19 February 3015

Dear Uncle Leonidas,

I hope this letter finds you well and that your work establishing our embassy in Bravia proceeds without undue difficulty. Mother has no doubt already written to inform you that I have been considering your generous proposal with the seriousness it deserves, and I now write to give you my answer directly, as one man to another, though I confess the designation of “man” still feels somewhat premature when applied to myself.

The answer is yes. I accept your offer to serve as an attaché to the embassy and to train under your guidance in the arts of diplomacy and the peculiar complexities of Bravian society. I do so with a mixture of excitement and trepidation that I suspect is entirely natural for someone embarking upon what may prove to be the defining enterprise of his life. I am grateful beyond words for the opportunity you have extended to me, and I am determined to prove myself worthy of the confidence you have placed in me, even as I am keenly aware of how much I have yet to learn.

I must confess that when I first read your letter—Mother gave it to me to read in its entirety, as she mentioned she would—my initial reaction was one of being somewhat overwhelmed by the scope of what you were proposing. The weight of your observations about Bravia, the complexity of the political situation both there and at home, the strategic importance of the position you were offering—all of this seemed almost too large for someone of my limited experience to grapple with effectively. I am only twenty-two years old, Uncle, and while I believe I have been adequately educated and have done my best to prepare myself for some form of useful service, I had not anticipated that such service would begin with responsibilities of quite this magnitude.

But then I read your letter a second time, and then a third, and with each reading I began to see not merely the challenges but the extraordinary nature of the opportunity you were offering. How many young men of my generation will have the chance to help establish diplomatic relations with a rising power? How many will be able to observe firsthand a society as unusual and as powerful as Bravia appears to be? How many will be positioned to acquire expertise that may prove essential not only to their own careers but to their nation’s survival? When I framed the question in those terms, the answer became obvious. To refuse such an opportunity out of fear of my own inadequacy would be not merely cowardly but foolish.

I shared your letter with Mother, of course, as she had already told you I would, and we spent several long evenings discussing what acceptance would mean for me and for our family. I must tell you, Uncle, that Mother has been extraordinary throughout this process. I had expected her to be hesitant, perhaps even opposed, given that accepting your offer means I will be leaving her alone and traveling to a foreign land for what may prove to be several years. Instead, she has been steadfast in her support and has already begun making arrangements for my departure with an efficiency and foresight that have surprised me, though perhaps they should not have done. I sometimes forget that Mother managed Father’s estate through his long illness and has continued to manage our affairs with considerable skill in the years since his death. She is far more capable than I had fully appreciated.

One of the things that has helped me in reaching my decision was the chance to speak with several people who have had some experience with Bravians, however limited that experience might be. Mother arranged for me to meet with the merchant who has been serving as my tutor in Low Bravian—a man named Henderson who spent fifteen years conducting trade through the Free Port of Bravia before retiring here. His stories of his time there confirmed many of your observations about Bravian character, particularly their honesty in business dealings and their rather extraordinary commitment to fair trade practices. He told me that in all his years of trading with Bravians, he never once encountered the sort of commercial sharp practice that is unfortunately common in many ports, and that a handshake agreement with a Bravian merchant was more reliable than a written contract with many of our own countrymen. This gave me considerable confidence that the Bravian society you have described is not some kind of diplomatic fiction but represents a genuine difference in how they conduct their affairs.

I also took the liberty of speaking with Father Dominic at the cathedral—you remember him, I think, from the funeral service he conducted for Father. He is a man of considerable learning and has made something of a study of comparative religious practices, including those of nations beyond our immediate region. When I asked him about Bravian religious culture, based on the descriptions you provided in your letter, he expressed considerable interest and said that what you described sounded like a biblically-grounded society that took seriously the application of scriptural principles to daily life. He said, and I thought this was quite insightful, that such societies are often more rather than less stable because their people internalize moral standards rather than merely following rules imposed from without. He also said that while Bravian ways might be alien to ours in their political implications, there was nothing inherently problematic about their religious practices from the standpoint of Christian orthodoxy, which set my mind at ease on that particular score.

