The Vestmanaeyjar Accords [Closed | Noctur Only]

by **The Arthurian Isles** » Fri May 06, 2016 8:03 am

The Vestmanaeyjar Accords

What Are The Vestmanaeyjar Accords

The Vestmanaeyjar Accords are a series of invitations for working visits between the states of Noctur and the Arthurian Federation. The purpose of the visits is to create a network of bilateral free trade agreements between Arthuria and any other state that so wishes to engage in greater trade with the Federation.

To this end, the Arthurian government has created a comprehensive free trade plan, over which any state can negotiate country-specific, tailored exemptions or additions. With this method of treaty negotiation, it is hoped that as many states as possible can enter into bilateral trade relations with the Arthurian Federation with the minimum of time and fuss.

As a broad overview, the comprehensive free trade plan offers freedom of movement of persons, trade in services, movement of capital and protection of intellectual property. The agreement also provides for joint committees between Arthuria and the signatory state to facilitate greater co-operation, implementation of the agreements and dispute settlement.

Who Is Invited To The Vestmanaeyjar Accords

All states of Noctur are equally invited to the Vestmanaeyjar Accords for bilateral working meetings with members of the Storting.

By entering into a free trade agreement, a signatory state is not automatically entering into a wider Nocturian free trade area. The Rules of Origin contained within the free trade plan prevent the Arthurian Federation from acting as a middle-man between states. This means that Arthuria cannot deprive other states of trade with one another, nor can it act as a hub for sanction-busting activities.

What Is Included In The Free Trade Agreement

A detailed copy of the standard free trade agreement can be found below. Please note, this is the original plan and many changes are expected in the course of negotiations between the Arthurian Federation and potential signatory states. The final free trade agreement will often look very different from the original plan, and different countries will have entirely unique plans after the negotiation process.

A summary of the free trade agreement follows. It contains these general provisions:

Industrial Products: The FTA grants duty-free access for all industrial products due to highly developed and diversified industrial bases in most Nocturian countries.

Fishery Products: The FTA treats fish and marine products as industrial goods and thus grants total free trade in this area. Because of Arthuria’s large fishing sector, this element is an important part of the FTA.

Agricultural Products: The FTA distinguishes between basic agricultural products (such as milk, grain and sugar) and processed agricultural products (such as bread, chocolate and soup). Almost total free trade is granted to processed agricultural products, but some measures are included to compensate for the higher cost of raw materials used in food processing within the Arthurian Federation. Basic agricultural products are not included within the FTA, but can be negotiated in each individual agreement.

Rules of Origin: These rules determine which products benefit from the FTA. In order to qualify under the FTA, products need to be “wholly obtained” or “sufficiently worked or processed” in the territory of the Arthurian Federation or a signatory state.

Trade Facilitation: These measures simplify and accelerate import and export procedures for goods, improving predictability and reducing costs for businesses.

Health, Safety and Technical Barriers: HSTBs are regulations on goods which provide a barrier to import or export and hamper international trade. The FTA aims to avoid these barriers by harmonising health, safety and technical regulations between states, taking the most stringent regulation as its basis.

Trade Remedies: These remedies are measures implemented in exceptional circumstances when imports of foreign goods threaten to cause serious damage to domestic industry. The FTA includes provisions on subsidies and anti-subsidy duties, anti-dumping action and emergency measures to temporarily limit imports.

Intellectual Property Rights: The FTA includes strong IPR protection and measures to enforce them against infringement, counterfeiting and piracy.

Services and Investment: The FTA includes evolutionary clauses to implement liberalisation of services, and has provisions to protect certain domestic services of mutual importance to both Arthuria and the signatory state. Substantive investment provisions provide legal security for the establishment of businesses in either signatory state.

Competition: Liberalisation of trade may be undermined by business practices that prevent, distort or restrict competition between actors covered by the FTA. The FTA therefore includes anti-competition rules.

Technical Co-operation: Technical co-operation between FTA partners is provided for in order to strengthen one another’s capacity to harmonise standards and implement aspects of the FTA. Technical Co-operation includes assistance in areas of governance, such as rules of origin and general customs procedures.

Government Procurement: The FTA includes provisions for open and fair government procurement procedures, in order to limit public costs and reduce corruption. It operates on the principles of reciprocity, non-discrimination and transparency in public procurement markets.

Sustainable Development: The FTA includes provisions on sustainable development, which do not enforce regulations on either partner but do recognise ongoing efforts to advance this aspect of international co-operation and facilitate the continuance thereof.

Joint Committee: The FTA provides for a joint committee made up of representatives from each partner state. Meetings are typically every two years and are used for co-operation, implementation, dispute settlement and harmonisation.

Dispute Settlement: The FTA provides for consultation as the primary means of dispute settlement over implementation or interpretation disputes. If consultation does not result in a mutually-acceptable decision, judicial review is provided for in the FTA.

Different Levels of Economic Development: The FTA accounts for the partner state’s level of economic development. It does so by providing transitional periods for the entry into force of certain aspects of the FTA.

My Friends, the honourable heads of government of our Nocturian neighbours,

On behalf of the Storting, I extend to you Arthuria's warmest invitation to Vestmanaeyjar for a series of bilateral working meetings between representatives of Arthuria's government and your own. This open invitation applies to all states with whom the Arthurian Federation maintains normal relations. I hope that it finds you all well, and that you are willing to represent your countries in Vestmanaeyjar.

The purpose of these bilateral working meetings is to create a number of free trade agreements between the Arthurian Federation and any state that wishes to join us in economic partnership. We are not proposing a free trade area or any form of multilateral trade bloc; Arthuria only seeks improved trade relations with its neighbours. We fully understand that many of your countries will require tailored protection commitments or regulatory assurances, and the aim of a working meeting is to negotiate these state-specific policies should you determine a free trade agreement with Arthuria to be in your state's best interests.

The Storting awaits your responses, and Vestmanaeyjar hopes that these accords will mark a new commitment between the Arthurian Federation and the Nocturian community.

Until that time, Vestmanaeyjar sends its warmest wishes.

Yours in friendship,

Federal Minister Runær Arnardotar.
On behalf of the Storting and the Arthurian People

by **The Arthurian Isles** » Fri May 06, 2016 8:04 am

- Reserved -

by **The Arthurian Isles** » Fri May 06, 2016 8:04 am

- Reserved -

by **Radiatia** » Sat May 07, 2016 2:36 am

Even with all the trappings of luxury on board the specially configured RFAF transport aircraft, the flight to Arthuria was gruelling.

12 hours into the flight - which included one refuelling stop in Conpatria - Foreign Affairs Minister Quintin Holzer was wondering exactly what had possessed him to agree to travel to the Arthurian Federation - a tiny cluster of islands that lay on literally the furthest away part of Noctur from Radiatia - in person.

It had all seemed a good idea on paper - fly in with broad smiles and shining teeth, representing the most powerful nation in Noctur, honour the locals with such a high profile and powerful visitor, sign a few bits of paper and buzz off back to civilisation for a Greaseburger.

In practice it was something quite different - Arthuria was a stubbornly neutral country which had flirted with the UNCA, it was far too geographically isolated to have anything that the Radiatian Federation really wanted and even if it did, the average Radiatian had never heard of it, nor could they locate it on a map. In fairness, the average Radiatian would also struggle to locate Radiatia on a map, but this was a side issue.

Whatever the outcome of the Vestmannaeyjar (how do you even pronounce that?) Accords, one thing was clear: This would inevitably be a one-sided deal. Any gains made by Radiatia would pale in comparison to reciprocal gains made by Arthuria - the fact that Radiatian businesses had another small market to flog their crap in would be nothing compared to Arthuria suddenly having access to the largest economy in Noctur. (The Minister had to remind himself that it was okay to make this boast here - in Poldania, where they were still deluded into believing they were Noctur's largest economy, it was a taboo subject.)

Accompanying the Minister were a team of advisers (including, to his shame, the man who had to point out the Arthurian Federation on the map for Minister Holzer), one or two Parliamentarians along for the ride and a disturbingly well armed security contingent which were assigned to Holzer "just in case they're closer to the UNCA than we realised". Also coming along for the ride was Denis Breiner, letter of credence in hand, who had been selected for the job of being the Radiatian Federation's first ambassador to the Arthurian Federation.

As the aircraft finally touched down, Quintin adjusted his tie and prepared for the inevitable media glare - which was far greater abroad than at home, where political apathy meant he was virtually anonymous.

by **The Arthurian Isles** » Sun May 08, 2016 9:07 am

Vestmanaeyjar. Arthuria's capital and the so-called 'Black City'. Its appearance does not live up to its nickname. From afar it looks like a sea of pale white rooftops fighting for dominance with tracts of green parkland (or snowy fields, depending on the time of year). Through its centre cuts the Thjorsar river, barely visible through the buildings along its bank and the deep channel built for it by the city's architects in centuries past. When one travels into Vestmanaeyjar its nickname becomes more apparent, for beneath the light slate roofs sits the heavy stonework hewn in great bricks from the local quarries and piled into dark grey structures. Most of the buildings do not reach above three storeys so the sun is able to shine directly onto the streets such that the darkness of the stone is illuminated in stark definition to the technicolour of the city's residents promenading below. In the autumn and winter months, when daylight lasts only a few hours, the blackness of the basalt becomes ever more apparent. The soft glow of street lamps struggles against the gloom which is made worse by the persistent sea mist experienced by the city's residents.

However much the exterior of the city's iconic buildings might evoke the melancholy of a barren environment, they serve a purpose well enough to have made them a symbol of the capital and a respite for the Vestmanaeyjarmaður¹ who must call them home. The thick stone keeps the perennial cold outdoors and halts the noise of a city of over one million at the threshold. When one returns to their home from the battering winds it is to a place of comfort and warmth. Each house is a fortress of solitude to its residents; it is where families enjoy the simpler comforts of a log fire and a warm beer and employ the relaxation which through their efforts they have earned. The Black City, then, has a warmer heart for those wishing to scratch its coarse surface.

To get there, however, one must first experience the briefest glimpse of the Arthurian countryside. Køpmanærhavn lies to Vestmanaeyjar's south, raised on a sheltered plateau which affords the best views of the capital without requiring one to climb the mountains that form most of Geldungur, the tiny island on which the city has nestled itself. Nothing much fills the plateau except for the airport, Arthuria's fourth-largest and one of the lesser used. The only reason for its size relative to the amount of traffic it received was that occasionally the first runway would be sealed to public flights in order to accommodate the arrival of foreign dignitaries, bound for the seat of government in this tiny island country far from anywhere of significance in Noctur. The resources ploughed into its construction had proved somewhat worthwhile too. As well as receiving an unexpected number of tourists, Arthuria hosted a surprising number of foreign politicians for a country of its size. The tourists could be explained by the natural landscapes and the unique culture (a vacuous phrase, as every country in Noctur possesses a uniqueness to their culture which globalisation has done little to diminish). The politicians were more difficult to account for, but the beginning of an explanation lay in the thing for which Arthuria was most famed - neutrality.

It is odd for a country to be associated primarily with a geopolitical concept. Perhaps the old Radiatia could comply with that analysis, being the embodiment of Communism in Noctur. Today, too, Segland represents Demarchism in an unceasing sense. But would those be the first words to come to someone's mind when they were asked about those two countries? Surely 'Greasy Joe's' and 'lager' would be more likely responses. Arthuria, however, was defined by and treated in accordance with its neutrality, first and foremost. So ingrained was this perception that an entirely new political term had been crafted to accommodate the little country: the Third World, to which the Arthurian government was determined to live up. It is easy to see how Arthuria could make a success of neutrality. It was nothing more than a grouping of small rocks thousands of kilometres south of any major landmass and so close to the Antarctic that its environment was more hostile to an invading army than its people. It held no strategic value at present and was dominant in only a few natural industries (dairy, fish and timber). Even these it could not produce in large enough quantities to monopolise the international markets. Yes, neutrality fit Arthuria like a tailored glove.

Its people reaped the benefits too. Peace had reigned for nearly two centuries in Arthuria while greater Noctur had reeled through countless wars. Its neighbours had certainly grown faster and higher than Arthuria could hope for, but the cost of their rapid growth had been a relentless pressure of violence, sometimes from within and sometimes from without. Exploiting its relative stability - a product of those two peaceful centuries - Arthuria had trodden its own path. Never the richest of countries, it had invested in its greatest asset, its people. They now enjoyed some of the highest average standards of living in Noctur, greater and more equal opportunities than their counterparts overseas, and stronger basic benefits courtesy of a fairly ubiquitous welfare state. There were problems too - Arthuria knew poverty as much as any developed country did, and it could not escape the economic facts of recession across the generations - but against these there were solutions and a landscape in which to attempt them.

