A former military officer is put back into the fray as a bodyguard of a royal family. His task, however, puts him at odds with himself and the ones he is supposed to protect as dark secrets and internal uprising threatens the very existence of his c...
"After a stronghold has been made of the bones, it is covered with flesh and blood, and there dwell in it old age and death, pride and deceit." (Friedrich Muller)
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Kabul, Afghanistan Hamid Karzai International Airport 2013 The Genovans had been waiting for this moment for some time now.
The ambassador and his welcoming party had been waiting at the airport for three hours already. And the plane arrived on schedule; exactly nine o' clock. The white Boeing 737 with purple finishing touched down on the runway, it's majestic colours already attracting a lot of attention from the people at the airport. The ambassador watched as the plane slowly turned towards the tarmac, the red carpet laid and the guard of honour of the Afghan National Army readying themselves for the event. Even the President was there to welcome the guests. Ambassador Dr Ivan Struecker looked on with disgust in his heart but a radiant smile on the outside.
The sun was up and it was already too hot to handle. For the Genovans of course, but not for the Afghans. Savages, he thought. He was sent here without his consent, and now he had to stand alongside them. He refused to look at the President for a single second. They shook hands once when they arrived at the airport. The President might be a pleasant man but he didn't want to fraternise with them too much. For him, the guest of honour today was of important significance, and he wanted to show these "savages" the true meaning of civilisation. He watched with a hidden smile as the plane stopped where it should be. The guard of honour had already stood in attention and the rest gathered on both sides to welcome the guest. Children were among them too, waving the iconic Genovan flag. And the press was there to cover the event.
It took a few moments before the door was opened, and then the moment finally came when the central figure of this two-day trip stepped out of the aeroplane into Afghan soil for the first time in his reign. And the cameras were clicking and the children were cheering at the same time; paid "conscripts" to please the guest. Struecker saw the radiant smile plastered on the face of the President and his fellow politicians. Looking away, he stared in awe as the King and his wife stepped down the stairs, waving with a bright smile. The King donned his black suit and a purple tie; the royal colour of the Genovan Family, and his wife, the Queen, wore a bright pink blouse and skirt. She also had a scarf around her neck.
The royal couple was greeted by the President and fellow politicians, escorted by his bodyguards and military officials sent to follow the trip. The President followed the royal couple along, discussing certain things before the ambassador had his turn. All the while, Struecker looked at the President with an increasingly dangerous animosity.
"It's been a long time, Mr Struecker." The King spoke first, his hand outstretched and his lips grinning.
"The honour is mine, Your Majesty." He shook and bowed a little. "I hope you have a nice trip."
"Can't complain about the flight. One thing's for sure; it's boring." The King chuckled.
"Certainly! Only Ludmilla the air stewardess can please you!" The Queen voiced behind him, joking along as she shook Struecker's hand.
