Chapter 7

10th Day, Upper Wind Month, 1 CE, 0900 Hours

“My Queen, the delegation from the Sorcerous Kingdom has arrived.”

Draudillon looked up from her paperwork with a furrow on her youthful brow.

“When will they arrive at the palace?” She asked.

“They are already in the palace, Your Majesty,” Captain Scavo said, “but none of the palace guard noted their arrival outside.”

Did they fly? Considering the apparent strength of the Sorcerous Kingdom’s forces, some variety of teleportation magic wasn’t out of the question. Her thoughts meandered for a moment while she considered appropriate protocols for teleporting guests. Casters that could use similar means were so rare that there was little consideration put into their treatment and regulation.

“Where are they right now?”

“In the state room we’ve prepared for them. They’ve sent word that they’d like to begin negotiations at your next convenience.”

My next convenience, huh…

It was more like she was awaiting the Sorcerous Kingdom’s convenience. In a world where differences in both personal and collective power could be so extreme that notions of equality were nothing more than a fool’s delusion, it was common for conventions and polite conduct to be cast aside simply because that difference in power allowed one to do whatever they wished. Many exulted in it and exploited every advantage with no consideration for the other party.

There was an old saying about meeting the same people on their way down as they met on the way up. The delegation’s behaviour could be seen as an expression of confidence in the Draconic Kingdom’s recovery and the desire for a relationship not predicated by power, but framed by a code of civil conduct that superseded savage measures.

Another way to interpret their actions was that the seeming lack of desire for control suggested absolute control. Most relied on threats, bravado and overt, repeated displays of strength to assert dominance in whatever their arena might be. Draudillon considered those types of people little more than animals. Individuals who carried themselves with a sense of cool confidence through which the weight of their position could be subtly felt were far more dangerous in her mind.

She looked over her shoulder at Sebas, who remained attentive and alert for threats to her person since his arrival. The Sorcerer King’s Royal Butler had said little beyond polite exchanges, but Draudillon couldn’t say that she had put much effort into enticing anything out of him. Her responsibilities as Queen took precedence and the fact that it felt like she was trying to scrape together a flea market’s worth of economic clout for the upcoming negotiations didn’t help with her sense of self-worth.

“Lady Yorsten.”

“Yes, Your Majesty?”

“Gather the Royal Court. Once everyone is here, We will hold our first audience with the Sorcerous Kingdom’s delegation.”

“Most are out working in the city…it shouldn’t take more than two hours for us to summon the court and prepare.”

Draudillon nodded and sent Ioena on her way. She then rose from her throne, gathering up the documents summarising the Draconic Kingdom’s position and potential avenues for negotiation. A tiny frown marred her face as she read over them on her way back to the royal apartments.

With things as they were, all she could offer were ‘promises’. A picture of how things were when Beastmen weren’t running all over the place and eating everyone. Even that couldn’t remotely be claimed as nominal anymore; the Draconic Kingdom had been subjected to more than a year of constant predation by the Beastman invaders.

She let out a weary sigh after leaving Sebas at the entrance of her apartments. Even if they did drive the Beastmen away, the Draconic Kingdom’s economy would be crippled. Tax revenues would be next to nonexistent until the harvest and she would consider it extraordinarily lucky if they could produce a third of what was normal. Furthermore, what limited resources they had to spare needed to go to restoration efforts or they would never crawl out of the pit that they had been pushed into.

In other countries, it was common for landlords to make allowances for victims of raids and areas devastated by natural disasters. These mostly came in the form of dues being postponed or waived entirely in an effort to facilitate a return to normal productivity. In the Draconic Kingdom, however, this sort of reprieve was not enough.

The marauding Beastmen who inflicted losses with their raids did not do so on rare occasions – they came all the time. A lord would lose a handful of tenants in one village and then lose a handful more in another village two weeks later. It was both a sad fact and a saving grace that their neighbours treated the Draconic Kingdom as a hunting preserve, which meant that they only hunted as much as the population could sustain.

What was ‘sustainable’ was, of course, determined by the Beastmen. All that the Draconic Kingdom could do was make the best of their difficult situation. Taxes were pooled, Adventurers were hired and soldiers were trained. Every Beastman that they killed was one less Beastman that needed to eat, and if people were going to die anyway those deaths may as well come at a cost to their assailants.

