A cold wind swept down from the mountains and across the wide avenues of the Korean capital.
Winter had settled over the peninsula with quiet determination, coating rooftops and palace gates with a thin layer of frost that glimred beneath the pale morning sun.
The city of Hanseong had grown accustod to hosting dignitaries in recent years. motorcades bearing foreign flags had beco a common sight along the streets surrounding the imperial district.
Still, the gathering that had drawn the attention of so many foreign delegations this week carried a weight that even the seasoned palace staff could not ignore.
The banners of the Korean Empire hung proudly above the entrance to the governnt hall where the conference would soon begin.
Their golden dragons stirred gently in the winter breeze as soldiers of the Imperial Guard stood at attention along the stone steps.
Beyond the gates, the city continued its daily rhythm. Vendors opened their stalls, trams rattled along their rails, and students hurried between lecture halls.
For most of Seoul’s citizens, the arrival of foreign ministers and military envoys ant little more than another mont of diplomatic theater.
Inside the hall, however, the atmosphere was far less casual.
Long tables had been arranged beneath tall windows that overlooked the palace gardens.
Maps of the North Pacific and Arctic regions covered several boards along the walls, marked with colored pins and careful annotations.
The subject of discussion was written plainly across the first page of every docunt placed before the delegates.
Security Coordination Regarding the Forr United States Territories.
The collapse of the once-mighty republic had left an enormous vacuum across the North Arican continent.
Where one nation had once stood, a patchwork of fragile successor states now struggled to maintain control over their own territories.
So maintained a semblance of order while others had descended into little more than ard camps led by militia commanders and local strongn.
For the nations bordering the ruins, the consequences had been imdiate.
To the north, Canada found itself responsible for policing a frontier that had suddenly beco far more dangerous than anyone in Ottawa had anticipated.
To the west, the Russian Empire now shared a frozen mariti boundary with those sa unstable territories through the waters surrounding Alaska.
Refugees had begun moving northward, smugglers had discovered profitable new routes. And rumors of ard groups attempting to cross international borders had begun to circulate with unsettling frequency.
It was for these reasons that representatives of the affected powers had gathered in Seoul. Not for celebration, not even for negotiation in the traditional sense.
They had co because the collapse of a superpower had created a problem none of them could afford to ignore.
Heavy wooden doors at the far end of the chamber opened slowly.
The first of the delegations had arrived.
Tsar Alexei Romanov stood with his wife by his side, Tsarina Elsa Romanova. They were flanked by Russian ministers, generals, and intelligence directors.
Alexei led his wife to the seats that was chosen for the two of them where they sat down and patiently waited for the arrival of the Canadian delegation.
Pri Minister John Bracken arrived shortly thereafter and was quick to approach the Tsar and the Korean Emperor, shaking hands.
"Thank you both for allowing this eting to take place. While Russia and Canada share so concerns, I am all too aware that they disproportionately affect Canada."
Alexei returned the gesture before sitting down in his seat. Motioning for the Canadian pri minister to do the sa.
"No thanks are necessary, this matter concerns the security of the Russian borders in Alaska. Since we are neighbors again for the first ti in nearly a century, it would be incredibly unwise to pretend that mutual cooperation is not beneficial to the both of us."
Elsa nodded silently in approval. It was a gesture that went unnoticed by many in the Canadian delegation, but not the Pri Minister.
John was not foolish enough to think that just because the Tsarina was a woman, that she was simply a pretty face and a figurehead. Elsa was the second daughter of Bruno von Zehntner, and she represented her father’s interests as much as she did her husband’s.
It was perhaps because of this that he forced himself to recognize her before continuing with the eting.
"Your Majesty, I hope your father is doing well."
Elsa’s face was, as per usual completely devoid of emotion. She was easily entering her forties, and yet, like her mother and father before her, didn’t look a day over 30.
Her grace and beauty caused many of the delegates to catch their breath and their spines to tingle when her cold voice echoed throughout the hall.
"My father is doing well, thank you very much. I am sure he will be happy to hear your well wishes. Now that he is the Chancellor of the German Reich, he finds himself more busy than ever before."
More busy than ever before... The very notion that Bruno was more busy as the Chancellor than as the Reichsmarschall silently filled the room with dread. That is until Alexei intervened.
"Forbid my tactlessness, but shall we forgo the standard formalities and instead focus our attentions to the matter at hand? The Canadian border and Russian mariti borders near Alaska have co under threat by the lawlessness that has consud the ruins of the old Arican Republic. "
He let the words sit for a just long enough to get his point across before continuing."
Naturally, Russia’s position on the matter is strict non-interference. We want to stay as far away from that ss as possible. But the fact remains, we are now forced into a position where maintaining security asures requires a vast amount of resources. And we are sure that Canada suffers a similar burden. Needless to say we are open to negotiations towards joint-security cooperation. I presu you had so ideas when you requested this eting?"
The fact that the Russian Tsar was already open to the idea of joint-border and mariti security operations ant that Pri Minister John Bracken and his cabinet had already passed through the barrier which they thought would be fiercest.
They sighed in relief, taking a mont to collect their thoughts before putting forward their formal request.
"Here is what we had in mind...."
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