An Offer They Can't Refuse (Pomaz-Kumo)

[Deleted]

A plain white envelope, carrying a simple message from leader-to-leader, would find itself making a short trek across the Pomazanniki rural country side, into port and onto the nearest ship, across the short expanse of the Woodpool Sea, and directly into the nearest Kumosenkan port, then delivered straight to the desk of the Minister of Foreign Relations, or the nearest relevant party that found it first, in Kumosenkan. It hadn't been two days ago before it was sent that the final draft the letter finally got approval from Semyon Kuzmin, Maij of Foreign Relations and Yaromir Kulikov, Tzen of the Free Pomazanniki Republic.

---

To whom this may reach,

As representatives of the Free Republic of Pomazanniki, we hope that this correspondence finds you well, even in the times we find ourselves swimming and sinking in. In emergence with recent events, we believe it is in the best interest of both Kumosenkan and Pomazanniki to seek an agreement. While our nations have not exchanged much in terms of diplomacy, we have not let our eyes glaze over the Woodpool and Clinrial seas; we have been watching, much as you rightfully have, and have reached out to make clear that we stand in solidarity with Kumosenkan against the Confederation of Mestrian States. We, too, have observed the transgressions upon Kumosenkan sovereignty and the actions taken against her people by the aforementioned Confederation. We see the hateful spite that the Confederation has spat at your nation, and we respect the might and compassion you have shown in spite of it.

In the same vein, we come with an offer. To say that the Kumosenkan Navy is feared by many and challenged by few is an understatement, both of our nations are aware that this is known across the globe. With such a fleet, we can only imagine the Staol it must consume, and from our knowledge, the lands of the Kumo were not blessed with Staol as such of the Koi. While Pomaz lands are not rich in Staol themselves, we possess railroads leading from Amali that possess the ability to transport incredible amounts of Staol to the coastline. With this, we could theoretically provide a cheaper alternative for transportation of Staol directly to you. We are willing to cover the transportation costs of any Staol that you buy and choose to move through our territory, in exchange for escorts for some of our further reaching maritime trade expeditions. In addition, the Pomazanniki Armed Forces are willing to assist in any conflict that would be had with the Mestrian States and Kumosenkan, in order to preserve peace. Do note that nothing said here is final, we are ready and willing to negotiate terms of such an agreement.

To show a sign of our goodwill regarding this potential treaty, Pomazanniki has recently been invited to a conference regarding a Southern Staol Network from the Federal Republic of Amali. It was quite shocking to see that Kumosenkan was not invited to said conference. We would like to formally extend the offer of attendance to Kumosenkan, as we firmly believe it to be unfair, to not only yourself, but other nations, to leave a nation as prosperous as yours out of such a negotiation.

May Light and Sword guide you,

Yaromir Kulikov, Tzen of the Free Pomazanniki Republic.

Semyon Kuzmin, Maij of Foreign Relations

[Sophie]

Kumosenkan's reply came in a much more official manner. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs hired a dedicated courier in Fuyonouso to carry the response letter in a tightly sealed manilla envelope. The courier made her way on a Koian staol vessel with a diplomatic passport. After several days of travel, the courier arrived in Sarakhov, Pomazanniki. A large spider woman didn't exactly blend in with a nation of humans, she drew many stares on every street she walked down to the capitol itself. She was greeted with a fair amount of resistance as she informed the employees that she would not hand off the envelope to anyone but the Maij of Foreign Relations direct assistant.

---

The following is for the eyes of Yaromir Kulikov, Tzen of the Free Pomazanniki Republic, and Semyon Kuzmin, Maij of Foreign Relations only.

The Empire of Kumosenkan has well-received your message. Your words of strength to stand with Kumosenkan against the CMS have strongly displayed the honor and fielty of your people. We are appreciative to know that the wider world is not ignorant of the despicable actions of the Confederation of Mestrian States.

You are correct in your assumption that the Kumosenkan Royal Battle Fleet consumes a significant drain of staol. It is no secret to the world that we act as one of the single largest importers of the fuel directly from the Republic of Koi. Our people would be endlessly grateful to your great nation if you were to open your orders to us for trade in an effort to bring down the mountainous price of importing staol. As of now, the majority of our imports are delivered directly from Koi to Kumosenkan by ship. Which is not only pricier than by train but requires us to dedicate a non-insignificant number of our escort destroyers to protecting the Koian transports. Being able to ease this burden would ally your people into the good graces of our Empress.

