Empire!4 Peace in Our Time

[Rolepgeek]

D̨vatla

"Sëzi, we are here to discuss peace. This is not peace, sëzi. You do understand peace, yes? When you don't try to kill each other? I know such things may be difficult for such a brave and mighty warrior. You know, they do say Dejan conquered the world simply because he forgot how not to fight people. Maybe it just runs in the blood?..."

As N̨amodl spoke, the only sign of any crack in the Empress's composure was that her left hand twitched very slightly, as though desirous to run a dagger through soft tissues over and over and over again.

"...Enough, cousin. This is unbecoming, sëzi. What madness has possessed you? If you wish to make challenges and threats, then by all means return to your army and make your preparations. You speak of the Picians in the far south, accuse us of using them for our own ends. Are we here humans, or animals such as them? You make threats at peace talks and hold yourself better than animals who know nothing but hatred, wrath and hunger?..."

Flamekeeper Des' eyebrows rise at the comparison, though he does not speak. The Empress actually seems to relax somewhat, however; this back and forth she was accustomed to. Negotiations were a battlefield as much as any war, and while the fool had stumbled onto one of the only things capable of baiting her out of position, it was just as much the case that

"...You accuse us of 'enabling' the Picians for our own advantage. Am I not here to make peace? If I desired it, nothing would be simpler than to continue our war, to allow the Picians to rampage over your lands. But I am here, now, to make peace. If you desire not peace, then leave. And if age has so diminished your virtue that you cannot hold your wrath in check when faced with that behind me then I have naught but pity. I will not blame you for your theatrics, given our own. But shall we now set aside such games and focus on the matter at hand?..."

The Karysite queen shakes her head slowly as the King of D̨vatla ignores the role he played in continuing his brother's conquest, looking down, a small, grim, unhappy smile on her face. It was not a refusal of terms, simple a realization of just how inexperienced her counterpart was. Which was to be expected, all told. He had not ruled long, nor had he likely expected to be forced to.

"There will be no duel until peace terms have been agreed upon. Should you die, I would not have nothing to show for this meeting. And unless you are willing to accept complete, unconditional surrender in the event of your death, I can only imagine you will wish to reach some more favorable agreement first. Once I am satisfied, I will release my cousin from this order. At that point, if the two of you wish to act like spoiled children or starving dogs, then you may. But we will complete our purpose in being here first."

The Empress let out a small snort. It seemed the man had not fully understood her, though referring to a duel of this nature as acting like spoiled children produced an amusing image.

"[Region 17] will be ceded to D̨vatla. You will renounce, now and for all times, any claim you or your heirs may have to regions north of the Straits. We will sign a treaty declaring that D̨vatla will not interfere with affairs in Estensule and the Empire will not interfere with affairs in Inyaka and Regner. Trade will not, of course, violate this treaty, but intentional disruption of trade will. Thus, we will be free to negotiate trade with those in our banned continents, but not to undertake unilateral actions to circumvent the authority of local rulers in matters of trade. In addition, should Chieftess Feather be held by the empire or its vassals, now or in the future, she will be released, to freely go where she chooses. I assume she will have a ban placed upon her, and I will not deny you or yours the right to prevent her return to territory held by the empire or its vassals. But she will be free to go into exile wherever she desires."

At the mention of Feather, the Empress's mood darkened somewhat more, though it did not show. She still did not know where the woman was, but that meant it was agreeable. Losing [Region 17] was painful, but at this point, it seemed inevitable; she could not both retake Avakon and defend the far side of the strait. And so long as the Empire survived, and it's people lived, it could blossom again. In a dozen years, five dozen, a hundred. They were not unacceptable terms, at least. Vana took a slow breath to steady herself, though outwardly it would only appear as though she were considering his words. Which, to be fair, she was.

"Perhaps I was unclear. I indeed came here for peace, sëzi. I yet desire an end to the conflict your late brother started. What I did not come here for was to be insulted before we have so much as greeted one another. In Karys, we muzzle hounds that yap too much; from what I knew of your father, he knew much the same. But as you said. On to business. I can, of course, agree to terms before any combat. To do otherwise would be foolish, and it seems odd for you to assume such."

The Empress paused for a moment before continuing, shifting her stance to be less combative. She had taken up a warrior's stance by force of habit while Tälir spoke, but now she desired to project a different image, despite the quiet anger that stewed in her. She came to make peace with foes that had assaulted without provocation, and this...bah. She had work to attend to

"Your terms are acceptable. However, we shall remain free to retaliate against those who act against us in Inyaka and Regner, kind for kind, just as you shall against those in Estensule. Further, those whose lands you now control, as well as those of [Region 17] shall be treated without prejudice, nor forced by the sword to become acculturated. You shall not provide aid or succor to enemies of the Empire desirous to use the land we would release into your administration as a base from which to assault the Empire, and indeed deny them access to do so wherever possible. I will not see this peace deal become a knife at my daughter's throat. Finally, the Omanush will not be hassled in their passage through the Vratis Strait. Are these terms acceptable to you?"

Purbagle

The Empress's eyebrows rose, and her guard's eyes widened enormously as she reached for a weapon before remembering she didn't have one. The Empress, meanwhile, simply spoke curtly in reply, turning to face the creature as she stared at him.

"Perhaps if your kind did not act like mongrels and beasts, we would not consider you such. And if we had left the rebels your kind allowed to rise, the chaos they brought would have spread to our own lands."

The Empress took a step towards him, annoyed at this...thing's insolence, yet her hand gestures, emphasizing her words, were still calm.

"If you desired to keep those lands, perhaps you should have learned to rule properly. Not once did a representative come forth to make demands or present terms. Simply violence and death."

Another step.

"You claim that you no longer act as beasts, consuming all in your wake and spawning like worms of the sea, but in what way have you shown this? What makes your kind so different now that your leader is no longer genocidal, only wrathful? You speak of vengeance for wrongs committed, as you carve a path of carnage for the crime of putting down anarchy brought about by your own gluttonous hungers and vile deeds. Certainly you are more than beasts; not once have I seen a wild animal be so hypocritical."

The Empress scoffed, a harsh sound as her incredulity at the creature rolled off in waves.

"If it took but a single change in...leadership, such as it is for your kind, to change from the goal of death of every last human, to 'mere vengeance', then it would take but a single change for it to turn back. To claim that your kind seeks to bring death, destruction, and woe wherever they tread is not so far from the truth as to require changing."