Andrea's Story (cont.)
May. 22nd, 2007 04:13 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jeriendhalFinally managed to finish the latest scene yesterday. This is going much slower than I like, but at least I'm making some progress.
140
“Master, what am I doing here?” she asked, tugging at her collar nervously. Tez merely shot her a look that told her to shut up, and she followed him down the hall. Well, she didn’t have much choice in that matter, since he was holding her leash. They were in a high-ceilinged building, in the center of the Moot Grove, the central point of the Woods and Elven civilization. A place that her Master had been firmly opposed to ever approaching for as long as she had known him.
That had changed, with the recent thawing of relations with the human kingdoms outside the Woods’ borders. The old genocidal king that had driven the non-humans from his lands had long since died, then his sons had all died, leaving a twice removed nephew on the throne now who had more interest in trade that attack. But elves had memories as long as their lives, and were disinclined to lower their defenses in only a human generation. More to the point, Master Tez had mellowed somewhat in his attitude towards helping the Moot, having decided that helping them was preferable than risking attack from the outside world and putting his little sanctuary at risk.
“You’re on display of course,” he replied, once they had passed a knot of elves. They did, of course, do anything so crude as point and talk when they realized that the Eldest was in their presence, but their attention was nevertheless fixed on Master Tez until he had passed them by.
“Display? I thought I was invisible to other elves,” she said.
“Oh, they’d never lower themselves to actually talk to you, Andrea, but they know you’re with me in the Moot Grove” he said. “In other words, the Eldest decided to bring a slave into the heart of elven civilization. Ergo, this slave must have something special about her.”
“I’m not special,” she insisted.
“You’re a skilled leatherworker, trained by an elven master. Kindly do not undercut your abilities in my earshot, or anywhere else for that matter,” he said coolly.
“Yes, Master,” she relied contritely. She followed him as they made their way into a meeting chamber. Or maybe an open air pavilion. It was hard to tell, the trunks and branches of live trees having been persuaded to grow so thickly together that they formed the walls and ceiling of the room. For a wild moment she wondered if they had to sweep leaves off the floor in the fall.
Seated at one end of the table were three White Riders, led by the Rider Kavin. At the other end was Count Veritelli, the new king’s ambassador to the elves, and at his side a courtier who’s name she hadn’t caught during their arrival yesterday. The former was a heavyset man who tended to smile without opening his mouth, a legacy of losing three teeth in combat, or so Master Tez had informed her. The courtier appeared to be a younger relative of the Count’s, judging from shared features on their faces, though the courtier had kept himself considerably more fit (and retained all of his teeth.)
“Tez, thank you for gracing us with your presence,” Kavin greeted. “Please be seated.”
“Rider Kavin. Count Veritelli,” Tez replied, leaning against the wall and motioning for Andrea to take up parade rest beside him. “I’ll stand, thank you. In my experience meetings and negotiations tend to go much quicker when all parties involved have incentive to keep the long winded speeches to a minimum.”
“As you wish, Eldest,” Kavin said. “To the matter at hand. We welcome your king’s request for reconciliation and opening of trade, Count Verielli, but there are concerns about your king’s ability to enforce his new edicts outlawing attacks upon non-humans.”
“I’m a little more concerned that your leaders are not meeting with me directly, Rider Kavin,” Veritelli said. “Why are no members of the Moot attending the negotiations personally?”
“A matter of protocol, Count,” Kavin replied smoothly. “As rulers of the Elven Domain, the Moot will only conduct direct negotiations with their peers. As your king sent an ambassador to speak for him, so the Moot sent me to speak with you.”
“So they would only speak to my king?”
Kavin smiled and said, “That’s one way of putting it.”
“It would also be incorrect,” Tez interjected, ignoring Kavin’s wince as he added, “Elves would only consider another elf as their equals. For a member of the Moot to actually lower themselves to speak to a human would be a terrible loss of face.”
Veritelli’s face darkened in anger, but he only let out a strained, “I see.”
“Thank you for that… clarification, Eldest,” Kavin said blandly.
“If these negotiations are to be truly successful in the long term, it’s vital that everyone is clear on the basic concepts involved,” Master Tez replied, appearing unperturbed. Andrea bit down on her lip before she could inadvertently laugh.
“I’ve always valued honest speech,” Veritelli agreed, “it’s so difficult to find sometimes.”
“Quite,” said Kavin.
Veritelli waved a hand, dismissing the conversation. “Now, as to the matter at hand. If there is to be free and open relations between us, one thing that must agreed upon is free travel and trade between our nations.”
