Two gems of Southern Aranye (Kinkhnland & Tamora)

[Markus]

Addressed to: the Empire of Kinkhnland

To my esteemed counterpart,

We share the same continent and yet Divinity has so far seen to it that our two nations did not engage so far except for the minimal diplomatic and trade contacts. With your permission, I would like to take the opportunity, that our joint bid with the Emirate of Royal Seleucid offers, which has seen us engage in a Mundus world tour to better explore your nations culture and heritage.

Should you agree I would like for our staff to find a mutually agreeable itinerary that would allow our delegation to both experience and understand some of your nation’s greatest cultural and religious landmarks, concepts and achievements. I believe such a visit will help better understand the cultures our two empires and perhaps identify common values we both share.

I look forward to your reply.


Respectfully yours,
Alya Safavid
Head of Foreign Affairs 

[Xaeth]

To Alya Safavid, Head of Foreign Affairs of the Empire of Tamora;

Speaking on behalf of Her Imperial Majesty Tantasatityanon Thikhamphorn Saowakhon and the whole of the Empire of Kinkhnland, we would be honoured & delighted to host you and a delegation from illustrious Tamora. Our culture & heritage is something the Kinkhn people care deeply for and keep close to our hearts, and there is little we would care for more than to share it with the world. As we understand it you have been rather busy as of late, and so we must admit that we are appreciative of your willingness to visit our country personally. We shall begin communications with your staff immediately to work out an itinerary for your visit, which we await excitedly.

May your Ancestors watch over you,
Tantasatityanon Wan, Minister for Foreign Affairs of the Empire of Kinkhnland

---

It was a beautiful morning in the Kinkhn capital of Krung Rek, though low in the sky the sun burned brightly and there was barely a cloud in the sky. Something for which Tantasatityanon Wan, the Kinkhn Minister for Foreign Affairs, was most thankful. This was the first official visit by a major member of a foreign government to Kinkhnland in years, and the last thing she needed was to have a rainstorm blow in out of nowhere. She waited patiently in Krung Rek International Airport, in a section that had been set aside for today so that the Tamoran delegates need not be bothered by the general public. She wasn't entirely certain of what to make Tamora; she had to admit that she found the concept of owning another human being uncomfortable, and the Tamorans were unabashed slave owners. But at the same time she knew plenty of foreigners found certain Kinkhn cultural norms wrong so who was she, truly, to judge? And even if Minister Wan hated the Tamorans, her personal feelings on the matter were of no importance. Empress Saowakhon had been very clear that she wished to look for international friends wherever they could be found, whether it be sending her daughter to the Morelander wedding or accepting a delegation of Tamorans.

But the preparations for the visit were certainly something, the Red Palace was a hive of activity for the last week as everyone prepared for the Tamorans' arrival. And Minister Wan herself hadn't gotten a good night's rest in all that time; there was always something else to plan, something else to prepare, something else to check. It was exhausting. She liked to think her current fully awake state was due in at least some small part to her own willpower, but she knew she was running on nothing but coffee. It was then that she received word that the Tamoran plane was on its way down, and she smiled as she stood to ready herself.

When Alya and the other Tamorans made their way off the plane they would be greeted by Minister Wan, several minor officials, and the translator. Minister Wan was dressed in traditional Kinkhn garb, albeit of a more conservative variety. Kinkhns differed quite radically from the Tamorans in what was considered acceptable dress; a woman was only really expected to keep her thighs covered for propriety's sake and toplessness was exceptionally common. However for the Empress had mandated that everyone expecting to interact with the Tamoran delegation, from the Minister to the palace servants, dress in a manner more accommodating to Tamoran sensibilities.

"Swadee kha," Minister Wan said, giving the traditional Kinkhn greeting of placing her hands together on her chest and respectfully nodding her head.

"It is an immense pleasure to have you visit our nation," she continued via translator, "If you will follow me, there are cars prepared to take us to the Red Palace. Her Imperial Majesty is very much looking forward to making your acquittance."

