Of Green and Gold

[Tretrid]

Preface

This is a rewrite of the original version of this RP, which had the same name. The broad premise is intended to remain the same, even if this one is massively expanded in scope.

Prologue: The Diverging Paths

Chamber of the Novaran Council
Legatorre
Lucroza, Celanora
July 5, 2021
10:00 AM (UTC-8)

Æthelwine Heardesunu was not the kind of man to make decisions lightly. He had spent much of his career working in foreign affairs, where impulsiveness was not a trait that would do anyone any favors. All risks had to be well-calculated.

It was strange, then, that he found himself in the position he was now, about to make the speech that he was about to give. At the same time, however, what was about to happen was a long time in the making.

Perhaps it was inevitable.

Æthelwine was seated at the desk within the Novaran Council’s chamber that he had occupied for the past year: that of the Secretary-General of the League of Novaris, the presiding officer of the Council. Facing him, in seats arranged in arches, were the assembled ambassadors and representatives from each member of the Novaran Council, from the League’s members to even its mere observers.

They, and by proxy, the countries of Novaris, were waiting for Æthelwine to play his part on the world stage. And he knew that what was going to happen in the next five minutes was going to make ripples across the continent.

He picked up his gavel and struck it three times upon his desk.

“The Novaran Council is now in session for its fifth year. As is customary at this point, I wish to make some opening remarks.”

Here it goes, then.

“We are, for yet another year, collected here in Lucroza, as a testament to Novaris’s ability to unite as one and act in our collective interest. In our mission to seek multilateral cooperation within this often too turbulent continent, in its previous session, this Council has had to deal with perhaps the greatest Novaran geopolitical crisis in more than a decade.”

The rise and fall of Correva had caused quite the stressful summer for Æthelwine, and he knew that he was not alone in this way.

“While it has proven that this League is more than resilient enough to navigate the stormy waters of Novaran geopolitics, we must still take caution. There are yet more storms to come, and we must be prepared to deal with them.”

And so comes the part that Æthelwine knew would make headlines.

“The Council has chosen to trust me with a second term as Secretary-General, for which I am well and truly honored. As the person entrusted with the helm of this great ship, I must be truthful and direct with what we are faced with. The Correvan crisis has caused tensions to spring up across Novaris, the likes of which has not been seen since the Novaran Cold War. We must do well to prevent another similar conflict from happening. I must also thus call out the two powers whose actions threaten to once again tear the continent apart.

“The Volscine Empire has given itself a mission to reclaim all of the lands it has lost since the collapse of the Volscine Confederation. Credible intelligence from the Correvan crisis has also established Volscina’s willingness to threaten other countries with the use of force for the simple crime of having ‘rightfully Volscine territory’ that has not been part of Volscina longer than some adults have been alive at this point. The will of the people of formerly Volscine countries has to be acknowledged and respected without interference, lest we dismantle the right to self-determination.

“Then what of its main opponent, the Kingdom of Tretrid? It has seen Volscina acting in bad faith and decided that the appropriate response was to act in bad faith in turn. It has sought to deny and obstruct at every turn at every proposed compromise due to its maximalist objectives. Ultimately, it has sought to keep the status quo exactly where it was, since it benefits most from the state of limbo Cavellan and Seccera held prior to the crisis.”

Some bitterness managed to well up into the Secretary-General’s words as he said that last sentence. It didn’t need to be this way. It wasn’t always this way. Things used to be different, as Æthelwine knew all too well.

“The shift in Volscine foreign policy has made it a threat to the peace, while the shift in Tretridian foreign policy has made it a threat to progress.”

Maybe if things in the past had gone differently, Æthelwine wouldn’t be here denouncing the country that he had so faithfully served for most of his life.

Yet here he was, burning his bridges in order to move forward.

“There are those out there who no doubt believe that I cannot execute my current duties faithfully and dutifully due to my history with Tretrid. After all, I have served in some of the highest echelons of its government, and personally worked with its current Prime Minister. These critics are mistaken. It is precisely due to my past with Tretrid that I feel especially compelled to call it out for its recent choices, and to warn the wider world of the potential consequences should it not change its course.

“If this League is to fulfill the task it set for itself in the Sixfold Declaration in 2017, then it must learn how to chart its course forward through these increasingly treacherous waters. The two nations that have done the most to nearly fracture Novaris are, after all, members of this very League, and they should both be aware that their actions threaten dragging all of Novaris down with them. I therefore must call on both sides to work out a renewed diplomatic framework with which a détente can be facilitated.

“There are many other issues that face our continent today, as well. The work on the Novaran Transportation Network, a sign of Novaran unity and proof of the benefits of international cooperation, continues. The world will continue to throw tests at us and we must rise up to meet the occasion. But we must face this existential threat and prevent Novaris from descending into the factionalism that defined it throughout the twentieth century. I believe we can, and we will.

“I yield the floor.”

[Tretrid]

(OOC: This post was done as an open RP event of sorts. Thanks to Oan for contributing questions.)

Press Room
Legatorre
Lucroza, Celanora
July 5, 2021
3:00 PM (UTC-8)

The Legatorre Press Room was a simple, if spacious area set up for the delivery of statements or press conferences to journalists. Many of Novaris’s news sources found representation here, and so did a few sources from outside Novaris.

The Press Room was most often used by the League of Novaris Secretariat in regular press conferences that covered the day-to-day functions of the LN, but after each meeting of the Novaran Council members of the Council would sometimes make statements about what had happened within the Council chamber.

There were evidently quite a few things on the minds of some of the Council’s representatives, as quite a few of them had chosen to make statements.

First up was Secretary-General Heardesunu, who stepped up to the lectern at the center of the stage, flanked on both sides by the distinct gold flag of the LN.

“Good afternoon. The Novaran Council has recently adjourned the inaugural meeting of its fifth session. As usual, a video recording of the proceedings as well as the official transcript, both potentially edited to redact sensitive information, will be made publicly available within a few days, and uncensored versions will be released to the governments of every Member, Associate, and Observer of the League. The full transcript and video recording of my opening remarks to the Council, and to the League, will also be made available at the conclusion of this conference.”

“As the proceedings of the Novaran Council are kept behind closed doors, I have opted to display the footage of my speech here because I believe it is in the public interest.”

Courtesy of some staffer who was monitoring the conference in another room pressing a button on a computer, a screen descended from the screen. After it was fully extended, a projector on the ceiling turned on, first displaying a slide of the seal of the Novaran Council before fading into Æthelwine’s speech.

While Æthelwine had spoken those very words only a few hours ago, it still sounded kind of odd. He supposed he wasn’t used to hearing harsh criticisms of Tretrid in his own voice.

At the conclusion of the video, the projector turned off, and the screen retracted back into the ceiling.

“I will now answer questions from the press regarding the contents of the address or my plans as Secretary-General.”

Unsurprisingly, the press had a lot of questions. This was going to take a while to get through.

Æthelwine pointed at one of the reporters who had raised their hands. “Cynebury Herald.”

Ah, the Cynebury Herald. One of Tretrid’s major news organizations, which somehow manages to own both an acclaimed newspaper and a major syndicated news broadcast, with a viewership throughout much of Novaris. This should be interesting.

“Mr. Heardesunu, you have had a history of working with Prime Minister Æthelstanesunu. Is there anything you would say to him if you had the chance to right now?”

“Eoforwine and I have had a long working relationship, as has no doubt been covered quite a bit in the past. We generally see eye-to-eye on quite a few things, and I know him to be very devoted to his office. However, while I believe he sincerely believes that he is acting in Tretrid’s best interests, I would let him know that what he is doing is wrong, and it will harm both Tretrid and Novaris as a whole in the long term. While conflict may be great for cheap political points, true prosperity can only happen through peace. I would implore him to reconsider his options, though I worry that he believes that he is somehow constrained to his current course.”

The Secretary-General pointed to another reporter.

“Mr Æthelwine, this is Imani Lucim from the Auroran Continental Press Organization. The revelations from these recordings are extremely shocking and I can imagine they would at best be disturbing and at worst deeply upsetting for the people and government of the Kingdom of Tretrid, of which you rightly pointed out were a leading voice. In that vein, I have to question: firstly, do you fear reprisals from the government of Tretrid for the critical statements you have made with respect to their foreign policy and geopolitical interests? Secondly, what exactly precipitated this change in perspective given there is not a long history of calling out the Tretridian government on your end?”

“I am still a citizen of Tretrid and care for Tretrid as a whole; my vocal disagreement is with its government and its foreign policy, not with its people. Under Tretridian constitutional law, as a citizen, I have a right to disagree with the government, so there is very little it can do in reprisal within the bounds of the law. As for measures outside the law, well, having worked with the RIS in my capacity as the Foreign Minister of Tretrid in the past, I strongly believe that they would consider any actions taken against me to risk creating much greater fallout than anything I could possibly say.

“As for your second question, this change in perspective was largely caused by the actions taken by the Tretridian government in the Correvan Crisis. While we can speculate on allegations of false-flag operations and election interference, what we know for certain is that Tretrid has played its part to severely inflame its bilateral relations with Volscina in its backing of Correva and consistently chose to take escalatory steps that would have risked the outset of war between the two countries, the likes of which would not have been seen since the Great War. Furthermore, the Tretridian government tried to use the Novaran Council for its own ends over the League’s in trying to get Volscina expelled from the League, which would have severely harmed the League’s goals.”

It was probably for the best that Æthelwine avoided the conspiracy theories. He was already dangerously gambling on his credibility, so he needed to stick with what was demonstrably true.

Next question.

“Sir, this is Fukram Wasail of The Crescent - News from Packilvania. It is remarkable that a politician of your caliber and your long history of working with the nations which you so bitterly criticize would pivot and expose this to the Novaran Council and people of your nation. How are we to believe that you are not orchestrating this for your political ends? Secondly, do you not fear that this divisive rhetoric will expose the diplomatic fissures in your alliance that hostile powers within and without would seize upon?”

Æthelwine figured that the Packilvanian outlet wouldn’t have asked a question like that if they were familiar with the situation in Novaris. Though, again, Novaris was probably very difficult for outsiders to keep track of. There was a reason why the Tretridian diplomatic corps had always nicknamed West Novaris “the Dumpster Fire.”

“Those are some interesting questions. I am curious as to what you would consider my ulterior motive for criticizing Tretrid, as given that I have built up my career through Tretrid, I would have very little to gain and quite a bit to lose for criticizing it in this way. I believe that my statement was a very significant gamble on my credibility, but I also sincerely believe that the statement was one that needed to be made. I am prepared for a significant fallout for my address, but I believe that is a small price to pay to inform the Council and the public of the challenges facing the League in the modern day.

“I believe the characterization of the League of Novaris as an alliance may be a bit… charitable. I say this as one of the League’s proponents, but its member-states are only slightly more closely bound than, say, fellow members of the International Forum. Novaris is so politically fractured both historically and in the modern day that a simple speech is not going to create any more fractures than had already existed or had been brought into creation by the Correvan crisis.”

Another question, from the ACPO reporter this time.

“Mr. Heardson, Imani Lucim again, I would like to follow up on Mr. Wasail’s question. I find it interesting that you would not regard the League of Novaris as an alliance given that the organization has undertaken joint military activities such as those in Cavellan. I’d imagine that some level of unity of vision and purpose and coordination of policy is required. Nevertheless, the policy mechanisms of the LN are neither here nor there. What I would like to know is that do you believe that Tretrid’s attempts to undermine Volscina will debilitate cooperating on key security issues especially issues that could be of widespread concern such as the propagation of weapons from active War zones, potential for violent criminal activity. And how would they react if Volscina pivoted to forming Alliances with nations that would be adverse to the interests of the LN, namely the Sultanate of Packilvania.”

The military intervention into Correva was an unprecedented step, but desperate times had called for desperate measures. It was something that was major enough for the Council to approve without any nay-votes. Even both Tretrid and Volscina had both voted for it.

Nonetheless, that was not what was being asked.

“There’s a rather interesting thing that was going on in the background during the Correvan crisis that was originally in the headlines before Correvacci executed his coup. Vakarastan tried to invade Durakia, leading to a coalition of Durakia, Meagharia, Norgsveldet, Volscina, and Tretrid to form to fight Vakarastan. The resulting Irnac War lasted well into the Correvan crisis, and what fascinates me is that, despite the frankly irresponsible amount of brinksmanship played by both Volscina and Tretrid over Correva, the two sides still managed to find a way to cooperate in Irnac. With that in mind, I believe the two countries would still be willing to cooperate on issues in which their strategic interests agree, but given the disposition of both nations there would not be a lot of areas where their interests line up.

“As for your second question, I unfortunately cannot speak for Tretrid regarding any moves it may make in response to such a scenario, though if you stick around until after I finish my briefing, I believe the Tretridian representative to the League is scheduled to also make a statement.”

In about an hour, in fact.

Another question from Wasail. “Mr. Heardesunu, I would like to express my dismay at Ms Lucims ridiculous allegations against the Sultanate of Packilvania. Our relations with the League have greatly improved and there are rumors that there will be a trade agreement between Packilvania and the League. On that, if such an agreement was ever formally proposed, could we expect Tretrid to sign that agreement? Secondly, what actions will you take to ensure that the nations you have complained about do not derail - as you alluded - the mission and vision of the LN?”

It couldn’t be a press conference, the Secretary-General figured, without him having to bluntly repeat a relatively brief message in response to irrelevant questions. Message discipline had always come in handy, whether as an ambassador or a politician.

