Raqura had always known, deep down, that things would come to this. She had foreseen it the moment they decided to allow the Gardens into their ranks. Blades, weapons of war, too afraid to shed blood? The concept was laughable on its face, but it belied something more sinister. Warfare was the way of the world, as much as everyone wanted to pretend otherwise these days. She knew it, Emperor Niall knew it, and so did the Banshee Queen. But she and her Gardens had been so blindly committed to peace that they'd undermined the Coalition's future.
When it came time to commit to the dirty business of war, Niall hadn't hesitated. For all his talk of high-minded ideals, he could be decisive when the situation required. Raqura respected that about him, if nothing else. It rather reminded her of the boy's mother. The idea had even come from him, and he'd been fully committed to seeing it through. Invading Leftheria, destroying the Praetorians, and setting an example to the rest of the rabble that the Coalition wasn't to be trifled with.
Only he'd been held back by his personal ties. His sister, that damnable woman, had chosen to throw in with the pacifists at the Gardens. They took it upon themselves to put a stop to an operation the rest of the Coalition Council had agreed needed to happen. For all their talk of freedom and equality, they certainly seemed comfortable imposing their will unilaterally, when it suited them.
That betrayal had cost them more than Raqura cared to imagine. One moment of weakness was all Spessia had needed. Now, seven thousand troops were dead or missing, Mor Ardain was embroiled in a leadership crisis, and Spessia had room to act with impunity. They hadn't made a move yet, but they would soon, which was why Raqura had called this emergency summit.
They needed to get out ahead of this. Consolidate and make plans before Spessia could organize its allies. Duthract was keeping up the appearance of neutrality for the moment, but Spessia and Sthenos had made no secret of their alliance during their assault on Leftheria. If Duthract joined them, as they had during the summit, then the situation could rapidly deteriorate into all-out war. A war on two fronts that would overwhelm the Coalition now that the Restoration Department had defected to the Gardens with their most powerful Drivers.
"We must act swiftly," Raqura said, addressing the councilors. "A decisive strike into the heart of enemy territory. Before they can mobilize, we must target as much of their infrastructure as possible. Every day we delay their deployment is another day we have to rebuild our forces and prepare for the inevitable."
"We're not going to attack civilian targets," Moui said. "I understand your concerns, but that is a morally unacceptable proposition."
"How do you propose we defend ourselves, then?" Raqura asked. "I know you are a woman of principle, Chairwoman Moui, but principles have no place on a battlefield. There is no such thing as a morally acceptable war, no matter what side you find yourself on. Either you do what is necessary to ensure your survival, or you die. Those are our only two options."
"Reluctantly, I agree with Queen Raqura," Robalt said. "We lost a significant portion of our vanguard during the disaster in Leftheria. Mobilizing the rest of the military will take weeks, and in that time, Spessia could already be knocking on our front door. We need to commit all available forces to delaying the enemy's advance."
"Who are you proposing to send for this, exactly?" Chancellor Diarkis asked.
"I have mercenaries I can call upon," Raqura said. "Garfont has proven extremely effective in matters such as these."
"The Garfont Mercenaries are capable, but they are only a dozen Drivers."
"What about the Restoration Department?" Floren asked. "They aren't technically military, but they certainly have the firepower."
"Their loyalties are somewhat uncertain, as of now," Robalt said. "They haven't returned from Leftheria, and we have no way of knowing if they will follow orders after what they did to Niall."
"Niall violated the Elysian Treaty," Floren pointed out.
"We all violated the treaty," Raqura said. "We were as much responsible for the invasion as he was. And we all agreed it was necessary."
"And had the operation in Leftheria succeeded, there would be no need for any of this, but we don't have that luxury. The operation failed, the narrative is no longer under our control, and we have to maintain our public commitments if we want the populace's consent. Niall's arrest has covered us on that front, and we should be grateful to him for it."
"The operation in Leftheria failed precisely because of the interference of the Department and the Gardens."
