Belgium—Le Galgenjongen [Leopold II's ownership over Congo, 1885-1909]
Some lucky people have a genie in a bottle, which passes on from generation to generation. Belgium's was called Leopold, after the one she inherited it from.
Belgium's prosperity and well-being (which in the case of nations is the same) were his only care, and did everything in his power to ensure both. And there is little a galgenjongen can't do!
Parks, churches, museums, hippodromes..., all of that he built for her pleasure in the wink of an eye. For the children, he brought compulsory elemental school free from all religious interference and forbid them to work in arduous labors. Since no nation could survive on their own, not only did he make sure she wasn't alone, but also helped her sit at the conferences with the big boys.
He was so helpful and so helpless that not only did he take good care of her, but also created organizations to improve the lives of all those poor African countries and bring them civilization!
They said that no galgenjongen worked for free, but that seemed like a rumor. Leopold had never asked her anything in return.
They said that the likes of him fed with blood, but look at him and tell her they truly believed him capable of hurting a fly!
Belgium told them these and more excuses, but the rumors not only didn't cease but started to become overwhelming. "See what your galgenjongen is doing", "ask him", "go see". They were becoming so annoying that Belgium checked, just so they shut up.
And she found out about the burnt villages, the mercenaries, the baskets of hands, the dead children, the raped women, the amputees, the millions of corpses left to rot because all that mattered was that the living worked, first to collect ivory, then rubber...
...Which Leopold sold...and with the money he became exceedingly rich, and influential, and could buy her all sorts of...
Oh, God.
It was true. The galgenjongen did feed on blood. It was just that she didn't see it because Leopold hadn't fed off hers.
Belgium decided to take people's advice and assume control, or rather protection of poor Congo herself. It would take long until he trusted a white person again, but she would be patient. As for Leopold...
She contemplated the little goblin, who waited for instructions inside of his bottle with his arms behind his back. He looked almost shy, like he didn't understand what he had done wrong, what the fuss was about. Hadn't he been a good servant? Hadn't he done everything in his hand to help her?
Should she throw it away or keep it? He was a family inheritance...But now he disgusted her to the core...Now that she saw the dry blood in the corner of his lips...