The European Family

[Toasty]

[Dan Rather voice]This is a story about the death of lovers, friends, friendships and good. Leaders, nobility, freedom; all can meet their doom on our stage. A story of several countries; all equal in their own righteousness, each unequal in their power and none equaled in their cunning. A story where powermongers dream and where "civil blood makes civil hands unclean."

The story of the medieval-day European alliance, their internal struggles and their outward pains. The blood-saturated fields and the places that power wields. We now go to Scene I our stage: Outside Caesar's palace, in the fields of Rome...[/Dan Rather voice]

"Lord Caesar! Lord Caesar! Wake up, wake up! King Alexander ist due be here any minute now, and if thou doth not prepare thou shalt be a laughing stock!"

Caesar's maid, Lady Aegyp, was running all around the atrium from which Caesar's room was made. The lavish stone courtyard, whcih had been constructed by the finest artisans in the whole of the Roman empire, was brightly lit. The marble pool, which contained a statue of Caesar himself, stood erect in the center. At the end of the pool was the balcony to Caesar's room, from which the entire area could be seen.

Lady Aegyp continued. "CAESAR! 'Tis the hour of nine already! Alexander doth be due at half-past!"
Caesar was quite frightened, in reality, by the senile old woman. He had defied her once before, and had paid for it dearly--he had to do his own laundry for a month. Why he did not fire her rested solely to blame on his wife, who insisted that she remain simply for the fact she had been a slave her whole life.

Caesar unravelled from his silk blanket, in which he was tangled up. He got up, put on a toga, and walked quickly out tying it. He muttered madly "Stupid old bat."

---

Alexander bounced along in the chariot, led by the finest of Greek horses. It was to be a great day; Alexander, whom had long admired the great Caesar's ambition, was to meet with him. Rome and Greece were most likely the closest of any of the European alliance, except for Bismarck and Cleopatra. The two couples formed a sort of parallel; the nations, while technically sovreign, had to act as a whole internationally because of the pact they had all signed. Will it was able to be disbanded if two thirds of the nations voted to, it forced great power against the single nation. Nations made political enemies out of brethren here, and it was not always a pretty sight.

Alexander, however, was happy. Of the nations, a sort of "Consulate" was formed of 5 nations, each nominated by a fellow country and then a European-wide political election was held. Nominations were, however, only limited to one. The Consulate now was made up of Greece, Rome, Egypt, Germany, and a wild card: France. This made the Consulate excruciating, for with such a set up, very little got done.

The chariot, which had been rattling all the way outside of Athens, suddenly began to smooth once it entered the stone streets of Rome itself. The chariot driver, whom was Alexander's own personal sevant, Sparticus, had been to Rome many times before on diplomatic missions, and thus knew his way around.

Caesar did, in fact, have urgent means to dicsuss. As a rule of the Consulate, law in all countries was largely dictated by the nation leaders of them--Caesar had been accused of abusing this by ordering death sentences to his political opponents in exile. Naturally, Egypt and Germany were voting to have Rome expelled from the Consulate, or even worse--war against Caesar.

As Alexander stepped off the chariot and dismissed Sparticus, he felt a sensation of moral disgust in his stomach. Had the Consulate become so corrupt that political objectives took presedence over actual work? All well and good, Caesar was hurting people, but why reprimand him so? Why here? Why now?

Lady Aegyp bustled to the front door after hearing the knockers. She opened with a smile. The woman was at least a foot shorter than Alexander and carried around a parasol to keep herself pale, instead of using chalk (similar to Lady Caesar). "Good morrow, Alexander. Lord Caesar doth expect you; I implore thee, rest near the pool in the atrium. Caesar shalt be with thou shortly."

Alexander ambled into the atrium, where he sat down on a feather-stuffed futon. It, like all other objects of furniture in Caesar's residence, was made of beautiful material; cashmere kept the feathers in on a mahogany frame. Alexander snickered that Caesar must have woken up late, as he could hear him singing in his bath.

After a few moments Caesar did come out, clean as could be. his sandals flapped on the stone, and his olive branch stood prominently upon his crown. Once having properly greeted Alexander, he sat down with him.

"Alexander, I hate to say this--but, let's talk uprisings."

Author's note: Like? No like? Say so here please, I'm hoping to make a smashing comeback! .

