As far as Regina knew, Central/Eastern Europe in this day and age had three major powers (if you didn’t count the elves or gnomes, at least.). Nerlia, Cernlia and Esemen. She supposed that they might have to add a fourth now, her own hive. She’d certainly like that. Most outside of those immediately impacted by the war probably hadn’t gotten the memo yet, or even news about their existence, though.

There were a few smaller countries beyond Nerlia that were, for the most part, loosely allied with it or even vaguely under its thumb. Unfortunately for Nerlia, they didn’t seem very eager to jump to their aid right now, for some reason. Regina had to admit she felt a bit smug when she got the reports. It was mostly luck, since the hive had managed to intercept a letter from the capital, and a lot of extrapolation from the data points they had, but she was still confident in that conclusion. The tone was certainly suggestive.

Of course, even a naive politician would be able to tell by now that Nerlia was in deep trouble, and unlikely to come out of the war intact, or as powerful as before. Obviously no one would be eager to jump in there, getting their soldiers killed and probably earning the enmity of the winners.

That did mean that Nerlia didn’t have many options. They’d clearly realized that their only firm ally, Cernlia, was turning, and they had no prospects of getting help from elsewhere. That would probably be the case even without the Esemen invasion. Therefore, it didn’t really surprise Regina that they were starting diplomatic overtures, she just wished she had a better idea of their mindset. Obviously, they were very much the weaker side here, but the question was how well they recognized it, since for finding an agreement, that was ironically the most important issue. She could afford to just walk away from any negotiations and steamroll them in her own good time, but it would lose her the opportunity.

It was why she paid close attention to any information she could get, and watched what she presumed to be the diplomatic team from Nerlia closely. They seemed cautious and nervous, but she supposed that wasn’t exactly surprising when they were being surrounded by drones.

Ben had spared some drones to build up an outpost a bit off the path his army was taking, so they wouldn’t get too close to it and couldn’t gather intelligence on it. That didn’t mean he’d half-assed things, though, and so they had a pretty nice hut built of wood and brickwork coupled with a pavilion. A few Conjured objects using metal and plastic showcased the hive’s capabilities without being too threatening. There was also some decoration with gold plating and the like that a few Workers had hastily put together. Regina wasn’t an expert, but she was pretty sure it wouldn’t win any fine arts awards, not that she cared very much. They also had a few nice banners showing the hive’s current crest, in silver on a black background. Given the name, the choice of a circle of stars was pretty much a given. They were trying out a few versions with a silver crown and stylized pincer or antenna, or both, too, but had kept to the simple design for now.

Once the diplomatic party came to a halt, they paused for just a moment before they got off their horses and approached, the guy she’d pegged as their leader in the front.

“Lord Syman,” Ira greeted him, inclining her head minutely as she took a step out of the pavilion, which had most of its side wall pulled back anyway for a large entrance. Luckily, it was still pretty warm and there was only a faint breeze today. Her greeting also told Regina the man’s name without having to ask.

The guy bowed more deeply than she had, presumably erring on the side of caution. “Lady Ira of the Starlit Hive,” he greeted her back. “It is an honor to make your acquaintance.”

“Likewise,” she responded with a polite smile. “Please do come in. We have some refreshments prepared. Feel free to leave a guard with the horses, though we can assure you they will be well taken care of as well.”

A few quick whispers left two of the armed escorts behind while the rest stepped inside, the drones coming up to lead the horses to a nearby field for grazing. There weren’t many sapient drones here, but a few were remotely supervising the Swarm Drones, so Regina didn’t think there would be any issues.

She wasn’t really happy about sending Ira here, and losing her help in the village, but she’d decided this was for the best. It was an important assignment but relatively low-risk. After all, they had a lot of drones around here, and even more between this group and the Nerlian lines, so they’d have to be idiots to try something, even without considering the consequences for their diplomatic position. And Ira was one of the highest-ranking members of the hive and knew what Regina wanted best. She deliberately didn’t want to send a warrior for this, either.

The group settled down, a few of the Nerlian warriors remaining standing behind Syman’s chair while two others, maybe senior knights or lower-ranking nobles, took chairs beside him. Ira didn’t give any signs of feeling outnumbered, although Regina could feel her nerves about doing this through the psychic link, and sent a feeling of reassurance to her.

