Eagles and Lions

[Lynneth]

[Private message to the United Kingdom of Great Britain]

 

"Your Highness King Henry,

 

the Prince and the Princess have expressed their interest in a diplomatic meeting with your newly risen nation to discuss relations between Tikal and Great Britain, and potentially establish a treaty of non-aggression and trade.

 

If you agree to such a meeting, merely provide us with the time and place, and one of their Highnesses will travel to your beautiful island nation."

 

By the authority vested in me by Their Sublime Highnesses

Director of Diplomacy,

Clemente Marroquín Rojas

Principality of Tikal

[Triyun]

[b]To the Nation of Tikal:[/b]

 

The British Sovereign accepts your request for a meeting.  He invites you to join him in Edinborough for a summit between our two nations.

 

-FU

[Lynneth]

With the British agreeing to a meeting, Princess Shana'Kin Yaxchel Ik'nal travelled to Edinborough using the Principal Concorde, accompanied by four personal guards and 54 servants. In Britain, two guards and most of the servants would stay with the plane, though the other guards and 4 servants would accompany the Princess to the meeting location. The Ba'ate'xib accompanying the Princess would agree to being temporarily disarmed for the meeting if the British Security demanded it.

 

"Your Highness King Henry, thank you very much for meeting with me, especially so shortly after the inception of your nation," the Princess said, then giving a slight bow.

Edited August 15, 2014 by Lynneth

[Triyun]

"I am glad you could come.  What is it that you would like to discuss with us today?" the King said as he leaned back in his chair as ale was poured.

[Lynneth]

The Princess had asked for some tea instead of ale, taking a sip from her cup before giving an answer. "It is our hope that Tikal and Great Britain might come to an agreement in regards to trade, for one. Secondly, we would like to establish a treaty of non-aggression and to ensure that neither side acts against the other's interests in the Atlantic.

"Our interest lies solely in protecting the Americas from imperialism and colonialism, though we are committed to never strike first, and to not use more force than necessary. For example, when France attempted to establish a colony in Quebec some decades ago, we intervened and came to a peaceful conclusion of the issue with them. This agreement would also include for example the Bahamas for Tikal, or the Azores for Great Britain, were your nation to integrate them. I hope such non-interference would be something Britain could agree to, your Highness?"

[Lynneth]

The King appeared to somehow have fallen asleep with open eyes. Why else would he not be responding for so long?

 

"Your Majesty? Are you alright?"

[Triyun]

"The British Government views itself as an Atlanticist Nation, and that it has shared history with much of North America including many islands and nations that willingly through democratic election maintained affiliation with the British Crown.  I don't believe such an appropriate analogy exists with Quebec and France.  If we are talking merely about Imperialism in the sense that something is far away, certainly some of the island holdings is Imperialism for Tikal.  And as surely as it is ridiculous for Britain to claim a doctrine over Africa because it is the same, I fail to see how a doctrine from North America laid South makes much sense either.  Nor does it make much sense to go into Polynesia.  

 

Please madame, if you're going to come in here and make sweeping analogies do not make ones that call for do as you want but not as you do.

 

I'm going to be frank with you, the British are a seafaring people, who know how to use the seas, and recognize the power it gains.  It seems very hard then to see how such sweeping statements can be taken as anything other than rude or presumptuous.  

 

If the nation of Tikal wishes to have amicable relations, it should practice what it preaches and have an honest dialogue, not come in and make such sweeping declarations or compare us to the French."

[Lynneth]

"First, your Highness, I would like to clarify that I did not intend to compare you to the French. I merely used the incident to highlight Tikal's commitment to protecting the Americas. And though you might not see the merit of a doctrine of a primarily [i]Central[/i] American nation wishing to protect both its north and south, it is there, and an emulation of what the USA did during the 19th and early 20th centuries. The Americas are much more closely knit than Africa, Asia or Europe with one another, even more so nowadays than before the cataclysm.

 

"In the end, however, Tikal's priority is to have a guarantee of mutual non-interference. We will not act in Europe unless it directly concerns allies, and in turn Britain will do the same for the Americas, though I would like to specify more precisely by using a map, should you agree."

