In the meeting room, Queen Grimwood used her strange powers to project an image of a map of the kingdom. The detail and clarity of it drew gasps from my advisors and ministers. She indicated where the towers would be positioned; anytime someone brought up a reason it would be problematic, she had an answer. In short, the paths between towers didn’t need to be set flush against the ground to act as a wall. They could be positioned higher, where they would serve as more of a bridge instead. Apparently the intent was to use these bridge-like connections to avoid dividing the kingdom. Faced with this proposal, the only basis for objection was a lack of trust. Just because she could raise the paths between towers didn’t mean she wouldn’t connect the towers close to the ground later when it suited her.
Unfortunately, it was bad form to raise such objections during negotiations, and we didn’t have the luxury of being able to refuse on such grounds. We were effectively forced into agreeing to her terms during the presentation itself, with no time to discuss things afterward. Due to the way she rebuked any objections with sound logic, nobody could argue with her effectively without being rude. She was truly a masterful diplomat, and it was perhaps the most terrifying thing about her. Despite her awesome power, she understood her position, and knew how to make the best of it. She knew exactly when to press her advantage, and when to offer a compromise.
The thing I found most interesting was her timetable. Apparently she couldn’t just make towers any size or shape she wanted right away. They started small and grew from there, like living things. It was strangely comforting, in a way, to know she wasn’t completely omnipotent. Hearing that she had limits brought us a strange sense of relief. It was possible she was lying about the constraints on her power, of course, but unlikely. More importantly, we wanted to believe those limits existed. After all, the alternative was far too terrible to imagine.
To an external observer, it might have seemed silly to be afraid of someone so small, but we were far beyond that point. Some of us had initially treated her like a child, certainly, but if anything, she saw us as juveniles. She’d talked down to my brother as though he were a petulant brat who took hold of something dangerous. When we made mistakes, she gently scolded us, rather than insisting on retribution. Could I have done the same in her position? I wasn’t so sure.
“With that out of the way, I’d like to discuss the less fortunate citizens of the royal capital,” Queen Grimwood said, once the matter of her towers had been settled. “On the way here, I noticed that there are quite a few places with deteriorating buildings where people still live. I was hoping to invite these people to live in my network of towers. There, I can provide a source of income, as well as food and clothing they can purchase with what they earn. It wouldn’t be a bad deal for the kingdom either.”
She surprised everyone again. Mouths hung open all over the room.
“Wh-When did you have a chance to take such a close look at the city?” Yomas managed to ask.
“When I have my wings out, everyone around me looks as though they’ve stopped,” she explained. “I have to make a serious effort just to slow down enough to perceive the speech of others in that state. As you might imagine, if I want to look around somewhere without being seen, I don’t have to try very hard. Don’t worry, I just explored the city a bit to clear my head. Honestly, I really wanted to see how your people were living.”
This revelation caused quite a stir. Just when we were relieved to hear about her limits, she reminded us how far away from normal those limits really were. No wonder she’d been able to take the treasured sword away from my brother. Fortunately, though, it sounded like she wanted to shelter the people of the slums and help them find work. I hated to sound heartless, but even if she had nefarious purposes in mind for them, it would have been a hard offer to refuse. The kingdom didn’t have the resources to improve their lives—at least, not yet.
“I’d like to offer those people jobs as farmers, as well,” I told her. “Once you’ve built your towers, a lot of fertile land will become safe to farm. We’ll need plenty of willing volunteers to work there. I was planning to grant four-plot leases to anyone willing to move there.” I volunteered the information freely; there was no reason to hide anything from her.
In recent years the population had expanded, while our nation’s agricultural output had remained the same. If we continued on this trajectory for another ten to twenty years, it would inevitably result in food shortages, and more people forced to live in poverty. Converting a portion of the slum population into farmers and laborers once the land was available would be essential. I could only hope Queen Grimwood would be understanding.
“Ah, so you had your own solution in mind.” She gave a charming smile. “I can’t stand the idea of those people living in such awful conditions, but if you’d be willing to grant them some land to work, I believe I can take care of their shelter needs.”
If that smile wasn’t genuine, I had no idea what lay beneath the facade—and frankly, I felt safer not knowing. Was she really offering to house them for free out of the goodness of her heart? Surely not. She had to have some sort of motive.
Yomas seemed to share my concern, but he was diplomatic as ever in voicing it. “That would be wonderful, but I’m not sure if we could adequately repay such kindness.”
There was nothing scarier in negotiations than something free. In high-level negotiations, “free” would often be leveraged against you later, and came at a hefty price.
“Oh, don’t worry, you guys won’t have to do anything,” she said. “If I house them, that will give them more space to grow crops, and they can sell some of the extra produce they grow to pay a small housing fee at the end of the year. Those who don’t pay will be asked to find their own shelter once spring arrives.”
“Truly?” I asked in disbelief. “You wouldn’t penalize them any more than that?”
“I’m not trying to kick people when they’re down. I plan to give them plenty of time to grow crops and get back on their feet before I bring up money. However, I don’t want them to feel they can just take advantage of me and stay there forever. Once they can afford it, I expect them to compensate me fairly for their housing. I also don’t mind helping them with food until they can grow or hunt enough to sustain themselves. I plan to examine each household’s situation and charge them accordingly. After all, a single person or a married couple with no children needs far less space and food than a growing family.”
“I’ll leave the finer details to you, then,” I agreed. “I appreciate your willingness to work with us on this matter.”
It was strange being so frightened of her and yet so willing to trust her charming smile. Queen Grimwood was a fantastic creature indeed.
After the meeting, the proposals were all drafted in writing. Queen Grimwood and I affixed our seals to the documents, which were then signed by a dozen witnesses present. With that, Grimwood became its own separate nation, governed by its own laws. That by itself was liberating, but also worrying. I had no choice but to hope for the best.