Empress Clara

Empress of the Natopians
Clara Adelaide Carrillo of Waffel-Paine
Empress Clara in Cardenas, Nouvelle Alexandrie, 1748 AN.
Reign Start	20.XII.1752 AN
Coronation	Scheduled for early 1753 AN
Predecessor	Vadoma I
House	Waffel-Paine Carrillo (patrilineally) House of Inti-Carrillo (by marriage) Drak (Imperial Bloodline)
Spouse	Sinchi Roca II (m. 1721 AN)
Issue	Sayari, Princess of Rimarima Nathan, Prince of Lindstrom Urpi, Lady of Chucuito Xanthorr, Count of Anapia Phaedra, Countess of Amantaní
Father	Edgard III
Mother	Vadoma I
Birth Date	1694 AN
Birth Place	Vista de Nada Palace, Lindstrom

Empress Clara (born Adelaide Carrillo of Waffel-Paine, 1694 AN) is the reigning Empress of the Natopians and Queen consort of Nouvelle Alexandrie. She acceded to the Natopian throne on 20.XII.1752 AN following the death of her mother, Empress Vadoma I, whom she had served as Regent since V.1752 AN. Her coronation is scheduled for early 1753 AN following the conclusion of the official mourning period.

The eldest daughter of Emperor-consort Edgard III and Empress Vadoma I, Adelaide grew up amid the tumultuous Division of the Natopian Empire and spent her formative years in the court of Western Natopia. Her 1721 marriage to Crown Prince Uturuncu of Nouvelle Alexandrie, negotiated under the Treaty of Dynastic Separation to prevent a personal union between the two realms, placed her at the center of Raspur Pact diplomacy for three decades. She became Queen consort of Nouvelle Alexandrie in 1735 AN when her husband ascended the throne as King Sinchi Roca II, and stood beside him during the Spring Crisis of 1739, the Fourth Euran War, and dozens of state visits across Micras.

Upon her own accession, Adelaide took the regnal name Clara in honor of her great-aunt Clara Sundara Waffel-Paine, a former Chancellor of Natopia renowned for her judicial temperament and stabilizing influence during Drak-Modan's constitutional transitions. The choice signaled her intention to serve as a steady, constitutional monarch following a turbulent political period marked by the Natopian Withdrawal from Whales, the Universal Compact, and the constitutional reforms that established the bicameral Frenzy.

Clara holds a unique constitutional position as reigning sovereign of one major power while serving as consort to another. Under the Treaty of Dynastic Separation, her son Prince Nathan will inherit Natopia while her daughter Princess Sayari will inherit Nouvelle Alexandrie, ensuring the two crowns remain separate in the next generation.

Early life and family

Adelaide Carrillo of Waffel-Paine was born at Vista de Nada Palace in Lindstrom in 1694 AN, the first child of then-Crown Princess Vadoma Rowena Waffel-Paine and her consort Edward Carrillo Rothborne. Through her mother, she descends from the House of Waffel-Paine, the ruling imperial house of Natopia since 1509 AN, and carries the Imperial Bloodline of Drak through the union of Kyle Kilynn and Empress Asara. Through her father, she is a scion of the House of Carrillo, the titular imperial house of Alexandria and former royal house of Caputia. Edward was himself the son of Francis Joseph IV, titular Emperor of the Alexandrians, and Queen Elizabeth I of Caputia, making Adelaide a granddaughter of two distinct royal lines.

Adelaide has three younger siblings. Princess Guinevere, born in 1697 AN, was followed by Prince Ferdinand in 1699 AN and Prince John in 1702 AN. The four children grew up together in the Western Natopian court, their early years shaped by the momentous political changes unfolding around them.