[jdd2007]

looks good to me!

[civman2000]

!

[Samuel Johnson]

What is a Tom Dashale voice?

[Metaliturtle]

Yay, a toasty story, :metaliturtle feels warmness inside:

[trevor]

Nice Shakespirian introduction. More, more!

[Toasty]

Bismarck was working in the farms outside of Berlin. His back glistened in the sun and his mustache dripped with sweat, He had long prided himself on being a man of the people; the peasents were the true key to winning a seat on the consulate, he believed. If he supported them in his country, than others in other nations would believe he would support them.

German propaganda was the greatest in Europe. Germany, the only nation posessing the secrets of the printing press, was quick to develop posters of the monarch and plaster them in schools, homes, and any public areas. This resulted in Bismarck being extremely powerful politically and the leader of the Consulate by number of votes.

After finished irrigating the first field for the new German village on the Oder river, he was quickly greeted by a messenger, clad in poor peasants clothes, on horse. He told Bismarck, "Lady Joan d'Arc lie in wait for thee at thy castle. She is an impatient woman and her patience is sped; I pray thee, come with I, for she may perhaps kill a servant."

---

Joan d'Arc was a very pompous woman. She believed she was better than everyone, and not at all afraid to show it. Thus, she presented herself in an elegant French medieval dress, turtle green with long cone hat perched on her head with a pink streamer that rean almost to her knees.

Joan d'Arc was the head of the only Republic in Europe. She had been democratically elected (according to sources however, the chickens, who were fed and the fattest one who represented the candidate won, were all labelled for her). Her popularity was based that she was democratically elected, even though she had no real opinion and swayed back and forth like a branch in the wind.

It was incredibly ironic that such an undecisive character could be so popular. She had come after Bismarck in vote numbers, but that was still an awful lot. Many said she had simply piggybacked Bismarck, but Bismarck was too busy with Egypt and England.

She paced back and forth, as she did in her mind, outside in Bismarcks courtyard. It was many hours before Bismarck had appeared. Because she was so much more avaliable than Bismarck, since she insisted on 7-hour milkbaths, peasants of lost family members to Caesar's brutality would often protest. She usually bribed them to leave her alone with gold coins, but her rainy-day bank had been running out fast.

Finally, only after the stars had appeared, did Bismarck show face.
"And how doth thou expect to leave me here, like thou's commonplace peasants? Hours! Hours upon hours until it is half-past the hour of ten before thou wouldst bring thy soul to bare me!"
Bismarck kneeled on one knee and softly kissed her hand. This quite quickly ended her rantings.
"Milady, I couldst not afford thee any more time of my own than I wilst now. Please, forgive my misgivings and accept my apology."
Joan d'Arc, obviously wooed, only grinned.
"Now, thou speakst that thou had something of discusson about the Consulate vote on Caesar's fate. Very well then, what doth thou have to say?"
"Firstly, we must decide the punishment, as he will undoubtedly be convicted," she said with a sly grin.

[Toasty]

The 1st meeting of the 4th Consulate
The newly formed consulate, which was the 4th one in its history, was to meet at Athens. Athens had already been decided on as it was the most accessable by the 5 great leaders, had specially prepared for the meeting. Drapes of fine cloth were hung from every column and the Greek Orthodox Church surrounded itself in flowers of every breed.

The first member of the consul to arrive was Cleopatra. Cleopatra, who was no more Egyptian than Alexander himself, overly prided herself in her heritage; her canopy boat, decked out in Egyptian ethnic items such as gold cobras and trinkets, with items such as murals of Ra, found itself a centerpiece of culturalism. The canopy had red stripes and had been worked across the Eastern Mediterranean by sail, though now 20 servants paddled her oars while she was fanned by two native Egyptians.

She made a dazzling entrance, stepping off of her boat on the wooden dock. As the sun began to set, it matched the tone of her pale yellow toga, that wrapped around her like a blanket of Caesar. With her came several men armed with spears, and when Alexander prepared to greet her she only continued to walk. She had no reasons for formalities because, after all, nothing could change the other's opinions.

