Kalistan

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Regent formally adopts Empress in Waiting
"They may as well make it official," says House Ananto
Kalburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
April 18, 5686


Her Highness, the Princess Regent, photographed at Cliff House this month

Her Highness, the Princess Regent Nicolette Ananto-Collins and her husband, ODEN-K Director Viscount Andrew Rohrbach have formally adopted Her Imperial Majesty, Empress in Waiting Carolina-Katherine Michelle Ananto-Connor as a formal acknowledgement that the Princess Regent has taken over formal responsibility of raising the future Sovereign to adulthood.

"The Applicant [Her Highness, the Princess Regent Nicolette Ananto-Collins] requested formal adoption to formalize her guardianship of the Minor child [Her Imperial Majesty, Empress in Waiting Carolina Ananto-Connor]," said Kaliburg Free City Magistrate, Hon. Elliot Ronson, who adjudicated the suit. "Ms. Ananto said that getting the minor child re-enrolled in school after a substantial absence due to the death of her parents was difficult, and that lack of a formal parent-child relationship was a substantial roadblock to the success of the minor. The rather unique situation of this family made this a rather unique court case: But Her Highness met the test of fitness for adoption, namely adequate means to ensure that the child is well cared for, no history of criminal behavior, and an adequate community support system. The Minor Child, through her representative, also attested that she would accept the arrangement. We found for Ms. Ananto-Connor and Mr. Rohrbach, and were happy to help this family come back together."

As part of the Princess Regent's And Viscount's relocation, the family has moved back into Cliff House. The House, which belongs to House Ananto, has long been considered the official Imperial Residence. Her Imperial Majesty's personal bedroom was there, and she was reportedly very happy to be able to return home and to school. "Her Imperial Majesty had not expected to be out of school for such a long time and really missed her friends," said House Ananto spokeswoman Margaret Furst. "I am told she is generally happy to be home, but still struggles with missing her parents, and is trying to stay focused on her school work to try to catch up to her peers. It was agreed by both Princess Regent Nicolette and Princess of the Empire Mary Ananto-DeLaurentis that Her Imperial Majesty's needs must always come first, and Princess Mary has moved back to Kaliburg, to help the Princess and Viscount raise the Empress in Waiting."

The Princess Regent herself has placed on Light Duty by the National Assembly so that she may use half of her day to receive therapy for depression and despondency. "The Princess Regent spent the first three months of this year in what we now understand as undiagnosed shock" Said Furst. "The loss of the Royal Family in the plane crash took a hard toll on her, and the radical changes she experienced as a result of that led her past the breaking point. So she is seeing a series of mental health therapists and is on a mood stabilizer during therapy. Her diagnosis was disclosed to her Government who then released the news to the public earlier this month. The Princess Regent has an excellent prognosis: She needs time and space to work through her grief and her sense of overwhelming dread concerning the future, but she is already starting to see some benefits to attending intensive daily therapy sessions." Her light duty involves her working no more than four hours a day while the National Assembly is in session, and spending the remaining time recovering.

Opportunities for Her Imperial Majesty to stay involved with peers, and to spend time with her adopted parents are built into a fiarly regular schedule. Viscount Andrew Rohrbach, Princess Regent Nicolette's husband has agreed to cut back on his work schedule with ODEN-K while the Princess Regent is on light duty, so he and the Princess Regent can spend time building new bonds with the Empress in Waiting as parents and child rather than as someone the Empress in Waiting sees occasionally and then temporarily.

"When the family decided to move to Kaliburg, they decided they may as well make their new relationship official," said Furst. "The Princess Regent has said that becoming a parent to a 12 year old is probably a lot different than building a relationship over those 12 years. She has accepted that her role as an adoptive mother will be much different than the relationship Her Imperial Majesty had with her own mother, but she is hopeful and encouraged: this is her first time in the role of being a mother, and the Empress in Waiting has 12 years of experience at being a kid. So she intends to learn about being a parent and won't beat herself up if she makes a mistake."

As part of her therapy, the Princess Regent has been asked by her doctors to abstain for substance use, and she has agreed. Furst noted that a t-totaler wife of ODEN-K's Director has caused no shortage of humor among the Peerage. "One Count asked who is getting the worse end of that deal? The Princess Regent, or ODEN-K?" In sympathy with the Princess Regent, Viscount Rohrbach has also agreed to abstain from substance use, for probably the duration of the Empress in Waiting's minority.

The Princess Regent is on Light Duty indefinitely, but living in Kaliburg makes it very easy for members of the Government to contact her directly as needed. "If any major decisions need to be made that an Empress would usually have an opinion on, the Government can actually meet at Cliff House if need be so the Princess Regent can provide the direction." The family will keep their Luxon home for the time being and plan to use it as a vacation cottage.

@TheRepublic