Old Friendships

[Centurius]

Upon acceptation by the French of the Russian invitation Petrograd would be prepared for the arrival of the French representative. A large parade would be held through the streets while a limousine was prepared to bring the Frenchman from the train station to the Winter Palace where the Tsarina and her court were expecting him.

[Evangeline Anovilis]

Joseph Noulens, who already in the past had been Ambassador to Petrograd and who had worked with the White army in the Civil War, would be travelling to Russia via train from Paris over Cologne, Berlin, Warsaw and Vilnius. With Russia resurgent, it seemed that these talks could be quite important.

 

Once he had arrived, observed the parade, surely a sign of goodwill on the part of the Russians and been driven to the Winter Palace, Noulens would respectfully bow before the Empress, before greeting her. "Your Majesty, I'm Monsieur Joseph Noulens, Ambassador in the service of the République française. Paris sends its warmest regards and me as its representative to your noble court."

[Centurius]

"Monsieur Noulens, it should be me bowing. My advisers have told me quite an amount about the role you have played in supporting my government in its most difficult time and your return to Russia must most certainly be a good omen for the future of our state. Please sit" Natalia said as she pointed at a chair one of her aides had prepared for the French ambassador. "I am honoured and glad that France has decided to resume dialogue. As I stated in my letter there simply is too much history between our states to remain strangers"

[Evangeline Anovilis]

"La France assisted her allies, your Majesty. My services were natural to render to a friend of ours. And if Russia wants to be friends again, that is naturally an interesting and potentially quite welcome idea. Europe is reforming itself, it might be good to find new allies, but it is also good to look upon old ties in these times of reformation.", Noulens would respond.

[Centurius]

Natalia nodded as she listened to the Frenchman. "Yes Europe is going through a reformation indeed, sadly not unlike just before the great war it seems to be splitting into two distinct movements again. As you must have noticed yourself the forces of fascism are on the rise, not even trying to hide it in such countries as Spain and Italy. This has the Tsardom very concerned, while the forces of communism fought Russia fascism is not at all a smaller threat. It is in times like these that the forces of liberalism must join and form a united front. The French state is a perfect example of one such force. The freedom and rights you afford your people are impressive and I can only hope that Russia is starting to match this level. I will not hide my intentions behind fancy words, I would very much like to see our old alliance restored so we together may form a fortress against those who would see us destroyed"