The River Meeting (Finished)

[Colfico]

It was a warm, sunny day, with the sun shining down upon the river that flowed through the heart of the Kingdom of Colfico. The rushing waters of the river, tinged a slight brown with sediment picked up by the powerful currents of the massive river, made up the center of the nation. It was for this reason, plus the natural beauty and majesty which such a river carries, that it was chosen to be the place for a diplomatic meeting, rather than the capital, or some governmental building elsewhere.

King Sebastian Merrimack stood at the guardrail of the RCNS Nauria, a corvette normally tasked with patrolling the rivers waters, enforcing regulations, and providing security and safety for the many vessels that make their way up and down the river daily. However, this day her task was very different...she was to serve as the meeting point for diplomatic talks, with the Empire of Derita.

The 'King' watched the dock with a neutral look on his face, betraying very little of the thoughts that were occurring inside the mans head. The normally busy dock was quiet, having been opened up by security forces of the RCA for the purposes of the meeting. While the King knew to expect someone, he did not entirely know whom, or what, to expect, and he new better than to trust a first impression, he had discovered this during his time in and commanding tanks. He checked his watch, a stainless steel, mechanical piece that was simple and durable in its construction. It was soon to be time for the meeting to begin, and he had hopes for the meeting that could very well decide the future.

[Kingdom of Derita]

The many black and silver banners of the Imperial Family fluttered in the wind as Hugues Hollande, the Duke of Angoulême, stepped out onto the smooth clean decks of the HMY Kuqala Uray, the massive black yacht sent by the Deritain Emperor. Seven times larger than the average dhows that filled the harbors of the Aukusa Bay Area, the Kuqala Uray had been the last such luxurious vessel created for the long-dead King-Emperor, when the Duke of Angoulême had been but a child. Now it and its sister vessels would serve as the spearhead of the Derita's re-establishment of diplomatic relations abroad. The great black yacht was flanked by a team of smaller gunboats, though the Duke had been assured by his sister, the Deritain Empress, that the likelihood of an attack from the Colficoan was low.

The Duke of Angoulême put his arms behind his back as he looked past the guardrail to the small warship heading towards him, cutting through the brown waters of the might Great Colfico River. The Duke of Angoulême could see why the great river had become the heart of this nation. Not unlike how the smaller Aukusa River had become the heart of the Empire at its rich delta. Like his Colficoan counterparts, the Duke of Angoulême had not been precisely informed as to who he would meet, though he'd been instructed to inquire an audience with the King of Colfico. The Kupala Uray had been loaded with treasures from the Celestial Empire in the case of a suitably acceptable conclusion. And if It wasn't, well, the great yacht had been made for racing,

As the Kuqala Uray approached the docks, the Duke of Angoulême prepared to disembark. The Duke, a half a century old, donned an ornate blue and white litham, a veil that hid all but his eyes. Around him, several, though not all, of the aides-de-camps put on similar, though less ornate veils, the female ones differing in that they covered their entire head and face. The Duke's litham matched his ornate ingcawa, which he wore draped over his blue three-piece suit. A symbol of his respected status in the Celestial Empire, it was meant to show the Colficoans that they were being honored by having such high profiled individual being sent to meet with them.

[Colfico]

The King watched as the shape of the yacht came into view, she was larger than the small corvette that was awaiting her, silently taking careful note of the small gunboats escorting the yacht. The likelihood of an engagement was low, but his instincts took note of the odds regardless. He made his way down the ramp of the corvette, the ships grey paint a contrast to his black dress uniform, which bore surprisingly few medals and awards, however the ones on his uniform were merits, and earned, especially the one on his left breast under his ribbons, the Tankers Star, First Order, given for excellence in combat against an anarchist group which he had been tasked with crushing during his time serving with the tank corps.

He had no guards with him, however there were several Royal Colficoan Navy marines on the deck of the corvette, as well as several sailors within easy reach of three of the ships secondary twin 13.2mm machinegun mounts, a warning if nothing else that the ship was prepared to come to its 'Kings' aid if the need arose. He also wore on his hip a holster, and a sheath, in the former, an M1E1 .42 handgun, and in the latter, a M12A Ceremonial Cavalry short sword, a standard ceremonial weapon of the Colficoan tank corps.

