Kingdom of Iron: Tyrant's Fall

It was a joy to watch how Lucy greeted the other Humans. For once, it wasn't him feeling in over his head with a social situation.

Riley had been latched onto Lucy's sword arm for nearly the entire time, chattering away about all the things she'd learned—in a non-specific way, thankfully. Jordan had gotten a grin and a shake of the hand, while Jessica had gotten a small smile and a polite nod. Alicia got a hug, just like Riley had, though the nurse seemed a lot more reserved.

When Miguel arrived, supporting Tanya as she walked and accompanied by a cold gust of wind, Lucy had actually seemed surprised a second time. The Liberator had actually walked over to meet him and shake his hand. Tanya had given her a quick look up and down; Lucy had returned the favor. There had been a brief conversation between them. It did not look friendly, but at least Tanya hadn't tried to use her magic, and Lucy's sword remained sheathed.

As he watched, Matt couldn't help but keep smiling. He noticed that the lifeguards had taken up positions around his side of the tent, something mirrored by some of the Knights on the opposing side. Gorfeld had stolen up next to him again, quietly watching the Humans speak. "So, what do you think of her?"

Gorfeld glanced up at him. "I haven't seen much of her, sire."

Matt rolled his eyes. "Oh really? You weren't standing in the entrance eavesdropping?"

The Imp shifted uneasily on his feet. "It seemed wise not to interrupt the situation. At least, not unless they showed signs of hostility towards you."

"Your concern is appreciated." Matt looked down at his steward and made an impatient gesture. "Well?"

Gorfeld paused another moment. "She has seemed mostly sincere. If you gain her trust, it seems likely that she'll actually abide by the terms you agree to." Then he looked away. "All the same, she is competent, and has the loyalty of her people. Do not underestimate her. Especially not now."

Matt nodded and looked back at the knot of Humans. It seemed like the happy reunion was winding down, which meant it was time to get back to something resembling official business. He sighed and stepped forward, clearing his throat.

The tangle of conversation—an apparent mix of Lucy trying to figure out what her friends had been up to, Riley trying to tease every story of Lucy's rise to power out of her, and Tanya making sharp critiques of the furniture and tent—cut off as they all turned to look at him. Lucy's smile faded slightly. She stepped between him and the others.

"So. You really are him. The Tyrant of Iron."

Matt winced. He glanced at Gorfeld again. "I really need to get a different title, but yes. I'm the ruler of the Kingdom, and I've come to negotiate with you. If that's what you want, of course."

Lucy tinkered with the hilt of her sword for a moment. "So. You wouldn't happen to want to—"

"No, thank you." Matt shook his head and chuckled. He had a feeling that Lucy was not exactly used to uncertainty. "I've been reminded recently that being stabbed kind of hurts."

She snorted, half in surprise and half in amusement. Her hand still hadn't left the hilt of her sword, though. "It does, doesn't it? It's almost the worst part of the assassination attempts."

He nodded. "True. Not the worst part, though. That usually comes after, when everybody gets mad at you for the whole thing."

Lucy rolled her eyes and gave an exasperated sigh. "Absolutely! Like it's your fault people tried to kill you."

Gorfeld cleared his throat, and Matt looked at him. "To be fair, my liege, it usually is. At least a little."

Matt gave Lucy a look of shared understanding and then gestured to the chairs. "Shall we sit? I know Tanya would probably like to sit down."

The Maiden of Art gave him a look that might charitably have been called unhappy. "I'm fine, cowboy. It's healing fine, whatever Alicia's been telling you." Alicia snorted, folding her arms across her chest.

Lucy glanced back at them and then returned her gaze to Matt. She hesitated, but only for a moment. "So be it. Fedmar." One of the Knights stepped forward. "Return to the camp and let them know we might be here for a while. Have some refreshments sent when you have the chance."

The Knight bowed and headed for the exit. Lucy turned back to Matt and gestured towards the arranged chairs. She led the way as they all filed towards them, with Matt taking the center seat in one semi-circle, and Lucy heading directly towards the other. A handful of the Knights sat in the chairs next to her, while the Humans and Gorfeld took seats with Matt. Riley hesitated between the two sides, and then settled in next to Jessica with a resigned sigh.

Matt was still rolling his eyes over her crisis of loyalty when Lucy spoke up again.