Caesar too found himself in Athens by the sea lanes. The Romans didn't have much of a culture to show off; he arrived in a purely utilitarian Tarenturnian cog, with fewer servants than Cleopatra. Still, it used oars for shallow waters, as most Mediterranean galleys did. He met Alexander with a hardy handshake and a slap on the back, still unaware of what had been plotted against him in Berlin.

Joan and Bismarck arrived only the next day, both whom had come by horse (Joan made it a point to immediately complain about the chafing she recieved from the rough saddle). Soon, they had prepared a hall for them.

---

The Consulate's hall in Athens reflected the city; strong in Greek flavor, columns supported the room with guards at the doors. Purple cloth was strung around the room while huge amounts of food and wine were served.

Soon the debate began. "Since we'st have made it poinant to stuff ourselves withst Alexander's fine food, I suggest we start about Caesar's fate," Cleopatra began.

Caesar immediately replied. "Thou wiltst not 'decide my fate' as thou doth not possess the intellect to do so. Thyself has made it a point to agree with thy veritable lover, Bismarck; thou art biased, and I doth bite my thumb at the biased."

"Peace! Peace! We'st be civilized, let us be so," Alexander pleaded.

"Why doth I 'be civilized' Whilst this barbarian sits with us?," Joan responded in reference to Caesar.

Caesar glared. "My near ally--thou doth find it necessitated to stab me so? Thy neice is mine wife! Wouldst thou soil our holy friendship and mine holy marriage so?"

Joan, obviously unscathed, replied that "I greet beggars at mine palace gates every day doth not make me happy. Thy faults hath cause me much grievance; now thou wiltst pay for mine grievances."

Alexander paled in the face. Joan, who was too his friend, but by not such means as marriage, had stabbed him. "Thou wouldst hand over control of thy holy Consulate to Bismarck?!" he grew angry. "Thy opportunist wench! Surrender thy title, thou hast no place in such matters! Shouldst Caesar be gone, one man wilst control the whole of the council and not thee."

Joan seemed to lose her cool. "Thou doth not have poor beggars at thy step demanding reparations for his grievances."

"If thou wouldst take care of thy people, thou wouldst not have such beggars! Thyself are too wrapped up in thy own vanity to see how thy people suffer. Take thee away, weak-minded fool."

Caesar, the whole time, had been scribbling on a piece of parchment with a quill instead of participating in the debate of his own life. He folded it and handed it to Alexander. It read 'We will remove Bismarck from the consulate.'

Bismarck, who had ate too much, suddenly spoke up. "Peace, all of thee! We will vote whenst it is morrow. For to-night, it is that we be so full and so drunk that we may not make our own decisions. Good morrow to you all; I will se you at the hour of ten."

With Bismarck's absence, the debate ended, and each retired to their private suited for the night.

[Toasty]

Just reminding everyone that input is welcomed...

[High Lord J]

more! come on! write! write!

BTW great story

[Toasty]

Elizabeth arrived a day after the First session of the Consulate in the early morning. The sun had only begun its rize on the horizon, and Elizabeth, whom had always been a morning person, rode on horseback wide-eyed.

Elizabeth was the head of the armed forces branch of the Consulate. While the position was not elected, it was filled in a parliamentary sort of fashion. Once the Consulate had been elected, they would vote on a leader to fill the Generalship. While this was a high honor to be bestowed on any one person, Elizabeth had wanted more. She had run for the Consulate in the last election.

As her travelling party came in to the city of Athens, she admired how much the Greek culture had to show. It was a pity she had to hate Alexander; in the last election, she and him had tied for the final place in the vote. The newly elected HC, divided along the lines of Joan and Caesar against Cleopatra and Bismarck, could not find any way to democratically select the last member. It was so pitiful that it come down to a match of "rock, paper, scissors"--an ancient tiebreaking method. Elizabeth took rock, Alexander took paper, and the tie was broken. She loathed her humiliating defeat.

Her fine white horse slowly trotted to the gates of Alexander's palace. The mighty stone walls encompassed the courtyard and the whole of his palace, and pavillions supported by marble pillars made out meeting areas. It was picturesque in the early Athens sun.

Elizabeth stepped off the horse, and walked towards the palace, shaking Sparticus's hand on her way in.

[Toasty]

More reminding for input and votes in the story contest

[Toasty]

Midday had finally come, and the leaders were due at the Consulate hall again. Elizabeth was to act as a floater, and she walked to the meeting with Cleopatra.