Adelaide's childhood coincided with the reign of her grandfather, Emperor Nathan II, and the subsequent rupture that divided the empire. In 1707 AN, Emperor Nathan III proposed separating Natopia into two co-equal viceroyalties for administrative purposes, a division that became permanent when both halves ratified the separation in 1709 AN. Adelaide was fifteen when the empire formally split. Her uncle Nathan III retained the title of Emperor while ruling Eastern Natopia from Lindstrom, while her mother Vadoma and father Edward became Co-Emperors of Western Natopia. Adelaide remained with her parents in the west, receiving an education befitting a princess of the blood while observing firsthand the challenges of governing a newly partitioned realm.

The year before the division, in 1698 AN, Adelaide's grandfather Nathan II and her great-aunt Clara Sundara Waffel-Paine made a dramatic break with tradition by renouncing their membership in the Order of the Holy Lakes. They cited the en masse admission of the Cakari Sultan's family line as Vanic corruption of the ancient order. Nathan II's adult children accepted the renunciation for themselves, which meant that Adelaide, as a minor born after the renunciation, was never inducted into the Order that her ancestors had belonged to since its founding. This exclusion would be reversed only through her marriage two decades later.

Marriage

Treaty of Dynastic Separation

Adelaide's position as heir presumptive to Western Natopia made her marriage a matter of considerable diplomatic significance. When negotiations began for a match with Crown Prince Uturuncu of Nouvelle Alexandrie, the heir apparent to the New Alexandrian throne, both courts recognized the constitutional dangers inherent in such a union. Without intervention, the couple's eldest child would inherit both thrones, creating a personal union between two of the most powerful nations in the Raspur Pact.

To prevent this outcome, diplomats convened the Lindstrom Summit in early 1721 AN. The resulting Treaty of Dynastic Separation, signed on 15.III.1721 AN, established an innovative solution: the thrones of Natopia and Nouvelle Alexandrie would remain separate by pre-designating which children would inherit which crown. Under the treaty's terms, the couple's eldest daughter would be designated heir to Nouvelle Alexandrie, while their eldest son would be designated heir to Natopia. Any additional children would have no claim to either throne unless both designated heirs proved unable to succeed. The treaty maintained the principle of absolute primogeniture within each realm while eliminating the possibility of dual inheritance.

The wedding

Adelaide married Crown Prince Uturuncu in 1721 AN. The groom, born in 1689 AN, was five years her senior and had already gained experience in governance through his role in the New Alexandrian court. The marriage carried significance beyond its dynastic implications. Through her union with Uturuncu, Adelaide was restored to membership in the Order of the Holy Lakes, reversing the renunciation made by her grandfather Nathan II in 1698 AN. The restoration mattered for Hurmu relations and signaled that the Waffel-Paine renunciation, whatever its merits at the time, would not permanently exclude the line from the Order.

Following the wedding, Adelaide took up residence in Cardenas, the New Alexandrian capital. She would spend the next three decades primarily in Nouvelle Alexandrie, balancing her role as Crown Princess (and later Queen) with her continued place in the Natopian succession.

Crown Princess

Adelaide held the dual position of Crown Princess of Natopia and Crown Princess of Nouvelle Alexandrie from her marriage in 1721 AN until her husband's accession to the New Alexandrian throne in 1735 AN. During these fourteen years, she bore five children and established herself as a capable figure in both courts.

The children arrived in steady succession. Princess Sayari was born in 1722 AN, designated from birth as heir to Nouvelle Alexandrie under the Treaty of Dynastic Separation. Prince Nathan followed in 1724 AN, similarly designated as heir to Natopia. Princess Urpi came in 1726 AN, Prince Xanthorr in 1728 AN, and Princess Phaedra in 1730 AN. Under the treaty's provisions, Urpi, Xanthorr, and Phaedra have no claim to either throne unless both Sayari and Nathan prove unable to succeed.

Adelaide's position was further complicated in 1734 AN when the Petropolis Compact placed her in the succession to the Imperial Throne of the Imperial State of Constancia. The arrangement reflected the increasingly intertwined nature of the Raspur Pact ruling houses and added a third potential crown to Adelaide's already complex dynastic portfolio.