“As I have not represented Tretridian interests for slightly over a year, I cannot speak on behalf of Tretrid on whether they would be willing to sign on to such a deal.

“Regarding the measures I can take to keep the League true to its mission, well, the tools at the Secretary-General’s disposal are largely administrative. These duties include enforcing discipline in the Council to make sure that the meetings do not devolve into, well, anything resembling some of the higher-profile breaches of diplomatic protocol within the IFGC—" one of Æthelwine’s eyes twitched as he mentioned the International Forum—"or the breaches of conduct in the Syrtæn’at Tsyrel’se. As long as diplomats are able to engage with one another on the basis of civil discussion, and the League continues to work together on the many matters on which it can agree, the League is still quite capable of carrying out its task. The League will of course continue to seek to act as mediator and as one of the primary locations where geopolitical dilemmas can be discussed in good faith and on an honest basis like it did during the Correvan crisis, and the proper application of procedure where necessary will help the League maintain that position.”

Admittedly, the comparison to the IFGC might have been a low blow. He had read reports by the Tretridian representative to the IF in the past, and that institution had a rather unfortunate cultural issue with civility. There was a reason why he personally sought to keep tight control over the Council in his role as its presiding officer.

“I also plan on taking more proactive steps to try to, at the very least, keep the situation from deteriorating further, or if I’m feeling particularly optimistic, to work to bridge the divide between Tretrid and Volscina. While I will not disclose the nature of what I have planned at this time, I can assure the public that more will come of this,” Æthelwine added. He was pretty sure saying anything about it would spoil its chances of going anywhere. They would just have to find out along with everyone else.

A second question from the Cynebury Herald’s reporter. “Mr. Heardesunu, how do you think the geopolitical situation in Novaris will be affected by denouncing the Tretridian and Volscine governments?”

“What I hope will happen is that Novaris and the wider world become more aware of what it is dealing with, and that it may be able to use that knowledge to forge a lasting peace in West Novaris. As for what will happen, well, that remains up to the people of Novaris, and to the governments of Volscina and Tretrid. It is up to them to chart their way forward, but I am confident that they can do the right thing.”

He was actually quite cynical about how Volscina and Tretrid would respond, but he didn’t let that show through. He needed to put on a brave face for all the world to see.

Æthelwine checked the time. “Well, unfortunately, there’s a full schedule for the press room this afternoon, and it looks like my allotted time is up. As always, further questions can be directed towards the Secretariat Press Office.”

And with that, as if he were finishing just any other press briefing, the Secretary-General gave a nod and walked away from the lectern.

[Tretrid]

(OOC: This post, too, was done as a sort of open RP in the League of Novaris server. Thanks to Shadow, Cowlass, Gonggong, Socdyl, and Dead for participating.)

Ministry of Foreign Affairs Building
Cynebury, Tretrid
July 5, 2021
4:20 PM (UTC-7)

Eoforwine Æthelstanesunu’s day had rapidly become a complicated one. As soon as he had heard about Æthelwine’s remarks, he quickly moved to clear up his schedule and to go over to the headquarters of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to play damage control.

A threat to progress.

Those accursed words were still echoing around in his head. They sounded surreal, but Eoforwine knew that he was not in a dream. No, this nightmare was very real, and one of his own creation.

He looked at the display showing the Secretary-General’s press conference before glancing to Foreign Minister Sæwine Wealdmundesunu.

“He’s serious about this.”

The Prime Minister did not want to believe that this was the course of action Æthelwine had chosen to take. Not after everything Æthelwine had done in faithful service of Tretrid. And yet he still had to face this very unfortunate reality.

You too, then.

Eoforwine didn’t truly know how he felt about this whole deal. If anything, he was numb, and was burying himself in micromanaging damage control so he wouldn’t have to feel anything.

There was perhaps that innate instinct to lash out like a child throwing a temper tantrum, to use the full resources of the Kingdom of Tretrid to bear on the League of Novaris. He pushed down those thoughts as soon as they came up.

He had to keep his reaction under control. He was the most powerful person in all of Tretrid, if not South Novaris. He had to at least act like he was worthy of the office, even though he believed he wasn’t.

Lashing out would do Tretrid no favors.

Sæwine nodded and handed him a paper. “I took the liberty of having some staffers draft a statement, though given the nature of this I think it’s best if you personally approve this.”

Eoforwine read through the document before grabbing a pen and scribbling out some parts, before writing a few comments of his own. “I want our ultimate message here to be that Tretrid is, whatever Æthelwine might say, a productive member of the League and that his actions today have thrown his ability to moderate the Novaran Council impartially into question. I don’t think we should push for Æthelwine’s removal, at least for the time being, if only because the optics would look quite bad.”

Yes, the optics. Tretrid’s international standing. He knew how hollow his focus on that was. It was no substitute for truly standing up for peace.

“I’ll send the document back with your feedback, then. Do you also want to review the revised version before we send it to our Ambassador to the League?”

“Yes.”

Eoforwine looked back at the screen, where Æthelwine was still giving his press conference. “If there’s any upside to this, it doesn’t seem like he’ll be giving Volscina any preferential treatment, even if his harshest words are for us. He’ll hopefully be similarly harsh on them.”

Of course, Æthelwine wouldn’t have needed to have been harsh on Tretrid if Eoforwine had just exercised more caution with Correva. It was his fault and he knew it.

It was his own web of lies and deception that had forced this reckoning.

---

Press Room
Legatorre
Lucroza, Celanora
July 5, 2021
4:00 PM (UTC-8)

Some staffers in the Legatorre had worked to replace one of the two LN flags on the stage with that of Tretrid. The lectern was now flanked on one side by the gold flag of the League of Novaris and on the other side by the green flag of Tretrid.

Beorhtsige Wulfricesunu, a bespectacled man in his late thirties, walked up to the lectern. As the Tretridian Ambassador to the League of Novaris, it was his duty to speak on behalf of the Tretridian government at the Legatorre.

“Good afternoon. The government of Tretrid, as it has always done after the first meeting of each session of the Novaran Council, will outline the issues that it believes are important for the League’s ultimate goal of enabling international cooperation within Novaris.”

“The most pressing matter facing Novaris currently is that of the future of Cavellan. Last year’s crisis showed just how willing various groups were to disrupt the Cavellanese people’s right to self-determination. It is the position of the Tretridian government that the current solution, that of a League-endorsed Sakarnese-Durakan occupation of the country, is only viable as a temporary fix used to buy time for a more lasting one. The Cavellanese Question must be solved, and it is our position that Cavellan’s right to decide their own future must be respected.

“When it comes to less extraordinary matters, Tretrid will continue to advocate for the respect of sapient rights and political freedoms throughout Novaris. We believe that everyone needs to be treated with the respect and dignity that they all deserve. We will continue to be one of the foremost voices for democracy within Novaris.

“We will also continue our foreign aid initiatives to impoverished and developing countries, and will push for more action from the Novaran Aid and Development Office. We believe that everybody should have the chance to live a prosperous life without needing to constantly worry about whether there will be food on the table. It is the duty of the more affluent countries in Novaris to help those torn by war or famine. Tretrid will continue to lead by example with foreign aid.

“Tretrid will also continue to push for the expansion of the Novaran Transportation Network, both for the tangible benefits it gives for the League’s members, but also to prove that the League can both symbolically and literally build bridges between countries.”

Beorhtsige took a deep breath. Those remarks had been prepared more than a week in advance. Now for the statement that he had been emailed about twenty minutes ago.

“Lastly, the government of Tretrid would like to deliver its response to remarks made by Secretary-General Heardesunu earlier today.”

The ambassador had been quite blindsided by the statement Æthelwine had given. Beorhtsige had once worked directly under Heardesunu, and it simply didn’t sound like something he’d say.

Of course, professional ambassador that he was, Beorhtsige had stuck to his script when it was his turn to speak and reported back to Cynebury for further instructions. Their response was, well, the one that had just been sent to him.

“The government of Tretrid is shocked and aggrieved to hear the accusations made by Secretary-General Heardesunu, and maintains that it has only acted in the best interests of the Cavellanese people. While we believe that the circumstances surrounding the collapse of Correva have served as a wake-up call to Novaris and the League, we strongly object to the characterization of our actions as escalatory, and maintain that the crisis was entirely the result of Volscina’s pursuit of irredentism and its willingness to violate Correvan sovereignty.

“Furthermore, the Secretary-General’s accusation that the Tretridian actions during the Correvan crisis were intended to push for Volscine removal from the League, thereby weakening the League for Tretridian political gain is categorically false and a mischaracterization of our foreign policy principles. Tretridian policy during the crisis was aimed at demonstrating to the continent that Volscina was directly violating the sovereignty of its neighbor. We continue to hold that it is no longer acceptable conduct for any state to threaten to invade its neighbor and to directly violate its territorial sovereignty, especially when both countries in question are part of the League whose very purpose is to enable the mediation of disputes through diplomacy instead of by force.

“Lastly, the Secretary-General’s statement has called into question his ability to carry out his duties impartially. The Secretary-General’s office was never meant to be used as a soapbox for any individual to announce their political opinions to the world, and there is no reason for Mr. Heardesunu to start using it in that way. He is not only undermining his own credibility as a diplomat but also that of the office of the Secretary-General as a neutral moderator of discussion, that of the LN Secretariat as a disinterested pan-Novaran administrative body, and that of the League of Novaris itself as an organization that can produce results that are favorable for peace.

“I now welcome any questions the press may wish to ask me in regards to Tretrid’s future plans as a member of the League of Novaris.”

A reporter for the Vinlander news source For King and Country raised their hand.

“In reference to the Secretary-General’s question, when will we see Tretrid stop their grandstanding and admit for once to the public that they are not doing what is best for them, but what is best to keep the wealth of the Tretrid elite’s heavy?”

Beorhtsige supposed a news source in such a country as Gamlevinland was bound to, well, be liberal with the truth. Maybe the loaded questions could have stood to be tad less obvious.

“Such a question relies on the presupposition that Tretrid is acting in the interests of its elite instead of the public at large, which the Vinlander reporter who asked would know is completely false and a politically motivated fabrication if they had gone to the trouble of accessing the relevant records, which, I should mention, the Tretridian government has freely made available to the public in the interests of transparency, instead of asking a loaded question in bad faith.”

They would have to try harder than that. Another day, perhaps.

The next question came from a Kemonomimi reporter from Red Dove, a news network with a following in the Federation, and more recently, Ymirland.

“The People of Ymirland would like to question about the Novaran Transportation Network. Concerns has been raised about potential civil rights issues coming from our neighbors, in particular Jarisven. As such the people of Ymirland holds a embargo on Jarisven. Would the new transportation system link the countries or would nations be allowed to opt-out from linking ourselves with such nations.

“Our second concern would be coming of the Novaris Aid, would this be open for all Novaris nations, or would restrictions be set in place for potential bad actors abusing the system. If so, what safeguards would be set in place?

“The third concern is what is the Tretrid and the League as a whole doing to secure the democratic will of the Correvan people?”

Ah, finally, productive questions. Beorhtsige gave a smile.

“I’m glad you asked. Firstly, NTN construction is only allowed to occur within countries who have acceded to membership in the Novaran Transportation Commission, and individual countries within the NTC largely retain sovereignty over what construction can occur. Thus, if one country is in the NTC but its neighbor isn’t, or if both are in the NTC but one of them objects to a connection, an NTN connection between the two countries will not be built.

“Secondly, we believe that states that request aid should be reviewed by the Novaran Aid and Development Office–within reason, of course, we don’t want too much red tape–and that the use of aid should be monitored by both the League and independent watchdogs to prevent the misappropriation of aid or other abuses. We strongly believe in the power of transparency to ensure integrity.

“Thirdly, the League has done a lot to stabilize Cavellan after the collapse of the autocratic Correvan government, and we believe that gives the League a great amount of maneuvering space within which it can restore democracy within the territory. It is the stance of the Tretridian government that, firstly, we ensure that the current military occupation is temporary, and, secondly, that the future of Cavellan is in line with the vision the Cavellanese people have for it. We believe that, for example, an independent, democratic Cavellan would be very well suited for such a role.”

Beorhtsige picked another reporter. “Krzysztofmiasto News Station.” Some broadcast from Piorunpreria.

“What is Tretrid’s stance on nations using their imperial power to exploit other nations and get away with war crimes. Alongside this what is Tretrid planning on doing about these nations, especially referring to what has just happened with Korćetta in the Zachodnipaństwo War for Independence.”

Beorhtsige’s particular assignment meant that, while he was intimately familiar with what was happening diplomatically in Novaris, he only knew so much about what was going on in Gondwana. Cynebury liked to compartmentalize.

The question was something that pertained to international law, however, and the general rule of thumb was that Tretrid was generally to defend the rule of law. After all, it did bring some level of stability and predictability to foreign affairs. It helped, too, that Tretrid’s place in the world was secure while the status quo held.

“We believe that no country is above the international rule of law,” he answered. “Tretrid will continue to campaign for the respect of sapient rights, the laws of war, and customary international law. We will push, through our bilateral relations as well as through international organizations, to make sure countries that violate these principles will pay the consequences.”

It was certainly vague and noncommittal enough to be sufficient for now, unless Cynebury were to suddenly take an interest in Gondwana.

“What kind of aid does Tretrid and the League plan to administer? Will it be purely financial or are necessities such as education, sheltering, and medication also within the foreign aid plans?”

