The Palace of the Two was the home supposed to be shared between the two monarchs. It was in effect two homes connected by a series of shared facilities like kitchen, ballroom and things. It permitted each of the King and Queen to host activities and business but when as a nation they had state functions they could come together. King Jonas was still having the finishing of decoration of his own private rooms. His former King, Philip, had been very minimalistic something Jonas put down to the man being a sailor in the navy. Jonas though enjoyed the more nicer things in life but with a modern twist. The communale areas of the Palace would host the meeting with the Alander but the chance to have a good look at the progress meant Jonas was happy to spend the day here. "The couch should face the window." Jonas instructed a Palace staff member who was helping decorate and now took hold of one end of the sofa. He had expected someone at the other end but no one was present as everyone was busy and rather surprisingly Jonas hefted the other end and helped move it into place. He shifted it a bit before being happy with its placement. There was a knock on the door. "Come in." Jonas yelled expecting it to be some member of staff in the Palace. "Oh, sorry Karin" Jonas turned to see the Queen enter accompanied by Princess Agatha who was the daughter of the former King yet had disavowed her father, the 13 year old was thankful that Karin had taken her to heart and kept her at the Palace like her own child.
"We just came to see how the change was going." Karin stated looking around. In the few months since Jonas had become King they were still not romantically connected like she was with King Philip but Jonas seemed a nice man. She approved of his taste in decoration and it seemed her was not afraid to be hands on. "It looks nice." She glanced around. "We have to go and meet the Head Gothi now." Karin informed him.
Jonas looked at his watch and noticed he had lost track of the time. "I'm sorry again" Jonas still was getting acustomed to the way of being royal. In business he had always been able to work on a task until he wanted to be done and then move on, now his time was orchestrated by others. He picked a jacket up from the back of a chair. "Please ladies lead on." He opened the door and stepped aside allowing them to leave. The room was at the top of one of the towers and the spiral staircase down exited into the courtyard where a car was waiting. It was a short drive down to the river where the bridge to the Palace sat. A pair of guards opened the heavy black gate and saluted as the monarchs and Princess passed. Karin wanted to have those carrying the title Prince and Princess more active. It was a strange situation in Hassfurt that those born of monarchs earned the title Prince or Princess even though they may not be Ermwahl (1st Strata) it just meant the non-Ermwahl royals were held as an example of the Gods holding all to account while giving all oppurtunity to be better. Agatha though was an Ermwahl and Karin wanted her to become a visible face of the royal family especially as she had shown loyal to the faith rather than her father.
The old fashioned centre of Codilla then turned into a modern city full of glass and steel along the riverside which had a large wide road for cars beside it which they followed out of town to the airport. The timing had been next to perfect as no sooner had Karin, Jonas and Agatha arrived than the Alander plane was touching down. A red carpet marked the point where the plane should be stopping and along each length of it stood smart soldiers. On the left members of the The Ermwhal Guards Corps, a unit picked from the high strata and like an special forces unit, to the right were members of the Women's Combat Corps who are the only troops directed by the Queen.
As the Alanders arrived Agatha present the Head Gothi with a stone carved bottle of mead. It was something they knew the Alanders drank much of and the artistry of the bottle commemorated the occasion of meeting with each nation. Next the teen Princess had some flowers for Birgid Strand. "Welcome to Codilla" the Princess then returned to retreat behind the monarchs. Jonas extended a hand to the Head Gothi and Karin did likewise with the Birgid Strand.
"Please we've only a short journey now to the Palace" Jonas and the HEad Gothi moved to the front vehicle and the Queen, Princess and Birgid to the rear. Inside the lead car Jonas was keen to converse. "We're delighted to have you. We firmly believe that our religion, despite being different, could be a basis of us working together for positive purposes. Sadly my former King was not one for turning to the business of state preferring to spend time with ladies and his ships." Jonas shrugged as though he could not understand why that would be, "I though want to cement some links with nations across Mundus. I know you've faced the idea of growing from a newborn nation to a state with connections in short years, perhaps you could explain to me how you did that?" He asked the Head Gothi.
In the rear car the Queen was in a manner excited to speak to an experienced diplomat like Strand. "We are pleased to have someone like you visit us. I've wanted us to become diplomats not just protectors of a faith since I took the crown. I wonder what advice you would give us to overcome our isolation?"