A vessel crossed the straight from Chalcedon to Byzantium, bearing the city's flag and carrying but a token pair of marines, a single diplomat of middling bearing and the crew requires to sail it.

Were it permitted to make dock, its solitary diplomat would disembark to request that he might deliver a message to the Lord of Trade. Should the delivery of the message be allowed, the Lord of Trade may read its contents.

Aristride Hatzis,

So close do our cities lie to one another, yet there is a gulf between us both in fact as well as relations. Though we are both Hellenes, we count each other among our most bitter of rivals, bleeding our coffers in order to make our own trade propositions the most alluring to foreigners, the true profiteers of our competing.

As enemies, we stifle one another's cities, forcing us to look not to the horizon but instead to our own harbours. As friends, our merchants could be the envy of the whole Mediterranean, for no others could so monopolize such a profitable stretch of water.

I would repair the gulf between our people. If you are of a mind of friendship and mutual profit, I would bid you meet me in the waters between our cities at noon tomorrow. My vessel will be alone and will bare the blue and white of my house.

For a more bountiful future for both our cities,

Archon Chares of Chalcedon.