At least one avenue is clear to us…

They were desperate for manpower anyway and the Adventurers had all fled, so the portion of the budget that usually went to border security – that was, commissioning Adventurers and training soldiers – could be offered to the Sorcerous Kingdom. Given how powerful and effective their forces appeared to be, Draudillon was under no illusion that she could afford much, but something was better than nothing.

The hours passed as she prepared, donning a less absurd-looking outfit than before. Still, it was something that suited a child and it still revealed more skin than she would have liked. Layers of diaphanous white silks caused her figure to cast a clear silhouette in the morning sun, projecting the image of the pure and innocent Queen that her people adored.

Her straight black hair was arranged into coils atop her head, fixed with an array of silver pins that radiated from her Dragon crown. It was about as much as she allowed herself, lest she risk conveying the idea that she was in a better situation than she actually was.

“Your Majesty,” Ioena arrived in a fresh dress. “Your courtiers have assembled and await your arrival.”

“What about the delegation from the Sorcerous Kingdom?”

“They’re still awaiting Your Majesty’s summons in their state room. I thought you might like to address your court before the audience.”

“Our court, huh…”

“Such that it is,” Ioena offered Draudillon a mirthless smile.

Draudillon regarded her lady-in-waiting with a sense of silent melancholy. Ioena’s expression was not unlike that of her late Prime Minister. She reached up and patted Ioena’s cheeks.

“You’re thirty years too early to be making faces like your uncle,” Draudillon told her. “The last thing We need is this audience looking like a funeral. Don’t tell Us everyone else is carrying themselves like this.”

“I think we’ll be alright, Your Majesty,” Ioena replied. “These past few days have just been so overwhelming. From the city falling to a sudden overnight reversal…I think what came after was even weightier than that. So many things we took for granted that have fallen apart.”

“Well, at least everyone’s not penned up as livestock. This Sorcerous Kingdom seems civil so far – things will probably take a turn for the better, yes?”

At least that was her hope. The Sorcerous Kingdom’s envoys were civil, yet gave little away and showed little interest in anything beyond their work. The steely professionalism that they had shown thus far made her wonder what she would be facing at the negotiating table.

Sebas fell into step behind Draudillon as she left the royal apartments with Ioena. Upon returning to the throne room, heads turned and she was greeted by applause from the occupants. She put on a smile and nodded as she went by, trying her best not to think bitter thoughts. They came anyway.

Why are they even clapping? It’s like they’re congratulating me for not being eaten. If I had used Wild Magic before things grew too far out of hand…

Would the Sorcerous Kingdom still have come? Considering what they claimed to be there for and how they carried themselves, she was reasonably certain that it would have been the case. With the Draconic Kingdom in much better condition, she would have been able to negotiate from a much stronger position. The mountain of regret over her indecision only grew the more she dwelled upon it.

She settled onto her throne, examining her hall full of admiring courtiers. They were at most half the age of the ministers, highlords and other officials that should have been there. With time as short as it was and other duties pressing them, she opted against putting together a new set of diplomatic staff. In effect, they were bodies to fill the throne room and lend a bit of gravitas to the proceedings.

“We thank everyone for their hard work,” Draudillon’s voice carried over the assembled Nobles. “While the Beastman threat to the capital is no longer imminent, there will be many trials ahead for the Draconic Kingdom. The time for bearing arms has passed. Now is the time that your talents will come to the fore. You are the few who understand that the fight ahead is no less critical to the fate of your country. Your unwavering support gives Us much-needed strength, and We hope you will all continue to lend your support in the times to come.”

The groups of Nobles in the hall clamoured over one another, pledging their eternal loyalty and service. Words of encouragement flowed over her – which sounded like words of encouragement for a child – but she had grown accustomed to it over the years. She raised a hand and they fell silent again.

“All must know that Our country currently does not have much to offer, so We must ask that everyone does their utmost to display what hospitality they can and impress their sincerity on Our guests. As more of the Draconic Kingdom is reclaimed from the Beastmen, you will be responsible for ensuring that the rest of the aristocracy understands this. Our country has gone through too much for a thoughtless gaffe to rob it of this precious opportunity.”

Heads nodded around the throne room and the assembled Nobles organised themselves into neat rows according to their rank and position. Draudillon’s golden eyes went to the door and she nodded.

“Bring Our guests before Us, Captain Scavo.”

“At once, Your Majesty.”

