The Eagle and the Leopard

[Rihan 808]

Nelvanna Air Force Base

Two men were in the control tower of a Ralaarihsein base, one standing with binoculars, the other seated in front of a radar screen. Both had earpieces. The weather outside was warm and wet. Most of the traffic that was picked up by the pair were commercial aircraft flying south from Alharu to Dartha's main international airport which would use it as a refueling point before continuing their flights into the vastness of Thalassa. However, something else came up.

Thake spoke up, "Mojer," he said, "can you take a look at this for a moment?" His colleague walked over to his console. He stared at it for a few seconds. "I do not recognize that identifier one bit," replied Thake. The other picked up his binoculars and looked out into the distance and could see the faint lights of the aircraft in the distance. "You should radio them." He nodded and turned to the unidentified aircraft's radio channel. "Unidentified aircraft, you are approaching restricted airspace. You will identify yourself immediately. Failure to comply will result in military intervention. You have ten seconds."

Seven silent seconds pass. And then there is a voice on the other end that comes through on the radio. "This is Leopard 5, we have the Tagmatine Foreign Minister onboard. Requesting permission to land at Nelvanna Runway 22." Both looked at each other, stunned. The Rihannsu had barely communicated with the Tagmatines in hundreds of years, stemmed from their former client relationship many a generation in the past. "Please standby. Maintain current elevation and speed." Thake picked up a phone line that led straight to the base's operation center. "Tagmatine aircraft entering protected space. What do you want us to do?"

On the other end of the phone was Nelvanna's commanding officer, Colonel Tovan Khev. "Scramble the fighters to intercept..." but before he could complete his sentence, he was interrupted by Jaridan Senator Tevus Pranana, the Republic's de facto Foreign Minister, who had just arrived to meet the mysterious aircraft, unknown to everyone at the facility. "That order is void. There will be no fighter scramble. Request the aircraft to confirm the following code." He took the phone out of the colonel's hands and into his own.

"Tagmatine aircraft, confirm the following code sequence." The pilots on the plane flying above them relayed their response back to the ground. "It checks out," said Thake, Mojer nodded. "Leopard 5, permission to land is granted. Proceed to Runway 22." Back in Operations, Pranana gave the colonel a grim stare, indicating he'd probably be given a yelling by the Senate at a later date for such poor restraint. Before he left the room, he handed him a signed paper by the Praetor himself. "You're fortunate that I got here when I did, you did receive this instruction earlier this morning..." The commanding officer looked both ways in the room, looking for a subordinate to take the fall. Seeing none, he only remarked, "just don't make it happen again" and left the building.

Outside, a Praetorian honor guard had lined up and the vehicles that would transport both him and their foreign guests were at the ready. The Senator was joined by General Korel Rendak, a veteran of the Enolian War. The general was perhaps one of only three people in the entire Republic to know that this fateful meeting was to occur and he wasn't too fond about it but kept his opinion to himself. In the distance, the Tagmatine aircraft had finally come in to land and taxied to the waiting crowd.

As the plane came to a standstill, Senator Pranana remarked to General Rendak, "you are about to witness the first true interaction between us and them in nearly five hundred years." The aircraft's door opened after the airstairs had been put into position. The Leopard was now in the Realm of the Eagle.

Edited November 3 by Rihan

[Tagmatium Rules 416]

I'm sorry, we tried to commit genocide against your ancestors but we're cool now, right?

It, ultimately, was a little more complex than that, as the shifting political balances of the world demanded that Tagmatium became more involved beyond the shores of the old world. But, the Megas Logothetes reflected, it did more or less boil down to it. It had been a long flight with an uncertain future in store at the destination and he had had a lot of time to think about it. He didn't doubt that the reaction of the Rihannsu would be hostile if word got out but they wouldn't do anything silly.

A chime rang through the sound system of the small jet and the co-pilot's voice came through it. The sound of it broke through Eugenios Goulielmos' thoughts and he looked up from the sheaf of papers spread across the top of the table in front of him. The one had had been holding but not reading was on the shifting political alliances of the Rihannsu senate. The crew of the aircraft were all members of the Basilikoaeroporia, the Tagmatine air force, as was the aeroplane itself. It was painted in the livery of the air force and the black-banded red stripe along its sides indicated official service. Whilst its departure caused no comment in Arhomaneia, the distinctive colours would definitely do so if it landed at a civilian airport. The national flag painted on the tail made it abundantly clear where the jet was from.

“Megas Logothetes, the Tellosanoi have got into contact with us. We're to maintain elevation and speed.”