"They thought they were doing the right thing," Floren countered. "Misguided though they were, they were trying to protect the Coalition. Now that we're under threat from Spessia, they'll side with us."
"At very least, proves Department has outlived purpose," Pupunin said. "Should appeal to for help, but dissolve once war ends."
"A sensible course of action," Chancellor Diarkis said.
"We can't rely on them for help," Raqura insisted. "Not when they've thrown in with the Gardens. I've said all along that the Gardens would betray us when we needed them most. And nothing I've seen so far has dissuaded me from that notion. None of you were willing to listen to me before, but you cannot make that same mistake again. We cannot rely on them or their sympathizers for aid."
"I am not so sure," Moui said. "They fought the Spessians at Leftheria. They seem opposed to offensive wars of all kinds. If Spessia invades, I am confident they will come to our aid. The treaty will compel them to, if nothing else."
"A treaty they already violated when they refused to commit troops to the operation," Raqura pointed out. "Why should they hesitate to violate it a second time?"
"There is other group to call upon," Pupunin said. "Watchers still capable of doing as friends ask."
"We have a strict agreement with them that we won't force them to fight military battles," Floren said. "If we violate that agreement, they won't have any reason to stick around."
"They're an untapped resource," Robalt said. "I agree with Pupunin. It's about time we tap them."
"Untapped resource?" Astelle asked. Usually, she stayed quiet during meetings like this, but that appeared to set her off. "What's wrong with you? They're not equipment, they're people."
"Technically, they're Guild property."
"You know what we call that in Tantal? Slavery."
"Pupunin resent such accusations," Pupunin said.
"And I suppose all the Blades in our military are slaves, too?" Raqura asked.
"If they're not there by choice?" Astelle asked. "Yes. By definition."
"Alright, let's settle down now," Robalt said. "We're not going to get anywhere by going for each other's throats every chance we get."
"Speak for yourself," Astelle muttered.
The argument continued back and forth between the two of them, but Raqura stopped paying attention. Instead, her focus was on the soldier that had just entered the room. Hurriedly, he ran up to General Reez and whispered something to him. Whatever it was, it seemed to distress him greatly, and he tried to leave the room with haste.
"Something wrong?" Raqura asked, drawing everyone's attention.
"The Watchers," the general said. "They're leaving."
That seemed to set the whole room into a scramble, and they all hurried to follow General Reez as he ran outside. And, sure enough, as they stepped into the courtyard, Raqura could see a swarm of lights emerging from the Guilds' factory on the far end of the city. Dozens of Artificial Blades, the largest untapped military resource they had left, slinking off in the night.
She was entirely unsurprised, then, to see then Gardens' councilman sitting nearby.
"Hello," the Titan said, bowing its head at them.
"Azurda," Robalt said. "I don't remember inviting you."
"I came to plead my case," the Titan said. "I didn't imagine you'd be in the middle of such important business."
"These are uncertain times," Moui said. "We have to prepare accordingly."
"I suppose you are correct, Chairwoman."
"What have you done?" Raqura asked.
"Pardon?" the Titan asked.
"Don't play coy with me, Titan. Your arrival here is no mere coincidence. Your Gardens have orchestrated this defection, haven't they?"
"I would hardly call it a defection," the Titan said. "As Coalition citizens, they're free to go where they wish. They've decided to join us at the Gardens, as is their right."
"You have no right to abscond with Guild property," Raqura said. "Our property."
"They are not property," the Titan said, lowering its head until its horn floated perilously close to Raqura's head. Still, she refused to be intimidated by an animal.
"They are Artificial Blades, and they will do as they are told. If the Gardens will not return them promptly, then—"
"Then what?" the Titan asked, cutting her off. "Will you expel us from the Coalition? Will you turn your back on an ally so easily?"
"Easy," Robalt said. "Let's keep things civil."
"I will not be lectured to by a beast," Raqura spat.