The throne room doors closed behind the Captain and Draudillon stared at the hole that was still there. She pondered whether it should be repaired as soon as possible for appearance’s sake, or be left as a sobering reminder of the situation that they were in until their troubles had passed.

Five minutes later, the Captain reappeared, stopping to the side of the entrance.

“Introducing the delegation from the Sorcerous Kingdom: The Right Honourable The Countess of Corelyn; The Right Honourable The Countess of Wagner; The Right Honourable The Baroness of Gagnier.”

As they were announced, six women made their way up the dark carpet laid over the polished marble floors. Three of them appeared to be attendants, as they immediately withdrew to a side area at the back of the hall. The Nobles arranged on either side of the long carpet stretching from the doorway cast curious glances their way, as they had not been announced and their identity could only be guessed at. Draudillon kept her expression neutral, examining who had come to represent the Sorcerous Kingdom.

In the centre was a tall woman – as tall or taller than most of the men present – with lush waves of blonde hair that ended just below her shoulders. The cobalt-blue dress with silver filigree draped between her shoulders marked her as someone of conservative disposition, or at least one who had decided to express herself in a reserved fashion. Even so, her radiant beauty could not be denied…but what drew Draudillon’s attention were her amethyst eyes and pale complexion.

Is that the blood of the Theocracy’s gods, or traces of the old imperial dynasty?

She couldn’t tell at a glance, but, either way, it marked her as someone to be wary of.

On either side of Countess Corelyn stood two women who were both half a head shorter. Countess Wagner stood on the left, with topaz blue eyes set on a petite face framed by tight waves of flaxen hair. Her mode of dress was two degrees more daring than that of Countess Corelyn, though Draudillon wasn’t sure whether it was a result of a purposeful calculation or simple whim. She was clearly of imperial descent, her name and features marking her as the blood of a house that had originated from Baharuth’s east or southeastern marches.

Baroness Gagnier was the most well-endowed of the trio, which she appeared to be painfully conscious of. Though she was just as conservatively dressed as Countess Corelyn, hiding her womanly figure was something of an exercise in futility. Dirty blonde hair that hung past her shoulders matched the smouldering amber of her eyes.

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She had all the makings of a prolific seductress: the type that would only be envied and admired for the throngs of men that she ensnared rather than reviled for it. Yet, instead of being confident about her appearance, she appeared overly timid. A timid seductress, if that made any sense.

Another noteworthy thing between the three was that they were all young. Most of her palace staff appeared to be older. It was an unexpected jab at Draudillon’s situation: she had young Nobles aplenty, but instead had opted to negotiate directly. There may also have been other reasons for the selection, such as lulling the opposite party into a false sense of security over the apparent youth and inexperience of the Sorcerous Kingdom’s delegation.

Feminine appeal was of course a factor, as men usually conducted matters of state. Throwing nubile young noblewomen at officials could be an effective tactic, but it wouldn’t work since Draudillon was personally heading the negotiations for the Draconic Kingdom. This, of course, went both ways: Draudillon couldn’t use the appeal of an eligible young Queen to tilt negotiations in her favour when no one at the table was attracted to women. Maybe she would be able to tickle their maternal instincts with her childlike appearance.

The three noblewomen lined up before Draudillon’s dais and lowered themselves into deep curtseys. Draudillon took in their silent displays of respect for a moment before speaking.

“We are Draudillon Oriculus, Black Scale Dragon Lord and Queen of the Draconic Kingdom. For a nation to come so far to provide unsolicited succour is an unheard-of thing in these times, and We are unable to adequately express our gratitude for your doing so. Our warmest welcome goes to the Sorcerous Kingdom: may the future of our two nations be one marked by mutual goodwill and prosperity.”

It was a greeting suitable for the Draconic Kingdom’s situation, which was incapable of offering much more than heartfelt thanks and pinned its hopes on a reasonable settlement that hinged on a long-term relationship with the Sorcerous Kingdom. A part of her complained that it failed to convey the grandeur and prestige of a sovereign and what her nation should be, but establishing a set of reasonable expectations with the Sorcerous Kingdom’s delegation took priority.

“The Sorcerous Kingdom thanks you for your welcome, Queen Oriculus,” Countess Corelyn replied. “Too long has the world been shrouded in a veil of darkness where peoples and nations vanish alone into the void. With the advent of the Sorcerous Kingdom comes the dawn of a new era and His Majesty the Sorcerer King, Ainz Ooal Gown, desires that his reign be marked by the harmony and prosperity that it brings. We would be most pleased if the Draconic Kingdom joins hands with us in this future.”

