verenduss

[verenduss]

WHEN/WHERE: madagascar common area, post-tribunal

WHO: rafael & noi charoensuk ( @umitvar )

the king's line of sight falls to them, a stinging pain tugs at underlying concern, pushing him forward despite his inner protests. there were many times that the caring, nurturing side of his personality won to the side he thought a king should have; this was one of them. he cared for the people of madagascar's high court as closely as he would those of his own family, their faces were ingrained on his heart, and his soul would speak to such a sentiment when given opportunity. "are you well?" rafael prods as he rests in a chair opposite the other. "given what has transpired since we left the shores of our home land, i would not think less of you if you weren't. in fact, i would consider it normal."

[verenduss]

rafael's heart stutters; to imagine his children in such a state, pleading with guards and strangers for his comfort, from a lonely, chilly cell hurt a piece of him that he often tried to hide. however, he doesn't speak to it, doesn't allow his hurt to show on his face, instead he watches her from his position in front of the barred door. "i do not believe i said outright that you were guilty, only that i agree with such actions. i have heard in many countries with governments such as your's that holding a suspect until their innocence is proven is a general rule of thumb. does this not apply in france, minister? and if it does, then why are you in such a state over it? could it be that you hide your guilt in this behind your outward morals?"

"They deserve this, they deserve that, but where are those people? how many innocents would you punish in the hopes a few of them may deserve it?" The distain in her voice was clear. "Where will the justice be for my dresser? She is only recently turned 18 and terrified of the dark. I have never asked her why, but I can imagine many reasons for it. She is just a girl, on her own in a country other than France for the first time. I have already heard her crying for her mother. Will you deliver her justice?" The sound of her fear had been the hardest to bare.

"Can't you? Or would trying simply require you to see them as human." She shook her head in disgust, "even if you are right, even if the existing revolutionaries are a lost cause, this is a brilliant way to make more of them. How many people in these cells who previously wanted peace and cooperation will feel completely abandoned by the monarchy now? How many innocent people will be vulnerable to revolutionary voices whispering in their ears?"

She stands at her full height, looking down her nose at him (although he stands taller than she). "I believe in many things, but one of them is the rule of law. That people are innocent until proven guilty. That all people, regardless of birth, are equal under the law. It breaks my heart, to see it abandoned to easily."

[verenduss]

inwardly startled by the chaos; spending most of his time trying to assist the injured in the infirmary to keep his mind occupied in reality; rafael had steeled himself outwardly in hopes that his internal chaos would dissipate. even now, as his listens to mendrika make sense of their thoughts aloud between them, he cannot shake the desire to ask for comfort although he doesn't. instead, he listens, hands crossed in his lap. "to which man do you intend to offer your hand? the regent? or the mad king? it's people and soldiers may have proven themselves worthy of our trust, however, we cannot ignore the inevitable of the latter." lia's name makes something angry and upset twist in his gut. "it is not your fault, mendrika. had you forced such a thing upon him, a unrepairable rift might've torn through your relationship. perhaps, once he is better, he will not look to your actions as madness any longer. perhaps, he will want to partake in it, to keep himself safe from the reckless actions of another." rafael's words are mirrored in mendrika's, through gritted teeth and controlled anger. "you cannot tell the future. every decision that you have made thus far has been made with utmost care for our family and our nation. with new knowledge, we can change paths and make new decisions that will not have you feeling incompetent - speaking of, have we found the culprit? does turkey or persia have any involvement in his poisoning?" he asks, a testament to his unspoken distrust in the banished sultan.

{ transition to post-tribunal }

"i am not sure that russia has proven they're capable of much after that tribunal." sentence bitten through teeth, mendrika lips curl into a sneer. while they can admit their own fault in controlling madagascar's anger, the fact so many of the accused were killed or injured under russia's watch left them cold toward the nation's capabilities. especially with pascal still awaiting justice.

"but norway . . . they may be worth building a relationship with. if they will accept our hand." their eyes close. all of this, a bitter pill to swallow. "my health is stable. there have no bouts as intense as the one lia walked in upon." mendrika shakes their head, taking a stuttering breath. "but my mind is consumed by him being on the brink of death, rafael. he wouldn't have wanted it, but i should've forced him to start building a resistance. maybe --- " they raise their hands in defeat. "it's feeling like every choice i've made since leaving has been the wrong one."

