A Meeting oF Monarchs (CLOSED|ATTN: Tagoria/NI)

[Livensola]

Allsund Bay, Livensola

Steris Merovin loved the sea. Among the wealthy, urban Liscev of Livensola, however, that wasn't uncommon. Most members of said demographic, Merovin included, could swim before they could walk. When weekends and holidays came, they put dominating Livensola's œconomy, government, and society on hold, and went sailing. Their stately yachts cruised majestically throught he bright blue waters of Allsund Bay and the Great Ocean, carrying the privileged away from their landbound cares and worries to a relaxing marine getaway. For Steris, it carried him away from Aulxhun Preparatory Academy, from the fencing lessons that he enjoyed, but often got in the way of his social life, and from the hassle of being the heir apparent to the throne of Livensola.

"Steris!" called the Queen Consort.

"Aye, Ma'am?"

"We've got to turn back now."

"Why?"

"The royal family of Tagoria is coming to Livern on a state visit. We need to get going now in order to make it in time."

"Yes, ma'am."

Steris went back into the cabin, where his father, King Ecenus IV, was reading a newspaper. "Steris, go to the head and take a shower while we sail back to Livern."

"But, father, I've already bathed today."

"Steris, the Tagorians have a daughter that's your age. If all goes well, we can avoid intermarriage with the House of-"

"Ecenus!" shouted Steris's mother in shock.

"What?"

"How dare you! I thought we were done with this arranged marriage nonsense!"

"Well, I just thought that Steris might be interested in continuing the tradition."

"Enough. But Steris, you should take another shower. We want to impress the Tagorians. They are after all, the first non-Coscivians that we've had contact with in decades."
--

Cambrial Chambres, Livern, Livensola

The Royal Family of Livensola, including Steris's younger sisters Veria and Èuscara, stood on the front steps of the Cambrial Chambres, which housed Livensola's legislature.They all wore the same blue, light but deep, that covered their nation's flag. The men wore capes, and the women wore shawls. Ordinarily, a kilt would be worn, but Ecenus had conveniently suspended tradition for this meeting. After all, he couldn't let a prospective Queen of Livensola, or so he hoped, see his son in a skirt.

The Chancellor of the Cambrium, Aran Valspar, did wear his kilt, and stood alongside the royal family. Some other leading Cambrians stood behind them, and an honour guard lined the edges of the stair.

Everyone striaghtened up as the limousine that had borne the Tagorians from Livern International Airport pulled up in front of the Chambres. Photogrphers armed their flashbulbs. Internal Security Unit snipers readied themselves to eliminate any threat to the visitors. Everyone waited for the door to open.

"Smile, everyone," said the King, "We need freinds abroad."

[The Tagorian Mountains]

Seka sat, overlooking the calm beauty of the land as the plane flew towards its destination, having not been out of the nation ever since her highly productive visit to Wagdog which she had attended with her father before he had died, but she was confident that the trip to Livensola would end well, just like that one had. As she stood there, dressed in a simple but still royally elegant dress that complimented her blossoming features, her mother and her sisters were busy in the confines of their part of the plane, doing God knows what. Seka didn't care, she preferred being alone sometimes. At her waist, there was a sword with the sheath shining in the bright, unobstructed sunlight. This was her personal sword, a sword which she had gained from her father who had gained it from his father and so on in a chain of honorable descent.

Foreign Minister Velasdze walked out into the open, then, and sat next to Seka with a Victorian appearance upon him. Dressed like some admiral from the old Japan, he fondled his chin for a moment, and then he began to speak. "I hope you are fine, Your Majesty, and I hope you're not nervous or anything like that. Don't worry about the diplomacy, I'll deal with all of it."

Seka nodded. "Of course you will. That's why Father appointed you to your post. Besides, I'm probably going to be stuck with Livensolan royalty for the entire visit......"

"Perhaps their heir will be thrust upon you." Velasdze said with a smirk. He knew that, soon enough, she'd find someone to settle down with. But the prospect of a marriage to a non-Tagorian intrigued him, considering that every Tagorian monarch had married a Tagorian over the centuries that the Empire existed. So the history books, apparently, had said.

