Gate of Dimensions

[Act 1] Chapter 26: After Negotiations

When Guinevere stepped outside of the Reichstag, walking down the concrete and stopping metres away from the car, after finishing the negotiations of her second day at the Gate, she expected to feel triumphant for standing up for her people, but instead, she felt nothing but discontent.

Negotiations can be summed up in two words: one-sided. The deal favoured the German's side the entire way through as they had the leverage, the justification and the right to do so. The only thing she had to put forward was promises of reparations and rights towards lands they desire. It would have been easier if she truly was in the position of Empress over a united empire, but even still, she had no such leverage when all she had left was a miniature portion that is supposed to be her empire.

She wished negotiations were between her Kaiser and her father, this was his doing in the first place and now she had to bear the brunt of his mistakes. But she should be grateful that is was her hear, because if it was Mordred who was here right now . . . the Germans would do the Arthurian Empire a favour.

"Empress Guinevere," said Guinevere, head down with a quiet tone, "soon to be nothing but a puppet with a crown."

When Vera stepped down the stairs, she heard the whole thing. She quickly grasped her Royal Highness and pulled her into the limousine, not wanting to let the German guards standing right around them to hear her cries. The elves, Vera and Werner followed suit.

When the car drove off, Werner instructed the driver something in German before pulling up a black sheet on the driver's rearview, preventing the driver from seeing or hearing anything.

"My apologies that negotiations were not in your favour," said Werner. "I wished there was another way."

"What do you expect?" Sera chimed. "Did you really expect that the German government would make the demands favour the losing power? The one whose empire now lies with her unruly brother? I say that this is a kindness that they decided to negotiate at all."

"For once, Sera is right," said Elaine. "Negotiations didn't need to happen at all but it was forced too by both you two, Werner, Guinevere."

"What is that supposed to mean?" Vera growled, putting her arms around Guinevere like a protective parent. "We did what was necessary for the good of our world. Like a jumped-up magician who spends her time drawing pictures would understand it."

"Don't give her any of that, Vera," Werner demanded. "She is only saying the truth. I thought that bringing Elaine and her magic would have allowed the Kaiser to see the potential in both worlds working together. My meeting with the top commanders of the Wehrmacht told me that we really don't have a care in the world for a world that is not of ours."

"Your Kaiser does," Guinevere spoke up, amidst the tears dropping from her face. "But it would seem he is likely the only one. He told me he would do his best to go easy, but it would seem your version of easy isn't what I had in mind."

"That fact that his top politicians and officers threw every demand towards you, from workers orders and land distribution, I truly believe that the Kaiser is nothing more than a figurehead," Sera boldly claimed.

"Enough of that," said Cara, smacking Sera's back. "The Germans are clearly more concerned with their own world than there own."

"Yeah, I believe that is what Werner just said, Cara," Sera groaned.

"Priestess Cara to you, Sera," Cara groaned.

Sera scoffed. "Whatever. But in seriousness, you must be a fool to make it seem like the Germans, a people so much more advanced then anything on our side of the Gate would just up and allow our people to continue in peace when all they need to do is point the finger and the whole world would be theirs."