Goulielmos knew that this was the point where things stood a chance of going wrong. Where the level of secrecy could definitely backfire against him. If the Tello- Rihannsu Praetor had decided that it was no longer expedient for the meeting to take place, then the Tagmatine delegation could be ordered to turn back. At worst, it'd create a minor diplomatic spat about airspace being violated and the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion left feeling as if it had been made a fool of. It would miss the only real chance that he felt that his country had to try to apologise for past actions.

Of course, things could go really wrong. If one of the other political factions caught wind of the visit, then there was a chance that Praetor Terix could already have been toppled and the next few minutes might become even more uncertain. Whilst Senator Pranana had given the Tagmatine government assurances that the Rihannsu themselves held no true grudges over past, Goulielmos' own ministry and the intelligence service had indicated that there was still a deep feeling distrust and resentment towards Arhomaneia in some quarters of the Republic. The senator himself had used the word “conflict” in a communication with his Tagmatine counterpart – not a threat against Tagmatium but a reminder that the previous three Praetors had been murdered. Internecine political strife could flare up again. And the Megas Logothetes would prefer to avoid that.

The chime sounded again.

“They've granted us permission to land, Endoxotatos,” the air force officer reported, using the formal title for members of the Imperial Cabinet.

“Sneaking in the back door,” muttered Eugenios, more to himself than any of the other occupants of the aircraft.

The handful of other people besides Goulielmos was no where near the grand scale of entourage usually afforded a high-ranking minister of state on a visit to a foreign nation, done to overawe the barbaroi with the splendour of the heart of Eurth's civilisation. That would not have been the tone to re-start relations between the Megas Agios Basileia and the Republic. Instead, several aides from his own Logothesion and a senior member of the Arhomaniki Noimosyni Dykton were accompanying him to Rihan, as well as a pair of bodyguards from the household regiments. Even that had been a careful choice, designed not to offend the Rihannsu – three of the current regiments had been part of the army poised to drive them from the borders of Arhomaneia. The other three had either been on other duties or had yet to be formed. Of the two soldiers that had been dispatched from the latter units, one from the Arkhontogennhematai and one from the Ikanatoi, and they sat somewhat awkwardly in the opulent leather seats of the plane. They were already dressed in their ceremonial armour and Eugenios imaged it would be pretty uncomfortable. The two soldiers hadn't been dressed like that for the entire flight – that would have been very punishing, even though they were used to wearing the heavy armour whilst on duty around Tagmatika. They had changed as the delegation approached the Republic's airspace. They would be splashes of colour in amongst the sober suits.

“I'm sure it's just a healthy sense of caution from the Tellosanoi,” replied said one of the aides with a smile. The Megas Logothetes looked up from the article he was starting at. He hadn't expected to be answered. He peered through his glasses at the man and gave him a slight shrug.

“We'd be doing the same if Senator Pranana visited us,” said Eugenios. He sighed before he continued. It was going to be a bit of a gear shift to not refer to the country by its usual name. “And don't use that name for them when we're there. I'd rather the pilots didn't use it, but they won't be within earshot of their foreign minister if they do.”

The Tagmatine name for the Rihannsu derived from the name of the philosopher, Tellus, who started the events of the Departure. The Orthodox Church regarded him as a heresiarch who led his followers beyond the light of Christ. The original name for the ethnic group that were driven from the shores of Arhomaneia had fallen out of use as the event receded further and further into the past. When the Rihannsu were talked about, they were remembered as followers of a heresy who were rumoured to have ways similar to that of Arome. Nonetheless, the Foreign Ministry had worried that the name for them and their country, Tellosanon, would be considered derogatory, as it was given to them by their former oppressors.

It was partially for that reason that there was no member of the clergy as part of the entourage, but also because of Pranana's urgings for secrecy. It meant that there was one less group of people that might leak the information. And leaks were on Tagmatika's mind after a foreign television station had announced news of meetings between Tagmatine officials and members of Greater Burlington's government. Whilst it wasn't secret, it had happened before the government had planned to release the information.

And so it was a level of secrecy that the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion was more than happy with. Rihan, after all, was a slaver nation, against which the Tagmatine government had been very vocal and even placed embargoes on those nations. This might be seen as hypocritical, abroad and at home. Goulielmos himself had reservations about just how far any talks would go. It seemed to him that all the caution meant that the people and, indeed, government of Tellosanon... Rihan needed to be brought around to it before they could go much further. He thought that Kommodos might have to concede that he couldn't expect any jump to open relations with the Republic wouldn't go down without grumbles from sectors of his own country, but he kept that to himself for the moment.

