Vulpines... who are you?

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1

The Northern Grand Duchy – New Irem
The Fortress – Ileana De Corde’s rooms

«It’s simply out of discussion, Ileana! I will not authorize such a foolishness! Listonia is simply too dangerous. I will not take the risk and…» Reziel’s face was red with rage, his shouts being hard several rooms away. The thing which seemed to irritate him the most was definitely the fact the woman was flatly ignoring him, going on preparing her suitcase.

«Ileana, are you at least listening to me?!? I’ve told…»

With that, the black-haired woman turned towards him. Her face was stern but emotionless. Surely, she wasn’t as out of control as the shouting Grand Duke. But for whoever had the chance to know her well enough, the flash of irritation in her deep black eyes couldn’t be missed. She was nothing less than furious. Furious enough to make Elistar Reziel feeling a sudden dryness down his throat.

«With all due respect, Grand Duke, your authorization is completely irrelevant. The standard procedure has been followed… my mission has been approved by the Prime Minister, with the Speakers of the two Chambers warmly vouching for it. If the Grand Ducal Office needs the documents for your archives and your possible review, Grand Duke, my secretaries will be glad to forward them with no further delay»

«Ileana…» the woman coldness was so dismaying. The whole thing seemed so absurd. It wasn’t a matter of Grand Duchies and Ministries and… why the hell this new constitutional system was so complicated? Where had gone, the good old times past, when everything he needed was barking a couple of orders?

Noticing the man’s frustration, Ileana gently shook her head, the incinerating flash slowly disappearing from her eyes. Poor Grand Duke. Poor Elistar. he will have never stopped being The Protector. It was stronger than his own will. Putting the folded skirt into the suitcase, she moved near him, her hand gently caressing his face, her eyes chained into his.

«Elistar… I will be ok. Nothing bad will happen to me. Lachdanan himself has reviewed all the details. A commando has already been sent, securing the whole floor the Listonian Government has assigned me. A supplemental commando will be on the Falcon with me. I’ll be safe, my beloved one»

«I cannot really understand why…»

«I’ve already told you. These two nations… the whole situation is too problematic. A wrong word could well ruin the work of months. We need these negotiations to be handled by our most trained diplomat… and I happen to be that one. We have no other choice» she answered, trying to ease the man’s worries.

«We could simply ignore them, couldn’t we? No diplomatic relation, no risk» he replied. It was childish. And he knew it. But then… he couldn’t help smiling, when she chuckled. Her crystalline laugh was adorable.

«Of course. We could even call little Arian back from the Pole. And we should request Lachdanan and Lothar to give up with all those military and dangerous thingies of theirs… why not? And Mare, too. Mark, perhaps? What about Eldemar and Codric?» she smiled «Then, we could just live inside the Fortress with ten thousands soldiers protecting us and… uhm… just be all be a large and safe family, with no risk?»

«I hate your mummy tone, Ileana» he pouted.

«Then just stop giving away silly comments, my love»

«Just promise me…»

«YES» she interjected, pretending exasperation «I will listen to my escort. I will not do anything dangerous. I will not take unnecessary risks. I will not put the mission before my own safety… everything. I promise. But now, for Ki’jo’s sake… let me finish my baggage. Our plane is scheduled to take off within five hours and I still have a ton of things to do!»

2

((OOC: Since Evesuni is currently in Allegheny, I’d sort of like if this could happen prior to him departing for that nation, if that’s okay, lol))

Evesuni watched as the plane from Reziel touched down on one of the many runways incorperated in Ye’leli’s chief airport, the Stapen K. Evesuni Gateway, as it was called. He was beginning to get annoyed with having multiple things named after him, and wished such things would die down, but so far, none of that looked to be slowing. At least he was somewhat alone now. Granted, it was a commercial airport, but a special runway had been reserved for VIP planes, making it easy to be secluded and even easier to schedule flights to and from Listonia for himself and various other world leaders. Of course… he hadn’t rode in a plane since… he couldn’t really remember. He wasn’t one to leave his nation.