Now, as to the practical matters of my preparation and when I might reasonably expect to depart for Bravia. I have been giving this considerable thought and have developed something of a plan, which I hope meets with your approval. I would very much value your guidance on whether what I am proposing is adequate or whether I should make adjustments.

First, regarding language study. I have been meeting with Mr. Henderson three times per week for the past month, working on Low Bravian. He tells me that I have a good ear for languages and that my Latin and Greek studies have given me a foundation that makes learning Low Bravian somewhat easier than it might otherwise be, though he is quick to add that Low Bravian is quite different from anything in the classical tradition and presents its own challenges. We have been focusing on building a basic vocabulary of common words and phrases, learning the grammar patterns that govern how the language is constructed, and working on pronunciation—which Mr. Henderson says is crucial, as Bravians can be quite particular about how their language is spoken.

Mr. Henderson has also been sharing with me various aspects of Bravian commercial culture, explaining how negotiations typically proceed, what sorts of behaviors are considered appropriate, and what topics are safe for discussion versus those that might give offense. He has stressed repeatedly that Bravians value directness and honesty above politeness, which is quite different from our own diplomatic traditions, and that attempting to be evasive or overly diplomatic in the traditional sense will actually damage one’s standing with them rather than enhance it. This has been a difficult adjustment for me mentally, as I have always been taught that discretion and tact are essential qualities in any gentleman, but I am working to understand how directness can itself be a form of respect when dealing with people who prize transparency.

Based on Mr. Henderson’s assessment, I believe I will need at least four more months of intensive study before my Low Bravian is adequate for basic diplomatic work. He has suggested that I increase our meetings to five times per week starting next month, and that I supplement our formal lessons with reading practice using whatever Bravian texts he can provide—mostly commercial documents and shipping manifests at this point, but he says that reading anything in the language will help build my facility with it. He has also recommended that once I arrive in Bravia, I should immerse myself in the language as fully as possible, avoiding the temptation to spend too much time with other foreigners who speak our language, as that will slow my progress considerably.

Beyond Low Bravian, you mentioned that knowledge of Middle Bravian would also be valuable. Mr. Henderson knows only a little Middle Bravian himself, as his dealings were primarily with coastal merchants who spoke Low Bravian, but he has suggested that once I have a solid foundation in Low Bravian, learning Middle Bravian should be somewhat easier as the two languages are related. He recommends that I begin Middle Bravian study after arriving in Bravia, where I will have access to native speakers and more comprehensive instruction. Does this seem reasonable to you, or should I attempt to find a tutor in Middle Bravian here before my departure?

Second, regarding my education in history and international affairs more broadly. I have been reading everything I can find about the political situation in our region and about the various nations that surround us. You warned in your letter that reliable information about Bravia itself is scarce, and I have certainly found this to be true. Most of what has been written about Bravia is superficial at best and often seems to be based more on speculation and prejudice than on direct observation. Your own letters to Mother, which she has permitted me to read, have been far more illuminating than anything I have found in published sources.

I have, however, been reading more generally about the history of our region, the rise and fall of various powers, and the ways in which diplomatic relationships have been managed in the past. I have been particularly interested in historical examples of how smaller nations have successfully navigated relationships with larger and more powerful neighbors—not that I consider our nation particularly small, but Bravia’s rapid expansion and considerable strength mean that we are negotiating from what is arguably a position of relative weakness, and understanding how others have managed similar situations strikes me as potentially valuable.

I have also been reading about comparative government systems, trying to understand how different societies organize themselves politically and what the implications of those different systems are for how they conduct foreign relations. Your descriptions of Bravia’s complex layers of consent and its insistence on popular approval of major policies are quite unlike anything I have encountered in my studies, and I confess I am still struggling to understand exactly how such a system functions in practice. I very much look forward to observing it firsthand and to having you explain the nuances that are difficult to convey in written correspondence.

