Bragi

Before dawn had fully broken over العاصمة البحرية (Al-Asima Al-Bahriyah), the capital of the Sultanate of Dhaki wa Hakim, the city was already stirring.

The morning call to prayer echoed across domes and minarets as merchants swept the stone streets before their shops, fishermen returned with the night's catch, and bakers filled the air with the comforting scent of warm bread. Normally, the city awoke with calm familiarity.

Today was different.

Word had spread quickly through the capital that the Sultan's first diplomatic mission had been received warmly by the distant nation of Takegashii. The harbourmaster had scarcely finished reading the latest dispatch before dockworkers began speculating about the visitors who would soon arrive. Children imagined strange customs from across the sea, while scholars hurried to libraries in search of maps and records of the faraway nation.

Inside the Royal Palace, however, there was little time for idle curiosity.

"The First Councilor himself is coming?" asked the Grand Vizier as another messenger entered the council chamber carrying a sealed letter.

"So it would seem," replied the Royal Adviser for Diplomacy. "Not only that, but he intends to bring representatives of government, commerce, education, and culture."

The chamber filled with quiet murmurs.

The Sultan listened patiently before breaking the silence.

"Then they honour us more than we expected."

He rose from his seat and approached the great windows overlooking the city.

"For generations we watched the world from afar. Now the world chooses to visit us."

Turning back toward the council, he smiled.

"Let their first memory of Dhaki wa Hakim be one of warmth."

The council immediately set to work.

Messengers rode through the streets announcing preparations. Emerald banners embroidered with golden jasmine were raised from government buildings and public squares. Along the Avenue of Unity, gardeners carefully replanted flowerbeds so that fresh jasmine would bloom beside rows of date palms. Craftsmen polished carved stone fountains until they shimmered beneath the afternoon sun, while musicians rehearsed traditional melodies that had echoed through the Sultanate for centuries.

At the Port of العاصمة البحرية, dockworkers busied themselves preparing a ceremonial berth reserved for honoured guests. Nearby warehouses were transformed into reception halls where gifts from every province of the Sultanate were assembled.

There were finely woven textiles whose patterns told stories of ancient caravans. Boxes of fragrant spices harvested from the southern lowlands. Delicate ceramics painted by generations of master artisans. Bottles of rosewater and jasmine perfume. Bound collections of poetry copied carefully by royal calligraphers.

Nothing was chosen for its value alone.

Each gift carried a story.

As evening settled across the palace, the Royal Adviser returned carrying another message.

"The Ministry of State of Takegashii has requested permission for the First Councilor's delegation to visit."

The Sultan accepted the letter, reading it slowly before placing it upon the council table.

"Permission is gladly granted."

He took up his pen.

**To the Right Honourable First Councilor Ichira Hancho and the people of Takegashii,

Your message has brought great joy to our Sultanate. We receive your offer of friendship with gratitude and are honoured by your decision to visit our homeland.

The gates of العاصمة البحرية shall remain open to your delegation, and every effort shall be made to ensure your stay reflects the respect with which we hold your nation. We look forward not only to discussions between our governments, but also to the exchange of ideas, traditions, knowledge, and commerce between our peoples.

We recognise that not every nation will share our views, nor will every road lead to friendship. Even so, we believe respectful dialogue is the foundation upon which lasting peace and mutual prosperity are built.

May this meeting mark not merely the beginning of diplomatic relations, but the beginning of a friendship that will endure for generations.

With our highest regards,

His Majesty, the Sultan of Dhaki wa Hakim**

The Sultan sealed the letter with emerald wax bearing the royal crest before handing it to the waiting courier.

"See that this reaches our friends without delay."

The messenger bowed deeply before departing into the cool evening air.

Watching from the palace balcony, the Sultan smiled as lanterns gradually illuminated the streets below.

The world no longer seemed so distant.

[hr]

Making Ways

Al-Asima Al-Bahriyah was far from any other city that Ichira had ever seen in his life. He had been traveling before, of course, first as an athlete for university and then as a politician. But most of his visits had been within Takegashii, or to already established capitals and locales. This was new, and different, to the point that it almost made him giddy like a kid.

As he leaned over the railing of the ferry, he watched in the distance as the capital came more and more into view. The city looked beautiful; the architecture, the streets, the ships docked in harbor, all of them were so different from what he knew that it was almost as if the entire city had been plucked ripe from a fairytale. The morning sun, rising and casting a mix of blue and orange hues across the sky, didn't hurt either. The vessel that they were sailing in on was substantial, but more modest than usual; the Navy had offered an escort, but Ichira had declined, both because it would be too slow and expensive, but also because it would be a little uncouth to ride in on a warship for a diplomatic mission. Instead, as soon as the group had landed at a local airport, they had chartered a ferry to take them to the capital, and hoisted Takegashiian flags and banners all over the ship, as well as decorative paint. It was a curious sight; and as the ship cruised closer and closer to shore, Ichira could definitely feel the curious stares of local fishers and sailors as they watched the ship chug along.

The sound of sharp-heeled shoes click-clacking up the staircase to the top deck made Ichira turn. "Oh, Mamaga, it's just you."

"What's that supposed to mean?" The Assemblymember offered Ichira a bottle of water. "You shouldn't be up here, you know. The wind's going to mess with your hair, and you don't want to look like you just got out of bed."

"I won't, I swear." Ichira gladly took the bottle of water, unscrewing the cap and taking a sip. "I've got enough pomade on to glue this ship together."