The wind blew outside, rustling his trench coat and waving his inky-black hair in the breeze. It was a chilly wind, coupled with an overcast cloud-infested day, but not incredibly cold. After all, the growing season was predicted to start soon, hopefully, if all went well. If it didn’t Listonia would be doomed. While he would have loved to turn the diplomatic meeting into one of trade, his tact prevented him from doing so. He knew the talks weren’t about that, and instead decided to present himself as honest as he could - no flashy beginnings, no gold-coated rings or diamonds, no huge military presence (at least not right now) - for now, it was just Evesuni. Raw. Perhaps it would be odd to do this in such a way, but he had his reasons.

For one, he knew the Rezielians had black eyes. He knew that would be a big concern to Vayan Catholics, who often portrayed black eyes as something demonic. How horrible it would be if there were cameras all around, and headlines of himself making deals with demons made the five o’clock news. Second, he really wanted to show that he trusted their presence. While there were some armed personnel placed in strategic locations in case something went awry, they weren’t placed on immediate alert. He wanted to show he was just a humble world leader… something that would be difficult to show in a nation that loved him, but perhaps more prevalent would be his trust in the Rezielians. He didn’t know for sure, though. Different cultures acted… differently.

He stepped up to the tarmac the recently-stopped plane stood on and waited for workers to roll in stairs so the plane could be emptied. He clenched his gloved hands. Truly, Stapen wasn’t used to meeting world leaders. He didn’t know what to expect. Would they think he was a bloodthirsty terrorist, like Lazlowia did? Or would he appear under educated, like the vibes Selvala gave off whenever they spoke to each other? Maybe they would be turned off by some sort of cultural inaccuracy of his, or find his tattoo surrounding his right eye to be some sort of evil stigma of some sort. He had no idea. But, as the stairs rolled toward the plane, he didn’t have time to really react. Instead he waited for the workers to walk up and open the door, ushering the first ever contact between Reziel and Listonia.

3

International waters in front of the Algaisian shores
ITF Nimitz-class aircraft carrier Deneb – Command tower

«The Falcon has landed. Its signal has already been processed by New Irem. We’re expecting to start detecting Lady De Corde’s signal within… five… four… three… two…»

As soon as the countdown was over, a red dot appeared on the screen in front of the sitting man.

«Confirmed. Everything is working. Dove has just exited the plane. Satellites… aligned. DefCon level lowered to 1. To all Rezielan forces… ITF Nimitz-class Deneb on command. Interceptors 1 and 2 ready to scramble»

«Fraternity here. Ready» answered a voice from the comm-link.

«Garneldo… coping»

«HQ… there you go»

«Ye’leli… ready»

«Nice to hear you all. Dove’s escort here. Descending the ladder»

As the last confirmation arrived, the man turned towards the officer standing perfectly still right behind his back, his glance showing not-so-hidden tension.

«Everything is ok, Sir. All of our forces are operative. Our squadrons will be able to take off with no delay and…»

«No delay? Our nearest assault force is hours away from that mess. What can we reasonably do, should Lady De Corde find herself in danger? I mean… aside unleashing a nuclear inferno on Listonia just for the sake of vengeance? Something useful?»

The question remained suspended and the man simply observed the red dot moving slowly away from the landed Falcon.

[hr]
Listonia - Ye’leli
Stapen K. Evesuni airport

As the two Archangels preceding her made a step aside, Ileana De Corde found herself straight in front of Evesuni. That whole thing was a shame, as she usually liked examining the person waiting for her while approaching, but the Archangels of her personal escort were simply too worried: their one concern seemed to be shielding her with their own bodies as long as possible, even if that could imply hindering her own chances to properly do her job. And then… surprise. Having transferred the image of a regular fox to the Vulpines, she’d have definitely expected a far shorter individual: immediately, she took a mental notice about the inopportunity to rely on unverified pre-concepts.