The alert sounded throughout the cabin and lights indicating that all passengers should be sat and belted in blinked on. There was a quiet scraping of metal as the two guards put on the belts over their armour. It might have been more sensible to have had them wearing perhaps dress uniforms but there was no way that any amount of secrecy could truly stifle the typical Tagmatine arrogance, sense of superiority or obtrusive taste.

“We're starting to land,” the co-pilot's voice.

Goulielmos used his thumb to push his glasses back up his nose. He started to gather up the sheaf of papers in front of him as the aide who had spoken to him moved a briefcase forwards. The Megas Logothetes handed them over and sat back in his chair. It would be taken with the delegation but Eugenios doubted he'd look over it again, unless perhaps as reference material. It was assumed that the talks would take several days, but nothing like the state visit by the Asgeirrian leader. Their destination was still the Praetor's summer residence, so at least it wasn't going to be in some shady dockyard warehouse or something. That would certainly not befit the dignity of Arhomaneia, although Goulielmos smirked a bit at the mental image.

There was a slight clunk as the airstairs were put into place. Suddenly, the otherwise-comfortable plane seemed very cramped. Goulielmos felt a flash of nervousness before he swallowed it. For good or bad, he was about to become the first ever Tagmatine to step onto land that it recognised as belonging to the Rihannsu. The foreign minister had been party to varying discussion from experts in protocol from his ministry, the diplomatic corps and other parts of the government about who should set foot on the ground first. It was quickly agreed that a Tagmatine soldier being the first one might be taken as a message of intent, and also showed a level of distrust towards their hosts. So, it was to be the Megas Logothetes himself.

He got to his feet and was slightly surprised that they worked normally. The flight itself hadn't bothered him but he was beginning to feel claustrophobic and it didn't help that as he stood, the two guards started to follow him. The bodyguards stood behind the foreign minister as he waited to leave the aircraft. Both soldiers were slightly taller than the minister and a lot bulkier, in their platemail and carrying shields, although they stood far enough away to not knock him.

As the door opened and he went through it, Goulielmos thought for a minute their shields would get stuck and these talks would get off to an embarrassing start. However, there was no crash from behind him as he walked down the steps towards the double line of Praetorian Guards. Presumably, they practised for exactly that sort of eventuality. These thoughts were lost to him as his foot hit the tarmac at the bottom of the steps.

[Rihan 808]

Senator Pranana and General Rendak stood side by side at the bottom of the airstairs, across from them was the Tagmatine Foreign Minister. The Senator was the first to speak, "Jolan'tru Daise'dæsnen (Greetings Foremost Minister), æfvadh i na Rheilhhu (be welcome to the Republic)." Realizing that his counterpart probably had a very, very faint understanding of the language, said the same statement in a more recognizable tongue. Both men nodded and shook hands. Rendak then shouted to the readied Praetorian Guards to be at attention, "Allhka! Pehai Anofv! (Soldiers, present weapons!)" The assembled men, totaling around 60, compiled, raising their Lirash polearms and angling them to form a roof-like structure. But it would be remiss if their expression was anything but grim. Such was their demeanor, the 4,500 best soldiers in the entire military had been given the sole duty of protecting the Praetor from harm, either on the battlefield or in public. Even then, there was always the Praetorians could, potentially, betray their charge. Terix knew that and had decided to raise their base pay by 25% and completely build their barracks within the larger Praetorian Palace complex to keep them in line. Hopefully, it would be enough to see him through for many years to come.

"Minister," started Pranana, "I can confirm to you once more that the security of this meeting is still assured and no one other than myself, General Rendak, and the Praetor is aware of your presence here. The general eyed the two Tagmatine bodyguards. He like many in the military were never thrilled when foreigners would decide to use their own guards when the Praetorians were more than capable of doing their job in ensuring their protection while on their own land. He was about to say something but Pranana cut him off. "Dæus, urri'rau i Fvillha." Rendak responded "ie deihu (Yes senator)." The Senator then offered their guest to follow him and the general through the Honor guard. As they walked towards the end, both men came within sight of a waiting convoy of vehicles.

