"And an army that can fight in Razmiran," Xavier says softly. "Unless you think the Lord Protector would?"

"He won't, no. I'm sorry."

(Xavier is really not sure Morgethai is good, by this point, and her reassurances don't really help. Someone who will abandon the war against Hell unless her demands for peacetime terms are met is a mercenary, not a hero, and Xavier cares deeply about the difference.)

A man who will ask you to spend down your country's defenses for his war and then turn around and invade you when it's over is a man who for his own sake she hopes dies in Razmiran or he'll surely go to Hell when he does.

Narikopolus, meanwhile, is finding himself really quite sympathetic. It's one thing to risk your own life to fight evil. It's quite another for anyone to expect that you forfeit the safety of every civilian standing behind you, whenever a monster bent on eating them informs you that evil is elsewhere, and you ought to be fighting it.

On the other hand, Narikopolus absolutely cannot claim to be good.

"Since I got retrieved from the soul trap, I've had a continuous argument with Jackdaw, who freed me, about monarchy. She believes it is the nature of kings to become corrupt and tyrannical unless a virtuous church is riding herd on them, and that the Thrune's descent into Hell was merely unusually rapid, a path any emperor with power will go down, and faster the more power they have. She is especially suspicious of Cyprian, and I've never been able to convince her that he's on the side of Heaven; she's too cynical and jaded to be persuaded."

"I think given this, I have conclusively lost that argument. If a man refuses to restrain his ambition and pride to secure crucial help against the greatest Evil he can confront in his career, odds are he won't do it later, either, for any mortal stakes like virtue or the well-being of his subjects."

Hopefully someone will explain what the fuck half this conversation is about after everyone else has finished having it.

Is there a guarantee we, not being Cyprian, would have the power to offer you -

She can't say that. It would be utterly inappropriate to do independent international diplomacy.

A decent man does not give in to extortion. He particularly does not give into extortionate attempts to demand he refuse to defend his country from an attacker, which would be required for a promise not to attack Andoran to be meaningful. Saying that to Morgethai is not particularly helpful.

"Thank you, Provost, for letting us know the importance of the situation in Druma, Molthune and Razmiran to the eternal war with Hell," Joan-Pau says. "- Also I believe a postwar strategic analysis of the situation ended up concluding that you saved my life in the last war, so thank you very much for that." 

"I hope that, better informed, you get more of what you want." 

And she's gone.

Or invisibly watching them! One of those! Possibly both of those!

"Alexeara - I assume if we could help the Church would've told us - but -"

Jilia was going to... Ah, well, she'll just have to send a letter.

"Lord-Marshal, is there information we should be aware of about the fact that a power of Hell currently rules Razmiran?"

Narikopolus has absolutely no confidence that if they could help the church would have told them. He is leaning out of feeling frustrated about this.

He holds up a hand to forstall further questions a moment, carefully reviews what he plans to say, and only then speaks.

"Nerius, Jornet, Goés, Saiville, you are ordered to keep this matter secret from any person besides the Lord-Marshal of the Reclamation, the precentors-martial of Lastwall, and the high priest of Iomedae on Golarion, or any persons authorized by them. Meet with me tomorrow morning after prayers. You may leave now if you prefer to know fewer confidential things.

The rest of you are advised likewise, though I have no authority to give you orders."

Yet! But this can be improved upon!

Aaaaaaa???

....she's not leaving unless someone tells her to, though.

"Your Grace, I would be pleased to attend a dinner of yours again on another evening, in the hopes that it will be much less eventful than tonight was. But I believe I shall depart for the night."

Feliu is wallpaper.

Joan-Pau isn't going anywhere.

Absolutely not leaving.

"I don't prefer to avoid learning confidential things, but while I can commit not to intentionally revealing them, I expect to be imperfect at behaving exactly as I would if I didn't know them, and if you would prefer me to leave given that fact I will of course obey your orders."

Does she prefer to know fewer confidential things? ...the samosas have ensnared her. They should not feature in her decision at all. This is is hard to do perfectly but easy to do imperfectly. "Understood sir, I will find you tomorrow." Up she gets.

"Does that extend to my horse, sir."