05-27-2017, 09:45 PM
DATE: 14 Quartyr, 1584
TIME: 09:50 Local
LOCATION: Lancashire, Cynas
Edward Archer: Secretary of State for the Republic of Cynas
"Sir?" I blinked and looked up from the morning paper. A young lass- one the new pages I think- was staring at me. I quirked an eyebrow and motioned with my hand to have her continue.
"They will be arriving momentarily. President Stewart wanted to make sure you were prepared." I scowled and harrumphed as I stood up, folding up the paper in the meantime. Slapping it upon the table with a loud "thud", I grumbled before grabbing my suitcase.
"Yes yes. Tell him I'm on the way down." The page nodded and scurried away, leaving the door to the cabin wide open. Bloody 'ell... can't anyone close the door properly? I meander towards the door to slam it shut, but stop as I reach the entrance and grab the knob. Slowly, it slips from my fingers. I stumble towards the guardrail on the front patio to the cabin and grab it, shrugging off the guards near me. After shaking my head I look up, before the wondrous sight of the harbor to this small sleepy town.
It's been too long since I've been here. Far too long... 15 years in fact. The last time I was here, talks collapsed with Falsea and Sindar-Astrasia. Our ambitions to create an indefensible wall against a growing beast slipped through our fingers. Neither of those confounded delegations saw what we saw. A looming threat on the continent, a specter of absolutism and aristocracy, had been given free reign to prepare themselves, largely unmatched save for our stalwart allies in the South.
Sindar-Astrasia and Falsea had their reasons for dismissing the gravity of the situation at the time, but for Cynas, it was the matter of staying true to Taeunas. After all, what would they say were we to align with a dictatorship of the proletariat and a spineless duchy? We had our strong ally already. We didn't need anyone else.
...Right?
But the question started to bubble a few years after the talks fell apart. What if the circumstances changed? What if Taeunas destabilized or worse yet, opted to abandon the pact for whatever reason. We were scoffed and mocked for our concerns. The growth of Adwest's military capabilities fanned the flames for our small yet vocal group, but not enough for any of the three nations to see what we saw.
Westenne changed that though. Kolhar changed that though. Suddenly, there was a realization by many in the region, Cynas especially. There was a certainty that all of the people who mocked us before finally saw. They realized there is only one undeniable certainty in this world and that there was no certainty. One bad year could shift the tone of our relationship with our ally to the South. One crisis spun out of proportion could change the tune of an entire nation. The desires of a single person could resonate deeply for years.
Adwest's intentions were clear to us. The writing is on the wall. If we did not draw a line somewhere, it is very likely we could be picked off one by one, by Adwest or a foreign power. If our northern neighbors were taken down by Adwest and absorbed into their growing empire, that would leave us and Taeunas.
And then it would only be a matter of time before Taeunas blinked and-
"Sir. We need to go now." I blinked and looked at the page. She pointed to the time on her phone and I winced. Five minutes until the conference. I need to get there quickly.
"Right. Thank you," I reply. With that, I burst off into a run and make my way down to the conference hall in the main building. Today would be the first time we had a negotiation to create a defensive alliance in a long time. It took a lot of coaxing, debating, and a bit of dirty work before my department finally convinced Sindar-Astrasia and Falsea to try again. There will be no blunders. No repeats of our mistakes. This time, we will succeed, and our Intermarium Wall shall be realized.
I reach the front of the building two minutes before the specified arrival time. Just ahead on the pathway, President Dwight Stewart taps his foot impatiently with his guards in tow. He notices my arrival and walks straight towards me. I meet him about halfway and we shake hands briskly.
"Let's go," He says, breaking the handshake. I nod and we make our way to the front to meet our guests from Sindar-Astrasia and Falsea.
TIME: 09:50 Local
LOCATION: Lancashire, Cynas
Edward Archer: Secretary of State for the Republic of Cynas
"Sir?" I blinked and looked up from the morning paper. A young lass- one the new pages I think- was staring at me. I quirked an eyebrow and motioned with my hand to have her continue.
"They will be arriving momentarily. President Stewart wanted to make sure you were prepared." I scowled and harrumphed as I stood up, folding up the paper in the meantime. Slapping it upon the table with a loud "thud", I grumbled before grabbing my suitcase.
"Yes yes. Tell him I'm on the way down." The page nodded and scurried away, leaving the door to the cabin wide open. Bloody 'ell... can't anyone close the door properly? I meander towards the door to slam it shut, but stop as I reach the entrance and grab the knob. Slowly, it slips from my fingers. I stumble towards the guardrail on the front patio to the cabin and grab it, shrugging off the guards near me. After shaking my head I look up, before the wondrous sight of the harbor to this small sleepy town.
It's been too long since I've been here. Far too long... 15 years in fact. The last time I was here, talks collapsed with Falsea and Sindar-Astrasia. Our ambitions to create an indefensible wall against a growing beast slipped through our fingers. Neither of those confounded delegations saw what we saw. A looming threat on the continent, a specter of absolutism and aristocracy, had been given free reign to prepare themselves, largely unmatched save for our stalwart allies in the South.
Sindar-Astrasia and Falsea had their reasons for dismissing the gravity of the situation at the time, but for Cynas, it was the matter of staying true to Taeunas. After all, what would they say were we to align with a dictatorship of the proletariat and a spineless duchy? We had our strong ally already. We didn't need anyone else.
...Right?
But the question started to bubble a few years after the talks fell apart. What if the circumstances changed? What if Taeunas destabilized or worse yet, opted to abandon the pact for whatever reason. We were scoffed and mocked for our concerns. The growth of Adwest's military capabilities fanned the flames for our small yet vocal group, but not enough for any of the three nations to see what we saw.
Westenne changed that though. Kolhar changed that though. Suddenly, there was a realization by many in the region, Cynas especially. There was a certainty that all of the people who mocked us before finally saw. They realized there is only one undeniable certainty in this world and that there was no certainty. One bad year could shift the tone of our relationship with our ally to the South. One crisis spun out of proportion could change the tune of an entire nation. The desires of a single person could resonate deeply for years.
Adwest's intentions were clear to us. The writing is on the wall. If we did not draw a line somewhere, it is very likely we could be picked off one by one, by Adwest or a foreign power. If our northern neighbors were taken down by Adwest and absorbed into their growing empire, that would leave us and Taeunas.
And then it would only be a matter of time before Taeunas blinked and-
"Sir. We need to go now." I blinked and looked at the page. She pointed to the time on her phone and I winced. Five minutes until the conference. I need to get there quickly.
"Right. Thank you," I reply. With that, I burst off into a run and make my way down to the conference hall in the main building. Today would be the first time we had a negotiation to create a defensive alliance in a long time. It took a lot of coaxing, debating, and a bit of dirty work before my department finally convinced Sindar-Astrasia and Falsea to try again. There will be no blunders. No repeats of our mistakes. This time, we will succeed, and our Intermarium Wall shall be realized.
I reach the front of the building two minutes before the specified arrival time. Just ahead on the pathway, President Dwight Stewart taps his foot impatiently with his guards in tow. He notices my arrival and walks straight towards me. I meet him about halfway and we shake hands briskly.
"Let's go," He says, breaking the handshake. I nod and we make our way to the front to meet our guests from Sindar-Astrasia and Falsea.