their pistols as went back to their posts.
"Thank you, mang Berto. I should've waited for you to open it."
"No, no. I should've told you about this before. Tonight is not one of the usual quiet nights after all."
"I can... see that."
The already busy-looking outskirts of the palace that I saw before was only the tip of the iceberg. After we had to leave the car and walk into the depths of the palace, a measure that was made given the fact that the palace grounds are not made to accommodate modern vehicles, the sight inside the main government building was a multitude greater than the one outside.
"Damn it! Someone bring this to the Imperial senator's office!"
"Give it! Tabi!!!(Get out of the way!)"
"Can someone refill the coffee pot? Stop leaving it empty all the time!"
"Bread rolls! Get them while they're hot! You'd need them for the night!"
"Darn... bread rolls only mean one thing, no lunch breaks tonight."
The place that we passed through, which is the palace's unified processing office, accommodates some of Marl Kah's most vital government departments which include Health, Public Works, Agriculture and many more, save for the Ministry of Education that has its own building in the palace's grounds given its enormous employee population and significance in the nation.
Here, men and women who are supposed to be wearing the coats and blazers that come with their official uniforms, had those hanging over the backs of their seats or on coat hangers placed on nearby curtain rods. The reason was that even when the place is air-conditioned, the sheer amount of people crammed inside still made it feel stuffy.
They also have mugs on their desks that are filled with dark, unsweetened coffee with no milk or creamer, cooled down just enough to not add heat to the already stuffy room. It appears that it has acted like a lifeline for these overworked employees.
Lastly, there was the carts filled with newly-baked bread the size of a human head. If it was for a snack or something to go with a meal, its size would definitely be unwarranted, but with the comment of the office worker that we passed by, it seemed to be something that was distributed as a substitute to a proper lunch in order to let them eat without leaving their desks.
"A busy night, huh?"
"It is. But don't worry, this night is a special case. Most of the time, no one other than the royal family and the palace staff is here after sunset."
We passed through a gate where I once again encountered the Marl Kahn royal guards whose imposing stature and auras made me remember how father and Joshua used to tell me about them.
"The Marl Kahn Royal Guards are not just any group of people. They came from ancient families of the native tribes and kingdoms in Marl Kah, families that belong to the martial caste with unique warrior cultures and history whose nearest equivalent would be Tenka's Bushi or Samurai and Turkman's Yeniçeri. They have served their respective monarchs during the ancient times and now, they serve and answer only to Royal House Salonga."
These were the words of my father when he taught us about the history of Marl Kah. As for my brother, his words about them were more specific and likely because it was during our youth, emotional.
"Their tattoos are so cool! They're like... like wavy and there's even patterns like centipedes and snakes and snake skins! They look so cool with it!"
Even when they are wearing the Barong, Marl Kah's traditional long-sleeved shirt for men, the semi-transparent fabric used in the clothes allows one to see the dark, native designs of their tattoos. Some have it limited to only their arms and chest. Some have them on their back and their legs as well, and for a fabled group among this already legendary force...
"Those guys are..." I mumbled after I saw a group of royal guards whose appearance made me flinch a bit in surprise.
"The Royal Old Guard. The cream of the crop of the troops, most of which are distinguished members of the special forces."
...they even have tattoos on their faces. Swirls and lines that mang Berto say each denote one enemy life that they took throughout their service.
After getting past the administrative wing and offices of the palace, we entered the inner courtyard which while still relatively full of workers and patrolling soldiers, are less chaotic-looking than the outer courtyard. Here, we went through the halls of the Legislative Houses which acts as the congress of Marl Kah.
On the left and right side of the corridor are the offices of congress and senate members and once we entered the other end of the building, the offices turned into the lodgings of the handful of Marl Kah's nobility whose doors are secured by their own personal guards.
"Despite being a considered a kingdom, ever since the fall of the monarchical system alongside the late king and the establishment of the Republic system afterwards, many of the nobility has either been stripped of or abdicated their noble titles... Leaving us with only about 11 or so families who still lodge here and represent their respective administrative regions."
"So it's a bit like the feudal system of the Ostadonian feudal domains, huh?" I asked, remarking about its similarity to the system used back home.
"Yes. You can say that they are quite close."
After a few minutes since we disembarked from the car, we finally arrived at the center of the palace. Marl Kah's seat of power and the royal family's personal residence.
"He's with me. He's been called here by His Majesty." Mang Berto told the guards at the gate.
"Understood... Good sir, I'm afraid that as protocol dictates, we have to confiscate any weapon that you are carrying. We will give it back after you leave the premises."
"Sure. No problem... Here's my gun and my knife." I replied and placed my mana pistol and knife on the box they brought out.
