Singing in the Rain (Krimeon & Quintelia)

[The Young Pope]

As it was decided since the first cabinet meeting, Prime Minister Andrea Bottová undertook a state visit to Quintelia and as such her plane was approaching Lungsod International Airport. Quintelia was arguably the most important and closest ally Krimeon ever had and the amount of rewarding and traumatic experiences they felt together throughout the centuries since first contact was established couldn’t have been better described til’ now, with the Lungsod Mutiny whih transpired 9 years ago effectively testing the friendship and loyalty the Government of Krimeon had with the Wewazkangs tribe.

Bottová like many other Krimeonites spent their holidays in Quintelia, due to the good service and excellent Latin skills of the Quintelian people, as well as the fact that the country possessed the finest beaches one could ever find in Mundus. However the vast majority of tourists didn’t head over there during the Summer season, contrary to misconceived beliefs, due to the ongoing monsoon season and it was the time when Quintelian children returned to the school bench. In any case, this visit was primarily out of business and not pleasure, although combining pleasure and business was never a impossibility in Quintelia anyway.

No matter what was going to be discussed during these days, the Prime Minister knew that it simply had to reaffirm the committed trust and friendship these great countries showed towards each other and how it could possibly improved. Bottavá having a Doctoral degree in Environmental Science and Engineering, hoped that this dear topic of hers would be brought up. Even if economic progress was to always be cherished, the environment in her opinion needed dedicated attention and her campaign promise to enact environmental policies had to be fulfilled, lest she would’ve liked to experience the wrath of many young socialists by the next election.

Arriving at the International Airport, she descended the stairs leading to the termac and was greeted by whoever was sent there to fetch her, whilst putting on the typical smile in front of the cameras, they were quite cheeky about that bit. “Greetings and thank you for receiving me, I’m looking forward to be spending time here in this wonderful country of yours, as usual.” Shaking hands, the action could finally begin, which included the action to get the hell out of the downpour of rain before becoming soaked like a thick sponge. 

[Major Jaws]

Seventy percent of all Quintelians have Krimeon blood, thanks to the centuries of colonization and immigration to Quintelia. The Quintelian language has also been influenced by Krimeon through loan words and sentence structures. Even then, most tourists visiting Quintelia are from Krimeon. However, it is a query why the two nations seem to have no official diplomatic ties, until now probably.

Jeff Weinshenker, a Pardclinnian immigrant and the chief of security for the King and the ministers, along with a welcoming band and flashing cameras, welcomed Andrea. "Welcome to Quintelia! Usually, it's the King or the Minister of Foreign Affairs that would welcome a diplomatic guest such as yours, however, KIng Lapu and all of the Ministers ar currently meeting in The Palace discussing matters of food security due to the recent snowstorm in the Western and Southern Provinces. Please, do follow me to the other tarmac." He said as he lead Andrea's entourage to the blimp tarmac. "Usually, we'd organize a motorcade but due to heavy traffic, we have used airships to transport very important people."

The airship took off and went straight to the palace. The view from the windows would have offered a great view of the metropolitan area, however, the heavy fog blanketed the skyscrapers in Ayala City while a heavy thunderstorm poured over the colorful slums of Fort Bonifacio. "A motorcade would have taken us two hours and a few hundred thousand dollars, but this flight would only be around fifteen minutes. While we're at it, do check out the view."

The short ride ended shortly, as the airship landed on a helipad in front of The Palace. A twenty-one gun salute was shot as Jeff Weinshenker walked in front of the Krimeon diplomats and opened the door to The Palace. "Their meeting would be done any second now." He said as he knocked on a decorated door.

"... And you Buenarbe, be sure that the barangay captains don't misuse our emergency reserves. You know how I feel about corrupt officials." King Lapu  said to the Minister of interior Affairs Eduardo Buenarbe. "Now, I hope you all do your job well, and you are all dismissed now." King Lapu said as the ministers stood up and left the room, along with their papers and files. "Jeff, thanks for covering me, I'll take it from here." King Lapu started as he motioned for his guests to sit. "I'm so sorry for not meeting you at the airport. I'm sure that you'll understand the situation we are in. Now, what brings your excellency here?" King Lapu asked as he poured a glass of rice wine for him and the Krimeonite Prime Minister.