Queen of Nouvelle Alexandrie

Accession

King Sinchi Roca I died on 2.XIV.1735 AN at the age of 73 after a reign that had seen the Federation through its formative decades. Crown Prince Uturuncu, who had twice served as Prince Regent during his father's illness in 1734 AN and 1735 AN, ascended the throne as King Sinchi Roca II. Adelaide became Queen of Nouvelle Alexandrie at the age of 41.

The transition occurred smoothly, owing in part to Uturuncu's prior experience with regency responsibilities. Adelaide's role as Queen consort placed her at the center of New Alexandrian court life while requiring careful navigation of the distinction between her position there and her continued status as Crown Princess of Natopia.

The Spring Crisis

The defining test of Sinchi Roca II's reign came early. On 3.III.1739 AN, the III (Wechua Nation) Combined Arms Corps under General Ricardo Montero launched a coup d'etat against the constitutional government. For 72 hours, the fate of the Federation hung in the balance as loyal forces under General Marcus Villanueva of the II (Federal Capital District) Combined Arms Corps moved to suppress the rebellion.

Adelaide was with her husband throughout the crisis. On 4.III.1739 AN, King Sinchi Roca II made the decision that would define his reign. Traveling to Cardenas aboard a loyal Federal Air Force helicopter, he donned his Commander-in-Chief uniform and descended into the El Fuerte command bunker. From there, he delivered a televised address that was broadcast across the Federation, directly ordering all military units to return to constitutional authority. His willingness to place himself physically in the capital during the fighting, rather than remaining at a safe distance, galvanized loyalist forces.

The coup collapsed the following day. Over 100,000 troops gathered at Federation Park for a military loyalty ceremony, where the King personally received renewed oaths of allegiance. The final toll stood at 70 dead, 142 injured, and 232 arrested. The subsequent Special Tribunal of 1739 convicted 187 of the 232 defendants, while Operation Clean Hands implemented comprehensive military reforms to prevent recurrence.

The crisis cemented the monarchy's role as guarantor of constitutional order in Nouvelle Alexandrie. Chancellor Isabella Betancourt of Natopia pledged "absolute and unwavering support for our sister nation's constitutional order," reinforcing the bonds between the two realms at a moment of genuine danger.

Reign

Empress Clara, at the time Queen Adelaide of Nouvelle Alexandrie and Crown Princess of Natopia, visiting a hospital in Dos Gardenias, Natopia; 1742 AN.

The seventeen years of Adelaide's tenure as Queen of Nouvelle Alexandrie (1735 AN to 1752 AN) encompassed some of the most consequential events in the Federation's history. She and King Sinchi Roca II conducted 43 state visits during their reign, focusing on strengthening Raspur Pact relationships and cultivating ties with emerging powers.

The royal couple confronted humanitarian challenges on an unprecedented scale. The East Keltian Collapse of the late 1730s sent waves of refugees fleeing the disintegration of states in northern Keltia. Nouvelle Alexandrie absorbed over 10 million Anahuacano refugees and some 100,000 displaced Norse, a demographic shock that required careful management of resettlement programs, social services, and integration efforts. Adelaide took particular interest in refugee welfare, visiting resettlement centers and advocating for expanded support programs.

The Fourth Euran War of 1745 AN tested the Raspur Pact alliance and the bonds between Natopia and Nouvelle Alexandrie. When the National Salvation Council regime in Oportia launched the catastrophic Operation Lightning Dawn, both nations responded with coordinated military intervention. The war was personal for Adelaide: her son, Prince Nathan, served as a Squadron Leader in the Natopian Spacefleet, piloting a Damocles-class orbital bombardment platform during the Battle of the Ile des Ombres. He was awarded the Natopian Defense Force Meritorious Service Medal for his service, the first member of the imperial family to see combat since the War of Lost Brothers.