As he came within speaking distance of the deritain group, the king cleared his throat, before he began to speak, his voice deep and with all the authority that one would expect from a former tank commander.

"Welcome, I know that the meeting place may be unorthodox, however I believed it would better suit friendly relations than any of the normal governmental buildings that could have been utilized. I do hope that you have enjoyed your journey up our river."

[Kingdom of Derita]

The Duke of Angoulême gave the King of Colfico a small bow as a form of greeting. The Deritain form of greeting was formal and impersonal, something that had for so many years perplexed other nations, but had proved exceedingly useful when a plague decades ago had swept swathes of the world and the Deritain revulsion towards touch amongst strangers, in particular, foreign strangers. As the country had contracted and the view of the world had grown harsher, and the world larger, that wariness had only grown. The veiled attendants that flanked him, three men on his left and three women on his right bowed and curtsied deeply, respectfully. The Duke of Angoulême rose from his bow, and from behind his veil, spoke, his own voice light and aristocratic voice, born out of the silver spoon that he'd been born into. Though not an imperial himself, he was a member of the Hollande Family, widely recognized within the Celestial Empire as second only to the Imperials, and it had long been argued who, between the two great houses, had the greater wealth. The Duke of Angoulême suspected that, despite the recessions that had heavily gouged and cratered the wealth of so many, the true answer was the Hollandes. Though he knew enough not to dare say such a thing anywhere the Amagorha might hear it. Which was to say, everywhere.

"The Great Colfico River certainly lives up to its name. I can see why such a beautiful country as your kingdom sprung up from its shores and waves. It is truly a great heart that pumps such a vivid and delightful life for so many. It was a great pleasure to ascend up the waters of your mighty river aboard His Imperial Majesty's most treasured vessel and fill the great banners of the Celestial Empire with the winds of Colfico."

The Duke of Angoulême stepped back, gesturing to someone. Another woman, dressed in a black and silver dress and matching veil stepped forward, holding an ornate box carved from perfumed sandalwood, images of elephants carved into the boxes' sides, a silver starburst decorating the lid of the box, symbols of the Celestial Empire and its Emperor. The Duke of Angoulême spoke, straightening as he recited the speech that he'd been drafted and practiced throughout the long two-day trip of the journey from the Aukusa Bay Area up the river. He spoke as the woman approached the King of Colfico, stopping in front of him as she held out the box for the King.

"I am Hugues Louis Songezo de Hollande, 2nd Duke of Angoulême and a Prince of Gante, selected, honored and humbled by His Imperial Majesty's decree as my appointment to serve as Envoy of the Celestial Empire to Colfico, tasked with leading the honored Imperial Legation into discussions of diplomatic relations between the Celestial Empire and Colfico, and to speak with the admirable prince of this state, the His Highness the King of Colfico. Within this box, crafted by the finest artisans of the capital at the orders of Her Imperial Majesty, my most beloved and excellent sister, the Empress, His Highness shall find the official decree, my most honored papers of representative duty, and letters of credence, unsealed and seal, the latter to be presented to His Highness."

[Colfico]

Sebastian listened carefully to the Dukes words, carefully picking through the aristocrats words, and sorting out their meanings in his head, showing not the slightest alteration in his facial or bodily gestures while doing so. He returned the bows with a courteous nod, before opening his mouth to speak again, and a slight motion of his hand, at which a RCN Marine, in full dress uniform, approached the king, holding in his hands a dark brown, leather box, closed securely by gold plated latches and with the official emblem of the Royal Colficoan Army, created from various semi-precious stones, inlaid into the box.

"On behalf of the people of Colfico, I graciously accept this gift, however i do believe you have mistaken me for someone else, I am King Sebastian Merrimack, ruler of the Kingdom of Colfico, and master of her military and territory. I would like to present my own gift in return"

He took the box offered with a surprising amount of care, taking a moment to study the artwork and words engraved into it, before expertly, and with practiced drill, performed a right face turn towards the marine, and while taking the case offered by the marine in one hand, handed him the ornate box with the other. He performed another sharp, snapped turn back towards the group and, with ease, unlatched the box with one hand, and then opened it, revealing inside a pair of golden, engraved handguns, in pristine, brand new condition, and sitting in high quality, red velvet.

