NationStates Jolt Archive

To: Celestrianna Paelisi, ArchDuquess, Foreign Minister, Sacred Sindarin Empire of Aelosia
From: Thomas Jansen, Foreign Minister, Danaan High Kingdom of the Resurgent Dream

Lady ArchDuquess,
My people have long respected and admired the Sacred Sindarin Empire. Everywhere one goes in the world, one hears good things about the Sindarin people and we find ourselves allied to many of the same powers. In fact, at present we are, as you know, applying to VERITAS, an organization of which Aelosia is a founding member. For all of these reasons, as well as in the general interests of peace and diplomacy between nations, we would ask to open formal diplomatic relations with the Sacred Sindarin Empire.

Sincerely,
Thomas Jansen
Foreign Minister

To: Thomas Jansen, Foreign Minister, Danaan High Kingdom of the Resurgent Dream.
From: ArchDuchess Celestrianna Paelisi, Imperial Chancellor of the Everqueen of the Sacred sindarin Empire of Aelosia.

I am marveled at your proposition, Lord Thomas, Sire. We also have heard of your lushful nation and wondrous population, and we would be happy to receive your embassy, as I'm almost sure than more than one of our nobles, or Agaraglareb, as we call them, dedicated to the foreign service will try their best to find a place in the delegation that we, if you of course have no problem against it, would like to send to your country. We would also like to see a delegation of your marvelous culture and people landing here in our lands, which I personally would host as my personal guests.

Waiting for your approval and further information.
May the Valar and all the gods bless you a thousand times.

Celestrianna.

To: Celestrianna Paelisi, ArchDuchess, Foreign Minister, Sacred Sindarin Empire of Aelosia
From: Thomas Jansen, Foreign Minister, Danaan High Kingdom of the Resurgent Dream

We would be glad to receive such an Embassy. For our part, we will send King Frederick of Bilbtoria to open relations and Countess Filyra ni Daireann as our permanent ambassador.

To: Thomas Jansen, Foreign Minister, Danaan High Kingdom of the Resurgent Dream.
From: ArchDuchess Celestrianna Paelisi, Imperial Chancellor of the Everqueen of the Sacred sindarin Empire of Aelosia.

We are waiting both your envoy and your embassador with glee and joy in our hearts. We will be sure to give them the best welcome our country have to offer and to make their stay a wonderful and unforgettable experience. In other news, we are right now in the proccess of selecting our delegation and our ambassador, but I am sure that we will be ready when your envoy arrive. Who knows?, maybe he can even help us.

King Frederick, Countess Filyra, and their entourage settled into the shuttle bound for Aelosia. They looked out the window, read, and even slept during the rather long voyage. The fighter escort broke away at the border and the vehicle settled down to land. Frederick glanced out the window to get an early look at the Aelosian greeting party.

The welcome party was already arranged, waiting for the visitors and envoys from The Resurgent Dream, a place that looked like brought out of many fairy tales. But the elves was a magical, mystical and fantastic race in their own terms, and knew how to deal with such beings.

All men in the welcome party were disguised as noble sidhes, and all females of fantasy fairies, sporting mobile wiings crafted of wraithbone in honor of their guests. The Imperial Chancellor Celestrianna Paelisi was there, ready to greet such important delegation as the head of the entire Aelosian Ousider's Service and Foreign Relationships Department, smiling and looking wonderful in her gleaming and fantastic golden dress. The rest of the courtiers were eager to meet the envoys from foreign lands, and to concert all kinds of merchantile, political and cultural agreements through the new channel of communication through the embassies.

As finally the members of the Resurgent Dream's delegation came out of the transport shuttle, every look turned to them, and waited...

Prince Frederick tossed his black hair back slightly as he strode forward with a noble and confident gait. He clasped his hands lightly behind his back and wore a pleasant smile as he looked over the assembled Elves. He appeared rather amused by the masquerade but also pleased. "Thank you for welcoming us."

Countess Filyra strode gracefully out of the shuttle, her long legs moving with a perfect elegance. She was dressed in a gown of crimson gossamer, slit about half-way up her perfect, pearleascent thigh and sleeveless. Her arms and what was visible of her left leg showed a strong muscle-tone, developed and noticeable but not Amazonian. Her face was one of delicate beauty with a shining strength in her green eyes. Her raven hair was done in a fabulous up-do and she seemed to shine with a silver light.

Also present was Morcotulco Meldon, a Noldorin immigrant from Menelmacar who served as a Danaan advisor on Quendi affairs. Meldon was dressed in restrained formalwear and looked around with a queit expression.

On the other side, stood Milagros Chiaramonte, a muscular human with a Mediterranean complexion in black-tie formal wear.

