OOC: The events in this thread concern the Republic of Ruccola and me. This thread is semi-closed, unless Ruccola requests that it be opened.
IC:
Over a year before the present chapter in the history of relations between the Monavian Empire and the Republic of Ruccola was unfolding, the Ruccolans had expressed a desire to form diplomatic ties with the Monavian government. While such a long time had passed since this had occurred, the Ruccolans had sent a letter to the Monavian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, directed at the Ministry's Embassy Exchange Program. The Ruccolan Foreign Minister, Carolina Chan, had expressed an interest on behalf of her government in negotiating diplomatic agreements and constructing an embassy in Chalcedon. Such a decision on the part of her government represented a commitment to an open dialogue with a potential partner and ally, and Minister Carter was in no way intending to pass such an opportunity up.
Carter had his duties as the Monavian Minister of Foreign Affairs to attend to, and organizing a diplomatic conference was among those duties. He had already consulted with Their Holy Imperial Majesties over the matter, and as chance, and perhaps even prevailing sentiment would have it, they had given their assent. The conference would take place as Minister Chan had requested, and the events of the meeting were being planned almost immediately after Minister Carter received Chan’s reply to his letter.
The Cabinet Chamber was delegated as the room to hold the conference. There would be two more cabinet meetings there before it was to be ready for use as the location of the conference, but due to its light use and architectural design, it was likely that it would require only slight cleaning afterwards. The royal residence was by no means a common dwelling with common problems at times, but like all places, from the most sterile operating room to the dingiest shop, maintenance was a routine event. The diplomatic reception room, which was normally reserved for such events, had been closed for emergency repairs and reconstruction, but the Cabinet Chamber was a larger space with a superior view of the outside, and had not seen a conference in many years.
The government terminal of Chalcedon International Airport had been prepared in advance for the arrival of the Ruccolans. While it would be some time until their plane flew in, security checks took some time to perform, and both tarmac and hanger space had to be reserved. The actual gate within the terminal was being prepared for the arriving delegation, and decorations were being added as the delegation’s craft continued on its journey. While an outdoor welcome was in order, certain items might not be able to be offloaded down a set of stairs, and allowing the plane to dock with the gate ramp to permit the unloading of baggage and heavy objects was extended as a courtesy to the arriving guests.
On the tarmac, a staircase was being rolled into place, with the workers approximating where the Ruccolan plane would stop to permit Minister Chan and her subordinates to disembark. A red carpet would be rolled into place about half an hour before the plane landed, and two limousines would be provided to carry the guests to the residence, unless the Ruccolans informed them that they had brought their own means of transportation. While it was true that the Monavian government had no qualms about providing services to visiting diplomats, if the delegation preferred to use its own vehicles, their wishes would be honored.
A contingent of the Royal Guard was being assembled at the airport to line either side of the carpet, and a military band was preparing to play the national anthem as the Ruccolans arrived. Federal Secret Services had assigned a security detail to monitor the location for any possible disturbances, and another detail was posted on the palace grounds to accompany the existing details of Guardsmen and FSS officers.
Likewise, within the Cabinet Chamber itself, preparations were being made, including the placement of small Ruccolan flags at seats at the table. The chamber itself was expected to hold all of the arriving diplomats and their aides, as it had seating for around thirty people. Monavian flags would mark seats that would be occupied by Minister Carter, the monarchs, and several other ministers. The Chancellor was expected to attend, so as to be able to observe the proceedings and report what he had seen to the Senate when he returned to preside over its own proceedings. The government as a whole, including both houses of Parliament, had shown interest in these new developments, and as most such meetings typically concluded with the signing of a treaty, the Senate would be obligated to involve itself.
As the two weeks between Minister Chan’s reply and the conference drew to a close, and the final hours ticked by, a government would wait with baited breath as the procedures of diplomacy repeated themselves yet again, as they had countless times in the past.