[Markus]

As Foreign Affairs minister for the Tamoran Empire, Alya visited quite a few countries and had plenty of state visits. Sure it paled in comparison with the number of visits nations like East Moreland or Achkaerin had, but for a Tamoran she was well travelled.  Yet visiting Kinknnland made her worry a bit. Each nation in Mundus had its particularities yet Kinknnland seemed to set itself apart from most: a matriarchal nation, very diverse, with strong family ties that also engaged in cannibalism. The more she traveled and thus studied other countries, the more she realized how weird and bizarre countries were outside of MidAranye.

Like with all previous visits, she prepared as best as she could for the visit by trying to gather us much knowledge about Kinkhnland as possible. And there was lots of it to learn. Even with the limited knowledge the Foreign Office had about Kinknnland and still there were lots to take in.  “One thing is clear, they have not been “westernized” like most of Mundus” she said to herself as her staff was briefing her on the many regional varieties of gods. After all those briefings she felt she hadn’t absorbed much information.

“I guess Kinknnland is one of those nations where you have to see and experience firsthand to understand it” she said out loud without realizing. Sensing her aides were puzzled she add “I think we should call it a day and resume tomorrow.”

   
   During her flight to Kinkhnland, Alya pondered on what she could expect. The reply she got from their minister of foreign affairs seem courteous and friendly which was a positive first sign. However, would that proceed throughout the meeting? That she did not know but figured it was pointless to think too much about it.

   After the plane landed and she got out to meet the hosts. She realized that in Kinknnland unlike in other countries, because of their matriarchal society, there was little chance she would have to shake hands with men and therefore felt no need to wear gloves. As she approached the welcoming delegation she noticed they were more conservatively dressed that her aides told her to expect which she greatly appreciated and interpreted as a sign of courtesy and hospitality.   

“"Swadee kha"  replied Aya bowing and placing her right hand across her chest.

“Thank you for the welcome!” she said in High Kinkhn with a very poor accent before switching to Parthian relying on her translator “ Of course, I am both anxious and honored to have the chance to meet Hey Imperial Majesty” she added while she got in the car.

[Xaeth]

Krung Rek was something of an oddity among Kinkhn cities: having been founded in the 1800s the city's layout had been planned out as opposed to left to sprawl out over the centuries like most of the other cities in the nation. As a result as the motorcade made its way through Krung Rek it was mostly down straight roads and wide boulevards. There were people going about there morning business; some stopped to watch the motorcade go by despite the tinted windows preventing any from seeing inside while other merely glanced up before returning to their own business. The drive itself did not take any more than 20 minutes, ending in a long & wide boulevard from which the Red Palace was visible. The motorcade pulled up and parked outside of the walls to the palace proper, as there were no automobile-accessible entrances.

Once everyone had left their vehicles Minister Wan smiled and gestured towards a nearby gate onto the palace grounds, where one could see a crowd had already gathered although there was a marked off path so that the delegates could easily walk through. The crowd closest to the path was formed up of members of the media, excitedly taking pictures for the local news. Beyond them were members of the public who had come out to see the foreign delegate in person. Minister Wan smiled and waved politely to the crowd, but said nothing. So far everything had been going smoothly, although the morning was just beginning. Then Minister Wan's mood soured when she noticed a small commotion. A woman, obviously a member of the press, was attempting to enter the area set aside for the media but was being stopped by security. And it wasn't difficult to see why: the woman was barely wearing anything on her torso. Under normal circumstances this would be perfectly acceptable, but the Empress had expressly told all media outlets that any members of the press were to adhere to stricter clothing guidelines for the sake of her Tamoran guests. Minister Wan frowned for a moment when she recognized the woman; she was part of a local right-wing newspaper that opposed the Empress' choice to increase Kinkhnland's involvement in foreign affairs and had accosted Minister Wan several weeks before. And so naturally she put a smile back on her face and ignored the woman; security was handling it and one couldn't even hear her over the rest of the crowd. Engaging with them in any way would be exactly what they wanted. Wan just hoped the Tamorans didn't notice her.