«Lord Evesuni, I’m honored to finally meet you on behalf of the Grand Duchy of Reziel…» she began, trying to display her best Unonian «…but I regret to add that I’ve just given away the most part of my Unonian» she immediately added, smiling warmly while still insisting with the native language of her host.

No military parade. No useless display of strength… Evesuni was obviously trying to keep her at the best possible ease, and she definitely wanted to reciprocate it. After all, as long as she would have stuck to similar basic sentences, the chances for her to create an unwanted diplomatic mess were reasonably low.

4

((OOC: this is a collaborative post between myself and Reziel))

Evesuni nodded, understanding her Unonian fairly well. Still, he had prepared for shortcomings . “Eetis no cansurn,” he replied in horrible English, waving a hand. “Wedun geet verymani foray-eineras… um… hair-ey.” He slowly pulled a small box from the side pocket of his trench coat.

As soon as Evesuni’s hand disappeared under his coat, Ileana detected the Archangels at her side stiffening. Her husband had been an Archangel. So her two sons… and her beLOVEd Elistar. No ways they could have a real chance to anticipate her.
She didn’t do anything awesome. She simply outstretched her hand as soon as Evesuni handed her the device. They were there to discuss about mutual trust… she’d have trusted him.

“Eet fitsin yo-uhr aire,” he said, pointing to her ear. He waited for her to comply. “Good,” he replied in a clear tone. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you about this earlier, but my English isn’t very good. Over in this are of the realm, English is a minor language, dwarfed by Unonian, Latin, and Durrec, which is spoken by other races in and around Listonia. So it can get a little confusing.” He started to walk, waiting for the rest to follow him. “Listonia’s official language is Unonian, though. Outside of the cities, though, one gets into the various creole languages. We’re not as developed in our education system as we’d like to be, but, such is the challenges for a developing nation.”

He maintained his step with the delegation from Reziel. “I’m sorry, I didn’t quite get your name… you know who I am, but I do not know who you are, personally.”

5

The question came completely unexpected. Once again, Ileana had moved relying on implicit assumptions which were proving inaccurate dealing with the Vulpines. Anywhere else in the world her name would have been communicated to Evesuni weeks before her arrival. Searches about her would have been done, thus giving the Listonian a fairly accurate picture of his counterpart. After all, that’s was exactly what her staff had indeed done with her about him. 'Arguably the most important Listonian currently, Evesuni rose to power after being the leader of People for an Independent Listonia (PIL) for fifteen years prior to Listonia’s Independence. Prior to joining PIL’… and so on. She could have well recalled each single word of the envelopment she had been given.

«Lord Evesuni… forgive my rudeness. I’m Countess Ileana Almsyck De Corde, actually serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs for the Grand Duchy of Reziel» she answered.

6

“Think nothing of it,” he replied with a slight smile. It was a type of smile that seemed almost warm, but it slowly faded the more they walked. “I’ve prepared a limousine that will drive us to my governmental office. I have a few things planned during your stay, if you have time, as I would really like to show you Listonia on a more personal level.” When they walked up to the vehicle, parked on the road leading from the runway, he opened the door for the countess, bowing his head slightly as she entered the vehicle. He knew that most world leaders would have workers do this, but he was not opposed to showing some humility. He was, however, a little put-off at the archangel’s apparent paranoia, as they seemed to be searching the vehicle to make sure it was safe. It was an awkward moment, but Evesuni took it with mild respect, staring at the ground and pretending like noting was going on.

Once everyone was in the vehicle, he stepped inside, shut the door, and tapped the blackened glass separating them from the driver, signifying everyone was inside.