Filyra smiled brightly to their hosts. "This is His Highness, Prince Frederick. I am Countess Filyra. It is our pleasure to be here."

*Bump*

"I'm grateful to the Valar for letting us have such pleasant guests", answered the Imperial hancellor as she took a step forward. "If all the people from your nation are as wonderful as you are, then you must be welcomed as friends. I hope you like our welcoming party", she finished, turning around to gesture to the rest of the aelosians in the dock.

"I am in charge of all aelosian Foreign assets, as I direct all contact with the outside. We aelosians like our solitude, and want to remain that way, although a visit from a dear friend is always apprecciated. I'll lead you to the palace that we built for being your embassy, in the Foreign District in Dorietin, one of the most important and populated domes in the entire Craftworld, under direct authority from my Noble House", the woman nodded and started to walk, the rest of the people opening a way for the Chancellor and her guests to walk by, bowing deeply as they passed by.

Filyra grinned a bit, looking around with a grin on her face. "It's very considerate of you. The men look just like sidhe and the women look like nevers!"

Prince Frederick smiled warmly to the chancellor, though he was thinking rather a lot about what she said. The idea of not wanting foreign contact at every level was...pardon the pun...foreign to him. Still, he did not let those ponderings show. Filyra didn't have them at all. As a trained diplomat, she was rather used to different cultural norms and if the Aelosians preferred solitude, then she was simply all the more appreciative that they had gone to all this trouble to make guests feel welcome.

Filyra continued smiling as she and the others walked with the chancellor. "I can hardly wait to start getting things set up. I am sure Mr. Meldon and Mr. Chiaramonte are equally eager."

Frederick looked off a moment. "I actually hadn't planned to be here to set up the embassy. I was simply here on a royal visit to open relations between Her Majesty, High Queen Agwene and the Everqueen."
...
Meanwhile, the ship's crew began moving about remained inside the ship, going about their business without feeling any need to come out.

Celestrianna smiled broadly at the Danaan Prince. "I know you were here for that, however, we took the liberty to build a palace, after all, you come here with a friendly intent and purpose, don't you?, so establishing an embassy and having one character as distinguished as you for the opening ceremony isn't bad at all. Too bad that the health of the Everqueen is not going to let her meeting, as she's not able right now to do so. She has already sent her deepest apologies, although you will meet Princess Aliria who is completely authorized to speak on the Everqueen's behalf. However, I'm sure hat the pleasure of actually meeting the Sindarin Jewel will be more than enough for yourself, no?", she asked, a mischievous tone in her voice, although friendly enough to awake sympathy in those around her. As the supreme master of all aelosians courtiers, Celestrianna was able to use her voice in the most wondrous of tones, giving her words exactly the tone needed to express her meaning and intents to her interlopers.

"Now, after your visit to the Princess and the Ceremony at the Embassy, what else would you all like to do while you're visiting us?", Celestrianna added, quiet and confident that her points wre entirely reasonable and logic and that the Danaan delegates understood that fact in particular.

With that voice, it is quite likely Celestrianna could have talked the Danaans into quite a few things. In point of fact, her words were not only reasonable but gracious and kind and the Danaans would have agreed to them however they were said, a fact which did not stop them from appreciating her extraordinary voice. Frederick laughed lightly. "If the Sindarin Jewel looks even half as lovely as she was described to me by the Danaan delegates to Lord James DeGritz's wedding, then my only fear in meeting her is that I should be blinded by her radiance."

Frederick looked to Filyra at the next question but Filyra shook her head. "This visit is for you, Your Highness. The rest of us will be staying after all."

Frederick nodded a little. "Very well. There are many wonders on the craftworld but what interests me most is the Aelosian people themselves. I would like to see how Aelosians live their lives. It is the most important thing for us to understand, as I do hope very deeply that we might become good friends with the people of Aelosia."

The Imperial Chancellor opened her eyes wide, lookeing both amused and gladly satisfied at the comments from the Resurgent Dream's Prince. "What a compliment!. I was aware of the similarities between your people and ours, but I didn't know that you were so similar to us in temperament and character!. Beware, Prince, anyone could confuse yourself with an aelosian noble around here", she said, after bursting out a short, musical, pleasant and sincere laugh.

"If those are your wishes then so be it. I'll take you to the busy streets of our main domes, and you will have a nice view of our people and their day to day routine and way of life. I hope you may like us, after all, we're not as bad as our enemies make us look", she continued, finally guiding the delegation to a holotrain station, where a long, serpent like glittering train was already stationed to bring them to the Imperial Palace.