[The Young Pope]

"No worries Mr. Weinshenker, I'm just a simple Prime Minister and as such I wouldn't expect much of a pompous welcome, although if Emperor Axel was here himself it would've of course been a different kind of reaction." she whispered to him whilst leaning closer to give kisses on the cheeks; of course it was mainly a joke with a bit of a stern warning til' next time. "I'm also sorry to hear about the troublesome snowstorms that have been Quintelia this season, same could be said for Krimeon suffering one of the worst heat waves in the entirety of its history. I wouldn't mind switching if you'd be willing and the Weather Gods. Do note that Krimeon is always there to support if necessary, with anything really." the Prime Minister reassuringly told him as she climbed onboard the Airship, which would be a nice change of scenery rather than the mundane vehicle convoy trying to steer through the epitome of traffic jams.

"I have to admit that I'm always impressed viewing the development and growth of Ayala City every time I come back here." she remarked honestly to Jeff once the Blimp soared across the skies high above the National Capital Region; there was always newer, ongoing construction projects which evidently showed the economic progress of their Quintelian ally, although considerable amounts of poverty and inequality still existed. A shame really but it does take a while for everyone to notice the effects of increased quality of life. An effect caused by the Krimeonite Colonization when it comes to corruption; despite the massive reforms which took place both in Krimeon and especially Quintelia, it wasn't enough to satisfy the growth of Quintelian nationalism and right for their own Free Nation, a Pandora's Box so to say that the Emperor at the time didn't quite realize. But in the end it was a great thing that the independence was pushed through, with much less suffering on both sides and instead being committed on a unique friendship that still exists til' this day.

Waiting for the ministers to leave the meeting room, Andrea felt quite pleased that the King took corruption seriously, hearing him uttering the reminder to the rest of the ministers. "Please Your Majesty, no need to apologise when it's clearly a national emergency that needs to be handled. Emperor Axel and Co. send their regards and blessings." she said, letting the King kiss her hand and received the glass of rice wine, right Before sitting on a chair comfortably. "Mmm, quite refreshing...Quintelian food's truly a craving every time I come back here, well even if we have loads of restos specializing in your cuisine, it's always more authentic and savory if its eaten in the lands of its origins." Like with the country's language, the cuisine was naturally Native influenced by the Krimeonite one which included German, Polish, Czechoslovak and Hungarian, but also those of others like Imperial Ardia, making it quite unique and rich in diversity.

"I suppose it's time to cut to the chase...well the reason I'm here from the Empire is to facilitate Krimeonite-Quintelian relations. As his Majesty may be aware, there have been numerous occasions for our great nations to aid one another since the dawn of the Independence Act, everything from military conflicts to aid catastrophes and similar issues that effectively affects our nations. However for some reason our supposed alliance and cooperation hasn't been fully realised on paper, an actual, physical document in paper form; here we are sitting nine years later after our nation the Wewazkangs' efforts to topple a pschycopathic madman from power and install you as the rightful leader of this nation, clearly steering it into its well-deserved destiny. I's the reason why it's such a high appeal from us Krimeonites to be a part of the path for your country's greatness and it's equally satisfying that Quintelia along with a few other nations in southern Ardia formed an organisationt to cater similar interests and balance the great powers in Ardia, no longer should one SPECIFIC dictate and impose its will on others without consent, this isn't the time to return to unconstrained Imperialism as instead it should be sincere and trustworthy cooperation."

Andrea drank more of the soothing Rice Wine before continuing. "Geographically speaking, Krimeon may not be located in southern Ardia as evidenced through the name of our Empire, however it wouldn't technically stop us to cooperate closely with SANE thanks to Quintelia. I hope it's clear what I'm inquiring about, aside from potential worthy ideas turned into projects concerning the Environment for instance, which is among my specialty. If my good King has matters that ought to be discussed, feel free to speak out." Andrea also needed to bring up a rather sensitive issue, though she would've naturally preferred it if it were between the royal houses.

"Also forgive me if it's too sensitive to discuss and I do personally believe that it's better if you contact our Imperial Family, but his Imperial and Apostolic Majesty insisted so...How's his Royal Highness and your Son, Prince Carlos, faring these days? Would it be possible for the Emperor and Co. to meet him one day?" she felt slightly awkward as she laid out the inquiries from the Imperial House, and felt slightly bad that it had to be asked.

[Major Jaws]

Jeff went off to join the other Ministers back to the airship while the two leaders talked. "Well. this rice wine distillery is just a small project Dizon and I have. I'm glad you liked it. The snacks will come in later." King Lapu began as he sat on his soft, leathery seat. "Ah, SANE. It was supposed to be an alliance where us Southern Ardians would agree on a few things. However, now we are looking to expanding to other nations and our influence against imperialism." King Lapu cleared his throat. "And as far as I know, there's no clause in the SANE charter that states that members are required to be located in Southern Ardia. The only limiting factor would probably be the lack of treaties between Krimeon and any other founding members of SANE." The King stood up to take a piece of paper from a nearby pile. "Well then, let's write down an official treaty instead of following the bloopact we made a few centuries ago."