"I doth hath this unbearable lump within mine stomach," Cleopatra began, complaining as she yawned. Unlike Elizabeth, she was nothing of a morning person. "It be too great of a pressure for myself to handle such measures of battles. Thy and mine foe, Caesar, doth be doomed, however; with him gone, perhaps thy will become on of the consulate."

Elizabeth perked up. She had been fighting with everyone to get on the consulate, and since she had come in sixth, she had a great chance.

"Why, thou shalt not be regretful of thy actions. Souldst I be a part of thy beloved Consulate, I guarantee, things will be great."

"But wouldst thou have Alexander continue to fight us? Alexander doth be careful of his actions. He be one of Europe's finest law-abiders...it is too bad."

Elizabeth smiled. "Cleopatra, thou doth not be so naive as to assume that thy enemy Alexander shalt be any sort of inconvenience. With his partner Caesar gone, he shalt be naught more than a warrior without or sword or a shield."

---

Elizabeth and Cleopatra were the last to arrive at the Consulate. Alexander and Caesar looked tired, upset, yet opposite them Joan and Bismarck looked elated. It was a terrible mood; the air of victory was clogged by the stink of injustice. Each leader knew, without question, what the purpose of this meeting would be and how it would come out.

"First order of business," Alexander began. "The impeachment of Caesar from the European Consulate."

Bismarck quickly responded. "What doth be thy point, sir Alexander? Thy ally hath been defeated, thy will slain; let us vote and naught waste time debating--both you and I know what the outcome wilt be."

Caesar interrupted. "Thy corrupted fools. Thou hast soiled everything good from this Consulate. Cleopatra, Bismarck, Joan d'Arc, a curse upon each of your heads for such fould deeds thoust would so willingly commit. This will not be the last, I will not give you the satisfaction of slandering mine name."

He drew his dagger.

"This Consulate has now lost all that was good from it's foundings. Europe will die with me. A curse upon your heads! Thou wiltst pay for thy insufferable deeds!"

He thrust the blade into his stomach, and collapsed from his chair. Alexander, who had been sitting next to him, quickly jumped up and looked over him. He bled uncontrollably on the marble, while the other 3 looked over the table more out of obligation than interest.

"He is--was correct in thy sentencing. Thou are corrupt, foul, evil. Thou wiltst not take me as thou took Caesar, and thou wiltst not destroy mine name. I hereby declare my resignation from this dirty Consulate. You may play your dirty power-games: I quit. Thou hath not seen the last of me."

Alexander walked out, as guards and servants entered the room to escort the leaders away and clean up the blood.

Caesar was buried that night in the Imperial graveyard behind Alexander's palace where all of Greece's monarchs were buried. "Thou were a great man," Alexander said, holding back his tears. "And thou wiltst not be forgotten."

[Toasty]

Okay, I'm getting tired of this. Time for saber rattling. COMMENT OR IT IS DISCONTINUED! .

[History Guy]

NO TOASTY!!! Aaaaaaaah! We love it! It's great! Huzzah for European Family! Three cheers, for European Family! Three cheers for European Family, Three cheers for European Family!...Ummmm...that's three cheers, not three chairs, Harpo.

[civman2000]

great good keep writing it's hard to not laugh at the elizabethan language but it's great

[High Lord J]

Wait if Caesar and Alexander voted agianst the other 3 that shouldn't be enough to have anything happned right? Or is it just majoirty?

[Toasty]

Originally posted by High Lord J
Wait if Caesar and Alexander voted agianst the other 3 that shouldn't be enough to have anything happned right? Or is it just majoirty?

The two-thirds thing is if all of the nations that are in the pact decide to disband it (all of the nations are England, France, Rome, Greece, Germany, Egypt, Russia, Persia, and Babylon). It's a majority thing, yes.

[Commander Steve]

I R ANGRY I don't like this story, write a story about hippies, now THEY are cool, or even better, Hippie Ninjas on Crack Woohoo that's a happy day!

[Toasty]

Joan d'Arc kneeled over and put her head in her arms, shaking it furiously and sobbing. She didn't want to ruin her friendship with Alexander--Caesar was gone, and she would have voted for Catherine to replace Caesar, not Elizabeth.