The Vestmanaeyjar Accords was one such solution to the problem of trade deficits. Arthuria's lack of natural resources and productive potential forced it to import many of its goods from abroad. Its exports were comparatively 'abstract' - financial services, technology and tourism being just some - and the remaining physical goods which were sent across the seas were not numerous enough to balance the books. But Arthuria had always enjoyed specialising. It found niches which other countries would not or could not fill. Somewhere in the Altinghusið, an aide had read a book about an obscure economic theory known as 'comparative advantage' and bringing it up in conversation to his boss in the Foreign Ministry had noted that it might be a good means of allowing Arthuria to specialise and really make the most out of those things at which it was adept. His boss had been greatly interested in the idea and asked how to achieve this 'comparative advantage'. Free trade, had been the answer, and the boss had rushed away to make it so.

Thus began Runær Arnardotar's first project as the Federal Minister for Foreign Affairs. Her job was not a difficult one in Arthuria, where it merely necessitated that she did not declare war on any of the country's neighbours or gratuitously insult their heads of state. Yet she was an activist by nature and needed a cause to support. Her chosen principle was internationalism (a tough idea to push through the traditionally conservative political institutions which dominated Arthurian government) and the first step to making Arthuria's step-change known on the international stage - and to its citizens - would be the Vestmanaeyjar Accords. The message was simple: Arthuria would be open for business. No longer would it sit silently waiting for traders to pass by the cold little archipelago on their routes around Terra Oriens; now Arthuria would seek out what was best for it in the international community. It would be a sort of 'active neutrality'. At the present juncture it could not be overly active, however, as to change the accumulated political culture of two hundred years would take some time, but free trade was an innocuous cause to which any politician could peg their support. All that Runný needed to complete her project was the willing participation of Arthuria's neighbours.

This she achieved with a missive emailed to her just before she left her office on a day that was otherwise unnoteworthy. The Radiatians wanted to speak with the Arthurian government.

Unfortunately for Runær, it would not be her who would meet their man, Quintin, at the runway of Køpmanærhavn. It was her secretary, dressed formally for the welcoming ceremony but with the addition of the native Arthurian skapjar², who would be waiting at the bottom of the stairs to receive the honour of shaking his hand. Timing was crucial at this juncture in proceedings; her secretary had to engage in enough conversation with Quintin to appease the press, but could not spend too long in the bitterly-cold mountain air before making his guest uncomfortable. A few seconds of discussion ensued on the subject of his skapjar before the aide gestured towards a car which sat silently by the runway. It was gathering a fine layer of snow, which was drifting towards the ground at a leisurely pace. In front of an behind the car were two black-and-white jeeps of the Vestmanaeyjaren Logreglan accompanied by two dispatch riders at the very front whose modified motorcycles were bulky enough to handle the snowy roads between Køpmanærhavn and Buðardalur.

Inside the car, Quintin was offered a warm spiced beer and a hot towel. It was the most that could be done to make the car journey at all pleasant. It was usually the case that the natural features around Vestmanaeyjar were enough to do so without needing anymore input, but after a flight that had necessitated nearly an entire waking day the additional touches were considered a courtesy. With blue flashing lights bouncing through the car's windows, the view from the exit to Køpmanærhavn was indeed spectacular in the dying light of the day. The sun was setting over the sea, shining a warm orange glow over the mountains on Quintin's right-hand side. Directly ahead of him, just visible through the windscreen, would be Vestmanaeyjar. At this time it would be lighting up itself, creating its own glow which was beautiful in its own right but could not match nature's majesty. He would get a closer view of the city's outskirts as the motorcade sped down the NR-4, a motorway which barely grazed the capital's easternmost point. But Quintin would not enter the city today. The closest he got was a sign which was labelled as the exit to Vestmanaeyjar and had written in brackets underneath 'Pronounced: Vest-man-ay-yar' for the benefit of visitors. Instead, his route took him off the motorway and down a much quieter (it was almost deserted in fact, save for some idle deer) winding road which was carefully matched with the contours of the valley into which it delved. It was identifiable only by a roadsign which read 'BR-288: Buðardalur'.

After twenty minutes by road, the travelling was at an end for Quintin. He was invited from the car into the Buðardalur residence, unique in Arthuria and a synthesis of old with new, humanity with nature, and comfort with simplicity. From the outside Quintin would see only a crumbling ruin of a castle, its black stones rounded by centuries of wind and slick with mossy slime. The ruins in themselves would be interesting, but not what he would like after travelling across half of Noctur. Fortunately for him, a door protruded from the ground, rising from a wood-bordered tunnel which dug diagonally into the ruins and kept running into the mountainside itself. The tunnel housed only a stairwell, but it opened into a cavernous interior that spanned the same area as the castle above it and reached far into the valley slope. It was decorated plainly, as was traditional Arthurian style, but with enough modern touches to make its austerity seem deliberate. Packed clay walls were supported by thick wooden beams, and varnished floorboards were covered in some areas with hranasten³ mats. Wherever the exterior clay walls ended, the rooms were separated from one another by paper screens panelled in the same dark wood from which the beams were constructed, and one transitioned between them using sliding paper doors. In some rooms the decoration was nothing more than a dvergtrej⁴ or a small tray containing a rock formation; in others an entire wall was covered in a simplistic black ink-brush depiction of a mountain scene or forest. The whole place was a combination of rural farmhouse, mountain lodge and city hotel. It was the ideal place to host foreign dignitaries.

It turned out for Quintin that the greatest benefit of Buðardalur was the lie-in which was granted to all of its guests. Built into the agenda for his meeting with Runær was an entire morning of recovery after his journey the previous day, or if one chose to see it differently then it was a morning of preparation for his encounter that afternoon. Whichever the outlook, Quintin was taking in his first intimate view of Vestmanaeyjar by midday, and he was able to do so in a way no-one else could. His government car and its Logreglan escort made slow progress through the pedestrianised heart of the city, exploiting the diplomatic status to view the older buildings from the comfort of a chauffeured limousine. Even at its slower pace, Quintin reached the Altinghusið only fifteen minutes after he left from Buðardalur, and was able to observe one of the more peculiar architectural wonders of the capital without any rush.

Altinghusið, Arthuria's parliament building, was as much a synthesis as Buðardalur had been. It did so in its own style, however. From the front, it looked like any other building in the capital, albeit grander by the addition of some pillars beside the door. The dark grey stone facade rose up four storeys to dominate the city's central square, and from behind it one could hear the ripple of the Thjorsar against the embankment. If one saw the side of the Altinghusið though, the stonework would quickly fall away in some huge extended 'V' shape, reaching just up to ground level at its lowest point before rising again to the second storey at the very rear of the building. Inside this hollowed-out and undoubtedly broken box was a modern glass cube that was almost bolted onto the original stone frontage. The original Altinghusið had been gutted by a fire in 1092 A.R. (2002, in the common calendar) and rather than rebuild it faithfully according to its plans the government had decided that they would unashamedly fuse the modern with the old. They had not tried to hide the ruins which still stood in some places as structural elements of the building, and they had overtly bolted the new glass structure within the original shell. It was a remarkable piece of architecture and utterly Arthurian in every way.

The theme continued in Altinghusið's interior. The foyer was the original white marble and plaster, decorated with classical statues representing the virtues Arthurians expected (and did not always observe) in their government. Anywhere just a few metres beyond this grand entrance, however, was barely a decade old. Just like the government it housed, Altinghusið was both a product of tradition and a bold commitment to the future. The past was retained inasmuch as it did not impede the function of the present. One could read much from the building in which the Alting chose to meet. It would have been interesting to any politician to know what Quintin thought of the place.

Runær was waiting in the Storting Chamber, the meeting place of Arthuria's Federal Council. It was located at the very front of the building, overlooking Kurstoberjartrejplat⁵ from the second floor. Because it was at the front of the Altinghusið, it retained the older style of decoration that had been retrofitted with some modern conveniences. The room was carpeted in deep red with similar coloured curtains draped over quaint panelled-windows. The walls were clad in a light wood with minimal gilding and a large oval table in the centre of the room matched its colours, though was inlayed with a darker wooden Federal Raven surrounded by the arms of the twelve Arthurian cantons. Thanks to Altinghusið's scheduling, the room would have sat idle for the day had not Runær booked it as the most prestigious venue for her meeting with Quintin.

Runær was so excited to meet Quintin for two reasons. The first was personal: she had created the Vestmanaeyjar Accords. They had been her project for six months and just now were they coming to fruition. Quintin was her chance to make the Accords worthwhile, and her first test of an idea which she had not been able to sound across the governments of Noctur. The second reason for her excitement was to do with Quintin specifically, or rather those whom he represented: the Radiatian people. That he was the first foreign dignitary to journey to Vestmanaeyjar for the Accords was notable enough, that he did so on behalf of one of the richest - if not the richest - countries in Noctur was a true coup for Runný. Even if Quintin was the only dignitary with whom she forged an agreement, Runær would be able to count the Accords a complete success. Her excitement was justified, therefore. Her nervousness was too.

As Quintin was shown into the room, Runær dispelled as many of those nerves as she could. She was a host now, and must act as such (though acting is a harsh term for a woman who was as welcoming and naturally friendly as Runær was).

"Sæl, Quintin." She addressed him by his first name, as it was common to do in Arthuria. The terms 'mister' or 'missus' were foreign imports from almost three centuries ago, and still they had not been assimilated into Arthurian speech. The closest one came to recognising authority was during national service when it was required to refer to senior officers as 'sir'. It struck Runær, though, that she was not talking to an Arthurian and that as the host she ought to have been following the etiquette of her guest. That was diplomacy, after all, and it was her one job. "I'm sorry, would you rather Mr Holzer, or perhaps Minister?"

She dismissed her mistake, slight as it was, and made a mental note never to repeat it. She planned to hold many more meetings in her time as Foreign Minister and did not wish to do so from a position of inexperience. Outwardly, though, Runær was as eager as ever to turn to business. She invited Quintin and his staff to take a seat around the council table and did so herself, joining two aides who had waited silently during the arrival of the Radiatians.

"Before we start, might I welcome you to the Third World and offer you my best wishes for your stay, and those of my fellow Federal Ministers. I know the journey to Radiatia very well; it is strenuous at best." Runær could not resist the joke. Radiatia had counted the term 'Third World' to describe the non-aligned countries of Noctur and the Arthurian government was determined to live by that label.

"Now, to begin. We provided your government with a preliminary overview of the FTA, and our government lawyers are currently drafting the official document. I'm sure there are some provisions which you might wish to inquire about or, indeed, change. I would like to invite you to raise any such issues you might have."

Runær smiled at Quintin. One floor below, a room full of lawyers was quietly praying, hoping that their precious draft agreement wouldn't need to be altered too much. They could easily deal with a surgical incision. A butcher's hack might be harder for them to cope with.

¹ Vestmanaeyjarmaður is the demonym for those living in Vestmanaeyjar.

² A skapjar is a traditional Arthurian cloak made with oiled animal pelt and lined with fur. It hangs from both shoulders with an opening to the centre-right, leaving the right hand free, and reaches down to the lower back. Apart from keeping its wearer warm in the winter months, the skapjar is also a part of Arthuria's traditional folk dress.

³ A hranasten mat is a type of compacted straw mat which is traditionally used to cover floorboards in Arthurian buildings. Its name is derived from the Ancient Arthurian word meaning 'to pile'.

⁴ Dvergtrej is the native Arthurian form of the art of bonsai.

⁵ Cherry Tree Square, Vestmanaeyjar's central plaza.

by **Radiatia** » Sun May 15, 2016 12:14 pm

Once the jet lag had worn off, and thanks to the generosity of his hosts, Quintin was able to get a feel for the Black City before his meeting at the Storting.

The city had a certain elegance to it - it was what Radiatians would describe as 'efficient' - with its mix of history and modernity. The climate, and indeed the location of Arthuria within the Antarctic Circle, put Quintin in mind of the Radiatian State of Eldura - in fact the whole country was probably about the same size and population.

Of course, culturally they couldn't be more different to Eldura, something Quintin was more than a little relieved to note. While Arthuria had a reputation for being a gentle, socially progressive country, Eldura was a state that beheaded criminals live on television and featured a show called Celebrity Deathmatch which literally involved having people fight to the death. Attempts by the federal government to ban these barbaric practices had been met by the state government with legal action - and ultimately the Supreme Court ruled against the federal government.

In short, Quintin was quite glad not to be there.