Third, regarding practical preparations for my departure. Mother has been wonderfully organized about this, and I confess I have mostly been following her lead rather than taking initiative myself, though I am learning a great deal about what is involved in preparing for extended residence abroad. We have been working on assembling an appropriate wardrobe—Mother insists that I must be properly outfitted to represent our family and our nation with dignity, though I have tried to convince her that excessive finery would be inappropriate given what you have described about Bravian simplicity. We have reached something of a compromise, settling on clothing that is well-made and appropriate for formal occasions but without ostentatious decoration.

Mother has also been working on securing the letters of introduction you recommended. Lady Margrave has been particularly generous, as Mother mentioned in her letter to you, and has provided a letter that speaks to my character and my family’s loyal service. The Archbishop has provided a similar letter, though I confess I was somewhat nervous meeting with him for that purpose, as he is an imposing figure and I was uncertain whether my knowledge of theological matters would prove adequate to the sort of examination he might conduct. Fortunately, he was more interested in discussing the practical implications of serving in a nation with such strong religious culture, and he offered several pieces of advice about maintaining one’s own faith while respecting the religious practices of others that I found quite helpful.

We have also been working on financial arrangements. Mother has been consulting with our man of business about what funds can be made available to supplement the stipend you mentioned, and about how I might best handle financial matters while abroad. He has suggested that I establish a line of credit with one of the banking houses that conducts business through the Free Port of Bravia, which would allow me to draw funds as needed without having to carry large amounts of cash. He has also provided some preliminary advice about the sorts of investments you mentioned, though he has cautioned that I should wait until I am in Bravia and can assess opportunities directly before committing any significant capital.

One matter that has required some delicate handling is the dissolution of my understanding with Baron Rothwell’s family regarding a possible marriage to his daughter Catherine. Mother has written to you about this situation, so I will not belabor it here, but I wanted you to know that I have handled it as gracefully as circumstances permitted. I wrote to the Baron myself, explaining that my decision to enter diplomatic service and to accept a posting abroad made it impossible for me to pursue the understanding that had existed, and expressing my regret that circumstances had developed in this way. I received a rather curt reply that made clear the Baron’s view of my choice, but at least the matter is now resolved and there can be no ambiguity about where things stand.

I must confess, Uncle, that while I understood intellectually that accepting your offer would have political implications, I had not fully grasped how those implications would manifest in concrete ways until I found myself on the receiving end of Baron Rothwell’s barely-concealed contempt. It was a sobering lesson in how serving one’s nation honestly and according to one’s best judgment can still result in being viewed with suspicion by those whose political views differ from the policies one is implementing. I mention this not to complain—I made my choice with my eyes open—but because it has helped me understand in a more visceral way the political complexities you have been navigating and the care that will be required in managing both my official duties and my personal conduct.

There is one aspect of your letter that I have been thinking about a great deal, and I hope you will not mind if I write about it with some candor. You spoke of the need to appreciate Bravian virtues without falling into the trap of believing that Bravian ways should be adopted in our own country. You described this as perhaps the most difficult challenge for anyone serving in Bravia, particularly for young people who have not yet fully grasped the dangers that Bravian principles pose to political stability and the natural order of authority.

I have been wrestling with this tension, Uncle, trying to understand how one can genuinely respect and appreciate another society while simultaneously believing that its ways are fundamentally unsuited to one’s own country. It seems to me that this requires a rather sophisticated form of moral and political reasoning—the ability to recognize that what is good for one people in one set of circumstances may not be good for another people in different circumstances, without thereby falling into a complete moral relativism that would make all judgments meaningless.

I am not certain I have achieved this balance yet in my own thinking. When I read your descriptions of Bravian society—their property rights extending to all citizens, their insistence on consent in governance, their lack of rigid class hierarchies—I confess I find myself wondering whether these things might not actually be beneficial if implemented here. And yet I also recognize that I am young and idealistic, that I have not yet had to grapple with the practical difficulties of governance, and that my natural sympathies may be leading me to underestimate the dangers that such radical changes would pose to the stability we currently enjoy, whatever its imperfections.

