“You understand people are going to die in this war,” Hyas said with condescension. “You may even have to do something as distasteful as kill someone.” He shot a derisive glance at me. “Unless you plan to have your grunt do all of your dirty work.”
You planted your hands on your hips and shot him a fiery glare. “Do not disrespect Henri’s extensive military background. Speaking of which, you should teach your soldiers not to strike when someone’s back is turned. As my Papa would say, it doesn’t reflect very well on your character.”
“We win wars,” Hyas boomed. “At whatever cost.”
“Don’t blow your load all at once, Hyas,” you retorted. “Take it one battle at a time.”
Hyas looked flabbergasted, and I chuckled inwardly at your utter lack of decorum. I caught Aretha’s smirk before she cleared her throat.
“There’s one more matter we should discuss.” She pointed again to Aswan and made a sweeping motion at its surroundings. “This is sunborn territory.”
You stared at her blankly, waiting for her to say more. The thought of reclaiming your ancestral lands had not even occurred to you, more evidence to all those present that you were not motivated by power.
“And?” you prompted.
“And according to you, you are the last of the sunborn,” Hyas said, studying you with suspicion. Conquest had been ingrained in the warborn from a young age, but for you, it was a means to an end. The end of Azrael’s rule and the liberation of the thirteen tribes.
“Oh.” You pinched your lower lip between two fingers, looking a little overwhelmed. I was so very tempted to interject on your behalf, worried you might not claim what was rightfully yours, but you had not asked my opinion, and I would not speak for you.
“I’m only one person,” you said. “So maybe we can treat sunborn territory as our neutral ground, like Switzerland, a place where we can host meetings like this. Our tribal council can meet there as well, so that no one tribe feels they’re at a disadvantage.”
“Giving you the advantage,” Hyas said.
“There are many holy lands located in sunborn territory,” Aretha said, “ones the beastborn have assumed as their own.”
“Well, I’m happy to share,” you said flippantly and neither of the twins knew quite how to respond.
“Whatever artillery we recover from the Imperium we’re distributing as we see fit,” Aretha said. “And the warborn demand the option to build a temporary base on any of the territories we liberate. It will make defending them more logistically sound.”
“And that much easier to conquer,” Lena said.
“Those are our terms,” Aretha said stiffly, ignoring Lena’s insinuation. “And in return, the warborn will help you plan and execute a unified attack on the Imperium.”
Both women looked to you for the final word, which was an achievement in itself. In turn, you looked to me. “I mean, we’re going to have to trust each other, right?”
I nodded, not knowing who I trusted less, the despotic warborn twins or Lena.
You held out your hand to Aretha, finally noticing the rope burn on your wrists, and grinned sheepishly. Aretha shook it first and then Hyas, who gripped it too firmly and for too long. Another of his foolish attempts to dominate you. Was it for the purposes of this campaign or an altogether different pursuit?
Either way, the flame-haired warborn spelled trouble.
