That night, Regina slept badly, tossing and turning quite a bit. She was grumpy the next morning and had to control herself to not snap at her drones, who didn’t deserve her irritation. It was the tension of the situation, she knew; not that she was afraid, or anything but confident, but she was aware of the importance of these talks. What they determined now would be crucial in the coming years. And it would an she had to find so resolution for the deaths of her drones, and all that had happened.
She supposed it was made easier by the fact these really weren’t the sa people who had started the war. Still gnos and leaders of their country, but not hateful bigots who would murder envoys and launch an unprovoked invasion. At least not as far as she knew. Her initial impression of Aliekin had been born out by what she’d sensed in the psychic link. He seed to be a largely reasonable man and his mind was tightly controlled, disciplined. Also guarded in a way that suggested he had received at least a little training, which made it hard for her to gather more than general impressions, even if she wanted to take the risk. His companions weren’t quite that good, but she also hadn’t spared the focus and effort of trying to peer too deeply, not when she’d been focused on the actual interaction and conversation with him.
But personal impressions only counted for so much here. Even if she were to grow to respect him, which Regina still doubted, both of them were representing their nations.
She could not let the Gnomish Confederation off the hook just because they’d had a change in leadership.
They didn’t et for breakfast today. Instead, Regina ate in the rooms that had been assigned to her, with many of the drones and Janis. The town and its local lord’s mansion didn’t have much space, so they were living in rather cramped quarters, but the drones had taken the opportunity to set up communal bedrooms in a side wing. Janis had decided to sleep with them as well, even while Regina had a private room. She found it a little amusing that the girl seed to like their cuddle piles while she herself generally preferred privacy. But Janis was probably used to it from campaign. Now, she took the opportunity to go over a few more details with her.
Then they t with Kiara and the others and went to et the gnos for the real negotiations. They were in a bit of a weird spot in that regard, Regina knew — they didn’t have an unconditional surrender and the gnomish army was still largely intact, so it wasn’t realistic to just force the Gnomish Confederation to do whatever they wanted, but they had formally won the war. It wasn’t like they had clear terms for it, there were no obvious answers like if people were fighting over specific territory or titles. It ant the situation had to be settled at the negotiating table.
At first, Regina mostly kept quiet and allowed the others to talk for her, which she’d at least originally planned for the initial eting as well. Partly, that was to not give too much away — she was the ultimate authority, had the ultimate say, and thus the others could push and voice things she did not have to back up — but partly, it was because she felt less prepared for this. Janis had negotiated with them before. The only real experience in this vein Regina had was the peace conference, and she’d gone in with an established plan, with Cernlia and Nerlia already in agreent and the rest rely spectators.
Instead, she paid particular attention to the gnos. Aliekin was calm, showed little resentnt and spoke politely. The others didn’t speak much, again. There was little doubt who was in charge here. She didn’t know if he just had control issues or if it was a reverse tactic of hers.
“I believe we spoke about the matter of responsibility for the events that started the war,” Kiara said pleasantly, after an exchange of initial pleasantries and after less important matters were discussed, such as practical arrangents for these talks.
Aliekin inclined his head slightly. “That we did.”
“And I believe you just about agreed that your predecessors, the previous executive council, did start it by murdering envoys and launching an unprovoked invasion.”
“The exact happenings are still under investigation,” Aliekin responded, seemingly unfazed.
Janis snorted slightly, then muffled it by coughing into her hand. Regina herself only cocked her head slightly and looked at him. “How fortunate,” Kiara said. “And when can we expect the matter to be cleared up in your opinion, General? It does not strike as a very complicated circumstance. You have already seen the most highly-placed perpetrators put on trial and sentenced.”
“True, I do not expect it to take long until everything is apparent,” he said. “Certainly the matter of the initial military orders have been traced back, although the circumstances of the drones’ deaths are a little less clear — who was where and so on, who gave what orders. Given the standing policy at the ti, there may be so contention —”
“You’ll understand if I don’t want the deaths of my children used as political tools,” Regina interrupted.