Very good, this one knows how to dance…

In response to hearing the Draconic Kingdom’s position, the Sorcerous Kingdom had presented its own. It was a breath of fresh air in a world where most would abuse an advantageous position to boorishly impose upon another party. Those who were being imposed upon could do little but acquiesce to the arbitrary demands of those who were only interested in getting what they wanted. The details were not a concern – they were solely the problem of the one being made to produce what was required.

The results of that sort of ‘diplomacy’ never lasted, as expectations and reality would inevitably drift apart. By opening the negotiations in the way that she did, Countess Corelyn indicated that the Sorcerous Kingdom was here to negotiate rather than dictate. It was consistent with the idea that they were here to establish a long-term relationship with the Draconic Kingdom, not exact payment for services rendered or make arbitrary demands.

Even so, there were traps hidden in her words. The consistency between Sebas, Baroness Zahradnik and the now-arrived delegation of Countess Corelyn served to paint an image and establish a premise. One could not disregard the fact that, despite its seemingly benevolent position, the Sorcerous Kingdom held an overwhelming advantage over the Draconic Kingdom. The dance of diplomacy had begun and it was clear that Countess Corelyn was leading that dance.

Some fools danced as they pleased simply because the accompanying music was agreeable. As nations were constructs of law and order, however, the steps to their dance could not be ignored.

“Umu,” Draudillon offered her guests a brilliant smile, “well spoken! We look forward to discovering what our two nations might forge together. Are there any pressing matters that you would like to bring to Our attention?”

“Since our forces have secured a logistical corridor to the capital,” Countess Corelyn replied, “we would first like to secure facilities for our transports. The reports from Baroness Zahradnik state that the capital has over a week of food left, but establishing proper supply chains is something that takes time.”

“A prudent course of action,” Draudillon nodded. “We shall take care of that, then. By the way, where is Baroness Zahradnik? We thought she would be present as a member of your delegation.”

“Baroness Zahradnik is the chief of staff of our military forces in the Draconic Kingdom. For the most part, she will be overseeing our military operations wherever they are being conducted. I believe that most of Your Majesty’s interactions with her will be related to those duties.”

“I see. In that case, lunch will be served shortly. My Nobles must return to their duties and the throne room will be furnished to host our talks. Let us refresh ourselves on the balcony and We shall hear the beginnings of your offer.”

The audience adjourned and they went to look over the river from the throne room balcony. In addition to Sebas and the three noblewomen from the Sorcerous Kingdom, Ioena, Lina and Jolene balanced the numbers on Draudillon’s side.

“Spring in the Draconic Kingdom can be quite balmy,” she told her guests. “We hope the climate does not bother you overly much.”

“I live on the Katze River myself, Your Majesty,” Countess Corelyn said, “so I am no stranger to humidity. The air is much warmer here, however – the mountain winds do not appear to do much to cool your lands.”

“That much is true,” Draudillon replied, “but there’s a good bit of rain all year. Also, the climate here is less extreme than that of the Empire or Re-Estize. You will probably experience this yourself, yes?”

“We will be travelling back and forth between the Draconic Kingdom and the Sorcerous Kingdom, but I believe that we will be able to experience every season in your country.”

“Then We shall reserve your accommodations year-round,” Draudillon nodded. “Now, where were We…ah, you probably already know this, but Our government is not in the best state at the moment. This is Lady Yorsten, who is usually one of my ladies-in-waiting but has temporarily occupied the post of Prime Minister. Lady Delerose currently fills the post of Royal Treasurer and Lady Wenwyn is overseeing internal affairs.”

The noblewomen exchanged cordial greetings before Draudillon moved to the topic at hand.

“Now, you mentioned something about securing facilities for your transports…hmm, the order of everything is turned upside-down so We hope you do not mind how irregular these negotiations may become.”

“On the contrary, Your Majesty,” Countess Corelyn replied, “we are most pleased to be able to deal with you directly. Our transports require specialised infrastructure, so the opening step for us would be to secure a lease for harbour space.”

“How much space do you require?”

