Dorian tried to reclaim diplomacy as if it were something he could still grasp, turning his attention to Maximus, King of Aethelgard, and forcing himself to speak with reason instead of fear. He framed his words carefully, attempting to make them sound measured and reasonable.
"This is excessive," Dorian said, his tone strained but controlled. "Half of the imperial wealth is not compensation—it's destabilization. You must understand what that would do."
He paced slowly before the communication orb, hands clasped behind his back, frustrated all over his face. "If Aethelgard takes half of Thaluria's treasury, you will not just weaken us. You will create a power imbalance that will last decades."