"Thank you for your understanding... Hold on, is that a LogiCal on your necklace, sir?"
"Oh... Yes. Back in the mainland, I'm a Wizard, you see. I keep it with me in case of emergencies."
"I'm sorry sir, but we also have to take—" the guard was about to ask me to surrender it too if not for the old man's interjection with an annoyed voice.
"Oh leave it, will you?! He doesn't have a combat unit on him or a weapon to output his spells through."
"But sir, that is—"
"I said leave it, damn it!"
After being scolded, they let me through with my Soul Core intact and we finally entered the palace where as soon as the door behind us closed, echoes of shouts and groans from the second floor can be faintly heard.
"It seems like they're already starting..."
"That's just normal fare here whenever a combined House meeting is being held. They're already arguing before the meeting has even begun."
"I see... Let's head in then."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
A Lakanense (T/N: someone or something from Lakan) legend once said that the land of this nation came from a quarrel between the spirit of the sky and sea that was agitated by a bird. The bird, having no place to rest after growing weary of flying around endlessly, stirred up the spirit of the sea and made it throw water towards the sky. In retaliation, the spirit of the sky called upon the stones from the stars and made it rain down to the sea, finally forming land where the bird found rest and home. However, the battle between the spirits of the sky and sea never ceased and to this day, the spirit of the sky would strike the sea with its stones and cause earthquakes and meteor strikes, and the spirit of the sea would shoot its waves upon the sky, creating storms and enormous waves.
Perhaps all of this was nothing but a legend... a way that our ancestors used to give explanation to the phenomenon around them during a time when human knowledge is still scarce and one has to leave it to the acts of the gods and spirits...
But if I am to be asked, one only needs to see how Marl Kahns that hold power act towards each other to prove that our spirits did come from either the sly and warmongering bird or the unforgiving and relentless sky and sea spirits.
When we hold power, we usually misconstrue it as also holding control... and in the presence of someone who hold as much or more power than us, we begin to feel challenged and our ego takes over our mind, making us bitter and confrontational.
In the meeting chamber where all who hold power in this nation is gathered, it only takes a whisper of contempt to break the peace and silence.
"I told you already that this is our business! Go back to your backwater province already, you savage!"
"How dare you! You claim to be of service to the Marl Kahn people when there's not even a single drop of our blood on your veins! Go back to Qima who you truly serve, mongrel!"
"What did you just say!?"
"Ova egres kaka tyare Qima betla, magrasto!"
(T/N: translation from Marl Kahn: I said suck on a Qiman's c*ck, *homophobic slur*!)
Amidst all of this chaos, shouting, threats of violence and shoving, I held my head in both pain and annoyance, wishing that I would be freed from having to call for these meetings once and for all...
But I have to endure for now... I still have to follow what is expected of me as a king in a democratic country.
"Sire, they are here..." my regretful silence was broken by a report of my assistant who told me that "they" have arrived. With that, I raised my hand to signal silence in the room which was followed by a shout of my assistant. "SILEEEEEEEENCE!!!"
His shout, almost deafening after it spread on every wall and ceiling in the chamber, caught everyone's attention and once they realized that it was my order, they murmured insults against each other while still following my order to settle down. After they all sat down, the door of the chamber opened to reveal my elderly subordinate and the young man that I was waiting for all this time.
"My liege, King Fernando III! I have arrived with your summoned guest!"
"Well done, Sir Agoncillo! Lead him to his seat and let us begin this meeting!"
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-
Minutes before the arrival of Jonathan in the meeting room, King Fernando was not the only man who is being tortured by the chaotic sight of the quarreling politicians and nobles. The same went for the prime minister who can barely get a word in in order to bring the chamber into an orderly state.
"ORDER! I COMMAND ORDER, DAMN IT!!!"
No matter how many times he struck his gavel and shouted to his constituents to pipe down, no one was listening and at some point, he got mixed up with the hurling of insults to the point that he only snapped back to reality when he heard the king's assistant's shout to silence them.
"Damn it...! I shouldn't have been drawn into this!" he regretfully whispered beneath his breath after realizing how easily he got dragged into the fights.
Moments later, the doors of the chamber opened to let in the familiar visage and voice of former royal head butler Bartolome Agoncillo, and a young man whose identity he cannot pin down where he learned about.
"...Who is that?" asked his subordinate beside him.
"No clue. His face looks familiar but I can't be sure where I saw it..."
"Same goes to me... I'm not sure where exactly I saw him."
After the mysterious guest of the king was seated at a reserved chair and table in the midst of the lower Legislative house, the meeting of Marl Kah's people of authority began with a question from the king himself.
"Ladies and gentlemen within this chamber... can I trust that your loyalty to this nation is unquestionable?"