The war ended with the Vanie Accords of 1745 and the Occupation of Oportia, which would eventually see the restoration of democratic governance under Raspur Pact supervision.

Children's marriages

The latter years of Adelaide's time as Queen saw her elder children reach marriageable age. Crown Princess Sayari, heir to Nouvelle Alexandrie, married Prince Janus of Neridia of the House of Eadric on 15-16.XII.1750 AN. The two-day interfaith ceremony drew 205 million viewers across Micras, the largest broadcast audience in Federation history. The first day featured an Intic ceremony at the Temple of the Sun in Cardenas, followed by a Bovic ceremony at the Grand Dozan Bovic Church. Janus, a member of the Natopian nobility, naturalized as a New Alexandrian citizen in V.1750 AN while retaining his Natopian citizenship. The marriage represented yet another dynastic link between the two nations.

Prince Nathan, heir to Natopia, married Princess Darya Ardashirdokht Osman in X.1751 AN. Darya, daughter of Ardashir Babakan-e Osman, Khan of Raspur, and Emissary of the Euranshahr, brought the House of Osman into the family network. The union strengthened ties between Natopia, Nouvelle Alexandrie, and Constancia, binding three Raspur Pact powers through marriage.

Regency and accession

Empress Vadoma I's health had been the subject of quiet concern at court for several years before her decline became publicly apparent. The 81-year-old Empress cancelled her traditional Harvest Thanksgiving appearance in X.1751 AN, with Vista de Nada Palace officials attributing her absence to "fatigue." By XII.1751 AN, the Palace acknowledged "ongoing fatigue" and announced a reduced public schedule, though the true nature of her condition remained undisclosed.

The concealment could not last. In II.1752 AN, the Empress suffered a stroke. Palace communications described only a "medical incident," refusing to elaborate, but the sudden cancellation of all public engagements and the hasty summoning of the imperial family told a clearer story. Adelaide departed Cardenas immediately, arriving at Vista de Nada Palace to find her mother diminished but lucid. Emperor-Consort Edgard III had not left his wife's side.

The weeks that followed saw the gathering of the broader imperial family at the Palace. Adelaide's siblings arrived, followed by extended family members and representatives of cadet branches of the House of Waffel-Paine. The assembly drew inevitable speculation, though Palace officials maintained a studied silence.

Appointment as Regent

On 3.V.1752 AN, Empress Vadoma I formally appointed Adelaide as Regent of Natopia, transferring the exercise of Imperial executive authority to her daughter in accordance with constitutional procedure. It was the first such transfer since Vadoma's own accession in 1717 AN.

The Palace statement accompanying the appointment acknowledged, for the first time officially, that the Empress had experienced "a prolonged health decline over recent months" and that her physicians had advised that "the physical demands of the Imperial office exceed what can reasonably be asked of her at this time." Adelaide would be styled "Her Imperial Highness the Regent" and would exercise the powers and duties of the Crown on her mother's behalf while Vadoma retained her throne and dignity as sovereign.

The regency created an unusual constitutional situation: Adelaide now simultaneously served as Regent of Natopia and Queen consort of Nouvelle Alexandrie, exercising executive authority in one realm while holding a ceremonial position in another. She relocated her primary residence to Lindstrom for the duration, though she remained Queen and her husband remained King.

The Elijahn Restoration

Adelaide's regency coincided with one of the most significant territorial initiatives in recent Natopian history. On 20.IV.1752 AN, Chancellor Marco Lungo III announced before a special joint session of the Frenzy that Natopia would reclaim eight bailiwicks of the former Kingdom of Normark abandoned during the East Keltian Collapse. The Elijahn Restoration targeted the southwestern coastal region of former Normark, including the historic capital of Konungsheim, known in Natopian tradition as Elijah's Rest, where the remains of Saint Elijah Ayreon had rested for 139 years before their evacuation during the collapse.

