Clem walks to the open chair to my left and sits, his two advisors—one human, one fae—sitting beside him. All three of them give me a wide berth. The Reshnar human pulls out several rolls of parchment, quills, and even a few books. He’s short and wide, his belly bulging out from his waist-length tunic. The loose trousers and riding boots he wears look like they were purchased just today, the sheen of the boots so bright I can see Admon’s reflection in them. His brown hair is kept short, and he looks to be in his late fifties. While he appears at first glance to be laid back, his brown eyes are sharp and focused. He looks at the three royals around him, then says, “Well, shall we begin? I for one have an unending list of topics to discuss.”

I groan internally. The next three days are going to be dreadfully dull.

“Queen Laurel, if you want to continue receiving grain from Delsar with such low taxes, I’m sorry to say you’re going to need to offer us more shipments of the thayar flower,” Queen Lobelia tells me, the irreverent and mischievous persona from before replaced with a no-nonsense negotiator.

We’ve been discussing Thayaria’s grain imports for the last hour, one of the few high-stakes topics of this meeting. Because of Thayaria’s isolation, we rely on trade and barter agreements to ensure we get the food we need. Despite our lush environment, cultivated agriculture is very difficult to maintain—the wild plants take over almost any plot of land unless there is careful tending. Thankfully every other nation requires thayar in some capacity, giving us the upper hand in negotiations.

“The amount of thayar you’ve requested, and with zero taxes, I’ll add, is a non-starter. Give me another number, or I’ll turn my attention to President Carther and secure my grain from Reshnar, despite our centuries-long agreement,” I respond coolly. President Carther looks like he wants to disappear rather than negotiate with me.

Lobelia hisses. “You know as well as I that Reshnar has little use for thayar flower, since over eighty percent of its population is human. You won’t get favorable grain prices there. Your only other option is Velmara.” Her eyes dart to Mazus, who looks at me with contempt and glee.