Fortham, 15th of October, 2019.
A nervous air laid in the air on that morning.
Today, the eyes of the world were directed at the closest thing the Free Lands had to a capital, a city of 12,669 people (according to the 2018 census) - by international standards merely a village, but by Selkie-Standards quite large.
And quite large the reception would be!
Heads of State, Heads of Government and important representatives of many foreign nations came to sign the Accords on the Foundation of a Strategic and Economic Alliance between Free and Sovereign Peoples, in short the SEA-Accords. The Future, many analysts agreed, would have a better chance of looking brighter with these accords, which would not only ensure the defense of the signatories, the aid in case things went wrong, would establish the goal of working towards environmental protection and, most importantly, would establish the goal of working towards a huge, shared market.
It would be incredible, which opportunities were offered due to that, for businesses on all sides.
Yet, the Free Lands were chosen to serve as the backdrop for this occasion, Fortham specifically. The delegations of the signatory nations had landed at Fortham Army Air Field, to be received by an honour guard of the SDF. There, they had boarded a series of carriages, open topped and with soft cushions, to make the short trip to nearby Fortham, under the mounted and armed escort of the best Marcach the Free Lands had. The traditional horsemen in their ancient armours were led by Marla Cróimiam of the Tribe of Cork, herself an Ambassador of the Selkie and quite well-known abroad due to that. A total of 150 Marcach rode as their escort.
Until they had come to the City Gates. There, the mayor of Fortham had received them with the notabilities of the city and a small honour guard of the City Guards. Marla had led them through the short reception, stating, that they were friends of these lands and the city.
Upon that, the mayor had allowed them to pass City Gates.
The Main Street, which went first to the Main Temple of Rhiannon, then to Elder Castle, had been lined by detachments of the Younger Militias, behind whom people had cheered for the guests, even singing a song or two. The colourful tunics of the young men and women in chainmail, their pikes and crossbows at the ready, had served as an excellent reminder of the internal diversity of the Free Lands.
On the square in front of the Main Temple of Rhiannon, the Lancemaidens, the Seminary and the High Priest with his entourage had greeted them. The latter spoke blessings for all of the delegates and their homelands.
They then arrived at Elder Castle, where the main event was about to happen, in front of observers from all over the world. Stands had been erected around the large, round table, where the accords would be signed. The square in front of Elder Castle, a literal small castle, was the place.
There, the delegates had disembarked and find both a bit of refreshments and the actual signing ceremony. Master of Ceremonies was Nia Sneachtúil, of Cefnffordd Descent, an Ancient Spiorad, who had helped working out the day's schedule to the point of her having been in charge of it.
From all over the world, attendees would witness this, television cameras and reporters would capture every moment from nearly all angles.
Signing for the Free Lands, the Elder Council had decided, was Felicia Sciotóg of the Tribe of Monaghan, the Head of the Foreign Office, and Mona Beag of the Tribe of Louth, the Envoy of Lodan Lir, the latter, as a young woman of fifteen Springs, in the name of the Free Land's Youth, for it was their future, which would be sealed here today.
After the actual signatories signed the document, the witnesses would sign it. Notabilities from the Free Lands and from abroad would sign, that they witnessed this ceremony, that they saw the signing, that they saw, what these accords entailed. For the Free Lands, those were General Ferris Taoiseach of the Tribe of Antrim, the Supreme Commander of the SDF, Tyran Cróimiam of the Tribe of Cork, an accomplished Marcach, Fiona Banphrionsa of the Tribe of Cavan, the owner and CEO of Gabha Blacksmiths Limited, Celina Ollamh of the Tribe of Monaghan, a Professor of History of high renown, and Branwen Chwilfrydig, the 'leader' of the Spiorad Ainmhithe and wise woman.
Non-signatories would only observe. Their stands were filled with people of high renown, for example, the Sultanate of Kyrenaia sent Princess Aurelia bint-Damir and Prince Okan ibn-Dardan, one a Half-Selkie herself, the other a Prince of high renown. From the Empire of the Scarlet Eagle, William Raven, the First Secretary of the Imperial Cabinet, was present. The list went on for a while.
Of course, the security was tight to the point of absurdity. Helicopters of the Army stood at the ready for medical evacuations, interceptors patrolled the skies, the Army had reinforced the City Guard in keeping things civil... there were enough reasons.
Opponents of the accords had planned protests all over the country and in other signatory nations as well and as they hadn't been permitted in Fortham and surroundings, the largest would take place in Riverwood, on the other side of Lake Mór, at which's shores Fortham was. Tens of thousands of people were expected in Riverwood alone.
Opponents of Globalization, Tribalists, Communists... the list as to where they came from was long, too.
In the centre of the plaza, on the large, round table, the versions to be signed were spread out, pens were at the ready next to them. Enough for everyone.
The Accords on the Foundation of a Strategic and Economic Alliance between Free and Sovereign Peoples.
Given to paper on the 14th of October, 2019 in Fortham.
Ensouled by the responsibility given to us by the Gods of our lands and by the wills of the Free and Sovereign Peoples, which we represent, the signatories of these Accords agree to uphold and value these foundations:
1. The signatories commit to defend other signatories in cases of armed attack against their territories and mainlands. This provision does not bind in cases of preemptive armed conflicts and wars of aggression.
2. The signatories commit to aid in cases of natural and humanitarian disaster.
3. The signatories will work together to establish a shared market, in which trade barriers between member nations are reduced. This reduction especially concerns tariffs on certain products, as well as the establishment of shared production standards. Specific arrangements will be handled by further agreements.
3.1. The signatories commit to allocate 0.1 percent of the revenues of tariffs on shared projects of SEA, as they are outlined in these accords and by further agreements.
4. Recognizing the need for environmental protection in this day and age, the member nations of SEA will aim at establishing shared standards and programmes aimed at the protection of nature and the environment, so that future generations may have a world to live in. Specific arrangements will be handled by further agreements.
5. Despite the above provisions, these Accords do not aim at limiting the sovereign rights of the nations and peoples signing these Accords.
Attached below was a list of all the people, who would be signing today, the witnesses and enough space for all of the stamps of those, who would be ratifying the accords. It was a tremendous occassion and if all were honest, it made them a bit nervous. After a short welcoming speech by the Master of Ceremonies, the first signatory's representatives stepped forwards, on a first come, first served basis.
The future, everyone felt, would become good.
The real fun would be the aftershow party in the inner courtyard of Elder Castle.