A Union of Friends [CLOSED, ATTN: Hageunau]

[Aquitayne]

To: The Office of His Majesty Étienne II of the United Kingdom of Haguenau
From: The Office of His Majesty Samuel Reich of the Constitutional Monarchy of Aquitayne

In confidence,

---

The ongoing struggles of the nations of Astyria continue to bring me great strife in my ability to help those who need assistance and to differentiate between those who would use strength to subdue and those who would use it to give those less fortunate a better life. Inherently, it is the duty of kings to look after their subjects, and to provide for them in whatever it is they desire or need. Abstractly, perhaps it too is the King who needs his subjects to provide for him, for without them his rule is meaningless.

It is the strong belief of myself and my court that the monarchies of Astyria are increasingly being targeted by the western idealists of Roman romanticism. The preference of a Democracy over a Monarchy is one which predates our fathers but one which our grandfathers saw through their eyes; there has been a shift over the past two centuries, and it is one which seeks to endanger the ability of Kings and Queens to rule over their subjects in a manner befitting of their great stature.

This is the crisis I believe both you and I face today. Though there are many monarchies that lie within Astyria, the Dangish Empire, the Seraphic Empire, the Trellinese, and even myself, the powers of the Eastern Astyrian Trade Organisation as well as their western opposition seeks to shift the balance of power in the region in a way which would indefinitely bring about the destruction of monarchies around the region. This is not the time nor the place to begin talks of a defense agreement nor is it the will of myself to press such hearty legislation before you; rather, I would prefer something more tasteful.

As of yet, our two Kingdoms do not possess relations with one another diplomatically. I would like to rectify this as soon as possible, as I believe our two great kingdoms will find much in common with one another, and we may indeed find that we share ideals and views that not many other nations do. It is the belief of myself and my court that the United Kingdom of Hageunau is an important friend to have, and one which we are more than happy to acquiesce.

I leave the ultimate decision up to you, your Majesty, as it is your decision to make. My court would be more than hospitable were you to send a delegation to Telora, or if you prefer, I were to visit your Kingdom instead. Please respond with haste, as I am eager for your reply.

Yours,

[Haguenau]

From: His Majesty King Stephen the Second Angoulême Palace Angoulême, Capitale-du-Royaume United Kingdom of Haguenau To: His Majesty King Samuel Reich The Office of His Majesty Samuel Reich Telora, Province of Acril Constitutional Monarchy of Aquitayne Date: March 27ᵗʰ, 2014 Le Royaume Uni d'Haguenau - Palais d'Angoulême The United Kingdom of Haguenau - Angoulême Palace Your Majesty, From its very inception, the Kingdom of Haguenau has always sought to rule with a fair hand. As our brethren nations rose and fell, we have adapted and learned from their good deeds and mistakes, so as to created a greater, stronger, and fairer nation that may stand proud and unafraid of any foreign threats. However, very little has prepared us against the plethora of ideologies and philosophies that have sprung forth in the last couple of centuries. I know from experience just how extreme some of these adherers have become. Men who speak of freedom go to war with no regard to sovereign rights, spilling the blood of countless innocent souls, oppressing entire peoples into submitting to their ideologies, and destroying entire cultures, all in the name of proliferating their own dysfunctional and corrupt ideologies. While I often find the hypocrisy of some foreign powers to be abhorrent, I nevertheless choose to respect their sovereign rights, and only intervene in foreign affairs in extremely dire situations. Were it not for that, we would not be any better than they are. These new ways of thinking pose significant threat to our ways, our nation, and our people as a whole; enticing mass hatred towards our ways, often for entirely ulterior motives. Based upon these grounds, it is my belief that your proposal is worthy of great merit. I am in agreement that our two nations are long overdue for closer ties, and I believe our nations may proudly work together in this time of crisis, eventually superseding our initial concerns and making way for a prosperous and mutually beneficial relationship. Consequently, I wish to formally welcome Your Majesty to visit our nation, both under formal and personal pretext, so that we may acquaint with each other and further discuss these matters in a more formal setting. I hope our proposal is to your liking, and I shall eagerly await to hear word from you, Sa Majesté Roi Étienne Deuxième Roi du Royaume Uni d'Haguenau et de Ses Colonies. His Majesty King Stephen the Second King of the United Kingdom of Haguenau and of His Colonies.

