Ardasa rubbed her snout with a hand, thinking. Suddenly, she felt as if she wasn't quite safe here. Perhaps she should have brought some guards, or at least some advisors familiar with statecraft . . . no no. She shook the thoughts from her mind. She was here now, best make the most of it. 

"Xigyll is certainly prospering," she began. Best to start off on the right foot. "Our hold on the Talon Pass is proving to be an incredible source of income." She smiled up at the grand prince. "The land is fertile, and I dare say that there are fewer kobolds starving in our walls than anywhere else in the world where our people live. So . . . that's good news." Then comes the difficult part, the part where difficulties are brought up.

"A city of our size and population requires its army be in peak condition, you'd understand. Especially one such as ours, who claim defense of the entire kobold race. At this moment, a solid quarter of our army is here, defending this city as our treaty specifies. I like it that way. It certainly promotes cultural understanding . . . right?" Her smile waned a bit. "However, that is three thousand kobolds not at home. Our Traeton mercenaries stopped when the gold did, leaving us with not much. That is why I'm here, to renegotiate the alliance under more equal terms."