Kalistan

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A Brief Interview with His Highness the Minor Crown Prince Fredrick Ananto-Sandoval
"School is alright, but I think I'd rather play Football" says future Emperor
Kaliburg, Grand Duchy of Ananto
November 17, 5592


His Highness, the Crown Prince Fredrick William Ananto-Sandoval, Age 12 at home in Kaliburg

We were given the opportunity to speak with His Highness, the Minor Crown Prince Fredrick-David William Ananto-Sandoval.  The mischievous 12-year old boy seems at the outset to be the same as any other boy his age, even though he speaks through a sign language interpreter.  He enjoys playing football, exploring the city and hiking in the mountains south of his family's estate in Eveari, and reading and drawing.  However, he is also an avid go player, and takes an interest in social studies, and every once in a while, we can hear an inquisitive mind that asks questions and wants to know more about the world around him.  These qualities are fine, given the Minor Prince's destiny.  La Moda was given permission to speak with him and his interpreter at Wilson House, so we could get a snapshot of the young prince before he begins preparing to become the person who will eventually succeed his mother as Sovereign of the Anantonese Empire.

(La Moda's) T(heresa) M(artinez):  Good afternoon, Your Highness.  It is nice to finally meet you.

(Through his sign language interpreter, Miss Helen Miller, who aids his speech that is slowly becoming difficult in itself to understand without signs, His Highness, the Minor Crown Prince) F(redrick William) A(nanto-Sandoval):  Thank you Ms. Martinez.  It is a pleasure to speak with you today.  I am a little nervous, because I do not speak to the press very often, so you will have to excuse my accent.

TM:  You Highness, I don't detect an accent at all...

FA:  You mean all Vrassan speakers talk like me?  I guess I can't hear them well enough to know...  Hahahaha (The Crown Prince laughs at his own joke.)

(The Royal Sign Interpreter, Miss) H(elen) M(iller):  He thinks he's a comedian, making fun of people who were born deaf.  Please go on and ignore his jokes, it only encourages him.

FA:  Please tell my friend Helen that I wasn't born deaf, and that I also outrank her...  (laughs again)

TM:  I believe she heard you, your Highness.

HM:  Please continue, Miss Martinez.

TM:  While we are talking about being hard of hearing, Your Highness, can you tell us a little about your experience with hearing loss?

FA:  Well, it doesn't really affect my life too much, unless I forget to put my hearing aids in.  Without them, maybe it sounds like people are talking to me under water.  You know...  they sound like (makes blurbling sounds, like he's speaking with his face in a swimming pool)  he...lbbbaaa...ppaaaaa  blurbbba.  I'm, drowbbbbma... ningbbbaaa....  (laughs again...)

(Miss Miller very visibly rolls her eyes...)  HM:  That's a terrible joke, Your Highness...

FA:  What?  That's what they sound like.  I'm sorry...  (Laughs again)

HM:  Your Highness, this is why reporters don't often interview children...  If you'd like, your mother said I could dismiss Miss Martinez until you're less nervous.  (The smile slowly faded from the Minor Crown Prince's face.)

FA:  Ok, I don't want that.  Look.  I'm not nervous.  I'm taking this seriously.

HM:  Please Ms. Martinez, continue if you would.

TM:  How are your studies going, Your Highness?

FA:  School is alright.  I'm having difficulty in math, something about the numbers and variables.  How one letter can equal a number, and then later, they say it is another number...  I don't think I get that part.  It's difficult for me to concentrate on that, because things become kinda mixed up for me there.  

TM:  Is there a subject you do like?

FA:  Yes, I have always loved to learn about Kalistan's history, and this year we are getting an introduction to government.  I think social studies is something I am very good at because history for me is almost like a movie:  it's a story with characters and then something happens, and we get to try to think ok why did this happen, and what happened after that...  It's very fun.  And, I also like gym too, because I get to play football.

TM:  You play football, Your Highness?

FA:  Oh I love playing football.  If I could that's all I would do at school.  I'd rather play football than go to school.

TM:  Is there a particular position you like?

FA:  Well, someday I'd like to play quarterback, but I think because of my hearing, that isn't going to happen, but I do have lots of fun playing as a running back:  its easy to see the ball snapped when you are right next to the QB and running backs get a lot of glory.  I also play on the line, but I think when I can't hear anything anymore, it will become harder to do this because I won't know when the ball is snapped.  I might switch to defense then, so I can go after receivers and pancake them, hahaha.

TM:  Pancake them, Your Highness?

FA:  Yes, lay them flat on their backs, like a pancake.  

TM:  I see.  And your parents are fine with you playing football?

FA:  Sure.  Why wouldn't they be?

TM:  Well, you could get seriously injured.  How do you think that would be to have an Emperor with a limp?

FA:  Well, this country is already going to have a deaf Emperor, so maybe it will be alright:  I won't have to hear them make fun of my limp...  hahaha

HM:  Your Highness!

FA:  Ok, Sorry sorry sorry...  sheesh...  people must hate comedy here...

TM:  So what other hobbies do you have, your Highness, besides Football?

