It wasn't as if Nozim could refuse in the first place. As long as he was in Blackwater, he was a guest with little benefits. Walking around the castle grounds? Sure.
Walking around the kingdom, looking and talking to who knows what? Even the Duke had to admit only an idiot would agree to that.
Then again, as long as the guest had someone competent follow him, the Duke could go almost anywhere without repercussions.
Looking at his attire, Nozim decided to change. The clothes weren't dirty or anything but were too formal for what was a casual meeting.
Servants offered to help the Duke, but he refused all of them. Wearing a different attire, Nozim walked out and looked at the maid who brought the invitation.
Bowing, the maid led the guest through the castle's halls, making sure she matched pace with the Duke.
Soon, Valerius found himself in the lush royal gardens, where Princess Ayla awaited.
The princess wore a long sleeveless dress, loose around her feet, with a bit of cleavage. Not something he expected a princess to wear, but considering the weather outside, Nozim couldn't say much of anything.
Ayla rose upon seeing the Duke enter the garden, curtsying him with a smile.
"Lord Duke. I am pleased to have my invitation answered this shortly. Please take a seat." Pointing at the empty chair seated beneath the shade of several walnut trees. Not only was the area shaded, but the smell released by the tree's leaves repelled insects, making them a favorite within the castle's gardens.
The Duke greeted the princess and sat down, waiting for her to state her objective. It wasn't common for a lady to invite a man to a tea party. Such activities usually included only ladies.
Setting down her teacup, Ayla started.
"I must admit that I have been eager to meet you ever since you arrived at the castle."
Nozim raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything, merely sipping his tea and waiting for the lady to continue.
The princess smiled, seeing the uncomfortable look on the Duke's face, so she got to the point.
"As Lord Duke might've guessed, I have called Sire for a reason. You see, there's something I would like to have - knowledge. I know how things work within the royal family, and I would like to have a say in them as well."
"Knowledge, you say?" The Duke asked, mildly intrigued by this princess. 'She's asking me for help? A stranger and noble from a different empire?'
It was mildly amusing, even. A moment passed, and the Duke nodded to himself. 'I could use her help rather than the king's.'
To the princess, Nozim asked. "What makes Your Highness believe I would help you? Before that, I am afraid there's little I could share, even. It's hard to match the knowledge a kingdom possesses, even as a Duke of an empire."
"Please, Sire. There's no need for flattery. It's disrespectful to the Nozim lineage."
The Duke smirked slightly, amused. "It may be, Your Highness."
The princess continued without pause. "I am well aware of the strength and knowledge an ancient family such as Nozim has. In fact, this opportunity was too good for me to pass. Which is why I would like to ask Sire for particular information."
Lord Nozim nodded, taking another sip of his tea. "I understand Your Highness' position, and I may be inclined to accept your request. Yet, there's little I may receive in return."
Growing more serious, Ayla thought for a moment before replying. "I'm sure there's something we can agree upon. Hmm... In exchange for the information I'm after, I am willing to support Eredar's conditions?"
The Duke smiled vaguely, looking straight at the princess. "The talks between the Emperor and King Acrisios are going well, Your Highness."
Even though the princess hid it well, Nozim could read the frustration off of her face. "However the case might be, I'm sure my support would help Eredar, no?"
The princess' offer, while not disrespectful, was still incredibly one-sided. Knowledge and information were hard to come by and, thus, incredibly expensive. The support of a princess, while not insignificant, would never compare to what Ayla desired.
Knowing this, no one would blame the Duke for not readily agreeing. In fact, no one would bat an eye even if the Duke laughed in Ayla's face.
While the Duke didn't need to be this difficult, it was more to express his irritation at the sudden invitation. He still needed her help and couldn't alienate a potential supporter.
However, Nozim knew of the true value of any kind of information his family possessed and couldn't accept such a bad deal just because he needed Ayla's help.
A compromise must be reached.
"Your Higness' support surely is something I would rather have, but the kind of information Your Highness must be after isn't the most common now, is it? However, I am also in a tough spot at the moment. I need to visit Enrilth Keep." Valerius replied with a measured tone.
"While I cannot provide you access to the ledgers of my family, I do have another proposal to make. I could grant you entrance rights to the Grand Library of Novizim in exchange for a trustworthy guide. One that knows how to keep secrets."
Having offered his counter-offer, Nozim laid back and enjoyed his rich tea, studying the princess' expression over the cup's lip.
Ayla, sitting opposite of the Duke, pondered long and hard over the offer.
'While it may take a while and a lot more effort, this proposition isn't half bad. In fact, it might be better in certain ways.'
Anonymity alone was good enough for Ayla to accept this, not to mention being untraceable while looking for information. What made her curious and a bit guarded was why the Duke wanted to visit Enrilth Keep.
The problem was Ayla couldn't question the Duke. Since the latter didn't question the princess about what information she was looking for, Ayla could only reciprocate Lord Nozim's attitude.
"A good offer, Sire." Ayla finally said. "Let's go with that."