"Hold your tongue!" Moui shouted, stepping forward and putting herself between Raqura and the Titan. "Azurda is an esteemed member of this council, and you have no right to speak to him in such a manner, no matter your station."
"He's not on the council anymore, though, is he?" Raqura asked. "Now, he's just a Titan. No different from the one I took to get here."
The Titan snorted at that, blowing hot air over her and completely ruining her appearance. It was almost as if it found her statement amusing.
"I had thought to reason with you all," the Titan said. "But I see there is no reason to be found here, anymore. A shame. I once respected this council. I pray that the time may come where I can give it my respect once again. But until such a time, I will take my leave."
"Don't you dare turn your back on me!" Raqura shouted. "You Titans should know your place!"
"You would do well to remember your place, Raqura Selosia," the Titan said. "Queen though you may be, you have no authority over us. Your power is transient, but we are eternal. You humans like to pretend otherwise, but without us, you would not even have the ground beneath your feet. We owe you nothing. We choose to grant you our assistance. And that assistance can be taken away just as easily."
"You don't scare me," Raqura said. "Maybe you've forgotten, but you aren't nearly so important as you used to be. We have our own land, now. We're living in a whole new world."
"Indeed," the Titan said. "The world has changed a great deal. And yet you refuse to change with it. Until you realize your folly, there is very little productive discussion to be had, here. Good day."
With that, the Titan took to the air, beating its massive wings and forcing Raqura to step back. She wanted to shout after it, to force it to pay her the proper respect, but it left before she could.
"Animal," she muttered, taking a moment to straighten out her outfit.
"That could have gone better," Robalt muttered.
"Antagonizing our allies will get us nowhere, Raqura," Moui said. "What is wrong with you?"
"That's Queen Raqura to you, Chairwoman," Raqura said. "And if the Gardens are threatening to abscond with our Titans, then I hardly consider them our allies."
"He makes a valid point," Chancellor Diarkis said. "The Titans serve in a voluntary capacity. They provide us their military support, and we provide them with care and maintenance. But they're intelligent beings, even if most of them don't speak our language. If we mistreat them, they won't have any reason to stick around. Something we've just experienced with the Watchers. So perhaps, the next time you open your mouth, you might want to think of the consequences before you presume to speak on our behalf."
"I am not the enemy here, Moira," Raqura spat. "The Gardens, on the other hand, have just deprived us of one of our largest and most readily available military resources. War is coming, and now we have even fewer troops with which to fight it, thanks to them. I hardly think they have any intention of coming to our aid if this is the attitude they treat us with."
"Perhaps war can be avoided altogether," Chairman Niranira suggested.
"At this point, I don't think that's an option," Raqura said. "Spessia doesn't seem likely to surrender, so unless we're willing to give into whatever demands they present, then we don't have any choice. And I don't know about the rest of you, but I'm not willing to bow my head to invaders."
"Why don't you try hearing out what I have to say, first?" someone asked. Everyone turned to see a Spessian man walk out of the building behind them. The Minister Diplomatic of Spessian Federation, by the look of him. Raqura tensed up, prepared to order Floren to strike him down if it came to it. Whatever he was doing here, it couldn't be good. But Niranira didn't seem surprised in the slightest.
"Friends can be at ease," he said. "Niranira invited Minister Coreial to clear air. Perhaps avoid need for bloodshed of any kind."
"Here to make demands?" Robalt asked.
"I'm here to make an offer," the Minister said. "Though perhaps it'd be best if we went back inside to discuss things further?"
"A wise course of action," Niranira said. "Please, friends. Shall we return to business?"
Reluctantly, everyone went back inside, but General Reez hung back, keeping his weapon out and his eye trained on the Spessian newcomer until everyone was properly seated again. Then the Spessian Minister took his seat next to Chairman Niranira and began his hard sell.
