The Quiet of the Kingdom

(By Prince Jonathan)

         One thing that many friends and citizens of Edan often find strange is the tendency of the Royal Family and government to spend long periods of time dormant and doing very little to progress the Kingdom's goals. It strikes some as odd that we do not apply ourselves to the greater dialogue of society in a more concentrated and overt way, and odder still that we sometimes fall silent for a year or two.

As the Crown Prince, I have a unique perspective on this matter. I have been raised in the Kingdom's paradigm, and have always had my eyes towards movements and organizations similar to us. The conclusion that I am forced to reach is that, no matter how things may seem at any given point in time, Traditionalist groups that keep themselves busy are a dime a dozen.

Certainly, on any given day, or in any given year, it's easy to feel as if there is no one speaking up for the ideals of a functioning, ethical, Catholic society. Even the most careful search will reveal only a scant handful of aligned speakers and thinkers, and even fewer men and women willing to do anything tangible for such a cause. But this is not because these speakers, thinkers, movements, and organizations do not exist. It is because they do not survive.

In truth, a great many people have stood up to advocate for ideals similar to ours. A great many people have led rallies, attracted hundreds of interested followers, and made a remarkable amount of noise on behalf of Traditionalist values. The problem is that doing this at a rapid pace is unsustainable. 

As Traditionalists, we all seek live in accordance with values of family, society, and Catholic morality. This means we pursue marriage and child rearing, education and hard work, and civic and religious involvement. These things take time, and more importantly, they are messy. Any one of these endeavors can, at a moment's notice, suddenly become the driving factor in a person's life, whether they like it or not. If you are part of a movement that has built itself on constant growth and motion, or if you're a thinker and writer who maintains himself through constant work, these hiccups of life make your mission unsustainable.

Thus it is that busy, noisy attempts to advance the cause of Tradition are, in fact, so common as to be nigh disposable. They are here, and then they are gone. It is easy to pour yourself into ideological work, and more than doable to attract a sizable audience, but it is very difficult to keep this up for long.

Because of this, the Kingdom of Edan sometimes slips into silence for a time. Sometimes, this is because of the above-described exigencies of life. Other times, it is simply because we decide to do so. In any case, the purpose of our quiet spells is to make the Kingdom sustainable. Those who shine brightly but briefly are doing a very important work, but it is not our work. Our work is to remain, and to continue teaching our message over a long span of time.

After all, it may seem as if these quiet spells and these difficulties of life make our objectives unobtainable, but only if one loses sight of what our objectives truly are. We are hardly seeking to ignite a revolution, after all. The goal of the Kingdom of Edan is to do as much as we can to teach people about what a functional, ethical society truly is. Certainly, if we could reify ourselves into a territorial nation, that would be ideal, but it's far from necessary for our work to continue. If, at a given point in time, all we can do is be a voice heard by a scant handful of people, that's alright. We'll speak to them, and stay the course until we're able to do a little more.

At the end of the day, what matters is that we're still here. And for as long as we remain, we will continue our duties. This is what we, the Royal Family, are resolved to do, and it is what we ask of you, our citizens and friends.