For his part, he hailed from the southern state of Saku -a smaller state known for its own progressivism. While in terms of climate and architecture, the Arthurian Federation was nothing like Saku, there was something about the social attitudes that reminded him of home. Indeed, despite being labelled a "Third World", non-aligned country, Arthuria felt less foreign to him than did some of Radiatia's allies, like Nui-ta or Poldania.

"Quaint little place, ain't it?"

Denis Prinz, a towering ex-RSEF man from Exegrad whose role was actually as an advisor to the Minister, despite him frequently being mistaken for the Minister's bodyguard, loomed over Quintin as he enjoyed his breakfast. "I reckon you could fit this whole country in my apartment building back home and still have room to spare."

"Take a seat, Denis." Said Quintin. "Any messages for me?"

"I prefer to stand, mate," Said Denis causing Quintin to narrow his eyes at him through his spectacles. "Sorry, Minister."

Quintin smirked. He was new to the job, and Denis knew it. He wasn't about to take himself too seriously.

"Nothing happened while you were sleeping," Said Denis. "Although the President did mention something about us going to war with Hadin..."

Quintin nearly choked, which caused Denis to roar with laughter.

"Jesus, Minister Quintin, I'm just yanking ya chain! No there's nothing, but I'll make sure to send something to your daughters while you're here."

"We should probably leave." Quintin said, abandoning half a slice of toast as he stood.

"Don't make me say it," Said Denis, almost begging, before sighing and murmuring, "Yes, Minister."

"So this Runný Arnadóttir? Who is she, the President, or Queen, or Foreign Minister or what is she?" Asked Denis as they approached the Storting.

"You tell me, Denis, that's your job," Said the Minister before relenting and adding, "They have a 9 person head of government. There isn't just one person with all the power."

Denis nodded. After the scandalous Fyoderov Administration, he thought to himself that a collective head of government could benefit Radiatia. He then remembered that a similar arrangement existed for a period during the communist era, and it did not go well.

"Sael, Quintin." Said Runný as he approached to shake her hand. "I'm sorry, would you rather 'Mr Holzer, or perhaps Minister?"

"Ahöe, Runný." Said the Minister, greeting her in Radiatian. "Quintin is just fine... having people call me Minister still makes me nervous, to be perfectly frank."

It was only recently that Radiatians had started addressing government officials by their surname - in Quintin's father's day, when Radiatia was communist, he was told that everyone was addressed as "Comrade" and then their first name.

As it was, Quintin cut quite a diminutive figure at the best of times, which was helped even less by having Denis tower over him in the background. Though he represented such a large and powerful country, he was himself not a very charismatic figure - in fact President Pavlovic had appointed him to the role for precisely that reason. He wasn't flashy, he wasn't a politician - and Radiatia had grown weary of big flashy characters in the wake of Fyoderov Scandal.

A wise man once said of diplomacy that you ought to speak softly and carry a big stick. Quintin's job was to speak softly - the rest of the administration back in Xerconia carried the stick.

"Before we start, might I welcome you to the Third World and offer you my best wishes for your stay, and those of my fellow Federal Ministers. I know they journey to Radiatia very well; it is strenuous at best."

Quintin smiled. It had been his predecessor, the controversial flash-in-a-pan Isaac Lichtenberg - now promoted to National Security Advisor - who had coined the term "Third World" to refer to countries like Arthuria. Quintin himself was less pleased with the term, but accepted it nevertheless.

"I have to say it's a home away from home, here. This is a beautiful country."

Now, to begin. We provided your government with a draft overview of the FTA, and our government lawyers are currently drafting the official document. I'm sure there are some provisions which you might wish to inquire about or, indeed, change. I would like to invite you to raise any such issues you might have."

Quintin nodded and motioned for Denis to bring him a briefcase full of documents.

"The first thing I want to make clear is that the Pavlovic Administration is very, very much in favour of free trade, and we applaud this initiative," He said. "However - Radiatian politics is a factor. As you may or may not be aware, the President's party - the Liberal-Conservative Party - were defeated in the recent mid-term elections, meaning the Social Democratic Union now control both chambers of the Federal Parliament.

"Our constitution requires the Senate to ratify any free trade deal before it comes into law, and therefore the Administration may or may not be able to sign up to everything that we want. In short this means that, to an extent, this is a three way negotiation."

He gestured to the man sitting on his right, wearing a cowboy hat.

"Representing the Social Democrats in Parliament is Senate Majority Whip Bradford Horn of Xegfause."

"Howdy," Said Senator Horn, tipping his hat at Runny. "Now I just want you to know I'm confident I can get a good trade deal through the Senate. But, well, we gotta make sure it ain't gonna lose anyone their jobs..."

"...or force us to adopt unnecessary regulations." Added Quintin. "The biggest concern that the Administration has regards the HSTB section, specifically 'taking the most stringent regulation as its basis'. The President promised the Radiatian people that she would endeavour to deregulate, rather than regulate, and so there is apprehension regarding the possibility of the federation having to adopt foreign regulations."

by **Nui-ta** » Mon May 16, 2016 11:01 am

The diplomatic airplane, designated by Nui-tan aviation and security authorities as Emir'Kal 2, glided gracefully from the northeast into Arthurian airspace. Eventually, it landed at Vestmannaeyjar, landing (almost) as gracefully, with a singular bump on the way down due to a slight slip of the hand by a co-pilot --- said co-pilot received a stern reprimand from the pilot for jostling the Nui-tan official whose very presence on-board the plane associated it with the callsign Emir'Kal 2 in the first place.

Emir'Kal 1 designated any plane on which the Emperor --- Nui-ta's Head of State, was on board. As a rather tall and attractive looking blonde man stepped off of the plane and made his way unto the tarmac, people who did not recognize him would easily have thought that the Hadinian delegation had somehow made its way unto a Nui-tan diplomatic plane.

Those in the know, however --- and it was hard not to know, seeing how his face was plastered all over Nui-tan political news --- would recognize this man as Nui-tan Prime Minister Paolo Medici. As the Head of Government, any plane which the Prime Minister was on-board was labelled Emir'Kal 2 --- the second most important plane in the Nui-tan Monarchy.

It was definitely an odd sight to see a Hadinian man representing the Nui-tan Monarchy, especially when considering that the Nui-tans were in a diplomatic cold war of sorts with Hadin which was heating up day by day. Paolo was very much aware that one of the reasons so many had voted for him was because he was a Hadinian male, who was therefore able to address the Hadinian government a little better --- even though, in reality, very few hated the Hadinian government more than Paolo himself.

Paolo Medici had grown up in war-torn Alinia, a former colonial holding of Nui-ta's, which, before that, historically belonged to ancient Hadin. Alinia possessed a sizable population of ethnic Hadinians in a state that was now part of Nui-ta, and had been part of Nui-ta for several decades now. Alinia's government during the Partition had sided with the Nui-tan Monarchy, over the Joint Colonial Separatist Forces (which, though now long-defunct, was essentially the parent group to both the terrorist Hadinian Liberation Front, and the governing High-Envoyship of Hadin, among other things). Because Alinia's government remained loyal to Nui-ta, it became part of Nui-ta (as a state, not a lesser colony), after the war.

Paolo had defected from the JCSF at the beginning of the war, after witnessing an event --- something so cruel he dared not to speak of it --- committed by the JCSF against the very colonists they said they were protecting. After that, and a near-death incident in which he'd been caught defecting and nearly been executed by fire (literally), he maintained a hatred for Hadin, considering himself an Alinian first, a Nui-tan second, and a Hadinian --- never, outside of the DNA he'd been stuck with since birth.

He used to wear brown contacts and pretend he was partially Nui-tan. The whole world knew he was Hadinian-blooded now though, so the contacts were long gone. The Arthurian delegation meeting him were thus struck by startling violet --- almost amethyst, eyes. Another mark of Hadinian lineage, though less common, was a red ring around the eyes (a sign of albinism) which Paolo also possessed, though just barely.

The Hadinians had already met with Arthuria --- Paolo was aware. More importantly, instead of scaring the Arthurians off with Hass, they'd made the smarter move of introducing them to Fiete Nikastro. Nikastro was someone who was far more palatable to much of Noctur, as he was likely to respect Arthurian neutrality. Hell, even Paolo Medici sort of liked Fiete Nikastro, since Nikastro was the only Hadinian Patrician to try and talk down escalating tensions between the Northern and Southern Islands of the Karasian Archipelago. Nikastro, if he became leader of Hadin, was perhaps the last saving grace that Nui-tan/Hadinian relations had left.

But Nikastro was not High-Envoy, and as long as Nikastro was not High-Envoy, Arthurian interests in neutrality would never be respected by Hadin. While Paolo didn't care for the idea of neutrality either, it was ultimately better in his mind to strengthen ties with Arthuria anyway. Much of this was not because of "bloc allegiances", but because as threats to Nui-ta rose in the world, Paolo wanted to scope out where and where not they resided --- though Arthuria was not a likely target. Furthermore, as Nui-ta's star was rising in the world (who'd have thunk the Nui-tans, of all people, were suddenly considered a powerful nation with a lot of diplomatic weight? But they were...), the need to globalize and become more invested in world affairs rose as well.

No wonder Radiatia pulls that "Sheriff of Noctur" line.

It's fucking freezing here, though.

Although the Nui-tans had a relatively shorter flight than the Radiatians, partially because both Nui-ta and Arthuria were below the equator, and partially because the Nui-tans had decided to fly west, since the world was round, and go the faster way, instead of crossing the Great Central Ocean or whatever it was called in these parts --- Paolo was just as tired as Quintin had been when disembarking the plane.

Unlike Quintin, Paolo was freezing. Alinia was a "colder" part of Nui-ta, but all that really meant was that it didn't get up to 100 degrees Fahrenheit every other day. Snow and arctic climate were still unheard of. This was Paolo's first experience with snow.

He did his best, wrapped up in a couple of jackets and surrounded by a few advisers and security personnel who were all obviously Nui-tan, to toughen up, smile for the camera, and greet his hosts as graciously as he could manage.

by **The Arthurian Isles** » Wed May 18, 2016 2:21 pm

When one spoke of Radiatia certain images came to mind. Of course there was the picture of Radiatian troops or R-SOD agents wielding the Federation's full might abroad; a small country - like Arthuria - could be destroyed at the word of a President sitting in their tower in Xerconia. There were also the stereotypes that sprang most easily to the minds of the ordinary person: the Exegrad businessmen in whose fingers breathed the spirit of the global markets, or the northern farmers whose simple concerns didn't reach far outside of their villages. The impression that Runær conjured whenever she thought of Radiatia included all of these; to her, Radiatia was the very action of movement. It was the physical manifestation of expending energy. Its military prowess was thanks to the ceaselessness of its self-imposed role and its economic strength was born from the unwavering zeal of its people, unleashed after decades of Communist rule. Radiatia was like the person who was able to see the world in all of its potential, all of its opportunity, but only because they were shut away from it for so long. That, to Runær, was what she expected of Radiatia. It was what she expected from its representatives. It was what she expected from Quintin.

Her expectations were dashed. As her guests arrived in the Storting chamber it became readily apparent to Runær that she was dealing with an equal, in a sense. Of course she was not fool enough to think that Arthuria was of much concern to Xerconia - geopolitically it was a strategically insignificant archipelago in the deep south, economically it was worth a fraction of a single Radiatian city's worth, and politically it was stubbornly neutral - but as soon as Quintin spoke she felt that he was another human being with whom she could converse freely. Like her, it seemed that he wore the titles of office with at least a little discomfort as though they fitted ill to his character. Such was Runær's experience of public service, although she imagined that her Radiatian counterpart was also weighed down with far greater responsibilities than she. Nonetheless, Quintin's polite words of introduction set a tone which she was relieved to join with. She had been expecting the formalities of high diplomacy - this was after all a meeting between two sovereign states of which she and Quintin were merely representatives - but instead she was already venturing into the more comfortable realm of interpersonal conversation and, as she was sure would occur further into the meeting, debate. In the end, of course, this would not affect the content of the discussions - a trade negotiation is just that - but it would affect the conduct. And that was enough to calm her. This would be like Stortinget meetings, she thought, and probably much more palatable than her own party's conference.

"I have to say it's a home away from home, here. This is a beautiful country." Quintin said after having been welcomed almost too officiously by Runær.