The next question came from a Kuduk reporter. “What kind of aid does Tretrid and the League plan to administer? Will it be purely financial or are necessities such as education, sheltering, and medication also within the foreign aid plans?”

That was a question that Beorhtsige had prepared a response to.

“Our government prefers to take a holistic approach to promoting international government, and so we believe that money alone is not sufficient to bring a country to prosperity. We believe basic necessities like medicine are critical for foreign aid programs and we will push for their inclusion in foreign aid programs by the League.”

He then called on another Kemonomimi reporter, apparently representing the Association of the Servants of Akua. He silently decided that since he hadn’t previously thought hard about the Secretariat’s decisions over who got to be part of the LN Press Corps, he wasn’t about to question it now.

“Question for religious minorities within the league. Akuanists have long been discriminated against historically in several member state nations, does the Tretrid and League as a whole have a plan to promote religious freedom within the League or would it be an exclusively national issue for member states.”

And there was the inevitable religious freedom question. Now, there was a minefield. It was one of those cases where Cynebury decided to go with realpolitik in regards to maintaining friendly relations with Meagharia and Hustreache (especially considering Meagharia’s connections to Durakia and Hustreache’s connections to Great Morstaybishlia). The truth would cause… a quite large public relations disaster for Tretrid.

“Tretrid holds the principles of religious freedom quite dear, due to its own past periods of intense religious persecution. It is inscribed in the core of Tretridian constitutional law, after all. We believe that people all over Novaris should have the right to choose who to worship and whether to worship at all. One of the primary goals of our current foreign policy is the promotion of global sapient rights through intense bilateral and multilateral engagement. However, at the same time, the ultimate decision regarding religious freedom can only be made by the people themselves, as they should have the right to choose their own destiny. As such, we will do everything we can to promote religious freedom while not excessively interfering with the internal affairs of other countries.”

The caveat was quite strategically placed, and it sounded nice while being vague enough to allow flexibility in interpretation.

The Red Dove reporter asked the next question almost immediately after Beorhtsige was finished speaking. “You claim Tretrid is doing everything it can to promote religious freedom but still has relationships with nations such as Hustreache and Meagharia. Shouldn’t a nation which claims to value religious freedom and democracy be concern with being in bed with such anti-free nations such as them? Tretrid still holds an alliance with Meagharia which openly guns down anyone who believes in any religion. Does Tretrid hold itself accountable to dealing with such nations or does it fall to the wayside and hope all will ignore it?”

Beorhtsige distinctly recalled a pair of reports over policy regarding those countries. The first one detailed a “carrot-and-stick” doctrine as applied in Hustreache, and the second one, written years later, discussed the feasibility of applying such a system in Meagharia, ultimately recommending it.

Due to their nature, the only people who knew about those reports outside of Cynebury were the relevant ambassadors and their chargés d’affaires. And the current LN Secretary-General.

It just so happened that those reports had been written by Æthelwine Heardesunu. The Secretary-General knew a lot about the inner workings of the Tretridian Foreign Ministry, and it remained to be seen whether he would be using his detailed knowledge about Tretridian diplomacy against Tretrid itself. Everyone was still trying to comprehend what had happened, after all.

“The apparent hypocrisy is not lost on the Tretridian government either, but you should rest assured that we are working behind the scenes to improve religious freedoms in Meagharia and Hustreache. Unfortunately, I am not at liberty to discuss details with the public, as many of the details are highly classified.”

It wasn’t a particularly strong answer, but it was probably better to look somewhat bad than to ruin at least one bilateral relationship.

The reporter from Krzysztofmiasto News Station raised his hand again. “Do you have anything specifically planned to physically reprimand Korćetta for everything they did? Or are you just going to scold them and hope they stop what they’re doing in the future?”

Perhaps he should have asked Wealdbeald Ohtbeornesunu, the Tretridian Ambassador-at-Large to Gondwana, who would be better prepared to speak on such matters. Not to mention how this press conference was specifically about Tretrid’s agenda in the League of Novaris for the current Novaran Council session. It was probably time to exert some message discipline and put the matter down.

“If Piorunpreria wishes to seek reparations or a war crime tribunal from Korcetta, they can pursue it at their pleasure. Our government would be willing to help along the process, but it must ultimately be their initiative.”

“Thank you, that is all,” the Piorunprerian said.

The next question was an older-looking Visnetir Kemonomimi in somewhat old-fashioned brown suit.

“From De Radikale, our readers wished to know about Tretrid’s stance in an acknowledgement of its position as a key power on the continent. How, if any thought is given at all, does Tretrid wish to manage the balance of power between the smaller and larger states of Novaris - in regard to the way in which diplomatic interaction on Novaris may often lead to the voices of smaller powers to be drowned out by the preeminent blocs surrounding Tretrid and Volscina?”

That was a fascinating question. A shame that Beorhtsige was not at liberty to fully answer it.

“Tretrid’s security relies almost entirely on the alliances it maintains, so we have a natural interest in valuing each and every relation that we hold with other countries. Since taking unilateral action may harm these relationships, it is within our interest more often than not to take into consideration what stances other countries have. An argument has certainly been made by some foreign policy analysts that this effect is most visible with how Durakia supposedly has a significant amount of sway over Tretridan policy. Similarly, we generally tend to consider what unaligned countries’ stances are in regards to various issues, since we have a similar interest in not antagonizing those countries enough for them to tip the balance of power against Tretrid. I hope that may provide some insight into your question.”

As far as the things that he couldn’t say, well, it was generally in the interests of smaller powers to try to balance between the two blocs, which simultaneously gave them strategic flexibility, forced a balance of power (which would keep one dominant power from drowning out their interests), and allowed them to play the two sides off each other to their advantage. That was the situation where the smaller powers had the most say, and a situation that Cynebury wanted to avoid.

In an ideal world (for Cynebury), Tretrid wouldn’t have to listen to other powers, and it would have room to do what it wanted without regard for anyone else. However, Tretrid didn’t simply have enough hard power to force hegemony on Novaris, so it had to make do with carefully crafted diplomatic relations instead. It was a decent substitute, but not perfect.

He checked the time. It was getting late. He silently decided that the next question would be his last. He pointed to a reporter.

“This is the Cynebury Herald. Beyond your prepared remarks, what personal thoughts do you have on Secretary-General Heardesunu’s statement?”

Oh boy.

“Unless Mr. Heardesunu has unexpectedly changed in massive ways, I personally believe that he sincerely believes he is doing the right thing. However, if so, his actions are severely misguided and call into question his judgment. If he wants to ensure peace in Novaris, condemning one of its powers central to the international system is not the way to do so.”

He paused. “Unfortunately, that is all the time I have to answer questions. Further inquiries may be directed towards my office or towards the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Thank you.”

Beorhtsige gave a practiced smile and wave before walking off the podium.

[Tretrid]

Office of the Secretary-General
Legatorre
Lucroza, Celanora
July 5, 2021
5:30 PM (UTC-8)

Beorhtsige walked up to a door and knocked on it.

“Please enter,” said a voice from within.

The ambassador obliged, opening the door and closing it behind him. He turned to see the Secretary-General seated at his desk, looking right at him.

“The Government of Tretrid would like to lodge a formal protest due to your opening speech at the Novaran Council and following statements.” Beorhtsige placed a piece of paper on Æthelwine’s desk.

Æthelwine scanned the document and looked back up at Beorhtsige, unfazed.

“Furthermore,” Beorhtsige said, “the Government of Tretrid wishes to know whether the Secretary-General wishes to change its current travel arrangements.”

Some weeks earlier, the Secretary-General had made arrangements to visit Tretrid and discuss certain matters with certain Tretridian officials. This was a relatively routine diplomatic task, though this day’s events made it now substantially more awkward.

“I will not be canceling my visit to Tretrid, and would like to suggest that today’s events may raise the importance of the meeting in the eyes of its leadership.”

Beorhtsige nodded. “I will make sure to relay that back to the Foreign Ministry.”

There was a brief pause as Beorhtsige did not leave the room and instead continued to stare at Æthelwine.

“Ambassador,” the Secretary-General said, “are there any other reasons why you are here, other than to relay messages from your government?”

“I would like to ask a personal question. Æthelwine, what were you thinking? Are you just going to throw out everything you’ve worked for so suddenly?”

It was perhaps rare for one diplomat to ask another for their own personal thoughts instead of their professional assessment of a situation. It certainly wasn’t considered common practice in the Tretridian diplomatic service.

Æthelwine’s expression remained impassive. “I’ve thought about this quite thoroughly, if that’s what you’re asking. As I alluded to in the Press Room, it’s been on my mind since Correva.”

“Do you know what I think? I think you’re making a mistake. You’re letting your emotions guide your actions instead of the best interests of Novaris. You’ve ruined the bilateral relationship between Tretrid and the League.”

One of the worst mistakes that could be made in foreign affairs is for the policymaker to have their policy be guided by their emotions instead of carefully considering whether the policy truly benefited them beyond just making them feel good. It certainly did not stop some countries from acting petulant or vindictive, but it was still something to be avoided.

That line of thinking, of course, has created a stereotype of the Tretridian diplomat and foreign policy analyst as completely unemotional and borderline sociopathic.

“Beorhtsige, I think you know as well as I that the League used to be thought of as a ‘Tretridian bloc.’ The Tretridian government has certainly acted that it is. I am simply acting in the best interests of the League as an institution. It needs to assert its independence from any one country to succeed as a place where the countries of Novaris can work as equals.”

One of the main schools of thought in international affairs theory is realism, which places emphasis on the rational actions of states as individuals in pursuit of their own interests. Under such a school of thought, order between states can only emerge with the consolidation of great powers that are able to impose their own favorable order on smaller countries. Under the lens of such a school of thought, the League was little more than a diplomatic bloc for Tretrid. It was not hard to make such claims, especially when the League’s own Secretary-General was a veteran Tretridian diplomat. At least, it was not hard to claim thus until he had made his speech earlier that day.

“Tretrid has been one of the foremost proponents of the League in the past. We sought to use the League as a way to change the nature of the relations between Tretrid and the rest of Novaris. You know that as well as I do, since you wrote that very policy!”

“When I worked as a representative of the Tretridian government, my actions were meant to be in the best interests of the Kingdom of Tretrid. Such was my job at the time, and such is your job now. However, as Secretary-General, I cannot prioritize Tretrid’s interests over that of the other League states. If all the nations of the League are meant to be equal, Tretrid cannot be more equal than the others.”

Another school of thought in international relations is constructivism, which, unlike realism, claims that the interests of each actor is socially constructed, as well as the identity of the actors themselves. It rejects realism’s claims that states must always be struggling against one another in pursuit of objective material goals like power and wealth. Constructivism instead focuses more on how interests are formed through social interaction, and how countries pursue these interests in an international system governed by unwritten guidelines of socially acceptable norms in both interstate conduct and domestic political conduct. More critically, constructivism left room for a rules-based international system like that offered by the League, while implicitly criticizing realism for believing that its rules of interstate anarchy always apply instead of being just as socially constructed as any international rule of law.

Both realism and constructivism were not perfect. They didn’t always explain why some countries acted as they did. Balistria, for example, declared war on Alksearia by assassinating its monarch, thus going against its rational self-interest (as a war against Alksearia would necessarily mean war against a very large chunk of the world due to alliances) and international norms (as killing heads of state and violating the presumed sanctity of other countries’ embassies were considered extremely out of line). Though Balistria got pummeled into the ground for its troubles, it remained a spectacular example of how irrational actors could certainly defy the expectations of the international system, and cause very real damage in the process.

Despite these imperfections, realism and constructivism were the two generally preferred lenses through which the Tretridian foreign ministry (and its diplomats) preferred to read events.

“Consider, Beorhtsige, the stated goals of the League of Novaris to provide a neutral ground with which the international affairs of Novaris can be stabilized,” Æthelwine said. “The plan was always to change the norms that governed Novaran diplomacy, which, yes, would hopefully change the nature of Tretrid’s relationships with other countries. Tretridian policy is still largely derived from the Novaran Cold War, and needs to adjust to the times, and Eoforwine and I agreed that the League was a prime opportunity to bring Tretridian methods and ends into a post-Cold War world. The two of us had already worked on ways to do so in the past, so I was confident that the two of us could commit to this as well. Seems like I was mistaken, however. Æthelstanesunu seems to have fallen back on Cold War tactics.”

“When you became Secretary-General, you assured me and the Tretridian government that you would continue working with Tretrid. What happened to that promise?”

“You know as well as I do that the success of the new direction of Tretridian foreign policy relied on the success of the League. There’s a reason that, as you said, Tretrid has been one of the foremost proponents of the League. However, during the Correvan Crisis, Tretrid acted to undermine the authority of the League in its own cynical self-interest. If we are to truly secure the peace through making the League the authoritative forum for Novaran issues, then I must act to set the precedent that undermining the League cannot be accepted under our new international system. Though Æthelstanesunu may have turned his back on the plan, I will continue on the path we charted out four years ago.”

Beorhtsige scowled. “You’re saying that Tretrid betrayed you, not the other way around. I can’t believe you. Well, if this is the hill you have chosen to die on, then so be it. I’ll take my leave.”

“Just as well, given that we are probably talking past each other at this point. Good day to you, Mr. Wulfricesunu.”

Beorhtsige left the office with a huff.

[Tretrid]

Lucroza, Celanora
July 5, 2021
7:00 PM (UTC-8)

Æthelwine Heardesunu walked up to the door of a townhouse in downtown Lucroza. It was the official residence of the LN Secretary-General, having been donated to the organization by some well-off Celanoran family. Personally, he thought it was a bit much, and preferred the much less luxurious accommodations that had been provided to him back when he had been a Tretridian diplomat.

