Captain Lannes stood at attention at the Port City of Caux in the province of Attolia. It was the main port that serviced the Capital, which was a bit more inland. He himself was a Captain of the 2nd Guard, typically held in reserve in Attolia and assigned the protection of key people and cities. Rarely did the Imperial Guard of Attolia march to fight. Nay, they were the final line, the Triarii. When other soldiers would break and flee, they would hold the line and rally the men. However, during peace, they were often seen protecting government officials and diplomats. Today, he was tasked with greeting an envoy of the Empire of Rubrus and escorting them. It appeared that they were going to discuss a trade agreement and begin sending scholars to learn from each other, which Attolia had no problem with. Such cooperation helped to encourage peace.

It was oddly peaceful in the City... but it was really a false alarm. Many of the soldiers were mobilizing and getting ready to march south to join the Crusade against the Dashkatar. Thus, when you would usually see numerous patrols everywhere throughout the city... things seemed empty and peaceful in the city. Although, just a few days ago, the city was filled with patriotic fervor as a festival took place to encourage the men who were marching off to fight in the crusade. The flag of Attolia now flew around every corner of the city as the Empire also welcomed immigrants, refugees and natives with open arms as new brothers and sisters. The local governments of settlements seemed to take the responsibility of settling these newcomers and making sure that they were getting accustomed to the area, culture and the language.

This seemed especially so in the Attolian colonies where full citizenship was offered to those who settled and took up the Attolian language in the cities. Without a doubt, they would quickly find jobs in the revitalized Attolian economy. The numerous economy reforms and ventures that Emperor Lothair the Second had taken were outstanding successes as a daunting deficit was quickly corrected within a year. In fact, many began to call Emperor Lothair II, the Wise. His administrative capabilities were outstanding. Finally, in the distance, the Captain saw a ragged ship, which flew the flag of Rubrus. The Rubrus were not a sea-faring people, which explained the state of the ship, but regardless the Empress was a beacon of progress and enlightenment in these times, much like Lothair. Both Imperial Majesties were bringing progress to their nations and people. They could accomplish and learn much from each other.

The ship would finally dock, and the Captain barked his orders to the honor guard. They stood at guard, and as the delegates disembarked, the Captain walked up to introduce himself as a new friend to the people of Rubrus.