Politics & Society
Player Submission
🔥 1
January 1836 · The Long Thaw
By player
Otto stands on the deck of the Portuguese frigate Príncipe Regente on his way to Lisbon to meet the young Portuguese queen and then onto London. The ball had been fun, and he had been able to meet many of Europe’s rich and powerful, something that could only benefit him and his kingdom. Yet his thoughts strayed from those pleasant few nights onto said kingdom. With the replacement of Armansperg things had begun to finally change for the better, the people were appeased by both his reclaimant and his replacement though its clear to Otto they still want more. Just replacing the man would not undo all the damage he had don’t the crown or his governments imagine.
With Armansperg gone, a power struggle has erupted in the landowners over who shall be their next head in the government, one Otto is content to allow happen for it may just distract them from his own business. While Georg Ludwig von Maurer was set to take the leadership of the Intellegencia, it will take time for him to truly get up to speed. Which will mean more headaches for him until then which is frustrating in the extreme, but Otto hopes Maurer will be worth the effort.
Yet with Armansperg gone while people are happier, it means there’s no one else between Otto and the people’s discontent. A needed step for sure but now they cry out for representation in government and, worst of all, they decry his Catholic status. Otto supposes he can see why, he and his Bavarian men are Catholic ruling over an entirely Orthodox people. Between his faith being different and himself being foreign its no wonder they want some level of representation. Otto is not fond of giving power from the crown, but could even giving minor representation and voting for parties even that much of a concession from him? Yet he knows it would do wonders on the people’s outlook on him.
What’s a harder thing to deflect from is his religion. He knows they will never stop pushing him on that, and truly he will never fully rule these people if he did not worship the same. He is disinclined to do so, not because it particularly means much to him but more so because it would be a big change in his life and he is not sure he could truly commit to it. Is this something he can do? And more importantly he supposes, is it something he will have to do? He could promise that his future son and heir would be orthodox but would that be enough? He is not even married let alone have a child, something they are also not pleased about, so he doubts they will go for that one.
He sighs, he supposes it won’t do much now while he’s away but he knows every second its left the discontent rises further. For now, he cannot do anything about it, it will have to wait till his return from London at the earliest, but that does not take it from his mind. He just hopes this trip will take his mind off things, he is curious what the British wish from him, but as much what this Portuguese queen will want? Or what she is like? He is looking forward to finding out, at least.
