Her Graceful War Song novel Chapter 964

After Rafael had eaten a little of the hot food, they began discussing the day's negotiations.

Carissa sat beside him, clearly taking advantage of her position. At least when she spoke out of turn or disagreed with Everett, she wouldn't receive the cold shoulder since she was sitting right next to Rafael.

"Has the king heard their terms? What did he say about it?" Jacob asked.

"Davis reported to him. When he returned to the Diplomatic Affairs Department, he relayed the king's stance. The borderline can't be compromised, but everything else is open for negotiation. We're not bound to the conditions they've proposed. We can offer alternative compensation. That's the king's directive."

Everett thought for a moment before speaking, "Not yielding on the borderline means forcing Westhaven to acknowledge the treaty Aurora signed. If they deem the treaty invalid, the borderline should revert to the previous one. But the border dispute has been going on for years. Considering they took advantage of Starhaven's chaos to invade, this situation is complicated."

Rafael nodded. "The matter discussed tonight at the Diplomatic Affairs Department was exactly that—the borderline. We know it's impossible to get Westhaven to recognize Aurora's treaty, and we're not thrilled with it either. But if we push back the borderline, the people will likely rebel and turn Aurora into a hero. How can a person so stained with guilt be considered a hero?"

"It's indeed a tricky issue," Everett said.

He didn't have a perfect solution for it, either. But then again, how could there ever be a perfect solution for such matters?

"We've already compiled the border maps from the time of our ancestors and the original agreements between the two kingdoms. We hope to convince Westhaven to accept those agreements in place of the one Aurora signed. We never agreed with their invasion, so there was never a new border agreement," Rafael said.

"That's not going to be easy," Carissa commented.

"Of course it's not easy," Everett replied flatly. "If it were, would the king have sent him? He'd have given up the credit for nothing."

Carissa fell silent, realizing her comment was met with more of a lecture than she had expected. Anyway, she had no new insights to offer.

Jacob furrowed his brow, clearly troubled. "We can't fight, we can't retreat, and we're in the wrong. This situation is already hard enough to manage, but we still have to deal with it. How do we find a breakthrough?"

Everett glanced at Rafael, who looked a little weary. "Go get some rest. Tomorrow's negotiations are crucial."