Reality of the situation (Elias)

[Thorn Wyatt]

"That sounds about right to me."

Elias nods.

"It was pretty rude. I don't let my people get away with that, but since she isn't one of mine, all I did was hold on."

[Preston Salabim]

"And at what point did you apologize to her for nearly hitting her with the door? Since that seems to be the flash point of the situation."

[Thorn Wyatt]

Elias tilts his head.

"Why would I? She started off being rude."

[Preston Salabim]

"How could she start off being rude if the first moment of the interaction was your door nearly hitting her face?"

Elias had confirmed the timeline he had laid out after all. But Preston kept any aggression out of his voice, letting it remain simply inquisitive. Getting angry and combative would only cause Elias to shut down, and that wouldn't do anyone any good. Elias included.

[Thorn Wyatt]

"But it didn't."

Still wonderfully confused by this concept, Elias continues.

"If I was upset over things that almost happened, then I'd be upset all the time. That's stupid."

[Preston Salabim]

"Where we come from almost harming someone like that is considered rude, and an apology is warranted. It is more about the disregard for her than it is about nearly being hit itself. If it had been me that you had nearly hit and had not apologized to I would have been insulted by how rude you were and the casual disregard for my well being that you displayed. I am sure she felt the same way."

[Thorn Wyatt]

"Then why didn't she say that?"

[Preston Salabim]

"I imagine because she was angry and her body kicked into fight or flight mode. You know that feeling when you go into a battle and your heart begins to race and you feel wired? She probably experienced something like that, especially as she was rushing here having come to deliver an important message straight from another war zone."

He wouldn't speak poorly of Ali to a leader of another nation, that would not be proper as her representative. Even if Ali was far too brash for her own good. And because of her lack of tact, and Elias' Preston was forced to clean up the mess and prevent things from getting worse.

"However, as rulers, you and I have an obligation to be better. Because our actions and words can alter the fates of many. Even small things that you might think nothing of can ripple and have dire consequences. In this instance, we have the ruler of a neutral territory getting into an altercation with the subject of another territory who is also under the ward and protection of 259, one of the Big Five territories that keep the peace between all 260 territories. Furthermore said subject was acting as a messenger from another member of the Big Five who is fighting off an invading force from the Conqueror as we speak. All it would take is for one of those parties to decide that your actions were out of bounds and then bring to bear the full weight of their power against you and your people. Which I promise you would result in you losing possibly not only your life but everything you've ever managed to have and build up."

He sighed and pushed up his glasses.

"I do not say this as a threat, but as a friend who would not like to see someone who helped him protect his home come to harm. As a ruler, your actions represent not only yourself but everything that you have. We do not have the same freedoms as our subjects, because all are judged by us."

[Thorn Wyatt]

"So you're saying, because she's from somewhere else, she should get special treatment."

[Preston Salabim]

"Would you not be displeased if other leaders took matters into their own hands with your people?"

[Thorn Wyatt]

"Isn't that what you're doing right now?"

Elias snorts.

"You're enforcing your customs on me."

[Preston Salabim]

"I am talking to you on behalf of President Asiv as all of this happened and continues to happen within his borders. But you did not answer my question about how you would feel like if another leader took action against your people. Especially in borders that are under your authority."

[Thorn Wyatt]

"I would clearly bring the full might of my territory against them, threatening them with slavery and death, over such a childish issue like someone grabbing hold of someone else."

Elias rolls his eyes.

[Preston Salabim]

"Sarcasm."

He was not amused.

[Thorn Wyatt]

"It is."

Elias agrees.

"You're asking me to live in fear of these territories. To fret and worry over every single action I take when it involves one of them in case I offend someone with the tiniest action. I won't do that."