Chapter 5: Negotiations

Entering the room, she took a second to take in the sight of her visitors before they realised she had joined them. She could easily tell the delegates apart, whether it was the way they looked, the clothes they wore or the way they carried themselves, she wasn't sure. The delegates from Wenhe were sat off slightly to one side, away from the others. The Wenheenes all wore large welcoming smiles but their body language said that they were slightly nervous to be surrounded by so many Ren from the different tribes.

Sitting around the table in the centre of the room, the Laoshian delegates had the same impatient expression upon their face that Bae was used to receiving from Adelaide. Sat with them were the delegates from the Island of Seom. They were taller than the others, long limbed and angular. By the window stood a delegate she recognised, Nunsalam. Like the other delegates from the Mountains of Nun, the elderly man was wearing a fur cloak over his clothes. The mountains of Nun were well known for being treacherous to any Ren that had not grown up there. Only the Ren of Nun knew the safe routes among the mountain trails.

The ambassadors from Dixia Muxue did not speak amongst themselves the way the others did or at least they did not appear to. In reality, they may well have been using the Dixia peoples' gift for telepathy. There really was no way of telling. Perhaps the most magically gifted tribe, the Dixian Ren were responsible for maintaining the balance of magic throughout the realm. If Bae had not come to them, one of the Dixian delegates would have come looking for her, not for the Rens' sake but for the sake of magic itself. Stood not far from the Dixians were Kumai's ambassadors, their expressions full of excitement as they anticipated the arrival of their Kumari. Perhaps more than any tribe the Kumaian people were loyal to the bloodline of the Kumari.

Next was the Canku prince and his generals. With just a glance it was clear which of the three was the prince and which were the generals. All three had the dark skin of the Cankurian tribe, having clearly spent many an hour outside training for battle but the prince had an air about him, a certainty in himself and his abilities. It was evident in the way he stood, firm footed, and head held high. He was the first to notice her, his generals second. Bae thought it must be a result of their training. They had probably had their eyes trained on all of the entrances to the room, not simply in anticipation of her arrival but by pure instinct, the warriors in them seeking out the danger around them.

The prince's eyes sparkled as he stared at her for several seconds before bowing his head. The bow was anything but respectful. If anything, Bae believed he was mocking her. The other delegates seeing him bow, quickly realised that she had entered the room and a stillness fell as all conversation stopped.

One of the delegates from the Island of Seom beamed at her.

"Kumari, please have my seat." He waved his hand towards the seat he had just vacated.

"Thank you," she said quietly. Her voice didn't waver and she hoped that meant they would not be able to tell that she was nervous. If anyone would, it would be the delegates from Seom because they had an uncanny knack for recognising the emotions of others.

"Don't be nervous, Kumari," the man said in a voice so low that the others would not hear. He placed a hand on her shoulder and immediately Bae was filled with a sense of calm.

"Thank you." This time she could hear the confidence in her tone that had previously been lacking. Taking her seat, she turned to the others. "Hello everyone. I apologise for keeping you waiting. Should we begin?"

There was a murmur of agreement amongst the delegates and then the first delegate from each tribe took a seat at the table to begin the introductions. Bae found the whole thing ironic. It was not so much of an introduction as it was a negotiation. Her advisors were stood directly behind her while the other delegates stood behind their main delegate, occasionally whispering something in their ear.