"Thank you for your kind words." She smiled. In some places, Vestmanaeyjar included, Arthuria was a handsome land and it had occurred to successive generations that humanity's hand would not only fail to improve upon nature's brushwork, it might actively diminish the painting. The mountains were therefore left as they were (except for the dark roads which lay hidden in their contours, curving with the rock face or covered in cavernous tunnels) and the forests were either untouched or carefully stewarded. Runær could understand how this could be a home-away-from-home for Quintin; it held much in common with Eldura on the surface - separated by an entire hemisphere the two were still alike in their barely endurable climates. In a deeper sense, though, it was Quintin's home state of Saku which shared greater similarities of culture, and this perhaps explained why Runær could find his company so pleasant. She only hoped that the effect was mutual, or at the very least that the affinity between Saku and Arthuria could make Quintin feel particularly welcome in the country.

The two delegations seated themselves around the Storting's own table in the centre of the room. On one end, at the tip of the right-hand wing of the Federal Raven which had been set into the lighter wood of the table, Quintin and his aide were invited to sit. Runær could not help but imagine that seat's usual occupant, the ever-mysterious and undecipherable Lief Kierkegaard. She hoped that she would be able to understand Quintin more than she could her enigmatic co-Stormaður. Herself and her secretary sat at the opposite side of the table, by the Raven's left-hand wing and in the direction towards which its head was turned. Around the Raven were engraved the arms of each of the twelve Arthurian cantons to form a sort of clock-face. Directly in front of Quintin was Normark's arms, depicting the head of an Arthurian brown bear staring without any emotion back out of the crest. Opposite him, Runær was seated in front of Steinhald's arms, a coronet of Edelweiss's over a single mountain. The two of them were not separated by much space, for although the table was designed to accommodate the entire Storting it was above all meant to foster a sense of co-operation; to do so it relied on physical closeness as a manifestation of the bonds of a common cause.

The two delegations settled into business. For a moment there appeared a real difference between the two of them; the Radiatian delegation included besides Quintin a modern day Hercules who provided a briefcase of paper documents and a Stetson-wearing senator who more typified the stereotype that some held for the aptly-named Sheriff of Noctur. On the other side of the table, Runær's secretary was a skinny young man who looked like an intern more than a political adviser. In fact he was a recent graduate from the University of Holen who had been accepted into the Alting during that year's young-entry programme. The two Arthurians were swiping through pages on their tablets; the secretary was recording the proceedings and keeping a messaging stream open to the government's lawyers one floor down, while Runær was opening a document that was clearly headed with the government's identifying stamp - the same Federal Raven on the table before them. This was her intellectual support, a full copy of the draft agreement which she had been working on for months by this stage.

It seemed that she would need that support. Despite the pleasantries of their introduction she and Quintin were still negotiating, and that required obstacles to be introduced and overcome. The gentleman in the Stetson, to whom she was introduced, was one such obstacle. Rather, he represented one such obstacle, for he appeared to be both polite and charming and was in himself no barrier to reaching an agreement. Nevertheless, as Quintin had made quite clear, Senator Horn was here on behalf of a third faction in these talks and so dispelled any conception of the negotiation as a bilateral arrangement. Multilateralism, as this was turning into, brought with it its own particular difficulties but in a sense Runær's role did not have to change much from what she had been expecting: she was here to win support for the Vestmanaeyjar Accords. Her arguments in favour of the agreement were still the same as they would otherwise have been, the only alteration to her approach was that she might need to deploy more of these points. If she could not sway both Bradford and Quintin then so be it - she had not expected to even receive a response from Noctur's largest (arguably, according to the Poldanians) economy.

"Sæl, Bradford - if I may also call you that? And congratulations on your party's victory, although I'm sure Quintin would prefer it if we did not dwell on that." She joked. Her aide grinned into his tablet's screen.

"Shall I address your concern first?" She settled back into a state of serious discussion and looked at Bradford. "Unemployment is a concern for ourselves in Arthuria as well, so I speak the truth when I say that we understand your worries. I have been assured, however, that the type of free trade agreement advocated in the Vestmanaeyjar Accords would have minimal effects on the rates of employment in our countries. In fact, our predictions are that a free trade agreement between Arthuria and Radiatia could improve the number of jobs available to our citizens. There are three primary reasons for this, two of which are structural to our economies and the last is a direct attempt in the agreement to counter your concerns." Runær quickly brought up another tab on her tablet, filled with brief bullet points at which she glanced only momentarily before returning her gaze to Bradford and, occasionally, Quintin.

"The first argument against unemployment is a structural one: our economies are well developed and highly diversified; we rely on broad industrial and service bases to absorb the impact of economic shocks. Now, free trade is not an economic shock, it is a predictable policy implemented by mutual agreement. It therefore does not constitute a severe interruption to economic activity nor is its effect negative. In fact, precisely because of our diversified economies free trade could be a positive policy." She paused to sip from a glass of sparkling water. "The Federal Bank has conducted research which suggests that the majority of Arthurian business leaders would respond to a free trade agreement by expanding domestic operations in order to reach new markets. I do not know whether your own government has conducted similar polls, but I would expect similar intentions from a people as enterprising as Radiatia's. When those same leaders were asked about foreign competition, they admitted some concerns but they also suggested solutions. Specialisation was their answer: they would specialise their production and seek either to retrain or hire additional employees to accommodate this. In our two countries, we can rely on a highly-educated population to make that solution possible and actively create more jobs for our people." She smiled once more to give herself time to phrase the next point in her head.

"The second argument is related to the first. If we have expanded economic activity then we ought to see a commensurate rise in GDP. The rise comes from higher levels of consumption, greater export value and increased incentives to invest. It is a stable expansion of the national wealth based on proportionate increases to our long-term supply and demand bases. Left undirected, the greater wealth creates new jobs; directed effectively it could create even more. Freeing trade relations naturally leads to higher levels of sustainable employment."

Runær brought back up the tab containing the draft copy of the agreement. She scrolled down quickly to a listed section. "Finally, the agreement itself aims to protect employment in the signatory countries. Basic agricultural goods are entirely free from the obligations of the agreement and process agricultural goods still face protections to maintain domestic production; we accept that agriculture is a particularly important area for most countries, and I believe I am correct in saying that by maintaining some protectionist measures we can assuage the particular worries of some of Radiatia's northern states." Runær sought tacit confirmation here, in case her research had proved incorrect. As far as she had understood, most of Radiatia's agricultural output was thanks to the efforts of northern farmers. If Bradford and Quintin did not raise any objection then she would continue. "In other sectors the agreement also allows government intervention to protect small and emerging businesses. If all else fails, the Accords allow for temporary import limits to be implemented in response to exceptional emergencies. I am sure that were a significant rise in unemployment connected to the Accords then that would be grounds for their temporary legal suspension."

Runær paused for a moment. Though she spoke softly her adrenaline was surging. She took a moment to breath before turning to Quintin.

"Now, the HSTBs section presents a deeper issue. As you may be aware, Arthuria operates strict regulations on its domestic goods, particularly food, which would be difficult to lower. This would not be an issue for basic agricultural goods; as I have said, they are excluded from the agreement. The main point of friction would therefore, I imagine, arise over processed agricultural goods and fish. Before I continue, allow me to show you the full text of this section of the agreement. It may help us reach a decision."

Runær passed her tablet to Quintin, showing a page of the draft agreement. At its head was the title 'Article 7 - Sanitary & Phytosanitary Measures'. It read:

Member States shall ensure that any sanitary or phytosanitary measure is applied only to the extent necessary to protect human, animal or plant life or health, is based on scientific principles and is not maintained without sufficient scientific evidence.
Member States shall ensure that their sanitary and phytosanitary measures do not arbitrarily or unjustifiably discriminate between one another where identical or similar conditions prevail, including between their own territory and that of the other Member State. Sanitary and phytosanitary measures shall not be applied in a manner which would constitute a disguised restriction on international trade.
Member States shall accept the sanitary or phytosanitary measures of the other Member State as equivalent, even if these measures differ from their own or from those used by the other Member State trading in the same product, if the exporting Member State objectively demonstrates to the importing Member State that its measures achieve the importing Member State’s appropriate level of sanitary or phytosanitary protection. For this purpose, reasonable access shall be given, upon request, to the importing Member State for inspection, testing and other relevant procedures.
Member States should, when determining the appropriate level of sanitary or phytosanitary protection, take into account the objective of minimising negative trade effects.

"As you can see," Runær continued, having given everyone a few minutes to read through the article, "the rules are not as discriminatory as they might at first sound. We have tried hard to ensure that they do not hinder trade. That being said, there will no doubt be some circumstances, in the areas I have already mentioned, where we cannot deem one another's goods sufficiently safe to sell in our countries. In this case, I see two options.

"The first is that we exclude these goods from the agreement. As I say, this would apply to a small number of products, mostly foodstuffs, over which Radiatia would understandably be unwilling to introduce regulations and we in Arthuria would be unwilling to reduce HSTBs. Given that agriculture is already subject to protections under the agreement, this would not be too detrimental to the goals of free trade.

"If, however, we wish to continue in the spirit of the agreement, the second option would be to introduce policies which would indirectly nullify the difference in standards. For example, if we were to adopt similar anti-pollution policies then many goods would meet one another's standards without anyone having to introduce specific business regulations."

She stopped and smiled once more. She only hoped that in her arguments she had not accidentally made a fool of herself. Economics was not her forté, on which subject she usually deferred to Hildur Manus. Hildur, however, was busy with her own foreign guest.

by **The Arthurian Isles** » Sat May 21, 2016 5:45 am

Køpmanærhavn sits on a plateau to Vestmanaeyjar's south. From the airport the land drops in the north through a series of cliff-faces and steep inclines so that the terminal building has an uninterrupted view of the capital nearly thirty kilometres away. On all other sides the airport is sheltered from the worst of Geldungur's winds by the peaks of some of Arthuria's smaller mountains. While the rest of the island was bracing itself against the winds which daily blow from the expanse of clear ocean to the north and north-west, Køpmanærhavn was granted its usual reprieve. The wind was reduced to no more than a light breeze within the shielded mesa and the snow which in the rest of the area was nearly perpendicular found itself floating with a serene grace onto the runway's tarmac. The airport's lights were a blessed relief to many a pilot. The descent from the turbulence of the heaven's down into the sanctuary of the mountains was known amongst most of them as 'God's Cushion'. On occasion it did indeed feel miraculous for an aircraft to touch down without incident.

If human comparisons could be made with Køpmanærhavn's meteorological particularities then they were abundantly clear outside the terminal building today. The biting winds high in the air seemed to have breathed their spirit into the journalists, logreglanmaður and political aides who made the side of the runway appear as a hive of energetic activity. The logreglanmaður especially reflected the relentless pressure in the clouds above. For a police force that was used to helping lost tourists, investigating missing pets or sometimes even cycling after a shoplifter, the security operation required to host a visiting head of government was almost unprecedented. The Vestmanaeyjaren Logreglan had been supplemented with federal reinforcements; officers were pacing the barriers which separated the public from the tarmac, escort motorcyclists were revving their engines to keep the cold from shutting them down entirely, and an armed response team was waiting tensely in a jeep in the background of it all. To the political aides who they were protecting the event was equally almost as unprecedented. The perpetual footfall of suited bureaucrats was their own way of coping with the nerves: look busy.

In front of them all was a figure who in her solitude was made to look uniquely calm and composed. She reposed in an air of confidence as if she were the leading lady and all of those behind her were the extras in a great theatrical performance. She stood still, patiently waiting for the arrival of her guest. The only movement was her head tracking the taxiing aircraft and the rustle of her skapjar's fur lining in the soft breeze. When one focused on her the distractions of the police, the press and the politicians behind her dissipated into the clear mountain air.

She was Hildur Manus, the Arthurian Treasury Minister.

The figure she presented in front of Køpmanærhavn's terminal was the same that struck the Arthurian people every time she spoke or acted or simply was. Her confidence was almost imperceptible for she bore it with supreme grace. It was the result of a keen mind, tireless effort and real power. In the Storting, she was one of the few with character enough to be more equal than her compeers. Nor were these traits immediately evident to those who examined Hildur; to her supporters and detractors alike she appeared as nothing more than a dedicated if sometimes dull public servant. She was never the figurehead for any policies or the spokesperson of a particular course of action. One simply got the impression of Hildur Manus that she was indispensable, that her presence alone brought with it stability and predictability.

In truth she was far more dynamic than her stereotype gave her credit for. She had seized the momentum of her opponents' recent demise in the Arthurian political debate to implement almost unnoticed a six-year plan of reforms which had caused arguably the greatest change to Arthurian society since the Basic Law had been enacted. What had once been labelled unthinkingly as a socialist country was now home to a dynamic, enterprising, entrepreneurial economy. It still carried with it the outward signs of a compassionate communitarian nation; Arthurians enjoyed comprehensive healthcare, government education support, a universal basic income and tremendous public amenities. But in its beating heart all of those 'people-oriented investments' (as was their political pseudonym) were built upon the back of private industry and a free-flowing economy. Hildur Manus had made that so, sweeping away the last vestiges of socialism since 1100 A.R. (2010, in the common calendar), and all without the Arthurian people realising that it was so.

