Henriettas mission

[Evangeline Anovilis]

At the Border the troops were on guard. "Princess, do you really think this is the right thing to do? They are rebels. They are democrats. They are enemies." Officier Catherine Belleville of the 616ieme Compagnie des Fusiliers asked through the window of the car. "I will be fine. I have the feeling, those people aren't just savages. They know what happens, should they hurt the Princess of Vicidalia in a diplomatic mission." A gentle voice answered. While the window closed, Officier Belleville saluted and the car passed the border checkpoint of Nouvelle-Châteaudun in western direction. Immediatly the troops were put on wartime readyness. Should the negotiations fail in a way the Princess would be hurt, an enemy strike was expected.

Henrietta, Princesse de Vicidalia, first in the Vicidalian line of succession, thus immediate heir, should Louise be unable or unwilling to attend the matters of the state anymore, drove through the lands of the so-called New Panama, a self-proclaimed, but unrecognised 'nation' encompassing Panama and Colombia, and with this also provinces considered Vicidalian by the Imperialist circles at the court. While driving past fields, the young Princess could see the farmers on their fields, the beautiful landscape of Colombia and soon the city of Bogota rose up before them, a big cluttered place, but ideal for a meeting, being near the Vicidalian border, in range for aircraft and missiles.

Here Henrietta rented a room in one of the better hotels, writing a letter to the government of New Panama.

[quote][b]To: Jose Narino, Interim President of New Panama
From: Henrietta de Vicidalia, Princesse de Vicidalia
Subject: Diplomatic meeting[/b]

To the Interim President and the government of the movement of 'New Panama',

I write you today, as Vicidalia wants to answer the invitation to open relations with New Panama. As this movement takes place in the land neighbouring our country, occupying lands we lay claim to even, we cannot ignore it, so I visit you to give New Panama one chance to present its case to Vicidalia. There are many things in dire need to be clarified and I hope you will agree and meet me sometime during the next four days in the town of Bogota. The adress of my hotel is given below in the notes attached to the letter.

With regards,
[i]Henrietta, Princesse de Vicidalia[/i][/quote]

Attached was a piece of paper with the detailed location of the hotel and which room the Princess lived in for now.

[b]OOC:[/b] you can just arrive and knock at the door. Henrietta will let you in, give you some tea and then the talks begin, should you choose to come.

[King Timmy]

Upon receiving the letter Jose Narino knew that it would not be an easy discussion. These people say they have a claim to the lands that Jose Narino and the people of Panama and Colombia had just united. He would not let them disrupt what he had started. He was trying to unite an area that had been decimated only recently by war. He wanted to rebuild it and make it greater than it had been in the past, he had many ideas of how to do this and one of those was the co-operation of their neighboring nations. Should he fail to bring them along side as friends it would make the process all the more difficult. Needless to say he boarded a military helicopter that would take him to Bogota immediately. There would of course be an escort of fighters flying with him incase it turned out to be a trick in luring him close to the border.

Upon landing an armoured car would be waiting for him with an army squad being assigned to his body guard. They would travel in the same car and in another two close behind and just ahead of him. When arriving at the hotel one car would close off each end of the block to stop anyone else entering the street while the team in his car would wait outside the hotel. They did not feel comfortable letting him enter alone but obeyed his order none the less. They would have felt better had he taken a pistol in with him but again he refused. He had to show trust from the beginning in order to gain her trust.

He walked up the steps of the hotel and arrived at the room where the princess was staying. He knocked on the door and awaited a reply. As Henrietta opened the door he was taken aback by her looks but he tried hard not to show it. He accepted the offer of tea from her and as they sat down to begin the talking he spoke first.

"So, where would you like to begin?"

Edited December 28, 2011 by King Timmy

[Evangeline Anovilis]

Henrietta, altough still young, had to take care of many matters. This one was just one of them, however, it was an important one. As she served the Darjeeling tea, made from one of the few packages of tea that had been imported to Vicidalia via West India and the Tianxia tributaries, she began to answer the mans question. "Well, as you may remember, your popular movement invited us to talks with you. However, before that, there also is the issue of your movement occupying land we see as Lunar protectorate." She looked at her tea and stirred a bit in it with her spoon. "I think we first work on the later. Are you already aware of Vicidalias problems with your movement, or do I need to explain?"

[King Timmy]

As he sipped the tea he couldn't help but think he needed to get some of it imported for himself. He took a second to compose himself and think upon his words very carefully before answering.

"I am well aware with your nations problems with our movement, I have come here today to convince you that we are not simply a movement but a new beginning for Panama and Colombia. Even the Lunar Republic themselves have granted us our independence. Is that not enough for you see that we are not a minor movement but in fact the beginnings of a new nation?"

"We started our movement, as you call it, for the people of Colombia and Panama. We are here to rebuild what was once part of a mighty empire that, as all empires do, fell leaving behind it a war torn wreck of a country. Many other nations have been born out of the ashes including yourselves. Had the people wanted to join your nation I am sure they would have spoken up sooner but as it happens they didn't. You may have a 'claim' to the land but..."

Jose paused for a second. "Excuse me, could you remind me again what your claim is? I have had so much work to do recently as you can imagine it seems to have slipped my mind."

[Evangeline Anovilis]

Henrietta knew it would be hard to talk to the New Panamese, given that the politics of Vicidalia were not the same as the ones of the movement. The understanding and reasoning were different in so many ways, it was no wonder many had just pressed for forceful intervention, instead of diplomacy.