In response, Countess Corelyn produced a map from a pouch at her hip. It was only then that it struck Draudillon as odd – the formalwear of noblewomen did not usually include belts with containers. The adornment added an adventurous flavour to the three noblewomen from the Sorcerous Kingdom and she idly wondered about their houses’ backgrounds.

She received the map from Countess Corelyn. A two hundred by two hundred metre stretch of waterfront had been marked out near the city’s western wall.

“In better times,” Draudillon said as she examined the map, “this would be a difficult arrangement. We do not foresee any issues accommodating it for now, however. What does this proposed lease entail?”

“In addition to the port facilities,” Countess Corelyn said, “we would like for it to be legally recognised as an exclave. Our diplomatic mission would be housed there, as would offices for our Merchant companies.”

Treating a diplomatic mission as an exclave was not strange, but Draudillon had never heard of one being combined with port facilities or Merchant operations.

“If I may ask, Countess Corelyn,” Ioena spoke to her left, “does that mean we would be treating it as a territory of the Sorcerous Kingdom?”

“It does, Lady Yorsten,” Countess Corelyn replied. “The laws of the Sorcerous Kingdom would be observed there.”

“What about taxes?” Lina asked, “If I assume correctly, goods from the Sorcerous Kingdom will flow into the Draconic Kingdom from your facilities there.”

“Trade taxes can be collected as usual when goods leave the exclave. As the harbour facilities are maintained by the Sorcerous Kingdom, we of course expect none of the associated fees.”

Draudillon weighed the costs and benefits of allowing the arrangement. Since the Draconic Kingdom had likely lost a substantial portion of its population, it was space that would go unused. Logically, it made sense to lease it out, but leasing the land for an exclave was bound to raise objections.

In a kingdom, land was usually granted, not leased. Recognition of rights and authority was drawn in straight lines or at least relative ones using rank as a measure. If the land was granted by the sovereign, respecting an exclave was the same as respecting the will of the Crown. Nobles would more than happily accept this, as it fell within the framework of the society that they maintained.

Leasing land, however, was different. Nobles were creatures who were bound to the land and one might think that they had been asked to cut off a part of their own bodies when presented with the idea of leasing out a portion of their territory. Not only that, the exclave would be a place where the authority and rights that they were accustomed to held no sway. At first, they would probably think little of it but it was likely to cause resentment as ‘normal’ reasserted itself.

As Nobles themselves, the delegation from the Sorcerous Kingdom should have understood this. Why had they chosen to request an exclave in such a manner?

Considering what the lease included, maybe the Sorcerous Kingdom’s Merchants had pushed for it. A sovereign port in a foreign land provided many advantages. It was somewhere Merchants could go if they needed the assistance of their homeland and it acted as a waystation for goods that didn’t incur local tariffs, taxes and tolls until they were ‘exported’ to another country. It also meant that goods and personnel normally barred from passage through a country were effectively immune to that country’s law enforcement.

Though the fine details of what could and couldn’t happen in an exclave could be negotiated, enforcing anything was practically impossible. In the worst case, it was a source of poison for a country that would require wars to resolve…not that she believed they could win in any war against the Sorcerous Kingdom.

“For how long will this lease be effective?” Draudillon asked.

“Ideally, Your Majesty, we would like for it to be indefinite,” Countess Corelyn answered, “but ten years should be reasonable enough to begin with. Furthermore, the terms of the lease may be reviewed and renegotiated every two years. We believe many changes will come to the Draconic Kingdom in that time, so we must be flexible according to those developments.”

“We are not against the idea,” Draudillon said, “but there are many questions that must be answered. For the time being, is it possible to begin your operations while we deliberate?”

“Of course,” Countess Corelyn nodded. “We have materials available should you have any concerns about the Sorcerous Kingdom’s laws. Seeing our operations in person should also help those with concerns with our request for a lease understand why we chose to make it.”

One of the palace staff informed them that the throne room had been prepared. They returned to a modest set of tables and benches arrayed along the sides of the great hall. The last time she had seen a similar arrangement was the night that Crystal Tear and numerous other Adventurers had been butchered before her, so it was all she could do to keep from continually glancing towards the balcony window.

Draudillon seated herself on her throne, eyeing the food arrayed on the long table placed before it. She could hardly consider it appropriate for the occasion. The bread was fresh and the fish had come straight from the river, but that was about the most she could say in its favour. Preserved fruit had been added to soup flavoured by what was left of their sausage and a glop of pickled vegetables served as a meagre side to their broiled fish.