"This is a Holotrain, our main form of transport through and around the Craftworld, because as you may already know, our eidfications are not only in the surface of our planetoid, but they also run deep into the entire structure. Great gift, our current home is", she said as she guided the guests inside the train. "We're heading for the Imperial Palace, please make yourself comfortables, I'm not going to bore you with details of the trip, but you're going to see several pleasant views through the windows. Too bad that they will be brief, as the train travel really fast"

Frederick laughed lightly. "A certain similarity between Sidhe and Elves has been noted many times before, this is true." Then he paused, growing slightly more serious. "However, Sidhe are a minority of the Danaan people, a minority in a land where everyone is a minority. There is no one ethnic group can which can claim a majority of the Danaan population."

"Humans are still the biggest individual group." Chiaramonte threw in teasingly.

"Elves are the fastest growing immigrant community." added Meldon, his pride in his Elven heritage not at all diminished by the fact that he'd choosen to make a non-Elven country his home.

Frederick nodded. "I come to offer you the friendship of all the races of the Resurgent Dream, the charming Pooka, the hospitable Menehune, the passionate Satyrs..." He looked off a moment, considering. "Not every race in the Resurgent Dream has such a noble past, but I can assure you that all races and regions of the Resurgent Dream now enjoy the rule of law and those peoples and regions which have had a sordid history in the past are now civilized and safe."

Filyra inclined her head as the party boarded the train, taking their seats. "Perhaps sometime we can tour this countryside at a more leisurely pace?"

"Looks like our intelligence sources were wrong, and The Resurgent Dream is indeed a truly different country than the one we figured it was. We were aware that The Danaan Nation was a nation with a good amount of human population, but we didn't know they were the mayority of it", said Celestrianna Paelisi, changing her expression entirely. However, her smile soon reappeared, gleaming again through her features. "But that's good, people like me who sometimes think that have seen it all always find surprises and new things under sun interesting and filling", she said, being as polite as she could be, but over everything, she was trying as polite as she could be without stopping being honest and sincere.

For Celestrianna, any courtier or diplomat worth his salt always needed to be honest, and should choose his words properly to say the truth without hurting anyone in any way. In her own Academy of Courtiers she always teached the young promises of Aelosian Diplomacy that anyone could be a liar, that to give wrong and false impressions and opinions was as easy as talk, but that to tell the truth in the "aelosian way" was always the art that all courtiers must master. That was what words like "Courtesy", "Politics" or "Manners" meant, not just empty lies and quickly exits from tough situations.

She was pretty sure that the envoys from the Resurgent understood her words, and that although the surprise wasn't completely pleasant to her, at least it was enough to not bother at all with it. Listening to the words of Filyra, and smiled again as a mother to a young child. "We could, it's your time after all. I just need to tell to the computer to reduce the speed, and it will, just tell me that you have the time and you will be satisfied, my honoured guests"

Frederick nodded. "I cannot imagine a worse fate than having 'seen it all'. For us, an important part of life is keeping it fresh and new. We try to approach each moment with the wonder of a child looking upon his first butterfly. It's our way of keeping the Springtime of the World alive. Of course, most Sidhe do not remember the Springtime of the World. Only a relative few Sidhe still known to us today are old enough to remember the world before the coming of human civilization when it was wild and new, though Grand Duke Timon and Lady Halafriel are obvious examples."

Filyra looked back at Celestrianna calmly, her ageless eyes meeting the other woman's easily. It was impossible to place Filyra's age exactly. Her eyes, at the same time, looked like those of a young child and like those of someone older than this world. It was a strange effect but one common with the timeless perceptions of the Sidhe. "That would be nice, m'lady, thank you."

Celestrianna turned, and said mystical and arcane words in a language all but hidden of all present, totally different of her usual well balanced sindarin, but still retaining the same musical, flute like nature and tone.

The train started the trip, going a bit slowly to let the delegates of foreign lands enjoy the view of the landing areas, the docks swarming with thousands and thousands of vehicles floating at different orbits, perfectly organized.

"I'm not old enough to have seen what you call the SPring of the World, but strangely, I lastly find that everything follows patterns, and that I have already seen most of those patterns, that only reveal to be the same ones over and over again, repeating themselves through history. However, I love to see things like your nation, that create a new pattern, Lord Frederick, Sire", said Celestrianna as she took a seat in her own chair, looking through the window as transfixed in heavy, deep thoughts.

Frederick nodded to the Elf as his own gaze drifted to the window. The Danaans rode in silence for the time being, gazing out at the beautiful Aelosian landscape.

The windows of the Holotrain, shaped like the own elongated eyes of the elves who made it, showed the Danaans what Aelosia had to offer to the eyes of strangers, the land and works of an entire race through millenia of isolation and worship of the only value and virtue constant in Aelosia through their entire history...