It is greatly appreciated that you have informed us of this great slight against our Empire regarding the Southern Staol Network. Relations between our people and Amali have always been quite tense. Still, the direct oversight to ignore the single largest southern importer of staol cannot be taken in any manner other than disrespect. You have earned yet more of our favor by inviting us to the negotiation so that we may display the importance of Kumosenkan's presence in the staol trade.

The Empress would like to extend an invitation to both Yaromir Kulikov and Semyon Kuzmin to dinner at her palace to discuss further Pomazanniki's position in the diplomatic sphere of Kumosenkan to thank you for your incredible kindness. Please inform us of your earliest availability for such a meeting. We will happily provide both transportation and accommodation for both of you and any family members you wish to join you in your visit to our great Empire.

With Honor to the Empress,
Kazumi Yamanaka, Minister of Foreign Affairs.

[Deleted]

"Read that last paragraph again, please." Yaromir asked Semyon, setting the glass of vodka he had poured for himself back onto his oaken desk, moving aside strewn papers to make clear for it.

Semyon sighed before he spoke. "I'm not reading it again, Yaromir." He said, taking his glasses off his face for a moment to wipe them on his shirt. "Why are you so surprised? We came to them with an offer they can't refuse and a silver tounge, this is what I, at the very least, had expected."

"Think about it, Semyon." Yaromir replied, sitting up in his chair. "An isolationist monarchy accepting the offer of diplomacy from a free market republic? Doesn't it seem a little too good to be true?"

"Of course it does," Semyon was quick to respond. "But doesn't our offer seem a little too good to be true as well?" He put his glasses on once again. "We're offering to pay for their Staol transportation costs and give them our military support, doesn't it seem strange that a free market republic would be making such an offer to an isolationist monarchy?"

Yaromir took a moment to reply, thinking it through. "I see what you mean," He stood up, finishing his vodka and slamming the glass back down. "Pack your things, then. We're off to Kumosenkan by sundown, this time next week."

---

Various more letters were sent to and fro Sarakhov and Fuyonouso, detailing the logistical concerns of their state visit to the Empress. Six days would pass, preparations being made for the great meeting, gifts assembled and reports filed and verified, and the two men and their families would be on a liner across the Woodpool Sea. Yaromir bringing his son and wife, Semyon bringing his fiancé. Taking a train from the port, then to motorcade to the protective canopy of the Empress' palace, the two diplomats and Yaromir's wife, Niadsa Kulikov, accompanied them.

Yaromir wore a plain black dress coat, supplemented by a white dress shirt underneath and a purple pocket square folded firmly into his left chest pocket. Semyon wore much the same, but accompanying him was a grey-blue briefcase, inside carrying the various documents he'd need to refer to; the most recent estimated Staol transportation costs, maps of maritime trade routes, potential mutual threats to both countries, various statistics detailing the imports and exports of the republic, and the invitation that Yaromir received to the conference regarding the Southern Staol Network. Niadsa wore a suit as well, as was custom for the women of Pomazanniki, but the dress coat she wore was a shade lighter, and followed her down to her mid-thigh.

Semyon brought such an arrangement of documents for a variety of reasons; to sway the Empress, show their good will, etcetera. He hoped to make an ally out of Kumosenkan yet. Yaromir, instead of bringing the tithe of diplomatic assurance, brought the representation of his nation and a gift. A blend of coffee, an expensive mix of coffee beans imported from Amali, Nowa Lusatia and Roskana, intended solely for the Empress, and whomever she deem fit to receive it. The blend wore a wooden jar, engraved with ancient runic symbols and resembling that of a grand tapestry. While Yaromir represented Pomazzaniki, Niadsa represented Yaromir. The fact of the matter was that Kumosenkan was matriarchal by nature, which meant that the only safe way for the two to travel was with a female. Niadsa's distain for this requirement was something she chose to conceal.

Outside the palace, the three waited patiently for their greeting party to welcome them into the grandiose building.