"These were produced by one of the finest gunsmiths in Colfico, I, and my people, hope that your emperor shall enjoy these, weather he chooses to fire them, or keep them on display, they will serve him well in either purpose.

[Kingdom of Derita]

The woman who given the box to the King glanced to the Duke of Angoulême, though one might have been forgiven for not realizing it, her features hidden beneath the fabric, but the Duke of Angoulême recognized it. There seemed to have been a translation error. The Deritains hadn’t meant to present the box as a gift. Not that it was something meant to be loaned. To them it had only been a piece of formality. But this slight change of terms made the attendants shift ever do slightly as they fell into another round of bows and curtsy to the true King of Colfico. The Duke of Angoulême too bowed his head.

“It us a great honor to meet you, Your Highness. We graciously accept your magnificent gift, one truly befitting your exquisite country. His Imperial Majesty shall be honored to receive them..” The Duke nodded his head and the woman gently lifted the box from the King of Colfico’s hands, gently closing it as she retreated to the Duke’s side, handing the box to one of the female attendants. Despite his words, the Duke of Angoulême knew that they, the beautiful guns, would likely be locked away in an Imperial Vault, or at best put on display at a future embassy between the Celestial Empire and Colfico. Perhaps if it had been five years earlier, the Emperor’s father woukd have adored them. His brother too, the Duke of Alençon, would have better appreciate the marvelous creations.

“Your subjects’ skills of craft are of a grand and respectful quality Your Highness. This exchange,” the Duke of Angoulême said despite his reservation of the truth of such an equal exchange of gifts, “shall serve as the first line, in the first chapter of the channel of relations between Colfico and the Celestial Empire. One locked together with amicable feelings.”

[Colfico]

Sebastian nodded, noticing the exchange of looks between the woman in front of him and the Duke, taking note that something had gone differently than had been planned. He watched as the box was handed to an assistant, and listened carefully to the dukes words.

He gave a short nod, his people were capable craftsmen, however he had no illusions of what would likely happen to the gift that he had given to the Deritans, they would likely be put on display, and nothing more. However what happened to them after they had been given away was no important, what was important was the good impression that they were supposed to make.

"Yes, they are, even if many of them have been forced to return to a more simple form of their creations, they still do so with the pride and skill that they always have. " He then motioned to a portable building which had been established on the pier for the purpose of the meeting. It was simple, but rugged in its construction, and designed to be easily deconstructed and moved as needed, a common type of structure often used for building field bases by the RCA. This one however was more lavishly furnished than most. While the table at its center was a simple, metal , folding piece, it was covered in a simple, but nice, white Lenin, and it was accompanied by dark brown, laminated wooden chairs, with comfortable cushions. It was not exactly the luxury accommodations of an embassy or a palace, it was good enough for the task, and it had a good view of the river and the surrounding township.

"This way, we can continue the talks better here, once business is settled, I will personally give a proper tour."

[Kingdom of Derita]

The Duke of Angoulême nodded in agreement with the King, and fell into step, though careful to remain a single step behind the King of Colfico, the lady and attendants following in tow, following behind the Deritain envoy in V formation, like a flock of tropical birds. The Duke thought of the craftsmen who had created the box that lead the letters of credence and a pinch of sadness to touch his heart. It would be rare for them to get the chance to create something as beautiful or valuable again. There was only so small a pool of people who could afford such grand items. Though, likely, once word of the box passing into the ownership of a foreign sovereign, it may gain some exotic note and spark an interest in the workers' more traditional and functional wares.

"Pride in one's work, after labored so carefully and with such care, is a right anyone is truly due without sin." The Duke said. He looked admirably at the room. He had ground up in glided and ornate palaces all his life. He was grateful for the straightforwardness of the space, as it would let them speak without him having to worry about his eyes wondering too much, or searching for something that was meant to be complimented, a common pit fall amongst the aristocrats of the Celestial Empire, as they jabbed at one another. Deritains had an obsession with detail, something that had been explained to Hugues by his foreign mother, and while he was guilty of enjoying the same views, even he knew where to draw the line.