[verenduss]

unmoved, rafael's gaze remains still. "you still breathe, that is enough justice for the potential pain this tragedy will cause many of our courts. to allow such people to escape; violent, cruel people who do not see us for what we are - human as they are, to me, that deserves far harsher punishment than what you have gotten." it's a thought that escapes from his control, words that speak to the concern for his children and his partner; for their entire family. "one cannot reason with revolutionaries, minister. they already believe their violence to be just, to tell them of their wrongs would go in one ear and come out the other. regardless of the truth of my actions, they have already made up their minds. in other words, i do not need to give them a reason to believe i am unjust and cruel or deserve death, they have convinced themselves that there is no other way i can be; nothing else that i deserve."

"Is this the crown's justice then?" She asked, eyes sharp as she looked upon the royal from Madagascar. "A word of descent an admission of guilt? A different political belief enough to condemn?" A sneer came across her face, haughty and refined. "We have a different political system to you, does that truly scare you so much? I look around and I see an entire nation condemned for the action of extremists, my guards in one cell, my scribes and deputies in another. A city state whose crime appears to be having the backing of my nation. Do you really expect me to believe you see them all as criminals?"

She stood to her full height, tall and proud "I have nothing to hide. My political views are plain for all to see. I have won elections based on my promises. Democracy, peace and stability are all I have ever advocated for."

"I would be careful, your highness, you do not want to prove the revolutionaries and criminals right. They have very little cause to justify their violence, best not to give them one."

[verenduss]

born to a chaotic man and a well-educated woman, he had grown up on his mother's arm, listening to her read aloud in the english libraries they would spend hours in together. her heart had been pure; her voice had lulled him to sleep; against the contrast of his father, she was who he idolized. "no amount of analyzing can stop the inevitable. we cannot control things outside of ourselves, especially not those of us who wear crowns. we must be prepared, not paranoid, minister, otherwise, isolation will destroy us before any true threat - though, what do i know? i am king by marriage. i was not made to think as kings should think." rafael admits, his shrug calculative.

it was surprising, to hear a royal have such a positive outlook on the world. on mankind. she found they were often so weighted down by the pressures of their crowns that they spoke with negativity. the minister remained quiet, listening to what he had to say. once he finished, she mulled over the words before she lightly hummed before speaking again. " you speak wise words but hardly words a king can abide by, would you not agree? " she asked, curiously. the debate was fascinating to her. " a king must analyze the world and it's happenings. he must make the right choices not for himself, but for his people. one can only do that by watching and picking apart those around you who pose a threat. "

[verenduss]

in unison they take breaths of the same caliber. rafael understood how it weighed on them, he could see it in the way their shoulders met ears or in the mirror of the same creased nature of their brow; the lack of control; the sheer confusion that had rattled their courtiers; their reputation being attacked once more. despite their nation being the target of such gossip regularly and in spite of some of it holding truth, they did not make a living from hurting others. in fact, rafael supposed that they were more a harm to themselves than outside nations. "your worries are valid, you would not be half the ruler that you are without them." rafael admits, a way not to brush past the king's worries yet one that would keep his heart rate stable; a worry that plagued him of late. "we could request for our military to investigate along with norway and russia. it should help remove their suspicion, build allyship with understanding countries, and allow you some control in the outcome." the offered hand makes him smile. "no more than i have experienced before - how are you? both in mind and in health?"

"of course they have, but this time --- " arguments die on their tongue as they catch the crease in rafael's brow. mendrika takes a forced, steadying breath, then another. tension eases from their shoulders; some of it still lingers, but it doesn't tighten their muscles the same way.

"i'd rather have much more control of the narrative than a proclamation of innocence," they grumble. still, they plop their chin in their hand, the corner of their mouth lifting. "but for you, i will breathe easy. place faith in your words that we will be fine."

they'll grab that faith tight, if it means their family comes to no harm. extending a hand to rafael, mendrika asks, "have you suffered any slights since we docked?"

[verenduss]

politicians were the bane of human existence. different from those who were trained to care for entire nations, they were clowns. they faked democracy while behind the scenes believing that their opinions were, in fact, the truth of the world. their people were left behind in such a scheme, rafael hoped that madagascar would never fall into such chaos. her words prickle a part of him but a breath removes such angst from his blood. "to imply that a crown is merely an article of clothing implies that you know nothing of such burdens. while i'd expect nothing less, your words may serve as proof of guilt. i'd advise you watch them carefully."

who: open 0/3

where: the cells

Nicolette was scheming. Already in her head there was a speech beginning to form. One which condemned every person who thought holding an entire nation at fault for the crimes of a few was warranted. Who treated the noble and common so differently. Drafting and redrafting it over and over in her mind was helping to keep her calm. Stopping her from panicking.