[Sophie]

Outside the massive palace complex, a handful of armed guards, as well as the assigned diplomat to Pomazanniki, awaited the two men: Yaromir Kuliko, and Semyon Kuzmin. As well as Kuliko's wife: Niadsa Kulikov. The diplomat, Oriana Oe, first bowed quite deeply to Niadsa before offering short bows to the two men. "Welcome to Kumosenkan and welcome to the Empress's Palace. I trust you read my most recent letter?" She referred to the letter she sent with very clear instructions on how to act in front of the Empress of Kumosenkan. 1. Adress her as either 'Your Highness' or 'Shiraori-kama' or 'Empress Shiraori.' 2. Speak when spoken to. 3. Speak quickly and with meaning. 4. Sit up straight. 5. Accept anything she offers to you. 6. Chew with your mouth closed. 7. Do not correct her. 8. Say please and thank you when appropriate. There were at least a dozen other rules but were much more specific.

"Please follow me," Oe instructed. She waved her hand to the gate guard and the massive reinforced door began to swing open. She walked through them gesturing for the three of them to follow. The road was pretty long to the actual palace itself, and the street was lined with armed and armored guards. Some of which were medieval, metal armor covering all eight of their legs, each edge sharpened to act as both armor and weapon. The others were in standard military uniforms armed with rifles and handguns. All of whom saluted as the group of four walked by.

[Deleted]

As she bowed to each, all responded with a short bow in response. "We thank you for the invitation and the honour." Yaromir replied.

"Of course, we would be fools to come ill-prepared to a meeting with the Empress." Niadsa continued. Seymon and Yaromir couldn't help but feel a little unsettled. It wasn't an uncommon occurrence for a woman to take a leading role in a conversation, but in a diplomatic setting with such powerful men, it was strange for Niadsa to hold all the cards. It was difficult for the only humans there to not feel somewhat out of place, and it was even more difficult to suppress the slow feeling of dread creeping up each of their backs.

Their approach to the main gate was mostly quiet, with the two men sticking close behind as Niadsa walked parallel with Oriana.

[Sophie]

Oriana Oe nodded. "Good. I am glad you have done your proper preparations. It is not often the Empress herself meets with foreign dignitaries. You have done well to garner her attention." She spoke rather calmly and professionally. The group continued the walk up to the palace itself. Upon arriving after almost a full ten minutes of walking the maids at the front door bowed very deeply and held open the doors. The palace was well lit, chilly opulent, and imperial. The group was led through a winding labyrinth of hallways before the maids again stopped and held open a door for them.

Inside was an extravagant dining room. The table was a solid piece of mahogany lined with gold. Aside from the four of them and the maids, the room was empty. "Please take a seat. The Empress will be with you soon." All three of the Kumo, two maids, and a diplomat, left the room. The only noise that persisted was the roaring of the hearth and the breath of the three humans.

[Deleted]

Yaromir, Semyon and Niadsa all let out a sigh of relief when the foreigners were left alone with their thoughts. Yaromir wasted no time and sat at the dining room table, setting down the wooden jar onto the table, keeping his back up straight as he pondered the potentiality of the meeting, sweat beating down his forehead all the same. Semyon placed his briefcase onto the same table, but he instead wandered for a moment and elected to take in the elegance of the room he stood within. Niadsa chose to do much the same as Yaromir, but in a much more relaxed manner.

Semyon, realised his potential folly in standing when Oriana had instructed him to sit, calmly took a set adjacent to Yaromir and opposite of Niadsa. The four exchanged nods, looking between each other as Semyon opened his briefcase to prepare what he had brought. He shuffled papers, internally rehearsed offers and mentally prepared himself for the task ahead. The three waited with bated breath for the Empress to arrive.

[Sophie]

The Kumo left the three in there all alone for a full fifteen minutes. Of course, they weren't completely alone. Two Kumo were listening in while watching them from behind the wall. Both were disappointed watching the three of them do nothing of importance. After the fifteen minutes passed, one of the two spying on the group left and informed the Empress that they were ready for them.

