Kalistan

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La Moda Interviews Empress In Waiting
Young Monarch ready to step into the World
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
May 20, 5690


Her Imperial Majesty, Empress in Waiting Carolina-Katherine Michelle Ananto-Connor at home in Kaliburg

La Moda was welcomed to Cliff House in Kaliburg to speak with Her Imperial Majesty, Empress in Waiting Carolina-Katherine Michelle Ananto-Connor in her first official interview. The young Monarch, who is represented by Her Highness, the Princess Regent Nicolette Ananto-Collins in all official government activities while she remains a minor, is a vibrant, intellectually curious young woman, and is very excited to learn about the world. Her Highness the Princess Regent was required to be present during the interview, but she assured our interviewer that Her Imperial Majesty was free to answer whatever questions we put to her. And now, here is the first official, and exclusive interview with Her Imperial Majesty, the Empress in Waiting.

(La Moda's) C(assandra) N(orthern): First before we begin, Her Highness, Princess Regent Nicolette Ananto-Collins, who is here with us at Cliff House, has suspended most of the House Law regarding addressing Her Imperial Majesty, Empress in Waiting Carolina-Katherine Michelle Ananto-Connor directly, as well as other rules relating to the Empress' age.

(Her Highness, The Princess Regent) N(icolette) A(nanto-Collins): This is correct. She will retain the pronouns protocol during this interview. You may speak freely with Her Imperial Majesty, the Empress in Waiting.

CN: Thank you, Your Highness. For my first question, would Her Imperial Majesty like the opportunity to introduce herself to our readers, and to the Kalistani public?

(Her Imperial Majesty, Empress in Waiting) C(arolina-Katherine Michelle) A(nanto-Connor): It would be our pleasure. Our name is Carolina. We are from Kaliburg, and have lived here most of our life. We did stay with our aunt, the Princess Regent in Luxon for a while after we lost our parents and brothers in a plane crash. We have learned to surf, we love playing Go with our friends in the School Club, we read philosophy and are part of the Philosophy society in school, and love studying and learning about new languages. Etymology is a particular subject we like to learn about- As our languages here in Kalistan, Vrassan and Egelian are descended from Dundorfian, Canrillaise and ultimately Selucian, it is very exciting to learn about the origins of the words we use and don't even think about, to discover what we actually mean when we select one word over the other when they both commonly mean the same thing.

CN: How many languages does Her Imperial Majesty speak?

CA: We speak Vrassan and Egelian at the native level, of course. We began learning Canrillaise in the 5th Grade, and have continued studying that. We are fluent in that. We had to learn some Kalopian and Selucian to read philosophy, but we would not say we were conversant in that. We know the jargon related to science and philosophy. We took some Tukarese, but ultimately did not continue this, because we have not had a lot of support for that language: it was offered when we lived in Luxon, but not here in the capital. And in these last few years, we have been studying Valruzian- We hope that will lead to studies in other languages, like Skittian. Someday, our desire is to learn Lurrian as well. But that language is so different from any of the Selucian based, Dundorfic or Delic languages. It's pretty much its own thing, and we do not know if we will have time to do that and be the Empress at the same time.

CN: Is Her Imperial Majesty looking forward to her semester abroad?

CA: Absolutely. We have never been out of the Empire, unless you count Athosia. This will be our first trip abroad, and so it will be very exciting for us. A little scary, we think: Valruzia is a very different culture from ours here in Kalistan. Different food, different music, very different language, different politics. Its a little intimidating, but we had the chance to speak with the President of Valruzia when she visited us in April, and she, and everyone else, assured us that Valruzia will do all they can to make us welcomed, and make us feel safe, secure, and at liberty. We believe they will.

CN: When will Her Imperial Majesty travel to Nowagard?

CA: We will depart Ananto in early August, soon after our 17th Birthday. Our Chancellor is sending a governess with us who will act as a chaperone and assistant. Lady Donahue has also retained a full staff for us in Valruzia. We of course, do not need a babysitter, but the Government would not approve the trip if we had refused the Governess, so we figured we would lodge an official objection. It was 'noted' and they decided to send a governess anyway. And a whole staff.

CN: Who was named governess?

CA: It's Lady Marian Kinzer from Dana. She is the daughter of the Count there.

CN: Does she get along well with Her Imperial Majesty?

CA: I think they had 'Big sister' in mind...

NA (from the couch): Your Majesty, mind your pronouns, please.

CA: Please excuse us: We think they had 'big sister' in mind when they selected her. She's thirty, likes terrible music, and doesn't speak a word of Valruzian. We wish they would have picked a different person. But we suppose if this is the only way we are going to get to study in Valruzia, it is not a hill we care to die on.

CN: What sort of music does Her Imperial Majesty enjoy?

