Nathalie's conservative heels clacked against the stone tiles of the Home Palace in Boffrand as she took large strides down the hallway to Maxie's study. She stopped and rapped her knuckles on the thick mahogany doors and waited a moment before entering. Maxie was applying polish to a black leather derby shoe, its partner having already been shined to a mirror finish and sitting on a towel atop the thick oak desk that the King used for various functions.
"A letter, from the King of Regunalia," Nathalie said, holding the ornate envelope up.
Maximilian looked up, his attention now drawn away from the care of the shoes. "
What's it say?" he asked, setting the shoe and polish brush down and wiping his hands on a well-used towel.
"Unopened," Nathalie clarified, covering the distance to the King's desk and holding the letter out for him to grab, "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs received it about an hour ago and immediately forwarded it to you."
"
Hm," the man hummed, taking the letter from his assistant's hand and grabbing his letter opener, "
Well let's see what it says, shall we?" He pulled the letter out of its envelope, the paper as unique and embossed as the envelope itself had been. He thought it was a bit much, but every leader had their own taste on how correspondence was handled between their nations. Apparently, the King of Regunalia determined that he deserved an above-average sort of treatment, which sat with Maxie just fine. As his eyes darted left to right reading the brief letter, not a single facial feature twitched. A part of his training to become royalty, he was taught to mask emotions, despite the tumultuous ones swirling around inside of him right now. He held the letter out to Nathalie, who accepted it and brought it up to her own face to read quickly.
"
What do you think?" he asked, his hands folded neatly in front of him, his mind concentrated on not submitting to the habit of stroking his trimmed beard.
"I don't think an invitation to formally meet could have come at a better time, honestly," she said, always willing to give her truthful opinion and not brown-nose the man like so many other of his aides did, "The situation in Stakhr between Regunalia's military and... whoever this Ten Rings fellow is must be discussed. Especially if the situation escalates, the KU could be called in to support."
"
I agree," he said, finally giving in and beginning to stroke his beard as he leaned back in his chair and thought, "
I'll draft a letter. Instruct MoFA to send it out as soon as possible and arrange the earliest convenient date to meet. Also get me Léonard on the phone. I want him moving assets to our southern border. Not closed, but very strict movement of personnel."
"Right away," Nathalie said, handing the letter back to him.
"
Thank you very much, Nat," he smiled.
"You're welcome, Max," she smiled back, "I'll be back in a few for the letter." She strode out of his office with all the purpose and swagger someone of her position had long ago earned, and Maxie's smiled faded slowly as he opened a drawer and retrieved a page of his good embossed stationery, positioning it slightly crooked for his style of handwriting.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
TO: The Most Honorable and Just Esteemed King of Regunalia
FROM: His Majesty Maximilian Subercaseaux VII of the Kingdom of Valencia
Most Honorable King of the Regunalian Realm, I thank you utmost for your letter and invitation. I honorably accept. No doubt my Foreign Affairs Ministry has already contacted your own by the receipt of this letter, but I felt it appropriate to draft a personal response. Given the quickly deteriorating state of our great continent, I was most pleased to receive a letter; the timing was convenient. It is because of this that I wish to meet as soon as convenient for you and your staff. A response is not necessary, as I expect the next time we converse to be in person, which I greatly look forward to.
Cordially and With Utmost Respect,
Maximilian Subercaseaux VII
