Kalistan

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Kalistan Experiences the end of an Era
Princess of the Empire Mary Ananto-DeLaurentis dies in Eveari
Eveari, Grand Duchy of Ananto
March 30, 5696


Mary Ananto-DeLaurentis in Eveari last summer (left), and Mary and her sister Margaret planting trees in Odufaray in 5636

Kalistan mourns the loss of Princess of the Empire Mary Natalia Ananto-DeLaurentis today. The late Princess was found unresponsive in her home in Eveari a day ago and was declared dead after being rushed to Eveari Memorial Hospital at 10:36 pm Eveari time last night. She was 85 years old. The cause of death has been officially ruled as heart failure, but doctors have noted that she suffered from cardiac arrhythmia and heart failure from the effects of prolonged opium usage, and doctors said that she had recently tried to stop taking the narcotic with more or less success. Doctors definitely ruled out overdose. "At the time of death, a blood test as part of the autopsy revealed that the Princess of the Empire had a lower than her baseline amount of opioid metabolites. In fact, her heart failure may have been catalyzed by her decreased opium usage in the days leading to her death," said Eveari Chief medical examiner Dr. Candace Knight. The Princess was not in any other way injured.

The Princess was born Mary-Elizabeth Natalia Ananto-DeLaurentis to Fredrick III Ananto and Monica Ananto-DeLaurentis in Kaliburg in 5610. An early event in her life was the destruction of her family's home due to gas attacks launched during the Artanian War rendering Wilson House uninhabitable. Her earliest memories were from Cliff House on the western slopes of Wilson Hill in southwestern Kaliburg.

Growing up, the Princess was very introverted and shy, and preferred to spend nearly all of her time in nature, where she loved to hike alone and learn about trees and plants. Her sister once described her as a hippie who preferred trees to people. Mary especially took an interest in the endangered Kalistani Redwood, the giant conifer that used to blanket the North Facing Slopes of Ananto, Vrassa, and some of Odufaray, but was, by the 5630s, only protected in a small grove East of Eveari, some small groves in Northeast Vrassa and in the northern tip of the Dragon Hills in Odufaray. Mary was part of the last generation to have had the opportunity to personally know Carolina I Ananto, where she spent many hours as a teenager visiting with her grandmother at the Ananto Estate in Eveari and wandering the forests directly adjacent to the Estate, which she eventually purchased so she could have a grove for her own solitude and protection.

When she went into National Service, the Princess learned forestry and tree planting, and after national service, became the Redwood's largest supporter. In 5633, soon after being crowned Empress of Ananto and Kalistan, she set as a personal life's mission the planting of 10 million new Redwood saplings, with help from volunteers from across the nation. Over the next fifty years, her replanting program more than surpassed that number and now approaches six times that many trees planted in the more than 65 years since the program as begun. She said the restoration of Kalistan's forests, while she knew she would not live to see it, was one of her proudest achievements throughout her entire lifetime.

Mary also saw an initially tumultuous reign when she rose to the throne, taking over for her father who died in a plane crash in the mountains between Odufaray and Nevaras at an early age. "I never went to college," said Mary in an interview after retiring. "I wanted to make it so my sister, who was always far more intelligent than I could go for as long as she possibly could, because it only seemed right that one of us should get education. I went to work right after I got out of national service, much like my grand daughter will sadly have to do."

Mary said numerous times throughout her life that she had always admired and tried to promote her little sister, born Margaret-Carolina Nicolette Ananto-DeLaurentis, who was three years younger than her, and who preceded her in death in 5680 after losing a five year long battle with ALS. "Oh yeah, she was my hero," said Mary. "She was always so pretty and so smart and so put together: She liked people and she had this old soul and she loved football. And I was always so grateful that she put up with me for so long. I am so happy to have got to be her big sister and to have her by my side for all these years. I miss Meg, so much every day. But I know also she's not in any pain anymore, so that is also a good thing." She and Margaret became inseparable as adults, with Mary visiting her in Dulnerstaad frequently after retirement and even promoting her to the director of IBSI position and then making that position part of the Government so Margaret could help govern the foreign policy and security of the State.

Mary had many other major accomplishments. She was known for her uncompromising Nationalism and he deep-seated hatred of fascism in the world, to the point where she ordered Kalistani militia to Kundrati as part of the last set of offensives against the Kundrati Legion. She patronized Kalistani music and culture, and with the help of her mother, was largely responsible for promotion of the fine arts across the Empire. Another project of hers, what she called the "Glittering Empire" saw major beautifucation efforts in Kalistan's cities, the acquisition of uncounted gemstones, the promotion of conspicuous opulence and the movement of aesthetic conservatism and beauty to the front of Kalistani fashion and culture.

Mary also famously purchased more than a thousand acres of land in Athosia and became the first sitting Kalistani Monarch to take residence in the Duchy since the 1800s. She was also instrumental in helping the kingdom of Baltusia appoint an Alvarez as King, witnessed the formation of AYIC in Kalistan, greatly strengthened personal ties with the Monarchy in Hutori and the Republic of Valruzia, and was the first Ananto to be valued at more than 1 Trillion Imperial Rubles. Following her reign, she oversaw the transfer of the Hulanevek Diamond to Hutori, where it remains today, as the family believes it to be cursed. Her reign was consequential, conservative, and for the most part clean, and her shadow has loomed over the Empire since her abdication, both during the truncated reign of her son Fredrick IV Ananto and daughter in law Jennifer I Ananto, and then her Grand Daughter, the current reigning monarch Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto.

Her Highness has been interred in the Ananto family Mausoleum in Eveari. A private memorial service for the late Empress will be held at Eveari Brethrenist Meeting House, where she was a Convinced Friend over the last few decades. The Service will be for her remaining family members, her friends in Eveari and members of the Eveari Meeting. She is survived by her commonlaw wife Lady Victoria Jensen, also 85, her daughter, the Princess of the Empire Nicolette Ananto-Collins, and her grand daughter, Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto. She was preceeded in death by both her parents, Emperor Fredrick III Ananto and Monica Ananto-DeLaurentis, her sister, the Princess Margaret Ananto-DeLaurentis, her former husband Count Martin Collins of Sulari, Her son, Emperor Fredrick IV Ananto and her daughter in law, Empress Jennifer I Ananto, and her two grand sons, William-David Martin Ananto-Connor, who was Crown Prince, and the Minor Prince Mark-Henry Joseph Ananto-Connor.

Condolences and best wishes may be sent to House Ananto in Kaliburg.

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