Aliekin examined her silently for a mont, while Regina focused on both fanning and controlling the ember of anger in her chest. He nodded after a second. “Of course, Empress Regina. The basic facts of the matter are clear. Provisionally, given further investigation, we can agree to acknowledge the guilt of the executive council. We acknowledge that the first troops to move were ours. The initial goals of the Historicals for the war will never be fulfilled, which seems best for everyone.”
“We will expect a formal apology from the Gnomish Confederation regarding their invasion,” Janis demanded.
“Of course, Your Highness,” Aliekin answered easily.
Regina could tell he was already planning to pin it all on the forr Historical leadership and bla them for everything, directing his people’s anger at the lost war at them. She’d expected him to do that from the beginning, and the impressions she’d picked up yesterday only confird it.
“The war is over now, and the Gnomish Confederation paid a high price for it, losing many soldiers,” one of the other gnos said.
"Quite, and so did many other people. War like this is catastrophic for many involved, and it must never be allowed to happen again lightly,” Kiara comnted.
Naturally, this turned into a discussion of reparations.
Regina leaned back again and listened to the conversation. She’d spoken up when it ca to the matter of her drones’ murder, since she felt obligated to take care of it personally. They were here drones and it was the least she owed them, after all, if she couldn’t protect them. But she stuck to her plans for most of the rest of the eting and let the others talk.
The matter of reparations was contentious, of course. Even knowing that it was likely one of the less heatedly debated points, no one wanted to give too much. At least the gnos didn’t have the audacity to suggest that the hive or the Empire pay them anything, they were smarter than that, but they did go on about the losses of the war and the state of their economy and how they simply couldn’t support crippling paynts.
Truthfully, Regina was inclined to be lenient in that regard. She could literally create money out of thin air, it wasn’t like she necessarily needed their reparation money. She was also aware they had a point, and crippling their economy might work to drain their war readiness, but only at the cost of severe consequences and major risks in the long term. Bad economic conditions led to the rise of extremism and it would very much fan resentnt against the Empire, which was what Regina wanted to avoid. Her goal was to lessen the hostility, after all, not increase it. But this was still a negotiation and so diplomacy was conducted. Being forgiving when it ca to monetary reparations could be used in turn when it ca to other points.
Eventually, the question was tabled for later, with the implicit understanding the hive would concede the matter in return for other considerations. The gnos didn’t look happy, but there must have been so truths to their protests — they seed ready to accept it, even reluctantly, for the sake of avoiding having to pay a heavier cost. She didn’t think they would easily trade political concessions for money, so they must really be concerned about their economy’s potential collapse.
They broke for lunch at that point, and Regina swept out of the room without giving them a chance to talk to her. She had lunch in a secluded dining room accompanied only by her closest companions. It was quiet, with few people talking, while she kept half of her attention on the psychic link and her psychic senses. Being this close to the gnos had given her a slightly better understanding of their minds, but it still didn’t offer any real insight. She checked with all the drones present as well as others stationed around the Empire, and particularly those who had the duty of watching the gnos for suspicious troop movents. None were found, thankfully. She didn’t really think Aliekin would go back on his word like that. Especially not while he and key supporters of his were here, he wasn’t an idiot like so of his predecessors clearly had been.
Beyond that, Regina took the opportunity to connect with drones she’d sent south. They were a little closer to southern Europe here than she would have been in Cera, so it was a good opportunity. She still didn’t get far enough to reach Tim in Veragles, although she fancied she could faintly feel it on the taphorical horizon. Still, at least it would make it easier to communicate, to pass ssages. They’d been sending Swarm Drones along the route his group had scouted, off and on. Most of them died, unfortunately. It was why Regina didn’t want to risk sending sapient drones, or her human subjects, not until they could put together a bigger, strong group for the purpose. But it did help them chart the area a bit more accurately, and prepare for building a real path through the mountains.