"Oh, and Carlos? He's transferred to a more comfortable place than that cramped island. He may still have a lot of strong feelings against me, but, in a matter of few weeks maybe we can arrange a meeting between him and the Emperor's family."

[The Young Pope]

"Thank you my good King for showing willingness to do this, His Imperial and Apostolic Majesty will be more than pleased enough and I'll notify him as soon as possible, then I would recommend that both Courts should contact one another." Andrea felt quite relieved that this topic was over for now as they could now focus on the other matters on the agenda, a smile forming on her mouth in the process. "I'm also glad to hear that a treaty with one of the SANE members is the waterproof requirement for potentially joining said organisation. Let's get right to it then shall we?" opening a bag and taking out a pen, she began tinker.

"Considering the Ardian Assembly already guarantees most of the standard points in a regular treaty, ours should instead contain a section pertaining to security matters, affirming a proper military alliance based on friendship and cooperation rather solely relying on a blood pact worth 4 centuries, as well as special agreements that the Ardian Assembly doesn't naturally cover. I'm not sure we can be as generous as the Ecclesiastical State when it comes to annual funding of the Quintelian treasury, but I'm sure you're not having issues on that front." the Prime Minister chuckled.

Pact of ... between the Empire of Krimeon and the Kingdom of Quintelia

Section I - Security

(1) Both parties shall desist from any act of violence, any aggressive action, and any attack on each other, either individually or jointly with other powers. With the exception of other existing mandates.

(2) An armed attack on one party shall be considered an attack on both parties.

(3) The parties agree to share military intelligence that is believed to be in the interest of the safety and security of the other, so long as doing so does not compromise the safety or security of themselves.

(4) The parties shall take part in an annual naval and military training exercise between their respective armed forces.

(5) The parties agree to an annual officer exchange between their armed forces to promote co-operation between their armed forces.

(6) In the interest of security and mutual defense the two parties give permission and access to military vessels through each of the other High Contracting Party's territorial waters under the following conditions

(a) An official communique shall be sent to the other Party's High Command as to the reason why military vessels are entering territorial waters.
(b) Prior to entering territorial waters a naval route, compliment, and plan shall be sent. Vessels shall not deviate from planned routes unless requested by the other party or it is in response to a SOS call.
(c) Neither of the two parties shall conduct military maneuvers in the others Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) without prior authorization.
(d) Continual communication shall be maintained while military vessels of one party are within the territorial waters of the other.
(e) The vessels shall at all times except where otherwise explicitly accounted for act in accordance with the Fair Seas Concordat

Section II - Special Agreements

"Naturally these are Krimeonite suggestions, feel free to provide anything of worth, Ferdinand...if I may call you so." As the duo worked on the treaty, Andrea felt that a chat about other matters wouldn't hurt and she felt curious enough to want to know more about the King of Quintelia, whose rise to power in 2011 impressed many.

"Ferdinand, did you ever envision yourself becoming the King of Quintelia, before the removal of that tyrant Roxas? Did that idea ever cross your mind att all? I'm asking because I know that feeling when you're suddenly in the midst of all decisionmakery without any preparation or even considerations whatsoever, which requires immediate will and action, whether you like it or not."

[Major Jaws]

King Lapu took out some reading glasses from a drawer underneath the table and read at the paper given to him. "Well, the bloodpact; the establishment of diplomatic missions, cooperation in building infrastructure in our two nations, all that; between my great ancestors and yours shall still be respected" Lapu then looked up and continued. "As for the treaty, I have a no other comments. Now, I assume that you have left the special agreements empty for me to fill out." The king took out a newly acquired pen given by Renji from the NQF. "To answer your question about my aspirations before being a king, I'd say no." He answered as he wrote things down. "However, I saw myself being a president of Quintelia back before the mutiny. Though it is fair to say that almost everyone in this country wanted to be a president. From greediest CEOs wanting to control the nation for their gain to the humblest peasant wanting the world to be a little bit fairer, however, only a few people wanted to be a king. During all the fighting, a thought just suddenly came out of nowhere, then, I thought to myself that if I win, I can help everyone with little interference."  He rambled on as he wrote on the paper. "Will this suffice?"