“We’re a relatively simple nation,” he said as the limousine jerked forward slightly and accelerated down the road. “An agricultural nation that has glimpses of technology and progressiveness. But, we do happen to be full of energy. Having one’s nation and one’s people free from oppressive foreign regimes will do that. It’s a wave we like to ride, but we understand it won’t last forever.” He glanced outside to see the gates of the airport behind them, and they were steadily approaching inner city limits. “Listonia is an odd nation. The cities themselves are new and progressive, free-thinking and full of new ideas. The countryside is more steeped in tradition, wanting to retain their identities and ideals.” He watched as Unonian neon-text writing flashed along some of the taller downtown buildings in a marquee fashion. One building appeared to have a large television screen on it, and a vixen was reading from papers on her desk in the newsroom as more text flashed under her. “This is our capital, Ye’leli… last year it had the title for the most cranes in operation, which shows a lot of what one sees in Ye’leli is new. There are old sectors of the town, but the fight for independence leveled much of it.” By now the limousine was caught in a traffic jam, stuck between two large buildings, one of which was adorned with Listonian Socialist images, the focal point being five hands of different species groups reaching for a hammer and a sickle.

“You can see a lot around you, though. But I’m interested in Reziel. Forgive me, but the report I had on your nation is very thin. What is Reziel like?”

7

Listonia - Ye’leli
Leaving Stapen K. Evesuni airport

«Cuddler… I know. I’ve been raised by that woman. I know her better than anyone else, so I’m not surprised at all» despite the slightly metallic tone due to the double encrypting process, the Archangel on the car could perceive rather well the stifled smile in his commander’s voice, up in New Irem.

«You’re making fun out of me, you damned bastard! You’ve lied to me! You had promised she would have followed my orders… my foot! She’s undisciplined and stubborn!» he shouted.

«I see mummy has seduced you too… beware of Reziel’s jealousy» the voice chortled back.

The Archangel remained speechless for a brief moment. There were rumors about the Grand Duke and the Minister of Foreign Affairs, sure… but it definitely wasn’t something anyone would have joked with. Not even the Archangel’s field commander, to be honest.

«Storm… I’m not in the mood of…»

«Cuddler… I’m aware of whichever complaint you can bring to my attention. I know. I knew it from the very beginning… but I needed you on that car. You’re the one who can cope with her. You care about her so much that I’m confident you’ll do your best to protect her. That would be valid for the most part of the Archs… but you have something more. I know you’re adaptable. You’ll be able to react to her unexpected decisions. You won’t panic… you won’t create a diplomatic case out of an unexpected ear device or whatever. As much as jumping on Fox’s car has been a silly idea… well, I’m sure she’s at ease, because she knows you’re there. She trusts you, Cuddler… and it’s the same for me. You’re the right man there… you just have to work a bit with patience, my friend»

«I’ll kick your ass so hard you won’t be able to sit down for a week, Colonel» hissed the Archangel, pretending an half pouting.

«Bring Dove back to the Fortress and I’ll be glad to give you the chance. Storm out»

Closing the communication, the Archangel on the car focused back on the limousine right in front of them.

[hr]
«Well… that’s indeed a question, Lord Evesuni» Ileana answered «You know… sometimes I’m not sure I’m so much entitled to answer it. I’ve lived in Irem for so much that I find myself full of pre-concepts and ideas and hopes which do not necessarily fit to this new land. When we’ve arrived… how long ago, no? Six years? No… seven, I think… we had a black-and-white vision of the situation. The land was anarchy and we had to bring order back from chaos. We were natural born leaders and… but now, everything is so different. With even the most conservative Iremians embracing the concept of democracy… with those we’ve always called ’the natives’ becoming a fundamental part of the apparatus, the rebellions have gone. The country is flourishing… we’re being able to win the trust of many nations and…» she stopped for a brief moment, observing the panorama just outside the tint window.

«…and I’m not really sure we’re doing the right thing. I honestly do not know. You’ve told more steeped in tradition, wanting to retain their identities and ideals. That’s something we’re probably losing, at least to a point. Melting two cultures so different between each other implies the acceptance of a number of compromises… and then, in a number of occasions we’ve found ourselves being considered the sheriffs of the region, as it has happened with the Airbusian mess. Sometimes, it seems to me that, as much as we try to achieve some… normality, well, something comes up and screws everything. That’s probably why I feel some kind of empathy for troubled nations like yours»

Immediately realizing the potential gaffe, she smiled warmly at him.

