Kalistan

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Kalistani News in Brief: First Photo of Princelings Released;
Empress answers King of Gaduridos; Democrats to seek reform
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
January 24, 5720


Their Majesties The Princelings, Minor Princess Victoria-Monica Miriam Ananto-Rosenfeld, Minor Crown Prince William-Malcolm Isaac Ananto-Rosenfeld and Minor Princess Jennifer-Ericka Rebecca Ananto-Rosenfeld sit for their first portrait

First Photo of Princelings Released
House Ananto has consented to the release of an authorized portrait of the next Generation of Anantos. Including His Highness, the Minor Crown Prince William-Malcolm Isaac Ananto-Rosenfeld, the photo also includes the first official images of the Minor Princesses, Her Highness Minor Princess Jennifer-Ericka Rebecca Ananto-Rosenfeld (14) and Her Highness, Minor Princess Victoria-Monica Miriam Ananto-Rosenfeld (12). "Her Imperial Majesty and His Highness, the Prince Consort believed that it was appropriate for the portrait to be released to the Press," said Lady Christina Ananto-McKinley. "We believed that commissioning an official and authorized portrait would serve as an introduction to the Minor Princelings who will soon begin stepping into their formal roles in the Royal Family, and in the institutions of the Empire."

Neither of the Minor Princesses have debuted yet in Kaliburg Formal Society. "Those will happen when the Minor Princesses are each 16 years old," said Lady Christina. "His Highness, the Minor Crown Prince, has only been allowed very limited contact with the young ladies around him and has been asked to escort his peers on a handful of occasions. But he is beginning intermediate phases of his royal training with his mother and with us here at House Ananto now, and when he is not spending his time skating and surfing, dating is among the last things on his mind at the moment."

The Minor Crown Prince is said to be quiet, and have a sharp but very dry wit. "The Crown Prince is to some degree more of an introvert," said Lady Christina. "He was 6 feet tall by the time he was 13 years old and has always been known as a gentle giant, but this has made him kind of self conscious. He will likely grow out of that but for now, it is difficult to be one of the tallest of his peers, and not stand out. The Minor Princesses are as different from one another as night and day: Her Highness, the Minor Princess Jennifer is studious, prim and very imperious, while her younger sister, Her Highness, the Minor Princess Victoria is outgoing, gregarious, and full of energy. I've had the opportunity to watch these three grow: they all take after parts of both of their parents, the best parts, for certain."

We will certainly see more of these three youngsters as they grow and move to the center of Kalistani Society and power in the coming decades.

Empress answers King of Gaduridos
In her weekly radio address this week recorded from Kaliburg, Her Imperial Majesty, who had just opened the National Assembly for the year, commented on the message from His Majesty, the King of Gaduridos.

"And to His Majesty, the King of Gaduridos, King Victor de Valcorico, we welcome his kind and optimistic greetings. As we are sure he knows, there are still many outstanding, and very serious issues that remain between our two nations from our regrettable split. The cut that separated our two nations was not clean, it was not painless, and it was the source of a great amount of grieving in our nation. We are not sure we can say the same for the People of Gadurios: In Kalsitan we felt the loss quite acutely, and the residual feeling from us was sorrow, not anger, not envy, not hatred. Even those among us who have been most vocal in their anger are most upset that our friendship was so completely rejected: they grieve the loss most publicly. We haven't properly had time to heal from the death of our dream and the loss of our brothers and sisters.

"That said: we do agree that since Gaduridos has adopted a formal government, a legitimate governing apparatus, and has even taken an extra step and appointed for themselves a monarch which has the support of the nation. Our desire to recognize this measure led us to attend His Majesty's coronation. It is our hope that under these conditions we both may begin to properly, and healthily grieve the loss of our old relationship and then to look forward to a new one, built on mutual respect and a shared desire to cooperate when and where ever it is possible to do so. We understand it will take both the Gaduris and the Kalistanis some time, and despite the bad blood, eventually we will have to find a way to both live in the same world together. That can, we are confident and optimistic, begin at last."

Her Imperial Majesty extended another invitation to His Majesty to visit her in Kaliburg. She will not take residency in Athosia this winter, and has instead opened Playa de Paz to members of House Ananto to enjoy for the winter. It is believed that her uncle, Lord Andrew Rohrbach is declining in his health due to symptoms of pancreatic cancer, and she wishes to remain on the Island so she can assist her Aunt, Her Highness the Princess of the Empire Nicolette Ananto-Collins, with end of life arrangements if need be.

Democrats to seek reform
Kalistan's democrats, organized in the Democratic Club of Kalistan, met this week in Eshar, and drafted a ten point memorandum that they wish to present as a petition to Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Carolina II Ananto that broadly calls for reforms to the Imperial Regime. "We take our inspiration from the peaceful revolution which happened in Egelion," says the group's spokesman, James Christianson, of Gendaris. "In that nation, democrats peacefully organized, and through negotiation and debate, obtained the end of the Absolutist form of government in favor of a Constitutional Monarchy with a limited monarchy, some limitations of the power of the aristocracy, and an formation of a popularly elected branch of government able to check monarchical power."

Mr. Christianson admitted that he and his group will have an uphill battle. "I understand that Egelian 'absolutism' such as it was was not of the same variety as Kalistani absolutism, no quotes. The Kalistani variety is literally fiat authority of an autocrat. Not a dictatorship, not a tyranny, but certainly an autocrat. And it is well known that our autocrat is not conducive to the ideas of democracy or majoritarianism." But Christianson said he was optimistic any way. "We believe that Her Imperial Majesty is a philosopher, and therefore a lover of wisdom. She may have her opinions, but we believe that she does listen to other opinions and takes those into account. And we believe that if we would be allowed to simply present to her our arguments for more democracy, she would be willing to examine them, from a neutral perspective to consider them from an exercise of reason and logic. And perhaps she can be swayed."

The petition was forwarded to The Chancellor of the Empire's office, as is correct procedure. Bob Gerring, one of Eshar's two Deputies in the National Assembly was asked to bring the manifesto to the Chancellor. "Well, I will say they have some huevos," said Deputy Gerring. "I had to tell them that when I handed the document to the Chancellor requesting she carry it to the Empress, she read it, laughed and asked if I was putting her on. I said the Democrats were in earnest, and they believed that the Empress would read it and give it fair consideration. And she looked at me, and gave me a smile that I can only describe as sarcastic, and she simply said, 'Those Democrats do not know the Empress at all.' I answered that this may be so, but it might be an opportunity to meet them and hear what they have to say. She shrugged and said she would carry the petition to the Empress personally, just so she could be the one to tell me about Her Imperial Majesty's response."

@TheRepublic