"I represent a group among the Spessian Federation that has become fed up with the President's way of doing things. Antagonizing the Coalition has made life difficult for our average citizens. Rebuilding has been slow without access to more resources, to the point where people are beginning to reject the federation's authority. If we go to war with the Coalition, as the President and his cronies so desire, then that strain on our citizens will only compound. We will be facing a very difficult domestic situation, with too few resources to handle all the resulting crises.
"So I'm here to offer you a deal. We're willing to break our alliance with Sthenos and assist you in defending from their coming attacks. We're even willing to give up information on our remaining agitators in Coalition territory. But in exchange, we will require your help in securing a new regime."
"You want us to remove President Nakan from power," Raqura realized.
"If you can eliminate the key players, then I can maneuver parliament into supporting a less hardline regime. We'll pin the blame on Sthenos or the Praetorians or some other suitable scapegoat, blame our recent military actions on radical dissidents in the military, and make a show of some public arrests to root out the corruption. When the dust settles, we'll even officially accept the Coalition's offer of membership. The Nopon Guilds that have defected will return peacefully to the fold, and the remaining nations won't have enough power to effectively wage war against our combined might. All we'll need from you is enough skilled operatives to eliminate all the hardliners in one fell swoop."
"This is patently ridiculous," Robalt said. "You wouldn't have spent years building up forces against us only to turn around and offer your hand in friendship. You've been instrumental in setting up the crisis we're in, and now that it's finally coming to a head, you want out?"
"The President has been pushing for this war, and I've done as I've been told because I have little choice in the matter. But I am no fool. I know where this course of action will lead us. No nation will survive the coming war unscathed, and I very much doubt any of us in this room will manage to survive the ensuing public backlash. We all might be willing to wage another war, but the citizens are a very different story. For my own sake, I'd like to avoid that outcome, so I've been looking for a way to force Spessia off this path for some time. And now that the Coalition finally understands the gravity of the situation, we might be able to come to an understanding."
"What's the catch?" Raqura asked.
"Pardon?"
"Don't insult me. You want something else out of all of this, otherwise you would've done this sooner. Or you would've pulled this coup yourself. So what is it you need from us?"
"Those I represent lack the requisite institutional power in Spessia to oust President Nakan and his hardliners."
"You couldn't have used Shieldwall for that?"
"We could not risk that they would betray us. None of the groups we contracted to agitate the Coalition would have approved of a regime change in Spessia. They wanted the war, one way or another, so if we told them we planned to stop it, they would've outed us. Niranira was the only ally we could rely on. He came to us during the summit looking to negotiate some backroom deals to make up for the profits the Guilds would lose thanks to the land concessions to Duthract, and that's when the two of us forged this alliance."
"Is that true?" Raqura asked.
"Of course," Niranira said. "Niranira dislikes underhanded tactics but felt this course of action would benefit all parties in long-term."
"And what about your weapon of mass destruction? The Titan-bomb I've been hearing about in reports?"
"One more reason to accept my offer," the Minister said. "The moment Thunderbolt Zeke discovered it, it became a liability more than a resource. President Nakan still fully intends to have it up and running as a deterrent, but you all have access to the schematics and the scientist responsible for the bulk of our work on the project, so the moment you build your own, it won't matter. Past that point, the only two outcomes are we both agree not to use the weapon, or someone refuses to back down and we all do something we'll regret. A very unpleasant stalemate, or mutually assured destruction. Wouldn't you rather avoid those possibilities? Ensure that the only nations with access to this technology are allies with no cause to use it on one another?"
"That still doesn't explain why you didn't come to us sooner," Raqura continued. "Why wait until this attack? Surely the people of Spessia will be less inclined to accept a regime change now that war is on the horizon. They'll perceive it as enemy action."
"We'll do our best to deflect away from the Coalition during the ensuing chaos. But you're correct. There is one more stipulation to all of this." The Minister paused for a moment to collect himself. "We want you to remove the Gardens from the Coalition. They've taken aggressive action against us in the past, but more than that they represent a complete rejection of Spessia's values. The Spessian political class will be hard-pressed to agree to our proposal to join the Coalition unless we can assure them the Gardens will no longer have a seat at the table."