"Let me begin by saying that I am grateful to you for taking care of my friends during such a difficult time." Lucy smiled, and Matt decided he was growing to like that expression on her. "When I first heard the news of the battle, I assumed they had all been killed."

Matt frowned. "Didn't the prisoners we paroled spread the news of their survival? I'd have thought—"

Lucy glanced at the Knights and then shook her head. "Many of the soldiers that you released ended up being executed, or were apparently not well-informed about what happened. Some of them also tried to fight on the side of the nobility during the Revolution, so we were unaware of their status…as well as who you were."

Riley grinned. "Well, to be fair, a lot of us thought that you were dead too, Lucy. Nobody believed me when I said otherwise!"

Jordan shifted in his seat and sighed. "You really aren't going to let that go, are you?"

"Not until you've all learned your lesson!"

Lucy grinned at Riley before looking back at Matt. "It is good to see them both alive and free. Riley says they've even been doing some work for you as well?"

Matt nodded. "They have all been acting as advisors of one sort or another." He glanced at them. "Unfortunately, that means they can't offer you much advice until after our nations are at peace, but I'm sure they would appreciate the chance to visit you as well."

She nodded, though her eyes narrowed a little. "That would be welcome." Then she paused. "Though I can't help but notice that you didn't exactly bring all of the hostages you've taken from the Knights of the Pridelands. Was that just an oversight, King Matthew?"

He gave her a wry look. "We decided it was a bit too much of a risk to bring so many prisoners of war close to the front lines. Not only that, but some of them have unfortunately been sick recently."

Lucy's eyebrow quirked. "Sick?"

Matt nodded, making sure his face stayed blank. "Yes. There was an incident where some of the food was not well prepared, and a small number of the prisoners had fallen ill when I left. I am not sure of how well they are doing now, but some of them were seriously unwell."

Alicia stirred for a moment, but luckily, she stayed quiet. The Maiden of Health was obviously aware that the prisoners weren't sick at all, but her input wasn't needed right now. Lucy glanced at her and then looked back at Matt. He thought he saw her lips twitch in an almost smile as she settled back in her chair. "May I ask which prisoners were so afflicted?"

He shrugged in a false display of nonchalance. "I'm sure I can give you a list. I know that Prince Dornal and some of the other noblemen may have been among the worst cases, however."

She leaned forward slightly, resting her elbows on the arms of her chair and lacing her fingers together. "The prince's wellbeing would be of great interest to us, of course. I imagine you would immediately let us know if he died."

Matt nodded. "Of course. Again, I don't know if he was at risk or not, but I can find out."

Lucy smiled, but it wasn't as warm an expression this time. "What a coincidence. I wonder if his recovery depends on whether we come to agreeable peace terms today?"

He returned her smile. "Sometimes Fortune does manage to arrange things that way, yes." If peace happened, Matt was sure he could arrange for Dornal to 'die of illness', and for a Knight who looked just like him to live on a farm in Winterfast. Matt would have to make sure he and the others were watched afterwards, but it would be worth the precaution.

They smiled at each other for another moment. A brief silence fell, broken only by a whisper from Riley. "Did—did they just—"

"Shh. Don't say it." For just a moment, Matt felt a swell of gratitude towards Jessica. At the very least, she seemed to be picking up on the subtext well.

Lucy nodded as if she'd checked something off a list in her head. "Then let us hope we come to a mutual agreement here. That way, all the prisoners who survive this… illness will be able to come home at last."

Matt nodded. "Of course. The Kingdom of Iron would be more than happy to accept a payment of ransom for the rest."

She paused, glancing at a nearby Knight. The woman was rifling through a sheaf of parchment in a way that reminded him of Jordan or Gorfeld. As he watched, the woman shook her head, and Lucy sighed. "A ransom is not possible for us at this time—and any peace we agree to must begin with the return of those prisoners."

Matt couldn't help smirking. "Did raiding the nobles' coffers not turn out to be quite that rewarding?"

Her brow furrowed, and her assistant answered for her. "The previous rulers of this land wasted their treasure on the war against you. Those who fled took what remained."

Jordan shifted in his seat this time, and Matt gave him a stern look. The Master of Coin settled back into place with a disgruntled look on his face, but Matt couldn't afford for him to offer a 'solution' that would reduce his leverage.

Lucy leaned backwards, her eyes intent. "The tribute you want is meant to keep us from marching against you easily, is it not? We could offer a binding peace treaty instead, one that would specifically forbid us from allying against you, or declaring war on you, for however long you wish. Surely that would be worth more than a paltry amount of coin."

