Empire of the Mediterranean: An Interactive Aragon AAR

[Mach Twelve]

((Update, added all Prime ministers with their respective emperor. Can't believe Mandromenos ruled as PM for so many emperors ))

((I believe the saying at the time was "Emperors may come and go but the Iron Chancellor is eternal." Seriously Petros outlived like 3 Emperors and he wasn't appointed PM young either.))

 

[05060403]

(( Private ))

Henri still stood the, gawking at the empty bed if disbelief. Even when Joan showed up he didn't break his eyes away from the empty cot.
Who knows how long this has been going on? How long has that tyrant regent lied to everyone?
Henri wouldn't stand for that any longer.

In a quick fit of anger he'd snatch the pistol behind one of the guard's belts, grabbing the Crown Prince by his wrist and pulling him closer, only to use him as a human shield and put the cold barrel against his head.

"Do think I'm stupid? That every commoner is an idiot? How long have we been lied to?" He'd roar out in grief, grief caused by his last hopes for monarchy dying in his heart. He began to slowly back off towards the balcony, away from everyone. "Answer me now! Or Ferran here will get an opportunity to have a long, deep conversation with his father."

No longer will he be used as a mere pawn in regent's game, no longer will he stand for innocent people suffering while the higher-ups enjoy their own political struggles and games.

 

[Michaelangelo]

Joan whipped out his gun in a mere second, although did not shoot, for to do so would risk this crazed guard likely murdering the Crown Prince. His body went cold, not from terror but from entering that deep part of himself he went during crises like this. He didn't bat an eye, his gun never wavering from the man holding the Crown Prince at gunpoint. If the man showed any signs that he was to fire, or even turn his gun towards someone else in the room, Joan would make sure he was dead before that happened. All those years of military training had made his aim deadly accurate, after all. Joan let out a amused snort and said, "If your intention is for the Crown Prince to meet his father, his death would surely not accomplish that. Both would have to be dead for that to happen."

While Joan almost casually spoke to the false guard, the Crown Prince trembled in terror. What had he done to deserve this? Tears streamed from his eyes. He wanted to rage at this unjust world, and when he finally found his voice, he let some of that rage loose. "God damn it, my father is alive! Why won't anyone believe me? Do I need a crown on my head before anyone will even listen to a word I say?"

Ferran tried to break free from Henri's grip, but he was not the strongest man and his assailant's grip was like a vice. His every frustration vented out of him all at once. "If you won't believe me, then just shoot me already. Clearly no one wants to listen to me, so why bother letting me live? I'd make a lousy emperor if my every word is ignored. You all respect an absent Emperor you haven't seen in years more than you respect me."

"Silence, you idiot," Joan said with one of his icy glares. He paid no more attention to the blubbering Crown Prince. He just needed to defuse the situation. "Fine, you want the truth? The Emperor is alive and he is not in this palace, nor has he been for years. Do you think I'd keep him here after a man nearly murdered him within these very walls? I've kept him hidden away from the world, from people like you or those who gathered outside the palace, who would use violence against the royal family for their own ends. He lives because I keep him safe. I won't let some gun-wielding psycho anywhere near His Imperial Highness."

 

[Firehound15]

DECLARATION OF THE RECONSTITUTION OF THE ASSEMBLY OF THE HISPANIAN EMPIRE

TITLE I.​

BE IT ENACTED IN THE CITY OF LISBOA ~ That the Assembly of the Hispanian Empire, unrighteously suspended in its efforts to protect and secure the rights of HISPANIAN CITIZENS, hath reconstituted itself through the DIVINE LAW through the Earthly Powers of HIS MAJESTY, ALFONS IX; and hath rejected in its whole the machinations of THE REGENCY in attempting to suspend the DIVINE RIGHT OF KINGS and the succession of the CROWN'S POWERS to their natural successor, the CROWN PRINCE.

 

[zenphoenix]

((Private))

Maria Luisa also drew her gun and pointed it at Henri. "Drop it!" she said. "Try to kill my husband, and I will shoot!"