"Absolutely not," Moui said. "The Gardens are a full Coalition member state. We aren't going to eject them just to save face with those vultures in the Federation parliament. We have an obligation to stand by our allies."
"And yet they haven't returned the favor," the Minister pointed out. "They reneged on their promises at Leftheria, and they've offered safe harbor to defectors such as the Watchers, as you've just seen. They hold vast military power in reserve but refuse to deploy it in your defense. Worse still, they're harboring the Praetorians, a rather virulent group of anti-Coalition dissidents that they betrayed you in order to defend. If they can't be trusted to uphold their end of your alliance, then why should you owe them any loyalty?"
There was another agenda here at play. Ideological or personal or something along those lines. The Minister had something specific against the Gardens, and he was using this as leverage to oust them and ensure the Coalition couldn't come to their protection.
But she didn't really care. The Gardens were only a member of the Coalition because their first leader had friends in high places when it had been founded. But Ozychlyrus had vacated his post on the council, and Niall was facing a possible prison sentence. The only one left who had any real attachment to them was Chairwoman Moui, but she wasn't Gormott's highest authority, as much as she pretended like it. Raqura could make this work.
Because at the end of the day, the Gardens didn't belong here. They were a nation of Blades; the whole idea was unnatural. So if the Minister was here offering a way for her to oust them, remove their protections, and replace them with a nation that might actually contribute its fair share, then she'd be a fool not to take him up on it. In fact, depending on his plans for the Gardens, she might help him with those too. The Coalition sorely needed more Blades, with the losses they'd suffered at Leftheria. And she'd finally have payback for the embarrassment the Gardens had visited upon her during the summit.
"This is ridiculous," Floren muttered. "I don't know why you thought this would work, but we're not stupid. We—"
"Why don't we put it to a vote?" Raqura asked, cutting Floren off. He stared at her in disbelief, but that wasn't too surprising. He'd started to forget his place over the last few years, and it was high time to remind him that she was still the Queen of Uraya.
"You cannot be serious," Moui said.
"I'm quite serious," Raqura replied. "An alliance like this is only useful so long as the members bother to participate. But at every turn, the Gardens have stifled us. Now, they have resorted to theft and intimidation. If they are going to display such blatant disregard for this alliance, then we don't need them anymore."
"It isn't about need," Moui said. "We made commitments to them as our allies. We can't just break them because it's convenient."
"Of course we can," Raqura replied. "Who is there to stop us? Once upon a time, it was the Praetorium who guaranteed that such agreements were binding, but they're a shadow of what they once were. They don't have the power to stop us, now. Now, we're the ones in control."
"The people won't accept it."
"Of course they will. We hold the authority, and we act in their best interests. What alternative do they have?"
"Breaking our alliances is hardly in the best interests of our citizens," Chancellor Diarkis said. "What keeps this Coalition together is mutual assurance. In other words, trust. If we start revoking membership because of personal vendettas, then we will destroy the idea of the Coalition altogether. Our people won't be able to trust the authorities of the other governments not to enforce arbitrary decisions, and without trust, we can't maintain a united economic market."
"Enforcing economic unity will be simple," Raqura said. "We still make the laws, don't we? Even if the citizens become apprehensive, we can still legally enforce a coherent market."
"And lose our legitimacy in the process."
"We are legitimate authorities regardless of the opinions of the citizenry."
"No, we aren't," Moui said. "You might still pretend that your right to rule Uraya is divinely inspired, but we all know better. Your real authority derives from the edge of a thousand Blades, and you'll do whatever it takes to maintain your grip. But if you go through with this, then you'll be exposing where your power really lies, and the people aren't going to accept open threats so readily."