“We have always been open to that,” Kavin said.
“That means lowering the Barrier. Or at least making it possible for human traders to enter without requiring an elven escort and blindfolds.”
“Absolutely not. The Barrier is our one defense against the superior, or at least larger, forces that could be brought against us.”
And so it went on… Andrea listened quietly as Rider Kavin and Count Veritelli dickered over entry protocols, restrictions on what could be brought out of or into the Elven Domain and the eastern kingdoms, allowed number of troops within certain distances of their mutual border. After a while her attention began to wander as her feet began to swell. Master Tez, being the Eldest of the Elves and answerable to absolutely no one, could slouch against the wall as much he pleased. Andrea, being his slave, could only allow herself to come to a sort of parade rest while Kavin and the Count argued. And argued… and argued…
She blinked and bit back on a yawn. The Count’s young courtier glanced in her direction, then made a face and clamped his jaws shut as he tried to fight the urge to yawn in sympathy. This got the Count’s attention and then he was fighting off a yawn. The elves in room, being bloody elves, didn’t react at all, or were perhaps better at discretely remaining close-mouthed.
“And on that note, I believe its time to break for lunch,” Tez declared. Andrea felt her face flush as one of the White Riders flanking Kaven shot her a disapproving look, though the Count’s companion looked more than a bit relieved.
“Sorry, Master,” she muttered. Tez merely shook his head.
“There should have been a break much earlier,” he noted softly, as soon as Kavin and his attendants moved out of earshot. “Typical half-arsed manipulation games. I was actually expecting better of the fellow.” The sour look on her master’s face indicated his deep disappointment.
“It’s not going well, is it,” she said.
“Oh no, these are just the opening rounds,” he replied. “The real negotiations are going to start when each party discreetly starts to sound me out for my opinion on the situation, while also trying to figure out which side I’m really on, and trying to see if they can get any insights on their counterpart’s ‘real’ intention.”
“You’re on the elves’ side, aren’t you?” Andrea asked, eyebrows raised.
Master Tez’s sour expression softened slightly. “Oh, no. I’m on my own side. Fortunately what I want is the same thing that each other side wants, de-escalation of the tensions that have built up between humans and elves over the last century or so. The only difference between them and I is that I’m just supporting it to finally get some bloody peace and quiet, instead of having to listen to another entreaty from the Moot to intervene every ten years or so.”
“So where do we go from here?”
Master Tez made a gesture towards the door. “I’m going to wander about and make myself available for buttonholing. You are going back to our quarters, properly disgraced for interrupting our negotiations with weak, half-bred yawning. Not to mention making yourself available for buttonholing in turn.”
“No elf is going to talk to me, Master! Or Count Veritelli for that matter.”
“No, but I venture you’ll be hearing from one of his servants soon.”
“I see,” she said. “So what should I tell them?”
Master Tez pursed his lips. “The truth is best. Your master desires there to be peace between humans and elves. Manumission of any human slaves or their descendants taken in border actions has my support, as does reparations from the eastern kingdoms for losses of elven property during the disturbances a hundred and thirty years ago. Perhaps a joint expedition to the Southern Continent as a way of cementing relations would be considered. Neither of them will want to do that, but they’ll both try and forward it in the next negotiating session as their own idea, in an attempt to appear to supporting brotherhood and harmony between elf and ephemeral. If they both do it at the same time they may end up agreeing to it despite themselves.” He smiled at that last thought.
“All right.” She made to hand her leash to him, so he could lead her back to his quarters. But he shook his head and unclipped it from her collar, slipping the chain into his pocket. “Er, aren’t you going to need that, officially speaking?”
“Officially speaking, the Eldest led one of his slaves into a high-level negotiation in the center of the Moot, and let her listen through the whole thing. Enough inhabitants of the Moot Grove saw you this morning that they should know what favor I hold you in now. If any of them still wish to give you grief, just tell them that The Eldest would be displeased. That should shut them nicely.”
“Oh,” Andrea said, suddenly understanding, “that’s what I was doing here.”
“Quite,” he master agreed. “If you think I’m going to lead around everywhere for however many weeks this summit is going to take, you’re delusional.”
She bit back on a smile and instead bowed to him politely. “Yes, Master.”
TBC
140
“Master, what am I doing here?” she asked, tugging at her collar nervously. Tez merely shot her a look that told her to shut up, and she followed him down the hall. Well, she didn’t have much choice in that matter, since he was holding her leash. They were in a high-ceilinged building, in the center of the Moot Grove, the central point of the Woods and Elven civilization. A place that her Master had been firmly opposed to ever approaching for as long as she had known him.