Her guards followed suit, leveling their guns at the false guard. He was now severely outnumbered.

At that moment, her father and brother and their guards burst through the door behind Joan and all pointed their guns at Henri. "We heard shouting," said Fernando.

"Maria!" said Carlos.

Maria Luisa smiled. Her family had come to back up her.

"Now that we have time," she said, "Why don't you explain to all of us who you really are? Start by telling me your name and your intent in talking to the Crown Prince. Or maybe you were an assassin all along, in which case I should shoot you where you stand."

 

[05060403]

Joan whipped out his gun in a mere second, although did not shoot, for to do so would risk this crazed guard likely murdering the Crown Prince. His body went cold, not from terror but from entering that deep part of himself he went during crises like this. He didn't bat an eye, his gun never wavering from the man holding the Crown Prince at gunpoint. If the man showed any signs that he was to fire, or even turn his gun towards someone else in the room, Joan would make sure he was dead before that happened. All those years of military training had made his aim deadly accurate, after all. Joan let out a amused snort and said, "If your intention is for the Crown Prince to meet his father, his death would surely not accomplish that. Both would have to be dead for that to happen."

While Joan almost casually spoke to the false guard, the Crown Prince trembled in terror. What had he done to deserve this? Tears streamed from his eyes. He wanted to rage at this unjust world, and when he finally found his voice, he let some of that rage loose. "God damn it, my father is alive! Why won't anyone believe me? Do I need a crown on my head before anyone will even listen to a word I say?"

Ferran tried to break free from Henri's grip, but he was not the strongest man and his assailant's grip was like a vice. His every frustration vented out of him all at once. "If you won't believe me, then just shoot me already. Clearly no one wants to listen to me, so why bother letting me live? I'd make a lousy emperor if my every word is ignored. You all respect an absent Emperor you haven't seen in years more than you respect me."

"Silence, you idiot," Joan said with one of his icy glares. He paid no more attention to the blubbering Crown Prince. He just needed to defuse the situation. "Fine, you want the truth? The Emperor is alive and he is not in this palace, nor has he been for years. Do you think I'd keep him here after a man nearly murdered him within these very walls? I've kept him hidden away from the world, from people like you or those who gathered outside the palace, who would use violence against the royal family for their own ends. He lives because I keep him safe. I won't let some gun-wielding psycho anywhere near His Imperial Highness."

Henri continued to back off towards the balcony, using his free arm to choke the Crown Prince, but doing it gently enough to just let him breath.
He didn't want to pull the trigger, but would they really lie in a situation like this? Of course they would, they'd do anything just to have things their way. But Henri had his own agenda to follow, his own ideas to enforce, and he no longer was willing to wait.

"The reason why we use violence is because the truth we get is dubious at best. Because all you did made people doubt in you. You haven't proved yourself trustworthy." The merchant croaked out, pressing the barrel harder against the Prince's temple, reassuring his that he's still at gunpoint, that Henri isn't about to let him go.

"Do you think people were happy that you took away their voice? Only because some had enough of your autocratic rule?" He added after short pause, though his voice no longer sounded so sure, wavering due to all the emotions bottled up in Henri.

But he wasn't the stuttering mess that spoke with Ferran earlier, he was himself, Henri Maxime de Saint-Pierre, a proud head of the Saint-Pierre family, and he was willing to do anything at this point to get truth, and every bit of it.

"But we're all civilized men here, aren't we?" He let out a nervous laugh, his trigger finger itching a bit. "So... Let's just have a nice, civilized conversation. I... Do not wish to have blood on my hands, even if it may seem otherwise. Looking at... Well, me and where I stand. But I want to hear the whole story. And then you can have your Prince back."

 

[Michaelangelo]

Henri continued to back off towards the balcony, using his free arm to choke the Crown Prince, but doing it gently enough to just let him breath.
He didn't want to pull the trigger, but would they really lie in a situation like this? Of course they would, they'd do anything just to have things their way. But Henri had his own agenda to follow, his own ideas to enforce, and he no longer was willing to wait.