[Triyun]

"Your central position doesn't change the fact that you are on a different continent.  Central America is part of North America but at the edge with deep cultural, economic, and historic ties with South America.  Britain is at the edge of Europe, and a sea oriented nation, which is responsible for settling most of North America, and has deep cultural, historical, and political ties, most of which were very positive to the region.  Far more in fact than Tikal.  To suggest that we should not have a relationship with our cousins across the pond is simply insulting when you have this position of your own.

 

We cannot agree to an arrangement that dictates estrangement from our fraternal nations."

[Lynneth]

"I'm not sure if you have noticed, your Highness, but the nations that Britain had its ties with - Canada, the USA - do not exist anymore. They have not existed in decades, if not centuries. These ties you speak of are for the most part gone, destroyed with the nations that fell so long ago. New England is not the USA, the Federation of the Atlantic is not Canada, Tikal is not Mexico. The only ties that exist are the ones that may be built in the future, your Highness. Further, the treaty would not interfere with trade, only military and territorial matters."

Edited August 20, 2014 by Lynneth

[Triyun]

"To friends we may wish to establish beyond Tikal.  While Canada and the USA are gone, the heritage and culture are not.  New [i]England[/i] is still called New England.  To say it is wiped out is simply wrong.  On top of that there are parts that were British by choice either in our commonwealth such as Jamiaca or in cases like the Virgin Islands that chose to remain with Britainnia by choice.  This is not to say that Britain will force these lands from their current masters, but for you to make such overarching statements with no acceptance of these clear facts, along with the fact that Tikal itself does not limit itself to one continent seems both unfair and discriminatory in the global system creating two ties of Atlantic Actors.  Such a unyielding and uneven system would no be taken as a gesture of friendship, but as a gesture of strategic containment if not encirclement."

[Lynneth]

"Well, if what I'm speaking of is so unreasonable, what would you propose, then?"

[Triyun]

First I would posit that while continents are a legitimate way to organize multi-national organizations and define interests, so too are oceanic communities.  Oceans are not barriers they are roads over which, goods, culture, and people flow.  Afterall until the mid-20th century, Ocean travel was often cheaper and faster, and we are not willing to give up the cultural, economic, political, and blood ties that have come from that.  Mutual respect should be what is in order.  

 

What I would say is that amity should include recognition particularly in areas where British influence persisted well into the 20th century let alone 21st, that special dispensation be given to reestablish ties and influence through peaceful means absent something like Britain being caught in a defensive war or a situation similar.  At the same time the British Crown has no wish to extend its reach to all territories and areas that traditionally were colonized by nations other than Britain including parts of the United States which had never been part of British territory would remain completely outside where Britain can assert any sort of influence.  I would find such a agreement to be more reflective of both mutual fairness and respect.

[Lynneth]

"Your Majesty, I presume you have diplomatic training and education? As such, you surely know that diplomatic language should be clear in its intention. In my eyes, you use needless prose and pomp. Please speak more plainly, lest I find this meeting wasting my time."

[Triyun]

I am being perfectly clear, but perhaps your english is a bit deficient.  Britain rejects the notion that continents are the sole determinants of community and organization of states and that Oceans rather than being seen as barriers and dividing lines, are pathways across which goods flow, easier in fact than continents.  As such the idea of dividing British Influence by sea makes no sense.  What I am willing to offer is that we will not look to build influence in areas like Brazil where we have no historical ties.  But we will not separate ourselves from our Atlantic fraternal territories and nations, we are willing to guarentee we will not launch aggressive conquests against them though.

[Lynneth]

The Princess rubbed her eyes with three fingers and exhaled. "A thousand pardons, your Majesty, but I believe that at this time, this meeting will either result in nothing or badly damaged relations between our two states. You have my heartfelt apologies for taking your time up, and for the earlier unfriendliness on my part.

 

"Furthermore, I would like to affirm Tikal's commitment to keeping American nations from attempting to gain territory on other continents. I thank you very much for devoting time to this meeting, and I hope that another meeting may be held at some point in the future, hopefully with a better result." She inclined her her head slightly in replacement of bowing, as she was still sitting.