I raise this not because I expect you to resolve the tension for me—I suspect it is something I will have to work through myself over time—but because I want you to know that I am aware of it and am approaching my service in Bravia with what I hope is appropriate intellectual humility. I do not assume that my initial reactions to what I observe will be the correct ones, and I will be looking to your guidance to help me understand the deeper implications of what I am seeing. I hope this awareness of my own potential biases will serve as at least some protection against the dangers you warned about.

Now, as to the timeline for my departure. Based on my language study requirements, the practical preparations that remain to be completed, and the need to conclude certain obligations I have undertaken here, I believe I will be ready to depart by the beginning of June. This would give me four more months of intensive language study with Mr. Henderson, time to complete the financial and logistical arrangements, and an opportunity to conclude my work with the charitable board on which I serve—they have been gracious about my impending departure, but I feel obligated to see our current project through to completion before I leave, and that should be finished by mid-May.

Would an arrival in Bravia sometime in mid to late June be acceptable from your perspective? I understand that the sailing season should be well underway by then, and Mr. Henderson has advised that summer travel across the ocean is generally more pleasant than spring or autumn travel, with calmer seas and more favorable winds. He has also suggested a particular shipping line that conducts regular trade between our port and the Free Port of Bravia, and has offered to write a letter of introduction to one of the captains he knows, which should ensure that I am reasonably well looked after during the voyage.

I should mention that the voyage itself will take approximately two weeks, depending on winds and weather, so if I depart in early June I would arrive in the Free Port of Bravia around mid-June. From there, I understand I will need to travel overland to wherever you are establishing the embassy, which I gather is some distance from the coast. I am not certain how long that journey will take or what arrangements I should make for it—should I attempt to organize transportation myself upon arrival, or will you be able to make arrangements from your end once you know when I am arriving?

There is one other practical matter I wanted to raise. You mentioned in your letter to Mother that you thought it would be helpful if I brought with me various family papers documenting our ancestry, property rights, and service to the crown. I have been working with Mother to assemble these documents, and I am wondering whether I should bring the originals or whether copies would suffice. Mother has been quite protective of the originals, given the uncertain political situation, and I would be hesitant to risk losing them at sea or through some mishap during my travels. On the other hand, if the originals would be more impressive or carry more weight in Bravia, I am prepared to bring them. What would you recommend?

I am also wondering about what personal effects I should bring beyond clothing and basic necessities. Should I bring books? If so, what sorts of books would be most useful? Should I bring any formal diplomatic attire beyond what I would wear for ordinary social occasions? Are there any particular items that are difficult to obtain in Bravia that I should bring with me in quantity? Mother has suggested that I bring various small gifts suitable for presenting to people I might meet—she has been collecting examples of our nation’s craftwork, local delicacies, and the like—but I am not certain whether this is appropriate in diplomatic contexts or whether it might seem presumptuous for someone of my junior status to be presenting gifts.

I realize I am asking a great many practical questions, Uncle, and I apologize if this seems like an excessive burden to place on you when you are already managing so many important responsibilities. I am simply trying to be as prepared as possible and to avoid making avoidable mistakes that might embarrass either you or our nation. If you prefer, you could respond to these questions in a general way and I will use my best judgment about the details, but I would value whatever specific guidance you can provide.

There is one more thing I wanted to mention, though it is of a more personal nature. Mother has had a miniature portrait made of me, which she intends to send to you with this letter. I must confess I felt rather foolish sitting for it—there is something absurdly self-important about having one’s portrait painted, as if I were someone of great consequence rather than merely a young man embarking on his first real position. But Mother insisted, and I recognized that she was right to do so. If you are to introduce me to people in Bravia before my arrival, it would be helpful for you to be able to show them what I look like, and the miniature serves that purpose efficiently.

I hope you will not judge me too harshly based on the portrait. The artist has, I think, been rather more flattering than strict accuracy would warrant, giving me an air of gravity and determination that I am not certain I actually possess in the quantities she has depicted. I look, in the portrait, like someone who knows what he is about and is confident in his abilities to handle whatever challenges may arise. I can only hope that by the time I arrive in Bravia, I will have grown into the person the portrait suggests I already am.