«Inside the troubled category I place the grand Duchy, too… so I hope you won’t be bothered by the term»

8

“Not at all.” Evesuni smiled slightly. “I hope you don’t mind, but I have decided to first show you a few common sights in Ye’leli. I know it’s probably unorthodox, but very little would be learned about my nation if I just keep talking about it.”

“We know all about melting cultures together. Listonian is a blend of about seven different cultures. It isn’t a perfect blend, but the creole that comes from it becomes something uniquely different, and uniquely our own. We pride ourselves on the tolerance of other races and religions, more so that the nations that surround us. What I’m trying to say is, when two or more cultures blend, they can become something even better than what they were in their pure forms.”

The scenery outside became hazier as the limousine departed from the downtown area. As soon as they crossed a river, the city became heavily industrial. Smog heaved from high smokestacks, blowing in the direction opposite of the city limits. Newer factory buildings occupied the area, some as big as town squares. “Listonia is only just beginning an industrial revolution. We are careful to limit this, though, as we do not want this to overshadow or harm our agricultural prowess. But this does have advantages. You see, during the wars and occupation, Listonians were removed from their lands and Dverians or Sevropians were placed there instead. When the Listonians reached power, the occupiers for the most part left, and Listonians moved back to their farmlands. But, the process of assigning people to the farms has been a long process, and our population is too large to make us into a purely agricultural society. So, industry comes as a blessing. Jobs for those who were removed from their farms long ago, a place for them to support a family, and a security in their lives. It is a good situation.”

He watched as the car pulled into the parking lot of a large factory, the large words written in Unonian and near impossible to decipher:

http://img146.imageshack.us/img146/8950/listonianlanguagetext.png
“We’ve arrived,” Evesuni informed. He kept his door closed, however, probably waiting on one of his men to open the door. “I’m curious, though. What sort of a nation is Reziel? Is it peaceful? Are the people accepting or friendly?”

9

As they got out of the car, Ileana nodded almost imperceptibly to the Archangels of her escort, who had left their car as well. Everything was ok, she didn’t need them to be too pushy.

«Well… we’ve had many problems, when we reached… well, when we occupied the area. The most part of it was not exactly what you’d consider a nice place to live in. There was no central government, and the Michelslandian Empire, right south of the present Grand Ducal territories… well, their guards had to deal on a daily basis with raids and incursions coming from the city which is now called New Irem… our capital»

When Evesuni invited her a bit nearer to the factory entrance, Ileana smiled warmly and followed him.

«The taking over of the city has not been an issue. The scums could be a terrible threat for small villages and disorganized communities… but they had no chance against our Archangel elites. As you can easily imagine… that was just the beginning. A region with no rules can be an hell for many… but it’s definitely a paradise for many others. We’ve immediately started a complex work made of both military actions against the most dangerous and organized groups of rebels… but made of diplomatic and political steps, too. With the help of a number of TEP nations, we’ve succeeded in approaching the local authorities in key-cities like Solanthus, Caergoth and Vingaard. When they accepted the unification… well, things became far easier. Within a year, the rebellion had been crushed… and the natives began actively cooperating with us. That lead to the re-opening of factories, power plants and so on… back to normal life, I’d say. But I’m definitely boring you, my Lord» she giggled.

«So… where are we? I regret my Unonian is definitely lacking. Despite their obvious grace, the signs are unintelligible to me»

10

“Voynich Factory,” he said, pointing to the sign. “Oh, that’s right… we, the vulpines, have developed ways to easily communicate with other speakers, but unfortunately it doesn’t really cover writing. I apologize.” He met another vulpine once they reached the entrance, one who was dressed in a sharp black suit who greeted the dictator warmly in indecipherable Unonian. Once Evesuni handed him a translating device, he smiled and carefully put it in his ear. “Kivo Voynich, I would like to introduce you to the delegate from The Grand Duchy of Reziel, Countess Ileana Almsyck De Corde.”

