January 16th, 1996
Petrayevka in the falling dusk was the same shimmering jewel Gloria remembered from her last, and rather fateful, visit to the capitol city of Drachma. The vivid streaks of color to the West gave way to sparkling stars even though it was barely four-thirty in the afternoon when the Diplomatic train that had carried them from the border straight up the central valley to the city arrived at the station.
A trip that had started out wonderfully, and turned into far more of an adventure than she and Alexei had ever anticipated. An adventure that was the reason they were here now, among the most elite members of the press with the opportunity to cover the negotiations between Amestris and the Government Representative of Independent Drachmas. She privately was grateful the acronym had quickly become popular in use, because the formal name was a mouthful.
The train ride itself had been an adventure. Eight days on trains, with a change-over at the border, as they still had not agreed to terms that would allow for major transportation belonging to other countries to cross into either country just yet. Though the short, luxury train provided for their travel had been the most comfortable one on which Gloria had ever traveled. The seats in the observation and dining car were all well-padded, and everyone had a private berth available with beds, as well as chairs and small tables. They were still tight spaces, but comfortable ones.
"Work starts now," she smiled at Alexei as they disembarked with the rest of the press team, consisting of a small television production team, and a Central News television reporter. She and Alexei would be reporting as well, along with doing all the written articles to send back to Central for later publication.
Their first job, taking note of anything relevant in the arrival, and who met them at the station. They had been given a copy of the main itinerary for the next two weeks of talks, dinners, and other activities, so that they could prepare accordingly.
Tonight, they would be first taken to their lodgings for the length of the stay, and that would be followed by an informal welcome dinner at the in-town city home of Gavril Mihalov and his family. Informal, because it meant that not everyone on the train was being invited. On top of Charisa Closson, Sara and Franz, Ted and Anika and their kids, and Gloria and Alexei, the train had held the rest of the State Alchemists, private security, and diplomatic corps needed for this mission. Charisa was here as the official Assembly representative, but when she left, they would still be leaving full-time diplomats and their staff and security to re-inhabit the Embassy. An Embassy that Gloria understood had been completely rebuilt almost from the ground up in the renovations after the civil war. The fact that they had not simply bulldozed the building and started over honestly surprised her.
"As if you haven't been drafting and planning the entire trip up here," Alexei whispered in her ear as he smiled back.
"When I wasn't napping." Gloria had gotten a lot of work done, but the past few days she had really begun feeling those hormones. While she had—thankfully—not been overly nauseated, she did find herself dozing off at the oddest times. She had taken advantage of the trip to get plenty of sleep as well… and snacks. Gloria was glad she had had the forethought to pack stylishly draping, less form-fitting outfits for this trip. The last thing she wanted was her condition distracting from her work, and she had no way of knowing how quickly her waist would grow over the next month. As it was, just in the brief weeks since their arrival from the holidays, her regular favorite pants had become slightly snug. While Alexei insisted that she looked adorable and certainly pregnant, Gloria felt she looked more like someone who had just over-indulged a bit on holiday desserts. Or so she surmised, as she had never done so before.
Given that they had not, in fact, told anyone in the extended family about the baby yet, Gloria hoped they would all be home again before any of her present family members figured it out.
"Better to rest up in advance," Alexei assured her quietly as they stepped down onto the platform. "It's going to be an exciting couple of weeks."
Gloria smiled back. "I'm looking forward to every minute."
Sara had to admit, Petrayevka was a beautiful city. Not that she had seen much of it during her last "visit." Valhov's basement certainly did not count as a grand tour. Neither she nor Franz had ever really seen the city, and she was looking forward to the fact that a good portion of their trip included guided tours of many of the best spots in the city, along with several receptions and dinners with a variety of groups and members of government.
She had no frame of reference for the Embassy, though from Gloria and Alexei's commentary she understood quickly that, other than the restored historic exterior, and reusing the same general floor plan, everything inside the building was new, including an extension out the back, and a new, more secure fence with additional, and far more modern, security.
"I guess they want to make it clear that we're safe here," she commented as she noted the alarms even on the windows of the third-story bedroom that was theirs for the duration of the trip. All of the temporary guests had gotten the larger rooms on the top floor, while she knew the permanent Ambassadors, headed by former-assistant of the previous ambassador, Lita Chalmers, had full suites on the second floor, and the rest of the staff had rooms on the second and the new wing of the first floor.
"Given the building was a half-burned wreck four years ago, I appreciate the updates," Franz admitted as he hung his garment bag full of suits in the closet. "They've also provided new cars for the Embassy, and enough that we won't all have to keep together the entire trip."
