Arim listened, curious as to what those gathered would make of Nemu. If the stories were true, and the darkness surrounding this woman, were anything to go by, Cinnabar would do well to stay away. And yet...No. Arim cast the thought from his mind before it had time to form. Such darkness could never be welcomed in Cinnabar, not while he was king. Even Aada could support him in that.
Aada looked to her brother when the Princes of Ashkara were announced. Another reminder, he supposed. There was little he knew about the South. His tutors had rarely spoken of it. Only Bastian had ever mentioned it, and even then, it was in passing. Perhaps it would be worth at least finding something out about Ashkara. Only then would he be able to discover if it was worth his time cementing an alliance with them.
āSTOP!" Zexen's voice rang across the hall.
Arim looked away from Aada to see a hail of bullets hovering around Nemu. The magic surrounding them was unfamiliar. Unless Aada had learned some new tricks, she wasn't behind this. Arim shook his head. The Fae. He might soon get used to the fact that they were no longer at home. That meant that he and Aada weren't the only people adept at wielding magic.
Zexen stepped forward, asking them all to give Nemu a chance. Arim saw Aada step closer to Moloch from the corner of his eye. Of course she would go to the first man who paid her any attention here.
"It has been rumored that your master accepts slaves. Such serious accusations usually hold a kernel of truth. As such I cannot have you treat with us within the palace. However, you may go to the gardens and any who wish to speak to you may see you there. That is my only offer." Arkaelus said in response to Zexen's plea.
As the commotion died down, Moloch returned his attention to Aada, "I would be happy to tell you about my homeland. Would you like a drink? A little wine does wonders to ease the shock from... unexpected guests."
"I am far ahead of you, Your Grace," Cyrus said with a sigh, "I believe I will be drinking a bottle of Cinnabar Red myself."
Aada gathered her wits, pressing down on the feeling of wrongness settling in her gut. The sooner she was away from Lady Nemu, the better, though she did pity the woman. She had not chosen this life for herself, few ever would unless the alternative was worse. But that darkness, it felt all-consuming, like it would crush anything that dare stand in its way.
"A fine choice." Aada smiled , masking her unease, "I think we could all do with some wine. It appears that this summit will be a lot more
interesting than we first though." she said, silently inviting Arim to join them. Arim stayed back a little as they made their way to the table. He had little desire to watch the King of Drake flirting with his sister.
"I have called for you all to gather here under the pretense of trade. Trade is something the benefits all of our nations and provides great wealth. I would like to propose a Free Trade Agreement between nations. Under this agreement import quotas, tariffs, and embargoes will become illegal. Markets will be deregulated so that our citizens may trade what they wish to whomever the please in any amount they so desire," Arkaelus announced. "Furthermore during wartime neutral trade vehicles shall not be harmed or stopped. Blockades may not prevent their target from accessing food as well."
Aada stiffened at the addition to Arkaelus's announcement. Surely, the banishment of blockades would only prolong wars. While that might appear a good thing for the nation under attack, a prolonging of the war would only mean more lives lost and ruined. in the long run. To agree to such a thing would be madness. Blockades were ugly things, but they often ensured a quick surrender. How long would it be before trade ships began hiding tools and weapons among the food? Aada took a sip of her wine. She couldn't say anything, it was not her place, it was Arim's.
"Drake will be happy to ratify any agreement nullifying archaic practices such as tariffs, quotas, and embargoes. The free competition of business has long served Drake well. It is also an act of supreme humanity to protect neutral trade vehicles. However, the sole purpose of a blockade in a lawfully declared war is to prevent the enemy from accessing the goods they need to prolong the conflict. That includes food as well.
"Drake is prepared to agree to the cessation of unlawful blockades in peace time, but I confess that I am puzzled. Can anyone tell me why it is preferable lengthen a siege and force the attacking army to take a fortress by force rather than allow a siege to end in surrender, saving countless lives?"
Handsome and intelligent. Aada was starting to like King Moloch more and more. The doors opened and Queen Berlin was introduced to the gathering. Aada was fond of the woman and had made a point of remaining in close contact with her, especially when her correspondence came with such wonderful recommendations. Asking Arim which books he had enjoyed often lead to disappointment. His tastes were much drier than Aada's. She took a seat near Arim. āNow, pleasantries aside, regarding your proposal King Arkaelus, I am inclined to agree with King Moloch. Free trade is a progressive move that is crucial to made. However nothing should be without careful and fair regulation. A foreign merchant given trust to come and go without precaution creates room for a grave error. My husband suffered death because of a similar policy involving merchants. I care not to repeat that mistake.ā
Dorian, Arkaelus's general, if Aada wasn't mistaken, stood. "A blockade works against small, unprepared cities. However, that is not the case in situations where the commanders of fortified and well defended cities are determined to hold onto what they have until the very last moment. In those situations housing can be demolished to feed the forges, civilian metals can be reforged into weaponry, and food is always prioritized on the soldiers and the aristocracy. The commoners are left to fend for themselves. First they they strip the city of pets, then leather becomes an attractive commodity, eventually human flesh is the staple. After awhile plague hits the city, killing hundreds in it's wake. The holding force decide to send a waves of citizens out to the slaughter to ease the ration demand. When the city finally breaks, giving in to the enemy, it is but a shadow of its former state, taking generations to become productive again. We all represent the most powerful nations in the world. Should war break out between any of our nations, the aftermath would be grave. Without new laws of war, areas that were once productive trade centers will be reduced to invaluable population hubs. Soldiers and kings are easily replaceable, however, that's not the case with cities."
Aada pulled her bottom lip through her teeth. He would side with his king on this. She looked to Arim briefly, before returning her gaze to King Moloch, knowing what was about to come. Queen Amelia did not disappoint. Her argument held a great deal of intelligence. Aada and her brother had been taught that a King was the servant of his people, as much as they were a servant to him. No life was without worth.
A woman appeared out of thin air. Aada rolled her eyes. This was just getting absurd now. If she had been informed that morning that she was to be attending a trade summit with Fae, a fairy tale and a woman who appeared from thin air, only for it all to then be an attempt to control war policy, she would have laughed. She, too, appeared to have issue with Arkaelus's very idealistic policy.
Arim listened to the debate around him. He wished he had brought Bastian with him now. He would know how to maneuver these people, "If I may offer my thoughts," he said when it had quietened down, "While Cinnabar might agree with the abolition of quotas and embargoes in principle, truly Free Trade would make it all too easy for material support to fall to darker causes. By all means, allow for the relaxation of trade laws, but complete and global free trade will rarely work in any nation's favour. Why would we choose to support our allies and our enemies at the same time? Let each nation choose for themselves who they will trade with. So long as you have a good relationship with your allies, your only concern should be the weather with regards to trade.
"As for your proposals for blockades, it is far too neat, Your Majesty. Wars are messy businesses, as I'm sure everyone at this table is aware, and neat solutions rarely work. Barring blockades would only lead to greater losses, on both sides of the conflict. As for the plans to have the Wishing Faeries inspect ships, how will they cope with weapons smuggled in? The Fae's weakness to iron is well known. If we are to agree to this, we must consider every eventuality."
Aada's mouth felt dry. She took a sip of her wine. If she had seen the words written down on paper, she could have sworn they had tumbled from her father's mouth. Or even Bastian, though her brother lacked Bastian's cool self-assurance. It was disquieting to think that her brother might end up like her father. She refilled her glass. Surely her brother had been shielded from the worst of their father. She linked her hands together, waiting for the reaction to her brother's statement.