The darkening clouds matched Asva's mood, yet failed to move her from the garden intertwining the palace compound. Her gaze remained fixed on the insects fluttering around the flowers, as her mind mulled over all she didn't know.
'What's wrong?' asked Horolf, startling her. She hadn't noticed his approach.
She regarded him a moment, suppressing her impulse to brush him off. He might irritate her, but he was still the brother she'd been close to not that long ago. And he should know. 'The Society's new source of arvinim isn't stolen from us,' she said. 'I've had our experts examine it, and while they can't pinpoint its origin, it doesn't match identifying factors that would mean it was mined in Irnskyl.'
'I see,' he joined her on the bench. 'Since that would require testing unworked metal, I'll refrain from asking where you acquired a sample.'
'Probably for the best. I’d hate to lie to you.'
'Does it matter where they got it?' he asked.
'Of course.'
'But if it's not stolen from us...'
'It still diminishes our power. If we learn where it's from, we can learn how much they have. Whether it’s a temporary inconvenience, or a long term problem.'
His face became irritatingly diplomatic as he composed his response. 'A new source of arvinim won't diminish our power. Trade will. Glyph technology has given other countries so many advantages that all the arvinim trade has done is keep us afloat while we drop behind in other markets. It's simply delaying our fall.'
It took effort to keep her face calm, with limited success. 'What is it you want?'
'Not to fight,' he said.
'An interesting opening gambit, then.'
'I want for us to be of one mind. I realise there's a fair bit of ground to cover to get there. So I hoped we could talk out our differences.'
While she couldn't see it happening, she’d rather they weren't so adversarial.
'We both want what's best for the country,' said Horolf.
'Why does it appear you're trying to sell it off?' While she said it without heat, the words alone were enough to maintain their distance. She had to try harder.
'I want to get the best deal we can while we still have leverage, otherwise the guilds will fight over our remains.'
'You sound like our end is inevitable? That we have no other option than to sell our people into poverty as the other countries have.'
'With the trade difference already in place many of our people are well on the way to poverty. Arvinim is the only trade not in decline, and with the new source even that may not remain strong much longer.'
'Then they'll rule everything.'
He didn't contradict her. 'I can't see any way to avoid it in the long term. At least by allying with the Alliance we could prevent the Society gaining supremacy. At the moment they're in a superior position. If we give the Alliance an exclusive contract for the arvinim it could shift the balance of power.'
'Making us just another proxy in the clash of empires, like the other countries.'
'How do you see things going?' he asked. There was an edge of suppressed heat in his tone. 'All I see is the opportunity to be a favoured vassal, or wait too long and let their control of international trade leave us isolated, spiralling into poverty. What options do we have?'
He wasn’t saying anything she didn’t know, but she couldn’t agree with him. 'What we still have. Our honour.'
'How will that feed the people?'
'Even if we lose the position arvinim has won us, the country can survive without trade. There's enough farmland to support our people. And we'll still have our honour. Or do you think they'd invade?' She couldn't dismiss the idea.
'With close neighbours having the benefits of the superior technology to enrich their lives, how attractive would that make their lands to our people? Honour may not mean as much to the common people as it does to us.'
'You believe they'll leave?' asked Asva. 'I see more danger of immigrants coming here when they’re no longer of use in their homelands.'
Horolf nodded. 'That's one of the problems of the new technologies,' he admitted. 'But it’s too late to patch that hole before the hold floods.'
She regarded the regret on his face, and would admit she agreed with some of his points. Had he thought it through further than her? She didn't want to believe they had no good options, that they faced only defeat and the end of this way of life.
'So tell me,' he said. 'Why did you volunteer to attend the conclave of nations in father's place? Given what you think of most of them...'
'All of them.'
'...all of them, and that you’ve described the conclave as the Society’s excuse to show how well-behaved their pets are, I have to wonder what you're hoping to achieve. Please tell me it's not just to belittle everyone.'
'Not only that,' she said, suppressing a smile as he rolled his eyes. 'Maybe I just want a trip.' Not that she expected him to believe that. The conclave had been an exercise in futility for as long as anyone could remember. Supposedly it had at one time been useful in settling disputes, when there had been limited contact between monarchs. These days it was more an opportunity to pretend they still mattered.
'Are you likely to cause trouble?' asked Horolf.
'I'll be doing as our father directs. You do remember our current King?' She regretted it as soon as the words left her mouth. His face stiffened slightly from the relaxed look moments before. 'I'm sorry, I didn't mean that.'
'It's okay,' he said, forcing a smile.
'No, it's just habit.'
'Really?' The smile was sincere this time.
'When did we become so adversarial?' she asked.
'When you stopped agreeing with everything I say.'
She returned his smile. 'Would you rather be going in my place?'
'I'd rather be going to supervise you. But it doesn't matter what we want. As you say, father is King, so we do as he commands. Pleases, try and exercise some diplomacy. You remember how, don't you?'
'That's the bit where I don't grab a weapon and attack by way of a greeting, isn't it?'