"You win" the Emperor admitted, folding his arms.
"Let's hear your demands"
"Huh?" the others were perplexed.
The Emperor had never been one to act sane, so they expected him to attack.
The Emperor looked at them.
"The people are being massacred, so I can't start fighting now. Besides, we'll soon come under siege, as it seems all other places have been attacked"
He turned to Fredrick.
"Name your terms"
"Nothing much, just an additional decade of tax exemption and an additional decade of buffer zone"
"I'll give you two years each"
"Nine years"
"Three years"
"Eight and a half years"
"Three and a half years"
The rest of the Grandmasters simply stared as they haggled terms until they agreed on five years.
Then, Fredrick sighed in relief, before taking out a few scrolls and unfolding them.
"Four years ago we came across the body of a child. The eyes had been gouged out and the skin was blackened, but not burnt, and the body was devoid of blood" he paused.