CA: We like .350 Legend. We know there is a FOMAT coming up. It is our hope that they go to represent Kalistan. We believe they can actually win for once. Kalistan has had some bad luck in the last few contests, but of course, the good side is, there is a ton of good music in the world now. Kind of a double edged sword, if we're being honest. On the one had, Kalistan never wins anymore, but on the other hand, it means that lots of nations around the world have caught up and are producing excellent and very popular music, so that is really positive. We shouldn't be upset about it: We should see it as being lucky to live in an era with such awesome talent all over the world.

CN: Speaking of the world, Her Imperial Majesty is on the record as being interested in world languages, world cultures, classical philosophy, and travel and new experiences. That is a very cosmopolitan worldview.

CA: Well thank you.

CN: My pleasure. But I just have to ask Her Imperial Majesty: Does this suggest a return to a more international policy when she assumes her Throne?

CA: How do you mean, Madame?

CN: Her Imperial Majesty is clearly interested in other nations. Will this lead to a more cooperative position with other nations in the future?

CA: We do not fully understand what you are asking us. Do you mean to suggest that we don't cooperate with other nations right now?

CN: Well, we know that, for example, Lady Donahue tends to support a strong Kalistan First, very nationalist policy, while the Foreign Minister seems to adopt a more conciliatory tone in his relations.

CA: We should expect so, they are different people.

CN: Where will Her Imperial Majesty fall on the range from the Foreign Minister to the Chancellor in terms of her foreign policy?

CA: (After some thought,) We think you have perhaps a different idea than we do. We believe you catch more bees with honey than with vinegar. Does that mean we are not in the bee catching business anymore? No. As we have learned, the entire reason our monarchy exists is to provide unified and continuous policy, both here in Kalistan and toward the world. Our policy toward other nations is exactly what it is and has always been. If it serves Kalistan, we shall do it. Until it stops serving our nation. We make friends with those nations who wish, sincerely to be friends with us. And those nations who are either ambivalent or hostile may as well not even exist in this country. Its very easy to understand: it is one of the first things we learned about Kalistani history in school. There is no daylight between Madame Donahue and Sir Harney: their disagreements are, we believe the correct terms is, tactical, not strategic. Did we explain that well?

CN: We believe Her Imperial Majesty did.

CA: Ms. Northern, Kalistan remembers its debts, and it remembers its compliments. The best way for other nations to show that they like Kalistan is for them to just show that they like us. It's very straight forward. We hate disingenuity and subterfuge in Kalistan, as a rule, especially when it is directed at us. Honesty and straightforwardness is the best policy. Take, for example, our friends in Valruzia. It doesn't even need to be a big thing that they did. But Valruzia showed that they sincerely wanted to be our friends by offering to help our nation recover the lost bodies of our family. That was a personal favor and kindness to our grieving family, and it meant everything to our aunt and ourself.

Compare that to the visit by Luthori. We don't have an issue with anything that happened while the Luthorian Foreign Secretary visited our nation. The conversation, to our understanding went ok, as would be expected. But we also read that they concluding major trade deals with places like Egelion and Nadiya. They signal who their friends are by the things they do. We understand what they are doing: Their foreign policy is self-focused as ours is, and Kalistan doesn't have a lot to offer Luthori that Luthori can use to turn into influence for itself and its people in our region. Egelion and Trigunia are more attractive in that sense. Valruzia vs. Luthori, its a different relationship, we suppose, and there is a reason we will be much happier to work with Valruzia in the future: they demonstrate that they want Kalistani friendship much more effectively, even if they really get not a lot out of it themselves. We like our friends: there might not be anything materially secured for Kalistan or Valruzia in our interaction, but this is how you lay a solid foundation for long term cooperation, which is something that seems to elude those nations who believe their whole purpose is to expand their influence in the world, and Kalistan is just supposed to be a part of that plan.

CN: Are there any other nations that Her Imperial Majesty is looking at who is doing things right in her view?

CA: We are impressed with the efforts that Xsampa and Istalia are making to reach out to our nation. We read that Xsampa has just opened an embassy in our capital, and this pleases us greatly. We have heard stories from our Aunt about her adventures surfing and modelling in Xsampa. It is our desire at some point to visit Xsampa. It will likely await until after our coronation, but we also know that Kalistan is taking its initial steps to rebuild our own diplomatic presence in Xsampa. They demonstrate that they are interested in building a solid and lasting relationship with us in doing so, and it will make it easier for us in the future to overlook any differences in policies our two nations may have.

Istalia is another example. Our Foreign Minister attended the funeral for the late Emperor and then was back in the nation for the Coronation. He went because the Istalians took the time to invite us. We believe that there will be a lot of opportunities for Kalistan and Istalia to cooperate in the future. We are also encouraged by the attitude Tel Bira maintains toward our nation. They recently hosted Mr. Maxwell, the leader of the Yeudi Community here in Kalistan, and his wife, and allowed him to see much of the holy sights for his people and his religion. That was generous of them, and we believe it will satisfy Mr. Maxwell, who recently disagreed over the decision we made to send the Hulanevek to safety in Hutori. We appreciate Tel Bira's hospitality of Kalistani nationals in their homeland, because this shows that Kalistanis are welcome to visit. it also is an example of policy that bodes well for future cooperation.