"The Praetor insisted that we provided you with the best of luxury while you spent time in our beautiful land, please get in," he motioned him. "Your bodyguards will ride with my personal guards (Deleth) in the front car, while our contingent of ten Praetorians will follow from behind." The Praetorians continued to stare at their erstwhile colleagues as they got into the rear vehicle. He could tell the Tagmatine Minister was on edge, "do not worry, your safety is assured. We should get moving as the Praetor is expecting us at his residence in the Valley of Chula. If we get there soon enough, you'll have an opportunity to see a simply gorgeous sunset," everyone got into their assorted cars. As the car began to move away from the apron and towards the air force base's main gate, he felt relieved that at least the first five minutes of the Minister's time in the Republic hadn't gone off to a horrible start but both men knew that moment was the easiest, the real challenge lay ahead.

Edited November 6 by Rihan

[Tagmatium Rules 416]

If the general was unhappy with the presence of a pair of Tagmatine bodyguards, then he would have been down right appalled with the number that Tagmatium considered a Megas Logothetes entitled to – a company-sized number, to better inspire awe amongst the barbaroi, who could often be left in a state of wonderment at the splendour of Arhomaneia. Eugenios himself didn't notice General Rendak's annoyance, or at least deigned to pretend that he didn't notice it. Either way, he gave Senator Pranana a half-bow, the traditional Tagmatine gesture of greeting before taking the senator's offered hand. Shaking hands had never gained much traction within the Megas Agios Basileia, even if it was now common within diplomatic circles across Eurth.

“It is undoubtedly an honour to be visiting the Republic,” replied the Tagmatine after straightening up from his bow. “A momentous occasion. God be willing, it will be the start of a long friendship between our nations.”

The words that the Tagmatine foreign minister said might seem little more than a pleasantry and somewhat trite, but Eugenios meant it. The brief smile he gave Pranana was also as genuine. He still couldn't quite shake off the feeling of being at the heart of history in the making and hoped that it would be for the better, for both countries. And the sight of the Praetorians putting their pole-arms together above the heads of the delegation and their welcoming committee was certainly very impressive, unlike anything that would take place in a similar ceremony in Tagmatium. He wasn't sure his own country would be able to resist pomp and ostentation for a secret meeting on their own soil. The two soldiers behind him watched impassively at the display by the Rihannsu soldiery, although that was always going to be the case – their closed sallet helms meant that nothing of their expressions could be seen, anyway.

Nor was Goulielmos aware of the bribes that had been given to the Praetorians by Terix, at least not in a specific sense, beyond the knowledge that guards such as them needed to be kept favourable towards the ruler of a country as fractious as Rihan. Guard units close to the rulers of such countries often had a nasty habit of involving themselves in politics. The Republic was not unique in that fact – the same had been true of Tagmatium and many other nations across Eurth. That had been one of the reasons why the ancestors of the Rihannsu had been used as personal guards for the Agios Basileos, before their erstwhile employers turned on them. Foreigners were divorced enough from factional courtly politics that they could be relied on to guard their charges rather than indulge in regime change.

The Tagmatines walked at Pranana's side down the alley of upraised spears. Eugenios nodded at the senator's assurances that the secrecy of the meeting had not been broken, although word would undoubtedly get out. The best that could be hoped for was that that happened after the meeting was over and drawn to a conclusion that was satisfactory to both sides. The rest of the delegation followed in the wake of the two foreign ministers. The two aides tried to keep expressions of solemn dignity on their faces as they trailed behind Goulielmos and Pranana, whilst the spy just had one of insouciance – her cover story, such as it was, was to act as something of a cultural observer and advisor to the Megas Logothetes whilst trying to absorb information that might be considered interesting to her organisation, in a way that did not violate the terms of the meeting or offend their hosts. And, in a way, the cover was true – the isolationist stance of Rihan over the previous years meant that much of what had taken place within its borders was not well known by outsiders. Especially Tagmatine ones. Any information that could be gathered would help to fill in the blanks that the AND had not been able to fill from second-hand sources.

She was the only one who was aware enough to wince slightly when Eugenios invoked the blessings of a deity that the Rihannsu didn't believe in, and the ecclesiastics of which played a key role in the Departure. The other two at least were able to suppress the instinct to cross themselves, as they had been repeatedly warned about any overt displays of religion whilst within the Republic.

“Thank you, Senator,” Eugenios said, as they approached the cars waiting beyond the honour guard of Praetorians. “I am sure that the best that the Republic has to offer will be great, and a compliment to Arhomaneia. I am sure that when a representative from your government visits my country, we will strive to follow the example that you are setting. I hope that we won't have to wait hundreds of years before that happens.”

Privately, as he climbed into the car alongside Pranana, Eugenios wished that it wouldn't be considered below the dignity of a member of the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion to a take a picture with their phone's camera, like an ordinary tourist. He was sure that his wife and children would love to see the sunset that the Senator mentioned. At best, either one of his aides might take a snatched picture through a moving car's window. It would likely not win any photography prizes. He sighed internally as he did up his seatbelt.