[Aquitayne]

It was exciting that the King had accepted Samuel's query for the beginning of diplomatic relations between the nations with such summit-like proportions, going so far as to invite him to King Stephen's court. Nevertheless this was a prime opportunity to extend Aquitayne's new foreign policy standard as well as create a new ally on the western regions of Lorecia. The goods of Haguenau had been famed to be of exemplary standard, and perhaps the people of Aquitayne too could get their hands on them.

* * *

Arriving to the Kingdom of Haguenau was something that Samuel didn't previously think he'd ever be doing. Maybe a different king, in a different time, but not him - not now. Nevertheless, however, he was here and it was time to land. The young King had enjoyed the long eight hour flight to the small but prestigious Kingdom, as he was doing so in the brand new aircraft the Ministry of Defense had purchased. It was a Monteluci A360-400EX, or in other words the newest and best aircraft the market had to offer. It was a large aircraft, capable of holding upwards of 400 people, and yet only the King, his family, some security, the flight crew and the press were allowed on board.

In less time than had been expected the aircraft landed at the airport, and once it had taxi'd to its holding area, Samuel knew it was going to be a photographer and journalist's wet dream. A red carpet had been lain out, and an honor guard was present. There were what looked to be armored limousines bearing the Aquitaynian flag waiting at the end of the procession line, where Sam would undoubtedly be stuffed into.

It was a bright day, there wasn't a cloud in the sky and it seemed as though fate was smiling brightly on this visit. As Sam walked down the procession line towards the limousine, the honor guard conducted their ceremony without flaw. Being a veteran of the Aquitaynian armed services, Sam could appreciate the effort and hours of dedication that had gone into nothing more than five minutes of ceremony. It was their pride, however, that he knew kept them going during the grueling hours.

As much as he wanted to appreciate the ceremony, he knew more pressing matters were at hand and as such continued on to the limousine, where he was greeted inside by some political advisers who briefed him on relevant customs of the nation as well as some of the more tedious formalities. Nevertheless, the motorcade began their journey to the Royal Palace, and soon Sam would be in the presence of another great Astyrian King.

[Haguenau]

Talks of the two sovereigns' summit have been abound since the official announcement. It has, after all, been some years since King Stephen II last had any sort of meeting with a foreign officials. Naturally, opinions on the meeting have been numerous and wildly varied. Some remained unquestionably sceptical in regards to any international relations. Some thought it was about time Haguenau sought military allies in the increasingly diversifying and hostile world. Some were looking forwards to new business opportunities.

Meanwhile, the King himself was, for now, only considering laying foundations for diplomatic talks. He knew that even the mere suggestion of any sort of military or economic partnership could spark mass controversy in Haguenau. Baby steps, he told himself. In the hours leading to the meeting, the King spent all of his time with the Secretary of Foreign Relations by his side, skimming once again over various topics the two have had lengthy discussions about in the last few days. The two men walked down the ornate halls of the palace, now devoid of life, with the exception of the sparsely stationed Honour Guard.

After a final check of his earpiece, which will be feeding a French translation of his contemporary's discourse, the King shook hands with the Secretary. The latter wished good luck, and on that note, parted ways towards the ad-hoc nerve centre room of the summit, where the translator was stationed. The King continue on his previous course, towards the Palace's foyer, where the rest of the Royal Family awaited him. A quick chat later, the Léonides strode out into the gardens.

The family walked along the two-cars'-wide central footpath, which has been adorned with the traditional red carpet, with the Palace's young gardens flourishing on both sides. At the end of the footpath was a sizeable courtyard, which served for all manners of events, including, as was the case here, the debarkation of foreign dignitaries. Two rows of Honour Guards stood facing each other at the end of the tapestry, with a flag-bearer on each side; one with a Haguenauvian flag, the other with an Aquitaynian one. Perhaps to the surprise of the visiting parties, no media coverage was present anywhere in the Palace.

As the Aquitaynian convoy rolled on the fine gravel of the courtyard, the King smiled to his family in an attempt to boost their confidence. Once the vehicles came to a stop and King Samuel exited his limousine, King Stephen II took a step forwards and extended his right arm. He uttered in an extremely thick accent:

Uillecomme tou Haguenau, eur majestie. Then switched to French, hoping Samuel had the appropriate means to understand him. It is an honour to have you as a guest at my Court.