Aelosians believed in one thing above everything, and it was beauty, the beauty that their minds understood, and their eyes, like the windows of the train, were capable of apprecciate. Aelosians were a people of multiple facets, represented in each aspect of their culture, but only beauty was what matters, what truly belonged to their hearts, spirits and souls. They lived, they built, they grew, they thought, but everything they were capable of, they did it with grace and beauty. From the long and endless towers of the pinnnacle-like skycrapers of the main commercial districts, to the simple manors of the best and quiet suburban areas, surrounded by artificial forests of crystal trees, only beauty remained.

But love but the main drive behind the beauty of their world, because Aelosians were also capable of loving with all the intensity their bodies, minds and spirits everything they created. They were courteous and well mannered because it was a simple and routine way of showing others how much they loved the air they breathed, the words they spoke and the deeds that everyday of their inmortal and endless lifes filled their existences. They were cautious and slow learning because they wanted to master the perfection in everything they did, a perfection that could match their never ending search for the absolute and abstract beauty.

Bonesingers and Wraith Minstrels woke up every morning to sing with the deepest feelings from them to make the Wraithbone that surrounded them grow and be shaped in the forms they desired, the shapes that were the accurate reflection of their quest to live in a word without stains, without flaws. Warriors practiced ther arts to the extreme to find the beauty in the movement and dance that represented a battle. Courtiers practiced every tone, every word, every accent, to make their words perfect. Billions of souls craved for create an ambient of harmony together in the new star that were theirs and theirs alone. Masters and scholars studied every letter, every book with relentless dedication, forever swearing an oath of discovering every secret of the universe, and all that they do for the love they felt not just for their country or for themselves, the love that could be confused with pride, but for the love of their work, just for feeling that deep epiphany of being capable of creating something really beautiful, the closer they could get to perfection.

Out there the Danaans caught a glimpse of the Black Towers of the Phaelos Masters, Pioneers and Masters in the Arcane Arts and the Dark Secrets of their loved Empire. Thunders echoed through the storming, dark purple sky, and lightning bolts landed on the impressive peaks of their dark lairs, where they were the guardians of forbidden and future lore, always clad in their mysterious black cloaks. Then the Phaelos Dome was no more, replaced by a clear sky with no sun, but just an infinite clear blue, the most magnificent gardens ever created permeating a place that represented the memories of the Sindarin people of their loved, destroyed and long dissapeared Realm of Doriath, with beasts, trees and elves living in perfect harmony, living as one. Those were the D'Hyru Holdings, the personal lands and heritage of Princess Aliria, the Sweet Sindarin Jewel Heir to the Throne. Green gleamed all around the place in every corner, in every shade possible, with myriads of birds crossing the everclear sky.

Then the Lórindel district followed, with the imponent business towers of the MasterMinds of commerce filling the empty space between the floor and the artificial sky of the dome. Huge factories and silvery industrial facilities covered the entire dome to every inch of it, workers, managers, merchants swarming from every corner to coordinate the huge economic effort of an entire Empire. Banks, Firms, Stock Houses, all wroking like a clock´work mechanism well chained, maintaining the balance that gave prosperity and luxury to every inhabitant of their own dreamland, their own utopy. But the sky shifted again, and showed a thousand sunsets, then a thousand dawns, giving the entire dome a golden everlasting look, as the most luxurious of Palaces gleamed over the horizon, populating the land by thousands. Celestrianna smiled at the work of the hands of her own House, the Paelisi House of Courtiers, the politics of the Aelosiakin, the Defenders of Words and the Keepers of the Peace, the place that held the courts of justice and the goverments palaces, the epicenter of the Aelosian politics, gleaming forever in the stainless golden heaven.

But then more wonders came and came, The Hyral plains, filled with their Martial Academies and the formations of disciplined soldiers willing to give everything they could create for protecting the dreams of others, the most noblest of the aelosians, sacrificing their own happiness to preserve the hopes of others, giving away their inmortality so other could live another day. their armours defying all enemies, their weapons aimed at those who tried to end the aelosian dream, their beloved utopy, always vigilant, always aware of any danger, of any menacing threat. The Eöl Caverns, with the mysterious drow cousins of the sindarin, elves who despised light and prefered to work quietly in their mines, developing their own culture and arts, working hard so others could enjoy the light they were denying for themselves. Different, and twisted, but loyal to their light brothers to the last, the drow were the keepers of secrets, the eyes and ears in the darkness, where they also watched, and waited...