The Red Palace itself was not a single building, but rather a complex containing some 60 acres of land. The complex itself, often full of people due to certain sections of it being open to the public, was today almost entirely empty on account of the Tamorans' visit. The delegation was lead into a large structure. Inside they were lead into an elaborate and ornate sitting room, one wall dominated by a pair of wall scrolls depicting mirrored images of a woman missing one hand and clutching a blade in the other whilst tears streamed down her otherwise stoic face.

Minister Wan gestured at the seats and smiled, "If you don't mind waiting, the Empress should be no more than a few minutes. Please, have a seat and make yourselves comfortable."

[Markus]

Alya enjoyed the view of the Red Palace.  Though it was nothing like anything Tamora hand or anything she’d seen during her many travels in MidAranye, Alya approached its original style. She also liked the opulence it exposed, a sign of a vibrant and powerful monarchy something many in the Tamoran nobility considered it signs of a civilized country.
 
As she entered the large complex, she waved and smiled to the crowd discreetly. It was clear to her that the hosts had made serious efforts so that she and her delegation felt welcome, something she both appreciated and respected. To make an effort when hosting foreign dignitaries of high status was a must for Tamorans who often organized lavish welcomes for their guests. To the see the government of Kinkhnland also make an effort regardless of relations between countries was something that Alya and the rest of the Tamoran delegation interpreted as another sign that Kinkhnland was indeed a civilized society.

As Alya was waiving to the people she noticed the commotion and the woman barely covering her torso. She didn’t quite understand what was happening but she quickly moved her haze away as to not give away the fact that she noticed this. When travelling aboard, Alya had sometimes encountered anti-slavery activists and other protesters trying to disrupt her visits and she assumed that women must be one of those people. Engaging such people was both pointless and beneath the dignity of the status of a high noble that Alya enjoyed.

Inside the room, Alya took a seat and discreetly observed the room. She found the pictures depicted on the wall scrolls a bit off. Why was the woman crying? And why would you put on display a person during such a vulnerable moment? Alya could not find any reasonable explanation but she made a mental note to ask her staff about it when they returned home.   

[Xaeth]

"Whelp, looks like the Tamorans are on their way from the airport. So far it looks like everythi-," Songprawati On Choi Phanthittra, State Elder of Kinkhnland, said as she turned to look at the Empress. When she saw the Empress standing there, cigarette in one hand and a lighter in the other, she frowned, "The fuck are you doing, Sao?"

"What does it look like I'm doing? It's the first international visit in Ancestors know how long, I deserve to have a good smoke before they get here," Empress Saowakhon said with a shrug, then went to light the cigarette.

"No you don't," Phanthittra took a step forward and swiped the lighter out of her hands, "You know what the doctors said."

Saowakhon scowled, "If I listened to the doctors every time they told me not to smoke, I'd-"

"Your lungs wouldn't be full of cancer, is what."

"Give me back my lighter, Phanthittra. Now."

"Or what?"

"I'll just call in a servant to bring me one of my literal dozens of other lighters, is what I'll do."

Phanthittra sighed, and set the lighter down on a nearby table, "Sao. This isn't a joke, you know. That flu could've killed you, and you're still healing. This is the last thing you need."

"I appreciate your concern, but they're my lungs. And I'll smoke all I damn well please," the Empress moved to grab the lighter.

"All right, fine. I'll have to go talk to Minister Wan about how Tamora knowing that our nation is lead by a feeble, decrepit, old woman might effect relations."

"Excuse me?" Empress Saowakhon's eyes narrowed as she picked up the lighter.

"You're still recovering from the flu; if you smoke then you're liable to have a coughing fit when you're meeting with the Tamorans. Several, in fact. Is that going to give off the impression of a strong leader?"

