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Passing Days: The Empire of Brazil

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Okay, perhaps I took a longer break than I had envisioned. But nevertheless, my mind has been rejuvenated and I am ready to continue this AAR from where it last left off. Brazil has just declared for the Central Powers, and is now facing war with Argentina. I'll leave you with a bill passed by the Parliament before we dive into the story once more:

War Bill of 1915

I. For the duration of War between the Central Powers and the Entente, elections will be banned in Brazil. Senators and Deputies will maintain their seats throughout the conflict and will govern the nation.

II. The Constitution of 1824 is suspended for the duration of war between the Central Powers and the Entente. With it, the Executive State Council is dissolved and it's powers handed to the Empress. The Empress governs at her leisure; the ministers are responsible to her alone.

III. The Empress may appoint new ministers to the various parts of the government through-out the duration of the war, without conflict from Parliament.

IV. The Empress may appoint a new Prime Minister with 2/3s agreement from Parliament.

V. Political parties will be banned for the duration of the war. All existing political parties which have not been banned by the will of Empress will be merged into a singular party named: Partido Terra da Mãe Brasileira. This will prevent argument on part of Parliamentary deputies: our goal is to succeed in this war. Political rallies will be banned for the duration of the war.

VI. All political discussions, polls, votes, and ect are banned until the end of the war.

VII. Any material which insults Brazil as a nation, the government stance on the war, or the Empress is considered sedatious and will banned. Writers caught publishing such material will be executed on charges of treason.

VIII[1]. Censorship will be instituted on all material. Furthermore, The Atlanta Constitution is banned in Brazil for the duration of the war. All censors and bannings on American papers will be lifted.

IX. The Empress alone decides peace and war for the duration of the war. Declarations of war and peace treaties are vested as powers to the Empress. Brazil pledges to seek no separate peace with the Entente.

[x]Cecília, Imperatriz de Brasil.
[x]Pedro Goganza, Prime Minister of Brazil​

[1]Prior to this, United States papers were banned in Brazil or heavily censored, because they were deemed too radical for the populace, mostly dealing with the Yankee Abolitionist stance. The Atlanta Constitution is the most popular paper in the CSA (compare to the New York Times) and is widely read by the Brazilians. Because of war, it was deemed best to ban the Confederate paper and lift restrictions on Yankee papers, given that they are now allies.
 
Yikes! :eek:
 
Oh my. This can't end well.
 
Update?
 
Do you think you're likely to continue this one at all?
 
Update, for the love of Christ!
 
It's baaaack. ;) I'm hoping to continue where this left off, and keep things active. I can't promise a whirlwind of updates, but I'm going to try my hardest to see this one through until the end.

XIII. The Birth of a Prince​

1915 arrived to Brazil will little celebration. In Europe, the so-called “Great War” continued to rage, although in all respects, the warfare had lapsed into the trenches. The hails of the Kaiser that Paris would be seized by Christmas and all men home was unfounded—German troops were not relaxing; they were instead fighting for their lives in both the Western and Eastern fronts, sent wherever their Kaiser wished for them to fight.

Things were no better in the Americas. Although the United States had made early smashing successes, things were largely quiet. The Confederate military, first dazed by the invasions, had roared back with fierce fire, with shells falling upon Washington D.C. and other border areas. Canada remained a mobile front, although the Yankees were suffering from overstretched lines and the so-called Canadian “Mounties” who served as more than a mere police force during times of war.

In Brazil, things were quiet. Cecília would hear no word of war near her, preferring instead to speak about the child that grew in her stomach with each passing day. The Empress were pleased with her status as a wife, and greatly hoped that her position as mother would be pleasing as well. Not even the news of Brazilian exports reaching an all-time low due to British seizure of Brazilian cargo carried by the British Merchant Marine served to dent her spirits. When March arrived, Cecília was absolutely giddy, although those feelings largely eroded when she went into labor March 16th.

“Your Majesty, you’re going to have to push harder!”

Cecília cried slightly as she felt waves of pain rush over her body. The child she once cherished with every fiber of her being was now instantly hated, for it caused such suffering. Sweat clinging to her forehead, the Empress groaned slightly in hopes to expel this vile demon from her body. It did not help that the child birth was considered a public ceremony, and thus every courtier, from her brooding grandfather, the Count of Eu, to her own husband were crowded around her, all shouting a variety of things. Cecília was dazed and confused, annoyed by everything which surrounded her person.