"The reason why we use violence is because the truth we get is dubious at best. Because all you did made people doubt in you. You haven't proved yourself trustworthy." The merchant croaked out, pressing the barrel harder against the Prince's temple, reassuring his that he's still at gunpoint, that Henri isn't about to let him go.

"Do you think people were happy that you took away their voice? Only because some had enough of your autocratic rule?" He added after short pause, though his voice no longer sounded so sure, wavering due to all the emotions bottled up in Henri.

But he wasn't the stuttering mess that spoke with Ferran earlier, he was himself, Henri Maxime de Saint-Pierre, a proud head of the Saint-Pierre family, and he was willing to do anything at this point to get truth, and every bit of it.

"But we're all civilized men here, aren't we?" He let out a nervous laugh, his trigger finger itching a bit. "So... Let's just have a nice, civilized conversation. I... Do not wish to have blood on my hands, even if it may seem otherwise. Looking at... Well, me and where I stand. But I want to hear the whole story. And then you can have your Prince back."

Joan seemed unfazed by the gunman's words. "How do I know you'll even set him free if I tell the truth. You said yourself you think I'm untrustworthy. I could even tell you where the Emperor is and you could just shoot Ferran because you think it's a lie. And we both know that you won't be getting out of here unpunished. Assaulting a member of the royal family comes with a hefty punishment; murdering one even more so."

Ferran let out a sob. Joan's abrasive approach was making him nervous. He felt like at any moment this man could pull the trigger and he'd be dead. Catching his breath, he said, "Just tell him the truth already, or I will."

Joan scrutinized the Crown Prince and his captor for a brief moment before making his decision. "Very well, you will get the truth, but I will not let this spread outside this room. I will not let my brother be laughed at by commoners on the street." The Regent looked Henri directly in the eyes, his intense stare boring into the man's soul. "The Emperor is alive, and he's not even in a coma. He woke up a few months after being shot, but he is not the Emperor we knew. He doesn't remember anything of his former life. He doesn't even recognize me or his son. The most basic actions taken during the average person's day are beyond him. He has the mental capacity of a child and shows no signs of recovering. He is unfit to rule, and thus I continue to serve as Regent. I only keep this secret because it is better that everyone think him in a coma, out of respect to the man he was. It would be a stain upon his dignity if people saw him now. Regardless of whether he's in a coma or mentally incapable, the situation does not change. He cannot rule."

 

[05060403]

Joan seemed unfazed by the gunman's words. "How do I know you'll even set him free if I tell the truth. You said yourself you think I'm untrustworthy. I could even tell you where the Emperor is and you could just shoot Ferran because you think it's a lie. And we both know that you won't be getting out of here unpunished. Assaulting a member of the royal family comes with a hefty punishment; murdering one even more so."

Ferran let out a sob. Joan's abrasive approach was making him nervous. He felt like at any moment this man could pull the trigger and he'd be dead. Catching his breath, he said, "Just tell him the truth already, or I will."

Joan scrutinized the Crown Prince and his captor for a brief moment before making his decision. "Very well, you will get the truth, but I will not let this spread outside this room. I will not let my brother be laughed at by commoners on the street." The Regent looked Henri directly in the eyes, his intense stare boring into the man's soul. "The Emperor is alive, and he's not even in a coma. He woke up a few months after being shot, but he is not the Emperor we knew. He doesn't remember anything of his former life. He doesn't even recognize me or his son. The most basic actions taken during the average person's day are beyond him. He has the mental capacity of a child and shows no signs of recovering. He is unfit to rule, and thus I continue to serve as Regent. I only keep this secret because it is better that everyone think him in a coma, out of respect to the man he was. It would be a stain upon his dignity if people saw him now. Regardless of whether he's in a coma or mentally incapable, the situation does not change. He cannot rule."

Henri listened carefully to each and every word Joan said, paying little to no attention to the others in the room, musing over what the regent said before loosening the grip on the Crown Prince, but not enough for the man to break free.

