The Chrysanthemum Gambit

[Achkaerin]

Commonwealth House wasn't the best known of Achkaerinese royal residences but it was certainly up there in the picturesque stakes. The property, located in Rokkenjima, had been bought years earlier by the Crown Estate for the then Crown Princess now Empress Serenity back when she'd been about to serve as Secretary-General of the Commonwealth Treaty Organisation hence the name of the property, it had also been where Serenity's cousin Sakura had lived during her tenure for the same position and while the Palace of Nations was located well beyond the hills that dominated the landscape that distance was now symbolic of the changing times, and yet the house that bore the name of an organisation that had been intended as the world's diplomatic forum was the place, by virtue of geography, for a meeting of significance. As requested by Empress Asuna of Rokkenjima Serenity had arranged a meeting between her and the Eijiro the Emperor of Daito, keeping it quiet had been the hard part but with a little bit of help from both camps it had been achieved. The problem with grand summits was that good and well intended diplomatic efforts had a habit of losing out to politics and the nature of the beast was that people couldn't appear weak or appear to have caved. Quiet meetings that were kept out of the public eye until after the fact had a higher probability of actually making progress and producing results at least in Serenity's experience anyway, people tended to want the same or similar things, they just disagreed over how to do it. She'd been at those tables, she'd seen it for herself and so a tight lid had been kept on this one, the message had been clear any leak to the press and this was off.

Serenity's presence in Rokkenjima was a simple enough thing to explain if questioned, it being the school summer holidays she was taking her daughters on holiday and considering that she was dating Princess Euphemia, Rokkenjima was hardly a surprise in that regard. Arrangements with Rokkenjima had also been fundamentally straightforward, a few miles away there was a groundbreaking ceremony for a new university which the Viceregent had been invited along to as the guest of honour this meant that the Imperial motorcade would be in the area, it also meant that it was a simple enough task for one car in that motorcade to peel off and head to Commonwealth House, this car of course carried the Empress of Rokkenjima. Arrangements with Daito had been slightly more complicated because it necessitated air travel as the transportation method but it had been achieved, an unmarked private jet escorted over the distance by Achkaerinese jets landing at a private airfield in the vicinity followed by a car journey. The logistics of getting the two monarchs there without tipping people off had been, theoretically at least, the hard part of the equation but Serenity had a very sneaky suspicion that the hard part was in fact what was about to happen. She'd spent her time down at the quite conveniently located beach, where the girls could make sandcastles and she could relax with a good audiobook. The plan was simple enough upon arrival Asuna and Eijiro were to be shown into the 'Round Table Room' a name taken from the room of the same name at the Marble Palace which served as the decision making place when things got very serious. In Commonwealth House it served as the primary meeting room and as might have been guessed from the name of the room it's centre piece was a large oak circular table, while a few family portraits hung on the walls, from the rooms window one could take in the quite beautiful lake that the house sat at the side of.

Serenity was actually having a little bit of a paddle in the water with her daughters when she got the word that Asuna and Eijiro had arrived and were waiting. Leaving the girls with Val, Astrid's translator, Serenity slipped on her flip flops and made her way up to the house, this would quite possibly be the first time she'd ever walked into a meeting wearing a t-shirt and shorts, not to mention the swimwear underneath. Moving her sunglasses up to her forehead as she walked into the room she smiled "I'm quite aware I'm not dressed for a diplomatic meeting so we can move past that. You're here because I was asked to set this up, as I have done so I have no intention of saying anything unless given reason to. However this is my house, I expect you to show respect to each other and to leave your egos at the door. There's a little island about four hundred metres away that forms part of this property and I've promised both my daughters that we're sleeping in the treehouse there tonight." Serenity said "So let me be clear this is about the future relationship between you two and the nations you lead, this is not a rerun of the Ardian Assembly debate, it is not an opportunity for you to score points, it is not the means for you to try and blame each other nor is it the place for you to try and one up each other, there will be no mention of Charles Ofdensen, rogue generals, Grand Duke Lascelles or anyone else involved in the affairs of the past at the first whiff of any of that I will terminate this meeting. You are here out of a hope to forge cooperation and/or a equilibrium you are not here to rake over old ground. Do not presume yourselves to be at any sort of an advantage over each other for neither of you are, do not presume yourself alone to have Achkaerin's support for you do not, do not trade on that. If you're at a loss as to how to begin consider this one of you is my biological niece the other is someone I consider my brother, if that's who you are to me what are you to each other?" she took a breath and took a seat at the table "So which of you's starting?"