“Yes, your majesty, that’s it! One more push, I think, and that will do it…”

As an Escuro maid dotted her forehead with a damp cloth, Cecília allowed herself to relax slightly. She breathed deeply, her emerald eyes staring deep into the satin that clung to the top of the canopy. The jeers of all the courtiers seemed the furthest from her mind, and concentrating deeply, the Empress pressed herself as far as she could. Like an explosion, the sounds of the room filled her ears, most especially the crying of a young infant—her infant. Weary eyed, Cecília watched as her young child was held up and cleaned.

“Congratulations, your majesty…it is a boy.”

Cecília smiled breathlessly, pleased not only to have a healthy child, but a son—a prince, who would one day be Emperor. Adalbert, who had hereto remained distant during the whole process of childbirth, approached his wife, grasping her hand slightly. Like she, he was overjoyed for the birth of a Prince who would inherit the mantle of Emperor. The blood of the Hohenzollern dynasty was forever cemented inside Brazil.

“Have you given any thoughts to a name?” Adalbert asked his wife.

“Fernando…” She replied with a smile. “It’s a lovely name. And what better way to remember the memory of the poor Archduke shot down in Sarajevo, by having his lifeblood carried on by our own son? The poor Archduke died before his time; he did not, and will not ever become Emperor. At least this way, a Fernando will reign somewhere in the world.”

Adalbert nodded, although he regarded the whole ordeal as foolish. Cecília was far too wrapped up in the Romantic ideals of being a mother—there was no lifeblood, and their son was certainly no mirrored image of the damnable Archduke whose death had sparked war that had engulfed the entire world. Still, if naming their son Fernando pleased Cecília, he would allow it.

“Excellent,” Adalbert replied, feigning a smile. “We shall discuss other matters, such as his title, rank, and other precedence at another time. I’m certain you need your rest.”

And the Prussian was gone, leaving Cecília to rest.

“The Empruh sho’ is testy today…” An Escuro maid replied as she washed Cecília’s face, who could only sigh.

“Yes, he is…but at least I have the Prince Imperial to soften my sorrows.”
 
The royal court seems eerily detached from the real world—the empress being pregnant is seen as a far more important event that the fact that the export economy is in freefall.

This doesn’t bode well for them at all.
 
Eerily detached is a good phrase

But - yes, royal progeny. And welcome back, this was certainly missed.
 
Excellent to see you take up the quill - or keyboard - again!

Cecilia is in a cocoon, of her own making as much as of her position. Of course, it is slightly ironic given that she has just been through an ordeal which royalty, common-born, and unfree women all suffer alike.
 
kingmbutu: Perhaps, perhaps. The two have very starkly differing personalities. I wouldn't say a tiff over their child would spark any problems, but things might continue if Cecilia continues to cling to romantic chivalry as the world collapses around her.

Fulcrumvale: Yes, these turn of events certainly aren't very good for the nation. Despite things rapidly changing since the story has began, the court is just as sheltered as it was from day one.

RGB: Yeah, I agree. Eerily detached a good phrase. It's good to be back; I really like this story and I have so many ideas for it.

stnylan: Thanks. :) You're right that Cecilia is very much in a shell from the rest of the world--childbirth is probably the ordeal which she'll be able to relate to the rest of the women of Brazil, and even the world.

Anyways, I'm thinking about next chapters, and I'm curious what you, my readers, would like to see more of. Although the story has been largely focused on Cecilia, we also have branching arcs involving the former Prime Minister, Alves, and of course, his own son.

Would you guys like me to work on Alves or Dion's side of the story some more (which undoubtably will become more important as we progress), or are you content to see Cecilia for a little bit longer?
 
wow, this IS great stuff. to see my home-country in such a dystopic scenario... yet i think dystopic isn't the right word, perhaps it is just a different shade of grey than in our reality. and the empress is the greyest(?) character i have ever seen in AARland for quite a long time.
I would be very happy if you continued this, i was really enjoying it and wanted to see the war:p
if you do not continue... anyway, Bravo!
also, inb4 thread necromancy.
 
Necromancy par Excellence! Grats;)
 
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