[u][h2][centre]Kingdom of Aontas[/centre][/h2][/u]

[centre][img]http://i.imgur.com/qyU980O.jpg?1[/img][/centre]
[centre][i]The 'Første' in the early stages of construction[/i][/centre]

	Heigen Marine had been the obvious choice for the project. The illustrious Aontan ship-building enterprise had the expertise and the facilities required for such a grand project, and, as a bonus, had nothing at all to do with one Sigmund Stryka. The white-haired old industrial tycoon that so loathed Aontas' monarchy had always found himself uneasy when at sea, curbing his desire to invest his world-renowned fortune in anything that might require him to fare the open ocean. This kept Aontas' shipyards free of Stryka crowns, and thereby prevented King Matthias from inadvertently giving any assistance to the man who sought to replace him when he requested designs for the newest battleships of the Royal Navy. Most of the designs submitted had been lacklustre, at best. They fit the bill, sure, but were only a faint improvement over the ageing warships Elve and Evle, the current flagships of the Aontan fleet. Aontas needed, and Matthias therefore demanded, something better. Something with a bit more punch, that would signify to both his people and the world at large that Aontas was a formidable force on the seas, not to be reckoned with. Heigen's design, fearsome as it was, perfectly encapsulated Matthias' ambitions. It had pleased him so much, in fact, that he decided not only to hire them to build the ships, but to take a tour of their docks as well. Unannounced, of course, to maximize the impact. Never spoil an arrival with a warning!

	When the King arrived, his presence was at first not immediately accepted. The Heigen workers weren't republicans, of course, refusing to acknowledge Matthias' authority. No, they just simply couldn't believe their eyes; it was not every day that a King strolled by, after all, let alone one's own. Accompanied, as usual, in a minimalist entourage, and dressed in a double-breasted jacket with a few medals for flair, Matthias decided to skip over meeting the site owner and site manager and proceed directly to shaking hands with the workers. The flash of the cameras glimmered off of his white smile the second his hand made contact with the surprised and amazed labourer, and the flashes of light kept on coming as he engaged in small talk with the welders and engineers, their eyes unaccustomed to the attack. The conversation wasn't about anything substantial. "Cold enough for ya?" and other such nonsense between strangers. Typical Aontan fare. It mattered less what the King was talking about, after all, and more that he could be seen to be talking, the backdrop of an immense, intimidating warship in construction behind him. Stryka, for all of his wealth and prestige, was never one to forget about the little man, and Matthias needed to keep up if he wanted to snip the businessman's political career in the bud. Thankfully, as a King, Matthias had just as many resources at his disposal as Sigmund did. The White Lion Post had written about nothing but colonial wars in this run-down island and that one for far too long. It was far overdue for a character piece about the people's beloved monarch. Maybe tomorrow they could report on the casualty rate in one of the Stryka factories. Hell, perhaps more stringent safety procedures were in order! If there was anything Matthias cared more about than making sure the words "President Stryka" never left anyone's lips, it was the people's welfare. Maybe the crown had to go eventually, but King Matthias would [i]not[/i] be its last wearer.