Parler avec des nouveaux amis

[Serenierre]

Château de Athéne
Countryside of Champagne Province

Nicolas put the phone down. It had been his mother, Queen Diana, calling to reassure her son and heir about what lay ahead in the next few days. The official visit of the Sarmatian crown prince was important in cementing ties between the Kingdom and the Central European state. Nicolas stood up and walked over to the window, overlooking the inner courtyard garden. He had spoken with officials from the Foreign Office and had read up additionally on the facts and figures but still, just to be sure, he had some dossiers at hand in his briefcase.

As Prince of Montaigne - the Belmontien crown prince - Nicolas, effectively, ruled the Realm of Montaigne with absolute authority, overruled only by his mother. Tradition held that the Principality of Montaigne, the largest realm under the Belmontien crown, be ruled by the Belmontien sovereign's eldest son. From the very beginning, back in 814, the tradition had been maintained.

Nicolas walked back over to his desk. Shutting his mobile phone, he shoved that and several other documents and files into the large drawer. Clearing his table further, he left only the picture of his new wife, Princess Elise, and of his parents on the main desk. Though the meeting would be held in the Blue Drawing Room, he thought it best to be prepared if the other prince wanted to talk in private.

The Athéne was 25 kilometers away from Paris, in the Champagne countryside. Located deep in the south-Champagnian forests, the château had been home to many before him and had seen countless meetings such as the one planned for later in the day. Its facade was more modest than the official residence of the Prince in Mezieres but was still considered ostentatious. Built in the typical style of 1750s, the chateau was a hidden jewel in the crown.

From outside, he heard his bodyguards moving about. After a few minutes, a burly southern man, dressed in the navy blue suits of the Royal Guard entered the study.

"Your Royal Highness, Prince Tadeusz will arrive in a few moments."

"Alright, good." Nicolas paused, "Lets go to greet him."​

 

[Beautancus]

Countryside of Champagne Province, Kingdom of Belmont
6 miles out from the Château de Athéne


All ten cylinders of the Crown-Prince's sleek coal-black armored Bród sedan were roaring at full-tilt, taking advantage of the outstanding quality of the Belmontien road, the pristine state of which was in stark contrast to its Sarmatian counterparts. Though far from late, Tadeusz had long since determined that he would not keep his own Belmontien counterpart waiting- itself a remarkable departure from the usual modus operandi for any and all Sarmatian dignitaries visiting non-LFS nations...or entertaining visitors from such, for that matter.

It was as yet unclear to this once unassuming middle-aged armored commander exactly why he'd made that determination, but he assumed that the developments to come would more than justify his punctuality. This was not to say that he, and especially not his father- or his father's proxy, Prince-Palatine Samuel Łaszcz- placed any special importance or priority upon the development of relations with the junior-EDF memberstate...but it was plainly prudent to make as much of this opportunity as possible, as it was becoming uncomfortably commonplace for Belmont to find itself involved in spheres that were quite often within the influence of Greater Sarmatia, whether directly or indirectly.

"Not much further now Your Highness." The thick-necked driver/NBD trained 'security specialist' at the wheel of the sedan spoke crisply over his shoulder, before raising the tinted and sound-proof glass that separated the fore and aft sections the sedan. Tadeusz didn't bother responding, as he'd gathered much the same himself- if the driver would've even allowed himself to be comfortable carrying on any sort of 'persona' exchange with his future sovereign. This was far from the way that Tadeusz would have liked things, but he suspected that orders to that effect had been issued to the driver before this mission had even begun.

Probably better that way- it had given Tadeusz time to collect his thoughts, and if he truly desired conversation, his adjutant- and former superior, in a life not so long ago changed- Pułkownik Sewerin Jogota was on hand. Jogota seemed to be entirely consumed with his own thoughts, or perhaps he really was that enthralled with the impressive Belmontien landscape?

At last, the grounds of the château replaced the lush countryside- though this transition simply replaced natural beauty with admirably constructed- and quite old- Occidental architecture. Though quite literally alien to Tadeusz (who'd really only ever appreciated the uniquely 'High Royal Sarmatian' styles that pervaded throughout the cultural centers of Centrjziema), he was quite taken with the style of the aged edifice, and amended to compliment Prince Nicolas on his choice of venue.

At last the hulking Bród sedan came to a halt, slightly flanked by two larger, and far more imposing SUV's- which contained the majority of his obligatory security detail. Long since having been disabused of the notion of opening his own doors, Tadeusz waited for his driver to do so, and with every bit of grace and poise that Tadeusz could muster, he stepped into the surprisingly bright Belmontien sun.

He beamed at his Occidental counterpart, covering the distance between them with a few long, almost bounding strides. In slight accented, but perfectly understandable French he greeted Prince Nicolas, extending his hand in greeting- waiting to exchange an Occidental style embrace until Nicolas made to do so.

"Greetings, in the name of His Imperial Majesty, my father- and in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. It is a most welcome change of pace to visit your lovely nation Your Highness, and I expect that we shall make much of this opportunity."

