The Delegation Read online

  It was quite simple, a formal greeting from one monarch to another, expressing hopes for friendly, peaceful relations. Lady Olivia finished reading, paused, and then carefully rolled the scroll. At a gesture from the king, she stepped forward and offered him the missive. He didn’t review it himself but simply held it to the side, and one of the waiting attendants took it from him.

  I had no idea if it would ever be seen again.

  The two spoke together for several minutes, neither saying anything of importance, but then the king said, “Lady Olivia, there is one pressing matter I would discuss with you in a smaller setting. Perhaps we could reconvene in a half-hour’s time.”

  She hadn’t been expecting the invitation; I had. But the duchess was gracious. “So that I may be prepared, of what will we be discussing.”

  “Road improvements.”

  “Road improvements?” she echoed.

  “Yes.”

  I knew what it was about, as did Minister Heliodor. Few others did, and I thought perhaps Duchess Charthan was puzzled, but then a member of her delegation set a hand on her arm and whispered into her ear. At that, she nodded and then said, “Of course, Your Majesty.”

  “Very good. One of the stewards will show you.”

  At that, he stood. We knelt, and he strode from the room. A moment later, Minister Heliodor turned to find me. We locked gazes and nodded to each other.

  * * * *

  The Ressalines arrived at the meeting room ahead of us. They hadn’t all come; there were six women clad in leather, clustered together and talking quietly, when Heliodor and I stepped in. As a group, they turned, focusing first on the minister, but then several of the eyes turned to me, and then one of the women whispered to Lady Olivia.

  I walked beside my minister, and we approached the Ressalines.

  “Road improvements,” said Lady Olivia. She held out her hand to Minister Heliodor. “I am Lady Olivia.”

  “You don’t need to yell. I’m old, but I’m not deaf.” He took her hand for a moment.

  “I know my accent is unfamiliar,” she replied.

  “Lady Olivia,” I said. “This is Minister Heliodor.”

  “Ah,” she replied. “The Minster of Transportation.” She released his hand. “My pleasure, Minister.”

  “Lady Olivia,” said one of the other women, and I realized who she was. “This is Allium Cuprite. I have mentioned her in the past.”

  “Of course, Ms. Cuprite,” said the duchess. I let her take my hand, and I found myself staring into a pair of very intense, very beautiful eyes. “Did you enjoy your brief foray into our country?”

  “I did?” I answered, making it a question. “To be fair, I was focused on my duties.”

  “And perhaps somewhat intimidated,” Major Bess added with a smile. “Of little old me, no less.”

  “Oh, do not blame Ms. Cuprite,” said Lady Olivia. “There are distinct differences between our cultures.”

  “And yet, I was left wondering what stories they must tell of us,” replied the major. “It took much cajoling and repeated assurances before she would step one toe across the border.”

  It was then, before further exchanges could be made, that the door opened, and King Leander stepped in, flanked by several aides. Before we could react, he said, “No ceremony, please. Let us take our seats.” He gestured and then moved to the head of the table. It took a minute, but I found myself seated on one side beside Minister Heliodor. Opposite us sat the six Ressalines, with Major Bess immediately opposite me. I avoided meeting her gaze.

  She intimidated me. They all did. This was the closest I’d ever been to the king, but I was more intimidated by these six women than I was by His Majesty.

  “Well,” he said. “Road repair. Six weeks ago, I read a rather unexpected report. Do you know what it said, Lady Olivia?”

  “No, Your Majesty.”

  “The woman who wrote it sits opposite your major. Miss Cuprite, would you be so kind?”

  “Of course, your majesty.”

  I didn’t stand. If I had, I would have found myself moving about, and that would undoubtedly have brought me behind the king, which would not do. And so, I sat and offered a report from notes. I explained my visit to the border, and the state of the bridge as compared to the state I’d expected. I finished, never looking up.

  There was a pause, and then the king said, “Thank you. Lady Olivia, I am curious what you think about Miss Cuprite’s report.”