The massive oak doors to the dining room swung open, and the hinges creaked as they did. In walked a Kumo woman, shrouded in a white veil along with a pure white yukata entered. Her body, entire body was a porcelain white. Being a crown spider Kumo her body should be covered in dots, and her spikes should be brightly colored and vibrant. Both were sheer white. If the humans vision could pierce the obfuscation of the veil, they would see that all eight eyes of the Kumo were closed. This, was the Empress, in all her resplendant glory.

Unbeknownst to the Pomaz, the floor was coated with nearly invisible strands of razor thin strands. The Empress's web, laid across the room guiding her across the room while her eyes were closed to give herself a more omniscient feeling as she strode confidently to the opposite side of the table. As they were instructed, the Humans all stood and bowed deeply. The Empress bowed in return much less than they did.

Directly behind the Empress, Princess Reito followed directly after. The much more standard crown spider Kumo had dots on her body and bright red spines. She wore an accompanying red yukata and bowed deeper than her mother towards the humans.

"It is an honor to meet the three of you. I thank you for meeting me in my home. I hope your trip here went well, and that you have been treated favorably since your arrival. The capital has been quite abuzz since the announcement of your visit." The Empress and Princess sat on the opposite side of the table in unison. "I am Empress Shiraori Tetsu Kumo, this is my daughter Princess Reito Doku Kumo. We are the leaders of Kumosenkan."

[Deleted]

Despite their surprise at the Empress' ability to seemingly walk without sight, and the shock of the reality staring them directly in the face, the three did not let the silence hang for long, as Niadsa spoke up. "We thank you for the invitation, Shiraori-kama." She said, her accent making the pronunciation of the foreign name somewhat difficult. "The trip was no less than great, your people treated us very well. I am First Lady of the Republic Niadsa Kukilov,"

Semyon spoke up next. "I am Maij of Foreign Relations Semyon Kuzmin. It's truly an honour to make both your acquaintance and the acquaintance of your daughter, at last, I cannot deny the anticipation for such a meeting." He made a short bow before turning his head to Yaromir, tilting it slightly as to signal him to speak.

"I am Tzen of the Pomazanniki Republic Yaromir Kukilov, husband of Niadsa." He said, exuding an aura of fake confidence in himself. "I hope we can get much done here today. But, before we begin," He said, motioning to the ornately crafted wooden container.

"A gift," Semyon spoke above Yaromir, gesturing to the container. "A blend of coffee. Imported from across Ouhiri, we hope it finds you well."

[Sophie]

Shiraori opened her deep red eyes and smiled softly at the humans while tilting her head. She turned her eyes to the coffee. "What a kind offer." She looked up to Niadsa, Kulikov's wife. Her eyes stared straight through her. "Thank you, Kulikov-kas." She took the beautiful container and opened it, the hinges squeaking just barely. The aroma of foreign coffee was a welcome scent to Shiraori, as she had been constricted to Kumo and Elenrian coffee for quite a while.


"While I would love to continue to exchange pleasantries, I am much more interested in discussing business." Shiraori closed the wooden box and pushed it slightly aside. "You have already done Kumosenkan a handful of great favors. Informing us of our absence from Southern Staol Network proposals, the acknowledgment of the heinous actions committed by the Mestrians, and even the mere act of reaching out to us." Below the table, Shiraori squeezed Reito's thigh, letting her know it was her turn to speak.

The Princess smiled and nodded. "We are very thankful and in your debt for your outward kindness. And um," She paused for a moment, trying to remember exactly what she was supposed to say. "And we would like to open the door for our two nations to grow even closer. If you are interested, we would want to offer an embassy in our home to make future diplomacy simpler." As she finished, Shiraori squeezed her thigh twice more.

[Deleted]

Semyon and Yaromir exchanged subtle glances of defeatedness as the Empress refered to Niadsa instead of the two heads of state just adjacent to her. Letting out a brief, defeated sigh, Yaromir nodded towards Niadsa, signaling her to to take the lead.

"Thank you for the offer and such an honour, Princess Reito. An embassy would be quite welcome, we'd like to offer the same courtesy in Sarakhov." She spoke carefully, every foreign word annunciated to the best of her abilities. In such a circumstance, she'd normally be sweat bullets, but the cooled atmosphere of the room chilled her to the bone, in the same vein, she began to regret her choice in garment, as it was far too light for the environment.