Maybe it fed into the prestige of the position, which was something that was quite in demand given how relatively new the League of Novaris was (being just over four years old), or maybe it was a symbol of wealth that was quite unfitting for a humble servant of all the peoples of Novaris. It really could go either way.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his keys. He unlocked the door in front of him and entered.

He walked into the dining room with little fanfare. There was no food on the table, but Æthelwine had already eaten dinner before he left work. Seated across from the Secretary-General at the table was none other than his wife, Cuðþryð Wynstanesdohter.

On a normal day, Æthelwine would have left work perhaps somewhat earlier, and he and Cuðþryð would have eaten dinner together. They’d share what had happened at work. Æthelwine would probably talk about which ambassador managed to make a massive fool out of themselves this time, while Cuðþryð would talk about things like that one time one of her colleagues at the place where she worked as a chemical engineer did something really inadvisable with a bottle of red fuming nitric acid.

Unfortunately, this was not a normal day, which was obvious to both of them. Æthelwine took a seat across from Cuðþryð without saying a word.

After a moment, she spoke. “So you did it after all.”

Æthelwine nodded. “So I did.”

“I’d known that this was going to happen more than a month in advance, but it still feels kind of surreal having it broadcast in breaking news stories in the middle of the day. It’s different, somehow, from the other times your work has shown up in prime-time news. I think it’s just how taken aback everyone is by this.”

“As for me, I’ve spent so long in the service of Tretrid that it just feels so weird actually publicly denouncing it, even as much as we’ve discussed going ahead with it.”

“Well, you’ve made all your choices now. We can’t turn back anymore.”

“I can live with that.” The decision had been made, and, for better or worse, was behind him now. Only the consequences remained before him.

“Æthelwine, if there was one thing I’ve always loved about you, it’d probably be that you’re the kind of person to put your heart where your mouth is. You know that what you’re doing is the right thing. That matters.”

“I sure hope so.” Æthelwine paused for a moment. “So… it looks like the family group chat got a bit busy after I made my little address. I bet that Ceolswíð and Eadwine have plenty of questions. I have to admit that I did not actually read what happened, since Eadwine would probably call me out for ‘leaving him on read.’”

“I told them that they would get their explanation later today,” Cuðþryð said. “You won’t be surprised to hear that Eadwine probably thinks a bit more negatively of what happened, though both of them were caught off guard since they were under the impression that you were on pretty good terms with Eoforwine.”

“Well, to be fair to them, I also thought that I was on pretty good terms with our dear Prime Minister Æthelstanesunu. I don’t think whatever friendship the two of us may have had matters that much to him anymore, as painful as it is for me to say. What use is ‘friendship’ in a framework that defines international relations through the lens of state-scale geopolitical actors?” Æthelwine paused again. “You know, it’s been 12 years since the accident. I still remember how much Eoforwine helped me back then. It’s hard to believe that such a person would come dangerously close to lighting West Novaris ablaze. It used to be different.”

“We shouldn’t dwell on the past too much, lest we get lost in it. We still have the future to face.”

“And face it we must.” Æthelwine sighed. “I think we should discuss this with the kids in teleconference. The chat just won’t cut it. I’ll go set up a Nyoom meeting.”

---

Prime Minister’s Wing
Witenapalent
Cynebury, Tretrid
July 5, 2021
11:00 PM (UTC-7)

Eoforwine Æthelstanesunu was not the kind of person to spend time for himself. Leisure didn’t matter, but the affairs of state certainly did.

The staffers had slowly filtered out of the offices of the Prime Minister’s Wing after 5. After dinner, the Office of the Prime Minister was on its night shift, with a visibly smaller contingent of civil servants working tirelessly overnight to make sure the government wouldn’t be caught off guard by any developments, at home or abroad. The world didn’t wait for people just because it was 3 AM.

But even the “Night Crew,” as the staffers had taken to nicknaming themselves, still had a personal life outside the Palace of the Parliament. Most of them had families.

And then there was the Prime Minister himself, cloistered in the Witenapalent, with nothing to do outside of his job. He had so single-mindedly devoted himself to serving the Tretridian people that there was no part of him that lay outside of that.

It was late in the night when he finally concluded his business for the day. It was always late. He let out a small sigh as he stood up and pushed his chair into his desk. He turned around, towards the window behind him, only to see that the curtains were closed. The curtains were always closed.

There was a tradition in the Tretridian government that dictated that the curtains of the Prime Minister’s Office were to stay shut at all times. There were some choices that had been made in the room that were too awful to see the light of day. The Tretridian people could sleep better at night not knowing just what was being done to protect them. Eoforwine disliked that tradition immensely.

He briefly considered opening the curtains and standing in the city lights of Cynebury that filtered through the window. The curtains hadn’t always been closed during his tenure as Prime Minister, he recalled. Things had been different. Things were going to be different.

Yet the curtains were closed. And, as Eoforwine turned away from the shrouded windows, they remained closed.

After a brief walk through the halls of the Prime Minister’s Wing, he reached the door that separated the offices from the area that constituted his official residence. He gave a nod to the bodyguard who stood vigil over the door, unlocked the door, and walked in.

After locking the door behind him, Eoforwine walked through the residence in silence. The place was designed for the Prime Minister and a sizable family–only that Eoforwine had none, so much of the space ended up disused. Sure, the place would be dusted and cleaned if it would be used to host politicians or dignitaries, but otherwise, it was devoid of the activity that had filled it under previous Prime Ministers.

He walked into a bathroom and filled a glass with tap water. He set the glass down on the counter and opened a cabinet, taking out an opened box of medication. The word sertraline was visible on the label. He pulled a blister pack out of the box and tore it open to take out a single white caplet. He placed the pill in his mouth, swallowed it, and drank some water from the glass.

That done with, he walked into his bedroom and entered a combination into a safe sitting next to his nightstand. He opened the safe and pulled out its contents: a small leather-bound book and a simple ballpoint pen. Taking these two items with him, he walked into the living room, sat down, opened the book to its first blank page, and began to write.

Mōnandæg, July 5, 2021

Eoforwine paused, his pen hovering just above the paper, to take a moment to collect his thoughts. There was a lot on his mind.

With recent events in mind, I’m beginning to think that this diary is the only thing I can truly confide in.

He paused again. Documents could be leaked, after all. If this particular one was leaked, the results would be cataclysmic for the Tretridian government.

I think I’ll burn this book once I’ve filled all its pages.

What’s the point in trusting others with secrets, anyway, if all they will do is stab you in the back when you least expect it?

Æthelwine double-crossed me today. Publicly denounced Tretrid with all of the world to see.

I wonder if the time we spent as close colleagues meant nothing to him. I used to be able to consider him a friend.

The worst part of this whole affair is that I can’t bring myself to even blame him. I think I would have done the exact same thing if I were in his situation.

I can’t help but wonder if this could have been prevented.

He seemed to focus on how I handled Correva in particular. There’s a lot I wish I did differently back then. I have played a massive part in the reignition of tensions between Tretrid and Volscina, and both he and I know this.

Another pause.

Why must I feel hurt by geopolitical developments? Are state actors not meant to make choices solely based on reason, with no room for emotion when it hinders the ability to make rational decisions?

Eoforwine thought about the matter for a moment before writing a response.

I suppose this diary is the only place where I should truly feel anything*. My workplace is not a place for emotion. It only clouds judgment.*

He gave a slight sigh, set the pen down, and closed the book. He slowly stood up, bringing the diary with him. It needed to be locked away again. It was just what was done, like how the curtains were always closed.

Perhaps, as much as Eoforwine disliked the idea, some things should never see the light of day.

[Tretrid]

Part I: How It Used To Be

Embassy of Tretrid, Lucroza
Lucroza, Celanora
March 26, 1998
1:00 PM (UTC-8)

Within the Tretridian diplomatic service, some postings were considered far more important than the others. The more strategically important a country’s bilateral relationship with Tretrid was considered, the more prestige would generally be placed on a posting there.

These were highly sensitive positions, so the reasoning went, since even the slightest slip-up could spell disaster for Tretrid’s geopolitical place, which, needless to say, was bad. While the Novaran Cold War seemed like it wasn’t as tense as it had been in decades past (Tretrid had, for example, achieved détente with Mirhaime), the Volscine Confederation would still not hesitate to take advantage of any blunders Tretrid would make.

The most prestigious postings were the ones to countries that were most likely to appear in the headlines: Volscina, Durakia, Mirhaime, Norgsveldet, Morstaybishlia. The postings to South Hills and Packilvania were also considered impressive, since Tretrid wanted to look its best to the other superpowers, though they didn’t appear as regularly on the agendas of the analysts back in Cynebury.

The ambassadorial posting to Celanora wasn’t considered all that lofty, but Æthelwine Heardsunu really didn’t mind. He still had a lot of his career ahead of him, after all, and he doubted he’d be able to predict where he’d be in twenty-five years. Plus, Celanora was hardly unimportant. Sure, it had retreated in itself and stubbornly insisted on neutrality in the wake of the Great War and the following fragmentation, but neutral countries were still worth working with. Plus, Celanora had some power in its own right, and so even if they refused to choose a side between Tretrid and Volscina, there were still reasons to try cooperating with them.

Tretrid had much to gain from maintaining a cordial relationship with Celanora. The issue was that Celanora didn’t really care about tightening its ties with Tretrid.

An aide walked into Æthelwine’s office and placed some papers on his desk. “Good afternoon, Ambassador. A couple of reports regarding matters you were following.”

Æthelwine nodded. “Thank you.” He picked up the papers and scanned them. Routine reports on visas and how Tretridian citizens in Celanora were faring. A few papers and applications that needed signing. Nothing much to report, though it was still important to keep up with them. It was his duty as an ambassador, after all, to look after Tretrid’s citizens in Celanora.

Much more interesting was a dispatch from the Celanoran government. Diplomats from Celanora and Tretrid had been in talks over ways to increase trade between the two countries, and it seemed like the Celanoran government was receptive to the idea of a trade agreement. Given the structure of the Celanoran government (the Tretridian diplomatic staff often jokingly nicknamed it “the three-headed monster”) and its history, it really wasn’t every day that they were inclined towards much of anything where Tretrid was concerned.

This dispatch was a confirmation that the Celanorans had finished their final preparations for a summit between Tretridian Prime Minister Ecgswið Eohbeornesdohter, and Matteo Vitali, the Triarch of Lucrovera. It was, to state it briefly, quite big news.

Æthelwine booted up his computer, wrote up the contents of the Celanoran response in a dispatch of his own, and sent his own dispatch to the relevant people in Cynebury.

With that done, he went back to processing some of his more routine paperwork. He understood the need for a significant paper trail for visa applications, but that didn’t make filling out the forms any less tedious. Nonetheless, it still was important work to ensure the maintenance of day-to-day Tretridio-Celanoran relations.

---

6:00 PM (UTC-8)

Cuðþryð Wynstanesdohter returned from work just after 6, which also meant that it was also time for Æthelwine to get off work. He would go back to his office after dinner to finish off any work he wanted done and to check if anything pressing had happened as usual, but only true emergencies could get Æthelwine to spend the time between for anything other than family.

One of the major design philosophies for Tretridian diplomatic chanceries is to give the staff and their families everything they would need for life and work within the complex. It was, strictly speaking, possible for someone in an embassy to stay inside for their entire duration of stay, though nearly everyone spent at least some time out in the host city.

In Æthelwine’s case, it meant that he could leave his office, walk to the embassy’s daycare center, and bring his children back to his residence, all without needing to step outside into Lucroza. It was highly convenient.

His two children, Ceolswið and Eadwine, were eight and five years old respectively. The two bore a resemblance to each other as siblings, though Ceolswið’s hair was a dark brown while Eadwine’s was a dirty blond.

Eadwine was also markedly shier than Ceolswið was when she was his age, and Æthelwine suspected that he tended to attach himself to his sister’s friend group instead of making friends of his own.

Education was one of the few things that the embassy facilities did not fully provide for. Instead, children were expected to go to school out in the city, though the government also required that they take the GCE every year to enforce equivalence with Tretridian educational standards.

In practice, Eadwine and Ceolswið were usually dropped off at school and later picked up by a shuttle from the embassy, along with other children of diplomatic staff. There were also a couple of Diplomatic Security Agency officers in plainclothes who made sure nothing unwanted happened involving the children. Yes, it was awkward, but the Foreign Ministry erred on the side of caution since anything that happened could turn into a diplomatic incident. But it also made it harder for these children to make friends with kids from outside the embassy, since they couldn’t ‘hang out’ together after school.

Today, Æthelwine found Ceolswið and Eadwine lying prone on the floor. Ceolswið was reading a book while Eadwine was doodling on a piece of paper.

Ceolswið noticed him first. She rolled over, sat up, and lightly tapped her younger brother on the shoulder.

Eadwine looked up from his drawing. “Is it time to go, Dad?”

Æthelwine nodded.

The two children packed their stuff into their backpacks, and were ready to go before long. They walked to their residence (a three-room apartment in the residential part of the embassy), where they dropped off their stuff and met up with Cuðþryð, who had returned from work. They then went to the embassy cafeteria to get dinner.

“Dad, I’ve been thinking about something,” Ceolswið said, during dinner.

“Do tell.”

“In Social Studies today, we were doing a lesson on the Celanor Empire, and how it fell apart. Is it true that Tretrid had a part in that?”