Sebas came around and filled their goblets with wine. The pale rosé was a perfect complement to their simple fare and Draudillon wondered if the Royal Butler’s grasp of her situation had been expressed through the selection.

“Please do not stand on ceremony,” Draudillon said. “Let us enjoy our meal while it is still hot. While we do so, We would like to know more about the Sorcerous Kingdom. Powerful new countries usually do not spring up without warning, so We are curious how it came to be.”

“His Majesty the Sorcerer King presented his claim to the region around E-Rantel the autumn before the last and pressed that claim during the Baharuth Empire’s annual skirmish with the Re-Estize last winter. The outcome was decisive and the Duchy of E-Rantel was annexed.”

So the reports of the ‘ridiculous magic caster’ presenting his claim had proven to be true.

“If the claim was for the area around E-Rantel,” Draudillon said, “surely the Sorcerer King would lay claim to all of it and not just the Duchy of E-Rantel?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” Countess Corelyn replied. “Since the annexation, the borders of the Sorcerous Kingdom have grown to encompass the entirety of the Great Forest of Tob, the Azerlisia Mountains and its surrounding foothills, and the Katze Plains. There has been some expansion in the southwest, as well.”

Doesn’t that mean it’s actually quite a large country?

The area described was roughly half the size of Baharuth or Re-Estize. In other words, about the same size as the Draconic Kingdom. Additionally, most of that territory was far from ideal for Human habitation.

“Is it a country of many races, then?” Draudillon asked, “Something like Karnassus and the other great nations of yore.”

“Races of all kinds are counted as citizens of the Sorcerous Kingdom,” Countess Corelyn nodded. “Though I believe we have the sole distinction of being one that includes the Undead amongst them.”

That wasn’t precisely true. There were other countries that did have Undead citizens and there were even countries ruled by the Undead, but they were in other parts of the world. She had no idea how they functioned, but the stories often painted them as places where the dark powers of the world thrived. It was said that more than a few were at odds with their living neighbours.

As far as she knew, all countries in the region considered the Undead enemies of the living, so she couldn’t imagine what was going on in the Sorcerous Kingdom. The Undead army that had appeared to break the siege of the capital was out of sight by the same morning and the palace staff pretended the ones currently occupying the northwest tower didn’t exist.

The city’s Temples were currently focused on putting the dead from the siege to rest, but she could imagine what they would say if the Undead became a common sight in the Draconic Kingdom. Even the ever-licentious Priests of the Mistress of Bounty would set aside their usual antics to stand in solidarity with the other faiths.

“Since the Sorcerous Kingdom seeks to establish economic ties,” Draudillon said, “does that mean that these races will come to the Draconic Kingdom?”

“It should be the case eventually,” Countess Corelyn replied. “This is a part of the reason for why we are requesting an exclave in the manner that we have. Those of other races – Beastmen, in particular – may not be well-received given the Draconic Kingdom’s recent history. We are both providing a place of refuge for our citizens and offering a window into life in the Sorcerous Kingdom. Rather than forcing the issue, I believe it would be better for your subjects to embrace new realities on their own terms.”

Countess Corelyn’s approach was yet another indication of the sheer leeway enjoyed by the Sorcerous Kingdom. While it was true that forced change often led to many problems, it was rare to be in a situation where essential change did not need to be forced.

“We are curious,” Draudillon said. “As the Sorcerous Kingdom is a multiracial state, why did you choose the Draconic Kingdom over our Beastman neighbours? They are far larger and more powerful, so We imagine there are quite a few more merits in supporting their cause over ours.”

“The apparent policies of the Beastmen are not in line with those of the Sorcerous Kingdom. Rest assured, we will always endeavour to promote our nation’s objectives over convenient, short-term gains.”

So that’s it, then…

Diplomats and those in positions of leadership often garnished their intent in a frame of flowery words and idealistic sentiment. In the case of the Sorcerous Kingdom, however, it appeared that flowery words and idealistic sentiment were not decoration, but the intent itself.

“Hegemony is a rare ambition,” Draudillon noted. “Rarer still is it realised. We do not mean to discourage you, but, even when it is achieved, the world has a way of visiting ruin upon it not long after.”

“That may be the case, Your Majesty,” Countess Corelyn replied, “but, come what may, we shall carry out our sovereign’s will.”