Before Jordan's little trick, Matt wouldn't have been able to agree. He suspected her funding troubles were even worse than his were, however, and they likely faced hostile nations all around them. The remainder of the Alliance would be overjoyed to get rid of the upstart revolutionaries, and the Fireblood Empire had already made an attempt at invasion once. A second invasion from either source wasn't out of the question.

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All of which meant that she both needed soldiers, and that she needed the peace treaty between them as much or more than he did. He had just a little more room to bargain with, then.

"A peace treaty on those terms does sound agreeable, but I'm afraid it isn't the only thing I would need." Matt leaned forward, tapping the arm of his chair. "As we've seen in other lands, just because we are at peace does not mean that others cannot use your territory against me. I remain at war with the rest of the Alliance, and they might take the chance to march through your lands to reach mine."

One of the other Knights, a man with a long beard, frowned. "You're suggesting that they won't end things when they hear of our treaty, then?"

Matt shook his head. "I'm not sure that they can, honestly." He glanced at Riley. "Many of their royal families have made the decision to take Oaths that would prevent that option. I'm not entirely sure how many of them remain, but it would be enough to keep the war going for years."

Lucy looked at Riley as well, and the Maiden of Books nodded. "It's true, Lucy. It's some kind of high-level magic known as an Oath of Enmity. They can't stop fighting, not until they are dead or we are."

The other woman sat back in her chair, her eyes distant for a moment. "That would explain… a great many things, actually." She looked at the bearded Knight. "Had you heard of such magic?"

He nodded. His expression was troubled. "I had. There were rumors, especially among the paroled warriors, but I did not truly believe them. Still, if it is true…"

"Then agreeing to a peace with you will place us squarely in their sights, if we weren't there already." Lucy looked back at Matt. "We'd have to be either the stepping stone or the first conquest for any attacks on you from this direction. Why should we bear that kind of risk freely?"

Matt raised an eyebrow. Intentionally or not, she'd managed to give him an opening. "Perhaps I can propose a solution, then." She gestured for him to continue. "As part of the treaty, grant my forces permission to pass through your lands. That way, I can continue my campaign against the rest of the Alliance until they are defeated, and you can focus on rebuilding your people."

Lucy studied him for a moment, and Matt tried to tamp down on his sense of glee. If she agreed, it would be more than just a chance to keep the momentum of the war turned against the Alliance. A nation that agrees to let the other nation defend it in a significant way would more or less give some of its authority away to the defender. It was as true in Machiavelli's time as it was now, and if she agreed to let the Kingdom's troops march through her territory, the Pridelands would be on its way to become a vassal of the Kingdom in all but name.

She remained silent a small while longer, still watching him. "Your armies would need supplies. Will they turn to pillage and thievery to do so?"

He shook his head. "We'll either rely on supply trains, or buy what supplies we need with coin. I'm sure the merchants and farmers here would appreciate the business."

Gorfeld cleared his throat. "Our supply trains would be vulnerable to ambush and banditry, sire."

Lucy gave the Imp a sharp look. "We would not tolerate such behavior. Banditry would be punished, whether against us or against your supplies." She looked at him. "Yet we would need assurances. If the Alliance—or anyone else—decided to move against us, and your forces happened to be nearby, would you turn on us, or stand with us? We can ill afford to have a foreign force on our soil without a firm commitment to our security."

Triumph flared through him. "I assure you that we will instruct our forces not to impede the defense of your country. Besides, their very presence might deter some threats to you." The Knights around her exchanged doubtful looks, as if they didn't quite believe him.

"I see." She still seemed skeptical as well. Lucy tilted her head to the side. "All the same, I do have another concern. If crimes were committed by your troops while they are moving through our lands? Would they be subject to our laws, or would we need to rely on empty assurances from your Kingdom that they would be held responsible?"

Jessica stirred, but Matt plunged ahead regardless. "While they are in your territory, they would be subject to your laws."

Lucy suddenly grinned, a bright, fearsome smile. "Excellent. I assume that would include the provision that the people of the Pridelands are allowed to call on the forces of any mercenaries or other armed bands to participate as members of our military in time of need." The Knights around her broke out in matching grins. "We would, of course, be happy to recompense you for your efforts, after the fact."