"Not as long as we take along appropriate security," Sara reminded him, though she smiled. She honestly wasn't expecting any real trouble on this trip. Their briefings had assured them that the government had taken all precautions, and that the general sentiment in the new Drachman States was that re-establishing friendly trade with their neighbors was definitely in Drachma's best interests. Particularly by starting with the country that had helped support them when it mattered. "Not that we'll need it tonight, at the Mihalov's."
"I'm glad they decided our first night would be an informal one," Franz agreed. "After all those days on the train, it will be nice to relax a little."
"You're just glad we aren't going to be dolled up in formals the whole trip," Sara teased. "Don't worry, I'm quite happy about that too. Especially given how much chillier it is in a dress." Though Gloria had offered her several fashion suggestions common in Drachma she definitely intended to use that would make her stay warmer. One thing Sara had not seen much of previously… upper class winter fashions.
Tonight, they could both get away with slacks and comfortable shirts. Sara had chosen dark gray slacks, and a fitted, fine-knit lilac turtleneck. She noticed Franz had opted for a similar look, only in tan pans, and a deep green corded-knit sweater. He always looked handsome in green.
A knock on the door heralded one of the new ambassadorial aides. "Good evening, General Heimler and… General Heimler. I was sent to let you know that the car is waiting in the garage."
"Thank you, Ms. Loehr," Sara replied, smiling. "We'll be right down."
Bundled back into thick winter coats and hats, Sara and Franz found themselves in the same car as Charisa, and Lita Chalmers. The second car held Gloria, Alexei, and Ted and his family. Sara noticed that a third car, containing Caroline Flynn, the Sensation Alchemist, and one of the newer ones that Sara hardly knew—Bloodiron, who was both trained in combat and as a medic—as well as several armed security, followed closely behind.
Sara hoped the ones working tonight got fed well, too.
Trisha had described to her the city house to which they were being taken, as Mihalov had been living in it at the time that Tore, Trisha, and Roy had been part of the security for the previous major talks with the previous government. So, Sara was not surprised, though she was still impressed, by the stately historic manner right there on the city street to which they were taken. Though here, too, she saw signs of recent refurbishing.
They were greeted at the door by Gavril Mihalov himself, and a woman Sara recognized from her very brief visit to the Western Front, as his wife, Darya, and a girl who must be his daughter, Amylla, who looked to be roughly eleven or twelve years old. From the sincere, relaxed smiles, the welcome did seem fully genuine.
:Your visit warms our hearts,: Gavril said as he extended his hands for warm handshakes, grinning broadly.
:Your hospitality warms our spirits,: Sara responded, smiling as she clasped his hand. :It's good to see you all well.: The last time they had stood in the same place, was right after their little informational raid on Valhov's old estate, right before she left and the war ended. As he moved on to Franz, Sara turned to Darya, and they shook as well. :Thank you for having us in your home. It's a pleasure to meet you properly.:
Darya smiled. :Certainly under better circumstances. I've wanted to thank you, personally, for some time, for everything you've done for us. Dinner is hardly enough, but I look forward to getting to know you.:
Amylla stepped forward, and dropped a small curtsey. :It's a pleasure to meet you. Welcome to our home.:
Sara smiled. :Thank you, Amylla. The pleasure is mine.:
:Would you go check on the preparations?: Darya asked her daughter.:
:Yes, mother.: Amylla turned and headed out of the entry.
:Such lovely manners,: Sara complimented.
:Lots of practice,: Darya replied.
:The challenge of growing up in a prominent family.: Sara knew it only too well, as did her children, and her grandchildren. :I hope she isn't bored by us.:
:Thankfully, she enjoys hosting people almost as much as I do. You should have seen her last birthday party. She planned the entire thing herself.:
Sara chuckled. :She sounds like my cousin.:
:Mom's always been like that,: Gloria agreed as she joined them. :That's why she made a career out of it. Thank you for having us.:
:Shall we move to the dining room?: Darya suggested. :Dinner's almost ready, and I'm sure that would be a far more comfortable place to talk after you've spent days on the train.:
If the informal dinner was any indication, they were going to eat like emperors on this trip, Franz thought over the meal, which was followed by dessert and coffee in the drawing room. Thankfully, it turned out to be as informal as promised, with little talk of politics or the upcoming negotiations. Instead, conversation focused on social matters; family, friends, and the rebuilding and revitalizing of Petrayevka as not only the center of government, but in restoring its cultural prominence. Franz was looking forward to seeing much of it: the museums, the Drachman Ballet, and—to everyone's surprise—the zoo.
