[h3]A meeting between Emperor Elendin and Chugo Bey[/h3] A servant is send out to let Chugo know the emperors will speak with him. Instead of being led back to the throne room, the servant leads the Bey to the emperors private quarters. The servants knocks on the door and after several seconds opens the door. He bows and let's Chugo enter. The room is not that big, but cozy nonetheless. The fireplace is burning and in front of it stands a comfortable chair with Elendin in it. "Welcome Chugo. Let us talk reasonable now, without the interruptions of those who'd like to see your head on a spike." [hr] The Bey stepped forward and outstretched his arms to warm them by the hearth, careful not to bring his fine clothes too close to the flames. After a short pause, he chuckled lightly and spoke, [color=Gold]"My head on a spike? Yes, I had not expected the Dieuporteillan to love me, but I had also not taken him for one that would brandish a blade before me in court. Wars have been started over less."[/color] Though that might have been taken as an ominous threat, he continued nonchalantly and with only warmth in his voice, [color=Gold]"Though I hope that you see I have come here searching for peace, not war. That you have such trust and good will to meet with me alone is an honor to me indeed; I only hope that through those gifts that I offered you before, this kindness might be reciprocated."[/color] [i]'There,'[/i] Chugo thought to himself, [i]'...I must remind him of what I offer, lest he favor the damned Knight over me!'[/i] [hr] The emperor claps his hands together. "Of course! Your gifts. I accept them wholeheartedly. My apologies for not accepting them sooner. It might have angered those other baboons even more if I had. But where are my manners. Please, sit." He motions towards a chair opposite to him. Next to it stands a side table with a glass of wine on it. "Let us talk about this... peace. Your Khan must have had a reason to send you without warning. What did he hope to accomplish?" Instead of looking at Chugo Bey, he stares intensely into the fire, as if he expects something to see in it. [hr] As he listened to Elendin, the Bey found his way into that seat and lifted the glass of wine to his face, then inhaled deeply. It was a habit, of course; all the better to savor the scent of those spices that mulled a good vintage, and all the safer if the wine was by chance laced with a poison that had a known aroma. [i]'Being forthright is perhaps the best approach, for he is discerning for his age. Still, I must watch my wording,'[/i] Chugo thought to himself. Seemingly satisfied with the wine's taste, Chugo gulped at it then answered with that rare thing called honesty, [color=Gold]"If it stirs your forgiveness more readily, know that I was ordered here the very day that word reached the Khan of a call for councilors, and we rode hard for this city. No messenger would have arrived much sooner than I. As in for why? The Khanate of course despised your grandfather who fought with the Dieuporteillans and gave our hordes their first taste of defeat in memory. You know that we too chafed under the reign of your father, to say the least. No doubt he was loved by many, but not by my people. We suffered with what additional regulations he set upon our herds and how he sought to cut away at our autonomy so as to centralize the state. You will no doubt have heard that attempts to settle our migrating bands and convert us to your religion have also led to nothing but scorn. In you, the Khan sees the potential for a better future, and a time of newfound friendship between the Crown and the Khanate. He sees the potential for us to earn a better better place in the empire. Being no fool, Your Majesty, you might see these ambitions as greedy and self-serving,"[/color] Chugo drank even more wine now, as was his tendency. [color=Gold]"...and in truth, these goals are just that. The Khanate naturally wants more power for itself, but in exchange for a better position we could offer you much as well. And of course, beyond simply trying as I might to persuade you to do as Elbek Khan would like and serving as the Khanate's foremost ambassador, I can do my best to advise you with a clear and objective mind that has experience in many different things. My goals are now laid bare before you, but even so, if it beseech Your Majesty I would have you still think of me as a friend and loyal servant. The Khan is not the only lord that I owe fealty to; I will do all that I may to serve you as well as him."[/color] [hr] The young emperor stays silent for a couple of minutes after the Bey finishes answering his questions. The fires in the fireplace dance around the wood, slowly burning it away, leaving nothing but charcoal in it's wake. The reflection of the fires can clearly be seen in the light blue eyes of the boy. "Advise is all I ask for. I am to overcome the deeds of my father, yet I am still so young." He looks up from the fire and back at Chugo. "I hope your advise and that of others can lead Emperiat to a brighter future. It does me well to hear these, I hope, honest words. Every adviser is probably here with the intention of strengthening the position of his province and people. I make no illusions of that." He takes a look at his own, still full, wine glass. With hesitation he picks up the glass and takes a sip. He frowns and shakes his head. "I still don't like the taste of it." Something of a snicker escapes his mouth before he looks down at the ground. "It has been two generations since your people were subj-... integrated into our beloved Empire. Perhaps it's time for some more permanent and better agreements, just like the other Provinces. Don't you think so, Chugo Bey?" [hr] Chugo listened silently until the emperor was done. His slip of the tongue triggered nothing from Chugo; after all, if the Bey had remained stoic before Bastien's earlier outbursts then one near faux pas in the emperor's wording was hardly of significance. When Elendin was done, Chugo glanced down at the wine glass and shrugged with some mild amusement. [color=Gold]"In truth, most men hate the taste. Usually they do not drink it for the flavor."[/color] That seemingly innocuous attempt at humor was also the Bey's means of buying a few precious seconds of time to think. Agreements, to be sure, were what he had come for; yet the words 'like the other [i]Provinces[/i]' drew alarm. Did he already think of the Khanate as just another mere province. Had their power, their respect, their independence all waned so much? [i]Perhaps this was a subtle response to what I said of the late king's attempts to reign in our autonomy. If so, this boy is crafty and already as dangerous as any other one of the vipers in this city,'[/i] Chugo found himself thinking. All of that having raced through his mind in a few moments with nothing but a somewhat vacant look in his eyes to betray his thinking, Chugo attempted to reply naturally, [color=Gold]"Indeed I do look for the long term, and so more permanent agreements are warranted. Of course, you speak vaguely of what these 'better' pacts could be. Perhaps talk of these agreements is a path best trodden in the future; there is time to be had, after all."[/color] As soon as the words came from the Bey's mouth he instantly regretted them; sure, now was he was unprepared and it was a poor time indeed to iron out any agreement of great importance. But now it might be a decade before the chance would come again, and in the meantime he would have to answer to the Khan for his lack of progress! Was now even such a bad time to iron out such an agreement? It was true that Chugo was taken by surprise, yet now there were none of the other wretched snakes masked as 'advisers', and that uncle was nowhere to be seen... Chugo's mind was wracked by all these thoughts. [hr] Elendin looks up from and finally faces Chugo Bey, eye to eye. "You're right. These terms can't be ironed out in the blink of an eye. All in due time. Unfortunately there are more pressing matters that need to be dealt with first. These matters will be discussed tomorrow and I hope that you and the other advisers can guide me through it in... safety." His eyes drift off to the fire once more. The silence seems to last forever until he shakes his head and he finally continues. "But that's tomorrow. For now, let us raise the glass and toast to a long and prosper future for the Empire and it's People." The boy picks up and raises his glass before taking a sip. His face turns sour once more as the taste of the wine spreads across his mouth. "Let us turn to our beds for tonight. Tomorrow shall be a hard day and one should be well rested. Lord Chugo, I thank you for the visit and your, what I hope was, honesty. I wish you a goods night rest." Elendin gives Chugo Bey a slight nod of approval, with it simply ending the meeting.