Their ignorance was understandable. Compared to most countries in Noctur Arthuria did appear outwardly socialist, and when balanced against those states which were more socialist in either means or ends then Arthurians could say that "we, at least, are democratic". It was only the economists who had noted the changes of the past half-decade and only a minority of them had been willing to publish anything about it. They had decided that Arthuria had developed its own economic system - the Søðen Moðel, or Southern Model - which was neither capitalistic nor socialist, and yet was more nuanced than a simple 'mixed-economy' label could offer. The country, they argued, achieved a freer market by continuing to invest in its people. It recognised them as the primary and most important asset the country possessed and, beyond that, the very reason for operating a strong economy. Investment into the people gave them greater autonomy from the state in order to pursue their desires in a stable, liberal marketplace. If anyone understood this, it was the Nui-tans; one of their own NGOs had released a fascinating paper exposing the small margin between individualism and collectivism within Arthuria.

That sort of attention in Arthuria from foreign climes was beginning to translate into material policies now. Arthuria's diplomatic spring was in full bloom, like the flowers in its public parks at this time of the year. Thor Hamarskjold had been to converse with the Hadinians in Kopurauth. Though no meeting had come of it, the Poldanians had shown interest in their ties with the little country. The Radiatians had sent their foreign minister to the other side of the world to talk trade. And now the Prime Minister of Nui-ta, a head of government no less, had touched down on Køpmanærhavn's tarmac. Neutrality was no longer a passive declaration; to be neutral was now an action that must be perpetually employed through careful diplomatic balancing and even more delicate defensive postures.

Emir'Kal 2 lumbered into its place before Hildur. Suddenly she seemed far less dramatic a personage when juxtaposed against that prodigious machine, though her face did not betray her nerves. The extras behind her ceased their movement, more blatantly in awe than Hildur appeared. They were waiting for a very special man.

Paolo Medici had gained a sort of fame in Arthuria - as much fame as a foreign politician can hope for. With too little of the sensational occurring in Arthuria to fill its news outlets and a perpetual concern that any overseas incident could affect the country's neutrality, Arthurians tended to absorb a greater-than-average degree of international affairs. Especially in recent years it had become obvious that Nui-ta was intimately connected with the power balances which teetered every day on the brink of collapse. One man more than any other was associated in the Arthurian mind with that balancing act: Paolo Medici. As a statesmen he was generally admired for his political skill, regardless of his policies or allegiances. His recognition in Arthuria was perhaps more due to his demeanour though, both physical and personal. More rational than expectations generally allowed and beguilingly similar in looks to the Arthurian people he was as close to one of them as an utlandmaður could be. He possessed the height, skin-tone and hair-colour of the typical Arthurian; and yet there was something exotic in him - the eyes were a striking purple that stood out against the icy harshness of the blue common to these parts. When such a man emerged from Emir'Kal 2 the stillness ended at once. The cameras clicked, the journalists spoke and the politicos looked busy.

All but Hildur. She waited for her guest to step from the aircraft and meet her beside the tarmac. The scene which would encapsulate the entire state visit was upon them: two people meeting in the bonds of friendship.

Hildur was aware that Nui-tan social conventions were far less familiar than those in Arthuria. Thor had learned to his embarrassment , upon his visit to Hadin, that Karas was a more conservative place than the little country in the south. The Foreign Ministry had consequently seen fit to send ahead a warning of Arthurian customs to the Nui-tans and invite them to decline them prior to the meeting, should they desire to. The worry came not from the normal diplomatic currency of Noctur, rather it was Arthuria's peculiarities which raised alarm.

Lifsand - the 'Breath of Life' - was a step beyond the formal welcomes to which most foreign dignitaries were used. It was special to the Arthurian people because it had a known and profound meaning. It was the recognition that despite being an utlandmaður - literally an outlander - the guest was, for the time they remained with their host, one and the same with the host's family. From the moment of Lifsand the guest was given an equal share to all that the host possessed; they ate what their host ate, drank what they drank and slept under the same roof. For the guest Lifsand held meaning too. It implied that they had become a 'person of the land' and so bore the same responsibilities as all other natives. The action itself was a simple interaction between each participant's breath but its significance was in the sharing of their souls that it represented. The host would place their hands on the guest's shoulders and lean forward until both foreheads were touching. The guest would then place their own hands on their host's shoulders. They would breath as one, and the pact would be made. Of course the physical manifestation of Lifsand had been abandoned by ordinary Arthurians for a century by now, but the meaning still existed as a duty on every household. Those who did not treat their guests with the due respect accorded to them by Lifsand faced the judgement of their community.

The act of Lifsand - the touching of foreheads and grasping of shoulders - may have been lost to the everyday life of Arthuria, but it was still used symbolically on formal occasions. During diplomatic visits especially it was treated as a promise between the parties that they would work together in the spirit of amity, stripped of the pressures of formality. Formality was, for some, more comfortable than the actions required by Lifsand. The Foreign Ministry therefore made sure that they had received Paolo's permission before risking an embarrassment upon both of them.

Whatever the consequence of Lifsand may have been, Hildur still greeted Paolo with the same words she had rehearsed the day before. "Sæl, friend. For your country to talk to ours is an honour; for yourself to personally visit is a gift. I offer you the warmest of welcomes, despite the cold today, and extend the greetings of the Arthurian people."

The 'warmth' of the welcome was meant both metaphorically and literally. As soon as Hildur had finished her introduction she turned to take a heavy pelt from an aide standing to her side. He melted into the activity behind him as soon as his role was over. The pelt was in fact a skapjar, a traditional cloak from these parts which covered the entire left shoulder and sat neatly on the right, falling only to the small of its wearer's back. It was usually made from a rough animal hide which was greased for water resistance and lined on the inside with a warming fur. Usually plain, they were on occasion decorated with intricate geometric patterns. This one had such a design along its border and was fastened with a chain forged with the same design. This was another tradition of Arthurian visits - and a more welcome one for most. The cold made it necessary to provide visitors with something extra and most were pleased to accept it as an official gift. It was not much but its meaning, it was hoped, was obvious.

***

Buðardalur was never the same twice. By the time Quintin Holzer had departed the clear views he had been able to enjoy across the valley were gone. The whole place was shrouded in a low mist which granted tens of metres of visibility before the rocks, trees and animals became faint whispers in the ethereal haze. The motorcade which ferried Paolo from Køpmanærhavn drove slowly down the road which led into the valley and directly to the residence's entrance. Its tarmac curved around mountainous slopes and dipped or rose with every undulation across which it passed. As the first logreglan outriders turned its corners the sound of loose scree tumbling over the grassy verge carried to the cars behind them; their sirens had been muted so as not to disturb the snow which piled ever thicker on the slopes above them. The official car did little to ease the journey. Its electric engine could not cover the distinctive noise of the tyres losing traction over the patches of black ice which had formed underneath the snow. It was falling heavier here than it had at the airport. After nearly forty minutes of wearisome journeying the convoy slowed to a graceful stop outside Buðardalur's entrance. The logreglanmaður standing easy just outside of it was bulked out in thick winter wear so that he looked less like an individual and more like some autonomous sentinel.

In front of Paolo, the driver's shoulders visibly relaxed and his whole body gently reclined back into his seat. The logreglanmaður who opened Paolo's door was still noticeably tense, however. The only person who seemed unperturbed by the journey was Hildur, who stepped out just as she had at the end of every journey she had made down that valley whether it had been in sun, rain or snow. She invited Paolo to follow her into the residence. In the weather they were facing it exhibited a strange beauty; the ancient black walls, crumbling in most areas and thick with moss or slime, for once looked substantial. Their battered and broken battlements could not be seen in the low mist. An image of Buðardalur's old life was preserved in that moment. No longer was it the ruined castle protecting the unseen home beneath, it was in the eyes of those few beholders a true castle once more. Until the mist rose, that is.

***

At noon the next day, Paolo's car brought him neatly up to the steps of the Altinghusið. The poor weather had improved - the snow still fell in light flakes but descended from an overcast sky rather than a dense ground-level fog - such that the facade of the parliament building was visible to its very top. The two centuries-old building was one of the grandest in Vestmanaeyjar, but like Buðardalur was a shell, a ruin, surrounding a modern institution. Behind the facade, which was as deep only as the Altinghusið's foyer, lay a glass cube inserted within the destroyed hulk of what had once been a neoclassical people's palace. It was here, reminded of the past traditions which bound them, that an efficient bureaucratic machine operated with the conveniences afforded them by the twenty-first century (or, as it was in the Arthurian calendar, the twelfth century). It would also be in the 'new' Altinghusið that Paolo would meet with Hildur once again, this time in the spirit of discussion rather than welcome.

The Joint Committee chamber was left unused for most of the year. It was only required to be maintained in case of a constitutional abnormality and like most rooms reserved for extraordinary occasions it was almost entirely functional in its design. The only furniture within was the table which covered most of the room's floorspace and was surrounded by dark leather chairs which would not look out of place in any board room. The walls were light wooden panels with no gilding or embellishment at all. It was a modern minimalist sanctuary. The only element of grandeur that had been added for this meeting was the two flagpoles at the far end of the room, placed at the end of the table's centre axis. On one hung the blue and white banner of Nui-ta, the folds revealing the crown's points. On the other was the Arthurian cross.

"Sæl once again, Prime Minister." Hildur was already seated in her place at the table when Paolo arrived. She rose to greet him, first bowing her head and then extending a hand for a more traditional welcome. "May we call one another by first names, or would you prefer to stick to official procedure?" Diplomacy as ever outweighed the urge to resort immediately to the familiarity of Arthurian forms of address.

She invited the Nui-tans to take a row of seats on the opposite end of the table and then returned to her own, joining a young aide - another intern who had been recruited in the government's drive to train the younger generation in the dull necessities of politics.

"So, the first order of business is really up to you." Hildur began, settling into her chair. "How does Nui-ta find the draft trade agreement? If there are any provisions which you desire to be altered or simply wish to inquire about, I invite you to bring them up now." Hildur smiled.

by **Nui-ta** » Fri May 27, 2016 4:01 pm

The Arthurian Isles wrote:The presence of a Federal Minister could mean only one thing: Arthuria was to be graced by the arrival of a head of government. The arrival of Emir'Kal 2 on the tarmac confirmed the case. Even if one did not recognise the aircraft itself, the man who emerged from it, alongside a not-insignificant delegation, was clearly recognisable. There was usually very little to report on Arthurian news, and so foreign affairs took up a large amount of air time. In recent years, Nui-ta had become of increasing importance to the global political scene, and so Arthurians had begun to learn more and more about its society, politics, culture - anything, really, that might affect Arthurian neutrality in the international community. They had, therefore, almost certainly heard of Paolo Medici. If they had glimpsed an image of him in the news too, then they would almost certainly recognise him today. His features were in one sense so similar to those of most Arthurians - tall, blonde, white skinned. And yet there was something distinctly exotic about him too. The eyes were particularly unique. That purple, tinged with red perhaps? It was hard to tell, but they stood out against the icy harshness of the blue eyes typical in these parts. The point is, the press knew exactly which figure to follow as the Nui-tans emerged from the aircraft and made their way to the greeting party just off the tarmac.

Among a field of blue eyes within the Arthurian community, Paolo's own red and purple were likely as an ember amidst a sheet of ice. It was actually really ironic, considering that Paolo was somewhat known for being the most docile Prime Minister that Nui-ta had seen in a while. He lacked the brashness and controversy of Evan Isaci, the bounciness or charisma of Trenta Crumlo, and the outright quickness-to-anger of his immediate predecessor (and former boss) Ultimus Renton. In fact, Paolo was quite slow to anger, and when he did anger, there were often no screams. No yells. No angry words.

Simply cold, simple silence, and a very dark look from his eyes. It terrified some of his co-workers, not because they were afraid of what he'd do to them (after all, he was known for being docile in his actions, but because the strangeness of his reactions often made it hard to counter him --- and thus, to win an argument).

