Of Spartans and South Slavs

[Rudolph]

Private

Addressed To the Foreign Ministry of the Spartan nation, and her King, King Alexander Augustus Apostolos

"It is with great joy to be able to see the Greeks stand on their own after such a collapse, and we in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia are delighted to see our neighbors doing well once more. Both of our nations and its people share a long and storied history together, positive relations being the norm more so than negative ones.

That being established, we simply request the opportunity to resume those relations and move forward as neighbors and brothers of our beloved Peninsula once more. To that end, I ask if it is acceptable to schedule a visit to your country and personally re-establish our ties.

I shall await your reply."

Respectfully,
Kralj Dragojev Belojevic

[Zoot Zoot]

To: Kralj Dragojev Belojevic

From: King Alexander Augustus Apostolos

 

It would be an honour for you to visit Sparta Kralj. Our respective Foreign Affairs departments can handle the details of the trip, so I won't bore you with them, but it would be a pleasure to re-affirm our relationship and commitment to European peace and stability.

[Rudolph]

Private

Addressed To the Foreign Ministry of the Spartan nation, and her King, King Alexander Augustus Apostolos

"We shall be arriving within Sparta's capital as fast as we can."

 

Respectfully,
Kralj Dragojev Belojevic

 

[hr]

 

The flight would be quick and uneventful, Dragojev and his entourage calmly filed out of the jet and went through the normal procedures one had to do in an airport before finally exiting. The Kralj would smile at the man wielding a sign with 'Kralj of Yugoslavia' scribbled on it, he and his party walked towards the Spartan official, short introductions before they were escorted to the convoy provided where they would be guided towards the Palace of the Spartan King.

[Zoot Zoot]

The 'Palace', was a moderately sized mansion house surrounded by a high walled compoud just outside of the city in the foothills towards the mountains. The convoy of vehicles would receive a full military escort and on arrival to the Kings official residence and seat of Royal Authority, the cremonial guards would take over.

 

The ceremonial guards, dressed in ancient Spartan attire would march to the vehicles and surround them, the bronze shields blasting the sunlight in all directions. When everyone was ready, they would walk up to the front doors, peeling away from the front until at last, Belojevic would be greeted by an open front door and King Alexander.

 

'Spectacular. Please, come inside Kralj Belojevic, we have much to discuss' he said. As everyone began entering he turned to the guards and handed over a slip of paper.

 

'Take the boys out tonight Nikolas, they did well.' he said quietly, smirking as he saw the muted looks of joy flit across the guards faces for just a moment at the prospect of a night off guard duty in the city.

 

Alexander walked in closley behind the slavs and took them to his office, poured some drinks at sat down.

 

'What can I do for Yugoslavia today Your Highness?'

[Rudolph]

Private

 

Dragojev took his seat, taking a sip of his drink before placing it to the side, "It is not what Sparta can do for Yugoslavia, it is what Yugoslavia can do for Sparta, your excellency," he started, taking a second to clear his throat before the Serb noble continued.

 

"As I'm sure you know, the Balkans have a current regional power using primarily non-Balkan foreign ties to remain in that position. I imagine I do not have to mention who exactly I am referring to, your excellency. The matter of the hand is that Yugoslavia seeks to unify Europe to force the African influence currently possessing holdings on the mainland of Europe out and back to their own continent. I also do not have to mention by name just who exactly is the primary aggressor of African influence on Europe."

 

The Kralj rubbed his chin before gently grabbing his drink, taking another swill of the beverage, "In an effort to establish greater positive relations, the Kingdom is more than willing to lay down on ink a defense treaty along with economic clauses to ensure that both markets and business can thrive from the opened possibilities. In return, the Kingdom would fully support Sparta in retaking the city of Constantinople from Romanian hands when the time is right."

 

"What say you, your excellency?"

[Zoot Zoot]

Alexander frowned the more the conversation continued.

