dognovel Chapter 344: Meeting of the Two Kings
Chapter 344: Meeting of the Two Kings
The sky was gloomy, and the fine snow was gently falling, slowly covering the streets of Mont-de-Marsan, like a thin layer of white gauze, making the whole town look particularly peaceful and adding a touch of mystery. King Lana's convoy slowly drove into the city gate, and the wheels of the carriage rolled over the snow silently, making a hazy creaking sound, mixed with the increasingly cheerful voices outside.
Through the window, John looked over the window frame and scanned the scenes on both sides of the street. The crowd cheered one after another, and men and women of all ages shouted in unison, warmly welcoming the triumphant Midland army. Outside them, there was a row of patrol soldiers maintaining order. It seemed that during his absence, the number of Jacques' patrols had increased significantly.
Whoever said that, come here. Jacques hurriedly squeezed out of the crowd and ran straight to John's carriage. He ran and said breathlessly:
"Lord John, His Majesty the King arrived a week ago and is now stationed at the embassy, waiting for armistice negotiations with King Lana!"
John nodded slightly, quickly analyzing the current situation in his mind:
"Understood. Immediately order the team in front to bring the convoy to the vicinity of the embassy."
The convoy soon arrived at the gate of the embassy. The air was filled with the freshness and chill of snowflakes. Two teams of knights stood in front of the gate in a neat formation. They were dressed in exquisite and gorgeous armor, which shone with cold light and was inlaid with gorgeous patterns, as if declaring their noble status. The knights rode on white armored war horses, with their manes fluttering in the wind, and exuding a fearless aura.
What was even more eye-catching was that the knights' shields were clearly printed with a majestic dragon head emblem, symbolizing the authority and glory of the King of Mitlan. John knew at a glance that these were the King of Mitlan's guards, the first knight group in Mitlan - the White Dragon Knights.
John sighed inwardly. The Knights of the White Dragon never left the king's side. It seemed that the king had really come to Mondemarsan.
The carriage carrying King Rana stopped steadily at the entrance of the embassy. Snowflakes gently fell, covering the canopy of the carriage. The carriage in front immediately opened its door, and several attendants quickly got off, looking solemn but full of awe. One of the attendants came to the door of King Rana's carriage and politely opened the door.
King Lana slowly got off the carriage. Although he still looked like a king, his face showed the fatigue from the long journey. Every night, the team would choose a town to rest and resupply supplies, but the long bumpy ride and the cold and dry climate still made him feel uncomfortable.
He looked up at the magnificent building of the embassy in front of him, secretly thinking about the upcoming talks. The crisis he faced in governance, how to resolve the turbulent situation, and what kind of relationship he should maintain with the Kingdom of Midland, all flashed through his mind. Today's talks will determine the future of the Kingdom of Lana, and as the King of Lana, he should shoulder this responsibility.
John and a group of Midland officials followed King Rana into the embassy. As soon as he entered, he found that the embassy seemed to have been carefully decorated. The soft light shone on the exquisite works of art hanging on the wall. In addition to the magnificent decorations in the reception room, there was a faint fragrance in the air. It seemed that every detail expressed the luxury and glory of Midland.
His sight quickly locked onto the center of the reception room. King Mitlan sat high on the throne, wearing a dazzling crown and a purple cloak inlaid with various gemstones. Just sitting there, he had the aura of a king dominating the world.
A bright red carpet extended to the door, separating the entire space and emphasizing the solemnity and extraordinary nature of this meeting. The officials standing on both sides looked serious, each keeping a proper distance, conveying a subtle tacit understanding and vigilance to each other. It seemed that His Majesty the King brought his court style directly into this small embassy.
John thought to himself that the king obviously wanted to show the majesty and style of Midland by making such an exquisite arrangement. In addition to strength and eloquence, momentum is also very important in negotiations. In such an important negotiation occasion, the negotiator's momentum can not only help them gain an advantage psychologically, but just sitting there can make the other party feel pressured and affect the other party's decision and judgment.