Without a word from the Tagmatine minister, the Ikanatos and the Arkhontogennhemates detached themselves from their charge and made to follow the Deleth of Pranana. The pair had been hand-picked by their respective superiors as exemplars of their units and it was interesting to see the contrasts and the similarities they had to the Praetorians, beyond the ostentatious ceremonial uniforms that all three of the guard units had. Hopefully, some space could be found for the Tagmatines' shields in the boot of the lead vehicle or there would be a moment of absurdity as they scurried back to the aeroplane to put them back on board.

[Rihan 808]

The convoy had left Nelvanna Air Force Base and was en route to the Valley of Chula. The route the cars had taken passed under a clear, blue sky; and beside tall stalks of grain waving in the fields, others with abundant fruits and olives growing on trees. They were driving through the Aihai, the great plains on the outskirts of the capital, Dartha. The Aihai was also one of the most populated areas of the Republic. "A beautiful sight Minister?" he asked. Pranana never tired of it. Another field came up and he could see people working the land. Harvest season was approaching. "A good harvest is expected and the bounty seen in the fields seem to confirm the estimates the Agricultural Ministry predicted," he commented. They began to climb into a series of hills. Pranana leaned over to his guest. "Minister, there are a few things I want to show you," he said. He instructed the driver to pull over.

Senator Pranana's Deleth and his guest's bodyguards took up positions while the two men look into the vista. "You see that shimming white dot on the horizon?" he asked. "That is Dartha, the capital." In front of him was the expanse of the Aihai - small and medium-sized communities could be seen, and in the faint edge, the suburbs of the capital. But it was the vibrancy of the agricultural breadbasket before him that stood out most. "650 years ago, this was wilderness. We tamed the land. We've thrived." He then pointed to the northwest, "in the distance in this direction is the city of Raxna," and then he turned them both to the southeast, "that forest, far in the distance, is the greatest of nature and wildlife reserves: the Vanawar," and then to the foreboding geography to the north of them. "That is where we are going," he commented.

The cars climbed into the Valley. Flying above them was a majestic Mogai, Tevus noticed it as it glided down into the valley below them. "Majestic birds," he said, "soaring with pride. They are our symbol of might and strength. It is one of the reasons we adopted it as our standard," he finished. They would weave alongside the edge of cliffs and climb ever higher until a large complex of buildings appeared on the horizon. "Ah, we're here," the Foreign Minister proclaimed. "The Praetor is expecting us," he said. Above, the sun showed signs that it would set in the near future. Eventually, they stopped - in front of the complex's main gate. "Abrai Itæru. Bærhiedæsnen khir na Fvillnu." The Praetorians on duty opened the gate and allowed them. The convoy circle in front of the main building - equally as impressive as the Praetor's Palace in the center of Dartha, built in ornate marble imported from Kedossia and native materials from the Valley and across the Republic. Praetorians stood at both sides of the staircase. A pair of horns announced the presence of the Praetor, the embodiment of the Republic.

"Megas Logothetes Goulielmos," said the man, "I welcome you to my home, to the Valley of Chula, and of all, the Republic. I hope your flight wasn't too painful and the ride up here was pleasant," he remarked. "Ah," he exclaimed, the sunset had begun, "before we continue, follow me. You must see this sunset for yourself. Unlike anything seen elsewhere on Eurth," he offered the Minister to follow him to a viewing platform to one side of the complex, on the edge of a cliff. "Watch."

A beautiful array of colors and variable shades illuminated the sky, the yellow-orange tinge sun cresting over the cliffs across from them. The stars appeared, bright, unhindered from the light pollution of Dartha or Rihan's other large cities. This had gone on for over ten minutes. "I always take time to watch nature, give a momentary pause from leading the Republic," remarked Terix to his new guest. "The sun has finished his business, but ours is just beginning. My cooks have been busy at work to prepare a wonderful dinner for the two of us. I imagine you're quite hungry after a long flight from the other side of the world. Please, follow me," he said. Both men walk through the front lawns of the complex, across the stone cricle drive, and up the staircase, into the vast Palace complex.

