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Lord Altan, the other Naga representative, looked ready to throttle him. The only thing that stopped him was the fact that all of us were sitting around the large meeting table, and it would have been highly undignified.
Naga did not do undignified behavior. They were above that.
“We are not a bottomless well,” his voice was icy. “The funds need to be managed carefully, or we will find ourselves in dire straits.”
“And what of our needs?” lord Temujin asked. “What of the needs of our people?”
“Your people are not the only ones with needs,” lord Altan hissed. “All the villages and cities in this realm have needs.”
“The larger cities have more needs.” Lord Temujin waved the fan in his hand. “They are the people who drive the economy.”
The Halfling delegation smiled serenely as they observed the Naga lords. In their eyes, this was just another day in the life of the realm. They had seen it all before, and they would see it again.
The Elvish representatives were not so sanguine. They frowned deeply, and I saw the anger in their eyes. They did not like to be left out of the discussion, and they did not like to be talked over. The spoons in their hands clattered against the table as they tightened their grip. But the Elvish proprietary was legendary, and they did not say a word.
Lord Altan pressed his lips together. “And what of the smaller villages? What of their needs?”
“Their needs are less important. They are not vital to the realm.”
The rest of us observed their conversation with interest. It was rare that we got to see two Naga at odds. Their clannish behavior ensured that they always presented a unified front. Ambassador Bennani leaned forward. She stared at me with her hawk-like eyes, and I saw the challenge in them.
“And so you would just ignore them?” lord Altan asked, his voice dripping with contempt. “And you would let them not celebrate the festival? Go without food?”
“Of course not.” Lord Temujin placed his hand on the table. “Their needs are less than those of the cities.”
My head pounded. I knew I had to intervene before this devolved into a shouting match.
“Lord Temujin, lord Altan,” I said, my voice loud enough to carry over their argument. “I understand that you both have the best interests of our people at heart. But I must remind you we are all in this together. We are all working towards the same goal, to organize a fun and mutually beneficial festival. Surely we can work together, rather than against each other.”
Both men paused for a moment to consider my words.
Finally, lord Temujin nodded. “You are right, Princess Thimsal.” His face contorted. “We are getting ahead of ourselves.”
“Indeed,” lord Altan said, his voice a little less frosty. “I apologize for losing my temper. It’s dishonorable for me to do so in such a public forum.”
“I accept your apology,” I said. “And I hope we can all move forward from this and work together to make the festival a success. How about we take a minor break?”
There was a murmur of agreement around the table, and with that, we settled the matter. For now.
People stood up and left the room. I stayed seated.
“Lord Temujin, lord Altan,” I said, as they both turned to me. “Might I have a word with you in private?”
“Of course, princess,” lord Temujin said, and the two men followed me out of the room. I would need to ply them using Naga psychology to ensure that they did not let their personal rivalry derail the festival preparations. It would be a delicate task, but I was confident that I could handle it.
When we were in the privacy of one of the smaller meeting rooms, I turned to them. “I understand you are both concerned,” I stared at them both. The both of them lowered their heads and looked downwards. “But I must ask that you put aside your differences and work together. We cannot afford to have any more infighting.”
Lord Temujin clasped his hand on his chest. “Princess, you have our word.”
“Thank you. I know it is difficult, but we must all sacrifice for the good of the realm. There is no profit or freedom without order.”
“Indeed.” Lord Altan nodded. “And the festival is an important step in maintaining order. We will do our part.”
I nodded, satisfied. “Thank you, lords. I knew I could count on you. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have other business to attend to.”
With that taken care of, I could focus on more important matters.
I left the two Naga lords to their own devices and went in search of lady Nia, the representative of Rossertham. I had a feeling she would be the most reasonable of all the Elvish representatives, and I hoped she could subdue some of the more... exuberant members of her delegation.