[Beatrice]

"If I may," Sutāraito would begin, "allow me to thank you for your efforts, I truly do appreciate them. It would be true to say that the Crown has rarely showed a humble side, after all, the Descendants of Islyna have been portrayed as beyond reproach; we speak with the authority of the All-Mother and all others should listen and take notes. We saw my mother trap herself, tripping and twisting over past glories that as the years passed increasingly meant less and less. We saw in Aunt Evanthe promise, her experience and pedigree were seemingly perfect for the era yet her focuses were thrown toward pursuits that didn't address the present needs nor the present circumstances of the First Empire. Finally, in Shizukesa, we found ourselves with a situation before us that she was woefully ill-equipped for."

"I didn't expect that I would find myself, just at the start of my reign, in this position but what I can say is what I know: the debate before the Assembly is history, I've no interest nor need to score points, blame is a fool's game in the end and I was raised, despite what some may expect, to see the value in the position of those sitting across from me, so I can promise I won't be trying to one-up anyone today. What I know is that both Rokkenjima and Daito have suffered, we've both lost lives and each one of those lives are irreplaceable and leave holes in families, in our communities, and in the very souls of our nations. At this moment both of our nations have their hawks and I am certain each of them are certain in their positions and seek the only solution they see fit to the situation at hand: doing the other side in before they have the opportunity to do so in kind. But, what we need today and in this moment, is for the doves to win, those who see promise in the future and those who recognize that bloodshed can only lead to more bloodshed, misunderstanding can only lead to further conflict, and I think if both of us are willing to listen with just as much passion in what we wish to say, we can already exceed any expectations you," she said looking to the Empress, "you," she said looking to Eijiro, "or I held coming here today."

Looking again to Eijiro the Empress continued, "So allow me to begin by saying if she considers you her brother, I must consider you my kin. I know she would not say such words and hold you in such a manner if you weren't an honourable man, I trust her judge of character, depending on how things proceed not just today but in the days, weeks, months and years which follow, perhaps that kinship I mentioned previously can be mutual? I come here today with hopes, dreams and aspirations that each day that follows will see our nations restored to a path of friendship and partnership, that these circumstances will be something that we both react to and make good decisions in response to, that we'll both agree that the circumstances won't determine where we go from here. Can we both have the faith to see that such circumstances don't define us, instead, our actions in response to them will? In any case I am happy to have this opportunity to speak with you, I may not be as experienced or as knowledged, but I have a good heart, I want to do right by you and your people just as much as I wish to do right by mine and I am confident that doing right by both is paving a road back to friendship between us, Onishi brothers and sisters."

[Daitō]

   Let the past drift away with the water, as the old proverb said. Eijirō knew it well, and he had a feeling that Asuna knew it too. The only reason he had agreed to this meeting was because of his desire to consign the issues between Daitō and Rokkenjima to history and to forge new bonds which could not be so easily broken. Preferably, as he saw it, this would be a positive meeting, though he was, admittedly, somewhat apprehensive about going to Rokkenjima for it. But if it meant peace could be maintained, then any sacrifice would be worth it. This was an opinion shared by many within the government, those who had been overruled in that fateful vote all those months ago. The fact was, East Ardia was very nearly plunged into another Great War, and for what? A few islands? An aircraft? A nation's honour? And to think, there were those close to him that had played a role in orchestrating this conflict, in trying to keep it from ending... Well, they were gone now, and cooler heads had taken their place. East Ardia had always been stronger when it worked together rather than when it stood with swords drawn against itself. If Rokkenjima and Daitō, countries which were more alike than they were different, couldn't get along, then what did it say for the future of the region as a whole?