So came the Mablung Bronze Fortress, a dome fortified as the base where the steady and steadfast defenders of the Aelosian could follow the lead of their ancestor, the mighty Mablung who died protecting the Silmaril from the wrong hands, a castle where they could retreat and make themselves strong should the darkness attack them again. They were the rock and the bastion inside every crack of the Aelosian society, and also the enforcers of the rules and laws passed by the ancients, punishing outside invaders as they did with criminal insiders, traitors to their own kin. Next was the D'nan Marvel, the lair of the heirs of the Eldar wisdom and technology, a place filled with every miracle of Elven or foreign technology, metal and wraithbone entwined to show how the D'nans worked to make more Paelisi ships faster, Daeros flutes more tuned, Phaelos bookcases more enduring, Mablung armor harder and Hyral swords sharper. Robots walked everywhere, and eldar strnage runes pulsed hidden in te mechanism that permeated the entire place, like a living machine serving their mysterious creator gods.

But there was more, then came the Cúthalion Academies, the Learning Places, the spotlight of education. A simple suburb filled with universities, schools and colleges up to the eyes could see, until they reached the line of the horizon, the place where enlightement came out of hard mind's work and effort through careful study. It was the place where both Phaelos Scholars of the past and D'nan scientists of the future gathered the information they needed, and where they placed their discoveries for the next generations so it could endure like the hands that wrote them. It was the safeguard of their own eternity. Then the Daeros Gardens, the Paradise of the House of Minstrels, the place where art blossomed and the culture and common lore of the aelosians were safekept, the refuge for painters, architects, writers and singers, a paradise indeed for those interested in understanding the complex concepts of elven arts, a place dedicated to the two oldest arts and traditions of the Empire, to create beauty for the sake of it and to express the desires of your soul by the work of your hands.

Finally the train slowed down, and they had the luck of taking a look at the magnificent and endless form of the palace of the Everqueen, built by a vanguard Bonesiger who tried to copy a reversal Menegroth, The Thousand Towers instead of the Thousand Caves, a name suiting for the place, looking like a curving, unpredictable, multicolored and gargantuan cathedral, the place where the Everqueen lived and ruled over her loved citizens...

Celestrianna, who remained entirely in silence during the trip, finally spoke, turning to the Danaans who were her honoured guests. "I hope you liked it, at least we do. I think we already arrived. Beware of the spells on the Aelosian mirrors, ten hours have passed since we left the docks. Is there anything I can do for you or any question do you need me to answer?"

Frederick looked out the windows in awe the entire trip. The Aelosians had certainly built something beautiful here. A more jaded observer would have been comparing it to his homeland or to other countries he had seen and Frederick would likely do that later but for now he just let the beauty of the landscape wash over him. "Beauty is life." he murmured in a half-whisper. For Summer Fae like Frederick, that was no idle philosophizing but one of the four highest laws.

Filyra smiled at the Prine but shook her head lightly, even as she too took in all the sights of the Elven city. She noticed the beauty of the structures but what she noticed more was a sort of unanimity of purpose in the Elves which impressed her greatly. To be sure, Danaans had a unanimity of purpose about many things and the most important things, patriotism, morality, et al. But for the Elves, this unanimity seemed to reach to every area of their lives. Perhaps it stemmed from their comparative ethnic and cultural homogenity. Oh, when push came to shove, Filyra still preferred the diversity of her own country. Nonetheless, she had found something to respect and admire in Aelosia.

Frederick nodded as they moved from their seats. "We loved it."

"We wouldn't expect less", Celestrianna said with a chuckle. "Of course, we would had been really dissapointed if that wasn't case", she continued, looking at Frederick directly in his eyes. "Now I must say that we have finished our trip, and that Princess Aliria, Marquise of the Dihyru House and Heir to the Imperial Throne is already waiting for you, Honourable Guests, so we should exit this train and try to contact her as soon as possible, she's eager to see who the Resurgent Dream sent to meet her, as she has some good memories of a distinguished personality that she met once, Lord Connor, I believe it was, if my old memory doesn't fail me". Celestrianna stood up and took a step forward as the door of the wagon opened, already a red velvet carpet placed at the exit to lead them to the insides of the Palace...

Frederick smiled to the Aelosian woman. "Diuc Connor ap Daireann, at the time, in any event. Now he is High King Connor, beloved husband to Her High Majesty, Agwene ni Gwydion, High Queen of the Resurgent Dream."

Filyra smiled as well. "We are eager to meet Her Highness, of course."

"Is he the King?. Outstanding!. I guess Princess Aliria will be both happy and distressed when she receive those news", said Celestrianna with a chuckle, offering the Danaan enovys the best of the light-hearted spirit. "He has fame of being a Ladies' man, but I see those were just rumours. Nice to see that he is both a great and serious man, and that he is the consort of such a great queen. Tell them if you see them again that the Empire of Aelosia send them greetings and the best wishes we have to offer", she continued, finally leading the TRD's delegates towards a huge door on a side of the palace, guarded by more than two dozens of Berethauths, the Warmaidens of the Empire and personal army of the Everqueen.