“Yes,” Æthelwine said. “It’s historical fact.”

“Yesterday we went over the advancements made in the Celanor Empire. Stuff like the architecture and engineering. The Celanor Empire was good, right?”

“It depends on who you ask.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, if you ask most people in Celanora, most people would think of it positively. If you ask someone in Tretrid, they may say that it was good in some ways but was far from perfect. And if you ask someone in Arlavia, they might say that it was actually quite bad.”

“Why didn’t my teacher tell me that?”

“Your teacher was telling you a simplified version of the history, with the expectation that you’d learn a more complete picture when you’re older. For that matter, I’m also giving a simplified answer. I think you’ll understand better when you’re older.”

“Would you say that Celanora is a good country?”

“No country is without its flaws, but it’s my job to have faith in the Celanoran government and people. I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t.”

“Why have Celanora and Tretrid fought so often, if both are good? Aren’t wars fought only between good guys and bad guys?”

“Not necessarily. Sometimes there are misunderstandings. Sometimes ‘good’ countries are run by bad people. Sometimes mistakes are made. Even good people can come into conflict with one another.”

That was certainly a weighty enough statement to put an end to conversation for a brief moment.

“Actually,” Æthelwine said, “speaking of Tretrid, we’re going to have the Prime Minister over soon.”

That certainly got everyone’s attention.

Eadwine was the first to speak. “Really?”

“Yes, really. She’s going to be meeting with one of the Triarchs. I’ll try to see if I can get her to meet with all of you.”

“I’ll probably get a day off when that happens, then,” Cuðþryð said. “Æthelwine, do you know when the summit will be?”

“We’re currently going over the final preparations with our respective counterparts in the Celanoran government. So, if the staff seem a bit more busy than usual over the next few days, that’s why.” Æthelwine paused. “I might have to stay at the office late for a couple of days myself. Hopefully, if everything happens according to plan, Eohbeornesdohter will be flying over on April 2.”

Ceolswið turned to Cuðþryð. “What’s happening at your job, Mom?”

“Well, we’re currently designing a pilot plant for a new chemical process that we want to test out. We’re hoping it makes certain syntheses cheaper and less high-maintenance. I’ve been focusing on the process design side, since I feel like project engineering is better suited for some of my co-workers. Most of it so far has involved wrangling with computer simulations. It’s great how much computing has progressed over the last couple decades or so, but computers can be a bit annoying to work with at times.”

“Did management actually give you reasonable deadlines this time?” Æthelwine asked.

“For once, I think they might have. They’ll inevitably give us some unreasonable constraint we weren’t consulted on at some point—they never learn, I swear to Thor—but the parameters that we’re dealing with right now are actually pretty reasonable.”

“What’s important about your job, Mom?” Eadwine asked. “A lot of other kids have only one parent with a job.”

“The food you eat was grown with fertilizers, and your consumer products made and packaged with plastics, all of which are produced by the chemical industry. The products of chemical engineering are everywhere around you.”

“She also gets paid more than I do,” Æthelwine added.

“That too. We could get by comfortably just with Æthelwine’s salary, but I’m very passionate about what I do.”

“I hope you become as passionate about whatever you do as a grown-up as your mom is about chemical engineering, Eadwine.”

Eadwine shrugged. “I still don’t know what I want to do when I grow up.”

“That’s perfectly normal. Most people don’t have an idea until they’re basically adults.”

“How do people know what they want to do, anyway?”

“Things happen. I don’t know what it’ll be for you. Maybe you’ll find a subject that you really enjoy or excel at. Maybe something else. I didn’t know I wanted to go into the foreign service until I was partway through university. You’ll be fine, Eadwine.”

Cuðþryð nodded. “It took me a while to find what I was passionate about as well. It takes a bit of exploration sometimes to find something that you’re willing to center your life around. And besides, there’s nothing wrong with doing a job just for the money, as long as you don’t outright hate what you do. You can just do what you enjoy as a hobby, and you can choose the pace at which you do it, which you can’t really do for a job. But always make sure to try new things. You might just find something you enjoy.”

[Tretrid]

Embassy of Tretrid, Lucroza
Lucroza, Celanora
April 2, 1998
9:00 AM (UTC-8)

Æthelwine glared at his reflection in concentration as he carefully combed his hair. He needed to look his best. He knew that the staff wanted to leave as good an impression as possible on the Prime Minister, so as the leader of the Tretridian diplomatic mission to Celanora, he had to do his part as well.

It was traditional for the Prime Minister to visit and tour the embassy if they happen to be in the capital of a foreign country. It had started some decades ago to maintain morale within the foreign service at a time when their work was made more important than ever by the Novaran Cold War, and it had continued ever since.

Finally satisfied, he left the bathroom he was in. Cuðþryð, who had already freshened up her appearance with some makeup, was waiting for him. She had taken a day off from work for this occasion.

“How do I look?” Æthelwine asked.

“Quite professional.”

“Great.” He put on a tie and a black suit jacket over his fully-buttoned white dress shirt. He turned around to look at the bathroom mirror once again as he straightened out his clothes.

Once Æthelwine was finished, the two made their way down to the front entrance of the embassy. Some senior embassy staffers had already made their way down, while the remainder trickled in after Æthelwine arrived.

Æthelwine got everyone’s attention. “All right, everyone, the Prime Minister will be here at 10:00 sharp. I’ll let everyone know when it’s 9:55 so we can all get into position. You all know what to do.”

Nods of acknowledgement, before everyone got back to what they were doing before—mainly talking with each other.

Once the appointed time arrived, Æthelwine clapped his hands to get everyone’s attention. “It’s 9:55, everyone, you know the drill.”

The senior embassy staff, Æthelwine included, had rehearsed this moment beforehand. They all fell into line some distance behind the front entrance. Æthelwine examined the line and did a quick head count.

The chargé d’affaires of the embassy, Garflæd Ohtbeornesdohtor, stepped forward, as did Cuðþryð. The two of them, as well as Æthelwine himself, walked through the entrance and walked up to where the pathway from the doorway led to the road that went in and out of the embassy complex. The ambassador clasped his hands behind his back as he waited.

Soon, a motorcade rolled into the complex. A black limousine with tinted windows at the center of the motorcade rolled to a stop next to the edge of the road. A couple of bodyguards opened the doors, stepped out, and then helped out none other than Prime Minister Ecgswið Eohbeornesdohter. She walked forwards and shook Æthelwine’s hand.

“Welcome to Lucroza, Prime Minister,” he said. “We are honored to have you here.”

“Ambassador Heardsunu.” Ecgswið gave a polite nod.

She went to shake hands with Garflæd. “Mrs. Ohtsbeornesdohtor.” She then shook hands with Cuðþryð. “Dr. Wynstanesdohter.”

“Prime Minister,” Æthelwine said, “if you’ll please follow after me, I would like to introduce you to the senior staff of the embassy.”

---

10:37 AM (UTC-8)

The embassy daycare was more crowded than usual today. Æthelwine was hardly surprised, because most staffers with families would probably jump at the chance for getting the chance to have their children meet the Prime Minister herself. A one-day absence from school was certainly worth that.

As Æthelwine and company walked in, the caretakers quieted the children down and had them line up. One of them then handed a microphone to the ambassador.

“I’m glad that you’ve all decided to come here today,” he said. “Civic awareness is a virtue in a democracy such as ours, and there are few better ways to become civically involved at the ages you all are at than to be able to meet Prime Minister Eohbornesdohter herself. I know some of you might be reluctant to be here and might be missing friends you could be playing with right now, but this is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.” He gave a quick nod to Ecgswið. “I’m turning this over to the Prime Minister, who has a few things she would like to say.” He handed the microphone over to her.

“Thank you, Ambassador,” Ecgswið said. “It’s a tradition that whenever the Prime Minister goes to a foreign capital, that they visit the embassy and the people who work tirelessly day and night to keep the needs of Tretridian citizens abroad accounted for. One of the most delightful parts of these visits is getting to meet you, the children of the diplomatic service. Growing up in an embassy far from the homeland poses a wide range of challenges, which all of you are no doubt familiar with, from how many have to move and set down roots elsewhere due to their parents being reassigned, to how difficult it can be to find connections outside the embassy. But in every embassy I’ve visited, I’ve seen a unique sense of community built up between everyone around the shared experience of growing up in a place such as this.

“After I’m done speaking, you will all get the chance to meet briefly with me, and even to ask me questions. But before we get to that, I want to emphasize one thing: you are special. Your experience growing up abroad and gaining more exposure to cultures and customs abroad will give you a better appreciation of the world and its incredible diversity than if you had just spent your entire childhood in the homeland. And even when you’re doing something as simple as playing with friends at school, you represent Tretrid in your own way, much like your parents are doing at their jobs. While you may be far away from the homeland, each and every one of you carry a piece of the homeland with you in your hearts. Thank you.”

She handed the microphone back to Æthelwine, who turned it off.

While Ecgswið went to do her meet-and-greet, Æthelwine turned to Cuðþryð. “I was hoping for us to get the chance to personally introduce the kids to the Prime Minister, since we’re here right now.

“We should probably find them, then. There’s a lot of people here.”

So they set out to do exactly that. Æthelwine was able to find Ceolswið after a couple of minutes of looking.

“Dad?” She asked.

“I want to personally introduce you and your brother to Ms. Eohbeornesdohter,” Æthelwine said. “We’ll go last, to give the other kids a chance to meet her.”

“Okay…”

Cuðþryð had found Eadwine by the time Æthelwine found her again. Now it was time to wait for the Prime Minister to talk with the other children.

It took a while, but eventually it happened. He walked up to Ecgswið. “Prime Minister, I’d like to introduce my two children, Ceolswið and Eadwine.”

Ecgswið shook their hands. “It’s good to meet you. The two of you ought to be proud of your father. He does some very important work. Do you have any questions?”

“What is it like to rule Tretrid?” Ceolswið asked. “Is it hard?”

“Well, I hardly do it alone. I have my advisers, and the Cabinet, who are a bunch of people who run the government ministries and whom I consult for important decisions. And of course there’s the wonderful people who work for the Office of the Prime Minister. But at the same time, sometimes there’s a lot of difficult choices that have to be made, and ultimately the responsibility for making them goes to me. Sometimes people in the government can disagree as well, and I have to help make compromises to keep things running. It can be difficult. But there are people I can depend on, like my friends and family, whenever it might seem like a lot. I hope that answers your question.”

“How did you decide you wanted to become Prime Minister?” Eadwine asked.

“Well, if I were told when I was in college that I would end up running the country, I wouldn’t have believed you, but look where I am now.” Ecgswið laughed slightly. “I initially became a lawyer because I wanted to help people navigate the law. I only got into politics because I decided that I could do more good there. And clearly enough people believe in the vision I have to give me the unique duty and honor of heading the government. Any more questions?”

“I like to read,” Ceolswið said. “Do you like to read?”

“I suppose I had to like reading at least somewhat just to get through law school. Lots of laws and briefs and cases to read and learn about. I also have to read through a lot of reports and briefings as Prime Minister. But I suppose I do like reading! It makes you smarter, and lets you make better decisions. I had to do it a lot in order to get anywhere in life, so I suggest that you continue to read a lot.”

---

2:00 PM (UTC-8)

Ecgswið, Æthelwine, and company walked into the conference room. There were always minutiae for summits that needed attention even to the last moment.

“All right,” Cuðþryð said. “If all that’s left is just discussing the summit, I think that’ll be my cue to take my leave.”

“We’re not going to start until somebody gets here,” Ecgswið said. “She’s part of the Tretridian delegation, but since she had to be in a meeting in Solevia early today she couldn’t make the tour. She did call me some time ago saying that she’s in Lucroza now, so she should get here very soon.”

“Let’s wait, then,” Æthelwine said. “I’d hate for us to discuss what will be happening without everyone involved on our side here.”

“I’ll stay until this person gets here, then,” Cuðþryð said.

It took a few minutes of waiting, but soon enough there was a knock on the door.

“Enter,” Ecgswið said. Thus in walked a very familiar figure to Æthelwine.

“Ambassador!” he said, standing up.

“It’s been a while, Ambassador,” the new figure, Mildgifu Hroðgaresdohtor, Ambassador-at-Large to Novaris, said.

Mildgifu had taken Æthelwine under her wing while she was Ambassador to Celanora a few years after he had become Consul of the Tretridian consulate in Cilèmonte. She had recommended him to replace her after Prime Minister Eohbeornesdohter promoted her to Ambassador-at-Large.

The two quickly met and embraced.

“This is an unexpected pleasure, Ambassador Hroðgaresdohtor,” Cuðþryð said. She shook hands with Mildgifu.

“It’s been a while as well, Dr. Wynstanesdohter,” Mildgifu said. She took a seat at the conference table.

“I’ll take my leave of all of you for real, then,” Cuðþryð said, walking to the door. She waved goodbye, opened the door, and was gone.

[Tretrid]

Palazzo della Impero
Lucroza, Celanora
April 3, 1998
10:00 AM (UTC-8)

There is a performative element in every summit between leaders, behind the handshakes, the smiles, and the photo ops for the press. They aren’t strictly essential in the sense that they were not a useful indicator as to whether talks would be a success, but were themselves critical in that these publicized actions and behaviors conveyed the language and actions of diplomacy in a way that meant more than just pictures for headlines.

