Blois, France

June, 1507

It was perhaps an unusual sight, in France, to see the men of the east arriving under their red banners adorned with galloping horsemen. Frenchmen turned out in great numbers to see the procession, which had proceeded from Le Havre to Paris and on from there to the Royal Château de Blois.

Received in a packed Salle des États, adorned by the blue-and-gold heraldry of the French royals and warmed by an energetic fire in the grand hearth, the Lithuanian delegates-- lead by the famous Stanisław Kiszka, Honor Marshal of Lithuania-- arrived before the Roi de France who rose from his throne and bid them welcome to Blois.

After the exchange of pleasantries and gifts, the assembled nobility continued on to a feast elsewhere in the château before retiring for the evening.

Sun rose on the second day of the Lithuanian visit and the real work began. French diplomats and their Lithuanian counterparts worked out the wording of a short but direct agreement between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of France:

v Iunii, Anno Domini MDVII

In the light of recognition and understanding between the two contracting parties, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of France, the following is hereafter agreed-upon:

1. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of France hereafter are engaged in an Alliance of Friendship;

2. In the event of conflict, the Grand Duchy of Lithuania vows to assist the Kingdom of France with monetary or mercenary troops; similarly, France would do the same if the Grand Duchy went to war against a foreign threat;

3. The Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of France will dispatch to the other respective party’s ruling court an ambassador to facilitate faster and clearer communication on matters of great importance;

4. France pledges the openness of its institutes and universities to Lithuanian noblemen, scholars, and the military captains of Lithuania;

5. Each party will make an exchange of educators in their official tongue to facilitate easier communication between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of France;

6. Both the Kingdom of France and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania will endeavor to lower barriers to trade between the two parties, ultimately seeking increased trade and profit for all.