International Conference

Marie entered followed by a castle page with the drinks. She curtsied and bowed her head to Deekay. Chancellor Deekay, a pleasure to see you again, my Lord. May I offer you something to drink before the others arrive? She turned her head to the young lad and nodded. Anthony, pleas see to the Royal Chancellor. My Lord, if you will forgive me, I must see to others. With a smile for the Chancellor, Marie gave a hurried curtsy and left Anthony at his assigned station.

The King arrived and nodded to Lord Deekay.

"Good morrow, Chancellor.

I had word this morning that one of our Devon Ambassadors and her entourage were slain in France by an army of Breton origin despite having permission to move freely.

Have you any details on this?"

The king nodded kindly at Anthony after he finished addressing the Lord Chancellor

Marie curtsied deeply to the King. Your Majesty. She went about her duties.

Stepping into the hall with Wandress, he leaned closer and whispered "You could fit our entire house in this place" Carriagh was not small, but it was certainly not as grand as this place. He had heard of a few of these people from his travels in England and since he had moved to Munster from Ayr but he wasnt familiar with who was who and what place in society each held. Wandress leaned closer feeling his slight tension as she brushed her fingers down his arm "Youre not nervous are you dear?" she smiled at him as they waited to be shown their places.

Ambassador de Lusignon made her way to the International Conference after seeing to the comfort of the other delegates. It was advantageous to have the Knights of England to lend a hand and as extra guards for the castle. Caitilin curtsied to the King and helped herself to a goblet of mead. Anthony, will you attend to their Excellencies, Ambassadors Kragomir and Wandress and I'm sure Chancellor Deekay may be thirsty. She turned to King Faheud. Majesty is there anything you require?

She addressed the ambassadors from AnMumhain. Your Excellencies, It has been a while since I have had the opportunity to visit the Embassy in your country and I wish to proffer my deepest apologies for my lack of attendance to the Judicial Treaty that Rita and I were working on between AnMumhain and Westmorland. I do hope she is well. Will she be attending the conference?

The King nodded to Dame Caitilin and asked, "Actually, if you have a bit of Irish Whiskey about the place it would be grand."

Speaking of Irish, he thought, I am remiss in my manners.

The King got up and went over to the Duke and Chancellor of An Mumhain, "Well met Your Grace and my Lady. It is far too long since I had discourse with your excellent county. If you need anything while in England, I am at your disposal.

Also, we hope the good Lady Wandress will find our Embassy well disposed to improving trade agreements between England and your county. To be fair, you lot have already exported to England a true gem in the form of one Destini MacKenzie."

As the King received a fine beverage he lifted it and said "Slainte M'hath" and downed it in a go.

Wandress smiled and inclined her head slightly towards Dame Caitlin. "Alas, it has been a busy season for everyone, I'm sure that we all have enjoyed the brief break and can return to our work refreshed. I've not heard if she will be attending, but she received a copy of the invitation. I was just to ensure An Mumhain was represented by its Duke and Chancellor, at the least," she chuckled softly, touching Kragomir's wrist gently as she spoke of him.

The King of England joined them shortly, and she greeted him with a smile and a short curtsy of respect. "A pleasure to have finally made your acquaintance, Your Majesty. I do hope the Lady Destini is doing well, if you speak to her please convey our greetings. I too hope that we may increase trade cooperation between An Mumhain and England; this conference is a commendable project to bring us all to one place to achieve such ends."

Bowing slightly to the King "Your Majesty, im honoured to be here and to meet you in person" as the man spoke of Destini, Kragomir smiled "Yes Destini is a delight, although ive only had the pleasure of her company on rare occassions" as Wandress addressed Lady Caitlin he accepted the drink offered to him and raised his mug with the King "Slainte!"

"And your Majesty, if anyone should apologise for the lack of communication between our lands, it is myself. Thankfully im married to a good lady" nodding in Wandress direction as she turned to address the King "Shes a very good Chancellor, keeps the Ducal office right when activity is lacking on the Embassy front" he smiled at Wandress "Isnt that right dear?" she only nodded before speaking with Faheud.

Audrey peeks into the International Conference Room, hoping to see Ambassador Sindbad. It seems that Lord Baldar, Lady Cait, and King Faheud need to speak with him. Not seeing him immediately, she stepped out to head to the Gate House.

Nabila wrote:

The Great Chamberlain or the Most Serene Republic of Venice had reached together the Venetian ambassador in the room where the international conference would be developed. After having greeted the presents, she seated close to DadeVee.

Caitilin had moved to greet the esteemed Lady Nabila from Venice. She remembered well her visit to the embassy there and the gracious welcome she received when her husband, Chancellor Baldar, was the Royal ambassador to all of the Italian states.