“If it is not rude to ask, Milady, may I inquire about your position with the Hive?” the diplomat asked. “It is only to better understand how to express ourselves, so we do not waste anyone’s time.”

Ira smiled thinly. “I’m the Hive Queen’s personal assistant,” she replied.

They seemed suitably impressed by that, although it could mean anything from being her secretary to her actual right-hand woman, Regina knew. She supposed close access to the monarch was worth something in its own right, and it at least made it very clear she was paying personal attention to this. Not that she wouldn’t when they were currently at war with Nerlia.

“I see,” the diplomat nodded. “I have been sent as a personal envoy by His Majesty the King to treat with your Hive.” He waved a piece of parchment with a prominent red seal on it.

Ira calmly took it and read through it, Regina looking at it as well. That seemed to be the royal seal, and the document was pretty short, simply stating his appointment as envoy extraordinaire.

"I see,” she said, then continued, following a nudge Regina was sending her through the psychic link, “I take it you both have the authority and have been sent for the purpose of negotiating for peace?”

The noble shifted just slightly, and she wondered if he was taken aback by her bluntness. “I have almost complete diplomatic authority to negotiate in the name of my king,” he began, not quite answering the question. “Of course, I cannot entirely speak for him and any agreement would have to be presented and approved in court. His Majesty is very desirous of an end to hostilities between our nations, however.”

Regina spent a moment reflecting on how things changed, when being acknowledged as their own nation was now something obvious and to be taken for granted even though it would have been a significant acknowledgment just a few months before.

“I see,” Ira replied with a slight smile. “That is good to know.” She paused, as if inviting him to go on. Regina could tell that she wanted him to come out and ask, instead of offering to actually negotiate peace herself. They weren’t the ones who had to sue for peace, after all.

“As I said, we wish to stop the tragic and, to be blunt, rather causeless bloodshed. This war kills good men, and women, on both our sides, devastates the land, and is a loss to everyone.” He paused for a moment. “The enmity between King Nicholas of Cernlia and Marquis Lyns is what caused this war — both Cernlian men, as it happens — and one should think their strife is resolved, with the king’s unfortunate death. Let this enmity die with him.”

He wasn’t exactly wrong, from an objective point of view, Regina had to admit. Why should they kill each other’s soldiers for some other country’s royal rivalry? But of course, there was a lot more to it than that. She hadn’t fought Nerlia, or the Esemen, or even Cernlian forces for Lyns’ claim, no matter what their alliance paperwork might say. She wouldn’t have killed people — indirectly but still her responsibility — just so Lyns could wear a crown. She had only accepted the … probability of these truly unfortunate deaths (Nicholas definitely had it coming far more than some poor unlucky conscript) because she thought it was the path to something better.

Well, the Hive Queen side of her would be happy to just expand and conquer her way through the continent for the hive. It was the human side that wanted something more to it. And maybe I am kidding myself and just building justifications for something I’ve been taught should be wrong, she thought. But would that make it less true that my hive really is the best option for the people of these lands in the future? Or am I just deluding myself?

While Regina stewed in those thoughts, Ira continued the conversation. “Of course, we would all wish to minimize unnecessary bloodshed,” she agreed, even though she didn’t feel much at the words and Regina suspected she mostly cared because Regina herself did. And because of the hive’s own casualties. “This is not enough to end the war, however.”

Syman cocked his head slightly. “I am uncertain of your meaning,” he said. “Are you saying your Hive will not end this war, or simply that you require something beyond wishing to end it? If both sides want it to stop, surely that should be enough?”

Ira smiled wryly, and she could tell it didn’t reach her eyes. She decided to be blunt. “Indeed, Lord Syman - I want you to formally offer Nerlia’s surrender.”

There was a moment of silence as everyone seemed to consider those words. As closely as she was focusing on Ira right now, Regina knew she’d actually wanted to use the phrase ‘unconditional surrender’, and she felt the same way, but she’d moderated her word choice in the interest of diplomacy.

“I see, Lady Ira,” he finally said. “This is your requirement to engage in peace talks?”

“Yes,” Ira confirmed. “Hostilities will end and we will have an effective truce during any such further talks.” She raised an eyebrow and gave him a slightly meaningful look. Under the current circumstances, such a truce would benefit them more than the hive. “Don’t mistake me, however, I do mean surrender when I say ‘surrender’. We will be transferring our forces and requiring certain access.”

