"I do not see the problem," Jasmine said, her brows knitting together, her voice gentle but firm, like someone trying to reason with a man whose fears they found excessive. "Would it not be beneficial to us? Would it not be a boon to accept the alliance proposal rather than refusing it?"
She looked around the room, hoping to catch a few nods of agreement, but found only careful, waiting faces. Alpheo, for his part, seemed unsurprised by her challenge; in fact, he almost welcomed it.
"I believe you are missing the point, '' Alpheo answered, tapping two fingers rhythmically against his temple as he spoke "There is no reason—no clear gain—for the Romelians to offer such a thing. Which means," and here his voice hardened, "either there is something hidden, something they do not wish us to see... or they have lost their senses altogether."
He paused, giving his words a moment to settle heavily into the gathering.