Nabila Eccellenza, non ho avuto l'opportunità di darvi il benvenuto nella nostra casa. Ricordo la bellezza di Venezia, anche se non c'era la mia breve visita. Spero che state bene qui. Sono sicuro Signore Baldar sarà qui a breve. Fino ad allora, maggio vi offro po 'di vino? Abbiamo un bel rosso profondo Italina d'epoca che è stato un dono dal nostro buon amico e il collega da Genova, Don Luciano Aleramico Imerperiali. Oppure come noi affettuosamente lo chiamano, Diablo.*

Caitilin smiled warmly at the Great Chamberlain and offered a goblet of the rich wine.

[*Excellency Nabila, I have not had the opportunity to welcome you to our home. I remember the beauty of Venice even though my visit there was brief. I do hope that you are comfortable here. I'm sure Lord Baldar will be here soon. Until then, may I offer you some wine? We have a fine deep red Italin vintage that was a gift from our good friend and your collegue from Genoa, Don Luciano Aleramico Imerperiali. Or as we fondly call him, Diablo.]

As he was about to enter the Diplomatic Conference Room, a page boy gave him a message. Reading it, the Royal Vice-Chamberlain's face get pale. This could not have happen at a worst moment.

He took the necessary time to translate in English the other document the page brought him, written by the Queen. This was an essential part of what happened.

Now was the time to enter the Conference Room. The King of England and the Royal Chancellor were already there. He bowed in front of both of them.

Your Majesty, please accept the greetings of Queen Nebisa.

Your Excellency, His Excellency Keridil is greeting you as well.

Time was not appropriate for mundanities, considering what happened. The man from Constantinopolis decided to go straight to the point :

Please accept my apologies for being so long to come here, but I have just been advised of what happened to Her Excellency Zywiec. I feel concerned on a personal level, first because I travelled myself through the four Counties of England but also because I met Her Excellency Zywiec on several occasions, be it at the Wiltshire Embassy or at the Devon Embassy.

This partly explains what happened to her.

Sindbad gave the two men the document :

Quote :

De Nous, Nebisa de Malemort, par la grasce du Très Haut et l'heur de Nos peuples, Reyne de France,

Nous avons appris ce jour que l'armée du Vicomte Namaycush, la "Memento Mori", a franchi la frontière séparant le Royaume de France du Grand Duché de Bretagne, en totale contradiction avec les clauses de la trêve existant entre la France et les peuples du Ponant, en totalement contradiction avec Nos ordres et volontés.

A maintes reprises, Nous avons demandé au Vicomte de s'éloigner des frontières et même de quitter le sol du Domaine Royal.

A maintes reprises Nous avons refusé d'écouter Nos conseillers et considéré le Vicomte comme homme d'honneur qui ne bafouerait pas les intérêts de la Couronne et les ordres de Sa Souveraine.

Force est de constater, ce jour, que Nous Nous sommes trompée.

C'est pourquoi, devant ce nouvel acte de forfaiture, qui sera le dernier par Nous admis, déclarons, ce jour, Namaycush traitre à la France.

Nous laissons une chance aux membres de son armée d'éviter le même sort qui attend leur meneur en quittant la "Memento Mori" pour se rallier à la France sous 24 h..

Nous ordonnons le retour immédiat de la dicte armée sur le sol de France, par là ou il en est sorti, sa dissolution et le départ de cette engeance du Domaine Royal, sans quoi Nous considérerons ces personnes comme ennemis déclarés de la Paix et de la France et ordonnerons qu'ils soient traités comme tels où que se portent leurs pas dans l'avenir.

Par ailleurs, pour le cas où, demain, la "Memento Mori" ne serait pas sur le sol de France, Nous offrons au Grand Duché de Bretagne l'appui de Nos armées afin de défaire la menace puérile que fait porter sur elle le Vicomte .

Officiellement et sans fards, Nous assurons au Grand Duché de Bretagne que la menace représentée par la "Memento Mori" est bien faible en comparaison de l'insulte faites à la Couronne par ce dernier. Ensemble, débarrassons nous de l'une comme de l'autre afin d'inaugurer, peut être, le premier acte d'une France et d'une Bretagne se découvrant cote à cote et plus face à face, montrant ainsi à ceux qui tirent profit de nos heurts respectifs pour se forger une importance qu'ils n'ont pas, que l'avenir de deux voisins que l'Histoire a connu séparés se peut écrire dans la coopération et le respect mutuel.

Translation

Quote :

From Us, Nebisa de Malemort, by the grace of the Lord Above, Queen of France,


We have learnt this day that the army of the viscount Namaycush, "Memento Mori", crossed the border between the Kingdom of France and the High Duchy of Brittany, infringing the truce between France and people of the Ponant Alliance, disobeying Our orders and wills.