Edited November 18 by Rihan

[Tagmatium Rules 416]

Smiling slightly, more to himself than Pranana, Goulielmos nodded at the Senator's comment of the rolling plains of grain and the fruitful olive trees. It was definitely a very pretty view and clearly tailored to give him and his small entourage a certain impression about Rihan. The Megas Logothetes could not fault it. It was as much a propagandistic display as being given a tour around busy factories or the bustling heart of a city. He would have done exactly the same in the Senator's shoes. And, considering Tagmatium's climate and preferred foods, it would have likely been almost exactly the same view, too. Although he might have chosen to have agricultural machinery rather than people in the fields but the effective would have been the same. The Tagmatine minister looked out of the corner of his eye at the AND agent – she was discretely taking notes on what the Senator was saying about the Rihannsu agricultural ministry. And, likely, the amount of people working in the fields. They were probably slaves, after all. Eugenios couldn't stop the intelligence agent from reporting that to her superiors, sadly. He guessed that slavery would become a stumbling block in the future.

The journey continued to be very picturesque and Eugenios knew that he would definitely regret not being able to take any images of it home to his family. They would have loved to have seen this. Perhaps if relations between the Republic and the Megas Agios Basileia were to properly become normalised, he and Pranana would be able to have an official meeting. They could go through these motions again and Goulielmos would probably have to have acting lessons in order to maintain a convincing look of amazement at the vistas for the cameras that would undoubtedly follow the first official historic meeting between the two nations.

“The view is certainly incredibly beautiful, Senator,” said the Tagmatine. He wondered if he could detect a slight hint of something to Pranana's words. Triumph, perhaps? Maybe a touch of accusation – Just think of what we could have achieved if we had stayed. It did seem that the Tellosanoi had achieved much since the Departure and they likely would not have been given the same level of freedom with they had remained within Arhomaneia. Likely, they would have had to have kept to the lands allotted to them by the Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion, or even have been moved internally to an area thought to be at threat from barbarian invasion. Best not to mention that sort of thing. It' would be very undiplomatic to do so.

The eagles were a great touch. If Eugenios was as cynical as Honorios Kontarian, the Megas Logothetes for War and his good friend, he might have suggested that they had been purposefully released in order to provide for this moment, as this sort of diplomacy was as much about theatrics as it was anything else. Having to try to herd some leopards into the right place would be a nightmare. And the Tagmatine didn't really like them, nasty bitey things that did kill more than a handful of people every year. The Rihannsu probably didn't have that problem with eagles.

The sun was beginning to set as the cars drew up to the Praetor's palace and the Megas Logothetes remembered that Pranana had specifically mentioned the beauty of the sunsets in this part of the Republic. The building was awe-inspiring, a suitable home for the proud leader of a nation. The thought of how many Praetors had met their end here flashed through Eugenios' head and he suppressed it. If word of his own visit got out, then he hoped he wouldn't go the same way. Two bodyguards with just ceremonial, if completely functional, swords would not make much of an impact.

What definitely did make an impact was the honour guard that stood at the ready at the bottom of the staircase. Horns blared, announcing the presence of the Praetor himself. Eugenios stood straighter and brushed the sides of his suit down, hoping that it was not too creased from sitting in the car from the airport. He gave the Praetor the half-bow and straightened up before speaking.

“Praetor Terix, I am honoured to be here and representing Arhomaneia.The Agios Basileos kai Autokrator himself sends his greeting and hopes to one day meet with you in person.” He gave Terix a polite smile.

“The flight was fine, Praetor, the best that could be hoped for for such a long journey,” said Goulielmos. He didn't really like using Common, although he was fluent in it. The arrogance that came naturally to every inhabitant of the country that styled itself as the centre of civilisation was offended by the fact that its language was not the one of diplomacy. “The journey to your home was, frankly, magnificent.”

He wasn't lying. Even it had been carefully scripted, as the Megas Logothetes imagined it was, it was very artfully done and it did nothing to take away from the beauty of it. “I will pray that one day soon, you'll be able to visit Tagmatium and see sights that will make a similar impact on you as your nation has had on me.”

Doing as Terix gestured, Goulielmos followed him to the viewing platform and looked towards the west. Both men were silent for the next ten minutes as the sun sank below the horizon. It was as breathtaking a sight as both Pranana and the Praetor had suggested. Neither had really got across how beautiful it was and the fact that this was the first sunset the Tagmatine had seen south of the equator, on a continent he had never stepped foot on before, added to the occasion. He could see why Terix would want to stop and set aside the cares of running a country for a brief moment, when this was what could be seen. Few aspects of politics could be as rewarding as just watching the sun slip out of sight.

The mention of food made the Megas Logothetes realise how hungry he was and he did hope that talk of politics could be set aside until after the meal, but that was unlikely. Again, Eugenios followed the Praetor into the palace itself. “If the food that your cooks have prepared is just a fraction as good as that sunset then I will be very impressed.”