This docility carried into other portions of Paolo's behavior as well --- he was quite awkward and shy --- unusual traits for a politician. This was made up for with many other attributes. He was naturally good-looking (which didn't hurt his ability to be photogenic, even despite his awkwardness), naturally intelligent (to a degree), and unnaturally calm --- the result of war-time experiences in his youth, rather than any natural, god-given gift. He could even remember being brasher and perhaps more outwardly confident as a teenager. That brashness and outward confidence were long gone, but especially nowhere to be found as the press corps closed in on him, snapping pictures and occasionally calling out to him in English. True to the docile nature for which he was known, he smiled a bit sheepishly and took a few seconds to give a very slight wave (chiding himself internally for seeming more like a movie star or a young boy, than a Prime Minister), before quickly remembering that he was freezing --- and that more importantly, the Federal Minister was awaiting him.

The Arthurian Isles wrote:To bring this deep connection into being, Hilde would have to place her hands on Paolo's shoulders and lean forward, ensuring that both forehead and nose touched to allow the breath of life to be exchanged. Naturally, the Foreign Affairs Ministry had been concerned that this might be too much to impose upon the Nui-tans, and so had sent a preliminary message to their delegation asking whether they would like it included in the official programme. Whatever they had decided, Hilde would still greet him with the same words, carefully practised in front of her mirror that morning.

Nui-ta's reputation for strictness in social convention preceded its delegates, so it was clear. Paolo was a bit taken aback by the politeness of the Arthurian government to send a preliminary message to Paolo, informing him of the Breath of Life, and actually asking permission as to whether or not to include this gesture in the official program.

There were many rules within Nui-ta for convention between two people, regardless as to whether their meeting was an official business or governmental affair, such as what was happening between Paolo and Hilde, or just an isolated meeting between two strangers on a random street, on a normal day. Nui-ta was a country steeped in hundreds of years of tradition, maintaining some of its culture even after 800 years of Zanzeanic occupation, heavy economic and political influence by Radiatia, and increasing involvement on the global level. Despite Nui-ta having become more globalized within the past-quarter century, the need to maintain national cultural identity was still a very strong concern within the Nui-tan community, and to this end, those rules of convention, tradition, and politesse never changed.

One of those rules, dictated that a visitor comply with the traditions of his host's upbringing. This was especially true for an official meeting. Paolo thus immediately accepted the use of the traditional Arthurian gesture of greeting, feeling a bit thankful (and extremely grateful) that he was being told what was happening beforehand --- and why. A country with hundreds of years of tradition, such as Nui-ta, had many traditional reasons, however strange they were to other countries. A Nui-tan could thus understand and appreciate the traditions of Arthuria in turn.

There was a bit of bravery to this shyness, as Paolo stood perfectly still (the rigidity of his pose was another practiced hang-over from his days as a soldier. It was as if he was a stone statue --- or given how cold he was, perhaps an ice statue --- as he allowed Hilde to break the barrier of touch, place her hands on his shoulders (he bent down slightly so he wouldn't be too tall for her, as Paolo was 6'1''), and touch her forehead and nose to his own. Hilde could probably see redness crossing Paolo's face. He hoped that Hilde did not take this as a sign of perverseness or disrespect. It wasn't that he was attracted (or unattracted) to her, but that closeness of this measure between anyone had been something that Paolo had not experienced in a long time. The last time his forehead touched that of another person, it had been with his wife, and that was before the divorce. Touching foreheads was an intimate act reserved for affection between family members within Nui-ta, and even among the Hadinians (of whom Paolo was descended) --- but Paolo welcomed Hilde's gesture anyway, because for a Nui-tan to dishonor a welcome from a host was a very grievous social offense.

He inhaled slightly. Hilde could perhaps feel his muscles tense as much as they could tolerate. He could strangely feel the exchanged molecules of oxygen and carbon dioxide, from her breath, through his, into his very lungs. It was foreign, and unusual, and strangely eye-opening.

The Arthurian Isles wrote:"Sael, friend. For your country to talk to ours is an honour; for yourself to personally visit is a gift. I offer you the warmest of welcomes, despite the cold today, and extend the greetings of the Arthurian people."

The 'warmth' of the welcome was made more literal as an aide, standing beside Hilde, handed her a large fur-lined skappja. Hilde took it and unfurled it to its full length - it was not long, barely reaching a person's legs when draped over their shoulder - offering it to Paolo. Again, this tradition was part of the formal welcoming of visitors to Arthuria. Not only were most somewhat shocked by the cold, and therefore requiring of extra layers, it also acted as a diplomatic gift for heads of government. This particular skappja was covered on the outside with dyed deer pelt, decorated around the edges with an intricate pattern. It was not much, but the meaning, it was hoped, was obvious.

Paolo's own voice replied to her, "good evening, Minister. I'm honored you should see our visit as such a gift --- and I can assure you that I feel this visit to be a blessing from the Gods as well to Nui-ta". He was referring, of course, to the gods of the Stalari religion, of which Paolo was an adherent, despite being ethnically Hadinian and raised by parents of the Humanist Septimist persuasion.

His face really did go red at the presentation of the skappja. The concept of diplomatic gifts was a familiarity to Nui-tans, so it was not the action of receiving that startled Paolo. After all, the Nui-tans themselves had brought a gift for the Arthurians, as a sign of good intentions. Instead, it was the fact that the skappja warmed him immensely --- as soon as he put it on, he felt a wave of relief (and happiness) wash over him. The cold had startled him more than he'd realized.

The Nui-tan gift to the Arthurians was of a different utility. In a wooden cask, hand-carved by Nui-tan artisans before being presented to Hilde from Paolo, was a wide variety of Nui-tan herbs and spices. All of these were dried, and thus non-perishables (hence why something of a potential culinary usage could pass customs), while some of them were also known to be of medicinal value --- all of them were cultivated in Nui-ta, with a few of them being exclusively found in Nui-ta.

"I hope this is a sufficient offering for your health," Paolo said, officially yet somehow awkwardly at the same time, before trying to shake off any appearance of weakness and flash Hilde with a sincere smile.

During his stay at the Búðardalur, the snow and wind did not bother him, though it took time for him to become accustomed to the sounds of shrill wintry winds. Rather than fear or discomfort, it was fascination that kept him awake for a while longer than he'd wished --- one of his aides saw him standing at a window, clad in the skappja, watching the snowflakes dance amid the scenic backdrop of Arthuria's landscape, shrouded in fog though most of it was.

He slept calmly through the night, only having an incident the next morning when he got up early to meet with the Altingishúsið. Ensuring that he'd eat breakfast before joining his hosts for official business, he ventured into the kitchen of the residence to fry a couple of eggs (Paolo lived alone, and was thus used to cooking for himself). He was thus very startled to see his aides, who'd just beaten him to the stove.

"Morning Minister!" His lead aide, a Sangauranic Nui-tan male by the name of Abjital el-Haramas smiled. "I made an omelette! Want some?"

Abjital had forgotten about the number one rule with Paolo: no gas stoves.

"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!" The Nui-tan delegation suddenly heard Paolo roar. Thank the gods the Arthurians were not around for this moment.

"Prime Minister, it's an omelette!"

"TURN IT OFF. FOR THE LOVE OF FUCKING GOD TURN IT OFF RIGHT NOW!" Paolo was rushing through the kitchen, looking for a glass with which to fill with water. At that moment, Abjital remembered that the stove was gas --- and that there was an open flame involved.

"Oh! OH! Sorry! I'm sorry! It's off! It's OFF!" Abjital braced --- Paolo had nearly thrown the water in his direction.

"Please tell me there isn't a fireplace at the place we're going".

"I don't think so," Paolo said. "I mean, who'd put a fire inside of a building on purpose, am I right?"

"Most people aren't as terrified by flames as you are," Abjital muttered.

"Most people weren't tied to the stake by Septimists and doused in gasoline," Paolo retorted.

"True. But get over it, Minister. We've a meeting to go to --- and we don't need to freak out the Arthurians by you nearly pouring water all over them".

To be extra sure that Paolo had calmed down, the staff requested a short lie-in, merely stating that Paolo was feeling some "residual effects from travel", before the time finally came for the Nui-tans to meet with Hilde again.

The Arthurian Isles wrote:"Sael once again, Prime Minister." Hilde rose from her seat around the conference table and made her way over to Paolo, first bowing her head and then extending a hand to him. "May we call one another by first names, or would you prefer to stick to official procedure?" The needs of diplomacy here outweighed Hilde's instinct to resort immediately to 'Paolo' as a familiar form of address. At any rate, she invited him and the rest of the Nui-tan delegation to take a seat around the table, which was equipped with a notepad, pen, pencil, glass of water and a small screen ahead of each seat which would be used to share documents when and where required.

"So, the first order of business is really up to you." Hilde began, settling into her chair. "How does Nui-ta find the draft trade agreement? If there are any provisions which you desire to be altered or simply wish to inquire about, I invite you to bring them up now." Hilde smiled.

Having reached the meeting-place, and again coming into contact with Hilde, Paolo returned the gesture of bowing his own head, before shaking her hand briskly and sitting in the seat appropriated to him.

"Call me Paolo, if you wish, Minister". Although Paolo in turn felt a bit strange to address Minister Manus as Hilde, he was aware that it would be even stranger for her to not call him simply as "Paolo". Once again, her house. Her rules.

He examined the free trade agreement's draft carefully.

Industrial products? Good.

Fishery? Good. So far so good, he smiled at her softly as an indication of his lack of complaint.

Agricultural products was mostly good, and certainly understandable, although Paolo wondered about the possibility of basic agricultural products like rice or spices, which were still large portions of Nui-ta's trade and therefore needed a mention.

Rules of origin, trade faciliation, health, safety, and technical barriers, trade remedies...all of these were fine as well. As a matter of fact, the trade agreement was nearly acceptable in its current form to Paolo, and the one surgical incision he wished to inquire about was relatively small, as far as he could tell. He did his best to remain respectful as possible towards his host as he spoke.

"I have to say, I think this trade agreement is nearly acceptable as-is. The only thing I think may be of some minor concern is the lack of inclusion of basic agricultural goods, such as rice, grain or fi---"

He stopped himself, remembering that while fish were considered basic agricultural goods in Nui-ta (and a staple of the Nui-tan diet), they were considered an industrial good within Arthuria.

"I should say that my country is a country with major stake in the grain and rice trade, and I'd like to know what would be required to add those items into an agreement specifically between Nui-ta and Arthuria. I should also add that Nui-ta typically considers fishery products to be a basic agricultural good, rather than an industrial item --- despite both our nations having large fishing industries".

"This is really the only thing that concerns me about this agreement. Other than that, I'm actually quite impressed".

by **Poldania** » Sat May 28, 2016 7:58 pm

No one was quite sure why the president had decided to send the Secretary of the Environment to a trade negotiation. Because Arthuria had some nice sights? To keep her department out of the Merrinan reconstruction? Maybe even to snub Arthuria a bit? How the not-quite-thirty-year-old Elisa Danielles had caught Cesare's eye for this job was a mystery to all but the highest in the Union Party. Most of the rank-and-file Union senators, though, were on to something when they'd started whispering about this "omen" of an imminent shake-up of the cabinet. There was an election coming up, after all, so the timing was right.

For her part, the former Green Party senator was choosing to take this trip as a sign that her new party's leadership had decided she could be useful. This was a more important meeting than it would seem, despite Arthuria's size and location. The government was keen on building up stable trade, and the neutral federation was one of the best opportunities for that. Besides that, it was an open secret that Elisa had always really wanted the State Department. The coming days were the closest she'd gotten to that.

The secretary flipped through her briefing again, trying to clear her head of all those Verdonan politics. It didn't help: they just reminded her that she was the lowest ranking official, from any nation, sent to Arthuria so far. Medici himself had come from Nui-ta, and even the Radiatians had sent their actual foreign minister.

"Probably tried to pull that 'biggest economy' crap too..." she muttered, turning to a page on what little State had been able to find on Arthurian customs.

"What's that?" Elisa's assistant was sitting across the plane from her.

"Oh," she didn't look up, "just wondering if we ever got those new GDP estimates Jen's been talking about since the coronation¹."

"Not yet. Now Merrina's under control, though, it shouldn't take too long. But the academics are saying we'll still be on top."

"Thank you, Karl."

"Excellency."

Both Poldanians watched out the window as their fighter escort peeled off. They were in Crataan airspace now. Only ten more hours to Vestmannaeyjar.