Again and again, We asked the Viscount to move away from borders and even to leave the soil of Royal Domain.

Again and again We refused to listen to Our advisers and considered the Viscount to be man of honour which would not deride at the interests of the Crown and at the orders of His Sovereign.

We are force to see, this day, that we made a mistake.

For this reason, confronted to this new act of misconduct, which will be the last we will accept, we declare, this day, Namaycush traitor to the Kingdom of France.

We leave a chance to the members of his army to avoid the same fate which waits their leader by leaving "Memento Mori" to join in France under 24 h.

We order the immediate return of said army on the soil of France, thereabouts it went out of it, his dissolution and the leaving of this engeance from Royal Domain, otherwise we shall consider these persons as enemies of peace and of France and will order that they are treated as such wherever their steps carry them.

Moreover, in case by tomorrow, "Memento Mori" would not be on the soil of France, We offer the Grand Duchy of Brittany the support of our armies to undo babyish threat of the Viscount.

Officially, We assure the Grand Duchy of Brittany that the threat of "Memento Mori" is weak by comparison with insult made to the Crown. Together, clearing out both can be, the first act of France and Brittany side by side and not face to face any more, showing so to those who take advantage of our respective conflicts to give themselves an importance they do not have, may the future of two neighbours which History knew separated be written in collaboration and mutual respect.

Ambassador de Lusignon listened carefully to his Excellency, Vice Chancellor Sindbad. She had known him to be an honourable man. Caitilin waited until Sindbad had finished speaking before approaching him to ask quietly.

May I ask your Excellency, if there is anything you can do to assist Dame Zywiec and her party? She is a dear friend and one of our knights, a noble woman of England as well as a servant of the church.

Deekay smiled to Marie and then Anthony.

"If you have some chilled fino or white wine ..?"

He stood at the King's entry and looked shocked at the news.

"Your Majesty - I've heard nothing?"

He paused as a couple entered. Wandress, and he guessed her husband. He bowed. "Lady Wandress, how good to see you here. And Count Kragomir I believe.

I hope we can talk more, but the French ambassador looks very worried. It must be serious. Please excuse us.

Ambassador, friend, good to see you."

Deekay took the scroll and read it quickly.

"Serious news and His Majesty is concerned about our countrymen too.

Can you explain - Is Her Majesty asking Brittany to join France in dealing with the threat? Are relations improving between France and Brittany?"

Monty enters the room and quietly talks to the guard stationed there. He surveys the room with the guard before instructing the guard to take his position outside the conference room. He then takes up his guard position near the main entrance as he scans the room, a few familiar faces from Sussex he spots, but as this is his first assigned duty as an apprentice to the KOE he remains silent and steadfast in maintaining a vigilant watch on the room and its guests.

After the talk with Lady Caitilin, I went to my room, to change my dirty journey clothes with a more appropriate suit. So, when I entered the room of the World Conference, I was entrapped in the doublet of my best military uniform, with medals and other useless gold scratches. The sword was tapping ritmically on my leg.
Ah, what a pain! I thought, pacing through the room.

However, I resisted stoically, saluting the other diplomats, and I bowed in front of His Majesty the King of England. Finally I took a seat at the table near the Ambassadress of Venice, the only other italian diplomat at the meeting, so to feel less a stranger in a country so far from home.

How busy the room had gotten! She had hardly had time to greet the Royal Ambassador Deekay before he was whisked away towards the epicentre of the room's disturbance. She was unable to gather more than some sort of tragedy with an army on French soil without moving closer to eavesdrop. A young servant entered the room and beelined towards her, bowing her head to better hear the girl's hurried whispers. A wispy smile crossed her face as she touched Kragomir's hand. "Morrigan," she explained, a single word to take her leave from him to follow the girl out of the room.

She returned twenty or so minutes later, adjusting the shoulder of her royal blue dress as she slipped unobtrusively through a side door. A young page had found her in her chambers to pass on a crisply folded note- a welcome letter from the Royal French Ambassador. Her eyes scanned the room as she crossed it to return to Kragomir's side, searching out its author. A friendly smile crossed her lips as she caught his gaze, her finger lightly tapping the letter in her hand indicating she had read it. His was an acquaintance she would be sure to make soon.

As Wandress tended to Morrigan, he excused himself from the King and took a seat, his eyes looking over all dignitaries and ambassadors from all the other regions arriving. Kragomir was not well travelled, England had been the extent of his journies while he had lived in Ayrshire, and then Port Lairge since he had arrived in Munster. These people were coming from as far as Venice, France and other parts of Europe.

