Crown of Blood

3.1.|| Difficult Diplomacy

Cage's adventure with Trix had been a well-deserved reprieve and a return to what he mattered to him most. Action and throwing himself head-first into things. He wondered how it had become so, when in his thirty years of life had he decided that the only way to overcome an issue was to run straight at it.

Well, there were some things he couldn't run straight at. The diplomatic envoy from Napoletta was one of them.

The leader of the envoy was Lord Terrani, what he supposed was the Talian equivalent of a Baron. A fat man with trembling jowls and beady eyes. As was the case for Talians, he was deeply tanned and his hair dark, as was his disposition. His two companions had too low of a rank to be introduced, so Cage had no idea who they were, but he suspected they were paid guards.

"We would like to see him, please." The please seemed to have been pulled out of the man's throat by force. "Your Majesty." The title appeared to cause him even more pain.

Cage gave a nod as if the gravity of the situation was not lost on him. It had been very long since he'd had to be diplomatic about anything, but he still had some tricks up his sleeves.

"I'm not sure who you are referring to."

The man's face flushed. "I assumed that when you finally agreed to see us that--"

"My apologies, Lord Terrani. Current circumstances did not allow me to receive you sooner. However, I assumed that your visit was due to the opening of borders, not a certain person."

Terrani turned even redder, lowering his eyes since they were obviously filled with malevolence. "I apologized as well. Knowing of your reputation, I too assumed that your Majesty was already aware of our issue."

Cage hummed and drummed his fingers on his chin. The crown pushed heavily on his head again, but for once, he didn't mind it. It made it impossible for the Talian to openly accuse him of harboring fugitives. It was good to know that they realized he was playing dumb. Talians were shrewd people. They needed to be in order to run their guilds and keep peace amongst themselves.

Of course, Cage knew that. He'd been to Talia on several occasions and was very aware that everything there operated by means of gossip. If something floated through the streets, the chances were it was real and had to be treated as such. It was the same this time. The moment the envoy had crossed the border into Iride, word on the street was they were looking for a fugitive. It didn't take a genius to realize who it was.

But that didn't mean Cage wouldn't frustrate them as much as he could. "Well, I have been away for a very long time, so forgive me if I am not up to speed with the gossip."

Terrani flinched. Even if it was the basis of what they did, Talians abhorred the word. "So I've heard," he said, his gaze fixed on the floor in front of the throne as if he could see the blood which was spilled there.

Cage shifted on his throne. He wished he had Jazz by his side for this. He also wished he did not need to keep telling himself that he had done nothing wrong. He'd given Fherras the options to either do something about the impending war with Endir or step aside. The former king had chosen to try and kill him instead.

"Then you will forgive my ignorance and present your case."

The man looked left and right, but there was no seat in the room apart from the throne. Cage had known what he was doing when he'd received the Talians in the throne room rather than his counsel chamber. It was a declaration. He would not be persuaded or pushed around. They were seeing a king.

Unfortunately, he was also aware that this position was hostile. Truth be told, if he wasn't trying to protect Jazz, he'd be rushing for an alliance with Napoletta. After all, they were the brains behind siege machinery and any form of engineering. Since the borders had been closed for over thirty years, the machinery and knowledge they had at the moment was probably obsolete. All Cage hoped was that Talia continued to hate and fear Endir after the last war.