"This way, you'll find the Princess waiting for you the other side of the door. I'll wait here, as I'm sure nor the Princess nor you will need any introductions, and I'm old and tired enough. A pleasure to meet you, Danaan Delegates, and I hope our fates will reserve us another meeting. there are a lot of things I would like to learn about you", Celestrianna said, bowing deeply again as Aelosian courtesy demanded her, not stopping to smile for a single second.

Frederick smirked lightly, not saying anything. Filyra nodded. "I am sure Their Majesty's will be happy to here from Her Highness."

Filyra turned to Celestrianna with a warm smile. "I also hope that we might meet again. You have been a most charming host and a most impressive woman."

At that, the delegates went in to see Her Highness, Princess Aliria, heir to the Aelosian throne. Frederick bowed politely as befit a prince to a princess. The others bowed more deeply. Frederick smiled. "It is good to finally meet you, Princess Aliria of Aelosia."

Aliria was dressed on a ravishing purple dress, based on several XVI century styled dresses, with a wide and ample skirt, and long sleeves, with intense and wonderful inlaids details of the purest mithril and diamonds, giving her a both luxurious and serious appearance, so different to the usually more casual, or provocative dresses she usually wore outside Aelosia at international events, that remarked her absolutely femenine silouette and made both her carefully dressed hair and her big, clear eyes more attractive.(http://www.vintagetextile.com/images/Gallery/0925x.jpg)

Above her forehead the circlet that was the symbol of her status as Princess and Heir gleamed brightly, sporting the sapphire that once a close friend gave her as a gift when her own people claimed her as Princess for the first time. "Oh my Danaan friends!, you're already here. I was already worried, I thought you could had been lost or something. But I'm sure Celes took you for a tour or something, as least we have a Chancellor worth her seat. I welcome you to the Palace of my mother, the final seat of power of the Sacred Sindarin Empire, and I hope that your stay in my lands has been satisfactory and enjoyable. It's a pleasure to meet you all, and to see that your nation is still interested in befriend our own", she said, clearly being sincere and honest, looking happy to see them.

"So tell me, What can I do for you, my beloved guests?", she asked, trying to be socially friendly and warm.

Filyra grinned. "We merely wanted to see your beautiful country, Your Highness, so we had the vehicle slow to give us a look at the scenery. I must say that Aelosian architecture is rather breathtaking, almost as breathtaking as their princess."

Frederick smiled wryly. "We wished only to meet the Jewel of the Sindar in person."

"You have already done that, then", said Aliria with a smile, approaching her guests and giving each one a little bow, offering her hand to each one. "your compliments make me blush, my beloved guests, I suppose I'm still not used to them afer all these years hearing them. After all, everyone always want to curry the favour of those that hold power. Sadly indeed, as you stop knowing who is really sincere and who is just trying to please you to get something from you", Aliria said in an enigmatic tone, shaking her head to the sides a bit, her smile quickly dissapearing.

"But a least our Empire is proud to enjoy the friendship of nations like yours, honest and sincere, not able of treason or deceit", said Aliria again, her smile returning to her lips. "Amongst you, I know that your compliments are sincere".

All the Danaans, even Filyra who was also a woman, lightly kissed Aliria's knuckles when she offered her hands and returned her bows. Frederick then gave a small upturn of his lips. "Her Majesty will be most honored to hear of such words coming from you, Your Highness. She is known to value honesty above all else."

Chiaramonte nodded. "They would especially mean a lot to Her Majesty coming from you, Your Highness. In the Danaan High Kingdom, we have heard about the work you have done to help make Aelosian society more inclusive towards humans. With honesty, racial equity is also one of Her Majesty's most treasured principles."

Aliria looked really surprised at the gesture from her guests, as she expected little more than just a handshake, and not a kiss, but was quite nonetheless, and accepted the gesture with a broad and sincere smile.

"Lady Chiaramonte, that's not just my work...", said Aliria, shaking her head on a slight way as she heard the words of the human. "Most outsiders think that Aelosia is an absolutist monarchy, and me and my mother are completely in charge, and that all decisions are taken by the both of us".

"Thanks to the Valar it isn't so", she continued, smiling to the Danaan delegation. "The Sacred Sindarin Empire is ruled by an aristocracy, an oligarchy, some say. The main noble houses control everything, all aspects of aelosian live and every major decision that must be made. The Imperial House of Lúthien is the most important of all, and have extra weight at the time of voting, but when the day ends it's a decision of the mayority of the Gathering of Nobles. The edicts involving racial equity were approved thanks to the support of several noble Houses already compromised with the goal of making humans our peers, although we still believe that distance is the best way to keep human and elves happy at each other. That's why no humans are allowed to gain Aelosian citizenship or to make residence aboard our Craftworld, although they can freely live in our colonies, and enjoy the benefits of our generosity as special Live term guests", she explained with a slight tone of sadness in her voice.