Pact of ... between the Empire of Krimeon and the Kingdom of Quintelia

Section I - Security

(1) Both parties shall desist from any act of violence, any aggressive action, and any attack on each other, either individually or jointly with other powers. With the exception of other existing mandates.

(2) An armed attack on one party shall be considered an attack on both parties.

(3) The parties agree to share military intelligence that is believed to be in the interest of the safety and security of the other, so long as doing so does not compromise the safety or security of themselves.

(4) The parties shall take part in an annual naval and military training exercise between their respective armed forces.

(5) The parties agree to an annual officer exchange between their armed forces to promote co-operation between their armed forces.

(6) In the interest of security and mutual defense the two parties give permission and access to military vessels through each of the other High Contracting Party's territorial waters under the following conditions

(a) An official communique shall be sent to the other Party's High Command as to the reason why military vessels are entering territorial waters.
(b) Prior to entering territorial waters a naval route, compliment, and plan shall be sent. Vessels shall not deviate from planned routes unless requested by the other party or it is in response to a SOS call.
(c) Neither of the two parties shall conduct military maneuvers in the others Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) without prior authorization.
(d) Continual communication shall be maintained while military vessels of one party are within the territorial waters of the other.
(e) The vessels shall at all times except where otherwise explicitly accounted for act in accordance with the Fair Seas Concordat

Section II - Special Agreements
(1) The blood pact between the Wewzakangz Tribe and the Krimeon Empire in 1620 shall remain recognized as an official treaty between the two nations.

(2) An annual cultural exchange shall be held by either nations in their capital cities

(3) The signing of this document shall be recognized as Krimeon's entry into SANE and therefore agreeing to the charter of SANE.

"Now shall you agree to this and all that, I will have this typed by one of my secretaries so that it'd be a more formal document." He finished his wine before pouring himself another. "And please, I prefer being called Lapu."

[The Young Pope]

"I'm glad that the Blood Pact is still recognised despite its age of nearly 4 centuries old, it truly tells a great and remarkable story about the unique friendship that exists between the Wewazkangz and Krimeon through times of strife and grief as well. I'm sure we can compel Emperor Axel to perform another blood ritual with you some day when facing each other, he needs work on being less squemish anyway." Andrea took the opportunity to do some editing using her own pen, finishing her rice wine in he process. "It's admirable to also hear about your call to become the King of Quintelia as her citizens surely feel safer and more optimistic than before, and look at where the Kingdom is today thanks to your wisdom and the competent people that are under your care. I'm positive that many books and Movies will be composed about you Lapu one day of your achievements...let's just hope that the actors aren't too terrible."

Vindobona-Lungsod Axis

Section I - Security

(1) Both parties shall desist from any act of violence, any aggressive action, and any attack on each other, either individually or jointly with other powers. With the exception of other existing mandates.

(2) An armed attack on one party shall be considered an attack on both parties.

(3) The parties agree to share military intelligence that is believed to be in the interest of the safety and security of the other, so long as doing so does not compromise the safety or security of themselves.

(4) The parties shall take part in an annual naval and military training exercise between their respective armed forces.

(5) The parties agree to an annual officer exchange between their armed forces to promote co-operation between their armed forces.

(6) In the interest of security and mutual defense the two parties give permission and access to military vessels through each of the other High Contracting Party's territorial waters under the following conditions

(a) An official communique shall be sent to the other Party's High Command as to the reason why military vessels are entering territorial waters.
(b) Prior to entering territorial waters a naval route, compliment, and plan shall be sent. Vessels shall not deviate from planned routes unless requested by the other party or it is in response to a SOS call.
(c) Neither of the two parties shall conduct military maneuvers in the others Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) without prior authorization.
(d) Continual communication shall be maintained while military vessels of one party are within the territorial waters of the other.
(e) The vessels shall at all times except where otherwise explicitly accounted for act in accordance with the Fair Seas Concordat

Section II - Special Agreements
(1) The blood pact between the Wewzakangz Tribe and the Imperial Commonwealth of Krimeon in 1620 shall remain recognized as an official treaty between the two nations.

(2) An annual cultural exchange shall be held by either nations in their capital cities

(3) The signing of this document shall be recognized as Krimeon's entry into SANE and therefore agreeing to the charter of SANE.

Signed

Andrea Bottová, Federal Chancellor of the Imperial Commonwealth of Krimeon

"There I believe everything looks in order..." Andrea said looking quite satisfied and pleased, signing the document with maximum pleasure knowing what was to be a greater future for Krimeon and naturally all the other members of SANE given the opportunity.