When Wandress returned she was holding a folded letter which had been passed onto her while she was gone. Kragomir raised an eyebrow, indicating the letter "Its an invite from the French Ambassador" she scanned the room looking for the man in the crowd.

Sindbad looked at the Royal Chancellor :

It is an offer for help, indeed, as a private army of French people is involved. Her Majesty is willing to respect the truce, for the good of her people, and is aware that this intrusion of such an army could wither the relations between both Kingdoms. To date, and as far as I am aware, we received no answer from Brittany. However please keep in mind that, in spite of the truce, the Kingdom of France is still at war with the Grand Duchy of Brittany.

As he was speaking, the page boy came with another message. Sindbad read it and gave it to HE Deekay :

I took the liberty to contact HE Zywiec. I guess her answer could be of some interest :

Quote :

Greetings, Your Excellency, Sinbad!

I am very grateful for your offer of assistance. At this time, I believe I am well situated. I have not yet tried to take a job. I don't know if I am allowed. Father Kiane and I have enough food to sustain us for a while, but not to regain our strength, charisma and intelligence. That will have to wait.

For now, I am satisfied to be studying.

We are in a town called Rohan in the Duchy of Bretagne.

Again, I thank you for your kindness. Please give my regards to Yiana as well.

Blessings,

~ Zywiec

As you can see, she is staying in Brittany. On this basis, I suggest you contact Brittany's diplomacy to see what can be done in regard with her situation.

Diablo had refreshed himself and rested then leavig his rooms he headed to the conference room.

On entering he sees many dignatries had already arrived, he went toards Baldar and bowig he saluted his long time friend, Baldar you look as well as ever.

He then realised he was in the presence of the King of England and the Lord Chancellor, Bowing to the King, your Highness it is an honor to meet you, turning to Lord Deekay, Lord Cancellor. He bows to Princess Ghost, Madonna*

Then he greets Lord Sindbad that he remebers from the other two conferences. Excellency.

Then looking at Dame Caitilin, he bows and smiles Baldar you are the lookiest man in England, with a wife like Dame Caitilin, he then notices his fellow Italian Collegues.

Messire Thomaskeion, e un piacere conoscervi, spero che tutto va bene a Milano.**

Madonna Nabila, e un onore conoscere il Gran Ciamellano di Venezia, e come sempre Venezia si fa onore con le belle donne.***

Messire DadeVee, e un piacere conoscervi****
He then goes to greet the Duke of An Munhain and Lady Wandress. Grabbing a goblet of wine on his way. My Lord, Lady Wandress, I hope later we can talk about openng relations between Genova and An Munhain. Taking leave he goes to sit with the rest of the Italian states representatives.

*Mi Lady
** Messer Thomaskeion, it is a pleasure to meet you, I hope all goes well in Milan
*** Mi Lady Nabila, it is a honor to meet the Gran Chamberlain of Venice, and as always Venice, and as always Venice, hoore it self with beautiful Ladies.
**** Messer DadeVee, it is a pleasure to meet you.

While I was seating next the Great Chanchellor of Venice, I presented myself: "Madonna Nabila, è un piacere conoscervi. Mi presento, Messer Thomaskeion, ambasciatore di Milano in Westmorland ed Irlanda. E' un piacere incontrare un'altra italiana così lontano da casa. Spero mi permettiate di sedermi vicino a voi." *
I did not even finished speaking when the Ambassador of Genova entered the room and, after saluting the host and the King of England, came towards us.
Merely prophetic, I thought. Now we are in three from Italy!

Then: "Messer Diablo, è un piacere fare la vostra conoscenza! Prego, unitevi a noi.
Milano, dite? Nulla di che, il dibattito politico è sempre vivo e piccante. Quando sono partito era scoppiata l'ennesima lite, e mancò poco che non arrivassero alle mani!
E di Genova che mi dite?" **

While I was listening the ambassador's answer I saw the Chancellor of Am Mumhain and I saluted her with a glance. Suddenly I remembered that one of her letters was waiting unanswered on my desk!

I will answer her later, after today's session of the meeting., I thought.

_____________________________________________
* "Oh Lady Nabila, it is a pleasure to know your Excellency. But firstlty, presentations: I am Messire Thomaskeion from Pavia, ambassador of Milan in Westmorland and Ireland. It's a pleasure to meet another italian diplomat so far from home...! I hope you will let me seat next to your Excellency."

** "Messire Diablo, it is a pleasure to know you! Please, join us.
Milan, do you say? Well, boring routine, the political debates in the public squares are always hot. When I departed for England was going on another quarrel and I do not know what saint pray for the fact that no-one started punching the others!
And about Genova, what news from the Republic?"