The Duke of Angoulême nodded his head in respect again, waiting for the King to seat first and following, the attendants and the lady standing slightly to the side, the woman closer so that she may better hear. The Duke glanced out the window. The sight was picturesque and would make a fine addition to the halls of portraits and pictures, salvaged after a fire, that served as a showing gallery in the Palace of Gante the Duke of Angoulême and his brother's family called home.

"I would greatly enjoy a tour afterward Your Highness, but of course, business becomes first."

[Colfico]

The king nodded, he agreed that all people should be allowed to have pride in their work, although he also felt that such a thing should be a truth that did not need saying. He stood behind the chair, as the doors to the building were shut, to give those inside some privacy from those who would rather listen in unwanted. Outside, A pair of RCN Marines, in full dress uniform, and with rifles shouldered, took up sentry positions flanking the door, facing outwards from the building.

The king made a motion for those present to sit, and did so himself shortly afterwards, taking a very professional sitting position, and with his eyes trained on the eyes of the Deritan Duke, his gaze piercing, almost as if the king were attempting to look into the very soul of the Duke. He then made a motion to one of the assistant personnel in the building, one of four present, along with two guards, all in the formal dress greens of the Royal Colficoan Army, and the two guards armed with a simple, but rugged and reliable Colficoan sub machine gun, each without a round chambered. The weapons were ugly, but also clearly built with function over form in mind, made only of what was necessary for the weapon to be a good, reliable tool in a soldiers hands, a true weapon of war. The officer in question, a Lieutenant, approached the table with notepads, writing utensils, including a few simple pencils and sheet paper, all the necessities for writing drafts of an agreement. These were laid out, with an equal number of these on each end. Noteworthy was the very military nature of the proceedings, there were no servants or butlers, just military personnel.

The King nodded, and the Lieutenant snapped off a quick, disciplined salute to the king without a word spoken, and returned to his duty station, where a simple tape recorder lay, currently off, but ready should those present need it.

"Indeed, let us begin, I believe a good starting point would be the conduct of trade and commerce between the people of our two nations, after all, I am sure that both Colfico and the Celestial Empire have goods and resources that one has, and the other either needs, or desires."

[Kingdom of Derita]

The Duke of Angoulême noticed the King of Colfico inspect him, the Duke’s eyes meeting the King’s. In that moment, King Sebastian seemed much older than what he had to be. Reports had informed the Duke that the man was only in his early thirties, young enough to be Hugues’ own son if he’d ever had any interest in producing heirs. It was interesting, the Duke noted. Something both tragic and inspiring about looking older than one was. Though he supposed that everyone seemed aged by this new century. Even thirty years in it felt new to the Duke. Meaning that the King before him had to have been born in the dying days of the previous one. No wonder he could look at the envoy with such clarity.

If the King of Colfico found anything he thought disagreeable in the older man’s eyes, he didn’t seem to show it, so the Duke of Angoulême decided that he must have past some sort of test. As the King moved on, the Duke watched the soldiers that made up the king’s staff. Soldiers had been something the Duke had been used to. His father had been a Marshal of the Empire, and his godfather had been the late emperor, praised for his many military campaigns— almost all of which Hugues’ father served alongside him. The Duke didn’t remember a time when his father had not been in a military uniform, either ceremonial or functional. It seem to permeate the air around the King of Colfico. And it suddenly became clear why the Duke of Angoulême had been sent to their northern neighbor. A small, but deep pit of dread cracked open in the Duke’s stomach.

Nonetheless the Duke of Angoulême nodded in agreement with the King of Colfico’s assessment of the balance of wants and needs between the Celestial Empire and his own country. The Duke gestured and to one of the male attendants who handed the Duke a small stack of fine paper written in artful script, the attendant bowing as he retreated. There couldn’t be more of a difference between the staff member’s smooth elegance movement, as if even the mere handing of papers were a thousand year old art form, and the Colficoans’ stiff clockwork transactions. The Celestial Empire forever indulged in the pursuit of making things beautiful.