That had changed, with the recent thawing of relations with the human kingdoms outside the Woods’ borders. The old genocidal king that had driven the non-humans from his lands had long since died, then his sons had all died, leaving a twice removed nephew on the throne now who had more interest in trade that attack. But elves had memories as long as their lives, and were disinclined to lower their defenses in only a human generation. More to the point, Master Tez had mellowed somewhat in his attitude towards helping the Moot, having decided that helping them was preferable than risking attack from the outside world and putting his little sanctuary at risk.
“You’re on display of course,” he replied, once they had passed a knot of elves. They did, of course, do anything so crude as point and talk when they realized that the Eldest was in their presence, but their attention was nevertheless fixed on Master Tez until he had passed them by.
“Display? I thought I was invisible to other elves,” she said.
“Oh, they’d never lower themselves to actually talk to you, Andrea, but they know you’re with me in the Moot Grove” he said. “In other words, the Eldest decided to bring a slave into the heart of elven civilization. Ergo, this slave must have something special about her.”
“I’m not special,” she insisted.
“You’re a skilled leatherworker, trained by an elven master. Kindly do not undercut your abilities in my earshot, or anywhere else for that matter,” he said coolly.
“Yes, Master,” she relied contritely. She followed him as they made their way into a meeting chamber. Or maybe an open air pavilion. It was hard to tell, the trunks and branches of live trees having been persuaded to grow so thickly together that they formed the walls and ceiling of the room. For a wild moment she wondered if they had to sweep leaves off the floor in the fall.
Seated at one end of the table were three White Riders, led by the Rider Kavin. At the other end was Count Veritelli, the new king’s ambassador to the elves, and at his side a courtier who’s name she hadn’t caught during their arrival yesterday. The former was a heavyset man who tended to smile without opening his mouth, a legacy of losing three teeth in combat, or so Master Tez had informed her. The courtier appeared to be a younger relative of the Count’s, judging from shared features on their faces, though the courtier had kept himself considerably more fit (and retained all of his teeth.)
“Tez, thank you for gracing us with your presence,” Kavin greeted. “Please be seated.”
“Rider Kavin. Count Veritelli,” Tez replied, leaning against the wall and motioning for Andrea to take up parade rest beside him. “I’ll stand, thank you. In my experience meetings and negotiations tend to go much quicker when all parties involved have incentive to keep the long winded speeches to a minimum.”
“As you wish, Eldest,” Kavin said. “To the matter at hand. We welcome your king’s request for reconciliation and opening of trade, Count Verielli, but there are concerns about your king’s ability to enforce his new edicts outlawing attacks upon non-humans.”
“I’m a little more concerned that your leaders are not meeting with me directly, Rider Kavin,” Veritelli said. “Why are no members of the Moot attending the negotiations personally?”
“A matter of protocol, Count,” Kavin replied smoothly. “As rulers of the Elven Domain, the Moot will only conduct direct negotiations with their peers. As your king sent an ambassador to speak for him, so the Moot sent me to speak with you.”
“So they would only speak to my king?”
Kavin smiled and said, “That’s one way of putting it.”
“It would also be incorrect,” Tez interjected, ignoring Kavin’s wince as he added, “Elves would only consider another elf as their equals. For a member of the Moot to actually lower themselves to speak to a human would be a terrible loss of face.”
Veritelli’s face darkened in anger, but he only let out a strained, “I see.”
“Thank you for that… clarification, Eldest,” Kavin said blandly.
“If these negotiations are to be truly successful in the long term, it’s vital that everyone is clear on the basic concepts involved,” Master Tez replied, appearing unperturbed. Andrea bit down on her lip before she could inadvertently laugh.
“I’ve always valued honest speech,” Veritelli agreed, “it’s so difficult to find sometimes.”
“Quite,” said Kavin.
Veritelli waved a hand, dismissing the conversation. “Now, as to the matter at hand. If there is to be free and open relations between us, one thing that must agreed upon is free travel and trade between our nations.”
“We have always been open to that,” Kavin said.
“That means lowering the Barrier. Or at least making it possible for human traders to enter without requiring an elven escort and blindfolds.”
“Absolutely not. The Barrier is our one defense against the superior, or at least larger, forces that could be brought against us.”
