Over the four months after the capture of Sinolla, Victor remained quiet in the north. He fortified the city of Sinolla and made sure to instruct General Valerius to do the same in Prato. Fortunately, they would face no attack in those four months, but it was better to be prepared than not.
Although Victor did not leave beyond the walls of Sinolla, General Orion Valerius stepped up for the Luxenberg Army and acted as a representative to negotiate with the three neutral counts.
General Orion would meet the Counts Tristayne, Optio and Valentine. They were older gentlemen, each with hair fading to grey and wrinkles. The Zandarian General would meet them at the eastern port city of Lupin, which was ruled by Count Valentine.
The meeting happened during the 2nd month after capturing Sinolla. General Valerius rode in secret with only a small honour guard of 20 cavalrymen. Discreetly, the General and his party completed a month-long journey from Prato to Lupin.
When Lupin came into view, you could see terracotta rooftops pressed close together, their tiles weathered to soft reds and browns, broken by church domes and the square towers of old merchant houses.
Narrow streets wound upward from the docks, stone-paved and polished smooth by generations of boots and cart wheels. Shuttered windows, green, blue, and sun-faded white, looked down over the lanes, while laundry hung between buildings like banners of everyday life.
The air smelled of brine and smoke, of tarred rope, fish markets, and roasting bread. Voices echoed constantly: dockmasters shouting in sharp dialect, sailors bargaining loudly, church bells marking the hours with calm indifference to the chaos below.
At the city's heart stood the Valentine Palace, not grand in the manner of royal capitals, but solid and deliberate, a wide stone structure with an inner courtyard, arched loggias, and a façade softened by age rather than ornament. From its upper balconies, the harbour was clearly visible.
In the Valentine Palace, Count Optio and Count Tristayne were awaiting the arrival of General Valerius. They were seated in a living room, all in separate single couches.
General Valerius entered the room confidently, with the demeanour of a respected commander, and offered a small bow to the Counts. "Thank you for meeting with me, my lords. I am General Orion Valerius of the Luxenberg Army. My King regrets not being able to come, but currently, he has more pressing matters to attend to."
Count Valentine smiled, "Welcome, General, please be seated."
The General politely nodded and took a seat in front of the three Counts. The one to initiate the conversation was Count Tristayne; his violet eyes were brimming with intrigue. "So General, we all know why you are here. I take it you will try to convince us to side with your King."
Valerius nodded, "Yes. I know you have chosen to remain neutral in this war, and my King respects that, but he does wish for your support to build a better Zandar."
Valentine and Tristayne both looked at each other with a slight smirk; their intrigue grew with each word spoken by the General. Count Optio, on the other hand, rolled his eyes and seemed not to be paying attention.
"A better Zandar, you say? That is all well and good to say, but was that not what King Alphonse said when he declared that he would retake the throne from his brother all those years ago? Why should we believe you and your King when we have already been in this situation once before?" Count Valentine said.
The General paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts before responding. "The difference is that my King is a proven ruler. He governs two continents and is beloved by his subjects. It is in his nature to put the needs of his people first, and do what is necessary for them to live and prosper."
Both Counts hung on every word until Count Tristayne asked, "I will agree with you there, General, but why has King Luxenberg gotten involved in this war. We are not his countrymen, nor his subjects. So why should we trust you? For all we know, your King could be a foreign power looking to capitalise on the chaos."
"I understand your scepticism. But although you may not be his subjects or countrymen, he values you in high regard. He fought to end a two-decade civil war so that you may enjoy peace. Now he wants to conquer this continent with minimal collateral damage so that civil war will never happen again," General Valerius confidently said.
Count Optio, who had remained uninterested, finally spoke, "What makes your King think that he is the one to rule us? We may share a religion, but we are by no means the same. It should be a Zandarian who rules this continent, not an outsider."
His words were harsh, but not entirely wrong. Victor was an outsider; he had already meddled in this continent's affairs once. Now he sought to rule it. In the eyes of Count Optio, he was merely a power-hungry monarch looking to grow his kingdom.
"Count Optio, you may see him as an outsider, but my King views the people of Zandar as equals to all his subjects. Our faith unites us. Christendom weeps as innocent blood is shed in a war started by individuals who are meant to look after its followers. My King will unite the Christian continents and bring peace to them," Valerius proudly replied.
For a moment, Count Optio continued to look sceptical and unamused, but a small crack in his facade could be seen. He began to smile softly. "A King that can stop us from killing each other. I have not seen that in over two decades. It would be nice to return to a time of constant peace."
General Valerius pounced on this opportunity. "My lords, it is my King's will to not only end the war, but ensure it does not return to Zandar. He says that Christians killing each other is a tragedy that must be avoided. Only then can our faith truly prosper."
All three counts arose from their seats. With Count Valentine saying, "Tell your King that we will serve him. In return, he must bring a swift end to this pointless war and restore peace to this continent."
The General smiled, "My King shall see it done, my lords, I promise you that."