“Naturally. The Celestial Empire has always been a garden, which the earth providing so much for us. Lush forests and many rivers, though,” the Duke said, gesturing to the view of the Great Colfico River, none as great as your own, have made our country a great producer of food. Papayas, avocados, cassava, mangoes flourish on the western coast of the nation, whilst seas of grains, orchards and plantations of sugar lined the eastern coast.”

The Duke waved a hand, a old Deritain gesture that had meant something once to his ancestors, but now was merely a way of speaking in the modern nation. “But the Celestial Empire’s greatest wealth has always come from within the earth. Platinum, iron, gold, diamonds, cobalt and mountains of silver. We are the the greatest miners in the world after all.” The Duke nodded to one of the Colficoan Marine’s guns. “And we have already seen that the Colficoan craftsmanship of those extracted materials are exquisite.”

[Colfico]

The king effortlessly watched and listened as the Duke spoke, taking in every word, and noticing the attention towards the weapons that the two guards were wielding, seeing the connection almost immediately. He gave a nod, while thinking carefully over his response, calculating every word as he would a strategy.

"I see, the river you see here holds a large river basin, it provides us with much of the arable land we need, where we grow our own crops, such as Rice, Wheat, Barley, and various vegetables, while we do grow fruits, crops that can provide the most efficient output of food are preferred first. We also enjoy a plentiful bounty of fish, freshwater clams, crawfish and other freshwater aquatic sources of food, as well as a healthy supply of construction materials in the form of wood from the trees that grow in the river basin, and we also make use of bricks made from the mud of the river. As for our manufactured goods, while we do have examples of fine craftsmanship and exquisite quality, our bread and butter is the production of simple, reliable products that make the most of the resources used to construct them. Those weapons are a fine example, they are built to do their job, and do it well. We build most of the things we create with this in mind, they are made to do their job, nothing more, nothing less. " he paused for a brief moment to let his words sink in before speaking again, picking up a pencil as an example. "Your average person does not need an intricate, artfully crafted ink pen to complete the paperwork for his trade or job, he or she just needs a reliable utensil which they can depend upon, and so the focus is instead placed on the qualities which make a pencil good at its job, the graphite that makes the mark on a paper which may decide the path of a ship, or the orders of an entire army."

He again paused, having not once broken eye contact with the Duke while speaking, his expression also remaining the same, except to put emphasis on the points which he was trying to make.

"I believe both of our nations would be well suited to an agreement of unrestricted trade, so that resources and goods can flow freely as they are needed and desired on both sides of the border.

[Kingdom of Derita]

The Duke of Angoulême listened to the King's words carefully, noting that it was indeed true that for the average citizen of the Celestial Empire, cheap abundant consumer goods were something they were desperately in need of. The mineral wealth of the empire meant that there were a few people, like the Duke himself, who help vast wealth, but for the everyday person, they saw little to no true profit from those materials. Foreign goods, cheaply made would be a boon for Deritain citizens and serve as a much-needed stimulus to the economy. There was also the boon it would give the safety of the Celestial Empire with more weapons to protect its borders. The Duke of Angoulême however was uneased by the King's proposal of a free trade agreement between their two nations. Free trade had been, and still was, a hesitant path the Celestial Empire and its conservative elite. Especially if the empire was suddenly flooded with foreign goods, it could severely harm their own domestic industries. He gestured to one of the attendants and shuffled through a few papers as he looked for what had been drafted by a team of diplomacy department staff members.

"Your Highness, whilst I think that the idea of unrestricted free trade may be an admirable one, I fear that such a radical break down of trade barriers may be something too grand for this first chapter. His Imperial Majesty's Ministry of Foreign Affairs has drafted a proposal that I believe can be suitably beneficial to protecting our individual economies, and work to better integrating and strengthening them together." The Duke of Angoulême found the paper he was looking for and unfurled a map on the table so that it faced the King of Colfico.