I am also enclosing with this letter a small notebook in which I have been practicing my Low Bravian writing. Mr. Henderson has been having me keep a daily journal in Low Bravian—just brief entries about ordinary events, but written entirely in the language I am learning. He says this is one of the best ways to build facility with a language, as it forces me to think in Low Bravian rather than merely translating from our own language. I thought you might find it interesting to see my progress, and also to have a sense of my current level of proficiency so that you can calibrate your expectations accordingly. I am afraid you will find many errors in grammar and vocabulary, but I hope you will also see evidence of genuine progress and commitment to mastering this essential skill.

As I approach the end of this letter, which has already grown longer than I initially intended, I find myself reflecting on the strangeness and wonder of the path that lies ahead of me. Just a few months ago, I had no clear sense of what my future might hold. I knew that I would need to find some form of employment or service, that I would need to establish myself somehow in the world, but I had no specific vision of how that might happen or what form it might take. Now, quite suddenly, I have a path before me—challenging, certainly, and not without risks, but also full of possibility and meaning.

I am deeply conscious of the trust you are placing in me, Uncle, and of the opportunity you are providing. I am aware that there are doubtless many young men of better family or greater experience who might seem more natural candidates for such a position. That you have chosen to offer it to me, your nephew, speaks both to the bonds of family and to your willingness to invest in my development even when I am still largely unproven. I am determined to justify that investment and to prove myself worthy of the confidence you have shown.

At the same time, I must be honest with you—and with myself—about my limitations. I am young, inexperienced, and uncertain about many things. I will make mistakes. I will encounter situations where I do not know how to proceed. I will face challenges that exceed my current capabilities. I can only promise that I will work diligently to learn from my mistakes, to seek guidance when I am uncertain, and to approach every challenge with the best efforts I can muster. I hope that this commitment to growth and learning will compensate, at least partially, for the experience and wisdom I currently lack.

Mother has been telling me stories about you and my father when you were young—stories I had not heard before, or had not paid sufficient attention to when I was younger. She speaks of the close bond between you, of the adventures you shared, of the ways you looked out for each other even when circumstances were difficult. She speaks of how devastated you were when Father died, and how you have honored his memory through your service to our nation and your care for his widow and son. I wanted you to know that I am aware of this history and grateful for it, and that I understand my coming to serve under you represents not just a professional opportunity but a continuation of family bonds that have always been important even when distance and circumstances have kept us apart.

I hope that my service in Bravia will allow us to develop our own relationship beyond what we had when I was merely a child and you were my father’s brother whom I saw occasionally at family gatherings. I look forward to knowing you as an adult, to learning from you, and to working alongside you in service of our nation’s interests. I hope that we can build something together that would have made Father proud.

I will write again before my departure to confirm final arrangements and to provide you with specific information about when you can expect my arrival. In the meantime, please know that I am working diligently to prepare myself for the responsibilities ahead, and that I am eagerly anticipating the moment when I can finally see Bravia for myself and begin the work you have so generously invited me to undertake.

With deepest respect and affection,

Your nephew,

Lysander Smith

P.S. — I hope you will not think me impertinent, but I wanted to ask whether you might consider sending me one of those primers on Bravian society that Mother suggested in her letter to you. She mentioned that you might write a letter or series of letters explaining the essential features of Bravian society that I should understand before arrival. I would find such guidance immensely valuable, and I promise to study any materials you send with the attention they deserve. Even something relatively brief that covered the most important points—the structure of their government, the key features of their religious practices, the social customs that foreigners most commonly misunderstand—would be extraordinarily helpful in ensuring that I do not arrive in Bravia entirely ignorant of the ways I will be expected to navigate. I realize this is an additional burden on your time, but if you could spare even a few hours to write such a primer, I would be immensely grateful and would consider it an essential part of my education.

L.S.