 

'Ok so let me get this straight, you want a treaty in exchange for Spartan support for one, removing or vastly removing Carthages influence or territory from mainland Europe, and then you want to remove Romania from Constantinople. I can sort of understand the logic and reasoning being point one, but not point two. It remains in European hands, it is secure by a powerful state which leads Europes strongest military alliance, and you want to 'liberate' the city when the time is right? This does not sound like the sort of reasoning that should be used to garner support for an alliance your Highness. Whilst i appreciate the honesty, perhaps duping me into a mutual defence and aggression treaty would of been easier.' he finished coldly.

 

'Not only that Sparta shared military alliances in the past with both Carthage and Romania, and you would ask us to turn on them both? I need a pretty good explanation and set of reasons for this request so I can at least understand them.'

[Rudolph]

Private
 
"Fair enough, an explanation is due," Dragojev replied with before taking another sip of his drink, having expected the questions as he swallowed the calming beverage.
 
"With regards to point two, the Romanian have all but admitted to preferring the Status Quo where they are essentially King, Queen in this case, within Europe while enjoying support from Carthage. A status quo that effectively diminishes European stability for the benefit of a few, mainly Romania and Carthage with the rest who are allied to either, a small minority of nations in Europe itself. In the distant past, the former incarnation of Yugoslavia fell due to interests working for those they perceived solely as their own, similar to Romania and Carthage, that is why we do not agree with Romania completely in self-interest. To my understanding, Constantinople was and still is a historically Greek city, having been the former capital of the Eastern Roman Empire of which was Greek in itself after the Western half fell," the Kralj took a second to let out a breath of air, "Knowing that the Romanians prefer a Status Quo that solely benefits them disturbs the people in Yugoslavia, thus we feel that the city of Constantinople should be returned to its rightful owners, the Greeks, being the current state of Sparta."
 
"Do not get me wrong, your excellency. I am not one for subterfuge and intrigue and I'll honestly say as such. Much of the people in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia hold the belief that military alliances such as the ones that Romania holds simply for its own benefit should be for more stable relationships, such as the past Kingdom of Yugoslavia in the days of old had with the Hellenic Republic."
 
"As to the reasons why we come to Spartans with this, the Kingdom feels that an imperialistic power that is not European is a threat to European Stability by the inherent nature of its imperialistic self."

[Zoot Zoot]

Beneath the table, Alexander pressed the panic buttom, setting off a silent alarm to the Royal guard.

 

'Both states were former allies of Sparta, both states are stable. Constantinople remains in European hands and whilst Carthage does hold land in Europe proper, it is, going back to Carthage and its original incarnation, is part of Carthaginian territory going back thousands of years.'

 

'I will not be the first Spartan King to go to war by stabbing my opponant in the back. It is not the Spartan way. We go to war facing our opponant and looking them right in the eye.' he finished before leaning back in his chair.

 

A few seconds later a dozen highly armed Spartans burst into the room.

 

'Arrest Kralj Dragojev Belojevic' he said, gesturing to the ruler sat infront of him.

'Place him under armed guard in solitary confinement at the closest maximum security military prison. Arrest of the rest of these... dogs' he finished, staring directly in Dragojev's eye.

 

The soldiers would arrest the rest of the delegation the moment Alexander finished speaking. Any that tried to escape or reach for a weapon would be executed with headshots. Dragojev would be restrained if he resisted, if he went for a concealed weapon, he would be shot dead, though that was unlikely as it was not the norm for rulers to carry weapons.

Edited October 2, 2014 by Zoot Zoot

[Rudolph]

Private

 

Dragojev would simply raise an eyebrow, entirely not surprised at all if his almost lack of reaction was any indication. "Ah, but is it better to be seen as a King who ignores diplomatic procedures like a barbarian? Does make one wonder, does it not...but then again, I never did expect any better of the Spartans if we're all being honest here," the Kralj of Yugoslavia replied with before he started right back into the Spartan King's eye even as the Spartan guards arrested his diplomatic entourage.

 

"Know this, King, you have opened Pandora's Box," he said cryptically as the guards hefted him off the chair, handcuffing him even while he still stared directly at the Spartan King, "Will you posses the fortitude and will of spirit to face the contents that you unleashed? That is my question to you," he said before he and his entourage were taken away from the room.