Diplomacy (2)

Pov. Pietro de Pece

The negotiations were in progress, with Pietro seated in front of Marco Fieschi, the head of the Fieschi family. Pietro did not hesitate to partake in the snacks and drinks provided, as he had not had an opportunity to eat after a long day of riding. He was focused on the task at hand, prepared to use all of his diplomatic skills and talents to secure the best possible deal for the king. He was eager to hear what the senator had to say and to engage in the discussion in order to reach an agreement beneficial to both sides.

Marco Fieschi was a prominent member of the political landscape of Genoa and the patriarch of the powerful Fieschi family. The Fieschi were a rival family to the Grimaldi, who contested their dominance in the politics of the republic. The family also controlled many of the blacksmith shops in the city, which would make them a major source of weapons and armor for the German army. Their support was crucial to the success of the campaign in the south, and their involvement would help ensure that the soldiers were well-equipped and armed for the war.

Marco Fieschi, representing the interests of the Genoese Senate, began the negotiations with a simple question: ''How much weaponry does King Conradin require? This information would give us senators a good idea of how much work our blacksmiths would have to do, allowing us to set a reasonable price for the equipment''

Remarked Marco as he adjusted his seat and looked Pietro in the eyes. This strategy would allow the senators to propose an acceptable quantity depending on how many weapons Conradin required to meet the needs of the Sicilian army as well as the understand capabilities of the king's armament line of manufacture for future deals.

As Marco started his first question, Pietro opened a scroll that he kept in his pouch, which was written by the king to make a list of all the things that he liked to buy.

''The scroll in my possession is a formal request from the king, outlining the particular supplies he desires from the Genoese for his southern war. There are over 2500 chains, 900 spears, 2000 maces, 2000 shields, 500 crossbows, and 8000 bolts on the list. Furthermore, the king specifically requested that the weapons and armor be ready in just five days, so that we could leave soon.'' As he closed the scroll he had just read, Pietro murmured, ''That's all there is to it, noble elder ''

Marco, taken aback by the size of the king's request, remained silent for a moment, contemplating the magnitude of the task at hand. He then began to calculate the cost of producing the items along with the amount he could reasonably charge for them in order to generate a fair profit for his family's interests. It was clear that this was a major order that would take considerable effort to fulfill in the short time frame requested by the king.

Marco, clearly experienced in securing weapons and armor for the Genoese army, made no mention of the difficulty involved in fulfilling the king's request. Instead, he confidently asserted that the blacksmiths of Genoa were hard-working and that they would have no problem completing the order within the five-day deadline set by the king. What Marco did not say was that much of the equipment would be drawn from the military warehouses in the city and that he would need to produce more in order to maintain the defense strength of the city, but that in reality, the weapons were already ready.

''I suppose that I could charge you a kind price of 80,000 denarii, something that I see as a fit price for an ally'' Marco said while eyeing the reaction of Pietro, who gave a frown to the counterpart. This was a fair deal in Marco's eyes, which would allow the Senate to profit from the trade of arms and armor while also providing the Ghibellin army with the crucial supplies they needed to continue their campaign in the south.

''I suppose that the esteemed Genoese republic is not trying to insult our king . There must have been an error of calculation from the esteemed elder for what you asked corresponds to four times the gold needed to produce the required order. I am sure that it has been a mistake that we will be able to overlook''

Pietro said, trying not to let out his irritation upon the blatant rip-off the Genoese were trying to do.

''Of course not esteemed noble, the republic sees his majesty in the highest consideration, in our eyes the price offered is more than fair, for apart from the cost needed to produce such a weapon, we will be required to lose money to lower the other customer's amount required to pay as an apology for the delay of our product, for we will need every blacksmith available to work on your order , as such many customers , that had requested their weapons before of you will be asked to wait more time and as an apology we will be required to lower the amount of gold we will gain, after all Genoa has in high consideration its dear customers.'' Marco said he was trying to find an excuse for the high price asked by him, making use of the fact that to produce all the weaponry in five days, the other projects will have to be delayed. Marco tried to make use of the urgency of Conradin's need for weapons to give a higher price, but Pietro had already experienced this and was more than ready to answer such an excuse.

''Dear elder, it is not our intention to implicitly cause damage to the respectability of the republic; since we are aware that we asked for swiftness, it is only natural that we will also make Pisa share your burden in half so that the amount of collateral damage caused by our request will be minimized, along with the money we will pay for such a request''. Here, Pietro displayed his political skills and diplomatic acumen once again, using a strategic move to leverage his power and position. By mentioning the possibility of including Pisa in the deal, along with the financial burden to be shared, Pietro aimed to make it clear that the Genoese did not hold a monopoly on armament production and that he was willing to look elsewhere if needed.

This move by Pietro not only showcased his astuteness in negotiations but also demonstrated his shrewdness in diversifying his options. By hinting at the potential inclusion of Pisa, he effectively conveyed that he was open to exploring alternative partnerships and was not solely reliant on the Genoese for armament production. This subtle yet powerful message put him in a stronger position to negotiate more favorable terms with the Senate.

This was an effective negotiating tactic because it forced the senators to be more flexible with their demands or else they would risk losing business to rival cities like Pisa.'' There is no need to bother the Pisans in such a way, esteemed envoy. I am confident that we can come to a mutually beneficial agreement. Think about how much the price will drop if we do, for instance, from 80,000 to 70,000'' As apparently he was working to prevent any involvement of the Pisan republic

'' Well, it's a good start, but not good enough; we need to cut the initial offer by 40%, which would be 32,000 denarii, '' Pietro rebutted, trying to further lower the amount of gold he would have to pay.

''Esteemed envoy, now you are asking for too much; we will be barely able to make a profit after this deal, not counting the loss of respectability that the republic will go through in order to produce such weaponry. We think that 66,000 dollars is more than a fair deal, Marco said while pointing out the loss that the Genoese will go through.''

''Well, since we do not agree on the price and since the esteemed republic does not want to employ the Pisans in this deal, I think that we should find a middle ground. Pietro said, arousing the interest of his counterpart,

Marco remained silent giving his permission to continue

'' You see, apart from armament, Corrado Capece pointed out his need to be supported with more men. Even though Conradin would be able to send some of his men to the south, he expressed his reluctance to do so since he already needed as many men as possible on the northern front. So going back to our deal, how about we pay, let's say, 50,000 gold coins, and you send alongside the weaponry in five days also 400 troops? Pietro said he was trying to make Marco agree on sending troops to Corrado, who desperately needs more men for his campaign.

This was a win-win situation for the king, who would gain more troops for his efforts without having to drain his own resources. It was a masterful display of diplomatic skills and negotiations that if successful would help the king achieve his goal of gathering the necessary supplies and troops for the campaign.

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Hey guys this afternoon there will be a second chapter as I want to arrive more swiftly to the third major engagement of the conflict. Also I am sorry to report that soon the chapter shall be unlocked to be read. I am really sorry about that.