"As for business, Empress Shiraori," Semyon said, a wide smile across his face as he began to open his suitcase. "I believe there is much to be gained between our two nations. Our geographical location makes maritime trade trivial, and there is not a doubt in my mind that we can-" Semyon realized he was beginning to drone on as Yaromir lightly kicked his leg underneath the table. "My apologies, Empress Shiraori." He said, clearing his throat. "I tend to ramble." He rushed to think of ways to put it shorter, yet drew a blank as he let out an undecisive 'um', tapping his left index and middle fingers together in a rhythmic pattern.

"I believe what Semyon is trying to say," Niadsa interrupted. "Is the two of us have much to gain, and little to lose." She smiled lightly as she responded.

[Sophie]

"I agree." Princess Reito spoke, albeit out of turn. The Empress squeezed the chitin on her thigh, and Reito winced. "I, I mean we appreciate that is the way you view... our... situation." She stuttered through the sentence trying to find the right words.

To bail out her daughter, Shiraori took up the mantle of conversation. "It is fortuitous that a nation such as yours views Kumosenkan so favorably. It seems to be an unfortunate fact of life that most republics find joy in being openly hostile to our Empire." Again, focusing on Niadsa she spoke with an air of kinship. "Should you be so inclined we would be open to tightening the ties between our two nations. Both in trade, and even militarily. With a nation as belligerent as the Confederation so close to our shores, we would be foolish not to seek aid from those as open and kind as yourselves. Don't you think, madam?"

[Deleted]

Niadsa's smile continued to lay on her face as she replied. "Yes, I would agree, Empress. I must admit that I do not know how much Pomazanniki can assist you in an economical sense. Since the disposing of the Tsar, we have found ourselves in little more than squalor. At this point, we can only truly offer the invitation to the Southern Staol Network and, in the meantime, our offer regarding your Staol shipments. Semyon knows the details." She finished, passing the conversation.

Semyon solemnly continued his chain of thought. "Homelessness runs rampant in our cities, the unemployed walk the streets begging for the scraps of those just barely living. Our currency means nothing and the Dumet finds itself with inaction at every turn. I am no economist, but I do believe that expanding trade between our nations would be a worthwhile investment for both, as our warmer reaches of countryside are home to great fields, of which could feed all of Ouhiri if given the chance, and the arms factories that cover the industrial centers could out-produce even the greatest of our foes."

[Sophie]

"Yes, I remember reading the reports of your revolution. I am saddened to hear you are still struggling to recover." Shiraori nodded solemnly. "I met your Tsar a handful of times; you did well to rid the world of that buffoon." She spoke again directly to Nisada, not intentionally dismissing the actual leaders before her. "Needless to say, he was beyond unkind to my people, to me. I personally would relish the opportunity to continue to prove him mindless and come to your aid. Despite your revolution, I fear his misteaching still poisons the minds of your populace. If we may, I would enjoy showing them what Kumo are truly like. Specifically our kindness and willingness to help those not blessed with the gifts we have grown accustomed to."

Even Reito was slightly confused by her mother's word soup, and she chose to speak up. "In simpler terms, we want to come to your aid." The young Princess stated, despite the mounting pressure on her chitin.

"Yes, thank you, my dear." Shiraori shot her daughter a quick glance before returning to the humans. "Be it through trade, or should you need it, more direct intervention. The Kumo economy is massive, and I am happy to leverage it in your favor."

[Deleted]

Silence hung for just but a moment, between hearing the near-confrontation between the Empress and the Princess, and the generosity of the offer. Niadsa once again took the lead, speaking forward. "We appreciate your kind words, our people think of the Kumo as many things, an enemy or barbaric is not one of them. Although far and few between, the long history of our proximity means that there is Kumo within our nation."

Yaromir had been namely silent, mostly out of necessity, somewhat out of choice. "I must ask, this offer you've put forward, it's an incredibly generous offer in and of itself." He said, beating around the bush of his question. "I hope you don't mind me asking quite bluntly, Empress Shiraori, but what do you gain from doing this for us? I believe I understand your wish to snub the demon that plagued the countryside before us, but going to this length, making such an offer, seems a far too great investment."