"That's evocative." Ichira could've sworn he saw a brief smile flit across Mamaga's face. "How are things down there?" he asked.

"The dean of Kiyo University threw up over the side of the boat, and Mae's seasick. But other than that, everything's fine."

"Mae can handle hours long bowling sessions after working on legislation all day, while drunk, but can't handle a few waves?"

Mamaga shrugged. "How was the letter?"

"Oh, very nice," Ichira said, patting the pocket where he had tucked away the letter. How the courier had managed to find them nearly as soon as they landed within Dhaki wa Hakim's borders, he had no idea. "I've prepared a reply of my own. They were very polite, very kind."

"Polite and kind is just standard procedure."

"How very cynical."

"It's true," Mamaga replied. "Have you thought about what you're going to talk with them about?"

Ichira nodded thoughtfully. "Yeah. Well, most of the delegation here has it all figured out already, I'm pretty sure. Kiyo and Rija's deans are planning on setting up some exchange programs with Dhaki wa Hakim's best schools, and I think Kiyo's wants to get permission to open a satellite campus here. The major tech and retail CEOs just want to expand their businesses, and then the publishing firm guys are practically salivating over getting translation rights to local media. I'm sure the reverse is also true."

Mamaga smiled. "I can't say I'm not looking forward to that, myself. I'm trying to get back into reading."

"Really? Oh, right, you did mention that earlier." Ichira shrugged. "Well, besides that, our cultural delegation is just going to bring some gifts, and our musicians will probably just entertain whoever they can. You've heard of Hi-LO, right?"

"Who?"

"The singer, she's here with us."

"Why?"

"Well, she asked, and I thought it'd be rude to turn her down," Ichira replied. "Plus, maybe there's crowds of teenagers here just dying to listen to foreign pop music. You never know."

"Maybe." Mamaga leaned on the railing next to Ichira and looked out at the waves. "All things considered, it's not a bad plan. I'm sure they'll jump at the idea of foreign investment."

"That's if we can keep our foreign aid and investment spending so high next year," Ichira sighed.

"We will. It's never dipped below 4% since the 70s." Mamaga pursed her lips. "You've got a lot of Nihes to offer them, so be smart about it, please. This is a win-win situation all around, but ideally we can set up more than just a couple of embassies, some exchange programs, and business deals."

"In my opinion, that'd be more than enough," Ichira stated, watching as the harbor grew ever closer, the individual people on the dock coming into focus. "Come on, let's go back. In a couple minutes we're going to be standing on those docks over there."

The two descended down the stairs as the ferry drew closer and closer to the ceremonial berth that had been apparently reserved for them. Ichira smiled softly. State visits were almost always carefully curated affairs. This trip would be no exception, he was sure, but the excitement of visiting what was practically a new nation made it feel more spontaneous, in a good way. He reached into his suit pocket and pulled out the letter he had drafted; he would hand it off to the first courier he saw as soon as he set foot on the docks.

The boat pulled into harbor, and curious onlookers seemed to flood the dock. As the boat moored itself to the pier, Ichira stepped out onto the walkway that connected the ferry to the berth, and waved. He had stepped into an entirely new world.

To His Honorable Majesty, the Sultan of Dhaki wa Hakim, and His People

I was honored by His Majesty's kind letter, and the sentiments expressed within, which we share wholeheartedly. Ours is a nation committed to open and honest dialogue, as well as peaceful relations, and we hope that our visit marks the beginning of a long and fruitful relationship.

It is my honor to extend an invitation to His Majesty and his government to come visit Takegashiija, our capital city, following the conclusion of our stay here in Dhaki wa Hakim. We look forward to dialogue between our two parties. I must also personally note that I am impressed by the beauty of this nation, and of this capital in particular, of which I can only make positive comparisons to our own cities back home.

Deeply Honored,

Ichira Hancho, First Councilor of the Empire of Takegashii

The room was hushed as the Takegashiian diplomats poured through the pages of the proposal. Ichira scanned the terms thoughtfully. He had no concrete objections to any of the points, but a nagging feeling in his mind told him that he might run into more trouble in the National Assembly. Still, they had a working majority, and surely he could pull some HM Assemblymembers over to cross the aisle. He flipped through the pages and reread it a second time, an old habit from university. Economic cooperation, yes, trade expansion, yes, all good...was he forgetting something?

He could feel the anticipating gazes of the business leaders, hungry for new economic opportunities, practically lasering a hole in his back. Then he realized that the educational leaders were doing the same; oh, that was right.

"Well, our National Assembly is going to have to ratify this, but it seems perfectly reasonable to me. I'm afraid our nation is a little more inefficient than yours," he quipped. "The only thing I believe I have to mention is that these fine gentlemen here want to expand their universities to your country as well." Ichira gestured towards the Kiyo and Rija deans. "We have room in our foreign assistance budget to set up a scholarship for students here in Dhaki wa Hakim to come to Takegashii and study with our finest. Perhaps you would also be interested?"

Ichira listened intently and smiled. It was nice, for once, to have negotiations go smoothly. "Of course. I'm more than happy to indicate our provisional agreement on behalf of the Council of Ganwa, with full implementation to come upon the treaty's ratification. I do hope this is the start of a long and wonderful relationship." Extending a hand to his aide next to him, Ichira was given a small, fine-tipped pen, which he used to quickly sign the treaty and its supplement. As he finished the last stroke of the pen, the Takegashiian delegation gently applauded. Standing from his seat, he extended a hand to the Sultan as Takegashiian photographers prepared their cameras. "Here's to a new alliance, and a shared future."