See? Simple.

CN: How about enemies?

CA: Kalistan has no enemies. We only have those who disagree that we should exist.

CN: But surely Her Imperial Majesty can identify nations that Kalistan has had long disagreements with.

CA: We do not see those nations as enemies. We can resolve differences of policy. That's easy. There is only one issue that we can never seem to resolve, an outstanding issue as old as our Empire. That is the issue of Athosia. But since we can't seem to resolve it, it doesn't keep us up at night: There is nothing we can do about it, so worrying about the fact that another nation continues to illegally and illegitimately possess our property and our rightful national patrimony is as pointless as worrying that we can't flap our arms and fly to Athosia. Someday we will obtain what is ours. Today will not be that day.

CN: Does Her Imperial Majesty have a strategy for doing something about Egelian expansion?

CA: It's not an issue for us.

CN: Is Her Imperial Majesty not concerned at all about Egelion eclipsing Kalistan?

CA: Not really. Kalistan found hemispheric defense to be incredibly expensive. It got us into wars that we didn't want to be in. Egelion seems to have infinite resources to do that: let them do it. We are on good terms with Egelion. They seem to be popular with other nations in Terra. Let them put their blood and treasure on the line to defend a world order. Kalistan is focused on Seleya, which is where our focus should be. If Egelion wants to be a global power, how does that affect the Empire of Ananto and Kalistan in any way?

CN: I suppose it doesn't.

CA: Ms. Northern. Are you sure you aren't from The Republic rather than La Moda? These hardly seem like fashion and cultural questions.

CN: Her Imperial Majesty has a point. I guess these are questions that Kalistanis are asking, I just happen to get to ask them to Her Imperial Majesty.

CA: Fair enough. Props for your bravery. And thank you for your honesty.

CN: Going back to fashion, then. Has Her Imperial Majesty had the opportunity to tour the Gem Vault?

CA: Of course. Many times.

CN: Is it as lavish as we are all led to believe?

CA: It is difficult to say: We are not sure what it is you are led to believe.

CN: Well, that it is filled with thousands upon thousands of precious stones, gold, silver and other rare and expensive treasures.

CA: If that is the case, then I'll say! There is so much stuff in there, I can't even believe it.

NA: Caroline! Pronouns. Using that word is illegal.

CA: (rolls her eyes at her aunt) Our aunt is right. We need to keep practicing. Forgive us once again.

CN: Her Imperial Majesty hasn't hurt me any by it.

CA: We do not wish to violate the law, especially on the record.

CN: Shall I edit that part out of the transcript?

CA: No, absolutely not. We shouldn't pretend to be perfect. It might be a good thing for our people to be able to see us as a human, so they don't expect us to never make a mistake.

CN: Will Her Imperial Majesty be bound by House Law when she is in Valruzia?

CA: When in Auroria, we must do as the Aurorians do. Even though we will have a governess, who is there to represent the Chancellor and our Aunt, and she may be directed to try to maintain the Protocol, nobody can force the Valruzians to follow our laws. We sure will not expect them to. And then when we enter National Service, we will have obtained our majority and can suspend the Protocol as we please, and there is nothing anyone can do about that.

NA: We'll talk about that later, Your Majesty.

CA: We are sure we will. At any rate... To answer your original question, yes there are more gems in the Vault than we could ever count. Tons and tons of them, and more gold and silver than exists anywhere else in this nation, or probably the whole continent. House Ananto has been collecting their horde for centuries.

CN: Does your collection miss the Hulanevek Diamond?

CA: Not at all. Our Aunt believes that that stone had something wrong with it. We don't need to go into it. It has caused our family nothing but hardship and grief. We are glad it is gone.

CN: Well, I am out of questions for Her Imperial Majesty. Does she have any question for me?

CA: Our Duke in Nevaras is named Northern. Are you related to the Duke, Ms. Northern?

CN: I don't believe so. I am from Kaliburg, and lived her all my life.

CA: We are similar then. (the Empress smiled)

CN: I want to thank Her Imperial Majesty so much for giving me so much time to speak with her today, and it was a pleasure to meet you as well, Your Highness.

CA: This was a lot of fun, Ms. Northern. Thank you so much for coming to visit us. If you happen to be in Valruzia after August this year, and want to come see us again, we could do this again, less formally.

CN: I'll see if they give me an assignment.

CA: Indeed. There's a little bit of some formal stuff we have to do now. If you would like to stay for another cup of tea, you would be welcomed to do so, but we believe that we are due at the National Assembly this afternoon.

CN: I thank Her Imperial Majesty for the offer but I'm afraid I am driving home and don't want to be too impaired.

CA: Very well, then, we will wish you a fantastic rest of your day.

@LaModa