tell me, honestly now, does this wig make my head look fat?
The House of Bon-Bon has ruled Freedonia for the past five hundred years; compared to the House of Flamboise they are like a rambunctious child with all the inferiority issues that come with being a younger sibling. The Bon-Bon dynasty has always felt the need to exceed all the other royal houses in every definable way; more extravagant clothing, food, palaces, uniforms, navies, entertainments....the list goes on and on. In large part they have succeeded in this ambition due to the discovery of vast silver deposits in their colonies which have lifted the burden of the monarch's vision off of the long-suffering peasants.
Despite his differences with Ferdinand de Flamboise in a number of matters Louis has strongly supported him in the ongoing battle against the Small Plate movement. To set an example for his subjects to follow Louis has established a touring "Dinner Club" in which he moved the court from city to city on a monthly basis, hosting vast feasts and driving home the idea that snacking is reprehensible. On several occasions the difference between meals was only noticeable by the change of venue and clothes. His always irreverent subjects have begun to wink and call him "Louis the Wide".
The Bon-Bons have chafed at the "Long Peace" and have had to feed their desire for territorial aggrandizement by establishing colonies on the far side of the Western Sea. Still, there is no glory in fighting primitive aboriginals (however profitable it may be) and Louis XIII has long harbored designs on the land of his neighboring principalities, particularly the rich Soubise valley and the Imperial city of Marinara. Both lands have historical ties to the Bon-Bon family and Louis feels they were "stolen" by the Flamboise taking liberties with the inheritance laws.
As a young man Louis suffered from a limitless series of appetites, food, wine, women and military ambition (he once left his nation with a steward for two years as he traveled to the colonies to satisfy his martial spirit), he has fully earned the nickname "The Ravenous". Advancing years have lessened some of his most intemperant urges but have sharpened his desire to leave his mark as the Bon-Bon who has brought the family legacy back into the kingdom. The presence of the scion of the Flamboise house, Franz, at the time of his fathers death has given Louis his chance. Louis plans to use his championing of Franz's cause as a lever to gain the return of his family's birthright. He looks forward to displaying the superiority of his army and his military acumen if the other houses feel the need to challenge his cause.
News has only recently reached of the fall of his much-loved vacation island Kassabalka to the savage invaders but, fixed on his mission , he is willing to put that slight to his pride aside for the time being while he ensures Franz's ascension to the Imperial throne. When asked about the matter he calmly replied, "However much I love the place, and hate the idea of foreigners trampling on our sacred soil, the fact remains that the island will still be there next year while the opportunity before us may be fleeting in extreme".
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