“They might come after us,” I said.
“No, they won’t. I know the stable keeper and respect him. Mention we are fighting against the new council, and all might ask to join us. Isn’t Kendra’s dragon due back before long? Have her land it near the river and guard our retreat tonight. They won’t come after us.”
His mention of the three of them reminded me that there had been four. “What about the one you left by the river?”
“Dead. The rock Emma threw hit him just over his ear. He was dead as he fell. I didn’t want her to know what happened.”
I’d thought as much. Emma didn’t know how to control her magic yet and made the rock travel too fast. The force on that rock used to guide and direct it must have been exceptional. I could somewhat guide an arrow in flight, and increase the speed of a thrown object, and had done so many times, but never from such a distance as she had, and not with the same accuracy or increased speed.
I said, to change the subject, “How far to Vin?”
“Late tomorrow, if we hurry.”
We walked back to the others silently.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Princess Elizabeth
All three of my staff entered my cabin on the Gallant. As Lady Grace genuflected, so did Soren and Timor. It was the first time they had all treated me with the full respect do a princess. I quickly reconsidered that last thought. They had always treated me like a princess like I expected. However, not one they respected. All were appointed to travel with me by my father, and all had treated me as the vapid little girl of the royal family.
Their attitudes had made a subtle change, even if they were not fully convinced that I intended to make the decisions about the treaty. At this point, they were wary, more than convinced.
I wished I could have heard the conversations about me that had gone on behind closed doors before the trip began, and yesterday. Then I contradicted myself again, which was becoming a habit. No, I didn’t wish that. It would unduly influence the future.
“Please sit and give me a verbal briefing.”
I sat in the only chair, but my indication was for the three of them to sit on the edge of my bed, side by side so I could watch them all at the same time. The meeting would have been easier on them in the cabin we’d had set up as an office and meeting room, but for me, this was better.
“Princess,” Soren began, speaking for all of them, “in light of the unknown information you provided about other mutual defense treaties Dire has, we have revised our input. Those treaties provide a much firmer foothold and advantage.”
He stopped there as if placing a toe in the water before diving in.
I simply gave him a slight nod to continue.
He glanced at Lady Grace for permission before continuing, “As you are no doubt aware, any negotiations are based on the relative power of each side. The stronger side dictates most of the agreement, be it in business, or government.”
He was going to present an outline stronger, but still weak, I suspected. Dire would suffer because the three of them believed my homeland weak. While true, one item I’d learned the hard way from Damon while sitting across from him in a game of blocks, was that what was presented for consideration didn’t have to be true. Damon and I had played countless games of blocks in the last ten years, and he won far too many by bluffing or misrepresenting the strength of his hand.
At first, we’d each won about the same number of games. Then, about five years ago, Damon started winning more and more. Not always but we went from even to him winning most. I accused him of cheating. He assured me he hadn’t. I then accused him of using his magic. Again, he denied it. In anger, I ordered him to explain why he won most games. Was he better at the game than me?
His answer was simple. “You believe that when I have a poor hand, I fold.”
“You don’t?”
I remember his amused laugh at my innocence. “You see five spots on a pair of shared blocks on the table. If I fold, you know I do not have another five-spot-block to go with them in my hand. But, if I raise, you assume I do have it, so you fold.”
“And you don’t have the better hand?”
“Sometimes.”
“Then, you lie.”
“We call it bluffing.”
“So, if I play out my hand I will win?”
“Sometimes. You won’t know until you put your pennies into the pot.” His smirk was so irritating I wanted to cross the table and slap him.
Over the next few years, the winners of our games had evened out again. He won, I won. He sometimes bluffed. Sometimes I did. That was the nature of the game—but there was one more lesson, perhaps the most important. Never, and I mean never, get caught bluffing. In doing so, you invariably lost not only the hand but the game because it usually left you too little to continue playing with.
If the three facing me didn’t believe my bluff, they would never convince their counterparts in Dagger. I repeated Soren’s words in my mind. The stronger side dictates most of the agreement, be it in business, or government.
He was almost correct. In truth, it was the side believed to be the stronger—and that was not always the same thing. It was the same as in bluffing in a game of blocks. If I believed that you held a better hand, I’d fold. At the same time, Dagger would attempt to convince me that they held power.
I said, “Give me a brief overview of what you will leave me to study.”
Soren looked at poor Timor, the youngest and least experienced. No doubt the other two had decided to appoint him a spokesman for them, and he would receive the brunt of my anger. I decided to go easy on him. Not the others.
He started to stand, as would be proper when addressing me, but we were on a ship with limited space in my cabin, and I didn’t want him looming over me as he spoke. I waved him to sit.
“Princess,” he fumbled even my title but gamely drew a breath and calmed himself, “we have brought the information about the treaties with the Kingdom of Angor and the Concordance of Palladium to the forefront and state that we cannot agree to anything which is in conflict with them and our long-term relationships. Further, we must have them ratify any defense agreement because that is a condition stated in our present treaties. They must agree and may even support Kondor by way of this treaty, or they may not. It is their right to know what kingdoms we hold treaties with as a protection for themselves and so they do not declare war on our ally.”
I nodded my approval. They had done far better than I anticipated—but since my father had appointed them, they were the best at what they did.
He went on, “We then defined the mutual support portions of the treaties as well as possible, since we do not have copies with us and were careless not to have researched them prior to sailing, although in our defense, we did depart in something of a rush.”
I allowed him the excuse, knowing he could have searched a lifetime for the nonexistent treaties. I kept my face interested, but not approving.
He said, “The next section of the treaty details the tariffs and extent of each, as well as the ban on the import of weapons made in Kondor. We provisionally added that we believe a tariff will soon be applied to all travelers from kingdoms we do not have treaties with. Those same foreigners will be detained in the Port of Mercia until such taxes are paid, and temporary permission is granted to remain, not to exceed thirty days.”