   "When I joined the military, back in 2010 or 2011, I did so out of a desire to serve my nation and to protect my people. At the time, that meant fighting, and let me tell you, I got pretty good at that. But those days are over for me, and now, in this new position, I must serve my people by seeking out peace and acting as an example in which they may follow. This... conflict which emerged between our two nations will always be a stain on my rule, a tragedy which I should have done more to prevent. Thus, I owe it not only to you and Rokkenjima, or to the international community as a whole, but to my own people to make things right, to re-forge the ties which have, through the fires of war, been shattered, and to ensure that such conflict never again arises between our peoples."

   "Yes, there will be challenges that shall be faced, but adversity often draws out the finest in people. In the aftermath of the Great War, Daitō was left crippled, and yet, though great struggle, the country had all but fully recovered within just twelve years. By contrast, while the ties we forged before the war are now broken, we are in a far better position than we were back then. While I would be glad to consider you kin, Empress, what we must do is forge a kinship between not merely our nations, but the East Ardian community as a whole so that a war like this will, forevermore, be unthinkable. As my great grandfather, Emperor Kunan, wrote in 1952, 'The winter wind has gone, and long-awaited has spring arrived with double-petalled cherry blossoms.' I believe those words ring true today as well, but now, we must seize our opportunity to see the coming of spring through. So let us now join together in forging new ties, so that whatever the future may bring, we shall face it together."

   "But first, we must address the issues that persist between our two nations. While I cannot anticipate that everything will be solved overnight, so to speak, there is much we can do in this room to lay the foundations for our future. For example, just giving assurances about troop placements near to the border would go a long way in fostering good will between our two nations. Likewise, agreeing to reduce tariffs, much as had been attempted back in 2020, would benefit our economies while easing restrictions on trade, thus making it more difficult to contemplate another war. If our countries are so interconnected, then fewer people would be able to stomach the thought of fighting between us, how I see it. While ideally, I would want to see Rokkenjima one day become a party to the East Ardian Free Trade Agreement, that would be something which would require the approval of the other nations which make up it, and given the recent issues, it is not something which is likely to happen soon. However, easing restrictions on cross-border traffic could further remake bonds between our two countries, and perhaps in the future, it will be possible to take a train from Mihara in the west all the way to Matsudo in the north of Rokkenjima. The point I'm making is, if we want peace, integration between our economies and our peoples provides a good opportunity for it."

[Beatrice]

"It is perhaps fate that each of us are where we are today so that we may meet this moment together. You, with your past experiences which have given you a perspective you wouldn't otherwise have and I, with no preconceived biases which would taint my decisions and receptiveness, or my willingness to show trust and faith. A stain is like a scar, it reminds us of a past event and is an ever-present reminder that the event which cased it did indeed occur, but beyond that it teaches us something so that the same decisions aren't repeated and we can avoid those chains of events in the future. I wasn't there for it naturally but I believe you acted honourably given the circumstances, at the end of the day people act and make decisions because they believe it's for the greater good, few beyond sociopaths and narcissists act in manners purely designed for harm, so I have every faith that you'll be able to make things right, just as I'm confident I'll be able to do what I can to make things right. Regardless of the circumstances, I am Empress, I take on not only the responsibilities of the present and future, but also take on the collective responsibility of the First Empire."

"I feel that, had we seen yourself and the Saisei Empress following the Anselmo Restoration in the aftermath of our Second Patriotic War, you'd find much in common. She talked often of Rokkenjimans killing Rokkenjimans, how she had great responsibility thrust upon her at a young age, a nation to rebuild from so many wounds. I've got my work cut out for me in many ways, our situation, the isolation which has been the result of a line of poor decisions and clinging to past glories, as I referenced before, but I look back at what my aunts were trying to do with relations between our nations and I can't help but get the impression that after Daitō left the CSTO there were those, from the Throne and down through the government, who wished to be spiteful, providing fertile ground for tragedy in some form to grow. Prior to recent tragedies, ours as well as the Nueva Andean tragedy, East Ardia has always been an engine of growth for the continent; the Rokkenjima Sea had last seen major conflict when the United Soviet Russia attempted to turn Themata into a satellite state for WARSAW, but we found a spirit of cooperation and worked together to not only remove them, but to ensure peace, prosperity and understanding ruled in our corner of Mundus. Following this most recent incident we've both got a lot of weight on us to see that we can correct our paths and return to such a vision, that we're not a region which sees the differences between our peoples and find reasons to fight over them, but recognizes what we share in common and builds from that foundation, and then celebrates our differences as the flairs which make our nations and peoples something unique and irreplaceable. My mother's words still ring in my ears, that it is upon us to "see that the future is not allowed to be drowned by the ashes of the past" so while I often look to history for cues, I also look to that which must be avoided, and that which should never be repeated. We both have histories but the future is ours to write; Mundus belongs in usufruct to the living, those that preceded us should not have rights over ours, for their contributions to this story are over and the next pages are ours to write, and their role has reached its conclusion."