  “It seems like a quite competent report. I am pleased Ms. Cuprite felt the work was done to the high standards one would expect of such an important link between our two countries.”

  “I am unsure that is quite the question I was asking,” replied the king.

  “Perhaps you could be clearer, Your Majesty.” Even through her thick accent, I could recognize the puzzled nature of her question.

  “Quite simply: why did you repair the bridge, Lady Olivia?”

  I looked up. She was staring at the king but finally said, “I did not see the bridge myself until three days ago. My primary focus on arriving in Charth had been the assimilation of Charthan into Ressaline. That process is complete, and I have more attention to spread in other directions. One of the tasks I have assigned was a review of the infrastructure of my entire duchy.”

  “Including bridges,” said the king.

  “Bridges were near the top of the list,” Lady Olivia replied. “Roads; schools; farms; mills. Everything.”

  “Go on.”

  “Four years ago, we were able to begin attending to the most pressing of infrastructure improvements. Of course, this is a never-ending battle against time and weather.”

  “For us as well.”

  “An early report indicated the Verlies Bridge was past due in maintenance. The bridge serves as an important trade link between our countries, but it is far from the only path that trade goods can travel, and so it didn’t receive immediate attention. But when this delegation was announced, a member of my staff suggested we should ensure the quality of the route between Charth and Barrish, at least as far as the border. And so, I ordered for the worst of the required repairs to be taken, with attention to the bridges. Are you suggesting the bridge required no repair? That is not the report I received.”

  “Miss Cuprite?” the king prompted.

  “It was definitely due,” I said. “One of my assigned duties for the trip was to verify the bridge’s integrity and suggest an alternative route if we felt it wasn’t safe.”

  “Then I am confused, Your Majesty. There is no dispute. The bridge required repair. We repaired it.”

  “Traditionally,” said King Leander, “the bridge is cooperatively owned by both countries. Repairs are performed as a joint venture.”

  The duchess said nothing. The king’s tone was giving little away, and I certainly didn’t know how upset he was. After a moment, the king continued, “Furthermore, your crew did not stop at the center of the bridge, nor even at the opposite shore. Am I correct, Miss Cuprite? A section of road entirely within Flarvor was also repaired?”

  “Yes, Your Majesty,” I said. “It was quite obvious.”

  “I understand that the exact border has historically been difficult to ascertain,” said the king. “However, I do not believe there is any uncertainty regarding the Verlies River. Lady Olivia, why did Ressaline feel it appropriate to enter Flavor to perform work on our side of the border?”

  She blinked at him for a few moments, and then she clearly began to blush, a bright shade of red. “Your Majesty,” she said, dropping her gaze. “That is entirely my mistake. I gave the order to repair all the bridges. I made no special note regarding this particular bridge, and so the crew simply did the same thing they did for all the other bridges they have repaired over the past year or three. If I have offended you, I am deeply, deeply sorry.”

  “You claim your workers overstepped all reasonable bounds not out of direct intention of your queen, but simply because your orders were not su
fficiently considered?”

  “It was a mistake on my part.”

  “Eight years ago, Ressaline invaded Charthan,” he said. “And now, per your own words, the assimilation is completed, at great distress to most of the country. How am I assured you have not repaired this bridge as a means of more readily looking further southward?”

  The duchess lifted her eyes. “Your Majesty,” she replied. She paused. “Ressaline had clear provocation. I imagine you would not have ignored the slight. In fact, this meeting suggests you most certainly would not have ignored the slight Charthan inflicted upon Ressaline.”

  “Did the Charthans repair a bridge leading into Ressaline?”

  “No. They invaded.”

  “Excuse me?”

  “King Leander,” said Lady Olivia. “I have not introduced my entire delegation. Notable for this discussion are Major Bess.” She indicated the woman beside her. “And at the end of the table is Claary Rosebush. Ms. Rosebush was born in Charth but of course is now a valued citizen of Ressaline. She has become a trusted advisor in the years I have known her, quite wise for her years. Ms. Rosebush, do you remember the day we first became acquainted.”

