hELP I CAN'T
Ambassador Crosby memorizing his speech before stepping on stage to announce a contentious and hard-won treaty
Prince Sidney bowing his head in supposed obedience, mind working furiously while his father and their ministers debate various offers for Sid's hand
King Sidney reading the latest reports from the warfront, burning the name and face of every lost soldier into his memory
I just - I really want all the political leader!Sid AUs okay. ALL OF THEM.
(PS - Ambassador Crosby working with Minister of Foreign Affairs Malkin, whose negotiating tactics drive him CRAZY. No, Sid won't push for decreased surveillance in the neutral zone just because you 'promise to be good,' Minister Malkin - stop grinning with your tongue poked out like that. NO, the return of the captured submarine is non-negotiable, Sid doesn't care how much of a pain in the ass Minister of Defense Ovechkin is going to be about it. NO, Sid won't agree to accept a permanent ambassadorial post in perpetuity - what even - he doesn't even have the authority to - oh. Oh, that was a come on. Uh. I guess we can...break for coffee? Or tea, sure, yeah, I like tea. Um.)
(PPS - Prince Sidney diffidently suggests a formalized union with Prince Evgeni Vladimirovich Malkin. Before King Troy can dismiss the suit of an exile not even in control of his own country, ("However dear of a friend he may be, Sid,") Sidney coughs and sketches out incisive plans to use the marriage as basis to invade, oust the usurpers, and put Prince Evgeni back on the throne, gaining a powerful allied nation. It's not like it's, oh, something he and Geno have been discussing with increasing seriousness over the decade or so since Geno fled the coup and sought asylum in Sid's country, back when he was all of 16 years old. (Taylor: "So all that flirting was a cover for your scheming toward an alliance??" Sid: "...Uh. Yeah! All a cover, totally." Taylor: "...Uh-huh."))
(PPPS - Colonel Evgeni Malkin defects and offers to turn over critical intelligence as a ruse to get close enough to assassinate King Sidney and end the war. King Sidney, however, shuts down his advisors and refuses to capitalize on the intelligence because it would cause far too much collateral civilian damage. No, he doesn't care if it's the enemy's civilians, it's still unacceptable. But he smiles tiredly at Evgeni anyway, says he's still welcome in Sidney's country, and Evgeni...hesitates.)