The ailing Empress Vadoma I gave her blessing to the restoration from her sickbed. She had personally experienced the Prophecy of Athlon in 1737 AN, a vision foretelling the return of the Butter Bull and profound transformation across Natopia. Palace sources indicated she viewed the restoration of the sacred sites as fulfillment of divine duty and among the final acts of her reign.

Adelaide, as Regent, oversaw the operational planning. The military component, designated Operation Sacred Ground, would be coordinated through Keltia Command under Marshal Theodric Lazuline, with logistics routed through Mercury and Moorland to avoid complications with Bassaridia Vaeringheim-administered transit corridors.

Final months

Throughout the summer and autumn of 1752 AN, Vadoma I's condition fluctuated. She experienced good days and bad, increasingly confined to her private apartments at Vista de Nada Palace while Adelaide handled most state business. In IX.1752 AN, her condition deteriorated further. Family members were summoned for extended visits. The Empress remained lucid but physically weakened.

A brief rally in X.1752 AN gave the family a final window. Vadoma appeared lucid and energetic for several days, and she used the time to settle personal affairs. She met individually with each of her children and grandchildren. She signed final Imperial Decrees. Most significantly, she formally blessed Adelaide as her successor, an act carrying spiritual weight within Bovinism beyond its constitutional implications.

The decline resumed in early XI.1752 AN. Vadoma entered her final phase, confined to bed as the family maintained vigil. By late XI.1752 AN, she was largely unconscious, with only occasional moments of awareness. Emperor-Consort Edgard III remained at her bedside throughout, rarely leaving the room.

Death of Vadoma I and accession

Empress Vadoma I died peacefully in her sleep on 20.XII.1752 AN, with Emperor-Consort Edgard III beside her at Vista de Nada Palace. She was 81 years old and had reigned for 35 years, having reunified Natopia after the division, led her people through the Fourth Euran War, and received the Prophecy of Athlon that continues to guide the Dozan Bovic Church.

Adelaide acceded to the throne immediately upon her mother's death. In taking the regnal name Clara, she honored her great-aunt Clara Sundara Waffel-Paine, born 1646 AN, who had served as Chancellor of Natopia and earned a reputation for judicial temperament and stabilizing influence during Drak-Modan's constitutional transitions. The choice of name announced her intentions: Clara would be a constitutional monarch, a steady hand after turbulent years.

King Sinchi Roca II departed Cardenas immediately upon receiving news of Vadoma's death. Flags across Nouvelle Alexandrie were ordered to half-staff by royal decree. Premier Jose Manuel Montero cancelled all engagements; the Cortes Federales suspended proceedings.

The state funeral of Vadoma I was held in late XII.1752 AN. A procession carried the late Empress from Vista de Nada Palace to the Dozan Bovic Cathedral in Lindstrom, where she lay in state before burial in the Imperial Mausoleum. A period of official mourning was proclaimed across the Empire, with New Year celebrations muted throughout Natopia.

Reign

Empress Clara's coronation is scheduled for early 1753 AN following the conclusion of the mourning period. Clara's accession places her in the unusual position of "Empress-Queen," simultaneously reigning as Empress of Natopia while serving as Queen consort of Nouvelle Alexandrie. This is not a personal union, as Clara holds the Natopian throne in her own right while her New Alexandrian title derives from marriage to King Sinchi Roca II. The Treaty of Dynastic Separation ensures the arrangement is temporary in dynastic terms: Crown Princess Sayari will inherit Nouvelle Alexandrie upon her father's death, while Prince Nathan will inherit Natopia upon Clara's.

The new Empress inherits a nation in the midst of significant transitions. The 1751 Natopian constitutional referendum established the bicameral Frenzy, adding an Upper Frenzy to the existing legislative chamber. The 1752 Natopian Frenzy elections produced a dramatic upset, with Chancellor Isabella Betancourt not only losing government but her own seat in Dos Gardenias. Marco Lungo III of the Free Juice and Bagels Party, just 43 years old, now leads a coalition government with the Parti Alexandrin. The Elijahn Restoration continues in northern Keltia, with Natopian forces establishing control over the sacred sites of Elijah's Rest.

