Seeking Legitimacy and Official Recognition, Cildanian 'Prince' Rubs Soldiers with Hawu High SocietyArriving with high hopes, Alessandro Laviéra shunned by Hawu officialsAQQAK --
The brother of a prominent Cildanian political activist arrived in Hawu Mumenhes this week hoping to buttress his family's quixotic claim to a throne that doesn't exist.
Alessandro Laviéra is the younger brother of
Aiden Laviéra, an activist with the newly-founded
Federal Monarchist Party. Nicknamed PMF for short, the fledgling political organization is pushing for radical reforms of Cildanian society, including the creation of a complex form of government headed by a monarch. Unfortunately, there are no cclaimants for the throne of PMF's fanstyland because no such 'federal monarchy' has ever existed in Cildania. But further afield, distant and long-forgotten countries alike once employed such uncommon constitutional arrangements. Artanian regimes in particular have shown unique fascination with putting hereditary nobles at the head of local governments all beneath the throne of a national monarch. The
Holy Luthori Empire in earlier centuries went so far as to ban commoners from serving in cabinet, and the country's five provinces to this day proclaim themselves '
Archduchies,' an empty pretense since Luthori politics long ago abandoned the experiment of aristocrats who both reign
and rule. Centuries after Luthori tossed out its 'federation of nobles,' its former neighbor to the north,
Ibutho, employed similar arrangements. Ibutho Kings were under-girded by a dizzying array of '
IzinDuna', '
uNkosikazi iPini izinDuna', and '
izinumNtwana' (
dukes,
countesses, and
princes that is), all of whom shared the load of administering the ancient civilization's many provinces, cities, and towns, and passed on the jobs to generation-after-generation of their descendants.
Though long ago stripped of governing and political power, some of those descendants still stalk the byways of the lands their great-great-great-grands once lorded over.
Nefertari Shabangu-Saksoure, a
Royal University at Nekhatw professor who studies the historical curiosity of federal monarchies is in fact herself a 'princess' of sorts. '
Princess du Sang de Rildanor is the technical pronunciation,' she tells me in her workmanlike campus office, cluttered with what seem to be thousands of thick tomes with indecipherable titles like '
twe neehojnef mytpune tayfe himu vipwy twe eate idenay zas iatu iny aiopa uimo tayi aiutu irinef.' 'It's just about a son asking the king of his country for permission to inherit the rulership of the city his father had run,' she explains to me on seeing the look of abject confusion on my face. 'If you go far enough back in history, most countries can be described as federal monarchies at one time or another.' The professor has actually heard of this Aiden Laviéra. 'I met his brother last week. He came to learn about how federal monarchy could work in contemporary times.'
She did more than meet Alessandro Laviéra apparently. After being refused for meetings by Hawu Mumenhes government officials, a well-connected operative in the country's ruling party set up a dinner meeting between the professor and the wannabe 'prince.' Though they weren't alone (the dinner was attended by a mildly secret but powerful clutch of the 'formerly ennobled' so to speak), the pair apparently hit it off, huddling in corners whispering about the esoteria of ensuring your 3rd great-grandnephew inherits all the land in your city and the citizens to go with it.
After a night cap, the professor even invited Laviéra to attend a royal ceremony held by the government to mark the Hawu Mumenhes King's appointment of a new President for the country. 'It was extraordinarily moving,' Laviéra told me soon after attending. 'I felt such a sense of admiration for the way His Majesty and this amazing system of government unifies 100 million of Hawu Mumenhes's citizens of every creed and origin. My friends in Hawu explained to me that it's one of the most diverse countries in Terra. You'd never know it because everyone there exhibits such common purpose and like-mindedness.' And that's because of their monarchy, I ask. 'Yes, and the deep way the citizens have been included in the system. The Hawu Mumenhes King for example was elected to the throne by the people. Literally anyone can aspire to be monarch in their country and take part in an incredible project of self-government. I was enormously grateful to be able to witness it,' Laviéra mused. Besides inspiration, the aspiring bigwig also took home with him a real title of sorts for him and his older brother, both of whose 'princely' titles were fabricated by their political party. In exchange for growing its membership and helping its cause, an obscure organization called
Order of Nobles knighted Laviéra during his visit, creating both him and his brother
Knights Grand Cross of The Most Preeminent Order of Princes and Nobles with permission to pass the titles on to their eldest sons.
Now back in the Cildanian capitol, Alessandro Laviéra is said to be busy with round-the-clock glad-handing following his party's unexpectedly strong showing in recent elections there. But his new friends here in Hawu Mumenhes say they think he'll be back soon. 'He's a bit infatuated with the place. And the lady,' one dinner party guest observed cheekily.
-Yannick Pirera, October 4407
for Cildanian Broadcasting Corporation in partnership with The Daily Scribe