The chief players in this show were the leaders, more specifically, Tretridian Prime Minister Ecgswið Eohbeornesdohter and Lucroveran Triarch Matteo Vitali, one of the three executives of Celanora. Thus for the first portion of the summit, there was little for the rest of the Tretridian delegation to do except smile and stay out of the way of the cameras while the Prime Minister and the Triarch shook hands and said their words against a backdrop of alternating Tretridian and Celanoran flags.

Once that was done with, a couple of Celanoran staffers opened a pair of doors that led to the conference room where the actual talks would be happening. Everyone, including Æthelwine, then went inside the room and sat in their predetermined seats. One last photo op, to show everyone at the table, then happened, and then the press was shooed out of the room.

“Alright, let’s get to business,” Vitali said. “There’s a lot of things that need discussing, especially since we appear to be on the threshold of redefining relations between Tretrid and Celanora. I believe the matters over which current concerns preclude closer cooperation have been adequately communicated to your government.”

Ecgswið nodded. “We understand why the Government of Celanora would be unwilling to discuss security assistance and military cooperation at the time, though we hope that the situation in the future will enable such a thing.”

A spark of dry wit lit up in Vitali’s eyes. “Ah, that you’ll have to take up with Volscina, I’m afraid. Regardless, we ought to start addressing those things that are on our agenda.”

Such it was that the talks began in earnest. As talks were wont to be, they would utterly bore any observer outside those keenly interested in Novaran geopolitics.

---

Embassy of Tretrid, Lucroza
5:00 PM

It had been a productive round of talks for the first day of the summit. After it had concluded for the day, Ecgswið went off to go do the work of running an entire country, while Æthelwine returned to his office to continue performing his duties.

Mildgifu opened the office door and poked her head in. “Am I interrupting anything important?”

Æthelwine shook his head. “Come on in.”

She did exactly that, and pulled up a chair to Æthelwine’s desk.

“I was hoping I could catch up with how things are doing here. It’s been a while since I was last here.”

“I’d like to think that this place continues to be quite the tight ship.”

“It’s great to see that you’ve come into your own as Ambassador,” Mildgifu said. “I’ve been walking around the embassy for the last hour, and it seems like things are going well.”

“And just when I thought I didn’t have to get the embassy judged by a fellow ambassador, too!"

The two chuckled at that remark.

“How’s being the Ambassador-at-Large?” Æthelwine asked. “I can only imagine how much work it is, with looking after an entire continent’s affairs and advising the government.”

The position of Ambassador-at-Large encompasses some of the most senior positions in the Royal Diplomatic Service, the Tretridian foreign service. Their duty is to oversee the affairs of an entire continent, in which they can represent Tretridian interests much like ‘normal’ Ambassadors, or otherwise to focus on a single international issue of special interest to the Tretridian government.

Among these postings, the Ambassador-at-Large to Novaris is often seen as the first among equals due to the unique role they play in overseeing affairs in Tretrid’s home continent. Novaran affairs, due to their proximity, were the most likely to end up as Tretridian affairs whether the Tretridian government got involved or not. As a result, the Ambassador-at-Large to Novaris was typically the diplomat most likely to advise the Government. An Ambassador-at-Large to Novaris could expect to meet often with the Foreign Minister and to regularly brief the Prime Minister.

“Already gunning for my position again?” Mildgifu teased. “After only two years in my old spot, too.” She chuckled. “It’s definitely been a change of pace, since the Ambassador-at-Large role does not involve any of the usual paperwork like visas. A lot more consulting, advising, and representing, I’d say. The position is held up by the analysts in the same way that yours is by the embassy staff. Though they may have a bit of a reputation for being somewhat insular elsewhere, they give us some of the brightest minds we have at our disposal.”

“It’s good to hear that you’ve been enjoying your promotion,” Æthelwine said. “It’s no doubt less stressful than it has been historically, given how things in West Novaris seem to be slowly cooling down.”

“I hardly envy some of my predecessors, I can say that much. Yet the eventual normalization of relations with Volscina is hardly a trivial task, given the baggage of this century thus far.”

“We’ll be into a new century, and indeed a new millennium, before long,” Æthelwine pointed out. “Maybe things might change.”

“Perhaps. We all have to work to achieve that future if it is ever to materialize. It will take the effort of many people doing their part, no matter how small. Yet if peace were not worthwhile, would the two of us be here right now?” Mildgifu paused. “You’ve always been fairly driven and dedicated in the time I’ve known you. But if there’s one thing from your time under my tutelage that I hope you take to heart, it’s that working for peace doesn’t just help Tretrid. By working with diplomats from other countries and working together on our common interests, we can accomplish quite a lot, and make the world a better place for everyone, Tretridians included. Wherever you might end up, whether still as the ambassador to Celanora, or elsewhere, or even outside the Diplomatic Service, I want you to remember that, okay?”

Æthelwine nodded. “It’s a promise.”

[Tretrid]

(OOC: Thanks to Ark for helping me with some of the press conference questions.)

Palazzo della Impero
Lucroza, Celanora
April 6, 1998
2:30 PM (UTC-8)

It was a big day. Or, at the very least, everyone involved in this wanted to show that it was a big day. After all, Tretrid and Celanora signing agreements with each other wasn’t exactly a commonplace occurrence.

Æthelwine, along with most of the other diplomats involved in the talks, on both sides of the talks had been ushered to one side of the room, while staffers set up a table with two chairs next to each other, with the flags of Tretrid and Celanora arranged behind them.

Once all these things were done, the last thing to be made ready were the instruments for signing the treaty. Staffers walked in, placing the physical treaties, one in Norvian and the other in Tretridian, in front of the chairs, before placing a pen to the side of each of the treaties.

A few minutes later, the press was ushered in, with their distinctive whispering and the frequent camera flashes. Æthelwine made sure to smile for the cameras—the diplomats and officials in the gallery were all there were to photograph until the carefully-choreographed main event.

A couple minutes later, the door opened, and the room suddenly hushed. In walked Lucroveran Triarch Matteo Vitali and Tretridian Prime Minister Ecgswið Eohbeornesdohter. They were followed by Tretridian Ambassador-at-Large to Novaris Mildgifu Hroðgaresdohtor and the Celanoran Minister of Foreign Affairs.

The four walked in silence behind the table until they reached the chairs, at which point Vitali and Ecgswið sat down. Mildgifu and her Celanoran counterpart remained standing behind and to the side of the two leaders.

In unison, Ecgswið and Vitali took their respective copies of the documents—the Norvian version in front of Vitali, and the Tretridian one in front of Ecgswið—opened them up, took the pens in front of them, and signed the treaties. They then gave their copy to their counterpart and signed the other one. Vitali and Ecgswið then stood up, handed the copies back to their respective owner, and shook hands while smiling. Once all the requisite photos were taken, they closed up their copies of the treaty, before leaving with the ambassador and the foreign minister.

The staffers still in the room began to usher the press out, as chatter began to fill the room again.

---

2:45 PM (UTC-8)

“Nervous?” Mildgifu asked.

Æthelwine shook his head. “I’ve been practicing.”

Okay, maybe he was a little nervous. But he was an ambassador, and he didn’t rise through the ranks of the Royal Diplomatic Service by clearly telegraphing when he was anxious.

“The first press conference is always a little nerve-wracking. Remember to focus on the topic at hand and to practice message discipline.”

“I’ll try.”

Their brief conversation was interrupted by a staffer. “It’s time,” he told Æthelwine.

Æthelwine nodded and followed the staffer into the press room. He made his way to the front of the room and walked to the lectern standing there in front of a line of flags that alternated from the green of the Tretridian flag to the gold of the Celanoran flag.

“Good afternoon, everyone,” he said. “As all of you have just witnessed, today Tretrid and Celanora have signed a treaty to redefine their relations for the new millennium. Our two great countries have decided to leave behind the rivalries of the past and move forward as friends towards the future. This is a watershed moment in the quest for a more peaceful and more united Novaris.

“As the Tretridian ambassador to the Celanoran government, I have worked tirelessly around-the-clock to represent my government and to work towards this moment since long before formal, high-level talks began. What you see before you is the culmination of the dutiful work of not just the Prime Minister and the Triarchs, or their respective cabinets, but of hundreds of people from both countries united under the cause of peace and prosperity for the peoples of Novaris.

“This Millennium Treaty is an omnibus agreement to not only ensure that conflicts like those in the history books between Tretrid and Celanora never happen again, but also to provide for closer cooperation and better communication between our governments, and to strengthen trade and commerce across our borders by the extension of the privileges Lapinumbia has with the Novaran Economic Zone to Celanora. It is both wide-sweeping and ambitious, and will be the foundation on which our future relations will be built. It is also the culmination of years of diplomacy, not only between our two countries but between our fellow Novaran countries to settle old scores and to pave the way for a better future together.

“I will now be accepting questions.” Æthelwine pointed to one of the reporters who had raised their hands.

“Tussio da Ponte, from La Tribuna. Tell me, Mr. Ambassador, what can we expect to be the immediate effects of this treaty?”

“Thank you for asking,” Æthelwine said. “It will take a little while for the effects of the trade agreements to really take hold, but we believe that this agreement will bolster confidence in the Celanoran and Tretridian economies, and encourage domestic and foreign investment into our economies. People on both sides of our borders can expect new jobs and new opportunities, and lower prices in certain sectors.”

“Thank you, and one more question if you’d permit me: if Celanora is to eventually join the NEZ, what would that mean for the average Celanoran?”

“The Celanoran people can expect lower prices across the board while also not only seeing greater job opportunities in Celanora, but also opening the door to jobs all throughout the NEZ. Celanorans can also expect to be able to freely travel to Břelov, or to Cynebury, or as far as Sigested.” Æthelwine pointed to another reporter.

“Cynebury Herald,” the reporter said. “What impact can we expect this treaty to have on broader Novaran diplomatic relations, such as with Volscina?”

“Both we and the Celanoran government have made sure at various steps to ensure that Celanoran neutrality remains respected and to ensure that Celanora does not get entangled into any disputes Tretrid may find itself in in the future. How Celanora chooses to carry out its diplomatic affairs will be the same as it was before the treaty, and the same will be true of our foreign policy. However, at the same time, we also hope that this effort to turn the page on centuries of conflict can show that we are able and willing to engage in the spirit of reconciliation to pave the way for a more peaceful future.”

“Questions from the Araldo Cadrigrano. Do you expect the freer flow of trade between Lucroza and Cynebury to result in cheaper consumer prices? Also, do you expect that countries choosing to remain outside of the Economic Zone will face economic consequences?”

“Thank you for your question. The freer flow of goods between Tretrid and Celanora will help drive down costs especially in the service sector, something that consumers on both sides of the border will be able to benefit from. I do not anticipate any significant economic effects of this lowering of trade barriers outside the Novaran Economic Zone, so countries that have chosen not to participate in it at present will not need to worry about potential repercussions.”

---

3:30 PM (UTC-8)

The press conference went on for a while after that. It was a big treaty that brought together all sorts of issues, so it wasn’t all that surprising that there were a lot of questions. Æthelwine tried his hardest to answer the questions to the best of his ability, though after some point he was starting to get exhausted. But he had been essentially living and breathing each word and provision of the treaty for the last several months, which made him one of the most qualified people in Novaris to advocate for it.

But at long last, the time allotted for him finished up, and he took that cue to end the conference there. The Celanoran government had one of its own queued up, so he really couldn’t stick around the press room after his scheduled block.

Mildgifu was waiting for him outside the press room. “Not bad.”

Æthelwine took a deep breath. “That was a lot.”

“They get easier after the first one. But you did really well, I think.”

“Thanks. I really gave it everything I had. This treaty and everything around it has been just such a big part of everything I’ve been doing over the past few years. I can’t imagine what it’s been like for you, having to keep track of all our bilateral relations with our fellow NEZ members leading up to this day.”

“Oh, most of my work has been bringing together everyone else’s work and coordinating things. The boffins in Cynebury worked out likely policy outcomes from proposed treaty stipulations, while those in the RDS like you have been doing a lot of the actual talking and negotiating. It’s still quite an important job to do, but I don’t think it’s much more than what you’ve had on your desk all this time.”

“I almost can’t believe it’s finally finished. This treaty has been a massive part of our lives here in Lucroza for the last few years. I’m not sure what I’m going to do now that it’s done.”

“I think a comfortable posting in a place like Lucroza is good enough for most diplomats. And when your rotation is up, I think you’ll be pretty high up in the consideration for prestigious postings like Norgsveldet or Morstaybishlia. But at least for now I think you can look at everything that has been achieved and be content for maybe a little while. Though I know you might be too restless for that. Always one to look upwards.”

“Well, I suppose if you want a day off, you can pass the work on to me. I need something to keep myself busy.”

Mildgifu smirked. “Nice try. In due seriousness, if you still want to do work with the Millennium Treaty, the Prime Minister told me that there was work to be done in communicating the importance of the treaty to the public. I know positions in the Diplomatic Service are not meant to be very public-facing, but it’s part of our jobs to give the best words we can in support of our mission. If you’re interested, you ought to talk to her.”

“I think I will, actually. I’ve done so much work just to get to where we are; what’s a few more media appearances to that? I’ll go try to find her.”

He went to find Ecgswið. He was able to find her after a moment, though it wasn’t particularly difficult with the throng of reporters that were following her every step.

The Prime Minister noticed Æthelwine. She turned and smiled. “Ambassador. Good work with the press conference. What brings you here?”

“Ambassador Hroðgaresdohtor said that you had plans for emphasizing the benefits of the treaty to the general public. I’d like to have a part in that, since I’ve been working on it for so long.”