"We propose a lowering of import tariffs to 2.22%, whilst we create a series of free ports, that is special economic zones which will have unrestricted trade access and promote tax and business incentives to attract domestic and foreign investment and technology. Our Aukusa Bay Area, is already a special economic zone," the Duke said pointing to a city circled in red on the west coast of the Celestial Empire. "We would propose the creation of a free port at Gerkurawa," He pointed to a city on the eastern coast of the empire, "and one in your kingdom," He pointed a spot circled in red on the Colficoan coast. "With another special economic zone centered around the city of Ortan, near the border," The duke pointed the inland city that, while Deritain, sat only a few miles west of the Colficoan border and had strong Colficoan cultural influences. "We propose a railway connecting the Aukusa Bay Area to the valley of the Great Colfico, seen here by this orange line, and would seek your approval of the construction of a series of dams on the Saizon River on these spots," the Duke pointed to a group of blue circles, "to generate electricity for centers throughout the basin."

[Colfico]

The king nodded, carefully and meticulously analyzing every detail of the plans laid out on the map in front of him, taking note of the locations of the dams in particular, which did cause some concern, there were several Colficoan settlements along the Colficoan portion of the river, whom depended on it quite heavily.

"I can agree to the railway and the tariff reductions, however the dams, particularly the southern one, are a trickier question. There are a few settlements that make a living on the Colficoan section of the river, while they are not major, they are still Colficoan villages nonetheless, and they do depend on that river, particularly as a source of water and food, while the northern dams should be fine, the southern one could cause a problem if not managed properly, perhaps if it were moved here, at the border." He pointed to the spot where the river crossed the border over from Derita, into Colfico. " it could be a cooperative effort, with both Deritan and Colficoan citizens working side by side on the project, and it could also carry a symbolic meaning of cooperation as well."

He paused to think for a moment, giving careful thought to the idea of the Free Economic Zones, analyzing carefully every aspect both of their location, and of their described features.

"The Free Economic Zones should not be a problem, and we can lend naval assets to assist in the construction of the Free Port if the Celestial Empire desires it, Colficoan prefabricated buildings could help cut both construction time and costs."

[Kingdom of Derita]

The Duke mimicked the King's look of deep thought as he considered the King's words and counter-proposal in regard to the southern most dam. It had been the dam that he'd suspected would have caused the most issue. Due to its location on the Saizon River, it would likely affect the flow of the river far more than the northern ones, and there was a secondary problem, or rather, for the Celestial Empire, the primary one. The valley it lay on was not evenly populated, and the Deritains had placed it in the part of the valley that had the least amount of people in it. But moving it to the border completely changed that.

"If we move that dam to the border, that places its downstream from a valley that is home to twenty-three thousand people, who would have to be relocated to make way for the rising waters for the reservoir that would form. And the matter of making sure it is operated properly would be even more pressing at that elevation. Which may make it more expensive. I agree that it would make the project a great symbol of cooperation between the Celestial Empire and Colfico, but if that is to be the case, then Colfico would have to help foot the bill for the dam's construction and maintenance, as we would have to re-allocate funds to resettling those displaced."

[Colfico]

The king gave a nod, seeing the impracticalities that such things would present, contemplating the original position again, before coming to a decision.

"Hmm, very well, then its original position will be acceptable"

He gave the area another quick look over, careful to analyze the details, before deciding to move on with the talks. He had been seeking to bring a bit more security to the borders of his nation, and he had the opportunity now to do something which could bolster that objective immensely by making one of the potential threats into an ally.

"There is now another matter that should be discussed, especially with the current global situation. While i do believe it may be too soon for a full alliance, I believe it would be in the interest of both the Celestial Empire, and Colfico, to sign a defensive pact. In short, if one were to be attacked, the other would come to its aid, however neither nation would be compelled to come to the aid of the other if they chose to undertake an offensive war. In a world such as we have now, cooperation is essential.

[Kingdom of Derita]

The Duke of Angoulême was surprised at the King’s understanding. He’d been expecting a stubborn fight, as was so often the case in when dealing with foreign relations. The Emperor and Empress would be exceeedingly pleased to have gained such favorable terms in their economic policy, which would be seen as a great victory to the public.