:It's reopened?: Anika gasped from her spot beside Ted on one of the main stuffed couches around the room.
:Not just yet,: Gavril replied with a smile. :We've just finished renovating and repairing it, along with some upgrades to the facilities. The only animals are the ones we have managed to re-acquire after Savahin tried to sell them off, and in some cases their offspring.:
He had her full attention now. :Does that mean you're going to want back all the animals that we rescued and took to Amestris?:
:That is one of the questions we hope to address over the next two weeks,: Gavril admitted. :Obviously, we aren't going to demand them back. Amestris has given them a good home and care for several years. What we would like to do is open negotiations for the return, for monetary compensation, of as many as is reasonable but also safe for the animals. We want what is best for the animals as well, of course. That does mean we will also be hiring a full staff. Priority will be given to anyone who worked at the zoo before who wishes to return, presuming that they didn't side with Valhov and Savahin of course.:
Franz watched Anika as she absorbed that information, and then Ted. He hadn't been privy to any of their private conversations of course, but he could not imagine a scenario in which they might not have discussed what they would do when the border reopened. Ted had defied orders and risked his entire career to save Anika. He had been willing to remain in Drachma indefinitely if she wouldn't leave. While fate had brought them safely to Amestris, and they had a nice life going, Franz would be shocked if this didn't bring up some old conversations.
:I look forward to seeing it,: was all Anika said, smiling. :It will be nice to show the children.:
The zoo was on the agenda for three days from now, after the formal welcome by the government and the first official banquet tomorrow, followed by a history museum tour, and dinner with Anika's family the next evening. From there it was a wild two weeks of government talks, receptions with various interest groups, additional tours of historic sites, monuments, gardens, the revitalized downtown area for socialization—and shopping—and more time for visits with family, sprinkled in with more meals and receptions than he cared to count.
:I look forward to your thoughts,: Gavril replied to Anika. :Both on the remodeling, and on which animals we might want to consider that are currently in Central, and what we might need to offer for them. That, and how likely any of your colleagues who went with us are to be willing to return.:
:I'd be happy to offer my opinions,: Anika replied. :At least as far as the animals, and the zoo itself. I'm not sure I can speak for my friends, though I know the offer will be appreciated. I expect they will at least consider your proposal.:
She notably did not say a word about herself, and Gavril was clearly not fool enough to push the question in this setting. :I look forward to it. I am sure our people finishing up the zoo would appreciate your insights as well. We should discuss it in more detail on the tour.:
From there, the conversation shifted in other directions, and Franz was happy to sit beside Sara and just enjoy the evening after so many days of travel. It was good to be here, and he was grateful that everything looked like it was going to at least start off as planned.
January 17th, 1996
Alphonse watched Danielle as she sat at the large dining table in the Hill House great room. His new student was both eager, yet clearly determined not to appear impatient as she sat there, doing her best not to twitch with excitement, a copy of Basics of Alchemy on the table beside her. It was the copy Alphonse had loaned her a week ago. He had asked her to study Chapter One intently, and be prepared to discuss it today. Fortunately for her, discussion would also include her first lessons in drawing a very basic circle. If she drew one that was usable, he would demonstrate its use on a simple object, and then permit her to try that same, very basic transmutation on another object. If she had the ability, she should be able to manage some level of transmutation.
Whether it turned out or not, it would tell him if she had the ability to do what she wanted to learn. Not everyone could become an alchemist, he had found over the years, even if it was not always clear why. Certainly, it wasn't just an inborne talent or ability, but the drive needed to master it, and the discipline, and the mental capability to fully grasp the concepts—the right way of thinking—were critical to success. Also, a certain confidence in its workings. A hesitant alchemist, or a fearful one, was not going to be good at controlling the energy gathered by using a transmutation circle. It wasn't like pressing an on switch.
Both Danielle's mother and grandmother had proven willing to allow Alphonse to teach Danielle, if she could be taught. Having spoken with them both, he had been reassured by their supportive and reasonable attitudes. He had also had a chance to determine the major medical issues plaguing Marion. The main one that Danielle might be able to learn to help with, before growing up and spending decades of time and knowledge, was helping with pain management. That was something Alphonse could work her up to within a few months, if she applied herself. It was one of the simpler, and safer, things he could teach her to do with alkahestry, because temporary pain relief was a fairly basic healing transmutation. He could also teach her several simple transmutations that would make life easier around the house.