Matt hesitated. If she was paying his forces, it would open a window for his troops to be more loyal to the money from her than their duty to the Kingdom. He also wouldn't have nearly the same level of prestige from it as he would if there was no payment. "Didn't you mention a lack of a treasury? I wouldn't want to place more of a burden on your people."

"Rest assured, you are not." Her smile grew a little more. "Now, on the subject of trade…"

A couple of hours later, Matt stood and stretched, wincing at the mild twinge of pain that ran through him. His voice felt a little hoarse, and his back was sore from the stiff chair he'd been sitting in.

Lucy seemed far less stiff as she stood up from her own seat. If anything, the smile on her face was almost a mockery of his situation. She nodded at him. "Thank you again for a productive discussion, King Matthew."

"Any time, Lady Adams." He'd picked up on the form of address after hearing the Knights use it a few times during the conversation. He wasn't one hundred percent sure that it was the right title, but it worked well enough for the moment. "Should we speak again tomorrow?"

She nodded. "Absolutely. I'd welcome the chance to finish our conversation."

Matt nodded, hoping he didn't look as tired as he felt. The discussion had ranged from military agreements to trade, from legal precedents to ambassadorial privileges. They'd talked about tariffs, the return of hostages, expatriation of criminals, and more. In short, he'd spent the past couple of hours fighting through all the kinds of nonsense that he was usually happy to turn over to the Council. It had made his head spin in more than one way.

Despite that, it had been… exhilarating to talk with her. She had a way of smiling that he liked to see, even if she'd done it a few too many times during their negotiations. Maybe they'd even be able to have a conversation outside of diplomacy while they sent the treaty to their respective governments.

He switched his mace to his left hand and then extended his right. "For now, I'm very glad to have met you, Lady Adams. I hope this can be the foundation of a peaceful relationship between our peoples."

Lucy studied him for a moment. Her eyes went from his hand, to his face, and then back. Then the corner of her lips quirked, almost against her will. She leaned forward—casually placing her left hand on her sword as she did so—and took his hand with her own. They shook carefully, both of them watching for any sign of danger or weakness in the other.

They found none.

Matt smiled and let go of her hand. He stepped back and looked around. "Until tomorrow then." She nodded. Lucy's eyes followed him as he ushered the others out of the tent. She was still watching him, her hand on her sword, as he ducked back through the tent flaps.

They were partway back to the carriage when Miguel spoke up. "So. How do we think that went?"

Jessica answered first, with no hesitation that Matt could detect. "Seven to five, in Lucy's favor."

Matt blinked. He had been remembering some part of their conversation, running through it in his head. It hadn't been an important part, but he'd managed to make some small joke that made her smile. Feeling a little irritable, he looked at Jessica. "What do you mean?"

The woman just shrugged, though something close to a smirk was twisting her lips. "I'm just saying, she definitely got the advantage on you in there. That's all."

Jordan nodded, though he shot Jessica a quizzical look. "I'd agree, but I was thinking six to five. He didn't do that badly."

Jessica snorted. "Sure."

Feeling a little offended, Matt looked back and forth between them. "What are you talking about? We both came out ahead in the negotiations."

"Sure." Jessica held up both hands and started ticking off points. "You both wanted peace, so that starts us out at one to one. You managed to get military access, which you wanted. That brings you up to two."

Riley spoke up. "Don't forget the trick with Dornal. That was pretty neat."

Jessica nodded and extended a finger. "That's true. The leverage you have over her there was a good play. Same thing with the temporary base she agreed to on the east of her territory. That'll make it way easier for your forces to get to where they need to be."

"No tariffs are another win for you, Matt." Jordan grinned. "Trade is probably going to favor us a lot, since they are going to be recovering for a long time. Lots of opportunities for goods to be sold to people who can't get them for themselves."

She extended another finger and nodded. Then she added another one. "Same thing with the free migration. Plenty of people are going to want to leave the Pridelands and go somewhere that is more stable. You'll probably have plenty of workers out of that, and it'll strengthen ties."

They'd reached the carriage, and Matt paused beside it. "So? Where did I go wrong?"

"Not wrong so much as she did a lot of things right, especially for someone in the weaker position." Jessica shrugged and started her count over. "She got peace, which she needed. The trick with drafting your soldiers was another win for her. Even I could tell that much."

Matt winced, and Gorfeld cleared his throat. "I… don't know how we'll explain that to the soldiers, sire."

"We'll worry about that at home." He looked back at Jessica. "What else?"

