Alexi finished his rousing speech to raucous, approving applause.
An aged man with rheumy, greying eyes and a gaunt frame rose slowly from his cushioned seat, holding his cup of wine. "You have the right of it, Sir Alexi. Yet the intricacies of this endeavour still elude me. Pray tell, how would you proceed were the motion to be rejected by the fifty on the floor of the Senate?"
Alexi smiled warmly at the old man. "You are right to doubt my means, Senator Goran, but I am not relying solely on a formal proposal to alleviate our concerns. There is yet another task I have undertaken to ensure peace terms are met between Qohor and the Imperium."
The lounging senators perked up, the clinking of wine cups ceasing as they leaned forward, clearly desiring an answer from the orator.
"There are many within the walls of Qohor who share our belief that this war is unprofitable," Alexi explained softly, letting his words hang in the air. "They are thoroughly cowed by the military might of the Imperium and find themselves in a much more desperate predicament than us."
Alexi offered a knowing smile, watching the realization dawn across the faces of the politicians.
He continued, "Naturally, I contacted them. Being discreet in my communications was paramount, so the exchange of communiqués was infrequent and erratic so as not to alert the Princeps' prying eyes. They are ready to concede half the Qohorik forest, along with securing a passage to allow the Imperium unfettered access to the West."
A murmur of genuine excitement rippled through the room. To gain the timber of Qohor without shedding Roman blood was a monumental victory in itself.
Alexi, seeing his moment, struck the final, decisive blow. "They are also willing to pay us a king's ransom to convince Deus to let the rest of Qohor be."
Argus, unable to sate his greed, blurted out without prompting, "How much?"
Alexi smiled, casting a brief, amused glance toward his brother, Shamzai, who watched the proceedings with quiet satisfaction. "Two million Swarnas for the ten of you. A deposit of two hundred and fifty thousand has already been made to me in furtherance of this endeavour."
"Th-that would mean two hundred thousand Swarnas for each of us, and twenty-five thousand right away," one of the younger senators stammered, his voice breathless with jubilation and sheer shock. "This... this is more than enough to cover our election expenses for next year!"
Senator Argus let out a low, patronizing chuckle, while Goran merely swirled his wine, unimpressed by the boy's blatant lack of decorum. The elder senators knew better than to act like starving dogs at a feast.
Argus turned his shrewd gaze back to the merchant. "This is indeed the appropriate compensation for our risks, Sir Alexi. Though I cannot help but wonder how much more you stand to make from facilitating this ordeal behind Deus' back," he noted with a sly, probing smile.
Alexi smiled back, his expression a mask of polite humility. "What I stand to make from this is the continued prosperity of my trade endeavours, Senator Argus. Nothing more."
Argus clearly did not take it as the full truth, but the sheer weight of the gold silenced any further pressing.
Alexi clapped his hands together once, the sharp sound echoing in the hall. "Then I take it you are all in agreement regarding this venture?"
Every senator present nodded without hesitation.
"Excellent. I will relay your commitment to our friends in the West. Perchance the proposal for peace fails on the floor of the Senate, they will officially bring forth this treaty of division, and we will be tasked with presenting it directly to Deus. Let us then continue to iron out the details."
Alexi gestured to his brother. Shamzai stepped forward, withdrawing a stack of heavy parchment documents from his robes and passing them to each seated senator.