Her Graceful War Song novel Chapter 958

Lisandra spoke first.

She believed Starhaven had violated the agreement between the two kingdoms, which was to not harm civilians or execute prisoners of war. The slaughter of civilians and the brutal treatment of a war prisoner during wartime were actions that would outrage both man and god. Similarly, the massacre of the Sinclair family by Westhaven's spies was a grave mistake.

"We seek peaceful negotiations, and for that to happen, both sides must acknowledge these facts. Only with that understanding can we proceed with talks for peace between our kingdoms."

Once the translator relayed her words, both Rafael and the negotiating officials from Starhaven agreed with her.

Thus, the negotiations officially began.

Westhaven put forward five conditions. Firstly, Starhaven must issue a formal apology to the people of Westhaven for the lives lost.

Second, Starhaven was to pay compensation of 10,000 gold coins.

Third, compensation of 3,000,000 bushels of grain was to be delivered to Westhaven by Starhaven representatives.

Fourth, the treaty signed at Fawnrun City was to be rendered null and void. This meant the border should revert to its previous terms before the agreement.

Fifth, Barrett, Aurora, and Dominic must be handed to Westhaven for punishment.

Even though Starhaven had prepared itself for tough terms, these demands were still too much to accept.

"We can agree to the first two conditions, but we cannot accept the terms of delivering 3,000,000 bushels of grain or shifting the borderlines," Rafael said. "We acknowledge our fault, but the massacre of the Sinclair family is also tied to the situation at Victory Pass. This is a shared responsibility.

"As for the fifth condition, Aurora may be handed over to Westhaven, but General Sullivan does not bear the main responsibility. At the time, he was severely injured and unable to control his subordinates. Therefore, he should be dealt with by our kingdom."

Not only did they refuse to back down, but they also dragged Barrett into the conversation. They argued that as the general overseeing Fawnrun City's actions, he too bore some responsibility for the situation.

Given the strategic nature of the talks, it was clear Barrett had to be protected. Agreeing to hand him over on the first day would open a dangerous precedent. For now, Starhaven only agreed to surrender Aurora and nothing more.

And so, the first day of the negotiations ended without significant progress. The only agreement reached was on the first two conditions—mutual apologies and compensation.

Before the day concluded, Lisandra made one last remark, "If you think the massacre of the Sinclair family can fully cancel out the events at Fawnrun City, that is impossible."

Rafael responded in kind, his voice just as resolute, "These are human lives we're talking about. It's not possible to cancel one tragedy with another. To do so would be a profound disrespect to those who died in such brutal circumstances."

As such, the negotiations for the day ended without any meaningful breakthroughs.