Summit of North American Leaders (AMW Only)

[Walmington on Sea]

Imperial Airport

Ambassador Thurlow-Adnams and his security man seemed quite content to be lead to the office of airport security chief, assuming that it was just standard proceedure for dignitaries, and the Ambassador was even a little please to think that he had been recognised.

Chief Dewey's inquisitorial attitude, then, rather wrong footed both Walmingtonians, who took some time in responding, not because they were carefully calculating so much as repositioning from, "Nice to see they think we're so important" to, "Wait a minute, do they not even know who we are?"

Thurlow-Adnams' jaw quivered without his thin lips ever parting as he looked for a firm hand to sort the matter out, but his security officer had sunk into his own burly chest and was looking every inch the over-grown schoolboy caught peeking into the girls' PE lesson, leaving the Ambassador to clatter through some disorderly spiel about diplomatic immunity, unfortunately given without the preface of a proper introduction.

Some way off, in the limousine, the young Prince Edryd sat with his legs crossed in the most jaunty manner the confines of the vehicle would allow, happily sipping away at his coffee as Mainwaring struggled to look as if he were enjoying his while also bearing the weight of conversation with the crumbling Norwich.

"Oh, yes, of course!" He said as Norwich finished by explaining how long he'd known the emperor, the Walmingtonian employing far too much emphasis to the statement without having even heard exactly what was said. Mainwaring took a sip from his cup and bared his teeth as if he'd just knocked back a tankard of Geletian wine or a glass of Russian vodka.

The task of politely struggling through his coffee would keep George busy until arrival at the conference, and the Prince was happy to watch, protected from foreign intrusion by his shield of regality. The old man probably won't dare speak to me unless I first speak to him he supposed, and settled his mischievous gaze on the Prime Minister, who responded by lifting his cup and offering a ridiculous smile to both Edryd and Norwich.

[Chrinthanium]

Chief Dewey awaited the men to reply, but no reply came. Their general body language was conflicting to him, one man seemed indignant to the questioning while the other one seemed guilty as charged. He started shuffling papers on his desk, which included a folder placed on his desk that read "Open Immediately: Imperial Business." Having not noticed this folder before, he opened it and started reading its contents. After a minute of scaning, he looked up at the gentlemen in front of him. In his left hand was a picture of the Ambassador.

Quickly realizing the situation developing, and the fact that if the Emperor received word of this, he'd be doing security detail of the Omaha Wastewater Treatment Plant, he immediately changed his attitude from one of inquizitor to pityful.

"Mr. Ambassador, I..er...uh.... apologize for this screw-up. I'll make sure those two men pay for their actions.....uh....." He wiped sweat from his brow and hollered out the door, "JENKINS! GETIN HERE!"

His Lieutenant, Jim Jenkins, came racing through his office door. "Sir?"

"Jenkins, get these men to the Imperial palace. Get a town car from the rental agency and charge it to my card. And move FAST!"

Jenkins motioned to the men to follow him. In just about 10 minutes, they were headed to the Town Car, which was waiting outside of the Airport Terminal for the men. Once inside, they were quickly wisked away to the Imperial Palace at a higher rate of speed than the highways allowed.

------------------------------

"Now, Mr. Prime Minister," spoke Norwich in his ancient voice, "we are approaching the palace. The summit is only in the banquet phase currently. The Emperor has been informed of your arrival and is awaiting you inside. Helen Cromwell, his social secretary, will guide you into the Banquet Hall."

The motorcade arrived at the steps of the palace. Ms. Cromwell was awaiting the Walmington delegation.

[Iansisle]

Dr. Elijah Krozenberg

Dr. Krozenberg, ever the staunch and dutiful servant, was rather taken aback by Cat Mendez's forwardness. Then again, these Californians were liberal about everything, even in the mind of a secular Jew like himself. He wondered why he expected their view of international diplomacy to be any less liberalized and relaxed.

He chuckled at her comment and replied, "Well, what can I say? I guess I'm skilled at the art of weaseling my way out of things; must be the politician in me." Then, as an afterthought, he asked, "Tell me, does President Ewaa share your sentiments towards these kind of things?"

"The president is one of the schmoozers I mentioned earlier," said Cat. "He has to be: it's pretty much his only job. I'm sure he's perfectly happy right now, unless Barth forces his way up to the table with all that Chrinthanian brass. In the meantime, we humble servants might as well relax."

She dug into her small purse and produced a joint and a lighter. She was just putting it up to her mouth when she realized how rude that was. "Oh -- excuse me. Would you like a puff?"