Alphonse quizzed Danielle on the contents of Chapter One for nearly half an hour before he was satisfied that she had not only read the material, but internalized it. He suspected she had read over it several times, which was precisely the attitude he had hoped for. If she proved to be dedicated, that would make this much simpler.
Then he set her to drawing the first circle in the book, and found—to his pleasure—that she had clearly been practicing those as well. Her circles were almost perfectly round; enough that they would channel the energy well enough to do a simple transmutation, and her straight lines were beautifully even, even without the ruler and stencils Alphonse had provided as a starting point should they be needed. While tools were impractical for an alchemist in a hurry, they were definitely helpful for a beginner with plenty of time. Precision with speed would come only with time and practice. Alphonse hoped Danielle would never have need of the type of speed some of the State Alchemists had attained through survival in combat.
"All right," Alphonse nodded when she had completed her third attempt, which was nearly perfect, and should work well for today's purpose. "Very nice. Now that you have your circle, I'm going to demonstrate how to do a basic transmutation to repair a broken object." A classic first lesson, but also very practical. "For that, I'm going to start with this cracked flower pot we had out in the shed." He set the small clay pot, which had a thick crack running up one side, in the center of her circle. The crack was far too wide to patch with glue, and the pot was one good yank or drop from splitting entirely in half. "Now, what is my first step?"
"To analyze the make-up of the object, and identify its component parts," Danielle repeated with a confident nod. She was staring at the pot as if it might do something miraculous.
"Any idea what those might be?"
"Clay," she replied at once, though her brow furrowed a little, as if she knew there was more to it than that. "And the specific silicates and other elements that make up that clay, because not all clays are the same. Then there might be a glaze on it, so you'd need to know what was in the glaze too."
Alphonse nodded. "Good. You're correct. There's plenty of possibilities, and I need to identify all of them. What will be my next step?"
"To visualize the pot whole, the way you want it. Then, use the alchemical energy you gather to… stretch it?" Her brow furrowed again, and Alphonse did not interrupt. "You'll use what's left of the pot to repair the crack by putting more of the pottery from the rest of the pot into the crack, which will make it go away entirely, though it will make the pot a little thinner maybe. Since you don't have the missing parts that crumbled away originally."
"Exactly!" Alphonse replied with enthusiasm. "If I did, I could use the broken parts to repair the pot without changing the rest of it except where the pieces meet. As it is, I can take a little bit from the rest of the pot evenly, and there will be almost no difference between this pot and its original. At least, not unless I dropped it and tried to break it again." Then, it would shatter a little more easily than before, though not by very much. "I'm going to do the transmutation slower than usual, so you can see it happen. When I'm done, you'll get your turn."
Danielle looked excited, but also just a little nervous at his statement. "I'll do my best, Teacher."
Even going slowly, the transmutation only took about a minute, which was far slower than almost any quick transmutation Alphonse had attempted since that fateful night he and Edward had failed to bring back their mother. He had certainly transmuted for longer periods of time. The longest part had been determining the composition, and telling Danielle what he had found, and how he could tell what they were.
When he was done, the pot was flawlessly whole.
After discussing it all with her again, Alphonse moved the pot. "I told you to bring something you wanted to mend from your house. Do you have it?"
Danielle placed a chipped saucer—the type that went under a tea cup—on the circle. The saucer was mostly white, but with a green vine motif delicately along outer edge. The crack ran about an inch into the saucer, and had a couple of shards missing. It was a perfect first transmutation subject.
"Your turn." Alphonse smiled, and sat back. He said nothing to her as he saw Edward coming quietly into the room. When Edward had slippers on, his auto-mail was nearly silent. Edward paused, and watched.
Danielle walked through the process orally, though she squeaked slightly when she attempted to transmute, and actually had her first experience with holding and feeling alchemical energy, and almost lost it.
Almost, but she didn't.
Repairing the saucer took her two minutes of conscious effort, creased brows, and much concentration, but in the end, she had managed to make the saucer hole again. "It's fixed!" she exclaimed with pleasure when it was done, even though she was panting slightly.
"And with practice, you will be able to control the energy better, and you won't get as tired out," Alphonse promised. "It looks great. I'm sure Marion will be happy to have it fixed."
"There are several things around the house I could fix with this," she nodded, looking thrilled. As well she should! Learning to use alchemy—safely and properly—was a fantastic experience.
"For now, bring them here for our practice sessions, and do not attempt to transmute anything unsupervised," Alphonse warned, though he did it kindly.