[Rihan 808]

Dinner was served: Checca stew, Osol fish, and wild Hlai. Both men were given a vintage Kavit, a smooth wine produced in Rihan on the Praetor's own private lands and had gained further popularity abroad. To conclude, a sweet Sesketh cake was presented. He could tell his guest was largely satisfied with the meal if not still getting around the relatively foreign menu. To not completely mess with his Tagmatine palette, fine pastries from his homeland were baked to accompany their meeting. How they had received the recipes for the delicacies, let alone the more 'unique' ingredients had come through the Trading Corporation by way of an independent merchant who regularly traveled throughout the Ragos Sea in Europa. Senator Pranana had also joined them.

Their meals were being taken away, "I hope you enjoyed it," Mathon said as one of his attendants approached. "Daise, I have prepared the pastries and coffee for you and the Tagmatine Minister on the second floor Vathua overlooking the view of the Tor'ren Falls." Terix nodded to him. "Thank you, you are excused," he began to get up, as was his guest. "We will take the long way round to the opposite staircase," he said, a pair of Praetorians and the Tagmatines' guards had taken up their position. Although they were within the confines of the Palace, it was still standard procedure when a foreign guest was present for the protective units to be with their persons when moving from room to room. They proceeded to leave the dining hall and into one of the hallways. Tevus excused himself, allowing the Praetor to meet with the Tagmatine one-on-one. He himself had a busy day tomorrow involving his guest and so decided to go to bed early. He was aware of what Terix was going to discuss with him.

Both men passed by walls dressed in tapestries, hundred-year-old pieces of artwork, and elegant statues, including those from the very early days of Rihannsu habitation. They would walk by dozens of these works until Terix stopped him in front of a locked, glass casing. Inside was one of only four remaining copies of the original Na Temyytæra ('The Departure) written by one of Tellius' closest friends outlining their reasons for their disagreements with the Tagmatines those hundreds of years ago and what lead to their flight. Beside it was an equally as old tome: D'hwæl (Great Journey), the comprehensive twenty-year period in which the Rihannsu sailed from Europa, across the Adlantic - then known as the Great Ocean - and along the shores of the New World, including chapters on the peoples they met, interacted with, and at times, fought with. It was perhaps one of the most important literary works ever written besides the Bible, the Rihan Republic's constitution, the D'Vatta (Great Document), and an assortment of stories by authors of renown. "You are the first Tagmatine in five hundred or more years to gaze upon these tomes. I am sure you and others would be quite intrigued by their contents," he said. "But enough sightseeing, we have much to talk about," he finished.

Goulielmos and Terix ascended the marble staircase at the back of the palace and entered the lavish lounge. The guards, from both men, took up their positions on either side of the double doors. Inside the room, as promised, the coffee and the pastries were on a table. Two comfortable curule chairs, in the same style as those, sat upon by members of the Continuing Committee in the Senate chamber, were prepared with soft cushions. It was quite dark outside but the moon shone brightly in the night sky, illuminating the cascading waterfall just beyond the Palace. The Tor'ren River, a waterway that fed into the larger Sherdek River, could be heard faintly. All was peaceful. Terix entered the room first and saw the attendant. "You are dismissed. I shall call for you when I need you," he instructed. The humble man excused himself and left out a side door.

They got seated as Terix poured himself and his guest a cup of coffee. "I am sure you will find this quite familiar, fine coffee from Mauridiviah," he commented as he finished and got comfortable in his seat. "I am sure you've had enough of us trying to boost our egos and I certainly didn't invite you to just gaze upon our beautiful land or to enjoy a meal. No, no," he paused, "I instructed Pranana to convey my original message because I wanted to talk with you, seriously."

He took a sip of his coffee, "It has been over six-hundred years since there was a proper meeting between either one of our people. And mind you, as we both are aware of our joint history, it wasn't a pleasant one. But," he was being cautious with his words, "it is time to talk once more. I do not expect this meeting to be easy, for it was, neither of us would be talking - and this conversation would have simply remained between two low-level members of our diplomatic staffs and perhaps we'd hear about if the information was intrigued enough for our attention." He took another sip of his coffee. "As with the change of the world, so do the complications of interactions between peoples. The Republic cannot maintain its traditional approach to diplomacy. Along with our whole mentality must shift. Within reason."