"I see. I see not only the truth now, but that I have severely misjudged you. And I have no intentions of spreading the story, and I'm a man of my word, I do not wish to harm my family name. However what guarantee do I have that when I let go of the Prince I will not be shot here and now?"

Henri's brows raised as he looked around the room seeing all the guns pointed at him and shaking his head.

"And here I though we're all civilized. As I said, bloodshed is not my intention, never was. I'm not an assassin, that much is true. I'm just a very concerned citizen, but I doubt my name matters here."

He pondered for a moment, scrunching his brows in thought and sighing heavily while biting down on his lip. If only he was a younger man...
"May I propose a solution? I understand that my actions mustn't go unpunished, so I propose this: I shall go into exile, keeping this dreadful secret with me to the grave. I will stay away from Hispania, away from being able to do any harm, finally content that I learned the truth."

 

[Michaelangelo]

Henri listened carefully to each and every word Joan said, paying little to no attention to the others in the room, musing over what the regent said before loosening the grip on the Crown Prince, but not enough for the man to break free.

"I see. I see not only the truth now, but that I have severely misjudged you. And I have no intentions of spreading the story, and I'm a man of my word, I do not wish to harm my family name. However what guarantee do I have that when I let go of the Prince I will not be shot here and now?"

Henri's brows raised as he looked around the room seeing all the guns pointed at him and shaking his head.

"And here I though we're all civilized. As I said, bloodshed is not my intention, never was. I'm not an assassin, that much is true. I'm just a very concerned citizen, but I doubt my name matters here."

He pondered for a moment, scrunching his brows in thought and sighing heavily while biting down on his lip. If only he was a younger man...
"May I propose a solution? I understand that my actions mustn't go unpunished, so I propose this: I shall go into exile, keeping this dreadful secret with me to the grave. I will stay away from Hispania, away from being able to do any harm, finally content that I learned the truth."

"Agreed," Joan said without hesitation, not lowering his gun an inch. "Now let the Crown Prince go and kick your gun over here. I shall arrange transport for you somewhere far from the Empire. Perhaps the UKA or somewhere similar if that is to your taste?"

 

[05060403]

"Agreed," Joan said without hesitation, not lowering his gun an inch. "Now let the Crown Prince go and kick your gun over here. I shall arrange transport for you somewhere far from the Empire. Perhaps the UKA or somewhere similar if that is to your taste?"

"I will only do so after everyone around does that first. However I will understand if you keep it up."
Henri pondered over the proposed destination before nodding "And the UKA sounds completely sane to me. However I'd also like to write..." The disguised man thought for a moment, scrunching his brows once again "...3 letters. Which you will get to see before they got sent, for reasons quite obvious."

 

[Mach Twelve]

Dias was searching for the Regent to inform him of the actions of the Assembly in Lisboa. It was unacceptable but the man was nowhere to be found.

But suddenly he found him across the Royal Residence. Near a balcony, facing a man with his back to Dias. A man holding the Crown Prince. Others were in the room, but Dias didn't recognize them due to the severity of the crisis.

The old Cazador, the Marksman Scout turned Field Marshal cursed and snatched a nearby guards rifle away from him.

As he was trained, he took position to eliminate the coward and began to wait for an opportunity.

Cazadores were known to suffer patiently and patiently suffer and with this crisis, Dias would do exactly that.

((Now we have a sniper involved out of earshot.))

 

[zenphoenix]

((Private))

With the truth now out, there was no use in holding Henri at gunpoint anymore.

"Stand down," ordered Fernando, and his men put their guns on the ground.

Maria Luisa told her guards the same thing, and they also put down their guns.

Carlos Maria looked at Henri. "Okay, we've held up our end of the bargain," he said, "Now release the prince."

 

[Michaelangelo]

"I will only do so after everyone around does that first. However I will understand if you keep it up."
Henri pondered over the proposed destination before nodding "And the UKA sounds completely sane to me. However I'd also like to write..." The disguised man thought for a moment, scrunching his brows once again "...3 letters. Which you will get to see before they got sent, for reasons quite obvious."