As expected, King Lana was originally a monarch from a defeated country. Standing in this magnificent palace, he could not help but feel lost and embarrassed. The brilliant decorations around him formed a sharp contrast with the high throne of King Mitlan, making him look particularly dazzling and cramped. Although he was wearing a brocade robe and a crown that symbolized his monarchy, all this glory seemed pale and powerless in front of a powerful opponent.
"Someone, give King Lana a seat."
King Mitlan's voice echoed in the hall, like a loud command, breaking King Rana's inner thoughts. Several servants quickly stepped forward and carried a wooden chair with cushions to the side of the throne. Although this chair was expensive for ordinary people, it looked much simpler and even a bit shabby compared to King Mitlan's magnificent throne.
King Rana's heart tightened. Facing this scene, he didn't know how to react for a moment. After he sat down, he lowered his head slightly and tried to calm the waves in his heart.
The atmosphere of the meeting gradually heated up in tension. With a low and majestic voice from the throne of King Mitlan, the meeting soon began. The king's eyes were as sharp as a hawk, looking directly at King Lana, and his voice echoed in the spacious hall with unquestionable majesty.
"King Lana, I must make it clear to you that the Mitlan army's entry into your territory this time was not out of ambition for aggression, but a necessary counterattack against your army's unprovoked invasion of Mitlan."
There was a hint of barely perceptible anger in King Mitlan's voice, but his tone remained calm and restrained.
King Rana lowered his head, feeling mixed emotions. He knew that his country's behavior was indeed inappropriate, and facing King Mitlan's questioning, he had to admit his mistakes, so he slowly raised his head, with a hint of humility in his voice:
"Respected King Mitlan, I apologize to you on behalf of the Kingdom of Lana. We did make a mistake, and we feel deeply guilty about it."
King Mitlan nodded, seemingly accepting King Rana's apology, but he did not relax his control over the meeting. He continued:
"Now that we have made our positions clear, I will then propose the conditions for peace talks."
The atmosphere in the hall became more solemn, and everyone present held their breath, waiting for King Mitlan's next move.
"First, both sides must redraw the border. The southern foot of the border mountains will be the boundary. From now on, the army of the Kingdom of Lana can only reach the southern foot of the border mountains and is not allowed to enter the border mountains again."
King Lana's ministers exchanged glances. They knew that this condition meant that the Lana Kingdom would lose part of the territory that originally belonged to them, but facing the powerful Midlan, they could not refute it.
"Second, the King of Rana must promise to treat all Mitralians and Rana citizens equally. There must be no discrimination based on ethnicity."
This condition made King Lana feel even more pressured. He knew that this was not only a restriction on the territorial and ethnic policies of the Lana Kingdom, but also had a profound impact on the country's internal governance. After all, the Midland people in northern Lana had begun to exercise self-government, which meant that this land was indirectly controlled by the Midland people.
King Rana was silent for a moment, and finally nodded with difficulty, indicating that he accepted these conditions. Although his ministers were dissatisfied, they also understood that this was the best choice to safeguard the interests of the country under the current circumstances. The meeting continued in a tense atmosphere, but King Rana's heart was like being hit by a heavy hammer, and he could not calm down for a long time.
"I agree to the above terms."
As King Rana nodded in agreement, a glimmer of relief flashed in King Mitlan's eyes, and he motioned for the attendants around him to come forward.
The servants walked lightly and smoothly, taking out two treaties that had been prepared long ago from the exquisite wooden tray.
King Mitlan took the treaty, held it gently in his hands and read the contents of the treaty carefully, his eyes lingering on each page. After confirming that it was correct, he handed it to King Rana.
King Lana took the treaty and scanned it, his eyes finally landing on the emblem of the Midland royal family. He nodded slightly, then picked up the pen and signed his name in the designated place on the treaty.
Then, King Lana took out an exquisite seal from his waist, which was engraved with the royal emblem of Lana, symbolizing his rule and glory. He gently pressed the seal next to the signature of the treaty, leaving a deep red mark.
With the fall of King Rana's seal, the two-year-long Mitralan Rana War finally came to an end at this moment.