"I wonder if he knows how to wield a sword." Seka said, imagining herself fighting with the heir to the Livensolan throne. She had been taught one of the many sword styles of the Tagorian Archipelago and had been so well at it, she was able to defeat grown men who were, you would think, more stronger and bigger than she was. As the plane began to land, Seka's annoying sisters came out and charged at the front of the ship with eager faces. The first one was twelve, and the other was ten. Then came her mother, a woman who, at her late thirties, was still well recognized as a very beautiful woman. But she hadn't shown any interest in remarriage since her husband died. And Seka knew, from all the tales she told, how much her mother loved him.

When the plane's occupants stepped out, Seka was the first to appear while her mother came from behind, interestingly close to Velasdze while her sisters stood at both her sides. While her mother and Velasdze began to greet the King and Queen of Livensola, Seka and her sisters swarmed Steris Merovin.

"Hello there," the twelve year old said, "I'm Her Imperial Highness, Princess Zsara. It's nice to meet you, and I'm hopeful that we'll be seing a lot of Livensola today." She spoke with a blithe, bold voice that didn't seem befitting of royalty, but perhaps she was born with this juvenile boldness. The ten year old, seemingly frail and fragile, introduced herself softly as Princess Sari, and then let Empress Seka introduce herself as, well, Empress Seka.

"A pleasure to meet you, Your Highness." Seka said.

[Kirav]

The Kinf bowed to the Regent. "Greetings, Your Majesty," said King Ecenus to the regent warmly. "It is the greatest honour to have you and your wonderful family here in Livensola."

Chancellor Valspar bowed as well, and introduced himself to Velasdze. "Reidor es Livensóla, Sèr Velasdze. I am Aran Valspar, Chancellor of the Cambrium. I hope that Tagoria and Livensola can forge a new freindship thid day."

Steris had been watching Seka from the monement she had stepped out of the limousine. Well, so had everyone else. After all she was the Empress. Vó é meriaus, he thought, She's beautiful. He continued to look at her as she approached (As did everyone else but the King, Queen, and Chancellor, who were busy excahnging formalities with the Regent), and noticed the sword at her side. Steris was accustomed to people walking around with swords, but they were usually wealthy men, soldiers, or members of the smaller Coscivian ethnic groups in the North. It was odd, but he didn't mind. Not at all.

"It is an honour to meet you, Princesses Zsara and Sari. You will indeed be seeng a lot of Livensola today. Livern is an exciting city."

He then recieved Seka's greeting, and bowed respectfully. "Likewise, Your Majesty. I am Steris Merovin, Crown Prince. I trust you had a good flight?"

[The Tagorian Mountains]

Seka's mother bowed respectfully, then offered something of a calm, indifferent smile before she began to talk. "I think you may be mistaken with my role in Tagorian society but it really doesn't matter in the end. I am not my daughter's regent, but I like to think of myself as someone she can turn to when she needs help with things. Yes, I'm definately glad to be here in Livensola and it is a pleasurable honor to meet you and your family."

"One can only hope that our meeting is successful," Velasdze said with a sharp smirk.

Seka had to admit to herself that Steris was quite the handsome young man, but she had said that about plenty of boys back home in the Tagorian Empire whenever she went to some cliched social function. She stood there with a smile upon her face and the sheath of her sword shining in the unobstructed sunlight. It was her personal sword, bestowed upon her by her own father before he died. They said that the sword had been passed down for centuries but Seka didn't feel like looking into it. While her sisters replied calmly and happily to Steris, she simply waited for him to be free.

"I had a good flight indeed, Your Highness, and I'm quite hopeful to see as much of your nation as I possibly can. After all, that's why I'm here. Perhaps, if things go well, you'll be able to visit Tagoria with your family. I hope you won't mind being, say, a tour guide; that is, if we haven't gotten ourselves someone from your ministry of Tourism."

[Kirav]

"My apologies, Your Majesty. We must have been misinformed. Nonetheless, advising and guiding a young monarch is no less worthy of prestiege than ruling on their behalf."

"I'm sure that it shall, Sèr. We are very excited about opening contact with a non-Coscivian nation, especially such an honourable one as your own," replied Valspar politely.

"Not at all, Your Highness. It would be my pleasure. Although Livensóla is an interesting country, as I've said, the prospect of visiting a damp, windy island in the middle of relative nowhere hasn't proved enticing enough for us to need a Ministry of Tourism. Climate aside, I'm sure you'll like it," said Steris.