Issue

Name	Birth	Marriage	Notes
Sayari, Princess of Rimarima	1722 AN	Janus of Neridia, 1750 AN	Heir to Nouvelle Alexandrie
Nathan, Prince of Lindstrom	1724 AN	Darya Ardashirdokht Osman, 1751 AN	Heir to Natopia; Squadron Leader, Natopian Spacefleet
Urpi, Lady of Chucuito	1726 AN
Xanthorr, Count of Anapia	1728 AN
Phaedra, Countess of Amantani	1730 AN

Titles and styles

• 1694 AN to 1721 AN: Her Imperial Highness Princess Adelaide of Natopia, Progeny of the Once-Living God
• 1721 AN to 1735 AN: Her Imperial and Royal Highness The Crown Princess of Nouvelle Alexandrie, Crown Princess of Natopia, Progeny of the Once-Living God, Lady of the Holy Lakes
• 1735 AN to 1752 AN: Her Imperial and Royal Majesty The Queen of Nouvelle Alexandrie, Crown Princess of Natopia, Progeny of the Once-Living God, Lady of the Holy Lakes
• 1752 AN to present: Her Most Bovic Majesty The Empress of the Natopians, Queen of Nouvelle Alexandrie, Lady of Tarsica; Grand Mayor of Lindstrom City; Bosarch of Lindstrom, Mankari of Hoyela, Sovereign of the Ancient and Secret Order of the Black Hole, of the Most Noble Order of the Yoshi, of the Honorable Order of the Palette, Triumphal Defender of All Four Quarters, Sovereign of the Natopian Order of Imperial Civil Excellence, and of the Order of St Asara Sisu; Grand Commander of the Natopian Defense Force; Heir to the Imperial Bloodline of Drak; Conqueror of Dracoheim, Uniter of the Demesnes, Protector of the Eternal Nation, Guardian of the Icons of the State, Wielder of the Sword of Sovereignty, and Scourge of Lavalon; Scion of the Three Peoples, Vessel of Dual Natures, Progeny of the Once-Living God, and Transcendence of the Dhury, Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Royal Blood, Lady of the Holy Lakes

Honors

Natopian

As Empress, Clara is Sovereign of the following orders:

• Ancient and Secret Order of the Black Hole
• Most Noble Order of the Yoshi
• Honorable Order of the Palette
• Natopian Order of Imperial Civil Excellence
• Order of St Asara Sisu

Foreign

• 1721 AN: Dame of the Order of the Holy Lakes ( Hurmu) – restored through marriage
• 1722 AN: Dame Commander of the Order of the Royal Blood ( Constancia)
• 1744 AN: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Royal and Imperial Blood ( Constancia)
• 1750 AN: Dame of the Order of the Golden Skull ( Etzeland/ Steerswick)
• 1750 AN: Dame Grand Cross of the Order of the Woven Crown ( East Zimia and the Wallis Islands)

See also

• House of Waffel-Paine
• House of Inti-Carrillo
• Monarchy of Nouvelle Alexandrie
• Treaty of Dynastic Separation
• Vadoma I
• Sinchi Roca II
• Nathan, Prince of Lindstrom
• Sayari, Princess of Rimarima
• Spring Crisis of 1739
• Fourth Euran War
• Elijahn Restoration
• Death of Vadoma I
• Wedding of Crown Princess Sayari and Prince Janus
• Wedding of Prince Nathan and Princess Darya

References

Preceded by: Vadoma I	Empress of the Natopians 1752 AN to present	Succeeded by Incumbent
Preceded by: Queen Abigail	Queen consort of Nouvelle Alexandrie 1735 AN to present	Succeeded by Incumbent
Preceded by: ????	Regent of Natopia 1752 AN	Succeeded by Acceded as Empress