“Charmed,” he replied in a rich voice, louder than Evesuni’s. He gave a slow, jerky head nod, a common greeting in Listonia, but wasn’t sure if it’d be conveyed well or not. “As you can see, Listonia’s version of socialism is quite different than what the world seems to view it as. We follow Market Socialism, which is essentially socialism with limited private ownership and private enterprise. It is a system we’ve begun to embrace. Come.”

He walked into the factory, but first made sure the delegation followed. He led them down a long hall, the temperature of the air getting progressively warmer “I must apologize for the heat,” he said to break up the silence. “My industry is steel, and we are very close to vat #25, which is operating perfectly fine, but it contains roughly five thousand liters of molten steel, so it will certainly heat the air around it. But we won’t be seeing such vats. Instead, I will show you a common assembly line. This would be more applicable.”

Workers seemed to pass by, most who stopped what they were doing to stare at the dictator. After all, it wasn’t like there was an absence of his presence: posters with his likeness bearing a warm smile and a slightly lifted open palm on his chest in an apparent sign of affection littered the walls. One had him holding a hammer and sickle, as if he was presenting it to someone walking by, but this was right next to a picture of him surrounded by children of many races, as if he was telling a story to them, and the red star of socialism was replaced by that of the sun. It was the only one that offered an English translation, below four other translations, which read, “Father Evesuni shares his dreams with the future of Listonia.”

Evesuni himself, however, seemed to walk passed these images with a lowered head, almost as if he was trying to divert attention away from himself.

They were quickly joined by Listonian military officers - their black uniforms looked very hot in such an atmosphere, but they didn’t seem to complain. Instead, they stepped next to Evesuni and Voynich, apparently creating a barrier between them and the workers.

Finally, they made it out into the open. The factory itself was absolutely enormous. Vats - some as tall as a small building, stood in the distance, while close by there were assembly lines of workers turning molten steel into usable parts, whether it was in sheet form, I-beam, or some more complex form. Hundreds of moving cranes, cutting machines, and conveyor belts moved in some kind of mechanized symphony. The entire complex was warm and noisy.

“Welcome to Listonian innovation,” Kivo Voynich said with a smile. “All in all, not bad for a nation that is only slightly one year old, no?”

Evesuni tried to restrain himself from rolling his eyes. This was certainly not the message he had hoped to convey - it all made Listonia look heartless and blind. “Would you like to speak with some members of the assembly line?” he asked. “They would be quite close to the common city Listonian,” he added. He felt satisfied when he noticed the expression in Kivo Voynich’s face drop.

11

«With all due respect, Lady Ileana…» the Archangel’s interjection was immediate, but once again the Ministry of Foreign Affairs didn’t even allow him to end the sentence.

«It would be a real privilege, Lord Evesuni» she nodded, just to move her glance on the other vulpine, allowing a radiant smile appearing on her face «Lord Voynich… yes, your country is indeed performing rather well, and I’m sure yourself can be rather proud of your achievements in this factory. Surely not a job for everyone»

Then, without really waiting for his answer, she smiled back to Evesuni. «Will you come with me, my Lord? Oh… Cuddler, I’m rather sure you can wait here. These men are working… no need to make them nervous because of a stern-looking bodyguard incessantly scanning them» despite the kindness, the order was obvious. Cuddler stiffened, then he simply observed the woman and the vulpine leader stepping away.

12

“Certainly,” Stapen replied, bowing his head and holding it there as a sign of respect. He then lifted his head as two Listonian armed guards followed. “It seems Kivo Voynich has painted a glamorous picture of Listonian industry. We are economically sound, yes. We have heavy industry, yes. We are indeed growing. But it means very little to me if the people who work for such industries are not treated well. When I was the leader of PIL, I didn’t fight for steel or worker’s progress. I fought for the people. And I still do.”