Tunnels had been started, although progress was very slow. One of these days, she would travel closer so her range could cover the entire distance and they could complete securing the path. It would take a while, but it would be worth it. She’d need to make preparations to leave the northern part of her current range uncovered, though. And before all that, they first needed to deal with the gnos. To finally bring peace, to end the war, and get so assurance that there would not be more attacks.
The sound of the door opening broke Regina from her thoughts. She knew who was coming, of course, had sensed them for a while, but she still felt the surprise from the others.
Kiara was out of her chair quickly. “June! I didn’t know you were coming.”
June glanced at Regina, who shrugged and tilted her head at Janis. “I thought you would have told her.”
“I thought you did,” Janis shrugged. She gave Kiara a look, who returned a slightly more exasperated one. Feeling conscious of the other eyes on them, she didn’t hug her sister, just squeezed her arm briefly and then sat back down beside her girlfriend.
The only people in this room had either been told of their relationship or put the pieces together and would stay quiet, so there was no reason to be overzealous in trying to hide it.
Regina suspected the two of them might find so corner of the Empire to disappear to once this whole thing was over. Hm, now there’s a thought, she considered. Maybe I can send them north? Dealing with the Esen, even, a little bit? Or whatever needs doing, there are a few small states on the border of the Western Confederation, sending soone to the area might not be a bad idea, anyway.
June dropped into the chair, ignoring the byplay. She seed uncharacteristically tired, in a way that went beyond the physical, though she also wasn’t feeling bad. But her ntal shields had also improved, under Regina’s instruction, so she didn’t get more than an impression with a vague look at her apprentice.
“The gnos are in for a surprise,” Janis said, smiling at the younger princess.
“That’s a lot of royalty gathering in one place,” Max said. He sounded like he might be concerned about security implications, but that was just habit, Regina knew he was mostly amused.
“Has it ever struck you as odd there are so many female royals here?” June asked.
Regina shrugged. “I suppose. Partly coincidence, and partly, well, I don’t think I would have worked as well with n.”
It was probably unfair of her, but the prevailing sexism had made won more appealing allies to her on so level. Girls like Kiara — and Janis, she supposed, though her circumstances were unique — knew what it was to struggle against the prevailing, patriarchal social order, the sa one Regina herself considered so backward and archaic. Maybe it would have worked just as well if she’d run into a gay lord trying to defend his position or sothing like that, though.
“That’s not why you’re here, however,” she added. She knew June well enough to know she had probably just been trying for a distraction to order her thoughts.
June turned to face her, and nodded. “I think I’ve made a breakthrough, Master,” she said after a short pause. “I reached out with my mind and I felt … sothing, I’m not entirely sure how to describe it, if I have the words, but it was like a twining net of minds. I looked at the soldiers and I knew their anxiety, their pride and their concerns.”
Regina leaned closer. “That’s not all, though,” she said.
June shook her head, biting at her lower lip. “No. Since then, I’ve — it’s always there, in the back of my mind — a sense of the people around , very distant and faint. But I think I’d always know if soone was in the room with , if I paid attention. I can’t read your emotions, but …”
“It’s a very good first step,” Regina humd, pleased. “That’s great, June. It does sound like you’ve made a major breakthrough. Let just …”
She trailed off for a mont, focusing entirely on her apprentice’s mind. ntal shields or not, she still knew her intimately. And she could tell sothing, tiny but oh so significant, had shifted. Her mind was … different, now, in a very subtle, specific, localized but also unmistakable way. She felt slightly more like Madris, or like Regina herself might feel to others, though obviously without the psychic link. It was a shift like soone cured of chronic pain, or learning magic, or perhaps more like soone gaining a new sense.
“Congratulations, June,” Kiara grinned at her, not hiding the pride she felt, even if there was a faint flash of concern with it.
“You have to teach how to do that,” Janis added, grinning as well.
“Maybe we can try later,” Regina said, still focused on June. Later, she would need to think about taking other apprentices, about seeing just how well or how thoroughly she could foster this ability in others, if indeed it could be done. But for now, her attention was on June.
They’d need to evaluate just how far this went, but Regina was relieved. It really looked like she wasn’t the only psychic they had anymore, besides Madris.
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