His 'boom tube' closes after he steps through, and I walk over to the balcony overlooking… I smile. Poseidonis. Not long ago I assumed that I'd never see this accursed city again. The Royal Palace and the Conservatory of Sorcery are much unchanged, at least from the outside. But it has been a long time. Stone has increasingly replaced by cultured coral growth, and… Ah, that's new. Some sort of living structure..? How charmingly bizarre. The buildings are generally higher, and the codes they're using for the patterns of bioluminescence have changed a good deal. Sixty years ago the aim was to keep things simple. Now-.
The joy of living a long,
long life. The shifts in fashion, architecture, economics, vehicles (for surface dwellers, anyway) and even language must seem incomprehensible at times. The true art of immortality is adapting to change, not staying in stasis and becoming the irascible elder yelling about 'Things was
better in mah day!'
I wonder if it's because it's less expensive now, or just a change in fashion? Expense isn't really an issue in Venturia at the moment, but if my city's new residents start making their buildings glow it could look a little messy. Will I need to send bailiffs around to the architects to remind them that Venturia's building regulations are not the same as those in their home cities? My own trade missions have been firmly instructed that their trade houses are to blend in, but I can't assume that my fellow rulers will have been as sensible.
Indeed, such an assumption would be foolish at best. In any conglomeration like this, there's always going to be that one ruler... The one everyone else can't stand because of character, behaviour or policies...
I send a tiny mote of mana into my summoning ring, informing my courtiers that they may enter. I was… A little discomported to discover that in Poseidonis the lower orders use something similar to arrange anonymous sexual liaisons, but thankfully the design is sufficiently dissimilar that I doubt any of them mistook my intentions.
That's a little more than I ever wanted to know. Though it's practically the equivalent of a silent text conversation, really.
Behind me my advisors file in. Cyprian's acting as my regent in Venturia itself, which… I can't help but feel a little guilty about 'blocking his advancement' like this. Goodness knows he's done more to deserve being my heir than any of the other placeholders I've designated over the decades. When I asked him he told me that he only wanted to serve Venturia to the best of his abilities, and I know that's… True. I also know for a fact that I'd be nothing like as equanimitous in his place. I struck gold there in a way that my own father didn't with me, and I'm sure he'll stay loyal when it becomes obvious that 'Crown Prince' is a near-completely empty title.
Heck of a contrast to Paragon's side, where Cyprian has chosen to break away from the rest of the Atlanean city-states. I mean, in that parallel, he honestly believes that's for the best. Still have to wonder how he feels working under a now-immortal queen. Hopefully any hard feelings he has won't turn him into an evil vizier...
But it seems like a waste.
I turn towards the table where my cabinet are now awaiting my presence and swim to my position at the head of the table. I take a moment to make eye contact with everyone, then nod to my Chancellor.
A subtle power-play there, and I wonder if she even realises she's really doing it. I mean, she
is used to being absolute ruler, so
of course they should wait on her convenience...
"Your majesty. The first issue on today's agenda is the recent diplomatic initiative from Aurania."
I raise my eyebrows slightly, not irritated but definitely unimpressed.
Ptra's city, eh? Looks like she's still a little
unhappy about Mommy still being alive and preventing her from having
her throne...
"What's new about this one?"
"They've asked Poseidonis to act as intermediaries. Which means that things have progressed to the point where they're trying to work around are embargo."
Shutting them out of the sweet surface-worlder trade, eh? I'm reminded of what I said above about 'that one ruler'... I bet Ptra's up there for Clea.
Vexing. Yes, extremely vexing. We try to minimise that sort of thing by requiring end-user authentication for any potentially dangerous products we import. But to a degree we're dependant on High King Orin being willing to allow preferential treatment for particular cities. He's well within his rights to demand that I either allow free trade or at least grant all of our neighbours the same terms. I had thought that we would have another year or so before he got frustrated enough to intervene, but perhaps I misjudged his temperament. Or perhaps Grayven's efforts on David's behalf have pushed him into premature action.
The authentication thing is honestly sensible. Do you particularly
want a rival city importing something that could be used against you in anger? And the question then is whether to hold to your guns or give ground...
I glance at my Trade Minister.
"Are we certain?"
There wasn't much point in having an Intelligence Minister while we were isolated. There was an intelligence group attached to the guard, but they were there to detect traitors and other criminals. Since we've normalised relations there has been a significant increase in crime -mostly but not exclusively committed by recent immigrants- and a great many more people we need information on. From simple things like regional prices and demand to more… Personal information. Leaving the task of gathering intelligence on other Atlantean cities to the Ministry of Trade is a reasonable way of disguising our purposes… Though in all honesty trade intelligence is what they're focusing on. The quality of our actual foreign political and military intelligence gathering is lamentable.
And annoyingly, trying to discreetly arrange a more refined intelligence agency within your city is that much harder because the rest are all watching closely. And they'd probably take it badly, even though they almost certainly already have such things set up...
"We're not certain that High King Orin has made a decision, but instructions are definitely coming from someone in the Poseidonis government."
Which is another reason to avoid centralisation that Orin has completely ignored. Having a High King who is able to act as an autocrat is essential for the good of Atlantis for the same reason that my ability to act as an autocrat within my own city is essential for Venturia. But ruling that like full time for every issue is impossible.
For most people. You'd need to be a demi-god with a computer-like brain to manage your time and resources so precisely that you avoid any conflict... Even with the system they have,
someone's not going to be happy with
this decision or
that one...
I consider what Grayven told me for a moment.
For anyone but Darkseid, apparently. I'm not certain that I truly understand what living in such a state would be like, but what I can imagine is frightful.