Saowakhon was still for a moment, before she slammed the lighter back down on the table in anger, "Ancestors damn it all. You're right. But as soon as they leave I am having a smoke, and you cannot stop me."

Phanthittra just sighed and nodded her head, content enough with this victory at least. Plus she knew the Empress; there was nothing she'd be able to say to change her mind on that.

------

The arrival of the Empress was presaged by a small cough from outside the door, and a few seconds later the Empress arrived alongside Minster Wan. The Empress was an older woman 74, the face lined with deep wrinkles & her hair pure white. But despite her age and elderly appearance, she held herself like a woman decades her junior as she strode into the room.

"Her Imperial Majesty Tantasatityanon Thikhamphorn Saowakhon, Grand Princess of Krung Rek & Empress of the Kinkhn," Minister Wan said, gesturing to the Empress.

Empress Saowakhon scanned the Tamorans as she made her way to her seat; from what she had heard everything had gone exceedingly well aside from a small disturbance outside the Palace, but it didn't seem as though the Tamaorans had noticed. Saowakhon had high hopes for the visit as she personally preferred to align her nation with the traditional regimes of Midaranye, unlike others in the government.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, I hope that the trip from Tamora was a pleasant one," the Empress said politely, "If you do not mind, I would like to congratulate you on the upcoming marriages of both of your sons. As a mother, I know that there are few days more joyous than the marriage of ones children."

"But I must admit that I was quite glad to receive your offer to visit Kinkhnland. The culture & heritage of a nation are something that belongs uniquely to that nation's people, and ours is something we Kinkhns are rightfully & fiercely proud of. To share it with others, especially as honoured a guest as you, is something we truly delight in. And, Ancestors willing, perhaps we shall find a common ground that can serve as the foundation for any potential future relations."

[Markus]

Before Minister Wan had a chance to beginning making his announcement, the Tamoran delegation stood up as soon as the Empress entered the room. 

Alya was a bit surprised so see the Empress has so old, not that she acted that way. Still most monarchs in Mundus tended to be younger for some reason. Such an old age imposed a certain level of respect to the Tamorans and showed that Kinkhnland had a very stable monarchy in their view.

“The pleasure is mine, Your Majesty.
It was a pleasant trip, especially going through Krung Rek. It is a very beautiful and well planned city. The people Kinkhnland were very hospitable and for that I would like to express my gratitude in the name of the Tamoran Empire.”

“Thank you. I am pleased to say that that both sons have future wives that strengthen the Safavid family and the Tamoran Empire.” She said that since Tamoran marriages were arranged by the parents and it what family consideration trumped individual preferences. “I am very hopeful that God and His Prophet will soon bless me with many grandsons and granddaughters. What about you, Your Majesty? Have you been blessed with grandchildren so far?”

“I do hope the same. In a way I believe that Kinkhnland is more secluded from international affairs because it is content with its rich culture and thus it feels perhaps there is little need to engage. The same was true about Tamora until a few years ago but we have discovered that engaging in relations with our neighbors has often lead to unexpected consensus and agreements in areas where one would least expect it. After all, if a nation does not engage on the world stage it leaves more room for the rest of the nations who do, that is why so much of Mundus is “westernized” and many nations have lost their particularities that made them unique. “

“That may have been too much politics, I do apologize. Please allow me to give you a gift. It is made by our most famous contemporary painter Dorri Kaviani, we are very proud of her.”

As Alya said that two members of the Tamoran delegation approached the Empress and revealed the painting.

“This piece is called “The Three Daughters”, Dorri Kaviani has a way of capturing ordinary moments of everyday life and make them interesting. We often overlook and fail to appreciate these moments when we live them, Dorri has a way of showing us how beautiful they really are. I hope this painting will be a pleasant reminder of our visit fist to Kinkhnland.”

The Three Daughters by Dorri Kaviani