[Chrinthanium]

Ms. Cromwell exited the banquet hall to meet the arriving Walmington on Sea delegation. As she passed into the Grand Hall, she happened to catch a glimpse of Cat and Krozenberg having their private conversation. She also happened to notice the joint in Cats hand and asked in a quiet voice, "Oh my, do you mind if I get a puff? The Emperor has been running me ragged and now I have to face the Walmingtons. I could use a good puff before that happens. However, if you notice any Praetorians or Imperial Guards walking around you might want to hide it. It's legal in the Empire, but against the rules of the Palace. Trust me, that's a conversation you don't want to have with the Emperor. I once was caught smoking a joint in the restroom on the third floor and he gave me a twenty-minute long lecture about his policy against pot versus public opinion."

Once she hit it one time, she headed outside into the cold Omaha weather as the Walmington delegation had arrived. The Praetorian Guard announced Prince Edryd and Prime Minister Mainwarring. She had also noticed that a Town Car came speeding up the Imperial Palace driveway. The driver slammed on the breaks as they stopped a mere inches from hitting the back end of the limo that had brough the Prince and the Prime Minister. From inside the car appeared the Ambassador and his security guard. A very nervous man in the drivers seat leaped from the car and seemed to gravel at their feet. Whether or not she understood what was happening became rather immaterial to her as the bone-chilling cold reached her nerves causing her to realize that she was outside without a coat on.

------------

Imperial Table

"President McDonald, I must admit that I am pleased you took time out of your busy schedule to attend. President Ewaa, King Jordanus, Shogun, I am also thankful that you have taken time from your schedule to attend. The Walmingtonians are probaby outside right now being shuffled into the door. President Socrates will be here shortly, so I guess we can get started as soon as they arrive." stated Emperor Nathaniel.

The Emperor munched on his grilled chicken, steamed vegetable medley, baked potato and green,leafy salad with a vinegarette dressing. He was a healthy eater both in quantity and quality. Part of that image he needed to maintain for the masses. He had his drink, a Kansatukee Bourbon and cola, but he'd also comsumed three glasses of mineral water. It was part of his prescribed diet by his mother. She never let him eat a lot of sweets while growing up. He wasn't allowed to eat lots of sugar or consume a lot of caffeine. "Nobody likes a fat Empeor," she always said. Of course, at twenty-one, the Emperor was free to do as he wished. However, he'd been trained to eat healthy, and quite enjoyed it to be honest.

"You know, the amount of food I have eaten this evening will mean a few more reps on the machines in the Imperial gym." he joked. "If I could just cut my soda intake down a bit, I could get rid of the slight layer of fat along my stomach. However, I'm addicted to cola. Diet, of course, but still laden with sweetner nonetheless."

[The RSU]

The Shogun nodded slowly, sipping from his glass of wine.

"Yes, I fear I may have to equip my own seat of power with a gym..." He remarked, smiling. "Although it would seem His Majesty is being overly modest. From what I gather from reading The Imperial Standard, your physique is much admired by aspiring suitors in the general populace. You do well to attend to the affairs of state while maintaining your health - a balance that many politicians struggle to achieve."

Sugata picked up his cutlery and began to tuck into the meal directly.

"If you find it appropriate, Your Majesty," He said, slicing into the chicken. "Are there any suitors vying for your attention? From what I gather, most monarchs seem to already have a partner picked out for them before they are even born."

[Chrinthanium]

"Arrainged marriages have been avoided by the Imperial family. We prefer to marry those whom we fall in love with like every other person." replied the Emperor as he took a sip of his cocktail. "And the Imperial Standard does a lot of 'fluff pieces' that over exaggerate the truth."

He sat his glass down on the table as he spoke, "I admit that I do play into it. The attention is nice, but they've been really harping on me about the charity photoshoot. All I hear about is how I have better things to do with my time, and how uncooth I am being by submitting to the event. Yet these are the same reporters who would sell their very sould to capture any picture of me that would sell their newspapers or increase their ratings. I honestly don't know what they want anymore."

His tone turned a little more somber, "Shogun, there is no romantic interest in my life at this moment in time. It is difficult when your time is so divide between all of these people who want your attention. I also admit that, despite our liberal tendencies in the Empire, I'd certainly cause quite the media frenzy if I found some nice young man to share my life with."