As for the matter of the defensive pact, the Duke of Angoulême considered this thoughtfully. The Celestial Empire had, over the last fifty years remained relatively neutral in regards to many. But here was yet the uncovering of another layer into the reasons that the Duke of Angoulême had been sent. The veiled lady shifted ever so slightly as the Duke considered how to best respond.

“Such a defensive act would be truly beneficial to both our nations, and would serve to put us on the path to a full alliance.”

[Colfico]

Sebastian noticed that he had perhaps taken the deritan by surprise, and it was only confirmed when he noticed the veiled lady shift, not much, but not so little as to escape the former tank commanders notice. It was his turn to be surprised, even if it did not show on his face. He had expected a bit more of a fight against his offer of a defensive pact from the Deritan, however it was not an unwanted surprise.

"Very well, is there anything else that you would wish to talk of the defensive pact, before we move on to other subjects, I would rather not skip over anything that needs discussing."

[Kingdom of Derita]

The King of Colfico was observant, the Duke of Angoulême noted. So his look into his eyes was not just a mask of a sovereign, but a sign of truly sharp wit. He must have sense that there was more that Hugues wanted, needed to say. The resisted the urge to look at the veiled lady, knowing that she could provide no sign or a crutch to rest on as he handled the delicate matter in which his own sister had entrusted him in.

“Should the Celestial Empire agree to this defensive pact, while I am sure that would would each come to the other’s aid at the assault of an outside threat as per the agreement, I must inquire about the aid of your kingdom to our Crown should...” the Duke grimaced, “in the most unlikely of instances of course, but, should illegitimate forces make designs on the empire. From both without and within, that your soldiers come to the aid of the true heirs of the heart of the Celestial Empire.”

The Duke of Angoulême cleared his throat and lowered his voice. Part of him wished to dismiss the rest of the people in the room, but even more than that he didn’t wish to put on a scene. The Duke’s tone was low and with the twinge of someone conspiratorial trying very hard not to appear so.

“And, should the need ever arrive, we would hope to be secure in the knowledge that Colfico would be a safe and friendly asylum for individuals who may require it.”

[Colfico]

The Colficoan 'King' nodded, listening carefully, and taking careful notice of the Dukes body language carefully as he made a slight modification to the defensive pact, simply nodding as he listened. That was not the issue, however what had caught his attention was the pause that the duke made before continuing the sentence. He had heard this pause many times before, it meant that there was more meaning behind the mans words than he was trying to let on, and the wording itself only added to it. He suspected that the likelihood of such a rebellion was far more likely than the Duke was attempting to let on.

"Of course, the people and kingdom of Colfico honor our agreements, however there is a bit of a warning that should be kept in mind, we do not play nice with our enemies, and if we are called aid in the crushing of a rebellion, we will crush it in the Colficoan way, and Colficoan do not fight for honor, we fight for victory."

He then listened as the Duke inquired about asylum, even more curious, and alarming, was the fact that the duke felt that he needed to lower his voice, which caused the King to give one of the guards a look, and a slight nod, which put them on alert. A slight shift in their stance, bringing their weapon slightly up so that they could be brought to bear quickly if trouble started, but not yet chambering round, or so seemed on the open bolt weapons, in reality the weapon would push a cartridge forward and fire it once the trigger was pulled, rather than needing to chamber one first.

"The nation of Colfico is of course open to those whom wish to travel and stay within its borders, so long as they follow the laws and regulations present within its borders." He looked into the dukes face, hoping to send the message through his body language that there was more to his statement than he was saying.

[Kingdom of Derita]

The Duke of Angoulême smiled beneath his veil at the King’s word, certain that the two of them had come to an understanding. Though he was displeased at the use of the word ‘rebellion’. He didn’t wish for the world to smear his country’s name. He relaxed slightly in his chair, his voice returning to normal, as he tried to put on an aura of confidence.

“There have been domestic disputes before in the Celestial Empire. They were all handled swiftly and with the people, in the end, always reaffirming their love for the Crown. It is merely a precaution. A military man like yourself knows that plans go out the window the moment the first shot is fired. So one much make preparations. Even for the most unlikely of instances.”

