OOC: first article is from a few months into the future.
Queen Mrjmai ascends the throneTwenty-two year old youngest ever monarch, first female monarch.The official state portrait of Queen Mrjmai Banmek-Sntazed. The young monarch is said to be much like her grandfather.January 4421 - Thirty years ago, on January 1st 4391, King Wrntukai V heralded the start of a new constitutional era of the Kingdom of Vanuku. Almost twenty-seven years ago, in August 4394, King Juhn X inherited the throne after a two year interregnum following the sudden death of Vanuku's most celebrated monarch. Today however the eyes were not on the grave of the Casual King, nor were they on the Silent King. Today the eyes were on Vanuku's first female monarch: Queen Mrjmai. The twenty-two year old is also the youngest monarch Vanuku has ever seen, the previous record being held by Sovereign Prince Arend-Heijtri who inherited the throne at age twenty-seven. Medieval records have implicated child rulers yet Jelbic record keeping was simply non-existant during Vanuku's medieval history. Looking purely factual Queen Mrjmai is the youngest sovereign Vanuku has ever seen.
Queen Mrjmai, who has been Archduchess since her infancy, studied biology in Wiel before serving ten months in the Armed Forces as a science officer in the Naval Forces. It has been a long tradition for Vanukean sovereigns to serve in the Armed Forces and the Queen has been reported she wanted to "follow those footsteps and contribute to the war effort". Aside from her studies and short military service she already has a reputation as a fierce philantropist, having been previously forbidden to travel to wartorn Jelbania by her father on advice of the SSA due to security risks.
The Queen is heralded as a bright, rational and no-nonsense monarch who despite her age seems as wise as her grandfather was. Insiders have hinted she feels most at home in the game of politics and would have been a politician if not for her royal duties. In a speech at her coronation she said that the current times are not for celebrating. "The Atomic Era has long been upon our world. Yet the Apocalyptic Era has now begun. To my greatest shame and regret it was our nation that acted as the cataclyst to this tragedy. My Lord Father made a terrible mistake, and his mistake is the reason why I now bear the burden of the throne. Under normal circumstances a coronation is a reason for great celebration in our nation. Yet not today, our nation still stands on the brink of war with the well-meaning but tactless Northern Council invading the Majatran Sea, with our good Istalian allies placing themselves between the Northerners and their fellow Majatrans. Yet it is not up to them to change the fate of this conflict. It is the duty of Vanuku to take responsibility for the mistakes it has made, together with Deltaria we should rise from this as Majatran brothers and sisters, not as bitter enemies. As Queen of all Vanukeans, at home and abroad, it will be my mission to bring peace to all Majatra. It will be my wish that all foreign military powers not home in Majatra sail home so that the powder keg of Terra can finally find true peace."
While some critics have lambasted the speech as too political others have complimented the fresh Queen for her assertive leadership and bravery towards the global community. Prefect Jlekai Nasir, who now serves his third term after the former King ousted Duke Zhtál, stated he was immensely pleased with the Queen's speech. "She will be a true figurehead of this nation, she has the integrity and honesty of her father and the strong will and wisdom of her grandfather. The words she spoke are the truth: this conflict is ours to solve, not those of the Northern powers. We must bear the burden and find peace and balance."
Jlekai Nasir returns for third term: presents plan to DeltariaFormer Prefect replaces Duke Zhtál, calls for "total peace".Prefect Jlekai Nasir at his 'first' cabinet meeting, the Prefect wishes for "immediate and total peace".November 4420 - All Vanukean combat operations have been put on hold per a direct order of Prefect Nasir after his return to office earlier today. It was the first official act by the returning Prefect who seems dead set on ending the war and ousting non-Majatran militaries from the continent. The Prefect revealed the plan for a nuclear strike had been presented to him during his second term by the Joint Chiefs of Staff, yet at the time he had instantly rejected it. Nasir called the decisions of Duke Zhtál over the course of his military campaign "regretful and tragic". Though the Prefect also repeatedly stated to the press to not "linger too much on the mistakes of yesterday, but let us focus on not making more mistakes today and tomorrow".
The cabinet of Nasir is, as his previous two, a Grand Coalition between the Zhtál Party and the Greater Nationalists. While the Zthál Party has brought several new candidates after the Duke's split within the party it also brings several familiar faces. The most well-known of these is the Foreign Affairs Minister Ashur. Outspoken critic, and relative, of the Duke Viscount Noh Míhaljsrmko Zhtál is the Minister of Justice and Deputy Prefect. The GNP members of the cabinet are, to the surprise of many, exactly the same as those in his previous cabinet. Most notable is Prince Wrntukai Banmek-Sntazed as Minister of Internal Affairs, the distant cousin of King Juhn X has turned 87 this year making him the oldest Minister. The old Prince however maintains his vitality is up to the job. Eksandr G. Anzlék, former Minister of Defence, is now the spokesperson of Defence in the Grand Council for the GNP and serves as Deputy Chairman to Nasir in the party leadership.
After the first cabinet meeting the Prefect immediately presented a plan for the next few months. Prefect Nasir has stated he wishes an immediate end to the conflict in Jelbania. Only minutes after the conclusion of the meeting Minister Ashur flew to the World Congress to address its members. Nasir previously called upon Kalistan, amongst others, to not destroy their diplomatic ties to Vanuku over the grave mistakes of Duke Zhtál. With the government effectively purged of all hawkish politicians the Prefect has moved onwards to foreign affairs. A message was sent to the government of Deltaria requesting an immediate start to peace talks at a location of their choosing, be it in Deltaria, Jelbania or Vanuku. The Prefect has further instructed the Economics Minister to find extra budget to revitalize the economy and find a gap to help rebuild Jelbania.
On top of his first executive command to hold all military operations a further command followed after provocation from the Northern Council, which pierced the Vanukean blockade after it was ordered to stay put and not engage nor follow. The First, Second and Third Fleets have vessels specifically designed to function on the Majatran Sea and have, with immediate effect, to sail full power to the Vanukean and North-Eastern Jelbanian coastline. The homogenous force comprised solely of Vanukean vessels was quickly able to scramble and pass the multinational Northern Council task force. The fleets have been deployed in a defensive manner to obstruct any deployment in the national waters of Vanuku, the Northern Khaganate and the Free Republic. Prefect Nasir stated this to be a "necessity". "Foreign involvement from a warmongering faction like the Northern Council, which according to sources has called internally for a full salvo of nuclear strikes on Vanuku was well as an invasion of our Kingdom, will only help grow the conflict in Jelbania. It is both my and the future Queen's wish for the Northern Council to return home. Their presence will obstruct any peace talks and might make the Deltarians say no. To the Northern Council I say: any attempt to enter national waters of the Kingdom and the two states protected by her will be seen as a declaration of war on the Kingdom of Vanuku. The presence of their submarines armed with nuclear missiles in the Majatran Sea would be provocation enough for many leaders yet I am a man of peace. Return home and let our nations make peace and rebuild Jelbania."