"I intentionally avoid dating at this moment in my life. Ryan is the one to carry on the line anyway. He is the one who the media should harass about being single, not me." Nathaniel added, "Or my brother Peter. He is a good man. The media wants me to find love so it can tear me apart on evening talk shows. I'd rather not drag someone else through that."

[Chrinthanium]

The Emperor awaited the entrance of the Walmington delegation. He couldn't wait to get the discussions under way.

[Walmington on Sea]

While Thurlow-Adnams was relieved to be under way, his security officer kept up his look of insecurity. Aren't I supposed to be guarding the Prince and the Prime Minister? he wondered quietly to himself, hoping this wouldn't all end in the loss of a pretty cushy job. But the dramatic nature of the town car's arrival actually seemed to encourage the big man, who sprang into action, leaping from the vehicle in order to do some professional looking-around-for-danger before helping the Ambassador out, finding the scrawny fellow quite shaken by the latter part of their mad dash to the summit.

Edryd's grin, meanwhile, continued to expand in proportion to the PM's grimmace, which was increased once again by the deflatingly common mispronunciation* of his name. As was ever the case when he delt with those whom he feared may be his equals and/or betters, George did nothing to correct the Praetorian Guard, and instead gave his greeters a salute followed by a smile.

"Thank you, thank you! Very good to be here! Ah, Mr.Ambassador, there you are!"

Fortunately for the hosts, who must have been keen to push proceedings along lest guests from more substantial nations be kept waiting by the representatives of a veritable hamlet-state with delusions of grandure, the suddenly-proficient embassy security man was using his distinctly un-Walmingtonian bulk to guide his charges rapidly towards the presumed safety of the building, physically over-powering the PM's potentially delaying appreciation for pomp and ceremony.

((*I know that you may or may not have mispronounced it yourself, but George is somewhat unusual in pronouncing his surname Man-er-ing rather than Main-were-ing as it might appear, so I'm sure it would be a common mistake, and I must admit that your typo (double-R) seemed like a good opportunity to make light of the issue! =P
And I hope we've all had a merry Christmas! I actually fell asleep after one beer, but I'm sure boxing day will make up for it!))

[Chrinthanium]

((OOC:I like it....no problem))

While the Walmingtonians proceeded into the palace like assassins were awaiting for their arrival, Ms. Cromwell was feeling a little high from her indulgence. She found the Walmingtonians quite comical in her current state, even producing a slight chuckle as she realized the Princes was enjoying Mainwaring's dismay. The fact that the security guard was acting more uptight than even the Praetorian Guards made her laugh out loud.

As the delegation entered the banquet room, Emperor Nathaniel made a bee line to the Prince and Prime Minister, "Welcome! Welcome to my humble home!" said Nathaniel with his trademark smile. "Mr. Prime Minister, I am thrilled you are here. Your Highness, thank you for attending." Unlike members of his government, Nathaniel wouldn't be afraid to speak to the Prince first.

"I trust you had a pleasant journey!" Nathaniel added, "Hopefully our little snow storm didn't delay you."

[Spyr]

[OOC: Best to reply now, I think, so it doesnt end up cluttering when you lot get down to the meat of your negotiations]

To: Chairman Sutreiin, General Secretary Harsk
From: Jon Latham, Foreign Minister of Chrinthanium

I received your communication and am deeply saddened by the events transpiring between our nations. While I agree that the Emperor needs to take into considerations the actions of the Yashimens, the Emperor is still very young and unlearned in the history of the East. I send you my deepest apologies for this breach of trust between our nations.

I would like to ask you if you would be willing to allow the Emperor himself to visit Spyr at your convenience on a mission of good will. This trip would hopefully strengthen our relationship, and open up better lines of communication between Omaha and Sithin. I eagerly await your response and hope that you accept our request.

Sincerely

Jon F. Latham
Foreign Ministry
Imperial Federation of Chrinthanium

To: The Respected Jon Latham, Foreign Minister of Chrinthanium
From: Reiden Harsk, General Secretary of the Strainist Party People’s Congress

The People's Republic of Spyr would welcome a visit by the Emperor of Chrinthanium. A stronger relationship between our two countries can only serve to benefit both our countries, and would certainly repair any ill feelings arising as a result of present misunderstandings. The Chrinthani emperor is young, and it has not been long since he suffered the loss of his father (for which I pass on my greatest sympathies), so it is natural that some details may be overlooked as he settles into his role. Perhaps amongst diplomatic talks and cultural displays, a tour of the Museum of Anti-Yashiman Struggle can be fit into the itinerary of his visit, to provide context for the complexities of East Asian political relations... not an easy subject to grasp, even for those of us who lived through it!