“If you end up doing so, you’ll have to be in Tretrid fairly often. Would that impact your ability to serve as Ambassador?”

“I think I’ll be able to keep up with everything that happens, even if I’m absent a few days each year.”

“Alright, then. I’ll keep this in mind. You might hear from Cynebury at some point in the near future–we’re not too sure about exactly how we’re going to be doing this. That said, until we get back to you, I think you may find it useful to practice talking to the press more. Not just for press conferences, but for interviews and the like.”

“Alright. Thank you for everything, Prime Minister.” Æthelwine turned to see that there were a few staffers waiting to speak with him. His duties never really stopped. He excused himself.

[Tretrid]

Embassy of Tretrid, Lucroza
Lucroza, Celanora
June 4, 1998
4:00 PM (UTC-8)

Eadwine did not think much of it when his mom came home from work early and picked Ceolswið and him up from daycare. This happened from time to time, and it probably meant something was going on, but it generally didn’t affect him.

For him, it typically meant more time for video games.

There were two video game consoles sitting in front of him. The one on the left was a 16-bit console that was about as old as Ceolswið was, if not a little older. The one on the right was a newer 64-bit console.

One of the earliest memories Eadwine could remember was the Yule when the box had arrived.

Æthelwine had given the two children a smile. “It’s a gift from Gyfbringend!” he had said. He and Cuðþryð had done most of the setup, though they had allowed Eadwine and Ceolswið to plug in some cables.

Eadwine had probably played on these two consoles more than anyone else in the family. Naturally, his mom only let him play when he was done with his homework, but that still left him a lot of time for playing.

His parents had clearly realized how much he was into these games, so for his most recent birthday they had gotten him a handheld console, which he brought around with him for whenever he wanted to play games away from home.

When he was home, however, he only played on the home consoles. Their games were actually in color, and the newer one could even play in 3D.

In fact, this was what he was playing on when Æthelwine arrived home early. This was much more unusual. He looked at Eadwine on the floor with his controller and Ceolswið sitting nearby reading a book, and loudly cleared his throat.

Eadwine paused his game and turned.

“You should finish up soon. We’re going on a trip to Cynebury. You’ll need time to pack.”

---

7:00 PM (UTC-8)

Æthelwine and Cuðþryð explained what was going on over dinner. Apparently Æthelwine was taking some sort of work trip to Cynebury, and he wanted to take the opportunity to show the sights around the city.

“Your mom and I have lived in the city for a few years, so we know it rather well, but it’ll be your first time there,” Æthelwine said.

“I managed to get Cynebury Phil tickets a couple days before Æthelwine has his day with the Witan, so we’ll go to that,” Cuðþryð said. “We’re also going to be visiting some of the museums in the city center, as well as getting to tour the Witenapalent. Since your father is already probably going to meet with the Prime Minister again, we’ll see if you can get you to see her office, as well.”

“One way or another, you’re going to get to see the heart of our country,” Æthelwine said. “I think it’s important for both of you to be aware of how our government functions, since when you grow up you will be asked to help make important decisions for the country through your vote. We’ll be walking through the city center and see some of the landmarks as we come across them, and experience what it’s like to be steeped in Tretridian history.”

They got to packing after dinner. Æthelwine and Cuðþryð helped them pack the amount of clothes they would need for the trip (Eadwine guessed that knowing how many clothes to bring was just one of those grown-up things), but the children were mostly left to their own devices regarding other things.

Eadwine made sure that he would bring his handheld console and a few of its games with him, especially CapPals, his favorite.

CapPals was this game about catching, collecting, and fighting these creatures called CapPals (or more fully Capsule Pals). It was all everyone at school could seemingly talk about. Ceolswið had it (though the opposite version from Eadwine). Most of Eadwine’s friends from school had it. Sometimes Eadwine would even sneak his handheld console into bed with a flashlight to light up the screen to play it past bedtime.

So obviously that was going in his backpack.

“What’s Cynebury like?” Ceolswið asked.

“Oh, well, you’ve seen Lucroza a bit,” Æthelwine said. “It’s kind of like that, but with everything in Tretridian instead of Norvian. You two have been practicing your Tretridian, right?”

Ceolswið nodded. The two children had to be fairly fluent in both Tretridian and Norvian simply as a fact of life. The teachers and classmates spoke Norvian, while the embassy caretakers and their parents mainly spoke Tretridian.

“Unlike Lucroza, which really only became the imperial capital after the emperors were forced to abandon Celano, Cynebury has been a royal capital for more than a thousand years now. There’s a lot of history built into the city’s foundations, and the Kings of Tretrid have sought over the centuries to have Cynebury rival even Celano itself in grandeur. Those two cities were for a long time considered the ‘twin gems’ of the Falcon’s Throne, as I remember.”

Cuðþryð walked out of the room and returned carrying a shopping bag filled with snacks. “Pick something. You’re not allowed to eat it until we’re on the plane, but you can have as much as you want there.”

Eadwine’s particular choice of snacks for the trip were a bag of fruit gummies and a bag of chocolate cookies. Ceolswið got mini sandwich cookies and sour cream and onion-flavored potato chips.

“Is this all we’ll have on the trip?” Ceolswið asked.

“If you eat all of it, we can buy some more later, but only so much. We wouldn’t want to spend all our money on snacks now, would we? Don’t you want to get some souvenirs that will remind you of your time in Cynebury?”

“Of course!.”

Cuðþryð patted her on the shoulder. “Great. We might even make a scrapbook of the pictures we take if you’re interested.”

---

Cynebury, Tretrid
June 5, 1998
12:17 PM (UTC-7)

Æthelwine gazed out the window of his seat as the plane flew over the skies of western Tretrid. He had been silent during most of the flight and was largely lost in his thoughts. He kept going back to the task at hand.

The Prime Minister has ultimate authority on Tretridian diplomatic policy. While the Royal Diplomatic Service had a great deal of weight internally, when it came down to it she had the final say. But of course, the Prime Minister has to answer to the Witenagemot and can only keep her position so long as she holds its confidence, and thus her government must submit to its scrutiny.

So the thing he was called upon to do was to testify before the Witenagemot Select Committee on Foreign Relations. He needed to speak on the significance of the Millennium Treaty and how it fit into the broader diplomatic course Tretrid was taking in these times before the elected representatives of the Tretridian people and the typical gallery of journalists who attached themselves to the Witenapalent.

It was no secret to any keen observer that times were changing. Relations with Volscina were improving. While Tretrid and Volscina would likely always be at odds with each other, and the divisions of the Novaran Cold War would remain, it was still a far cry to the nuclear arms races and the messaging of the other side being an existential threat from when Æthelwine was a child.

An idealist would have said that there was no point in the Novaran Cold War anyway. The Kingdom of Tretrid had been a full parliamentary democracy since royal power had been broken in the 1920s, and the Volscine Confederation, while it retained its previous internal state structure, was in many ways much more akin to Tretrid than it was to the Volscine Empire of old. The realists who had dictated foreign policy for most of the century thought otherwise. Tretrid needed to be safe, and Volscina was free of the internal constraints that hampered it when it was an empire and was poised to dominate West Novaris if Tretrid had not stood up to oppose it.

Æthelwine, as a member of the professional body of Tretridian diplomats, naturally harbored some wariness to Volscina, even as both agreed to downsize their nuclear stockpiles. Yet he knew that he would have to be prepared to face a day where the Novaran Cold War, the conflict everyone had known to be eternal, would one day be a thing of the past, and he would have to be ready to change for it.

“Dad?”

Æthelwine turned. Eadwine was seated next to him, but he had kept quiet during the flight and had been playing his beloved CapPals.

“Yes?”

“Have you been to Cynebury before?”

Æthelwine nodded. “Your mother and I went to university there. That’s where we first met. It’s a beautiful city. I wish that we could show you everything, but we only have a few days. Cuðþryð and I had years.”

“Is it a good place to live?”

Æthelwine nodded again. “One of the best, actually. Sigested will always be home to me, but it’s hard to argue that Cynebury is a truly special place. I think you’ll like what you see.”

Eadwine drifted back to his game, but Æthelwine looked at him a little while longer. Eadwine really did look a lot like how Æthelwine did when he was that age. They were much alike, in a way.

Æthelwine thought back to his own childhood, and of all the tumult that had been going on in Tretrid as he grew up. The constant threat of the Novaran Cold War becoming hot, and the world ending in nuclear fire. The images that came out of the violence in Nalpia. He had only been ten when the scandal about the military’s dealings in the region broke, and only about fifteen when the San Vedone Accords were signed and ended the Nalpian Emergency.

Æthelwine was many things. He was the head of the Tretridian diplomatic mission to Celanora, and yet only relatively mid-ranking in the Tretridian foreign policy apparatus at large. But along with those, he was also a parent.

And as a parent, he wanted Eadwine and Ceolswið to grow up unburdened by the same troubles that had happened when he was young. At the very least, he owed them that.

A tone chimed over the plane’s intercom, and the captain began to speak. The plane would be landing soon. And there was so much to do.

[Tretrid]

Prime Minister’s Wing
Witenapalent
Cynebury, Tretrid
June 7, 1998
10:00 AM (UTC-7)

The Prime Minister’s Wing of the Witenapalent occupies the northeast side of a rectangular courtyard and extends out to the edge of the palace complex. While the great curved neoclassical facade that faced the old center of Cynebury, sitting under three weathered bronze domes, were synonymous with Government with a capital G, its great gated archway did not lead into the building but merely into a passage through it into the courtyard. Even the doors from the side of the gate into the Prime Minister’s Wing weren’t considered the main entrance.

Instead, the main entrance of the Prime Minister’s Wing faced the courtyard. It was here that outdoor speeches were made, when they were not made in the Prime Minister’s Office or the press room. It was in its own way almost a symbol of the Government, especially since it sat directly under the Prime Minister’s Office.

On the third floor of the facade, directly above the door, were five windows that were arched instead of rectangular like all the others. This space was personally reserved for the Prime Minister’s work. The central three windows were for her actual office, and the central one, behind which was where her desk was, was flanked by two high reliefs depicting the gods Nærð and Tiw. There were white curtains covering these five windows on the inside.

Æthelwine and his family only needed to wait for about a minute in the lobby behind the main entrance before a staffer led them up to the third floor and into the Prime Minister’s Office. It was the first stop of the tour they were to take, since this partially doubled as a meeting between Æthelwine and the Prime Minister.

Prime Minister Ecgswið Eohbeornesdohter was sitting at her desk in front of the central window. Behind her and between the three windows sat poles bearing the Tretridian flag and the Prime Minister’s flag. She stood up and walked over to greet Æthelwine and his family. She then gestured at her desk.

“This is the room where things happen. The Tretridian government does a lot on a day-to-day basis, but the ultimate responsibility for everything done in its name lies right in this very office, and by extension in me. In some ways, it’s like a central hub, or a control center for both the Office of the Prime Minister and for the Government as a whole. Do you have any questions?”

“What do you do here on a normal day?” Ceolswið asked.

“On a normal day, I spend most of my time here. I hold my morning briefing with my advisors here, I hold many of my normal meetings here, and when there is a matter of some interest to me, my advisors will raise it to me here. Of course, there’s all these other places that I go to do my job, but this room is at the center of it all. Anything else?”

“It’s a nice day outside, so why are the curtains closed?” Eadwine asked.

Æthelwine glanced at Ecgswið to see if she had any reaction to that, but if she had any, she did not show it. His gaze moved past the Prime Minister and to the curtains. They were just translucent enough to let a little light through, like a lampshade.

“It’s something of a tradition to keep the curtains closed,” Ecgswið said. “It’s a bit of a symbol of the Prime Minister’s duties. Think of it like taking a test. You’ll do worse if the teacher decides to stand in front of you and stare at your work, since then you’ll get nervous and then can’t focus. It’s better for the teacher to sit back, just enough to make sure you aren’t cheating, and to grade your work after the fact. Well, being Prime Minister is not much different, except there’s much more people interested in seeing your work, it goes on for much longer, and the stakes are much greater. It’s better for everyone involved to focus on the results.”

“There’s a saying in politics,” Æthelwine added. “There’s two things that are nasty to see made up close: laws and sausages. This room would be quite the sausage factory, then. It’ll be better just to judge the sausage on its own terms.”

Ecgswið nodded. “Actually, here’s a bit of fun trivia: we used to have these dark green curtains. They didn’t let through any light at all. Hildmund Cenhunesunu changed them out when he took office in 1974. They certainly let more natural light in, and I think it helps brighten the place up a little.”

Eventually the children were done asking questions about the Prime Minister’s Office. After Cuðþryð took a picture of them, it was time to move on. A staffer walked in to handle the rest of the tour.

“Go on ahead,” Æthelwine said. There’s things the Prime Minister wants to discuss.”

Once the others were gone, Æthelwine and Ecgswið sat down.

“Alright, Mr. Heardesunu,” she said. “You know what’s going to happen. There’ll be the usual press complement at the committee, but there’ll be more eyes on you than usual. The Witenagemot will no doubt ratify the treaty, but we need to make sure that the public is onboard as well. The press conference you had at the signing has already done some good work, but there’s still more to be done. We’ve been dropping hints to the press that you’ll be discussing everything the treaty means to the Tretridian people, as one of the people who helped build it.”

“Any indication of what questions I might get?”

