The Sunvaarans, though they travelled from the capital, arrived last of all.
Maya smiled to see Prince Ilya again, who bowed and put his hands together in a traditional Sunvaaran greeting, in contrast to the Merovians and the Elves. “Namaste,” he said with a small bow.
With him was Crown Prince Sekhar’s aide, a man named Rana Singh that Maya had only seen once, at the engagement ball celebrating the alliance between Princess Ludmilla and the Crown Prince. The man was a tall, dour figure, remaining unsmiling even when greeting his hosts.
As soon as the Merovian Baron saw him, he bared his teeth, glaring at the man and his companion. Maya could hear him muttering to his companion: “What ishedoing here?”
Rana Singh ignored the man, standing at Prince Ilya’s side as if he could hear nothing. The Merovian Duke caught the Baron’s arm and squeezed, and the blonde Baron subsided into silence with poor grace.
“Welcome to Kamenev,” Luka said, dipping his head as they all turned to look at him. “I hope that we will all have a very productive few days here. Please join us for tea while your rooms are made ready.”
The foreign lords nodded, as the members of their retinue left them to make sure the arrangements in their rooms were to their employers’ satisfaction. Soon, the room buzzed with the sound of conversation as the foreign lords and their entourages mingled, exchanging pleasantries and engaging in small talk.
The Merovians avoided the Sunvaarans, and the Elves seemed more interested in Luka, despite all the other lords who seemed as fascinated by them as they were wary of them.
“Prince Luka, it is an honor to meet you," Lord Erlan said, bowing low.
“The honor is mine,” Luka replied with a gracious smile. “This is my friend, Lady Maya von Rakhmonov, an artificer.”
“A pleasure to meet you, my lady,” Lord Erlan said, and both Elf lords bowed. Maya returned a curtsy.
“You are an artificer, my lady?” Lord Erlan smiled at her kindly, and Maya nodded. This close, she could feel the otherworldly charm that rolled off him, the magic in his blood attracting her without conscious thought.
“I am,” Maya said. “I try to make magic accessible to those without it. My hope is to create devices that can be used by those without magic of their own.”
“An admirable goal,” Lord Erlan dipped his head, and his companion nodded.
There was a lull in the conversation, and the Elves looked at each other. The younger one stepped forward then, and fixed Luka with a hard stare.
“Your Highness, forgive us for being so direct, but we have to ask: why are you interested in forming a trade agreement with our kingdom?” Lord Ryu asked.
Luka cleared his throat and said, “I am sure you have heard about our ongoing dispute with Telluria. My regiment has been in a recent battle, and many of our war horses were injured in the fight. I would like to bring the injured horses home to Kamenev, and I fear it would be too much to ask them to travel back over land.”
Lord Erlan’s keen eyes rested upon Luka for a moment before he spoke, “I see, and what is it exactly that you would ask of the Twilight Throne?”
“I was hoping that your people would allow us to use your ships to sail back to our province. It would be a much smoother journey for our horses if we traveled by water,” replied Luka.
Lord Erlan stroked his chin thoughtfully and asked, “And what would be the price of this favor, Prince Luka?”
Luka nodded and replied, “I understand the value of your people's assistance. I am willing to pay a fair price for the use of your ships and crew.”
The Elf lords looked at each other, before Lord Erlan turned back to Luka. “I am inclined to agree to your request, pending our discussion of the terms of payment.” He paused significantly. “I hear that Kamenev has several ores of marble and other precious metals.”
Luka smiled with gratitude and said, “Indeed we do, my lord. I am sure we can come to an agreement on the terms. Thank you for agreeing to my request, Lord Erlan. I assure you that my men will be most respectful of your people and your vessels.”
Lord Erlan gave a slight nod and said, “Then, it is settled. May your horses find peace and a swift recovery on their journey home.”
Luka beamed. “I am pleased we could come to an agreement.”
The Elf lords nodded in agreement. “Indeed, so are we. And we can’t help but admire your sense of honor and justice. It’s not every day that we meet a prince of the realm who cares as much for even his horses as you do. ”
Lord Ryu’s mouth twisted. “Indeed, most members of royalty are more concerned with their luxuries than their responsibilities. It is refreshing to meet someone with a strong sense of honor. I believe we will be good partners.”
Luka smiled. "Thank you, that means a great deal to me. I believe that honor and integrity are the cornerstones of any successful relationship, be it between individuals or kingdoms.”
Lord Erlan and Ryu exchanged a glance, seeming to come to a silent agreement. When they nodded, Maya smiled proudly at Luka. It was evident that this was the kind of leader the Elves wanted to do business with—someone who shared their values and principles. She’d heard as much about the ruthlessness of the Elves as she had their sense of honor and their adherence to duty, but she was glad to see that Lord Erlan seemed to embody their strengths and not their flaws. His protégé, Lord Ryu, did not seem to have the same head for diplomacy, seeming to favor direct speech.
“Prince Luka, perhaps we can finalize the terms of your proposal?” Lord Ryu spoke bluntly. “I would ask that we talk in private.”