With best regards,


Harsk Reiden
General Secretary, People’s Congress
People’s Republic of Spyr.

[The Crooked Beat]

Dzayer Tamaneyt

Always eager to improve its diplomatic standing, and to appear a more important actor on the international stage than would otherwise be the case, the Foreign Ministry submits a request to Omaha, asking whether it might be at all acceptable for a small Avargan delegation to attend the summit in a purely observational capacity. Recognizing the lateness of its request, the Foreign Ministry uses typically humble and deferential language in its communique, accepting in advance if Chrinthani authorities find that accommodating an Avargan delegation would be overly inconvenient. Still, besides the symbolic value of an Avargan presence, Dzayer Tamaneyt is very eager to pursue further commercial relations with the states in North America, and would also very much like to gauge the reactions of regional powers to events unfolding in Tahuantinsuyu.

[Chrinthanium]

The letter was delivered to Lathams desk for him to read later. A staffer had already read the letter and immediately had a page convey its message to the Emperor. It was a commom practice to have the Emperor informed of a message from foreign dignitaries. The page approached the Emperor and relayed the message. Nathaniel smiled at the page and asked her to bring him the letter. He read the letter and sighed.

He would adhear to the letter and visit Sithin. It was a good deed that was done on his behalf. He just disliked anyone who committed his time without first asking him. He also got immensly annoyed by people writing to foreign governments on his behalf. Yet, he was happy to go to Sithin.

[Somewhereistonia]

[OOC: This still alive?]

[Chrinthanium]

((OOC: God I hope so.... who knows.... Iansisle seems to be busy, along with everyone else who was participating.))

[Somewhereistonia]

The Floridian delegation had been notably quiet so far in the conference, partly because they preferred to talk to each nation separately to conclude deals that would be advantageous, partly because it was too damn cold to think properly and partly because the new president and most other politicians in Florida were busy sorting out everything that always needed to be sorted out when a new president came into office. Still, President José Sócrates was beginning to become rather worried by the way Californian-Chrinthanium relations were beginning to go. Of course if the worst came to the worst then Florida could deal out massive damage to the Empire to the north (and it's now well known palace). It would not be clear who would win such a war but a wise bet would probably be with the one with the longer list of allies. A list Chrinthanium struggled to get much of. Hopefully if negotiations did break down then the emporor would at least see himself outnumbered and back down instead of jumping into war over California's new submarine, especially as there was probably at least one Floridian sub in the pacific at any time anyway.

Still, having a colder relationship between Florida and Chrinthanium was not what anyone really wanted, and a cold relationship between California and Chrinthanium would hinder the sale of military equipment between the Californian and Floridian group and their northern neighbours, to whom Florida was trying to sell an increasing number of F-23s to help finance the project. This would not do at all.

When he got a good chance, Sócrates approached the young Emperor to try to solve all of this mess and possibly flog some more planes while he was at it.

"Emperor, may we converse one-to-one? I have a few things I feel need to be discussed at once."

[Acadzia]

Krozenberg

Dr. Krozenberg raised a brow at the Californian. In Acadzia, marijuana was a legal substance, but mostly enjoyed only by commies, hipsters, punks, and the like. The Acadzian taboos had more to do with "fashion" than morality, though the moral dimension certainly played into it. It was much more difficult to enjoy cannabis in moderation than alcohol, for example.

He was even more shocked when the Chrinthani official requested a "toke." His fellow North Americans were much more surprising than he'd realized.

At any rate, the Acadzian held up his hands. "Uh, no thank you, Ms. Mendez. I'm fine... But, uh, thank you for the offer." She'd meant well, he was sure, but the whole episode came off to him as sleazy, and sort of reaffirming of Acadzian biases against the Californian Republic.

King Jordanus VIII

"Despite our liberal tendencies in the Empire, I'd certainly cause quite the media frenzy if I found some nice young man to share my life with," Emperor Nathaniel remarked. Jordanus sympathized with the young man, and pitied him. Jordanus himself had met the love of his life at a fairly young age, for modern standards. He and Bridget had been 19 and 24, respectively, when they'd tied the knot. He couldn't imagine life without her, and yet his Chrinthani counterpart was forced to attend to much of the same duties as he, without a wise woman like Bridget backing him.

King Jordanus requested a second plate. Unlike some of the others, Jordanus sometimes overindulged. He wasn't fat or chunky, but nor was he concerned with maintaining his physique. He was reasonably health-conscious, sure. But he did not care to look like a thin, fat-less underwear model.