As bad as Final crisis was, it did give us that damn fine speech from Darkseid (quoted in full):
"
I. AM. THE. NEW. GOD.
ALL IS ONE IN DARKSEID. THIS MIGHTY BODY IS MY CHURCH.
WHEN I COMMAND YOUR SURRENDER, I SPEAK WITH THREE BILLION VOICES...
WHEN I MAKE A FIST TO CRUSH YOUR RESISTANCE. IT IS WITH THREE BILLION HANDS!
WHEN I STARE INTO YOUR EYES AND SHATTER YOUR DREAMS. AND BREAK YOUR HEART. IT IS WITH SIX BILLION EYES!
NOTHING LIKE DARKSEID HAS EVER COME AMONG YOU: NOTHING WILL AGAIN.
I WILL TAKE YOU TO A HELL WITHOUT EXIT OR END.
AND THERE I WILL MURDER YOUR SOULS!
AND MAKE YOU CRAWL AND BEG!
AND DIE!
DIE! DIE FOR DARKSEID!"
Which pretty much sums up His approach to rulership. You
will serve Him, serve as His tools, His weapons, His
slaves. If He gives an order, it
will be obeyed... All the power is
His, and He does not deign to share it.
And granting crown officers that same ability in all fields? Madness. It results in little kings and queens infesting the apparatus of government, acting as they will, spreading disorder everywhere they go. And worse, they claim that they're doing it in the name of a monarch who in truth has no idea what they're doing.
Adom and I agree completely about that. The sovereign is above the law. Everyone else must abide by it, even if they claim to be on Crown business.
A very old-fashioned idea, as is Adom's wont. But given the alternative Clea is envisioning? One all too common throughout history? Can you really say he's wrong? The true art of royalty, in this case, is choosing the people who
won't fall into that trap.
"Is someone going beyond their authority, or are they acting on the High King's stated desires?"
"I'm sorry, your majesty, I just don't know. Do you want me to put more effort into finding out?"
Well,
that depends on how you go about it...
I'm certain that Grayven would be willing to discover the answer to that. Though I would not be astonished if he decided to find out by walking up to High King Orin and directly asking him. Which isn't a terrible idea, actually, if I prepare a compromise offer in advance to present to him. It would bypass whichever of his minions has an axe to grind -or who has perhaps been bought by the Auranians- which would be convenient. It would also allow me to avoid talking to anyone in the Auranian senate, loathsome worms that they are.
...And yes, I can see Grayven doing
exactly that. Which would put a cat amongst the pigeons (A shark amongst the tuna?) in the Auranians' court.
"No, that's alright. We would have had to deal with that eventually, anyway."
"Your majesty? Ah, do we..? Have a concrete objective in our dealings with Aurania? Do we wish for them to become economically weaker than a particular city state? Or… Lose the High King's favour in some way? I understand our historical enmity, but it would help me immensely if I had a better idea of what I was trying to achieve."
Yes, it would help to have clear goals for this thing. Do you really hate your daughter that much? Or are you at the point where you just don't care anymore, and it's all become an annoyance?
He looks nervous, but he has a point. Initially, I decreed that we would grant them only the most unfavourable terms purely out of spite. But as a result of my advanced age I've outlived everyone who had earned by ire. And Ptra..? She's not my daughter in any meaningful way, but the worst I feel for her is a mild contempt.
Probably unfair contempt. It's disappointing to see a fellow ruler be outmanoeuvred by their inferiors when they're an adult, but when it happens to a child it is really their regent who bears the blame. Either for their stupidity or their malice.
I mean, it's really been what,
decades since she last saw her? Outside of any kind of formal gathering of Rulers? At what point do you not feel love for a child anymore? Feel
anything, really?
Taking her when the High Queen ordered me to leave her in Poseidonis wasn't… Wasn't a practical option, but perhaps I could have arranged for her to be 'abducted' and hiden on the surface? It seems to have worked well enough for 'Arthur Curry'.
No. It's pointless to worry about it now.
What's done is done, after all. Any possibility would have had its drawbacks, after all. Consider how Arthur has such
American ideas about leadership? Could you imagine the ideas Ptra might have gotten from whatever country she was placed? What if she'd died in hiding? Too many 'what if's'.
"Ultimately, we will be normalising relations with Aurania. We will have to; repairing our relationships with the other City-States requires it. I decreed this course of action in retaliation for those historic injustices we suffered as a result of the actions of the parents and grandparents of the people who rule the city today. They know why they receive far inferior terms of trade, and if they do nothing material to address those causes other than wheedle and complain then they should not expect the situation to change. With regards to the relative harm they are suffering, we will be satisfied when those individuals who benefit from their ancestors infamy have been made to suffered material economic or political hardship."
Subtly worded, but I have no doubt the people it's targetted at will pick up on her subtext. As for what they
do about it? Well...
He nods cautiously.
"But. If the High King is considering intervening, we will need a plan for changing things in the direction he requires. Preferable something which targets those individuals but allows the common citizenry to gain the benefits of trade. Have your department draft plans and present them at our next meeting."
Heh. No rush, after all. I see she knows the smartest aspect of Autocracy: Delegate the work to those best at it, then look it over when they're done. Preferably with a clear and
truthful explanation...
He nods again, this time more confidently.
"In the mean time I see no benefit in meeting with a new deputation, unless they wish to confess to murdering my late husband and throw themselves upon my mercy. Next item."
"Yes, majesty." The Chancellor nods again. "The detailed oceanographic survey presented to us by Prince Grayven."
Heh, those would be a
big advantage in controlling their boundaries. I can just see them trotting them out at some border dispute down the line...