"Damn you, Caesar!" He had continued to cause her grievances not only with his life but with his death. They had been the best of friends, but now she was out one and another was dead. "Why doth thy foul being torture me so?!"

Bismarck, Elizabeth and Cleopatra knew why she was so sad. That's why they failed to comfort her. They had all left the Imperial Greek court by demand of Alexander, and now remained docked at Athens. A ferry from Marseilles in France was due to take Bismarck, Elizabeth and Joan to their respective countries; Cleopatra, in an unlike act of frienship, stayed for general moral support.

As Joan continued to throw her fit down and the end of the dock, Bismarck and Cleopatra began to talk. "Well, now that we doth hath Caesar and Alexander out of our way, what shalt be done with the Consulate? Elizabeth be a fine candidate, yet two spots doth be a great gap."

Cleopatra pondered for a moment. The Ionian sea struck her as beautiful, still glittering like diamonds as the sky turned from blue to streaks of orange, yellow and purple.

"Perhaps we couldst maketh thy Consulate that of three instead of five. It wouldst also giveth us more power."

Bismarck perked up. "I doth enjoy thy proposal, but why wouldst three make us more powerful than five?"

"Think about it. With five, each doth possess 25% of the vote. With three, each possess 33%."

"I like it. I shall inform Joan-"

"DAMN YOU CAESAR!"

"...perhaps in a bit."

[civman2000]

Cleopatra isn't very good at math...1/5=25%???

[High Lord J]

[Gulgothir]

Keep it up! I'm enjoying the rare use of Shakespearan language. What happens next? Does Alexander go to war? Does he butcher them all? Joan goes mad? Don't stop.

[Hopdevil007]

keep going. damn shame you killed caesar off, he was my favorite character.

[WTE_OzWolf]

I like it

[Toasty]

Wow, it's nice to hear people actually liking it--especially WTF_OzWolf (I still envy you over Story Contest Round 1--you really whomped me ).

Well, okay then, I'll get started on writing another chapter. I haven't given it much thought yet, but, since some people seem to like it...

[Toasty]

Alexander scribbled chalk on his granite board. On there was a map of the known world. Caesar had meant it when he talked of uprisings; now, Alexander was the one with the plans in his hands.

Caesar was a desperate man that day. His entire works was crumbling down before him, and now France and Germany occupied his country former country. His plans would need adjusting, but as he continued to scribble on the map that contained numbers and time calculations he broke a sweat.

He stepped back to gaze upon his mural of vengence. It could work, he muttered to himself. Several people were unhappy with the Consulate, and far-off lands had not hesitated to attack Europe before. all could fall into place, piece by piece, and Caesar would finally be avenged.

Alexander called his aide in to send a messenger to China.

---

Joan had become a recluse. What little time she was appeared, she had become pale and sickly. She claimed to be "cursed and haunted by Caesar's ghost," despite the great things that had crome from the former Roman lands.

She sunk deep into her milk bath as she pondered whether Caesar might yet appear to her again. A gentle beam of sunlight came in through her castle window, in the Royal Palace at Versailles. A pike-armed guard stood at the door outside the room, as it was locked.

She blew a few bubbles from under it as she heard the door knocked. She stood up out of her bath, soaked and scared.

"Who doth disturbe me so?!"

Silence.

"Go away! Guard!"

The door began to shake.

"Caesar! Leave me be! Do not haunt my innocent soul so!"

As it shook more violently and more loud it burst open. What seemed to be a bright gleaming light came in and pushed Joan under the milk. As she gurgled and scremed, the guard ran in.

He picked her up out of the milk. She had passed out, but remained alive and breathing. He carried her down to the main hallway, wrapped in a sewn silk cloth.

In the bottom of the tub remained a small locket with a painting of Juliet's niece whom had married Caesar.

Author's Note Well, theres a little teaser for the next "Book," or chapter, whichever you perfer...its been turned around completely more or less. Be sure to comment! .

[civman2000]

[History Guy]

Hey! I like anything with ghosties in it. This is turning out to be one of the best stories ever, in my opinion. One can tell that Toasty is a Shakespeare fan. Good on him, I say.

[Toasty]

Not to give anything away, but if she really is haunted, why didn't the guard notice the door? ...