"However, we're already promoting a new law that will allow the humans to attain the full benefits of any aelosians, but it has heavy opposition from several houses, even from several that are traditional allies of my own, so it won't come true in the near future", she finished, turning to see Lady Milagros right to her eyes.

((OOC: Chiaramonte is a man.))

"I hope your new law manages to pass sucessfully." Filyra noted. "The Danaan government does have an obvious interest in such things."

(Milagros Chiaramonte a man?. Milagros is a female name :P)

((OOC: My mistake. It can be a woman then. *Drags back IC*))

"It is a decision left to the Noble's Gathering. I promise you I'll do everything in my hand to help to pass it. Most Houses are either in favour of it or in the proccess of analysis, more after our relationship with the Iuthians out in Mars have come out so nicely. Do you know Iuthia, right?", The Princess asked with a smile, as an attendant brought a glass of the finest aelosian wine to each one of the presents.

The four sipped the wine, murmuring their thanks to the attendant. Frederick smiled warmly. "I am sure Prime Minister Lacau and Prince Aaron will be very interested in the proceedings."

Filyra frowned at him slightly, apparently thinking Frederick said something a little off. Then she looked back to Aliria with a lovely smile. "Thank you for speaking to us in such detail. It was actually something of a pleasant surprise."

Milagos blushed slightly at the sudden thought, looking up to Princess Aliria, who was probably a good deal taller than any of the Danaans, assuming Aelosian Elves were the same height as Menelmacari ones. The human woman asked a curious question. "Your Highness, does that mean I'm the first human on the Craftworld, if we haven't been allowed in the past?"

"I do not want to sound...dissapointing Milagros, but you aren't the first human being in visiting the Craftworld, or probably making it a temporal place of residence. We have many distinguished visitors in the past, from many different human nations. However, it's forbidden to humans to attain Aelosian citizenship or to make the Craftworld their permanent home. In other way, we allow tourism, but no inmigration. In the colonies the situation is a bit more open, but it's a long way to integration anyway", Princess Aliria said still modulating her voice in more than a dozen different tones.

Milagros nodded. "I should have expected as much."

Frederick looked off thoughtfully for a long moment. His gaze seemed to look beyond the present time and place, deep into the past or even outside of time. He shook his head a little and smiled once more at Aliria. "We have very good relations with the Iuthians. If you'll recall, it was at an Iuthian wedding that you met High King Connor for the first time."

Filyra smirked lightly, taking another sip of the wine. "This is excellent, Your Highness. Might I ask the name and vintage so I know what to ask for in the future?"

"Yes I do remember King Connor. Pleasant, handsome and a fine man, I should add, Queen Agwene is really lucky to have such a gentleman at her side, and I think I already said that part. It was on an Iuthian wedding indeed, although I was expecting a bit more...personal point of view", said Aliria to Frederick, suddenly placing the palm of her hand over Frederick's cheek, cupping his feature on her little, delicate hand.

"About the wine, it is not in the trade market, but it is a twenty year Cúthalion created wine, one of the few that we actually do not import from Lavenrunz, and perhaps the finest we have in stock, reserved for the Imperial family and its peers", finished Aliria, fixing her huge, clear eyes on those of Frederick with an intense stare, although her words were directed at Filyra.

Frederick smiled at the touch and tried very, very hard to remind himself that Aliria was engaged. "I'll be sure to pass on your compliments. Though...I am not quite sure what you mean by a personal point of view." He smiled with faux innocent charm.

Filyra smiled wryly. "I happen to know His Majesty has rather fond memories of you as well, Your Highness. And you should be aware that we Daireann never forget our friends." She said the name of Daireann with immense pride in her House.

Milagros inclined her head. "Her Excellency isn't just bragging about her own blood. Daireann are known for always remembering both friends and enemies. You can rest assured, Your Highness, that His Majesty will remember your gestures of friendship anytime a decision involving Aelosia is before him."

Morcotulco spoke for the first time since greeting the Princess, which was odd given that he was her fellow Elf. "Your Highness, we've talked a lot about the relations between Quendi and humans from an Aelosian perspective but...I'm wondering, how does Aelosia feel about the other major race living in the Resurgent Dream, the Fae?"

"The Fae to us are...enigmatic people, perhaps. As far as we know, and judging by the ones that we have met, they are really pleasant, noble and wonderful people, although we of course would like more details and analysis of the conglomerate as a whole to issue such a delicate opinion", said Aliria turning her eyes away, looking around as her cheeks blushed just a tiny bit, taking a pleasant light pink hue.