¹Despite the fact that the president doesn't wear a crown, the presidential inauguration is still called a "coronation" due to its roots in the imperial coronation ceremony.

by **The Arthurian Isles** » Thu Jun 02, 2016 8:16 am

Hildur Manus, In Response To Paolo Medici

Hildur Manus was a competent woman. Her reputation was built on that competence and her standing in the halls of the Altinghusið was enhanced by a regime of rote-learning through which she appeared the expert of every matter taken to her desk. She was not, of course, as omniscient as her cult of personality purported. Not only did she have a thinner portfolio to master than most other heads of government, she was also backed by a small team of researchers and supported by the elephantine statistics office of the Federal Bank. And despite a network of information-gatherers, Hildur still made mistakes. The economy had weaknesses which were becoming more exposed in the uncertainty of the international markets and there was a growing voice emanating from the Hvælfin¹ warning of a downturn or even a recession just over the otherwise calm horizon. All that would be needed to undermine Arthuria's prosperity was a single disadvantageous event in Noctur. However much she learned of the mechanics and biological impulses of her country, Hildur could not account for the true driver of history.

She could, however, apply all of her energies to these negotiations. She could even be grateful that the Nui-tans appeared to be doing the same. Paolo's explanations, his questions and the reasoning behind them were everything that Hildur admired in politicians. It reminded her of her own dissection of any paperwork sent to her office and it bore results in the fluidity and ease with which he conversed. If this was what diplomacy felt like - and to Hildur it felt good thus far - then she could finally appreciate the irritating fervour with which Runær pressed the Storting for an end to Arthuria's traditional isolation. The few, cautious steps that she had taken so far, alongside her tentative ally Thor, were not, as Hildur had worried, shattering the neutrality on which the modern country was founded. More dramatically, she found herself thinking that closer relations with the outside world could actually benefit her own economic plans. Freedom of trade was a boon which economists could model through any number of schools of thought, but even beyond that Hildur was beginning to hope that the equal recognition the Vestmanaeyjar Accords afforded Arthuria within Noctur was the equivalent to the tearing down of a psychological barrier which had heretofore dissuaded foreigners from involving themselves with the small but stable economy. It was a vindication of her stewardship of these markets for the past six years, a vindication of a social, liberal model for which she had campaigned from her first beginnings as a fresh-faced Folkmaður. As an additional and unexpected reward for her efforts, Hildur was now also the owner of the most exotic spice rack in Arthuria, courtesy of the gentleman opposite whom she sat.

But Hildur was not one to get ahead of herself. Vindication only came with results, and before that she needed to complete the negotiations. Paolo, in testament to his knowledge of the Accord, was analysing what had been expected to be the most contentious of its sections. As soon as he mentioned agriculture, Hildur glanced sharply to an aide sitting on her right. It lasted only for a second, serving as a silent command which was subordinated almost immediately once more to her sincere and (she hoped) unforced smile. While she maintained eye contact with Paolo the aide, heeding the unspoken instruction, pulled up a bullet-pointed list on his tablet in time to pass it over to Hildur as her turn came to answer.

"We have, as happens, accounted for this particular circumstance, I'm sure you'll be glad to hear." Before she looked down at the tablet she casually added, "Oh, and please call me Hildur."

She scrolled through the list in front of her until she reached the relevant point and, stopping with a smile, looked back over to Paolo. "As you may know, tea is a necessity of Arthurian culture. Our climate is, however, not conducive to its cultivation. For nearly two centuries we have relied on trade with Nui-ta's plantations, amongst others, in order to fulfil the perpetual domestic demand for the plant. Recently, it has been your own country's leaves that have been found superior in quality to others. The Federal Government would like to support our tea brokers by securing the supply of Nui-tan tea for the foreseeable future. If that affects the market for Hadinian or Zanzeanic tea, then so be it; we shall abide by the consequences. Consequently, as you may see, easing restrictions on agricultural trade between our two countries is also in Arthurian interests. It helps that the costs would be minimised; Nui-tan rice will not be negatively impacting any Arthurian rice paddies," she joked, "and, forgive me if I am mistaken, I do not believe that our own rye or barley exports would be strangling an equivalent industry in your own country."

"I can confidently say, based on this brief analysis, that in the specific agreement between Arthuria and Nui-ta there would be no great opposition to including basic agricultural goods within a free trade treaty."

Hildur smiled once more, resorting to her rulebook of diplomatic politeness. This time, however, the smile hid a catch. Diplomacy had its difficulties as much as any other political act. "I am unsure, though, how you would like us to proceed with fishery agreements. If the issue is that you would like us to classify them as basic agricultural goods then there is no problem from our point of view in doing so, especially if we do agree to lift basic agricultural tariffs. This option would, to clarify, ensure total freedom of trade between our fishery sectors.

"If your concern, however, is that you do not wish to open up your fishery industry to free trade then the problem is a different one, but not unsolvable. Considering the increases in basic agricultural trade that we can expect, the Storting would be willing to consider maintaining tariffs on the fish industry. If this is the route that your country wishes to travel, I would ask you to consider that, like our agricultural industries, the types of fish our countries cultivate are different enough that free trade would not damage our overall fishing industries. We believe that it would in fact encourage specialisation; tropical fish from Nui-ta are a delicacy here, where we rely on salmon, tuna, shark and eels. If your government deems that in spite of this tariffs must still be enforced, then I might ask whether we could agree to lower them."

Hildur placed the tablet down, leaning forward and interlacing her fingers in baited expectation of Paolo's response. No good thing was ever achieved without challenge.

Lief Kierkegaard, In Response To Elisa Danielles

"What's that?"

Lief was reading through a grey-blue dossier in his usual seat by the fireplace. He often chose to bring work home with him, preferring the comfort of the familial to the clean efficiency of his government offices. At least here he could break the monotony of official reports with an inspection of his plants, which he was attempting to grow throughout the harsh Arthurian year, or a dip into his library. He could also enjoy the simple pleasure of conversation about anything other than work with someone who knew nothing about the issues which brought stress to Lief's daily life - his husband. He had been the one to ask the question, staring over his newspaper from an armchair across the room from Lief. Between them their Bernese Mountain lay gently respiring by the fire. They were listening to an album of post-rock ethereal tunes which slipped softly from an old vinyl player in one corner. Lief was a hipster at heart, but he was one who had accepted the inevitability of social order and had embedded himself within that in order to change it in any way he could - he was a tragic hero in that sense.

He dropped the dossier to his lap, letting it close as he removed his glasses and allowed himself to relax a little more into his chair. "A post-action report. We had to deploy the Envelopes² today. A farmer in Grønkap was treating his crop with an illegal pesticide."

"Bastard. Were they calling themselves 'organic' too?"

Lief nodded. "We burned his crop to dust. Natur Vær Tæk³."

Such was his job that he was in command of the closest thing Arthuria had to a special forces, uniquely in the little country a section of the Environment Ministry. More was on Lief's plate than nature's law enforcement, though. The Foreign Ministry had received a notice from the Poldanian ambassador that they intended to accede to the Vestmanaeyjar Accords, sending their own environment secretary to open the negotiations. In a touching message then sent on to Lief's office, he had been asked to be her negotiating partner - it had been considered a poetic politeness to greet a fellow environment minister with one of her equals, especially as the post came with immense and enviable powers in Arthuria. With a significant portfolio under his authority, Lief was empowered to make not insignificant offers to Elisa and to treat her with all the respect that he could, as a co-head of government in the Storting. Far from being a low-ranking official sent as a snub to their Poldanian guest, Lief was as senior a minister as could be mustered.

His first sight of Elisa would not be at Køpmanærhavn. Her journey from the airport to Buðardalur and then on to Vestmanaeyjar itself would be overseen by his secretary, a young former-intern who had impressed with his dedication in spite of a stammering nervousness. Lief would only meet Elisa properly when she stepped into his office the next day, hopefully after relaxing as much as the schedule could allow her.

His office was high enough up - the topmost floor of the Altinghusið - that it afforded unbroken views to the country beyond. From this particular room, facing south-west and looking out over the majority of Vestmanaeyjar, the city was seen in all of its diversity. Along the banks of the river the smart central buildings gave way to old warehouses and factories, most of which had been converted to office-space or apartments. Flanking them on either side of the river were the ubiquitous rooftop gardens which signified a residential area, usually surrounding some sort of green space or geothermal spring. Even at high noon, when the meeting was due to begin, some of those streets were brightly lit with gaudy shop signs which revealed the major shopping arteries of the capital. Far out beyond those grey-black masses could be seen the docks, a few cranes punctuating the skyline as the tallest structures in the city and the beacons marking out its limits - further out than them was the sea, calm thanks to the shelter afforded by the Main Islands.

Lief often liked to take a break from his work by staring at the view. It was in some sense his domain, over which his governance took effect and which he shaped through his actions. The connection was rawer as he had been elected as a Folk for the city's electoral ward. When Elisa did arrive, he was indeed at one of the floor-to-ceiling windows facing outwards, his hands clasped behind his back as though he were deliberately surveying some great work.

Behind him the room was immaculately neat. The creamy hranasten⁴ flooring sprung softly beneath one's feet, supporting a bare minimum of furniture. Lief's desk was centred so as to look outwards from the south-western side of the room towards the door on the far south-eastern corner. On it was a computer (the wires deftly hidden beneath the desk's wooden supports), a single note of paper and two pencils (both aligned with the edges of the desk) and a dvergtrej⁵ positioned exactly in the centre. Nothing - not a single bookshelf - lined the walls but for a small, low table on the wall furthest from Lief's desk which held a gong fa tea set of a stoney-textured black clay. The items on it were arranged perfectly to reflect the aesthetic which Lief had devised, everything adhering to an invisible but immediately apparent central horizontal axis. The rest of the office would have remained empty were it not for a circle of armchairs which had been brought in for exactly this occasion, fashioned in a tan leather finish and pointing towards another low, circular table on which stood carafes of water and delicate glasses. The scene was set for a meeting.

Distracted from his thoughts by the entry of Elisa and the rest of the Poldanian entourage, Lief turned. For a moment, his gaunt face was seen in all its seriousness, the glasses framing penetrating eyes and his tie and collar accentuating a long neck which only added to his height. Within a second of processing the arrival, the expression was at once as warm and welcoming as Lief's true personality. Throughout the meeting Lief's expression would flick seamlessly between these two: at one moment, when at rest, he would appear as an unamused and disinterested man, at the next he would be deeply involved and almost fatherly in his desire to relate to his guests. At this introductory stage he was all smiles.

"Sæl." He bowed his head slightly before striding forward to shake Elisa's hand with both of his own. "It is a pleasure to meet someone else who understands the tribulations of an environment minister." He offered her an armchair in the circle, taking the one opposite her own and leaving the aides and secretaries to work out on whose side they should sit. Lief was more inclined to the informal in life and this meeting seemed as though it would reflect that taste. His philosophy of trust, openness and honesty was best fostered in the unpretentious environment of the simple conversation, free from the expectations of procedure.

As he took his seat he straightened out his tie and leant naturally to his right, sinking into the deep padding of the armchair.

"So, what do you think of these Accords then?"

¹ The Hvælfin is, in English, 'The Vault'. It is the nickname for Arthuria's Federal Bank, derived from the vaults in which it stores the country's gold reserves. The Federal Bank refuses to acknowledge the existence of these vaults and their location (or locations) remains undisclosed.

² The Envelopes is the nickname of the Environmental Operations Section, Arthuria's equivalent of a special forces unit.

³ In English, 'nature's a bitch'. The motto of the Environmental Operations Section, referring to the tenacity of female canines and most certainly not a misogynistic slur.

⁴ A hranasten mat is a type of compacted straw mat which is traditionally used to cover floorboards in Arthurian buildings. Its name is derived from the Ancient Arthurian word meaning 'to pile'.

⁵ Dvergtrej is the native Arthurian form of the art of bonsai.

by **Nui-ta** » Sat Jun 04, 2016 9:45 pm

The Arthurian Isles wrote:"As you may know, tea is a peculiar facet of Arthurian culture. Our climate is, however, ill-suited to cultivating the plant. For over a century we have relied on trade with your own country's plantations, as well as others in Karasia and further afield. And yet Nui-tan tea is objectively of a finer quality than the others we have encountered. We would like to secure that supply for the foreseeable future and are willing to do so at the expense of lowering tea imports from Hadin and Zanzes. In this unique case, easing restrictions on basic agricultural goods is also, as you can see, in Arthurian interests. It helps that the goods grown in our two countries are almost entirely different. We do not possess rice paddies but do export barley and rye in great volume. I would not be averse, therefore, to accepting your offer and including basic agricultural goods within the agreement - only between our two countries, of course."

It had unnerved Paolo to even think of asking the question. He had spent the better part of his term in office so far --- which was nearly over¹, working with the coalition government to continue the increase of societal progress within Nui-ta while also greatly advancing the Nui-tan economy. This move had baffled political pundits across the southern island², perhaps because they never expected his time in office to boast as much of an economic stimulus as it did. Gods knew that Nui-ta had sorely needed such a stimulus, as the previous Prime Minister had eaten through the "golden age"³ surplus of Central's Isaci and i-Harendo. It was laughable that he, a left-wing politician from a state with socialist flirtations, had provided the rebound.