Presently, the Walmingtonians entered and were greeted by Nathaniel. Due to their Anglo heritage, Walmington-on-Sea and Acadzia were, in some ways, sister nations. However, while the Acadzians had long since moved out of their father's house and forged their own way, the Walmies were, in Acadzian eyes, still living at home with the parents, constantly seeking their approval. Understandably so, of course. Without the British connection, Walmington-on-Sea would have little clout in the nigh constant Acadzo-Walmington disagreements on off-shore resources and sea lanes; issues that hopefully might be a little less contentious following Nathaniel's Summit.

And so, when the Walmingtonians joined the table, Jordanus would do his best to be pleasant.

[Chrinthanium]

At the Imperial table, Nathaniel paid careful attention to King Jordanus. Now the Catholic King was in high regards with the Pope, and while the Chrinthani government remained indifferent to religious affairs, the Papal States had turned into a friend and an ally.

President Socrates' request struck the Emperor as rather odd. New leaders often were unsure of protocol, but the Emperor did agree to speak to him in private. "Mr. President, we can speak in my office. It's just down the hall."

[Somewhereistonia]

President José Sócrates thanked the Emperor for agreeing to talk as the two man meandered down the corridor to Nathaniel's office. As they entered the Puerto Rican (the first Puerto Rican president of the Trade Federation) glanced around to ensure that there was nobody around to eavesdrop before stepping inside and closing the door quietly.

"Now, Nathaniel, I can call you Nathaniel? Anyway, we are both heads of state, on a par if you will. Both of us are leaders of powerful North American nations and both of us are fairly new to our current jobs, both of us have been trying to prepare for this our whole lives. I guess we are about as close as the same as any other two leaders at this conference.

So, good job getting us all here for starters, I'm fairly surprised so many american states turned up. I'm more surprised by the notably non-American one although the situation with that seems to have been handled fairly well. Anyway, this conference is a chance to bring something great to this continent. Over in Europe NATO has been formed, Kiev is doing it's business with various kings and the communist blocs are all trying to spread their influence. What I'd like to see is a peaceful middle America of-sorts. Not necessarily a formal treaty, but an understanding of Omaha, Novo Lisboa and San Diego. A group that could be ready to come in as a peacebroker. A group powerful enough to take on any other, but one that stands together and attempts to bring peace. Peace reduces uncertainty, uncertainty hampers trade et cetera et cetera. Florida wants peace, California, a long ally of ours, wants peace, you called this conference so you must want peace. So, how does that sound? A grouping of three nations, sharing military equipment such as the amazing F-23, have you seen that go into cloak on a radar by the way? Amazing! How many was it your lot had ordered? It seemed really low to me when I read it.

Where was I? Oh yes, so a grouping prepared to bring peace to the world. Now this relies on trust. What you need to do most of all at this conference is to come to trust California and get them to trust you if this is to work. If we are to ensure peace in North America then you and California need to get on. Let's face it, with the way Florida and California are intertwined if worst came to worst we would have to side with California. That would do nobody any good. So, yes the Californians can be a bit iffy at times but honestly they are good guys and hell can they design planes well. So are we on the same page? Does peace in the America's for the foreseeable future sound good to you? As for the other states here, with our three nations together they can only join us.

Is there anything you want to ask me?"

[Chrinthanium]

Nathaniel responded, "Mr. President, while in private you may address me as Nathaniel."

"As for the F-23, we are working out the budget details. We have yet to commit to any orders as of yet. The Airforce is stocked with German and British aircraft currently, but the idea of an American fighter is extremely appealing. Once our budget office approves the spending, we will place our orders.

As for California, Jose, I hope you are not insinuating that any disagreement Omaha may have with San Diego may, in any way, be misconstrued into a possibility of military action. Peace in the North American continent has not been breached in decades and we've no intentions to deviate from that course. Any speak on the contrary is not the Chrinthani governments, nor my position.

I believe this opportunity is great as well, and we must return to the conference for us to build this group of united states."

[Somewhereistonia]

"Ah, excellent, it appears that we are singing from the same sheet after all. Of course I was in now way suggesting that any military action between american states was on the cards. I was just looking at the bigger picture a bit. Eventualities and all that. I just wanted to make sure that this conference was going to head in the right direction. I'm glad we had this talk, now let us return to the others. We have important continental business to discuss."