The man frowned. “These are heavy demands.”

Ira shrugged slightly. “The reality of this war is that we are winning, Lord Envoy. Let me be blunt — You have come to us to ask for terms because your side is losing, and losing badly. I do not think it serves either of us to pretend the situation is different. So … you surrender, we discuss how Nerlia and our two nations will go into the future, and we set to building such a future. Or you may reject the terms if you find any agreement we may come to unreasonable, the war will continue and our forces will continue to advance, we will take the capital and the court in a few weeks at most, and we will win. Then we will shape what comes next more directly, so to speak.”

His expression darkened. She couldn’t really sense Syman’s mind or mental state over this distance, but he seemed taken aback by her bluntness. He didn’t get up in a huff or jump to contradict her, though.

“… What terms would we be talking about?” he finally asked.

“Nothing that would damage Nerlia or its people,” she said with a smile. Which is true, it might damage the court or the nobility, not the people, Regina considered. “Her Majesty the Hive Queen will require certain assurances, concessions and prerogatives. More pragmatically, influence and free rein in shaping certain things. You may not realize this, but Her Majesty is a committed reformer, although with a broad and sweeping vision aiming for the betterment of all, humankind, not just the Hive. It does not mean we would depose your king. In exchange, we will release all Nerlian prisoners we have taken, help them reach their homes and recover your economy. We will even promise to share food supplies to avoid famine.”

Syman frowned. “That sounds more … sweeping than a typical peace settlement,” he said hesitantly.

Ira smiled wryly, leaning forward a little, and shrugged. “It may have escaped your attention, but this is not a typical war,” she said lightly.

Syman exchanged a look with the other seated men. “You are still asking for rather a lot,” he said.

Ira remained quiet for a bit. I’d like to give them a bit more of a push, maybe some ‘advice’ … she thought at her.

Go for it, Regina encouraged.

“Lord Syman,” Ira said seriously, fixing him with a calm stare. “If you don’t mind, let me give you a bit of advice … or maybe context.” She paused for a second. “The political landscape has irrevocably shifted. The world has irrevocably shifted, really. The usual rules for diplomacy or warfare may no longer apply. I’m sure you’ve heard what our forces have been doing, and while the Hive’s emergence is a major factor, it is certainly not the only one driving innovation and change.”

He inclined his head, wordlessly conceding the point, and gestured for her to go on.

“As such,” Ira continued, “it is up to you and Nerlia to decide how you go forward in this new context. Despite the unfortunate hand you have been dealt, there may be opportunity here. The Hive is very far from the apex of its strength, Lord Envoy — we can barely glimpse it over the horizon, even as we have been growing at a rate simply not possible for any human nation of this world. In a week, we will have thousands of new fighters. In a month, perhaps tens of thousands. In a year … well, I’m sure you can imagine. In two years, ten years? In truth, at this point, you would need all or at least most of the remaining nations of this content to band together to fight us if you hoped to vanquish us. By then, it would simply no longer be possible. But …” Ira smiled and shrugged lightly again. “There is an old saying that might come to mind: ‘If you can’t beat them, join them’.”

The pavilion was silent for a minute. Regina considered what Ira had said, too. She’d left out a few things, of course, like the fact there was a limit to the numbers she could produce — which really wasn’t of practical importance at this point — and focusing on their numbers rather than weapons or technology. But Ira wasn’t wrong, she might have even undersold it a bit. Their potential was something few people seemed to have really realized so far, maybe Kiara and Whitor, but hearing it laid out like this still made Regina a bit nervous about the reaction it would provoke, publicly.

“You make persuasive points, Lady Ira,” Syman said quietly.

“I truly hope we can reduce unnecessary bloodshed and suffering and find ways forward that help everyone,” she said, sincerely.

“Don’t we all?” He shook his head, an expression on his face Regina found difficult to read.

Then, after another short silence, Syman sighed. He exchanged another round of glances with the others, getting slight nods, before he turned to look back to Ira. “Alright, then. Our surrender, in the name of the Kingdom of Nerlia …”

He slowly stood up, took his sheathed sword from his belt and laid it on the table, hilt towards her. “Milady, I officially ask for terms.”

Kilometers away, Regina smiled. This was only the first step, but her chest suddenly felt a bit tight. She almost felt a bit warm, even. Hope, that perhaps this could work out.