Perhaps I was an impulsive shopper and I just didn’t know it since about everything I ever needed was provided. Either way, I couldn’t technically afford the large ships, not all three of them at least.If I forced that we have the three ships the deal would have to be adjusted in a manner unfavourable to us in the long run. Schelar had to bring in another export to cover the costs of the three ships that totaled the cost of four hundred-million dollars.Of course I could just cover the costs instantly with Schelar’s federal funds, but that would instantly put the nation into a massive recession as the profits from trade would take a while to be assimilated into our revenue. There was also the little fact that we were export much of our agricultural produce to Aridoria, it was absolutely necessary the plan for rapid development with agriculture went off smoothly and swiftly. According to my minister of Agriculture it would cost much more than four-hundred-million dollars to cover the

“I wore your favourite.”I could see that and I couldn’t deny it made me feel attracted to her even more with the colour staining her appearance.Aina had stolen my attention and time away from Niaina and Vao the moment Bernador left the premises. I had much to talk to the two about but she’d confidently dismissed the two ministers. How troublesome.She stresses, reaching to the back of her packed up brown hair and takes off the purple hairclip letting her hair fall at its length. It’d grown longer from the short bob it was a month ago when I first met her at the funeral. I find my young body reacting enthusiastically to the new look. Over a century and my tastes hadn’t changed.“You look good,” I understate.“You look like you don’t want to see me.”I barely keep myself from wincing at her accusations. “I don’t have any reason to feel that way, Aina. Don’t you think you’re reading too much into things?”She shook her head, letting the hair fall equally onto both sides of her shoulder

“I beg your pardon?”“Well you better, my mercy is all that’s keeping you from a spending the rest of your life in jail.”The shocked look on Masud’s face was one I welcomed. He’d come here to tell me that the KUneeded to force a government on my nation before they could allow us back into the organization.It angered me. And though I knew for a fact that these were the words he would spew once we met, living the reality was a lot more provocative.“Mister President let us not deceive ourselves. You’re doing a very bad job of being a dictator and I can either help you stabilize the region, or I could help you get into a cell.” I regained my composure after breathing deeply, I spoke with a rather calm and condescending voice, he needed to be put in his place.Still his mouth hung open in shock but at my words he shook his head fervently, “I am no such thing. Unlike you Mister Fatah, my countrymen voted me in on basis of trust.”“Ah, yes, they voted you in but now you’ve refused to leav

If I’d known today would fill me with fear and paranoia to this extent, I would have gotten more sleep the night before.It was night time now; I’d spent daylight discussing various means to get out of the terrible predicament we now found ourselves in. According to Luciano, the men were well trained and only needed the proper equipment to not be utterly massacred in the obviously upcoming war.Though, Matthias naively held faith that much of the tensions at the border could be resolved with diplomacy, even offering to go speak with President Leopold of Verdantis. I knew for a fact that Verdantis would not let up on their offensive. I don’t quite know what they were waiting for yet, but I hoped they’d wait a bit longer and give me the chance to prepare a cushion for their attacks.As it stood, there was no bail-out for Schelar if Verdantis went ahead and pulled the trigger. I’d immediately spoken to the Volstovian Ambassador about the current developing events and our dire need for su

I was surprised.Not at my cousin’s audacity, no, not at the quiet yet eerily resonating support he received from the others who cowardly stood behind him, using him as a stick to beat out their frustrations about me or as a shield to guard them from my fiery wrath that had just descended upon Loup himself.No. I was surprised at myself.As words left my lips I was being as violent as I possibly would allow myself to be with family, distant as they were. Luciano hung by my side and the veteran generals hung by his, whispering things that were meant to reach me but didn’t.All I could hear was a piercing white noise, like a mosquito’s song but on stereo. Annoying. I felt like shaking him off me and rebuking his touch but yet…I was still. Still staring firmly at Loup whilst my thoughts scattered, bouncing off the insides of my skull. He looked prepared, like he’d made his peace with this being the worst thing that would happen to him, in fact, as I spoke the words he actually looked rel