154 Loyal or Stubborn

This wasn't the first time Inri found herself within the hallowed halls of the Triumvirate, but she still felt out of place. During her last time as speaker she had managed to arrange this extraordinary meeting of the Triumvirate, to let the two kingdoms at war work out their differences with the help of a third party. However, like in previous meetings she had been overlooked or talked down to like a child. Neither her youth nor her gender helped her cause in that regard. While she looked from one corner of the triangular table to the other, she watched the two men hold their discussion by themselves.

"Severe damages have been caused to the fleet of our allies." The middle-aged man had gray streaks in his long hair, trimmed neat and tidy. Although he was smiling like he would have been taught to in front of a higher ranking noble, there was a severity between his brows he could never quite hide from others. Or maybe he didn't feel a need to, Inri thought. After all, that was the kind of man Palletio was.

"You mean the foreigners?" From his own corner of the table, King Amautu asked his question, one brow raised.

"Indeed. Lord Herak has come with best intentions. Despite our lack of hospitality, he is willing to work with our people in peace even after the incident of Lord Olbit Kallas' death. Even so, three of the Duke's ships have been sunk before he could even reach our harbors. Not only that, they were attacked by ships which came from Porcero, a port under King Amautu's protection. Now, in order to preserve the peace, this servant believes that someone would need to compensate our foreign friends for the damages incurred."

Although Inri snorted at Palletio's ridiculous claim at peace, she remained silent. After her first few meetings, she soon realized that anything she said could become a weapon against her. For now she would let the others do the talking. After all, King Amautu wasn't too willing to play along with Pacha's plans.

"Do you imply I should pay for your ally's war casualties?" Amautu smiled. "A servant should understand the ludicrous nature of such a claim. After all, those vessels were no merchants ships. The sunk ships were lost as a result of a battle with an enemy navy. Even if they had been merchants, the navy did not belong the northern kingdom. They were King Corco's, sent north to pack supplies for the harsh southern winter."

"In that case, King Pachacutec wishes for permission to recoup the damages from among King Corcopaca's own possessions." At last Palletio revealed his real objective.

"Do whatever you must," Amautu waved off. "This entire war is an issue between the southern and central kingdoms. While some may speak of peace, the northern kingdom intends to keep it, and will thus not get involved in any warfare."

"However, the southern king is stubborn in his insistence and is not willing to compensate the damages." A nice way to say that Pacha was stuck in front of Qarasi Castle, with no way to plunder the lands of the south. "Thus, King Pachacutec requests that King Amautu stand down as Lord Herak confiscates King Corco's goods in Porcero, until the king's allies have been compensated."

"Outrageous!" Although Inri had remained quiet for now, she could stay silent no more. "A cheap excuse to rob the south of its treasures! What sort of nonsense is this, gifting the treasures of Medala away to placate some foreign invaders!"

Even though she had tried to provoke a reaction, Palletio looked at her with the same severe friendliness he had used on Amautu. The old servant reminded her of her etiquette teachers, surrounded by an aura of calm insistence.

"Lady Inri, please understand. The future of the Empire is dependent on these foreigners, whether we like it or not. After all, it is the express wish of Grand Ancestor Viribus to work with them. Thus, we need to remain open-minded and try to improve relations. Even King Corco has taken heed from the progressive minds of the east. Does the lady imply that the central kingdom be denied the treasures they carry?"

With a snort, Amautu brought himself back into the conversation. Still, Inri didn't need anyone to defend her, or her lord.

"Indeed, the south has benefited from contact with the west, yet we do not give away ancient Yaku wealth. These people you have brought into the kingdom are dangerous. They plan to take over our lands, or take everything we have. How can someone like you not see this?"

"Lady Inri, this is not a decision for servants to make. A servant shall only ever execute the orders of his master, nothing more and nothing less. Although in this regard, General Atoc's court has always been very... independent." Palletio's frown deepened by just a fraction.

"And what is that supposed to mean?" Inri leaned forward and showed her teeth like a wolf. "Among all of the Pluritac warrior courts, my father's is the only ones to uphold tradition! How can we uphold tradition without any thought? The wishes of our distant ancestors will always trump the wishes of those right before us!"

"How could the Divines in the Heavens show worry for the living? By right, the only man with the authority to decide on House Pluritac's matters should be the Grand Ancestor."

"That is enough!" Amautu shouted. Unused to such an outburst, the two servants looked over in shock. After a strategic second of silence, the king continued. "You will not act as ruler in my administration. Whoever does trade or work on northern land stands under the protection of the northern king. This king advises you to recoup your ally's money elsewhere, or to hire yourself some better barbarian sailors next time."

As Palletio's frown deepened again, Inri mirrored his actions with a smile. Although the old man had a far greater experience in the political arena, he didn't know the new Amautu nearly as well as her who had spent the last few years in the capital. Now that he had sufficiently annoyed Amautu with his constant praise of Arcavia and insistence of the ancestor's primacy, his plans to rob King Corco's brandy production was a failure, despite possible arrangements they might have had beforehand.

"This servant understands and apologizes for his rudeness, King Amautu." When he understood his position, Palletio's face softened and he bowed. "However, even so, King Pachacutec's ally wishes to be granted passage through the north. Of course, this passage would only be granted for trade convoys."

"So the Bornish want to sneak their way through my kingdom, do they?" Amautu asked in a casual tone. Somehow, Inri felt like the northern king enjoyed his role as the most important man in the room.