Take that, Avalonia.⁴

"Your proposal sounds perfectly reasonable," Paolo smiled. "Both Nui-ta and Arthuria have much to gain from such an arrangement. We're both countries with high regard for the environment, and with high levels of agricultural output and tourism. These shared interests of ours, as well as the diversity of goods between us, given Arthuria's cold to Nui-ta's heat, would do nothing but create ample trade opportunities for us both. I can think of few people, at least on my side, who would object to this".

"I'm very sure such a unique arrangement limited to our countries would go over well in Parliament when it comes time to ratify it. Also, I should mention that I'm not really bothered by if you wish to continue trading with Hadin or Zanzes".

"However, you should be aware that there is a blockade⁵ by Radiatia against Hadin right now, which might make it quite hard for you to actually trade with the Envoyship".

"I have to say, I wouldn't advocate trading with the Hass administration, given their penchant for breaking human rights laws on a daily basis. Besides, I think the quality of Nui-tan foodstuffs speaks for itself, compared to its counterparts in Karas⁶. That having been said, I'm not in the business of having or wanting any control over whom Arthuria chooses to engage and deny business with --- however, the situation involving Hadin is quite volatile right now...and I fear it may only get worse within the near future⁷. To this end, I can't help but refrain from issuing a word of caution towards you if you deal with the Septimists".

His eyes appeared to glaze over for a moment, as if he were trapped in a long-ago memory. A dream. A nightmare? There remained a darkness and coldness to Paolo's face and tone --- all of which seemed to manifest itself quickly --- as he said quietly, "they can be more trouble than they are worth, but it's your nation. Not mine".

He seemed to partially snap out of it.

"But...uh...anyway. I'm sorry. A...um...A provision to limit trade within Hadin and Zanzes, especially Zanzes, won't be necessary. My thoughts have been said, but its your decision".

And with that, a bit of light seemed to return to him. Paolo had composed himself once again.

The Arthurian Isles wrote:Hilde smiled once more, but this time with an intake of breath. Here came the catch. Negotiations were, unfortunately, not all easy. "I am, however, unsure how you would like us to proceed with fishery agreements. If the issue is that we classify them differently, I'm sure that in this instance we can agree to a common classification - especially if we are to agree to lift basic agricultural tariffs. The two categories would anyway be essentially one and the same. This route would ensure total free trade in the fishery sector."

"You're talking to the nation with the biggest trout fishing industry in all of Noctur --- bigger than Radiatia and Poldania, even. You know how hard it is to beat those two at an economic ranking? I can't even begin to describe how seriously Nui-tan fishermen take that ranking".

"Yes my concern is merely that they are classified differently. I'm sorry if it seems to be a very slight thing to complain about, but when I take this trade agreement back to Parliament to be combed over by the rest of the MPs, I want as little confusion as possible between the two industries --- almost all of Nui-ta's states have significant coastlines, and a separate classification would likely cause concerns from many of them, government majority in my favor or not".

He mused, "but I will admit, --- uh, Hilde (forgive me, I'm not used to addressing people by their given names) --- these negotiations are going far easier than I ever dreamed...I mean, if a classification issue is my biggest problem, I can't say I'm upset at all. This is one of the most enjoyable negotiations I've ever sat through. I imagine even the Nui-Ra Free Trade Agreement was harder than this".

Paolo quietly took a sip of water, awaiting Hilde's input, while secretly hoping he hadn't broken any diplomatic protocol, or come across as generally rude. External appearances were of utmost importance to him --- he went through a great deal constantly to gauge and calibrate his every move. It was not any sort of vanity, but an inner nervousness that did this. In his mind, everything was a turbulent mess.

Sometimes, the inner traumatized war survivor still spoke out to him. Somewhere in his head, he was still curled up in a ball as a teenager, afraid to even look out at the window, and dropping to the floor at the sound of a book falling to the floor, or a child screaming with glee. Struggling to be more assertive and functional in society was a secret, everyday battle for him. There was also another voice --- a wiser, more assertive voice, from a long-ago source.

Nonsense, boy. You can do this.

He set the glass down carefully on the table, resuming eye contact with Hilde after the brief interruption to peer towards the glass.

¹In Nui-ta, it is currently A.N 135. The next elections are shortly after New Year's, A.N 136. Almost time for him to gear up for election season!

²In the A.N 132/LET 56 elections, concerns involving Paolo Medici's run for office included that he was not the strongest candidate when it came to his economic platform. Paolo comes from the state of Alinia, which is the only state of Nui-ta to have had significant leanings towards socialism (state services massively increased after the war). As a result, combined with his record of leaning far to the left on the political spectrum, many political pundits feared that Paolo would introduce socialism to Nui-ta as a country. He's actually done the opposite, increasing opportunities and incentives for a free market, while pulling Alinia off of its socialistic economic pattern. This is rumored to be partially because he's in coalition with a centrist party (pulling him to the right), and partially because some believe that Paolo genuinely feels that the whole economy of Nui-ta is very different than the post-war economy of a single state, and is acting accordingly.

³ The "golden age" is what some call the 16 year period of time in which the Isaci and i-Harendo administrations occurred (each of these Prime Ministers had two terms a piece). Both were from the third-way Central Party, which until their administrations, was a minor party in Nui-tan politics with almost nothing to brag about. Both Prime Ministers (especially i-Harendo) boasted major economic and social accomplishments which are too numerous to list here (hence the articles). The one that should be mentioned for the sake of this footnote is that before their administrations, Nui-ta was a very poor country with lower human development levels than much of Noctur --- and after these two, it was well on its way to entering the first-world. To this day, even though both Isaci and i-Harendo are long dead, they maintain a sort of "legendary" status within Nui-ta's history books.

The surplus left over by these two would be spent completely by another Prime Minister --- Ultimus Renton: the man from whom Paolo just took over office.

⁴ Avalonia Haria was Paolo's main opponent for the A.N 132 elections, thought to be the "person to beat" until the very end, due to a much stronger economic platform. Her hopes for the election were dashed after an MP affiliated with her party went viral with a poorly-received post involving female soldiers, prompting major voting trend changes in areas until then considered "safe" for Haria.

⁵ Radiatia began blockading Hadin after Nico Hass made belligerent statements towards Higgins and Brown, and then declared war on the latter in support of Algrabad during the Third Algrabadi War. It has not stopped blockading Hadin, due to a perceived lack of acquiesence on Hadinian belligerency towards much of Noctur. The ongoing blockade has made international trade with Hadin quite...difficult.

⁶In the Zanzean language (Zanzes used to dominate much of southern Terra Occidens), the Karasian Archipelago is known as Ar'khadil Karas. "Karas" specifically is a word for "cumin", which grows commonly in both Nui-ta and Hadin, and which was prized during the reign ancient Zanzeanic Empire (it does not grow nearly as well in mainland Zanzes). As a result, Ar'khadil Karas is the cumin archipelago.

Overtime, in English translations, Ar'khadil Karas simply became translated as Karasian Archipelago. The usage of Karasia is also common abroad, although most Nui-tans, Hadinians, and Zanze will call the region by the name "Karas", because of their familiarity with that particular name and its etymology.

⁷ I'm assuming that Hadin has yet to invade Zanzes in this moment in time.

by **The Arthurian Isles** » Fri Jun 10, 2016 6:06 am

"To this end, I can't help but refrain from issuing a word of caution towards you if you deal with the Septimists."

Paolo's warning was certainly of interest to Hildur. Of course the blockade had knocked Arthurian trade with Hadin down to almost nothing - there were always the sanction-busters whose cargoes were smuggled past even Arthurian customs - so there was little fear of competition to Nui-ta's predominant economic position within Karas. This word of caution seemed more personal, though, and Hildur could easily understand why. She, along with many in Arthuria, possessed an instinctive dislike of the Hadinian manner of doing business. However much their people had the capacity to be good, kind and generous, their government was dogmatic and fuelled by hatred. Hildur mused that if she could be naturally wary of the Septimists despite lacking any sort of relationship with them, she could only imagine the emotion behind Paolo's words given his country's history - hell, his history - with Hadin.

"Philosophically and politically, we must extend our offices to the Septimists just as we have to every other country in Noctur. It is an obligation that our neutrality forces us to shoulder. Practically, we have found in the past that countries which do not share our conception of basic human rights tend not to engage in our diplomatic initiatives, perhaps because we predicate them on a common belief in our shared humanity. Whatever the reasons, our government does not judge any other country; we simply engage in the reality of international politics. That reality has brought you here and not the Septimists. For that, I must once again extend our gratitude."

The reality of international politics. To people like Hildur and her allies in the Storting that meant that Arthuria staid out of geopolitics. The global commons was within limits; free trade was a fine opportunity; neutrality was to be maintained above all. But there were also those who wanted to push the limits of foreign policy. Runær was the force behind a 're-engagement' policy, but Thor Hamarskjold, beloved by the public, was the true strength, for he possessed the brains required to navigate the diplomatic rapids. Hildur was his party leader, both being members of Frelskap¹, but on foreign policy Thor was his own man. He had been in talks with Forsvaren Makt over some sort of policy proposal which Hildur worried would require Arthuria to intertwine itself with the fate of others. For now, she thought, the Federation could continue to stake its claim to being a practitioner of realpolitik. She desperately hoped that attempts to circumvent that approach would come to nothing.

"Nor will Arthuria be actively limiting its trade with Zanzes or, should the blockade ever be lifted, Hadin. I merely mean that this agreement will indirectly cause a reduction in trade with those countries. But this loss is one that we can cope with, in the knowledge that we are gaining so much more through a closer trading relationship with Nui-ta." Hildur smiled once again. The discussion on Hadin seemed to have phased Paolo slightly, though he had recovered with superb grace, and she wished above all to keep him relaxed. Arthuria is a small country, and it is not worth even a gram of stress. Its hot springs, in fact, are said to be therapeutic in relieving stress. That is, however, beside the point.

Paolo continued: "Yes my concern is merely that they are classified differently."

This was a relief to Hildur. She too would have to take this agreement to the Folkting and, for something of this magnitude, to the Landting also. It would be much easier to explain a simple change of language than attempt to convince them of the benefits of tariffs on fisheries.

"It is not a slight complaint at all, Paolo. My friend and fellow minister Thor - you may have heard of him - is forever reminding me of the importance of communication. So long as this alteration allows our two countries to achieve beneficial results with clarity, I will not be one to stand in its way. On this, I believe we have a deal."

The aides on Hildur's side of the table began tapping their tablets, wiring the alteration to the legal team housed somewhere in the bowels of the Altinghusið. This had indeed been one of the 'surgical incisions' that the Vestmanaeyjar Accords had set out to facilitate and, Hildur had to admit, had achieved rather well. She may come from the political opposition, but Runær deserved the full credit for this initiative. Neutrality is what you make of it, and Runær had the vision to keep it engaging. Not too engaging, Hildur hoped, but a free trade agreement was certainly within tolerable limits.

"This is one of the most enjoyable negotiations I've ever sat through. I imagine even the Nui-Ra Free Trade Agreement was harder than this." Paolo joked.

"I can only imagine." Hildur replied, smiling once more. Paolo had been quite the gentleman in these negotiations, and Nui-ta had presented an excellent case for its own take on the free trade agreement. "When two economic powers, as Nui-ta and Radiatia undoubtedly are, come together to forge trade agreements there are often so many areas of conflict. A small country such as my own tends to be grateful for any relations it can get. For my first international agreement, this has been a true vindication of my belief in decency and co-operation."

Hildur was not simply 'putting it on' for the diplomatic effect. This was her first involvement in an international agreement. Her friends in the Storting often put it down to her domestic schedule. As the head of the Treasury Ministry she was inundated with economic problems within the Isles, enough to keep her busy for the past six years. When crises sprang up she found herself suffocated even more. But she could handle the work; the real reason for her personal isolation from diplomacy was that she had lacked faith. She had not believed that Arthuria could offer much to the titans across the seas, and she had not believed that they would wish to concern themselves with a country which for centuries had sat isolated in a corner of Noctur. To conclude this agreement with Paolo, and to do so with the relative ease which both had commented upon, truly was a vindication of her liberal philosophy.

¹ Frelskap is the largest political party in the Folkting, the lower chamber of the Alting. In English, the name literally translates as 'The Liberals'. A very brief overview of Arthuria's political parties can be found here.

The Vestmanaeyjar Accords [Closed | Noctur Only]

The Vestmanaeyjar Accords [Closed | Noctur Only]

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