 

[Serenierre]

Château de Athéne
Countryside of Champagne Province

Nicolas stood silently as the motorcade came into sight. Since this was a secret meeting between the first-in-lines of two important thrones of Europe, he stood only accompanied by some aides and security detail. He knew the ISE had bugged the Blue Drawing Room, at the request of Premier Martinique, to record the details of the meeting between the two blue-bloods. Paris was, justifiably so, anxious about the entire meeting. It was after all the Crown Prince of a anti-EDF state coming to meet with Nicolas. Nicolas smiled, imagining the Premier sitting at the edge of her seat as she heard the proceedings of the meeting back in Paris.

As the Crown Prince stepped out his sedan, Nicolas stepped forward, extending his hand and shaking it firmly. He smiled as the other spoke in French, the Central European accent seeming odd to him, "And I, in the name of Her Majesty Queen Diana of Belmont and its four Realms and The Lord Jesus Christ, welcome you to the Principality of Montaigne. And I, as well, hope that these talks will accomplish great good for our two nations and its people."

Nicolas gestured his guest to enter the Chateau. "If you would, please follow the butler to your chambers and settle in. We shall meet for lunch at two." They had three days to conduct the talks. Might as well be well fed before they got down to the serious art of diplomacy, thought Nicolas. He would use the next two hours to speak with the Premier and Foreign Minister. He would get their take on how best to proceed with his Sarmatian counterpart.
​

 

[Beautancus]

Château de Athéne
Countryside of Champagne Province


Tadeusz continued to proffer his best smile, while allowing his mind to drift onto 'autopilot' exchanging the last of the Belmontien Prince's niceties- and quickly falling in behind the butler- his adjutant and bodyguards in tow close behind. His gaze roved over every surface presented to him- each was as beautiful as the exterior and grounds of the château- but any one of them was likely a window through which Paris- and perhaps even Nürnberg- would observe and evaluate him.

That much had been a given- as the Belmontien Prince, and his Mother's Government- were very painfully aware that his nation (even before the rise of his father's Imperial Regime) had no love lost for the EDF, nor any of its member-states...save the Kingdom of Belmont. Perhaps a result of their rather extensive dealings with the Empire's "younger siblings," the Živs, or perhaps stemming from the not inconsiderable 'nationalistic' opposition that the current government of this Occidental nation faced due to their membership in that most blasted of extant alliances...whatever the case, it was clear to all that Greater Sarmatia had no fear in conducting such a meeting- for in truth, who in the world could question the motives of the Empire now that it had so firmly and unquestionably re-established its position in the order of nations.

Arriving at the doors of his room, Tadeusz made sure to thank the butler graciously- a habit that he refused to break, even at the extensive admonition of his oft overbearing father. Before entering himself, his bodyguards bustled into the room- 'scanners' hidden in the folds of their slightly oversized blazers out and running over every surface in the expansive chambers. Not a single nook or cranny was spared their tender ministrations- and Tadeusz was not 'allowed' to enter until they were satisfied that their privacy was assured, in this room at least.

"Everything appears to be in order Your Majesty." The chief of Tadeusz's security detail gave a slight dip of the head- being a Khazar the man had never really grown out of the habit of showing deference to his 'betters.'

Though he found the urge nearly irresistible, the Sarmatian Crown-Prince refused to allow himself to sigh, and he stalked into the chambers, inspecting his accommodations personally, and with a far different objective in mind than his bodyguards/handlers. Again, the decoration did not disappoint- down to the smallest details. An oversized ashtray, fashioned from what
Tadeusz thought might have been yellow diamonds and polished nephrite instantly caught his eye- and without any further he took it up and found a comfortable spot at the massive oak wood conference table that occupied the better portion of the chambers' sunroom.

He took his lunch there surrounded in the omnipresent cloud of smoke that so many people in the world associated with his race, grilled mahi mahi in a light sauce- one that he was entirely unfamiliar with but enjoyed a great deal- and what the Occidentals called a 'Caesar salad.' Jogota did the same, rifling through file after file with the Crown-Prince, refreshing both their memories on every 'key item' that the Imperial Chancellery had highlighted for these talks. Despite Tadeusz rather forcible instances, the only member of his security detail that dined with them was the ranking officer, the bear-like Khazar.

Well satisfied with his meal and his preparations for the actual meetings to come, Tadeusz was quite ready when the official summons came, and was out the door to his chambers and headed to the 'Blue Room' with all due haste.

 

[Serenierre]

Chambre Bleue,
Château de Athéne

The past two hours had been spent revising details, facts and figures from the dossier assembled by the Foreign Office. Assisted by his secretary and a few officials from the Foreign Office in his study, the Prince of Montaigne had gone through step by step each of the things the FO wanted to discuss. Satisfied with his preparation, he had rung up Paris, spoken to Madame Martinique - the Premier - and Foreign Minister Villevan. Madame Martinique, Nicolas had noted, had been quite anxious and had called for more caution and Foreign Minister Villevan had been more positive about the talks.

