Meesei gave a polite nod. "Very well, Hal-Neesa. As you know, the trickster Clavicus Vile has ignited a war with our Lord. We do not seek an alliance, nor expect any support from you, but we would like a mutually beneficial arrangement to prevent us from crossing paths on the battlefield." Meesei explained. 

Hal-Neesa tapped a claw on the arm of her throne as Meesei spoke, then let out a short laugh once she finished. "You are a regular politician, aren't you? You've gone through the extra effort to know your audience for your argument. You've tailored every word to be something I might agree to. Respectable, but let's drop the facade. What you want is a pre-emptive truce so you do not have to fight us [i]and[/i] your enemy. You want that bad enough that you are willing to grovel at my feet to make me happy so I will agree. I've seen this song and dance play out innumerable times through the centuries, and this is no different. Even the Lords you serve have changed to some extent. That business with Umbra, when was it...two centuries ago? It made Vile in particular rather desperate. Desperate enough to make the very same deal you want, I would wager."

This vampire, Hal-Neesa, was a very different opponent from what Meesei was used to. She had no way of knowing exactly how long she had lived, but it was clear she had at least centuries of experience. On the bright side, it meant they could get straight to the core of what they wanted with no unnecessary fluff to the conversation, but it also meant Meesei would have to drastically change her tactics. "You are correct. We want something, and are willing to give a service to attain it. I am sure Vile will try to make a deal as well, but I am willing to prove that we are the better party to deal with. Clavicus Vile..." Meesei began, but was interrupted by Neesa before she could finish. 

"Yes, yes, I know, you need not make your little argument. Clavicus Vile is a self-serving liar...like most Daedra, but he is particularly good at it. On the other hand, Hircine is a tempting target to strike. You lycans have powerful, valuable souls and make excellent subjects for our experiments. It is likely why Vile is so interested in you. The reason I have not elected to take your souls yet is because of one or two...details. For one, Vile's followers tend to collect souls much more than you lycans, so they are also wonderful targets. Two, Vile is marginally more...annoying to deal with. His followers tend to try and push deals in their favor, while you lycans are wonderfully obedient. Being barbarians in the wilds, you aren't so demanding; you will do whatever I say to gain my favor. Like a good little dog, if I throw a bone, you will go fetch it. For that reason, I am...slightly more inclined to make a deal with you than Vile. Of course, I do not have to make a deal with either of you, but I will concede that there is some advantage with only having to worry about one side in a war." Neesa was blunt, sparing no unkind words in her assessment of the situation. Neesa was well-aware that she had all of the power in their bargaining. Overall, Meesei was at a loss. She had never been forced into a situation such as this before, where she had little control over her circumstances. All she could hope for was that Neesa's demands would not be too unsavory.