And so it went on… Andrea listened quietly as Rider Kavin and Count Veritelli dickered over entry protocols, restrictions on what could be brought out of or into the Elven Domain and the eastern kingdoms, allowed number of troops within certain distances of their mutual border. After a while her attention began to wander as her feet began to swell. Master Tez, being the Eldest of the Elves and answerable to absolutely no one, could slouch against the wall as much he pleased. Andrea, being his slave, could only allow herself to come to a sort of parade rest while Kavin and the Count argued. And argued… and argued…
She blinked and bit back on a yawn. The Count’s young courtier glanced in her direction, then made a face and clamped his jaws shut as he tried to fight the urge to yawn in sympathy. This got the Count’s attention and then he was fighting off a yawn. The elves in room, being bloody elves, didn’t react at all, or were perhaps better at discretely remaining close-mouthed.
“And on that note, I believe its time to break for lunch,” Tez declared. Andrea felt her face flush as one of the White Riders flanking Kaven shot her a disapproving look, though the Count’s companion looked more than a bit relieved.
“Sorry, Master,” she muttered. Tez merely shook his head.
“There should have been a break much earlier,” he noted softly, as soon as Kavin and his attendants moved out of earshot. “Typical half-arsed manipulation games. I was actually expecting better of the fellow.” The sour look on her master’s face indicated his deep disappointment.
“It’s not going well, is it,” she said.
“Oh no, these are just the opening rounds,” he replied. “The real negotiations are going to start when each party discreetly starts to sound me out for my opinion on the situation, while also trying to figure out which side I’m really on, and trying to see if they can get any insights on their counterpart’s ‘real’ intention.”
“You’re on the elves’ side, aren’t you?” Andrea asked, eyebrows raised.
Master Tez’s sour expression softened slightly. “Oh, no. I’m on my own side. Fortunately what I want is the same thing that each other side wants, de-escalation of the tensions that have built up between humans and elves over the last century or so. The only difference between them and I is that I’m just supporting it to finally get some bloody peace and quiet, instead of having to listen to another entreaty from the Moot to intervene every ten years or so.”
“So where do we go from here?”
Master Tez made a gesture towards the door. “I’m going to wander about and make myself available for buttonholing. You are going back to our quarters, properly disgraced for interrupting our negotiations with weak, half-bred yawning. Not to mention making yourself available for buttonholing in turn.”
“No elf is going to talk to me, Master! Or Count Veritelli for that matter.”
“No, but I venture you’ll be hearing from one of his servants soon.”
“I see,” she said. “So what should I tell them?”
Master Tez pursed his lips. “The truth is best. Your master desires there to be peace between humans and elves. Manumission of any human slaves or their descendants taken in border actions has my support, as does reparations from the eastern kingdoms for losses of elven property during the disturbances a hundred and thirty years ago. Perhaps a joint expedition to the Southern Continent as a way of cementing relations would be considered. Neither of them will want to do that, but they’ll both try and forward it in the next negotiating session as their own idea, in an attempt to appear to supporting brotherhood and harmony between elf and ephemeral. If they both do it at the same time they may end up agreeing to it despite themselves.” He smiled at that last thought.
“All right.” She made to hand her leash to him, so he could lead her back to his quarters. But he shook his head and unclipped it from her collar, slipping the chain into his pocket. “Er, aren’t you going to need that, officially speaking?”
“Officially speaking, the Eldest led one of his slaves into a high-level negotiation in the center of the Moot, and let her listen through the whole thing. Enough inhabitants of the Moot Grove saw you this morning that they should know what favor I hold you in now. If any of them still wish to give you grief, just tell them that The Eldest would be displeased. That should shut them nicely.”
“Oh,” Andrea said, suddenly understanding, “that’s what I was doing here.”
“Quite,” he master agreed. “If you think I’m going to lead around everywhere for however many weeks this summit is going to take, you’re delusional.”
She bit back on a smile and instead bowed to him politely. “Yes, Master.”
TBC
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no subject
Date: 2007-05-22 09:06 am (UTC)(And I can't help thinking of Heinlein's Lazarus Long each time Tez is addressed as "Eldest", which I think may be distracting me a bit, and also giving me additional dimensions of thinking about Tez.)
Thank you for posting :) I love Tez playing politics!
no subject
Date: 2007-05-22 02:34 pm (UTC)Is paragraph three, sentence two, missing the word 'not'?
no subject
Date: 2007-05-22 05:32 pm (UTC)They did not, maybe?
Other than that, I think it's going superbly. I want to read more now :-D
no subject
Date: 2007-05-23 12:57 am (UTC)