Madame Martinique had every reason to be worried. Her government, within a few months of coming into power, had made the kingdom an associate in the EDF and had counted it as a victory for her government. But now, the government was facing stiff opposition from the conservatives who wished a serious overhaul of the relationship with the EDF-Bloc. Nicolas, neutral in his own opinions on the matter, felt that some of the concerns being expressed by the conservatives were justified and needed to be addressed yet at times also felt the demands were far too extreme.

So far, the government had remained firm on its commitment with the EDF but Paris had seen, quite increasingly so, that intra-alliance views had begun to differ on a number of important issues and had found its voice silenced by many of the more established within the alliance. The Belmontien pride had been injured. After all they did have every reason to be proud. The sixth largest economy, leading producer of coal, a strong military and a prominent international presence. In simple terms, much to Paris' chagrin, it had become easier to work with the Central European nations than with the EDF. But regardless, Paris was adamant to maintain its ties with the EDF, if anything just for practical reasons.

The two princes entered almost at the same time. Nicolas smiled at his Sarmatian counterpart as they faced one another. The two would sit on the opposing sofas, with views of the inner gardens from the giant window on the right. The Blue Room was one of the many state drawing rooms in the Château and had been furnished in the classic Belmontien style. The feature of the room was a rather interesting clock gifted to Nicolas' great grandfather, the former King Francis XII, when he had been Prince of Montaigne by the Oikawan emperor.

"Good afternoon," Nicolas shook Tadeusz's hand. The two took their seats. "Let us begin and may these talks be beneficial to the peoples of our lands." A butler brought a trolley laden with various beverages. He bowed and asked Crown Prince Tadeusz - as guest of the Prince de Montaigne his needs would be taken care of first - "Would His Highness be interested in a beverage?"​

 

[Beautancus]

Chambre Bleue,
Château de Athéne


Tadeusz settled into the sofa with the same casual poise that he had displayed throughout the admittedly limited time he'd spent in Nicolas' presence, feigning contemplation over whether or not to take a drink. It was almost a given that any Sarmatian- even the Crown Prince of the Empire- would never turn down a drink, anywhere or anytime. Best not to disappoint where there were stereotypes to be upheld...

"Yes, that would be most excellent. If you have straight whiskey or...bourbon, I believe it is called here in the Occident- either of those would do nicely. No ice, and perhaps a single slice of lime." As the butler busied himself with tipping the crystalline decanter, Tadeusz paused to tap a cigarette from the ever-present back in the inner breast-pocket of his coat.

The tobacco was naturally the finest in the world, aromatic and smooth- with the filter itself adorned with very thin- but quite authentic gold plating.

"I thank you once more for your generosity and hospitality, Your Highness. Though my people have long understood you Belmontiens to be the best of the Occidental peoples, I find that even this assessment falls short." Accepting the tumbler of amber-colored liquor from the butler graciously, Tadeusz tipped it back quickly and drained it in one fell swoop. "Another, if you please."

Settling back into the sofa again, locking eyes with the Belmontien Prince, Tadeusz offered another smile- this one of a very clearly...business-like sort. "As you are the host, and as we both will no doubt have a great deal to discuss with our...'handlers' once this particular conversation in concluded, I invite you to set the tempo- and the topic."

 

[Serenierre]

Chambre Bleue,
Château de Athéne

The butler poured out some cognac for Nicolas and quietly walked away from the two princes and stood by the door, far enough to not hear their discussion yet close enough to serve either prince if the need arose. The man had been in Royal Service long enough to know that was the way to do it.

Nicolas sipped some of the cognac before speaking, "As you must know, these talks have been divided in three sections; economic, political and defense." He eyed his guest before opening a dossier and putting it in his lap. "First point of matter... discussions on details of a possible free trade agreement." He closed the dossier and continued, "In the past decade, our two peoples have greatly enhanced their economic and trade links... with little support from our respective governments. Its the hope of Her Majesty that, that trend can be changed."

"This is a rough version of what the FTA might include... made by the Ichiro Yamaguchi, our Minister of Finance," Nicolas handed to his guest a neatly typed sheet of A4 paper.

The FTA proposed aims to triple current bilateral trade. The Empire of Greater Sarmatia and The Kingdom of Belmont will will begin to reduce or eliminate tariffs on all products in two phases from one month after the agreement has been signed and ratified.

During Phase I, both sides will reduce the tariffs on 85 percent of the products based on different extents of tariff reduction within five years of the agreement entering into force, and 36 percent of the products will be tariff free within three years.

During this phase, Belmont will mainly reduce tariffs on agricultural produce, chemicals, machinery products, meat products and food stuffs. At this time it is not specified which products Sarmatia will reduce tariffs on and may be added at a later date.

Phase II starts from the sixth year of the entry into force of the agreement. Both sides will further reduce tariffs on the products on the basis of a review of the implementation of the agreement. The aim is to eliminate tariffs on no less than 90 percent of products, both in terms of tariff lines and trade volume, within a reasonable period of time on the basis of friendly consultation and accommodation of the concerns of both sides.

The Free Trade Agreement also covers investments, including investment promotion and protection, treatment of investments, expropriation, compensation for damages and losses and dispute settlement.