Snippet #2637822

Nemu weathered the Fae Queens scathing threats but otherwise said nothing, only silently accepting the proffered wine from Lord Dorian with a respectful bow of her head.
The arranged lords pattered out greetings and titles, then moved on to arguing over the merits of trade, wartime events and contracts. The subjects of which held little interest for Nemu or her master. Should there be war, Her master would side with those who paid his fee, and slaughter those who opposed him, he had little need for wartime treatise and approved battlefield conduct. Although she agreed with King Arkaelus' statements of the replaceable nature of kings and soldiers. All life was replaceable. It was one of the few resources that self propagated at such a rate that culling was frequently necessary. They were also one of the more interesting and useful resources around. Some late arrival Queen dismissed the kings comments sharply, applying an unrealistic value to the lives of men. Another Queen, one whom quite disconcertingly Nemu had not noticed arrive, also criticized the Kings proposals, though she offered no counter solution. Nemu was swiftly growing tired of the pointlessness of these nobels and their incessant babbling.
"And pray tell, good lady, who would be this third party? You? My master? The Fae? Arkaelus himself? How can you be sure of any of these parties allegiance. Wars are only half won on the battlefield, intrigue is as necessary as armies." She turned to the Queen Berlin, who has seemingly resolved to refuse to look upon Nemu's form.
"And you, Lady Berlin, you place the lives of mere men above structures and establishments, as if they had some inherent worth. There is not a single resource on the plant more bountiful than the human form, or more malleable. And pray tell, when you expend your cities, your lands and your resources in the act of protecting you precious human lives, what will be left for them to return to? Will they survive? With no food, no shelter, no protection from the armies that ravish your lands?"
She sat in one of the plush chairs around the table, and took a contemptuous sip of her wine.
"If you expend your lands in defence of your people, both will perish. If you expend your people to protect your lands, well..." She took another sip, "Castles cannot reproduce."