"My people are fully aware from where I derive my authority," Raqura said. "Unlike you, I'm honest with myself about how and why I rule. House Selosia killed our way to the top, it's true. But that relationship is clearly defined. If someone else wants to replace me, then they're welcome to try. But they will fail, and it is my job to ensure that remains the case. That is my role as a ruler. But you people seem to have forgotten that's how this all works. You pretend that you have to care about what the people want. That you need their permission. This is a delusion. If you lead, then they will follow, regardless of whether it is what they want. That is what it means to hold authority, and you all have become so afraid of your own power that you've lost sight of that."
"Spoken like a true imperialist," Moui said, shaking her head.
"Is that it, then?" Raqura asked. "Your only objection to my proposal is that it upsets your sensibilities?"
"Hardly," Chancellor Diarkis said. "I think what you seem to forget is that Tantal and Gormott aren't monarchies. Decisions are made by the legislature, and the job of our council representatives is simply to implement those decisions as accurately as possible, given the circumstances."
"That didn't stop you from supporting the invasion," Robalt noted.
"Military affairs are strictly within the purview of the executive branch," Moui said. "Diplomatic matters are not. Nobody here has the authority to vote on whether or not to kick out the Gardens. That lies strictly with the senate."
"Or parliament, in our case," Diarkis said. "Either way, Moui is correct. Obviously we're both personally against this, but even if we weren't, it would hardly be relevant. The fact is, neither of our legislatures are very keen on betraying our allies."
"That's a solvable problem, though," Raqura said. "If you're rulers, then you should be capable of enforcing compliance among your ranks, democracy or no."
"I'm not a ruler," Moui said. "I'm just a representative of the people."
"No, you aren't, are you?" Raqura asked. "Why don't we hear what your President has to say, then?"
She looked past her at President Cedwyn, expecting him to voice his own opinion on the matter. But instead, he just sighed.
"You want my opinion?" he asked, speaking up for the first time the whole meeting. "I find this whole business tiresome. It's why I asked Moui to act as my council representative in the first place, so I could avoid thinking about this nonsense. I was elected to help Gormott rebuild, and I pitched the Coalition to the senate as a means to that end. A way to ensure foreign support and protection. But if you have so little respect for your allies, then why should I behave differently? How long until you decide it's in Uraya's best interests to stab us in the back, too?" He shook his head. "No, Queen Raqura, I think you've dramatically overplayed your hand here. If you go through with this, you will find no allies in Gormott."
"She doesn't need them," Robalt said. "How Tantal or Gormott want to approach this situation is a moot point, as far as I'm concerned, because my mind's made up. What the Queen and the Chairman are proposing makes the most sense. The Gardens are more trouble than they're worth, and I'd much rather have a friendly regime in Spessia than continue to hold the Banshee Queen's hand."
"You don't have that authority," Floren protested.
"Actually, I do. Emperor Niall might be the emperor, but he entrusted all Coalition matters to me. And since he isn't here to object…" Robalt shrugged. "If he's unhappy with my decision, he can fire me later. Assuming he isn't forced to step down. But until we resolve the question of whether the emperor will continue to hold power in light of recent events, I am Mor Ardain's highest authority on Coalition matters. And I say the Gardens have been here long enough. I vote we take Minister Coreial's deal."
"As do I," Pupunin said.
"No," Floren spat. "I won't let this happen. Moui and Astelle might not have the authority to make this decision on their own, but I do. And I'm putting my foot down. I won't let you sell out an ally."
Raqura sighed. She had hoped to avoid something like this, but he didn't seem to be willing to see reason on this issue.
"You have no authority that I have not granted you," Raqura said. "Your purpose on this council is to make my wishes known to the rest of the Coalition, and it is my wish to see this through."
"No." Floren shook his head. "When you signed the Elysian Treaty, you agreed to certain terms. I won't let you go back on your word now just because it's convenient."
"That is an order, Floren," Raqura said, narrowing her gaze at him. But he held his ground.
"I am not some thing to be ordered around," Floren spat. Then, as if it was an afterthought, he added, "Your Majesty. My vote is still no."