  “I do, Lady Olivia,” replied the woman. I studied her. She appeared to be near my age, perhaps a year or two older. Like the others, she was dressed all in leather and looked quite dashing. She offered me a brief smile then returned her gaze to her duchess. “Would you like me to explain?”

  “With His Majesty’s permission.”

  The king gave a nod, and so Ms. Rosebush stood. “Your Majesty, would you care for a brief or a more complete explanation?” Her accent was far easier to understand than Lady Olivia’s.

  “Brief.”

  “Very good. Charth was quite surprised to find ourselves surrounded, and it was seen as a joke when we discovered who it was. But Lady Olivia declared the city in blockade and then demanded a meeting outside our gates. The Charthan delegation consisted of our council as well as an assortment of the common women of Charth. I was only twenty years old at the time, but the council insisted I be one of the representatives.”

  “Quite unusual,” replied the king. “Continue.”

  “Briefly,” said Ms. Rosebush, “Lady Olivia accused Charthan of an attempt to annex a portion of Ressaline, one well north of a clearly-defined border. At first, the council accused her of lying. She wasn’t lying.”

  “She provided evidence?”

  “She provided a portion of evidence, but ultimately the council themselves admitted their acts. It was worse, Your Majesty. Queen Lisdee had repeatedly demanded the Charthans remove themselves from Ressaline, finally offering an ultimatum.”

  “Leave or face invasion?”

  “Leave, or anyone found in Ressaline would be captured and sold into slavery.”

  “Ah,” said the king. “And?”

  “And Charthan responded by sending a significant detachment of soldiers to safeguard the region.”

  “Were you one of these soldiers?”

  “I am a simple barmaid, Your Majesty.” At that, Lady Olivia scoffed and muttered something under her breath. “Lady Olivia was convincing. No one believes she was lying.” The woman paused. “There are, of course, more details, and other factors. None of us were pleased they invaded, and that we were annexed. But once I knew everything, I had a hard time blaming them for many of their actions.”

  “Which actions do you blame them for?”

  “I still feel they should have let anyone leave who wished to leave, minus those most directly responsible.”

  “You do not fault them for annexing your country?”

  “No, Your Majesty. I do not. I have personal misgivings, but they are not relevant to the conversation today.” She glanced at her duchess. “May I say something else?”

  “Please do, Ms. Rosebush.”

  “If Lady Olivia admits this was a simple oversight, I believe her. I understand my word may carry little weight with you. Regarding the invasion of Charthan, Ressaline was deeply provoked. Queen Lisdee made repeated attempts at diplomacy, and the Charthan council was quite rude to Lady Olivia during our initial meeting, but perhaps that wasn’t entirely unreasonable given that she was blockading our capital.”

  “But you, a child of Charth, hold no ill will?”

  “Not for that. Nearly everyone believes things would have gone far worse if anyone else had been left cleaning up the mess our council caused.”

  The king nodded. “Thank you, Ms. Rosebush.” The woman nodded, then stared at her hands for a moment, but I returned my gaze to the king.

  He said nothing for a minute and then turned his focus to Lady Olivia. “Thank you for repairing the bridge. I would prefer in the future that you coordinate such efforts with Minister Heliodor’s office. Perhaps you could use the occasion of your trip to establish formal communications.”

  “Of course, Your Majesty,” said Lady Olivia. “I truly am sorry for any distress I caused. It was quite unintentional.”

  “I believe you,” he said. He held out his hand. “I consider this issue resolved if you do, Lady Olivia.”

  “Thank you, Your Majesty,” she said. The two clasped. “Could I raise a somewhat easier topic?”

  “Be my guest.”

  “As you know, we are holding a reception tomorrow evening.”

  “Women only, as I understand.”

  “It is to be a cultural exchange,” she said. She smiled. “Dance diplomacy.” The king smiled at that. Lady Olivia paused briefly and then said, “We would like to invite Ms. Cuprite.”

  “Me?” I squeaked.