"Not everything that the legends say about Fae is good, I should add, although the same thing could be said of the elves. Not all stories of the elves are true, so I guess we could apply the same concept to the Fae. I hope all the people of the fae are as pleasant as the ones I have met", she continued, turning back to show her back to her visitors, a symbol that what she was going to say was pretty important...or pretty delicate. "Many say that the fae are a people really similar to us. In many nation and cultures in the universe people believe that elves are just fae, so the similarity for sure is great. However, we have committed many mistakes that have brought shame upon our race as a whole. I hope tha fae haven't committed the same mistakes", she finished, turning again to see the Danaan envoys as she finished her speech.

Frederick paused a moment, not sure how to answer that. Filyra fielded the question. "We are familiar with the deeds done by certain Elves in the past, with what you call the Kinslaying and with other things. We do not hold you or the people of Aelosia responsible for deeds done by other people in the past simply because you are of the same race as they are. It is by the content of your own individual and national character that we judge you and what we have seen so far, we like greatly."

She continued. "For our part, there have certainly been Fae who choose to do evil deeds. The ability to choose between good and evil is a trait belonging to every free being and, while we hope all choose good and do our best to fight against those who do evil and bring them to justice, we have not yet met a race which is all good or all evil and do not expect to meet one. For us, good has a meaning because we choose it. If we were all born good, there would be no praise due to the good, even though we would be helpful. Likewise, a being born evil cannot be blamed for its birth, even if it must be neutralized. It is because we can choose good or evil that we may take credit for our good deeds and that we deserve blame for our bad ones. I asked what you thought of Fae because much seems to still be based on race in Aelosia. However, we would not ask you to consider Fae good or evil or neutral. We would ask you to judge the Danaan government and individual Danaan citizens by their character and their actions and we shall continue to form our opinions of Aelosians on the same grounds. So, to answer your question more directly, there have been both great heroes and great villains among the Fae in the past." Filyra smiled shyly. "Her Majesty, modest creature that she is, would be wroth with me for saying so but...I would number her among the heroes. Of course, the endorsement of an ambassador is not entirely unbiased."

"We judge all people in the same way, Fylira. By their own deeds", said Aliria quite convinced of her own words. "Or at least that's the way I see it and the way this Empire will see it as long as I'll be the forefront of it", her last words being followed by a hard look filled with a steely determination.

"I already knew before you entered this room that evil fae existed...but that's just normal. Evil humans lurk everywhere, but that doesn't make that race evil. Even evil elves exist, I know it because I was opressed by them and I helped to overthrow them. But I think each individual have the Right of Doubt, and the right to be pressumed innocent until proven otherwise, those must be tenets of any state that tries to catalog itself as good", she continued, turning to Frederick again.

"And about Her Majesty Agwene, I suppose you're right, and that she's a hero. I have read a bit about her deeds, and I believe she already earned that title. People under your rule tend to believe that their rulers are heroes and saviors of the people, but the truth is that none of us powerful rulers could exist without our peples backing us in each step we take", said Aliria, leaning her head a bit at the left, looking at a beautiful green and purple sunset showed far beyond a balcony nearby.

Filyra inclined her head. "That is true, of course. However, it is equally true that you give your people very good reason to back you, Your Highness."

Frederick bowed. "It has certainly been an honor, Princess Aliria. Speaking with you has confirmed that we made the right decision in allying ourselves with Aelosia, among other powers, through VERITAS."

Filyra curtsied. "Your Highness has been most generous with your time."

Milagros curtsied. "It warms my heart to hear of what you are doing for the situation of my people in Aelosia."

Morcotulco bowed. "While I dearly love my adopted country, it is good to be surrounded by other Quendi once more."

"And it makes me feel better to see that we have finally harvested such a fine friends with our actions and decisions", said Aliria following the tone of the Danaan envoys' conversation.

She turned around again, smiling brightly like a playing child, and approached them, moving amongst them with the grace of a swan slowly sliding over a placid lake. "But not all of that is my deed. Many people have helped, and many of them have been even more important in such achievements. Starting with my mother the Everqueen Aelosia, for example. After all, it was her final decision to approve all of those improvements. People like the ArchDuchess Celestrianna Paelisi, who you already met, and the Marquise Aleinna Cúthalion were also of great importance, proposing the changes and winning the votes neccesary to approve them", she stated, resting her silky hand over Frederick's shoulder for a moment.

"I hope you're happy now, then. I wonder what else I can do for you"....

Frederick smiled. "You've already been a more than gracious host, Princess. Thank you for seeing us."

((End here?))