Great Hall
Jamestown was in the middle of a fine spring day. The weather, over the past week, had turned from the low ten degrees into the middle teens and even approached the twenties in some areas of the city. A light breeze from the west kept the air in the bustling capital fresh, and provided relief for those overwhelmed by the rapid change in temperature. Fur hats and coats had been retired for shorts and T shirts for most of the city. Already most of the trees in the city were close to their summer prime in terms of foliage. Shade, a rarity in the winter, was plentiful now. Cherry trees lining the streets of some major avenues were in full blossom, radiating their love and warmth to those who strolled under them. In Red Square, couples, tourists, and government officials alike walked at a leisurely pace through the square. Many took the time to admire the great church at the end of the square, its onion domes rising into the bright blue sky. The red walls of the Kremlin were in contrast to the sky, but made for a spectacular sight. Many of the city denizens would find an excuse during the day to stroll on the bank of the Ias, which winded its way through the city.
Continental Diplomat Khariton Konstantin, in charge of the Cortana, and thus most of the ‘western’ nations. For this reason, the man woke up earlier than most. While the sun was just starting to rise over the city, Mr. Konstantin was already is his office, reading the morning reports from stations and officers around the world and around Jamestown, who had to wake up even earlier to compile those reports. With the Rezuan Princess in town, Continental Diplomat Sergie, just down the building from Konstantin, was in full operation mode. The two, which normally went out to get a cup of tea in the morning, had for the past few days stopped this routine. And today Konstantin was glad he did not have to make an excuse to leave the office. He had work to do.
The Zanerans had requested a meeting with the Republic, and one on the double. Since the Zanerans had hosted the President a few months ago, it was Jamestown’s turn to return the favor. With that, Continental Diplomat Khariton Konstantin’s day had gone from somewhat calm to chaos in a minute. With the King’s Court in use, another suitable location had to be found for the meeting. It would not be a head of state affair, but never the less nothing could be left out.
The diplomatic cars which escorted the Rezuan Princess and her aids to the Kremlin were refitted with Zaneran flags and restocked with water and soda to greet the envoy from Zanera. From the airport, the Zaneran delegation would be brought into the Kremlin on the scenic route. With most of the traffic from the morning rush gone for the day until later, the roads were not as cluttered. Returning home to get a finer silk suit, the diplomat took a car to the Kremlin.
On the steps of the Great Hall, the man waited in his back suit, narrow red tie, USJR pin, and black shoes. He did his best to hide in the shade to avoid too much heat, and in his jacket pocket kept a napkin he occasionally used to wipe his face. Inside, a table was set up in the center of the hall, which was customarily used for balls back in the Imperial days. At the center of the hall there were enough seats for each delegation’s aids. In the center of the table was a USJR and Zaneran flag, each militarized, sticking out of a vase of flowers. Accompanying them was a glass of cool vodka. Each placemat had two cups, one filled with water, another for the special drink. On the steps of the hall, the Diplomat was accompanied by an honor guard, which stood at attention by the door. Since the Rezuan Princess was here, it was not a big deal to see the honor guard around the Kremlin, standing at attention by the road. At the far end of the road leading up to the building, tourists could be seen. They were told to keep going along the tour, but a few lurked to see what was going on.
A few minutes later, two aids, Terenti Yevgeny, the Politburo’s attache and Slava Vadimir, Khariton’s personal aid joined the man on the steps. A team of other aids were already waiting inside, ready to handle any treaty paperwork or legal matters that required a team of lawyers to handle. This meeting was serious.