FA:  I love playing Go.  I am actually pretty good.  I go to the Go Club up in Lolla like twice a week.  I think when I'm 14, they'll let me enter the club juniors tournament.  I'm ready but they said they don't accept 12-year olds, so I have to wait.  I also like reading things:  I am learning about the history of the socialists in Kalistan.  They actually had some pretty good ideas.

TM:  Does Her Imperial Majesty talk with you about that?

FA:  Oh, she says things like "their ideas were fine for their time," but I can tell she doesn't like them.  My father tends to be a bit more interested in socialism than my mother, so he tells me about it sometimes.

TM:  And what do you think about them and their ideas?

FA:  (thinks for a moment), Well, I would say the book I read said that a lot of the things they supported are still in the Empire, and that the Institutional Party itself was started by Socialists who were committed to protecting the institutions but couldn't as long as the Republic was still around because fascists kept trying to turn Kalistan into a horrible place.  So, I guess I can agree with the things they kept around and I think I can understand what they wanted you know?

TM:  Does your mother or father discuss world events with you?

FA:  We discuss those a lot, yes.  We talk a lot about Kundrati.  My mom is from there, you know.

TM:  Yes, Your Highness.  How does she feel about that situation?

FA:  Well, it makes her very sad.  Sometimes I see her crying, and when I ask her what is wrong, she tells me that she is thinking about how lucky she is to have escaped there when she did.  She always says that there are so many people there who are just trapped, and some of them might be people she knew when she was a little girl.  She says she knows that if she wouldn't have escaped, she might have been one of those people.  Someone on TV said the Kundratis work people to death and then just burn them.  Do you think that's true?

HM:  Your Highness, this is a very distressing subject.  Ms. Martinez probably feels uncomfortable talking about this.

TM:  It's ok, Madame.  Your Highness, I am a reporter, and so I am sort of required to keep my opinions separate from my job, you know?  But this is also something your mother and father would know way more about than I would, because my job is to do what's called human interest stories, like interviews with members of the royal family.  So I wouldn't even be the best reporter to ask about that.

FA:  Well, my mother is lucky to not live there, and we are also lucky to not be anywhere near any of that.  It just seems very evil what they are doing.  And you know, Kalistan tried to do something about it, but the rest of the world just turned a blind eye away from them.

HM:  Ms. Martinez, that is his mother speaking.  Please don't let it bother you.

FA:  No, Miss Miller, it is me speaking.  I am old enough and smart enough to have my own opinion, and I may be deaf but I am not illiterate.  I happen to agree with my mother on this.  Those are her people, and so they are mine too.  And I wish every day that we could do more to help them.  It's like something out of a horror movie what is happening to the Kundrati people.  And nobody is helping them.  I'll say this, Miss Martinez:  Watching this whole catastrophe happen in Kundrati is something I will never forget.  If I was Emperor, I would do all I could to help.  I don't know why others didn't come out to help the people of Kundrati.  They just let it happen.

TM:  You may be right, Your Highness.  And I am sure your mother also did all she could.

FA:  Yes, she did.  It wasn't enough.  She needed help and most of the world turned their backs on our Empire.  When we needed them the most.  Some even are helping the fascists...  I can't even believe that.

FA:  You have a few more years before you begin to learn about being Emperor.  Are you looking forward to that?

HM:  Ms. Martinez, Her Imperial Majesty has asked me to encourage you to avoid asking the Crown Prince about that.

FA:  Why?  I want to answer the question.

HM:  Your Highness, it is the Empress' will.

FA:  Well, she is not here.

HM:  Your Highness, she does not want Ms. Martinez to ask you questions about becoming Emperor.

TM:  It's ok.  I won't ask the question.

FA:  No.  That's not right.  I want to answer it.  I ha...

HM:  Your Highness.  We need to move on.

TM:  It's alright, Your Highness.

FA:  That's not fair.  She can't just do that.

TM:  Your Highness, She can.  It's alright.  Just tell me what your answer is, and then we will move on.  (His Highness' answer was not recorded, out of respect for Her Imperial Majesty's wishes.  Miss Miller offered an explanation later that explained that The Empress is not ready yet to let the Minor Prince's future role take over his life, as it will when he formally begins the long transition process which begins when the Empress formally begins his training and becomes his entire life after that moment.  To summarize, the Minor Crown Prince said he is eager to learn about the job, and looks forward to starting.)

TM:  Finally Your Highness, are there any final words you would like me to print to the People of Kalistan and the Anantonese Empire.

FA:  (after thinking a moment)  Yes...  My first royal command:  Please SPEAK LOUDER...

HM:  Your Highness!  OH MY GOD!

FA: Some of us have a hard time hearing you!   Speak up, you know what I'm saying?  HAHAHA

And with that, the interview ended, the Minor Crown Prince having spent so much of the interview joking around that it was now time for him to get ready to eat supper with his family.  We thank the Empress for letting La Moda interview the Minor Crown Prince, and look forward to additional interviews in the future, as he moves closer to his future as the Emperor of Ananto and Kalistan.

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