[OOC][PLOT] Planning for Arc 2 - Crisis on Infinite Earths

[robkelk]

Back to the Arc 2 notes, instead of the all-Arc discussion.


Usagi's going to be a queen. Canon says so. And we've already penciled this in to happen some time in Arc 2 or 3.

She can't rule a kingdom on her own, and the Sailor Team are already expecting to be Usagi's daimyo. But their titles are in Modern English, not Classical Japanese, so...

"Rob-san, what titles do Canadian nobles have?"

"Canada doesn't have nobles, just members of the Order of Canada. What brought this on?"

"I need names for the titles that everybody's going to get on my coronation day."

"Do you really need to worry about that already?"

"Princess Sasami said she'd be happy to place the Crown of Serenity on my head, and Yuuno found the Silver Throne yesterday."

Knowing who Sasami would grow up to be, and knowing that Sasami at least partially knew, Rob raised an eyebrow. "Then I guess we do need to worry about that now."

At which point Rob gives Usagi the five-thousand-foot overview of the precedence of current and recently-extinct noble titles.

Usagi will use a relatively simple system, recognizable to modern heraldry but not an exact match for any current order of precedence, and will not step on the toes of any of the more powerful emperors out there. ("Let's not annoy the Juraians or the Abh; we need them as friends. We'll let one of them promote me to Empress if I deserve it.")

In order of precedence, and the top three ranks are limited to the royalty of the Crystal Throne:
1. Queen - Her Royal Highness, Serenity II
2. Archduke - His Highness, Endymion
3. Crown Prince(ss) - Her Highness, Princess of the Mare Serenitatis
4. Prince/Princess - His/Her Highness, Prince/Princess ___ (e.g. Her Highness, Princess Mars)
5. Duke/Duckess - The Duke/Duchess of ___ (e.g. The Duke of Caloris)
6. Count/Countess - The Count/Countess of ___
7. Viscount/Viscountess - Viscount/Viscountess of ___
8. Baron/Baroness - Baron/Baroness of ___
9. Knight - Sir/Dame ___ (person's name, instead of a place name)

The Crown Princess is to consult with the Queen before awarding any of the titles of Lunar nobility... because Usagi doesn't trust Chibi-Usa to just give titles to her friends willy-nilly. This will become customary in future decades.

Coronation Day titles, in order (so people higher up the list "outrank" people further down):

• Archduke Endymion
  
• Princess of the Mare Serenitatis
  
• Princess Venus
  
• Princess Mars
  
• Princess Mercury
  
• Princess Jupiter
  
• Princess Neptune
  
• Princess Uranus
  
• Princess Pluto
  
• Princess Saturn
  

Usagi will leave the Dukes and Duchesses to be named by the Princesses, with one possible exception; after all, her daimyo need their own trusted seconds, too. (One wonders who will get named as Duke of the Great Red Spot - no doubt that, whoever it is, he'll remind her of her sempai. )

Continuing the list, this is who she would offer titles ahead of time. Yes, there was some thought given to who gets which title. If each of these people is willing to accept a title:

• Duchess of the Mare Nectaris (Sakura Kinomoto - of course Usagi will offer a title to her "kohai", of course it will be a title that suits the power that Sakura is growing into as she matures, and Nectaris is the only one of the lunar maria that is at all related to flowers; explain it that way, and Tomoyo might even agree)
  
• Countess of the Lacus Veris (Rin Tohsaka - the four "season" countesses are intended to become the core of a Council of Advisors. If Tessa doesn't want the job or the title, then Kazari will get Summer, Hikaru will get Autumn, and Winter will be filled after Coronation Day.)
  
• Countess of the Lacus Aestatis (Teletha Testarossa)
  
• Countess of the Lacus Autumni (Kazari Uiharu)
  
• Countess of the Lacus Hiemalis (Hikaru Shidou)
  
• Countess of the Lacus Spei (Hayate Yagami)
  
• Countess of the Lacus Perseverantiae (Homura Akemi)
  
• Countess of the Lacus Somniorum (Entchen - offered if Usagi knows on Coronation Day that Entchen is an intelligent being)
  
• Count of the Lacus Excellentiae (Yuuno Scrya, offered as a gift for finding the Silver Throne in the first place)
  
• Baroness of the Sinus Fidei (Naru Osaka)
  

As to who isn't on the list:

Usagi isn't about to step on Ayeka and Sasami's toes; Benjamin is one of their favourites; and Nanoha, Alicia, and Fate are three of his Important People - thus, only Hayate and Yuuno are offered titles from the Midoriya/TSAB group.

The Juraians who she'd be willing to offer titles already have their own.

"Noble titles are prohibited!" Sorry, gondoliers...

The folks in Dublin and Pensacola all look to be small-d democrats (as opposed to monarchists), with good reason in most cases. No offense will be offered by suggestions of noble titles.

And would you trust any of Hokago Teatime or the Nerima Wrecking Crew with this kind of responsibility?

EDIT: This now has a wiki page.