  Lady Olivia barely glanced in my direction. Instead, she continued to address King Leander. “As you know, Your Highness, we cannot allow any of your men to enter our country. If we are to coordinate with your Ministry of Transportation, while we can do much via courier or while standing at the border, if ever you must send someone to us to discuss delicate planning, it must be a woman. As Ms. Cuprite has already visited Ressaline, as brief a visit as it was, perhaps she could serve.” Then she gave a nod to Minister Heliodor. “But if you have another, of course, it is not our place to assign your staff.”

  “Ms. Cuprite is as qualified as anyone I might assign.”

  “Then it is settled,” said King Leander. “Miss Cuprite will attend your event and make herself available if you have further need of her specific services during your visit.”

  “Excellent,” said Lady Olivia. She turned her attention to me. “We will courier a formal invitation forthwith. If we send it to the Ministry of Transportation, will it reach you?”

  “Yes,” I said. “Is this a formal event? I will not have time to obtain a new gown.”

  “I promise any gown you wear will be new to us,” said Lady Olivia with a broad smile. Of course, she wouldn’t have seen anything I owned beyond what I was wearing today.

  “Very good,” said the king. “My aides will help you from the palace.” He made a gesture. Kind words were exchanged, and then the room grew much quieter. As soon as the door closed again, he turned to me. “I would like your impressions, Miss Cuprite.”

  “From the event tomorrow?”

  “I meant from what was discussed today.”

  “In short, do I believe Lady Olivia?”

  “Just so.”

  I didn’t question why he was asking me. I thought for a moment and then said, “Your Majesty, I don’t know. There is no way I would have made the same mistake, if I were leading a crew to repair the bridge. If I had been assigned to repair the entire bridge, I would have ensured I properly understood the order. The only way I could have made that mistake is if I hadn’t realized the bridge spanned the border.”

  “Imagine the order came from me, but relayed through someone less competent than Aasim.” By that he meant Minister Heliodor.

  I thought again, spending a moment looking at my boss. “I suppose,” I said slowly, “if someone were exceedingly incompetent, I could be told. ‘Do what you�
�re told’. We all know people who would respond that way rather than admitting they didn’t ask you the right questions.”

  “We do,” the king agreed. “Lady Olivia is certainly no child, but managing a duchy that was formerly an entire country must be a significant step up from whatever she did before. Mistakes can happen. And the rumors are that Queen Lisdee is quite intimidating. Maybe she ordered ‘repair the bridges’, and Lady Olivia didn’t ask the right questions. What do you think of that theory?”

  “I think, Your Majesty,” I said. “That is a matter of politics and not engineering.”

  “Carefully said,” he replied. “I want your honest opinion.”

  “My honest opinion is that Lady Olivia does not appear to be someone afraid of admitting fault. I am no expert, but that looked like honest embarrassment when she realized what you were asking.”

  “I agree with you,” he said. He leaned his chin on his palm, elbow on the table, and watched me for a moment. “Do you feel I have offered you to the lions?”

  “I build bridges, Your Majesty,” I said. “I repair roads. I’ve assisted in the design of three aqueducts, but that isn’t something we normally do. This is politics, Your Majesty. That being said, I will certainly do my duty.”

  “You are no politician, Miss Cuprite, but you have a head on your shoulders, and you think before you speak. That puts you ahead of our other choice, disregarding the Ressaline preference.”

  “Lieseen Gaspeite is a fine engineer,” I said.

  “She is,” said the king. “And she swears like one, too. She isn’t the last person I’d send on a diplomatic mission, but she’s very close to it.” I inclined my head. I liked Lieseen, but the king was right. She was very good at alienating people. However, I had learned a lot from her in the past. “You didn’t answer my question. Do you feel I have offered you to the lions?”

  “No, Your Majesty. I admit: they intimidate me, and Major Bess was right. I was very hesitant before I was willing to cross their borders.” I lowered my tone. “They keep slaves, Your Majesty.”

  “I know,” he said. He paused. “If they invite you to Charth, offer preliminary acceptance but tell them you must receive my permission before you may go.”