This was… Unprecedented. Floren had never denied her before. He was her Blade, and it was his duty to obey no matter the circumstance. If he couldn't remember that, then the Gardens and their influence were a more dire threat than she'd realized. They would need to deal with this as swiftly as possible.
"Very well," she muttered. "Then, from this point forward, you are officially relieved of your duty as Uraya's representative to the Coalition Council. You may take your leave. I will call upon you later, once I have properly decided how to discipline you for such disloyalty."
"You…" Floren stared at her, but this time there was no disbelief. Only quiet, angry resignation. Slowly, he shook his head as he stood from the table. "You're right, I suppose. At the end of the day, whoever wields the most military might gets to make the rules. But you'd do well to remember, Your Majesty, just whose power you are wielding. Because it isn't humans that have ensured the supremacy of your military. It's Blades. So if you're so hell-bent on striking down the only people who have stood up for us since the fall of Old Torna, then I hope you're prepared to face the consequences."
With that, he left the room.
Raqura wasn't used to defiance from within her ranks like that. She'd need to think of a way to deal with it swiftly. But one thing was clear: so long as the Gardens existed, putting their silly ideas into everyone's heads, they could no longer rely on the natural relationship between Drivers and Blades to maintain order. More drastic measures would have to be taken.
"Baeldurk," she said, glancing back at her useless son. He had the sense to be seen but not heard during times such as these, but now she found herself in the unenviable position of having to rely on him for help. There was a silver lining, though. Given that he lacked the spine to stand up to her, there wouldn't be any danger of him refusing orders like Floren had.
"Mother?" Baeldurk asked, more than a little surprised that he was being called upon like this.
"Congratulations. You are now Uraya's official representative to the Coalition Council. As your first order of business, you are to agree to Minister Coreial's proposal."
"But…" Baeldurk paused for a moment, trying to find a way to say whatever was on his mind in a way that wouldn't upset her. "Zeke lives in the Gardens. I can't…"
His voice died in his throat as Raqura narrowed her eyes at him.
"I fail to see what relevance Ozychlyrus has to this situation," she said, letting a slight edge creep into her voice. It was enough to get him to back down.
"Yes, of course." He bowed his head. "It is so. I recommend we take the good Minister up on his offer."
"There," Robalt said. "It's settled. From this point forward, the Gardens are no longer a Coalition member state. They will be stripped of all protections and privileges granted to them by the Elysian Treaty, and once we have ensured a sympathetic regime, the Spessian Federation will be offered their old seat at the table."
"Excellent," Minister Coreial said. "I'll be more than willing to provide whatever resources I can to ensure the operation's success."
"I see," Chancellor Diarkis said, absorbing this information. "Unfortunately, you'll have to do so without Tantalese support."
"Excuse me?" Queen Raqura asked. "You are a member of this Coalition. You are bound by the terms of the Elysian Treaty to contribute to the efforts of the whole, even if you disagree with their course."
"Normally, yes," Chancellor Diarkis said. "But if we're still pretending the Elysian Treaty means anything at all, then we have to take the whole thing seriously. And nowhere does it grant the Coalition the power to compel any nation to take actions that would violate outside agreements. Now, as it happens, Tantal has a formal non-aggression pact with the Gardens, signed by Prince Ozychlyrus only a few weeks ago as part of a wider effort to foster more open diplomacy. So I'm afraid our hands are tied in this particular matter."
"Coward," Robalt muttered.
"If you're that upset about it, feel free to take it up with the Tantalese parliament. Unless you'd like to kick us out of the Coalition, too?"
Briefly, Raqura contemplated it. Tantal didn't really deserve a seat at this table either. They were a rump state that had managed to avoid destruction by throwing themselves on the Praetorium's mercy. They were nothing to be afraid of.