[Tagmatium Rules 416]

The meal was as delicious as the Praetor had suggested, if a little odd on Goulielmos' palate. The dishes were unfamiliar, as could be expected for a country so far away. Fleetingly, the Tagmatine had wondered if the Rihannsu would pull the old trick of giving the foreigner something like sheep's eyeballs to see what they could get him to eat. But this wasn't a public arena and if Terix was doing that, then it would display him as an odd sort of sadist. Which he clearly wasn't, as Goulielmos' hosts had gone to the trouble of preparing the odd item that he would find familiar, demonstrating that the Rihannsu were keen on operating in good faith. At least at the moment.

“It was a very fine meal, Praetor,” said Eugenios, although after the long flight and the lengthy car journey, he'd probably have eaten almost anything put before him. As Terix rose to his feet, Eugenios did the same and obediently followed the Rihannsu as he led the way. He noticed that his bodyguards were still around and he gave them a nod of greeting as he passed them. Not that either would acknowledge it, impassive in their blank helmets. The Megas Logothetes always felt it to be proper to be polite to them, at the very least. They weren't living furniture, after all, and they were charged with defending his life.

The works of art that Terix took him past were impressive, although the Megas Logothetes was no art historian but he could certainly appreciate that he was seeing something that no other Tagmatine had done before. There would be many in Arhomaneia who would kill to be able to look at them and, if all went well, perhaps they might be able to look upon ones similar. And the books... All of the copies of the Na Temyytaera that the Tagmatines had got their hands on eight hundred years ago had been burned and those that possessed them imprisoned or hanged. There was supposedly one copy was locked up within the bowels of the Megale Ekklesia, the Great Church, in Tagmatika, along with a great many other heretical books, although a layman like Eugenios wasn't aware of that.

The Megas Logothetes wasn't disappointed when Terix cut their sightseeing short – after all, they had business to get down to. He made a mental note to see if the Rihannsu would allow him to take a copy of at least the D'hwael back with him. Taking a copy of a book considered to be heretical would be pretty much a bad idea. The Church would bow to pragmatism when it came to the Megas Agios Basileos opening relations with a group it branded as heretics – after all, most other Christian states were basically heretics, too. But effectively smuggling a banned text into Tagmatium would likely be a step too far.

The walk through the rest of the palace was equally illuminating. Like Arhomaneia, but not. The Tagmatine wondered whether style was a conscious decision on the part of the Rihannsu, invoking a lost homeland and a future path that was now out of reach, or just an echo of folk memories. He decided to keep that musing train of thought to himself, in fear of offending Terix. The Praetor seemed reasonable and remarkably open-minded, from what Eugenios had seen so far, but the Tagmatine did not intend to push his host.

The guards that had been following them at a discrete distance halted behind them at the next doorway as the Praetor led the Megas Logothetes into the lounge. The Ikanatos and the Arkhontogennhemates would have stories to tell to their comrades once they were back in Tagmatium. Terix and Eugenios lowered themselves into the chairs and the remaining servants cleared from the room.

To business at last thought Eugenios, although not rudely. He picked up his coffee and took a small sip, just to wet his mouth. Terix's comment that the whole of his nation's mentality needed to shift, even with the caveat, was very intriguing. Like many other nations, the Rihan Republic had been isolationist until, well, the last few months. On the face of it, if Tagmatium had not the shared history with the Rihannsu, then the Megas Logothetes doubted that they would be having this meeting – his nation just would not really have been interested. It would be going as with the Aluxians and a dozen or so others; a tentative greeting, the exchange of diplomatic missions and going with the flow from there, or perhaps nothing more.

“I would not have thought that we were going to have anything other than a serious discussion,” replied the Tagmatine, again with a slight smile. “Praetor, that we are sat here like this demonstrates that this is about as far from a traditional diplomatic approach as possible. I cannot talk about blank slates. My nation and yours let the weight of history press on them far too much for that. I won't say that that is a bad thing, either. It keeps both Rihan and Arhomaneia grounded in a way that others are not. And people nurse grudges. From what I have been told by Pranana, some within your aristocracy and Senate would be offended by my mere presence and I do not doubt that there would be those within the more conservative parts of the Megas Agios Basileia that would be equally disturbed by a government official visiting Tagmatium.”

He smiled slightly again, heralding another weak joke. “Perhaps by being so clandestine, we make it look as if we're guilty of something when we are not.

“I said we cannot talk about blank slates in terms of the past but I will say that we have been given the chance of a blank slate for the future, a better one than most other countries have. Our nations have a connection, whilst built on a shameful past, that allows us to have a better idea of each other. The Agios Basilikon Kounsistorion wishes to reach out to Rihan, perhaps even to eventually to... well, apologise for its past actions.”