[Chrinthanium]

Once Nathaniel arrived in the banquet room, he made an announcement, "Distinguished guests, I would like to thank you all for attending. Since it seems everyone is about finishing their supper, we should make our way to the conference room one door down on the left in about twenty minutes. Don't worry, we'll still have access to the bar."

[Walmington on Sea]

The Walmingtonian quartet entered the room in a tight cluster, Mainwaring walking with deliberate sloth so as to allow the Prince's face to be the first seen by other guests, and Edryd, realising this, moving at barely a shuffle so as to have the PM crowded by a bewildered Ambassador Thurlow-Adnams and the security officer who was positively jostling him forwards. As Emperor Nathaniel approached he received an easy smile from the young heir to the Walmingtonian throne and may have just caught the tail end of Mainwaring's dagger-eyed telling-off of his ambassador and guardian.

"Oh, ah, yes, quite marvelous, your majesty." The Prime Minister gushed, "We're quite accustomed to a little snow, now and then. For want of a stiff sea breeze, there's nothing more bracing than a good sprinkling of the old white powder." He said innocently, completely failing to understand Edryd's motivation as the Prince let out a snort.

Looking about the room as they moved to take their seats, the Walmingtonians noted one giant nation after another, and were comforted only by the knowledge that their economy, under the relentlessly sensible management of former Swallow Bank flagship-branch manager George Mainwaring, was by a significant margin stronger and more productive in relative terms tha... damn, Californians.

All together too many Catholics and rebels for Mainwaring's liking, but this was the modern face of the new world. Lots of these newfangled rockabillies and beatnicks and what else were they called? George was more than a little worried, as he confided to Thurlow-Adnams that, in his opinion, "This could all descend into a terrible bout of reefer madness, you know. Have your man keep his eyes peeled."

((This post delayed significantly by my lack of fingernails. England - South Africa. This is why everybody should watch test cricket, obviously. Stop losing wickets, damn you! Five days, two and a half thousand deliveries, and it comes down to the very last ball... and England win the draw! Yeah, that's what I said! Onions has the Saffers in tears! My chest hurts!))

[Chrinthanium]

The Walmingtonian delegation had arrived. Emperor Nathaniel was relieved that, after all this time, they were here. He greeted the Prince and the Prime Minister with his trademark smile and a hand shake. "Dear friends, welcome! Please, Mr. Prime Minister, Your Highness, please sit at my table along with the other delegates."

Nathaniel was anxious to begin the discussions, but wanted to make sure everyone had a chance to eat prior to the meeting. It was his utmost desire everyone enjoy themselves. He thought he'd achieved it, so far.

[Wesleyopia]

McDonald was ready, he had eaten his fair share(and a little more). He made his way for the conference room, ready to get down to business. He had taken all the preparations for the discussion himself, and very seriously thought about not

McDonald had his notes drawn up in a rather large binder, a repository of information ranging from the possibility of an international North American road system to the exact definition of Acadzia's border with Walmington. Most of the boring stuff was in the back, his most pressing issues were in the front. Included was Wesleyopian opposition to an American currency, to open borders, and a lot of stuff. Wesleyopia was a land of opposition. McDonald did want, however, an American passport. That would streamline the entire process of international travel in America, as long as there were proper measures to keep terrorists and criminals out of Wesleyopia.

"I'm ready when you are, Your Majesty." said President McDonald to the Emperor. The Emperor seemed like a more capable leader every second McDonald spent with him, but an Emperor is still a dictator with a fancy name.

[Chrinthanium]

The Conference room wasn't far from the banquet hall. A simple walk down the hallway would lead the delegates to the final door which opened into a large room. The room itself resembled a corporate boardroom with its long rectangular table with enough seats for twenty people plus the Emperor. There would be no mistaking his chair either, which was at the head of the table. Along the walls were marker boards which were so clean they looked new. On the table were several teleconference phone along with a red phone in front of the Imperial chair. There were cups in front of each chair, two pens, a legal pad, and some napkins. In the center of the table were several pots of coffee, a pot of tea, a few pitchers of water, and some light refreshments. The lights in the ceiling were flourescent. Inlays.

The powerbrokers of North America would sit at the table and discuss everything from intercontinental trade, to defense pacts, to sports in a spirit of goodwill and friendship with one another.

There were no exact seating arraingements, outside of the Imperial chair. It was mentioned, but the Emperor had a more first-come, first-served approach to seating. He felt it kept it informal. Besides, it could be misconstrued if the Emperor chose the seating positions, and a delegate was insulted by their assignment so far away from the Emperor, Nathaniel believed.