leicesters | IC INBOX: isleofavalon

[ Unfortunately, with Arthur out on tasks with Celliwig, getting back to the request for an audience had taken a little more time than it may have otherwise. Things are busy, but Arthur is certainly not against hearing any ideas and input, particularly from fellow leaders. Regardless of newer tradition, Arthur is used to an older set of ways, and a prince and duke are cause for discussion over feast rather than within the realms of a throne room. After initially introducing himself and hearing out their official introductions from officials, Arthur greets them after their arrival is announced and comes to walk with them to the dining hall. ]

My chefs have prepared a dinner of roasted mallard and onion sauce that promises to be worth the trip. I trust your travels were safe?

[ There's a room prepared for them if they stay and drink, too. Back in Arthurian times, travel was much more extensive, so a stay was always expected and prepared for anyone with noble or royal blood who had shown themselves allies. He won't require them to, however. ]

[Claude understands the reasons for the wait, and he's been the picture of good cheer since their arrival, even if he's not quite so formal as the knightly king and prince he has for dining company.] I can't complain! It was hardly a long journey, and if there's dinner at the end of it, all the better.

[Certainly the fact they're all based in Camelot is a lot more useful, when comparatively, visiting Dimitri's kingdom would take at least a few weeks of travel -- more if there was severe snow. All the same, he won't turn away any hospitality from Arthur where it's offered, either.]

Remember the last time we had a feast together, Dimitri? This really brings me back to the good old days.

[ While meetings such as this are hardly unfamiliar to him, is has certainly been...a long time since he's been a part of one. On the one hand, it's second nature even now, rusty as his diplomatic skills may be. On the other, he still has to wonder if he is fit for this. This may turn out to be something of a proving ground for him, to reassure himself that he is worthy to hold the title he has, that he still has a place in a setting like this. ]

It's been some time, hasn't it? [ For all his nerves, he wears a smile, even if it is a little guarded. He's not one to appear overly chummy — Claude will cover that for the both of them. ] It will be a privilege to have the opportunity to dine with you once more.

[ And then, with a respectful nod towards Arthur— ]

And with you, Your Majesty. It is an honor to make your acquaintance, and I can only hope that our time together proves fruitful.

[ Arthur certainly appreciates their patience. Not everyone appreciates waiting, and he understands. Everyone's crisis is their own, and seems like the biggest thing in the world to that person while it's happening. He gets it. there are just certainly a lot of things going on that need attending to. He wishes, in part, that he could get to everyone much faster. ]

And a place to rest, if you do not wish to make the short return trip home tonight. I know it was not a long one, but in my day we would always provide guests from other kingdoms with a warm hearth.

[ once in the hall, they're seated. It's not decorated as lavishly as it might be for a proper feast or festival, but it's well-kept and the tables are filled with side dishes of fruits, vegetables, and bread to be taken as desired. Once they're seated, a first course of soup will be presented by the chef. Soup, an entree, and dessert. ]

Now then, not to jump straight to business, but I am sure you did not come here just to enjoy the castles' amenities.

I'd love to stay the night, thank you.

[It's just good manners to accept hospitality where offered, even if it isn't necessarily needed, and admittedly he's curious to see more of the castle, at least as far as permitted. Claude settles into his seat, and while he's eager to tuck into the food on offer, he's even more eager to talk business.

He exchanges a look with Dimitri to indicate he can chime in as appropriate, before he looks back at Arthur.]

Hopefully our letter sufficiently explained who we are, but suffice to say, even back home, we had a vested interest in protecting our lands and leading our people as you do. That's why we felt it was important to speak to you face to face, and offer our support and cooperation. That said, if you're willing... Could you share with us what happened while you were in discussions with Queen Elphame?

From what I've heard, it seems like negotiations are at a standstill. Honestly, I've dealt with my fair share of stubborn nobles at the Leicester roundtable, so maybe we can help.

[ For his part, Dimitri intends to stay as well, in a show of good faith, and it's not as though he's so attached to his usual lodgings that he would rather stay there, anyway. Anywhere with a place to lay his head is good enough for him.

The small talk doesn't last much longer, and that suits him just fine, nodding in agreement with Claude's request. Even when Rufus had been regent, Dimitri had sat in on plenty of negotiations, and while the skills may not be as sharp and fresh as he'd like them to be, he can still put them to use. ]

Indeed. Sometimes it takes a fresh pair of eyes to see a solution otherwise unfamiliar to us. Perhaps our perspective can assist at this impasse.

[ ...Idly, Dimitri can't help but wonder if Claude has a certain Count in mind when he mentions stubborn nobles. ]

Then allow me to share the dilemma.

[ It's not a secret by any means, but he knows that there's always a lot of debate and politics and so on whenever things are shared via news with no context or ability to ask questions, so it's best to explain from the beginning. ]

Celliwig is smaller than Camelot, but their people have long since been charged with the protection of a mirror that enables easy communication between Elphame and Camelot, and passing through their town ensures a much safer pathway to get through to the fae lands. The problem comes in with Camelot City, blessed as it may be. In this world, it has a long history of taking and protecting those with magic from other worlds who need amnesty. Sorcery has a shaky history in a good number of lands, and many of those who come here still have grown up via particular moral codes the faeries don't necessarily agree with.

[ There are a number of good examples-- humans taking fae signals like the banshee's cry as curses rather than warnings or premonitions, a lot of views on necromancy and dark magic, and let's not even get into the church's problems with magic that some worlds face. Arthur things for a moment, taken a brief chance to taste the soup so that he can taste it while it's at its best, a compliment to the chef, then continues. ]

A solid example lies in the case of changelings. While many humans think this a cruel practice, many faeries see it more as an infant exchange program and a longstanding piece of their heritage. We see it as kidnapping- a punishable offense, and punish it as such. They see that then as violence or imprisonment against their kind and an imposition of our values, then seek retribution by their more "eye-for-an-eye" system of justice, and a single incident that started as what they saw as nothing ill escalates to war. Apparently has a fair number of times, so unless we're able to demonstrate a willingness to accept that which is outside of our comfort zones, Celliwig is hearing none of giving us easy passage.

[ He doesn't know how much they do or don't know. There's plenty available in history books, and even that doesn't begin to really explain how the cultural differences may seem atrocious to one but not to the other. Arthur personally thinks changelings are a particularly emotional example that even those from other cultures can see why they would be debatable, so he's hoping that one gets across the point. ]

[Claude listens, enjoying his own soup and drink as he does so. He's patient and doesn't speak up until he's sure Arthur is finished.]

Overcoming cultural differences is always something I've wondered about in my own world, too, but it's complicated even more here by the prevalence of magic. Still, if both parties want to reach an agreement, they have to compromise on some things -- human and fae both.

[He has to guess compromise has to be some accepted part of fae culture, if only because New Camelot's existence proves it. Completely intolerant fae wouldn't allow humans and all their misunderstandings here to begin with.]

So to use the changeling example... Instead of taking children without permission, why not negotiate for children, maybe even adults, to travel to Elphame as part of their education? If they like it enough, they might even decide to stay there and live amongst the fae their entire lives. Likewise, people from Elphame could come to Camelot in greater numbers as part of the exchange. Both sides are having their wishes respected, but at the same time, none of their morals are being violated. That means no need for retribution or conflict.

Other things won't have easy solutions when it means changing peoples' prejudices. But I'd like to believe if leaders pave the way and lead by example in what peace could look like, the people will follow.

IC INBOX: isleofavalon

action; summons to the royal table for dinner

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