JEM of Aethelia found this invitation very curious.
"Birth...day? People record and celebrate the day and year that they were born? Do they actually remember their birth and reminisce about it? I'm uncertain I want to hear that speech, if he gives one, but I must try to keep an open mind... this is exactly why I need to go, our mission is to explore these strange customs that these other nations have so that we can gain inspiration and influence through shared ideas and culture.
Maybe I could even have one of these birthday things myself someday, I'm probably between 25 and 40 years old by now... probably born in mid-April, we do love to get particularly wild in our Aethelian Summer festivals... I'll try to arrange a thirty-somethingth birthday for myself, and get my parents to talk about my birth and conception, if that's what we're supposed to do at one of these things. Or am I just supposed to celebrate my 56th birthday specifically? I should ask, maybe they have some religious superstitions regarding the number 56 or something like that. I hope they don't just have a low life expectancy there and consider themselves lucky to live to 56 and that's why they do it... maybe we should share our modern medicine with them if they need it as a sign of goodwill? Unsure, won't know until I get there."
It was time to stop speculating and choose up to 10 people to bring with her. The invitation did not specify that the others also had to be political leaders, so she gathered her partners and asked which of them would like to go to a 'birthday' celebration. After mentioning there would be food there, they all volunteered, forcing JEM to just pick the 9 who looked like they responded the fastest: Sarisa, Sorsha, Jinhe, Mako, Janus, Asher, Luna, Akira, and Talia.
Being assured that security would be taken care of and thus not needing much mobility, and seeing that such an event would be formal based on the invitation, JEM determined it would be best not to arrive only in full body paint (the other nations so far don't seem to think highly of that, best to not risk it), instead picking her best, brightest, most elaborate rainbow dress with her personal sigil of a blue moon etched on it for this formal event. This would be sure to impress them enough that they'll know that JEM is a true leader of a nation.
Now prepared to represent Aethelia at this event, JEM and her similarly impressively dressed partners arrive at the palace by bus, eager to get to the event, sample all of the food, discover the culture of this nation, and, if there's time, do some diplomatic stuff too.