"Since King Corco has attacked the southern route already, our allies deem it not safe until the end of the war. Thus, they wish to travel through King Amautu's lands. Of course, the central kingdom will pay all tariffs demanded by the northern and eastern lords on the way."

As soon as Palletio threw money into the mix, Amautu's face looked more earnest.

"So long as they honor the rules of the northern kingdom, they will receive passage rights. However,those foreign convoys need to be limited in size. They will not be allowed to bring more than one hundred men on any single trip. After all, this king is not wont to invite a foreign army onto his lands."

"This servant is gracious for Lord Amautu's leniency. The central kingdom will adhere to all of King's demands to the fullest."

"This king wishes for a good cooperation between the kingdoms." Although Amautu did his best to prevent a smug grin, Inri could still see his lips twitch up the tiniest amount. So long as this conflict continued, Amautu's northern kingdom would be the most important player. In his position, he could play both sides and get as many advantages as he wished. Without any work on his part, he had just gained all the tariffs Pacha had hoped to win for himself and his lords. This sort of advantage would only get Amautu ahead in the battle of the three kingdoms. Even though the other kingdoms knew well what was happening, neither side could do anything about it, unless they wanted to risk Amautu allying with their enemy.

"Is there anything else? This king is in a generous mood," the smug king said.

"The King of the Center has no further proposals to table to the Triumvirate Meeting," Palletio bowed again.

"In that case, the word no longer lies with the attacker. Now, it is time for the defender to table proposals. Word lies with the Official of the King of the South," the priest said and motioned to Inri.

"Thank you, Hawcawac." Before she launched into the discussion, Inri looked around the table again. While Amautu leaned back, ready to receive even more gifts, Palletio was leaned forward, eager to lay traps or refute her claims. This really was no work for her, but King Corco had no one else left in the capital. Until her mother returned, Inri could only present her proposals in a clean manner and hope for the best.

"In that case, The King of the South requests the King of the Center lift his southern blockade. Denial of food transports is an atrocity against the Yaku people, and has not been sanctioned by the Triumvirate Meeting. Thus, it can be seen as a cruel and illegal act of warfare."

"This servant wonders what 'blockade' Lady Inri might be talking about," Palletio replied. In turn, the girl's eyes narrowed.

"Does the central kingdom deny that they have blocked off all paths south, and blocked off any grain transports for the winter with them?"

"Unfortunately, the land route is blocked off, yes." Palletio nodded his head, though his eyes never left Inri. "However, a blockade has never been the intention of the central kingdom. Of course merchants are free to travel through the Narrows, but an army is always difficult to control, and their safety cannot guaranteed. Although the circumstances are regretful, there is nothing to be done about this problem. As for the east:

"As should be well known, the central kingdom fields nary a vessel on the Weltalic Sea. If the southern fleet feels threatened, it would be through the eastern forces of Arcavia. While they might be King Pachacutec's allies, they will not receive the king's orders. Thus, please allow this servant to decline Lady's request."

"So what about the west?" Inri sneered at the shoddy excuses. "Since the start of the war, no merchant ship has made its way back south. Did the easterners carry their ships past the mountains and attacked southern traders in the western waters as well?"

"It appears as if the pirate plague along the western shores has gotten worse again. What a tragedy," Palletio shook his head, and Inri almost believed his nonsense acting. "The central kingdom will do its utmost to eradicate these vermin, as soon as the quarrel with the southern kingdom has been cleared."

"What does the northern kingdom think about this issue?" Since she couldn't make any headway with the slippery servant, Inri turned to the complacent king instead. However, Amautu was no less cunning than Palletio.

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"Since there has been no concrete proof presented, this king is unwilling to force any action from the central kingdom. What sort of precedent would this set for future meetings?"

It was a true politician's answer. Inri really wanted to strangle the bastard, like a true politician.

"Then what about my brother? He has been chased by a hostile army of warriors, all the way into Lord Nasica's lands. Now he is besieged!"

"Again, since the king's troops are away at the moment, there is real trouble with bandits in the king's lands. However, the King of the Center has never intended for any warriors to come to harm, not outside of battle. King Pachacutec is well-known for his warrior spirit and would never act in such a despicable manner. Lady Inri should choose her words more carefully, lest she be accused of slander."

"So the warriors of the late Emperor are trapped and besieged by a bunch of bandits, is that what you're saying?" Her fists on the dark wood of the table, Inri leaned forward.

"Maybe they have been weakened by their lack of loyalty to the family name," Palletio leaned forward as well.

"Maybe they lack the shamelessness of those who would discard the wishes of the last emperor of Medala, of their last master. Palletio, do you not see what damage your actions have caused to the clan? How can you choose to side with King Pacha? Against the oldest son, against the wishes of the emperor! How can you not see that your success will doom the family?"

"Again, Lady Inri seems to misunderstand her purpose. It is not the role of a servant to make decisions, or choose one master over another. It is his role to serve the clan and it's grandest living member. Without a legitimate patriarch to rule House Pluritac, that role falls onto Grand Ancestor Viribus. Until Lady Inri and her siblings grow up, this servant will repeat his lesson for all time to come. May Atoc's court soon see the light."

Rather than answer, the girl turned quiet as she stared down the stubborn old man. When her long stare yielded no results, she turned over to King Amautu, who was still leaned back, happy to enjoy the show. Like in previous meetings, she was being treated like a child, someone to educate, or someone to toy with. Like this, there was no way to achieve her master's goals. All she could do was hope that her sister would have more success with her methods, or that her mother would soon return from the north.