"Very well," Joan said, waving away the request with his free hand as though it was unimportant. "Of course any such letters will have to be read beforehand to ensure the Emperor's condition is not mentioned, but otherwise I have no problem with this."

Joan lowered his gun, but noticeably kept it in his hand. He motioned for the men under his command to do the same. "Then you will also understand that I won't be entirely putting my firearm away. I've had too many attempts on my life made over the years to allow myself to be unarmed when I'm in the room with anyone wielding a weapon."

 

[Mach Twelve]

Dias tensed as he saw movement, but quickly realized it was from the Regent and others, not the hostage taker.

They seemed to have come to an agreement, but should Hispania negotiate with the likes of the man?

Regardless, Dias stood on point with his rifle, and continued to wait for the man to follow.

Then he would strike.

 

[Mach Twelve]

((Since when can you see stuff behind you? I'm not even in the room.))

 

[05060403]

(( I assumed you were in the room, which is a mistake on my end. ))


EDIT: (( And there is goes, the IC is deleted. ))

 

[Mach Twelve]

((A modern day equivalent of the Cazadores are the US Marine Scout Snipers. The line suffer patiently and patiently suffer is their training batallions motto in fact. Dias is in a sniping perch ready to pop you off when you release the Prince.

Dias will not fire if the Regent and Prince might be in the line of fire, but anyone else is in the hands of the RNG, if I do fire @Michaelangelo ))

 

[05060403]

"Very well," Joan said, waving away the request with his free hand as though it was unimportant. "Of course any such letters will have to be read beforehand to ensure the Emperor's condition is not mentioned, but otherwise I have no problem with this."

Joan lowered his gun, but noticeably kept it in his hand. He motioned for the men under his command to do the same. "Then you will also understand that I won't be entirely putting my firearm away. I've had too many attempts on my life made over the years to allow myself to be unarmed when I'm in the room with anyone wielding a weapon."

"Of course." He gave off a small nod, a soft smirk appearing on his face. "I understand that completely, and that's why I said they'd need to be checked."

The grip on the Prince loosened further before he was finally released by the merchant lightly pushing him towards the regent. Henri knelt down, keeping his hands up and then slowly placing the gun on the ground, standing up with vigor and kicking the pistol away from himself.
"That is reasonable. I will no longer doubt you, and place my trust in the fact that you're a honourable man with enough morals to not shoot an unarmed civilian like me."

 

[Michaelangelo]

"Of course." He gave off a small nod, a soft smirk appearing on his face. "I understand that completely, and that's why I said they'd need to be checked."

The grip on the Prince loosened further before he was finally released by the merchant lightly pushing him towards the regent. Henri knelt down, keeping his hands up and then slowly placing the gun on the ground, standing up with vigor and kicking the pistol away from himself.
"That is reasonable. I will no longer doubt you, and place my trust in the fact that you're a honourable man with enough morals to not shoot an unarmed civilian like me."

Once the pistol was away from Henri, Joan holstered his gun and let out a sigh of relief. One of the guards bent down and picked up the gun. The immediate threat was gone, and there was no sense in shooting an unarmed man. Even he wasn't that heartless. The Regent motioned for some of his men to approach Henri. "Take him away, and make sure he receives some paper and ink so he can write his letters. I shall see to your ship."

As for Ferran, he stood halfway between Henri and Joan, shaking nervously after the whole affair. Never had he been so afraid for his life. He never wanted to feel that way again. Never again.

 

[Mach Twelve]

Dias saw the man release the Crown Prince.

Shooting in an active hostage situation was one thing, this was another. The Courts were to decide these affairs but the man was guilty and execution was the only fate.

But....Dias didn't want to aggravate the Regent again. Even if his actions ultimately benefited Joan. Whatever deal the man made with the Regent would have to do.

Dias lowered his rifle and returned it. Then he positioned himself to run into the Regent and Crown Prince when they left the room.

((Congratulations, Mike wasn't the only one who was considering RNG options. The roll hit the 20% chance to back down.))