"As I am confident that Daitō does not pose an immediate threat to Rokkenjima I shall be seeing that our forces at the borders are relocated; caution was mandated at first, if just to reassure Rokkenjimans that their government was taking steps to ensure the safety of the Empire, but that time has passed and we can revert to routine border measures. I would be willing to entertain a matched tariff reduction scheme with a scaled reduction occurring over, say, three years time? We could also see visa arrangements which allow students from Rokkenjima permitted to study in schools across Daitō and, likewise, students from Daitō welcomed in Rokkenjiman educational institutions, both high school and university so that the current generation learns about their cousins and forges friendships which make the decision to pull a trigger much more difficult when they're the ones making decisions between peace and war. Increased transportation links are something I would wish to explore, as well as welcoming an officer of our respective militaries to serve as a liaison who can communicate intentions when we take military actions that could be misconceived. Building on that, perhaps we could look to the example of the CNN and host a sort of games between our military branches? We could see which nation has the best rugby team, or those who can out-swim the others; we channel the desires of some among us to compete into healthy competition."

"We've both been brought to this moment through most unfortunate circumstances, and I say we make the most of those circumstances and steal from the spirit of tragedy seeds of hope, seeds that we can together plant to build the future I think we're both envisioning now. If you would be comfortable with it I do believe I have a few templates saved on my tablet which my mother used for treaties of friendship; we could pull them up and use them as a template to map a road to a future where Rokkenjimans and Daitōjin once again call each other kin?"

[Daitō]

   A treaty of friendship? At this time? While yes, it would go a ways to smooth over some of the recent troubles between the two countries, it seemed somewhat sudden. All he had done was lay down a few options for the future, planted the seeds for what could come. Such a treaty could face significant opposition in the Diet, and yet... Well, if there was one person with the political capital, the reputation, the ability top pull this off, it was him. For the betterment of both nations, this was... necessary. And of course, it was something he wanted, especially after the embassy in Pyrettania was reopened and with diplomacy slowly but surely returning to normal between the two countries. Yes, lives had been lost. Yes, battles had been waged. Yes, there were many people who would, whether privately or publicly, be opposed to the measure. But even so, this was the right course of action, in the long run. He had to look at the bigger picture, not allow emotion to cloud his judgement, and make the best decision for his people.

   "You'll forgive me if I say this seems rather sudden. We've only barely made peace, and yet already, you're proposing a Treaty of Friendship." Eijirō said, looking to Asuna. "Don't get me wrong, I want nothing more than for our two nations to restore the ties that once existed, barring, uh, certain alliances, but it just feels a bit soon. That said, what did you have in mind?"

[Beatrice]

"In such times, when there is much on the line, sometimes the least thinkable options are those which are most needed," she replied. "Give me a moment, please," she continued as she pulled out her two-in-one.

"...sorry for that, but here," she said as she removed the keyboard and handed the screen to the Emperor.

Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Security Between The First Empire of Rokkenjima And The Empire of Daitō
The Pyrettania-Shinkyō Accord

Rokkenjima and Daitō;

Desiring to rebuild and formalize the foundation of peace existing between them, and to uphold the principles commonly shared between them,

Desiring further to encourage closer diplomatic, cultural and peaceful cooperation between them and to promote conditions of tranquility and prosperity in their countries,

Reaffirming their faith in the purposes and principles of the Fair Seas Concordat, and their desire to live in peace with all peoples and governments,

Recognizing that they have the inherent right of individual and collective self defense,

Considering that they have a common concern in the maintenance of peace and security upon the Ardian continent and abroad,

Having resolved to conclude a treaty of friendship, mutual cooperation and security,

Therefore agree as follows:

ARTICLE I

The Parties undertake to settle any international disputes in which they may be involved by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace, security and justice are not endangered and to refrain in their international relations from the threat or use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of any state, or in any manner inconsistent with international law and norms.

ARTICLE II

The Parties will contribute toward the further development of peaceful and friendly international relations by strengthening their free institutions, by bringing about a better understanding of the principles upon which these institutions are founded, and by promoting conditions of stability and well-being.

ARTICLE III

The Parties will consult together from time to time regarding the implementation of this Treaty and, at the request of either Party, whenever the security of the Parties or international peace and security upon Ardia is threatened.

ARTICLE IV

Each Party shall agree to share military intelligence that is believed to be in the interest of the safety and security of the other signatory.

Each Party shall station a commissioned officer with their respective commands to act as a liaison to ensure that actions by either party are not misinterpreted and to foster a spirit of trust and understanding.

Each Party shall agree to consult upon matters of common security and interests, when they concern Eastern Ardia, directly or abroad.

The terms of this Treaty shall not supersede those commitments already existing to other international accords.

ARTICLE V

This Treaty does not affect and shall not be interpreted as affecting in any way the rights and obligations of the Parties under the Charters of international institutions.

ARTICLE VI

This Treaty shall be ratified by the First Empire of Rokkenjima and the Empire of Daitō in accordance with their respective constitutional processes and will enter into force on the date on which the instruments of ratification thereof have been exchanged by them in Pyrettania and Shinkyō .

ARTICLE VII

The Treaty shall create an annual Rokkenjima-Daitō Cultural Festival, celebrating the unique cultures of Rokkenjima and Daitō. The Pyrettania-Shinkyō Association will organize an annual festival to be held in each nation in turn annually.

The Treaty shall also also allow citizens of the other nation to apply for a fast track visa aiding in travel between the nations for purpose of trade, recreation and business.

ARTICLE VIII

To promote joint economic prosperity between Rokkenjima and Daitō the two parties shall agree to a staged elimination of tariffs imposed upon goods transported between the two nations, to be reduced respectively at a rate of 25% over the next four years.

Taxes upon corporations or other business entities originating from either nation shall be granted a reduced tax rate when constructing offices or operations in either nation, so long as construction contracts of manufacturing and production in such properties are granted to corporations or business entities in the two nations.

The Treaty shall seek to promote the establishment of a student exchange program, allowing Rokkenjiman and Daitōjin students more expansive and diverse educational opportunities at both the secondary and university levels.

ARTICLE IX

This Treaty shall remain in force until such a time either Party views it as no longer serving their best interests.

However, after the Treaty has been in force for ten years, either Party may give notice to the other Party of its intention to terminate the Treaty, in which case the Treaty shall terminate one year after such notice has been given.

IN WHITNESS WHEREOF the undersigned Plenipotentiaries have signed this Treaty.

DONE at the City of Pyrettania, Azukishima Prefecture, Rokkenjima in the Rokkenjiman, Daitōjin, and English languages equally and authentic, this [date], 2023.

For Rokkenjima:


Empress of the First Empire of Rokkenjima
Princess of Littlebrook
Duchess of Josai

For Daitō:

"And this is where your experience meets my inexperience," she said with a chuckle. "I have the templates to work with, I have a rough idea of what is and what isn't possible right now, but I don't know the entirety of sentiments with your government and people, so I can only provide a framework we can work with and hope that I got it mostly right. I have a feeling there are many abroad who had hoped that we'd have fought each other to the fullest extent, to eliminate both Rokkenjima and Daitō from the world stage, yet somehow fate intervened and here we are sitting at the same table, talking and sharing words instead of sitting in our capitals watching as the casualties mount in unfortunate ways. This is our decision, and for the betterment of our people I'm glad to even have the chance to plant the seeds of peace and friendship. I might be eager on that friendship, maybe a bit too much so, but I'm sure you remember when you were my age practicalities didn't matter, it's all vision, hope, and a measure of faith that drives me right now and somewhere in you is that same spirit, just behind years of experience and voices that would call for ration and logic. We're not meeting on a level playing field and I recognize that, but it's all I've got to go by right now because we both know that alternative is tragic, horrible, and something we've both got to avoid at all costs."

