Carol Padilla's face was still beautiful, despite the beginnings of wrinkles and the whitening of hair. Her blue eyes were held in a steely gaze as she looked at the other two people around the council table, and said, "Trebla may not be strong, Trebla may not be populous, but we are not there to violate the rights of its people; rather, we are sending an emissary there to strengthen them, to lift them up so that they do not have to undergo the horrors of war and exploitation." A frown, before she continued, "Which is why I find your proposals for a draft treaty to be unecessarily grasping; just because they're weak does not mean that we can freely provoke their resentment."

To the side of the round table was Isabella de Guzman, whose richly-dressed fat form had begun to sweat even in the relative cool of the room. She took Carol's near-triade in stride, before offering a cool counterargument. "Trebla is a rich land held by a people untrained in arms and mistrustful of any authority but themselves; a combination that would lead them to suffer later. It is better that we sell them what we can - weapons and tools and other manufactured goods in exchange for their copper and produce. It is better that we send out our merchants to get them used to luxury goods like better instruments and bind them to us in this way. It is better -"

Juan de Maldonado interrupted, "With all due respect, miladies, we should just occupy Trebla and be done with it. We may be founded on a shared belief in the rights of all Sapient Beings, but rights need power to defend. Trebla's copper and fertile land will give us that power."

Carol would say, "The will to power can be its own undoing; provoke enough people and they will find a way to hurt us in time. I studied history before my Magic manifested; even the weak can bring down the strong when pressed enough. But if the concerns of Trebla's weakness and its being a rich prize to others are what styme you from a more lenient treaty, I have a proposal to make."

She gazed at Isabella and said, "You wish for free and fair trade, yes? Then send your merchants; just ask of the Treblans to let them go freely among their villages and mines. Propose also the maintenance of a road between the League and their nation...at your own expense."

Turning to Juan, they continued, "The Treblans will be suspicious of 'Knights' in shining armor or anyone capable of riding a horse, so send to them crossbows and people skilled in training people how to use the crossbow. These people will be in plain clothes, offering to teach their services to the people of the villages for food. On no account must they be seen as agents of a 'hostile' state, but rather as free agents.

"This will allow us to slowly gain influence and wean them away from any mistrust towards us without undue backlash. We shall also slowly enrich their villages until they become cities, cities that we will then offer membership to the League as equal partners when sufficiently grown. Are there any objections to that?" she finished.

Isabella replied demurely, her aged face smiling, "Slow and steady wins the race. Although I will probably die before I see the fruits of this policy."

Juan grinned widely, showing his gap-toothed mouth. "Covert action and the building up of a force in secret; I like it! Very well, if Isabella accepts, I will put forth this edited version of the treaty proposal. Now, when will we send the diplomats to the Treblans?"

Carol smiled at that and said, "With the Treblans, it is good music, not gaudy clothing, that will impress them. Three bards, two men and one woman, all good at song and dance, have already been sent to their land to begin negotiations through melodies..."

[@Mistiel]