[Colfico]

Sebastian nodded as he listened carefully to the Duke speak, making note of careful choices of words. He had an idea which he would like to try, and one which he hoped that the Deritan would see merit in as well.

"To this end, i would like to present the notion of temporary deployments of RCN ships to assist in the patrol and safety of Deritan waters, particularly rivers. We have at our disposal several monitor type vessels, flat bottomed ships equipped with a large gun battery for their size, built to provide useful firepower in shallow coastal and river waters. I believe that having such ships serve in Deritan waterways could both provide additional security, but also allow an opportunity for Deritan seamen the opportunity to serve aboard such a vessel and become familiar with its operations, in liue of the possibility of the Celestial Empire creating their own version."

He paused for a moment, taking in the looks and stances of those around him before continuing.

"These ships will of course be considered within the territorial waters of the Celestial Empire, and would be expected to uphold and follow the laws and regulations of the Celestial Empire while there."

He produced an image from a nearby folder, and presented it to the Duke, it was a picture taken of one of the M1-Class Monitors while sailing the Great Colfico River

[Kingdom of Derita]

The Duke of Angoulême pursed his lips and was momentarily grateful that King Sebastian couldn’t see his mouth. He considered the image of the ship and pondered the response that seeing them in Deritain waters would have. They had never been as comfortable with others coming into their own sphere as they were venturing into other’s. But not all of Derita was the same. The Duke considered this.

“Perhaps a deployment could be sent to work with the Celestial Imperial Coastal Authority in the Aukusa Bay Area. There are many rivers and inlets in the river delta, and your men may see our great river. And they can train alongside one another and perform joint exercises. Furthering the show of cooperation between our countries.”

The Duke set down the photograph of the Colficoan ship. “Of course,” he said, “the Celestial Empire would be pleased if the Colficoand leant some of their more unique expertise in the construction of our own defensive vessels as the need arises.”

[Colfico]

Sebastian watched as the duke thought on the image he had produced, and attempted to read the dukes expression, not the easiest task, courtesy of the veil the man wore, however the former tank commander was very good at working with what he had available, and could see that the offer had caused at least some concern from the deritan. He listened to the duke as he gave his first response, and simply nodded, the RCN was always looking to expand its experience, and operation in another region could very well help to advance both Colficoan tactics, and help to refine the design of Colficoan ships to better suit deployment in foreign waters as needed. He made a note of the use of the word unique to describe the Colficoan use of the monitor. He understood where the doubt came from, the monitor was a nearly ancient type of vessel, and its appearance likely did not sell it well.

"Of course, we would be happy to assist in the construction of vessels for the Celestial Empire, in fact, the Celestial Empire would be welcome to place orders for ships with Colficoan shipbuilders until the necessary tooling to produce its own ships becomes active. "

[Kingdom of Derita]

The Duke of Angoulême waved his hand in a noncommittal manner. While the Foreign Ministry had expressed interest in the military culture that seemed to permeate the government of Colfico, they were more so interested in the land forces and equipment of their northeastern neighbor. Not so much the naval forces, which the Duke's visit already showed that was focused more on coastal and river lead navigation. And the Celestial Empire had its sights set on the far horizons of the sea.

"Colficoan labor in ship construction could be quite useful, though I hope that we shall see though ships used more for trading rather than defense."

[Colfico]

The Colficoan King gave a small smile, a calculated gesture that by no means indicated his true mood or thoughts. He was amused by the description of Colficoan shipbuilding as unique. However, he also had to make sure that the Deritan left with no illusions as to what his neighbor had to offer, and alternatively, provide a deterrent if necessary, the former commander was no stranger to the idea of being stabbed in the back, and he had no intention of letting his guard down here, even with the friendly words of the Deritan in front of him.

"I think labor is not the only thing that we can offer in ship construction, we still possess in our service, two pre-collapse era battleships, old museum ships before the collapse, but still pre-collapse nonetheless, and I am sure that your Celestial Empire would be very interested in getting an up close look."

He produced another image, this time a clear picture of the flagship of the RCN, in surprisingly good condition, courtesy of the strict regimen of maintenance and upkeep that the RCN had given the vessel.