"I've put all my cards on the table," she continued, "so it's all in your hands now. If I've made mistakes on things let me know and we'll fix them together? I'm not my mother or my aunts, if there's something you're not happy with let me know and we'll get to common ground somehow. I wish I didn't have to live with that part of the legacy, dictation and opposition instead of understanding and consensus, but it's what it is."

[Daitō]

   Asuna's inexperience was self-evident, as could be seen by some of the terms on this treaty. While most things were perfectly acceptable, Eijirō thought it strange that a template was ready-made specifically for Daitō. She could say that it was a template, but he'd seen such "templates" before, and this one was far too specifically tuned to this circumstance for it to not be suspect. Either way, though, he took issue with a key part of this proposed treaty, that being Article 4, Subsection 1. Intelligence between the two countries when they were not allies and had only just made peace was a step too far, and frankly the idea truly proved Asuna to not be lying about her inexperience. Even Eijirō, himself not the best negotiator by any means, could see that.

   "Pardon my bluntness, but no." He said. "I can't sign this, not in this state certainly. Even if it were in the cards, an intel sharing agreement would be years away at this point, but as it stands, I don't know that it will ever be an option. Trust has been broken, and while many of the terms of this treaty would do much to mend the ties between us, that trust is something that will take time to heal. I would suggest, therefore, that it be amended to not include such a provision. Otherwise, though I'm sure someone out there will not be pleased by this, I don't necessarily see anything else that is wrong with it."

[Beatrice]

"Please, be blunt," the Empress said with genuine tone, "I'd accept nothing less than honest bluntness, anything less would be a disservice to us both. I hope you can forgive me for looking to the Pyrettania-Nakim Accord for the inspiration for the template for our treaty. You see that Treaty came to fruition following a period of tensions between Rokkenjima and the Lakhzov Republic and, seeing as it has withstood the tests of time and stands as one of our longest lived bilateral treaties, it seemed to be a path to follow in our relationship. I am perfectly fine with striking the provision you have issue with, but even absent such a provision, if I should learn of something that could harm your interests, whether it be from Rokkenjiman intelligence or otherwise, I'll forward it your way and for added assurances only once it's been verified by a friend we share in the fox so to say," she said as she motioned to Serenity with her eyes. "You've the respect and trust of the Azurewinds, and thus essentially the respect and trust of my family; thus as they trust and respect you so I will too. I don't need that to be reciprocated, but after everything that's happened, after the failings of those who sat upon the Throne before me which led us here, the least I can offer is my honesty and sincerity."

"So then," she continued, "absent a treaty obligation to share threats to our respective Empires, the remainder of the Treaty is agreeable?"

[Daitō]

   If Pyrettania-Nakim was one of their longest-lived bilateral treaty, that really spoke to the kind of country Rokkenjima was, Eijirō thought, though of course he wouldn't say as much. Of course, he knew well the reasons, the cold war, Rokkenjima's isolation, the whole nine yards, but he couldn't help but find it amusing, to an extent. Regardless of any anecdotes about long-lived treaties, though, what she said struck him as perhaps genuine. He knew better than to trust people in situations like this; though Serenity had said that nobody was here to try to score points, this was, ultimately, a negotiation. He was sure that deep down, given recent events, Asuna shouldn't have any reason to trust him. Frankly, if he were in her shoes, he would feel the same way. And yet, here she was, so soon after returning from what could only be described as exile, giving him that chance. How could he not seize upon this opportunity to right that which had gone wrong and to forge truly lasting ties between Daitō and Rokkenjima?