Her eyes were closed, trying to drown out her surroundings, when she spoke aloud. "A crown is merely a hat that lets the rain in, yet we give so much power to those who wear them..."

She had not expected a reply, not considering the potential for people to be visiting or listening from the surrounding cells, and jumped when she heard a voice.

[verenduss]

{michael ealy, 51, male, he/him} we are so glad to see you safe, KING RAFAEL RATSIFI of MADAGASCAR! it’s dangerous out in the world these days, but i hear that you are NURTURING and CALM enough to handle it. just don’t let your MAWKISHNESS bring you down! stay on your guard, because with your secret being at risk for exposure, you wouldn’t want everyone to find out YOU FLED ENGLAND AFTER POISONING A NOBLE

b a s i c s //

name: rafael james ratsifi

birthday: january 14th (capricorn)

occupation: king's consort / physician

orientation: bisexual / bi-romantic

status: married to mendrika ratsifi

languages: english (native), amharic (fluent), malagasy (fluent), french (conversational).

character influences: iroh (avatar: tla), dumbledore (hp/fb), nara shikamaru (naruto), dr. will halstead (chicago med).

tarot card: the high priestess

p r o l o g u e // fire & illness tws

The house was burning; the curtains were awash in fiery light; at the edge of his cradle, a man and woman asleep despite his bellowing cries and the loud cracks and bangs of splintering and burning wood. They woke when the windows shattered, shrieked and ran in nothing but their bed clothes, clutching their newborn son to their chests in hopes that he would live through smoke inhalation and potential burns. The infant was unscathed, a healthy baby boy with all his fingers and toes, his skin untouched by arson.  A new home; a new country - it was what Rafael grew up understanding as normal. He would grow comfortable with new neighbours, build friendships, and then, in a night, they would be onto new pastures with new people and a new language, leaving behind their home for one reason or another. His father would tell him that they wanted him to experience the world and he never questioned it for a long time. They moved through Hatzfeld's Germany, through the Ottoman Empire ruled by the house of Abdul, down through Persia under the rule of Qajar, and finally landed in the lands of the Solomon’s - a safe haven and the place of his mother’s birth. There, at the age of ten, he found himself no longer wondering when their next move would be but daydreaming about what he would do next.  Fall ill was what he would do, much to his surprise. It started in the late night, a fever of 103; the seizures came swiftly afterward; and the vomiting next. Unable to keep food in, unable to drink water, the ten year old started deteriorating so quickly that his mother had no choice but to beg the queen for assistance; she would help him, perhaps not as a queen or a healer but as a mother.  She did. Whatever she had done, the seizures stopped, the vomiting came and went, and finally his fever broke. It took him a while but the child grew into a man who kept medicine close to his heart. Instead of studying under the hand of the queen, he decided to train in England, a mistake that he would only rid himself of in his early-twenties. There, he learned of his father’s treachery, of the reason they continued to run; he’d paid his debts for him but doesn’t speak of how; it was merely a coincidence that rafael's resignation came a week before two english nobles were found poisoned in their palace.

p r e s e n t d a y // death tw

The running never stopped. Although his name remained out of official investigation reports, Rafael knew that it was only time before smart minds made the connection between resignation and death. Through the lower courts of many, he made a name for himself away from the inheritance from his father and started a small practice in Johannesburg. On the South African coast is where his fate would be sealed in his favour; found and held captive by British forces, Rafael's quick-wit and knowledge of poisons had them tossing his 'dead' body over the side of boat as they set off, back to England. Being found and brought to shore by a small fishing vessel, alive but barely, Rafael found himself being thrust into a life that was very far from the one he believed he would experience; a charming prince, a royal wedding; stability; safety; home. Although a king by definition and marriage, Rafael still thinks very much like a physician - perhaps to his detriment.

c o n n e c t i o n s //

mendrika ratsifi (spouse) - to be written.

liantsoa ratsifi (brother-in-law) - to be written.

rahmi abdul (brother-in-law) - to be written

risa ratsifi (sister-in-law) - to be written.

isra al-amin (tbd) - to be written.

eleanora adlerberg (friend) - to be written.

w a n t e d c o n n e c t i o n s //

benefactor / puppet master - this person was the one who ordered the execution of the english nobles that was carried out by rafael. they would be the one who rafael's father owed something (whether money or services etc). although rafael has paid his father's debts, it could be fun for them to come face-to-face now that rafael is king's consort.