She extended another two fingers. "You got the camp, but she gets to pick where they are. Odds are, you'll end up in a spot where her control is weakest, or where she thinks an invasion will come from. Those are both major wins for her."

He grimaced. It was looking more and more like he'd done something wise when he ceded the negotiation part of the job to the Council when he first started. "And?"

"She got you on the serf question." Jessica looked uncomfortable for a moment.

Alicia frowned. She spoke up from where she'd apparently been taking notes. "The one where any serfs who reach the Pridelands can't be returned to the Kingdom?"

"Oh yeah. Definitely." Jessica nodded. "You're going to see some kind of Underground Railroad thing start up because of that one. Serfs in places where the nobility aren't going along with the program are going to start trying to make it to freedom here. It'll be a bunch of people to replace the ones she loses to migration."

Matt scowled. He looked away. "You're not seriously going to have me try and put in a slavecatching act here? And have her agree to it?"

Miguel snorted. "Not likely going to happen."

"Obviously not." Jessica rolled her eyes. "Just because it isn't something you wanted, though, doesn't mean that you shouldn't have gotten a concession for it. Same thing with the noble privileges here. Once they enter the Pridelands, they're subject to the same laws as any freeholder—fine. You should have negotiated for something in return. Maybe you could have chosen your own camp site."

He thought it over for a moment. Then he nodded with a sigh. "And the seventh one?"

She shrugged. "You have to defend her, but she doesn't have to defend you. You could use an ally, not just a neutral party you have to protect. I don't know why you didn't want to make her share the same risks you're going to."

Jordan nodded. "Yeah. That does seem a little unbalanced." Then he grinned at Jessica. "Though I would have counted the base thing for one, not two."

As Jessica sniffed, Matt sighed to himself. He hadn't thought he'd done that poorly, and after all, once the war with the Alliance was done, the military access terms could be renegotiated. It hopefully wouldn't take that long to finish things. He looked at Gorfeld, who was watching him closely. Matt forced a weak smile. "I guess I should keep leaving most of this to the Council, huh?"

Gorfeld shrugged. "It may be wise, sire. Though I did wonder why you weren't pressing her harder on some of those issues."

Miguel laughed. "Oh, give the man a break! She was a lawyer back home. She's used to this kind of fight."

Tanya rolled her eyes as well. "Well, yeah. That, and he likes her."

The entire conversation seemed to screech to a stop. Matt looked at Tanya, trying to put together a half-decent response. "What?"

The Maiden of Art snorted and gestured back to the tent. "If that wasn't the biggest session of nerd flirting in the annals of this world, then I'll eat my own foot."

Matt felt himself get hot under the collar. He glared at Tanya. "You don't know what you're talking about."

"I do though!" Tanya stabbed a finger like an accusing lance. "You were smiling! Like a lot. Way too much. So it's either magic or someone's down bad for Lucy."

Everyone was staring at him now. His glare didn't seem to have any effect at all. "Look, we were negotiating something important. We don't have time for anything like that."

Tanya grinned. "And how many times do you usually smile like that during a negotiation? Do you always take the time to shake everybody's hand after a Council meeting?"

Riley had put both hands over her mouth and was making some kind of a high-pitched sound behind them. Jessica and Jordan were exchanging a look of baffled amusement and horror, while Miguel was studying him closely. Alicia looked a little skeptical, but Gorfeld and the lifeguards were all suddenly looking far too resigned.

Matt glared at all of them, trying to draw himself up to full height to get the appropriate weight behind it. "You are not helping."

"Never promised to this time!" Tanya started cackling, pointing at him again. "Admit it! You're actually looking forward to another round of negotiations tomorrow. Aren't you?"

He was. He'd die before he told her so, but he was. Matt felt his face grow hotter. "Let's get back to camp."

Alicia's eyebrows shot up. "Oh shit. She's right."

"She's not… you can't just—"

Miguel started laughing, and Balred and the other lifeguards seemed to suffer a sudden coughing attack. Jordan shook his head, and Jessica rolled her eyes.

Riley, on the other hand, had grabbed hold of Alicia. "This is perfect. We have to come up with a Maiden title or something."

Gorfeld stalked away towards the door of the carriage. He thought he heard the Imp mutter something along the lines of 'this is why we have Consorts', but he couldn't be sure. Instead, he beat his own retreat towards the front of the carriage. Some things even a King didn't especially want to face until he'd had a good night's sleep back at camp.