   Thus, he looked over the proposed treaty once more, scouring it for anything which he may have overlooked at first. And yet, despite it all, he could not find anything which he would consider problematic.
   "When I was born-" Eijirō started to speak. "-my country, though allied with Achkaerin as it had since the beginning of the Great War, lived in the shadow of nuclear armageddon. Whether it be the pain endured in 1945, or the fear felt until the fall of the Federal Republic, the thought that everything we had built could be wiped away in an instant was present. And yet, we moved on, we lived our lives the best we could, and in time, our efforts to remain at peace allowed for prosperity the likes of which had not been seen in East Ardia to blossom. We had every reason, back then, to not trust your nation." He paused for a moment. "But that time is behind us, now. Not only has the shadow of annihilation been lifted, but the fears of the past have been proven false. So why don't we move on from that, even if only one step at a time?" He asked. "I would be more than pleased to affix my name to this treaty."

[Beatrice]

The Empress could only smile, she could not have expected the events of the day to go as they had, yet somehow despite all the obstacles in their way, both at home and abroad, the finish line sat just inches away from them both. "Sunlight always prevails over the shadows," she said as she extended her hand for a handshake and, whilst maintaining eye contact continued. "There were fools here in Rokkenjima, there were those in your lands who sought to take advantage of the situation, unfortunately in those times their wills prevailed and allowed for many evils to be committed in our respective names. I'm happy to walk with you, one step at a time, as we move beyond the specter of the shadow and feel the warm sun on our faces. I am not my mother, I am not my aunts, I can see where their actions led us to and I will not repeat the mistakes that nearly led each of our nations to leveling cities and leaving countless broken lives in the ruin that would most certainly have followed. Things might not be perfect moving forward, there's still issues we have to work out, but we've established something important: our core interests are much the same, I think we largely desire the same things, and we truly don't wish to kill each other. The pages ahead of us, with so much space to write together, I think represent so much more than the pages we've already written. I can already hear my mother, who dealt with the hostilities of Seaforth yelling at me and I know that I can look to her and say "you took a chance on them and look at what happened," well, until at least she shredded that Treaty, "you found common ground and forged not just an alliance, but a friendship and affinity which withstood the tests of time."

"With that being said," she continued, "you, Emperor, Eijirō if I may be informal for a moment, I'll be considering you a friend from this moment forward even if it's not mutual at first. They might not be messes that are my fault but I inherited them, so I'll be taking care of them one at a time, but for what it's worth so long as I am Empress no Rokkenjiman gun will fire upon your Empire in anger unless they're directly provoked to do so. As I learned in my time in East Moreland any woman, or man, is worth only so much as the credit which is in their word and actions. With that being said, let us walk into a brighter tomorrow."

[Daitō]

   For the sake of continued prosperity and security in East Ardia, Eijirō knew what he had to do. He owed it to the nearly 300 million people back home, not to mention the more than six-hundred million other lives in greater East Ardia, to cement the peace brokered in Bakkermaya between Daitō and Rokkenjima. The fates of nearly a billion people, in effect resting on his shoulders. All it would've taken was for that "spark" in the Tokara islands to erupt into total war—not merely the "war" which had, mercifully, lasted just a few days—and in effect, the Second Greater East Ardian War, that conflict which many at home had feared for decades, would have come. It was not something which he was willing to allow to happen, not in his lifetime. Sure, that confrontation could be seen as justified, depending on ones point of view, but it was wrong to send others to die for something like that. And to think, he had been the one to do it, even if reluctantly.

   After a moment of thought, Eijirō shook her hand with a nod, though a smile scarcely could be seen on his face. Yes, this had gone well, but it was only a beginning. The future would need to be written, not merely by himself or Asuna, but by the people of East Ardia. What did they want the relationship between Daitō and Rokkenjima to be? Certainly, the past few years had been a relative high-point in relations between the two countries, but this confrontation in the Rokkenjiman sea had enflamed old fears and past prejudices. What was certain, however, was that it would still take time.
   "And I, too, am prepared to pledge that no Daitōjin soldier shall fire upon Rokkenjiman soil in anger. For a brighter future, for all of us."