But the Chancellor was right that Tantal was within their rights to withhold their forces here. The Gardens had broken the Elysian Treaty, but Tantal hadn't, and even if she didn't put much stock in its legitimacy, the same couldn't be said for the others. Robalt was an annoying stickler for the rules, and Niranira wouldn't be willing to lose such a valuable customer base.
"Fine," Raqura said. "We'll do this without you. We managed just find without Tantal before."
"You won't be going forward with Gormotti support either," President Cedwyn said as he and Moui stood to leave.
"Are you really going to engage in this farce as well?' Raqura asked. "Shuffling pieces of paper around to avoid fulfilling your obligations?"
"No," he said. "But the Gormotti are a proud people. It'd be political suicide to attack an ally unbidden. Even if I agreed with your detestable methods, my replacement certainly wouldn't. And siding with you here is a surefire guarantee that I be replaced as quickly as possible. So Gormott won't be contributing to this madness. If you'd like to hold us in violation of the Elysian Treaty because of it, maybe kick us out of the Coalition, then that's your business. But the moment we go, you lose out on your largest workforce and your most abundant source of natural resources. Assets that I'm sure Duthract and Sthenos would be more than happy to benefit from."
Raqura glared at the man, but he just smiled at her in turn.
"Is that a threat?" Robalt asked.
"Of course not," the President said. "After all, it isn't as if you're actually going to kick us out of the Coalition, are you?"
The room was silent for a moment, and that seemed to be answer enough.
"As I thought," he said. "Now come along, Moui. I think we've wasted enough time here."
With that, the Gormotti and Tantalese hangers-on left the room, taking their support with them. But Raqura knew better than to think this was an isolated case. Their actions here were a sign of things to come. Neither of them were truly interested in upholding the Coalition anymore.
Really, she shouldn't have expected any better. Gormott hadn't been an equal power to the rest of them since the Concords of Negaris had forced them to give up most of their military. They talked a big game, but they didn't have the power to back it up. Not without allies, at least. But if Raqura could force Duthract and Sthenos to heel, then there'd be nothing standing in the way of removing the other eyesores from the Coalition permanently.
"Well," Robalt said. "I hope you know what you're doing, Your Majesty."
"This sensible course of action," Niranira said. "Gormott and Tantal know better than to leave Coalition. Can ensure success of efforts against Spessia and Gardens without them. Bulk of military still from Mor Ardain and Uraya, and unified Guilds strongest financial power in all of Elysium. Should be no issues."
"It's not a matter of that," Raqura said. "The outcome against the Gardens is already a foregone conclusion. They're pacifists. They won't survive a military assault. And Spessia won't be too difficult to handle, with the Minister's help. The real problem is the lack of respect. We cannot let the lesser nations think we're weak, or else they might start getting ideas. We'll need to deal with these traitorous upstarts sooner or later."
"Careful there," Robalt said. "Talk like that isn't going to make you a lot of friends."
"I care very little for friends or allies," Raqura said. "You are smart enough to know the four of us stand to gain more by standing together. So long as Mor Ardain and Uraya remain the world's premier military powers, that won't change. I don't need any of you to respect or admire me. What I need is material guarantees that this alliance will last, and the Urayan military is guarantee enough of that already. So you may not like my way of doing things, Councilor, but do not pretend you're above it. This is how we've always conducted this abhorrent business, and that's because it is the only way that works. It's time we stopped pretending that the more noble and righteous path is the correct one."
"True enough, I suppose," Robalt said. "So long as we know where things stand."
Queen Raqura knew where things stood more than anyone else. She had been playing this game her whole life, and she wasn't about to be outdone now. Not by people who refused to even make a move in the first place.
The Gardens were a blight on society. She would deal with them accordingly. And if that bothered some of the weak-willed among them, then she'd just have to deal with them as well. If they didn't like it, they were free to challenge her, but at the end of the day, they would bow. They always did. Because at the end of the day, she was Raqura Selosia, the Queen of Uraya, and she held all the power. And she would wield it in whatever way she saw fit.