Imperial Diet & Rules

[phonicsmonkey]

After some considerable time the Prinz arrives. He does not look pleased to be here. He has not bothered to remove his riding gear and strides down the aisle to the Diet floor in his muddy boots, his riding crop still in hand.

With a flourish of his crop he turns to Hummel, eyes blazing.

You there, Hummel, I hear you have been bleating about injustice and unfairness and whatnot, in an insolent tone no less! You should learn to show more respect to your betters and not second guess their decisions, made in the best interests of the Reich!

Since your head appears full of that too-solid cheese you Dutchmen are so fond of, let me remind you of the situation when we made the deal with the Danish King.

Disregarding my calls for assistance, made here in this very Diet, you had left your lands undefended and at the mercy of the Reich's enemies, without so much as a word of explanation to your acting Kaiser. Those enemies, need I remind you, being both numerous and determined to bring about our destruction.

Save Antwerp which you claim to have 'defended' from the French. I strongly suspect there was not much fighting at all and such 'defence' was conducted at the sharp end of a wine glass. Perhaps you should have followed your friend Zirn into their service instead of bleating here about your 'rights'.

Well, at the time of the deal we were at war with Italians, Franks, Poles and Magyar as well as Danes.

I considered it a boon to be able to negotiate a peace with at least one of our foes, and at the small cost of Hamburg which I considered that you had abandoned to their mercy and thereby foresworn your claim on. I should point out that in return I received for the Reich's coffers a regular sum which doubled the yearly income from that city - a good deal for the Reich, by anyone's standards.

Indeed, if you had not approached the matter so churlishly I may have suggested to my father the Kaiser that the yearly stipend be assigned to you in compensation. I shall not do so now!

And as to the matter of my royal sister Agnes. Well, I confess I was unaware of any prior arrangement between the Kaiser and Holland. You see my father did not leave me a laundry list on his departure saying 'do this, do that' - I was obliged to think for myself and make decisions, as I have said, in the interest and for the glory of the Reich.

But I should tell you Hummel - when I broke the news to her that she was to marry Becker she was quite pleased. Indeed she blushed -and she raised no objection on the grounds of having been promised to a snub-nosed cloth merchant from the low lands!

The Prinz, having said his piece, takes off his riding glove and reaches for a nearby flagon, draining the contents before spitting on the floor in the direction of the Duke. He then leans back against a pillar, crosses his arms and fixes Hummel with a gaze, challenging him to respond.

Ernst of Melk sniggers in the background.