He stopped and pointed to a female vulpine wearing a simple dress covered by a silvery apron. “She will do.” He stood there next to Lady Ileana and watched as the guards approached her. As she turned to them, Evesuni could see she was definitely lower class: her shoes that peered from the shadows of the cutter machine were thoroughly worn and cracked leather. She also wore glasses, but with one lens missing. The guards instructed her in Unonian to approach, but she resisted for some reason. To counter, one of the guards grabbed her by the arm and shook her as both people began talking.

What happened next was totally out of character for a world leader. Evesuni gritted his teeth and laid two good punches into the Listonian guard. As the young vulpine backed away and ducked, Evesuni delivered blow after blow until his opponent hit the ground. He then jabbed a black shoe into the young man’s side twice, each kick followed by a slight grunt. “You like being treated like that?!”

He bit his lip after he realized what he did, running a hand through his hair as he shook the other off. With a sigh, he turned to the girl and handed her a communication device. “Please,” he said softly, “place this in your ear. I would like other nations to understand you.” He gazed almost impassively, staring into her eyes but more so looking past her. The woman hesitated, then attempted to kneel in front of him, but Evesuni caught her by the armpits and lifted her back up. “Enough,” he commanded, obviously uncomfortable. “Please, just put this in your ear.”

She looked down at his hand as it opened in front of her. Grabbing the device with thin fingers, she slowly put it into her ear.

“There,” Evesuni breathed. “Thank you. Please, would you be willing to speak on behalf of the vulpine workers to this delegation?”

“I… I think so.”

Evesuni smiled, but it was difficult to tell if it was a warm grin or a grimace. “Excellent. I’m glad to hear this. You are okay?”

“Yes.”

“Very good.” He turned to Lady Ileana. “She is ready to speak to you.”

13

For Ileana, the problematic aspects of the situation at hand were blatantly obvious. Despite Evesuni’s stepping-in, the woman wouldn’t have been really free to answer any question Ileana could have asked her. After all, within minutes the leader would have left the factory… and then, she would have been alone with the factory’s principal once again. Probably, she was already in big trouble, as nobody in the staff would have forgotten the humiliation Evesuni had just inflicted on them. Unless…

Smiling charmingly, the Rezielan diplomat glanced at the vulpine leader.

«Lord Evesuni… your kindness till now cannot be denied. But you should have been warned in advance… I’m someone used to take whole arms when fingers are offered» she giggled «Therefore… yes, I’m daring to abuse said kindness, even if this means I’m definitely stepping away from standard diplomatic protocol»

Without even waiting for the vulpine’s answer, she went on.

«I was wondering… can’t this woman come with us for a while? I mean… you’re a nice and perfect host, but the insight of someone who lives the nation’s life first-hand… well, that would be something I’d incredibly appreciate. Well… only if this won’t compromise the factory’s output…» she added, her glance quickly meeting Voynich’s «…and if you will accept my invitation, my Lady» she finished, her gaze finally pausing on the worker’s face.

Behind her back, the Archangle nicknamed Cuddler couldn’t avoid himself a sigh.

14

Voynich made a simple gesture to signify it wouldn’t be that big of an issue as Evesuni nodded.

“Please, just Evesuni,” he added. “I am technically a premier, but… I would rather be referred to without a title. Just Kivo, or as your people say, Mister.” He turned to the girl. “You understood their inquiry?” He waited for her to nod. “Do you wish to go with Lady Ileana?” The Listonian dictator waited.

She eventually nodded, though there was an unshakable amount of fear emanating from her body language. Perhaps it was the fact that she was much shorter than the lady was, standing at around 4’11’'. Or maybe it was the fact that she seemed to appear fairly important. Whatever it was, it wasn’t enough to deter her, as she stepped up to the woman carefully.