"Yes, Teacher." Danielle nodded her head, her tone agreeable. "I promise I won't do anything without you there. I wouldn't know what to do if something went wrong."
Edward's chuckle startled her, as he came the rest of the way into the room. "You're already smarter than most alchemists, kid. Stay that way."
Danielle smiled, apparently understanding Edward's compliment. Or, at least, that it was a compliment. "Thank you, sir." Then she turned her attention back to Alphonse. "Can I practice again?"
Charisa sat with the rest of the Amestrian delegation at the seats they had been given in the large, formal chamber used for meetings of the complete assembled government of the G.R.I.D. when there was business that called for it. Clearly the opening of negotiations with Amestris warranted a formal address to the government. While the actual negotiations would take place with fewer people, there were formalities to be observed that would certainly make things go more smoothly. Ambassador Lita Chalmers, and her second, Ambassador Roald Dasler, sat beside her. They would be the more permanent team here, but for the re-initiation of friendly terms between the two countries, they had wanted an established, recognizable member of the Amestrian Assembly, with diplomatic skills and negotiation experience. Charisa was, frankly, impressed that Chalmers had wanted to come back to Petrayevka, seeing as she had been here as the junior diplomat when the civil war had broken out.
For this, they were simply a point of business at the beginning of the agenda, but that was really all they needed to be. Sara and Franz and the others were here as guests, not diplomats. They would serve their purposes in other ways.
Around them along the curved benches and counters that ran around three quarters of the room, sat the voted representatives from every corner of the four new Drachman states. At the front stood a desk with four chairs, one for each of their elected leaders.
Charisa found it notable that it was an even split at the top, between men and women, with them sitting alternating one and then the other. Dema Koval was a little older than Charisa, and Oxana Novikova a little younger, but both had won with heavy support in their regions. Previously, neither had served at the national level, which made them fresh blood, with minimal ties or political baggage coming in.
Mihalov and Marskaya had both been representatives in the old government, and both from old noble families, though not cut from the same cloth as the families that had fought so hard against modernizing the country and the way it interacted with its neighbors. Charisa was glad for it, even knowing that Marskaya had been in the military during the war between their two countries. Her own father had been a general in that war.
It was an interesting mix of backgrounds and perspectives, but a promising one.
The meeting was called to order, and opened, and Charisa waited for the moment when she would be invited up to speak. It wouldn't be long; she was here to put a good face on negotiations that would be discussed at length over the next fourteen days. All she needed to do here was make a good impression, and hopefully win some good favor with the wider government at large.
Finally, that moment came, and Charisa heard herself introduced. Standing, she made her way to the front podium, which stood just to the side of the four Presidents. She had been practicing this speech in Drachman for weeks.
Charisa smiled out at the crowd around her wondering what they thought of her presence, if they were even old enough to know who former-President General Heymans Breda was, or if they even equated her with her father, seeing as she wasn't using that family name. Surely, they would have been briefed. Or, perhaps not, depending on what the Presidents thought it was important for them to know. :It is a singular honor to be here today,: she began. :While my husband has had the pleasure of coming to Petrayevka on previous diplomatic visits, and we have family friends on both sides of our borders, this is my first time in your country. On the train here, I was struck by the vast majesty of the beautiful countryside, and the warmth of the people in the towns where we stopped. It is my hope, that over the next two weeks, I will get to know you, and your people, much better, so that the negotiations we have come together for, will be beneficial to all of us.:
:I have never been a fan of war. I've always felt that, given the opportunity, most people are able to, and prefer to, work things out with reason, in a way that is equitable to all sides. That is, as long as all parties offer each other the respect they are do, and an open mind. A country is its people, and all people deserve respect, dignity, safety, and a good life. My colleagues and I look forward to working with you to forge a mutually beneficial alliance, and hopefully a friendship, that will endure for generations. Thank you.:
Charisa had agonized over the precise balance in tone she wanted to create. Positive, but not naïve, respectful without being too flattering. It needed to be something that people would be willing to believe, and accept. From the polite, but solid, applause that met her words, she was certain she had done that. Around the room, she saw plenty of neutral expressions, but also smiles, and nothing she would call an outright frown.
As she returned to her seat, Novikova thanked her, and the business of the morning continued. They had been invited to stay for the entire morning session, and Charisa and Lita had agreed that they should definitely do so. It not only demonstrated that their interest in this new incarnation of Drachma and its people was genuine, but they were certain to learn a lot that could be useful.