“Mostly stuff similar to the press conference you gave already. I will say that the Chair of the committee has taken somewhat of an interest in you. I don’t expect you to play internal ÞSD politics, but I think it will be helpful for you to know that he’s a fairly prominent figure within the party’s left wing. He’s a very serious type, so engaging with him is going to be fairly different than talking to a reporter.”

“No jokes, then, got it.”

“Try your best to keep whatever you say interesting to a general audience while not offending his sensibilities.”

Æthelwine nodded. “I have been preparing something that I think will work.”

“Let’s see how it goes.”

---

Witenagemot Select Committee on Foreign Relations
Witenapalent
Cynebury, Tretrid
June 7, 1998
2:00 PM (UTC-7)

Æthelwine had gotten plenty used to talking to the press over the last few months. Which was good, as testifying before a bunch of elected politicians felt much like that but with higher stakes.

Once everybody who was needed for the meeting was in place, the committee chair started proceedings. He was a Councilor who looked around Æthelwine’s age: a rather dour man with somewhat messy black hair and permanent bags under his eyes. A nameplate in front of him identified him as Mr. Æthelstanesunu.

Æthelstanesunu did not seem to be enjoying himself from the serious expression on his face, and his particular manner of speaking seemed to only confirm it. He spoke with a certain grim gravitas, like if the King had suddenly died and he had to be the one to announce it before everyone in the room.

Yet his particular manner of grave importance seemed to draw everyone in. Even as he spoke as if he were delivering a eulogy, his words felt weighty and important. His words left an impression. And even as he spoke on less dire matters such as committee procedure or the recent developments in foreign affairs, what he said seemed no less important because of it.

Soon, it was Æthelwine’s time to testify. He had known in advance what he needed to do–first a speech, and then to answer questions from the committee. The speech was probably the most important part of this, as a completely flubbed speech would make this adventure completely unsalvageable.

Mr. Æthelstanesunu introduced Æthelwine and summarized his position and accomplishments. He gave a short pause, before speaking again.

“Ambassador Heardesunu is here now to discuss the wider implications of this treaty for foreign affairs writ large, and why this matters to the average Tretridian. Ambassador, you have the floor.”

“Thank you, Councilor,” Æthelwine said. “Many of you will probably have heard from experts on the news, perhaps even from me, about how this is a major diplomatic breakthrough. About how much this changes the status quo and will bring significant economic benefits to everyday Tretridians. All that is true. You may have heard that since this marks the end of one of the oldest geopolitical rivalries in Novaran history, it demonstrates that there may someday be a resolution to the Novaran Cold War itself. That, I think, could also prove true. Yet why does all of this matter? Even as a diplomat myself, I am aware that foreign policy is often seen as a relatively arcane matter that often takes a backseat to domestic matters like social or economic issues. I could repeat what I and many other experts have said on the treaty and how you may see its effects on the prices at the convenience store, or how this may shift the power dynamics in West Novaris and possibly have knock-on effects with Tretridio-Volscine relations. However, I think the why will prove to be more important than the what, so I want to talk about why all of this matters and why we should care and continue this kind of work.

“Most of us here are those old enough to remember the Nalpian Emergency to some extent. We remember what seemed to be a constant barrage of terrible happenings, and the storm that surrounded the revelation of the full extent of the shameful deeds done there. Yet I know my children are in the press gallery today, and there’s no doubt millions of Tretridians now who have been seeing all this buzz around this treaty that don’t remember the Emergency. After all, it’s been twenty-two years since the San Vedone Accords were signed. I don’t think I could fully explain to my children how important the San Vedone Accords were at the time. I don’t think they would be able to understand the sheer magnitude of what was going on. They will one day, between the days of commemoration for it and it being taught in our schools, but they will never feel what it was like to turn on the television to hear of another terrorist attack, another killing, and the general feeling that Tretrid was falling apart in slow motion. I think I speak for everyone here old enough to remember this when I say that this is a good thing, and that that specter of violence ought to be left behind in the past, even as we carry our lessons from it forward.

“Something I’ve thought about recently is how, even up to the moment the Accords were signed, there were not many who believed peace could last. Many held their breaths even as everyone stuck to their end of the bargain. As recently as one year before the Accords, only twenty-three years ago, nobody would have believed that peace would be so close. And yet it happened, because the people in the position to make decisions believed that peace was possible.

“I mention this not to congratulate us for how much more advanced we are now than we may have been in 1975, but to point out how important it is to have people who believe that peace is possible in order to achieve it. This is what brings me before you all today, in the hopes that such an accord can be achieved between Tretrid and Celanora, even after many centuries of tumultuous history together. Only a few years ago the idea of a Tretridio-Celanoran friendship would have seemed laughable, yet we are at this moment discussing the fruit that same idea has borne. We in the Royal Diplomatic Service pride ourselves in our work and the professional standards we hold ourselves to, and it is our mission to do such things, to work to achieve even what may seem laughable to make sure the people of Tretrid can go about their lives unburdened by the long shadow of violence, like what many of us remember.

“I can’t even imagine what we might be able to achieve over the next twenty-two years. Certainly, things will look much different then than they might now, and we will take for granted then what might seem ridiculous now. Perhaps we may look back to now and wonder what took us so long to put aside our differences with the Celanorans, just as we do now with the Nalpian Emergency. This treaty raises the hope that our issues with Volscina can be handled diplomatically, and maybe in that time that may come to pass. When those next twenty-two years pass and we look back on it all in 2021, who knows what we will find our accomplishments to be? Perhaps in that time, our children may get to live unburdened by the Novaran Cold War like our children today live unburdened by the Nalpian Emergency. Yet all that I know is, whatever happens, it’ll be the tireless work of all the people like me in the Diplomatic Service that will bring about that future and achieve the unachievable.

“I yield the floor.”

---

Witenapalent
Cynebury, Tretrid
June 7, 1998
3:30 PM (UTC-7)

The rest of the hearing seemingly went by in a blur. Most of the people in attendance seemed quite moved. He was asked a few questions, which he answered. Then the agenda moved on.

Once the hearing was over, Æthelwine was greeted by the rest of his family. Cuðþryð patted him on the shoulder.

“Nice speech out there. I think you made them feel something,” she said.

“Not sure if I’ll go that far.”

The children did not seem to really know what was going on. Eadwine was engrossed in his video games again.

“Ambassador Heardesunu?” A voice said behind him.

Æthelwine turned around to see an aide. “Councilor Æthelstanesunu wants to speak to you in his office.”

“Of course.” He turned back to Cuðþryð. “Should just be a moment.”

He followed the aide down a series of hallways into one of the many offices within the complex. The aide opened the door and beckoned Æthelwine in.

The office was obviously quite well-used, with a bookshelf to Æthelwine’s left filled with books and binders that showed wear. On his left was a filing cabinet with some of its drawers open. Toward the back was a desk with a computer monitor and all its requisite cables, as well as many papers, letters, and reports strewn fairly haphazardly across the surface. At the front of the desk was a placard that simply said “Eoforwine Æthelstanesunu” on it.

Æthelstanesunu was standing behind the desk, facing the window on the far end of the room. He was looking out into a courtyard outside.

“The Ambassador, as you requested,” the aide said.

Æthelstanesunu turned around. “Thank you.”

The aide nodded and left, closing the door behind him.

The councilor gestured at one of the chairs in the office. “Please, take a seat.” He sat down at his desk.

Æthelwine obliged him.

“I take it Cynebury has been to your liking?”

“It’s still the beautiful city that I’ve known for so long.”

“I see. Did you go to university here?”

Æthelwine nodded. “It was definitely a big part of my life at the time, even if there’s plenty of stuff from that time I would prefer to be locked away in a box in a dark room.”

“Embarrasing things?”

“A lot of embarrassing things.”

“People that age aren’t exactly known for their impulse control. I also went to the University myself, though I largely kept to myself outside of my work in the Young Social Democrats.” Æthelstanesunu paused. “Regardless, there’s definitely things we must discuss other than Cynebury.”

Æthelwine knew this was going to happen.

“Impressive speech you gave out there, Ambassador. The Royal Diplomatic Service is certainly lucky to have someone like you to speak for it.”

Not that the grave expression that Æthelstanesunu had maintained throughout the speech indicated any of that sentiment.

“Think nothing of it, Councilor. I’m just one of a multitude of people in the service working tirelessly to ensure that Tretrid has its interests served abroad.”

“Please, just call me Eoforwine. Though it’s easy to forget it with the pageantry of government, we Councilors should strive to be nothing more than simple servants of the Tretridian people. That is the mandate with which we have been elected, much like the responsibilities with which you were entrusted when you passed the RDS entrance process.”

Æthelwine involuntarily shuddered slightly at that reference. Entering the RDS required passing through a highly competitive and stringent process designed to make sure that only the most capable candidates would make it in. It was stressful.

“Diversions aside,” Eoforwine said, “you have no doubt have realized that the government has its eyes on you. For all my disagreements with the Prime Minister, it’s hard to dispute that she has a keen eye for talent. Having now seen you testify, I believe that there could hardly be anyone better to act as a voice of the Diplomatic Service to the wider public. There are now going to be many eyes on you, as well. So, Ambassador, what do you plan to do with your talent?”

“I will do what I have always done: putting it to use in the service of the Tretridian people.”

“A good answer,” Eoforwine said. “Is not the Tretridian sense of duty a beautiful thing?”

Perhaps one of the distinguishing values of Tretridian society is pleoh, a word typically translated as duty. The translation, however, does not fully encapsulate the full meaning and connotations of the word. Pleoh, like its close relatives in the Tretridian word pliht, the Peyeterin word plicht, and even the Staynish word plight, can also indicate danger or risk. Having a duty in the Tretridian sense, having pleoh, was not just to be responsible but also to put oneself at danger.

As a result, there is a self-sacrifice inherent to the concept of being dutiful. The specific nature of the sacrifice steadily expanded over the ages to mean more than just putting oneself in harm’s way, and has come to broadly mean giving something important up for the betterment of others, and having the willingness to put oneself in danger for others.

Æthelwine nodded. “It really can transform a person.”

He himself had been a different person before entering the Diplomatic Service, back when he was in university. He had always been a hard worker and very talented, but he also partied hard and slept around. Yet he had given that up, along with the prospect of leading a normal, easy life back home, all in service of the homeland. He had never looked back.

“Indeed. Yet you know as well as I do that that calling can take multiple forms. I myself have chosen to serve the people of my constituency and be the voice of their needs to the Witan and to the Government. Your current position has the responsibility of representing the will of the Government and the needs of Tretrid’s citizens to the government of Celanora. Tell me, Ambassador: do you see yourself performing that task for the rest of your career?”

“Well, barring a special exception from the Witan, in a couple years I’ll be in for my mandatory rotation to a different ambassadorial assignment, so maybe not for Celanora specifically.”

“Think more ambitiously than that,” Eoforwine said. “I’m fully aware that the post of Ambassador is a significant and quite high-ranking one within the Diplomatic Service, but I think someone of your talents has the potential to become even an Ambassador-at-Large someday. With the profile you’ve been raising for yourself as of late, you could even have a rather productive political career here in Cynebury. There are some elements within the Social Democrats, that the Prime Minister is amenable to, who would even have you serve in the Cabinet.”

The offer of power made Æthelwine instinctively feel wary. It was something that had been drilled in his head in the Diplomatic Service. In politics and diplomacy, people who were offering something expected to get something out of it.

“What would they want out of me?”

“I can speculate,” Eoforwine said. “The Prime Minister has no doubt informed you of my particular leanings, so you will likely not be surprised to hear that I find myself often at odds with these elements of my party. They likely would want you to be the figurehead for their vision of Tretridian foreign policy. My own position has brought me close to the office politics of the Foreign Ministry, so I can say that your background with the RDS would make you valuable as a point of contact between the Service and the Cabinet. The Prime Minister’s power over the diplomatic apparatus is not as absolute as she would have you believe, but with you in the right place she could change that.”

“You’re saying this like she sees the RDS as an obstruction.”

“If she did, she wouldn’t be the first. You and I both know about the RDS’s distaste for what it sees as ‘political interference.’ But I don’t think that would be necessary for her to have her eyes on you.” Eoforwine paused. “The Diplomatic Service is by its design conservative—not in the political sense but in that it is slow to change. It practically has to be, with its central mission of being apolitical and yet facilitating long-term diplomatic strategy. And yet times are changing. You said it yourself: things are going to be different in unimaginable ways in twenty years. What if something happens that makes it necessary to reevaluate our entire foreign policy? The time may come when we may have to start doing everything differently, and in that case someone like you in a high position could be absolutely essential to ensuring that Tretrid has a place in that future.”

“I’m not a Social Democrat.”

“You wouldn’t need to be. You could be an independent.”

“I’d have to get an exemption from the Witan to run, due to my position being apolitical.”

“You wouldn’t have any trouble getting it, from the showing you put on today.”

“I see, then. People have been thinking about this for a while.” Æthelwine thought about it for a bit. “You’ve certainly put forward a compelling case that my eventual duty lies in this city and not Lucroza. But I don’t think that will be today. I think, at the present moment, I am needed most in Celanora.”

“As you wish, Ambassador,” Eoforwine said. His expression remained as neutral as ever. “As I’ve said, whoever you choose to answer to will be very lucky to have someone of your caliber. I do hope, however, that you keep what we’ve discussed in mind, in case you deem the times call for such steps. Regardless, I have no further cause with which to hold you, unless there is anything of your own you would like to discuss.”

“Well, in the absence of that, I suppose I’ll be taking my leave of you.”

“Good day to you, Ambassador.”