"Well, the lands were under Lunar protection and it seemed as if the time was not right for negotiations over returning what rightfully belongs to Grande-Vicidalia. Here [url="http://i.imgur.com/5VO3k.png"]a map[/url] of what Vicidalia sees as the so-called Grande-Vicidalia." Handing Jose the map, Henrietta brought with her, she looked away. To her it was clear that what Vicidalia was asking for was not right in many ways, but to some, it was right enough to intervene.

"Most of our lands still belong to others, most of them are with us in USAN, however the Lunar Republic relinquishing control over what you call New Panama, it could allow Vicidalia to ask to return the land to the Vicidalian crown. Especially if it is this great a part of what we raise claim to." She looked at Monsieur Narino again. "And to Vicidalia, we are no country ruled by popular vote and the peoples will. Vicidalia is but one thing, the dominion of the Grand Princess, legitimate due to her bloodline, ruling by divine right. To the court, your movement is occupying lands of the crown."

Henrietta ended it there, as she considered it unwise to tell him that some had criticised Lieselotte, for sending Henrietta, on the basis that Vicidalia should never negotiate with rebels. And she hoped that this would not develop any worse, as Lieselotte could still try to mark them rebels.

[King Timmy]

Jose looked at the map. It was a ridiculous claim. Viciliada was hardly in any position to demand the entirety of New Panama be simply annexed into their nation yet here they were. They come admitting they do not take their own people into consideration and expect New Panama to simply hand over their own people so such a defunct system as that. Needless to say never once had the thought of actually going through with such folly. He would of course word this in a more polite nature so as not to aggravate the princess.

"Princess Henrietta I have to be honest with you, I will not simply cede the land my people want as their own to a way of rulership that does not give them the right to vote for their leadership. Do you yourself honestly believe it would be the right thing to do? Did you actually think I would do such a thing?" Jose sighed. "I asked you here as I wanted to begin a relationship between our two nations with friendship, can you see any foreseeable outcome that would result in friendship and the retention of New Panama's land?"

[Evangeline Anovilis]

Henrietta sighed. Her sister and her dreams, and the Senechal going through with it.

"Monsieur Narino, let me tell you, I personally and a good part of the court can understand New Panamas situation, but what we also see is the claim of the Maison de Vicidalia and the political line we are given. I was sent to you to negotiate the return of western Vicidalia, to get it accomplished diplomatically, before it worsens. I'd rather think twice before opposing her Highness...and her Senechal. If you excuse me, I would like to have a short moment for myself. I'm back in a minute."

Henrietta stood up. She was at the end. This was a battlefield, and she was losing. To her, it shouldn't have been a surprise. Going in another room, she closed the door and sat down on the floor, her eyes filled with tears. Altough it came as expected, a defeat would mean that Lieselotte would push for harsher means to get rid of New Panama. And the harshest possible would be an attack. An attack that would cost thousands of Vicidalians their lives, Vicidalians like Officier Belleville of the 616ieme Compagnie des Fusiliers.

OOC: Ok, you were left alone in a room, alone. You can make up your thoughts.

[King Timmy]

Jose was perplexed. Did she actually believe he would simply cede all he had worked hard to build to a nation such as theirs? It was madness for here to have even come here. If some of his Generals knew exactly what it was she wanted then her safety would most certainly be at risk. He would not dare have such an incident occur within their borders. It would certainly lead to war. He would make sure she returned safely but his answer would remain what it had been from the beginning of their conversation. He awaited her return to the room to finalise these short talks.

Edited December 28, 2011 by King Timmy

[Evangeline Anovilis]

After having washed her face to wipe out the traces of her tears, Henrietta returned. "Sorry for this. I just had to attend something I forgot."

She sat down at her seat from before and in a last attempt she gave it her all. "I think, the greatest problem of your movement is that Vicidalia is not ruled by the people. Also you do not want to cede land to the Grand Princess. Well, there is one last thing I can offer." Here Henrietta had to pause. It was not likely to get accepted, but it was the last thing she could do. Taking all her willpower and mustering up her courage she began. "The land has only to be returned to the Vicidalian crown. In whatever way that is. If you were to become a land under a Vicidalian monarch...even with a constitutional monarchy it may work..." She stopped. "I'm sounding stupid, right? I guess this was not meant to be bearing fruits."

Henrietta turned away, awaiting the 'Presidents' answer, secretly hoping for the death toll to be as small as it could be when the time would come.

[King Timmy]

"I am truly sorry but my answer remains no." As she had turned away he knew this was not the answer she hoped to hear, even if it was what she expected. "However, I would like you to know that you yourself are not responsible. Being sent here on an errant by your leader was hardly fair on your part, my answer would have been the same no matter who had been sent. I will not hold you responsible for whatever comes next either, a leader alone is responsible for their nations actions and until such a time as that is your role in Vicidalia you need not feel guilty for anything that may happen."

"If you would like I can escort you back to your border or I can leave you to vacate in your own time. You are welcome here for as long as you see fit."

[Evangeline Anovilis]

"I-I'll be fine. I can return and I will return. I-I-I'm thankful for your hospitality." Altough polite and expected, it was still hurting and the knowledge of Lieselottes reaction was not making it easy. "Here, take this. It is the package of tea. I hope it was to your liking. Sadly there is no more I can offer." Henrietta was in shock. She knew, if she was ever to return here, Lieselotte would only let her do that if it was a burning ruin, eradicated from the face of the planet. She even gifted the President the box with the tea, and as she handed it to him, her eyes were full of tears. Most likely, she had not averted the slaughter.