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Ulani measured the length of the sleeves against Cindy's arms and rolled them back to the necessary length, then put it back on the table and picked up her needle and thread once more.

"Despite what she thinks," she told Cindy sadly, "Reb's got more on her plate than she can handle - than anyone should be forced to handle. She wasn't at all prepared to become queen at the age she did, and the peoples' distrust of her only serves to make things even more difficult."

"Between trying to get her own people to trust her, and keeping relations between the Southland Elves and the other nations stable ... yes, I can see how she would always be so busy." Ulani sighed. "If only things had been different ... Regan should have been able to reign for much longer. She was killed far too young."

She grimaced. "Not that I'm one to talk. I'm only a few years older than she was ... but I wish I could have known her longer."

She finished one sleeve and started on the other.

"Officially, four," Ulani replied thoughtfully, "but unofficially, five. The official ones are the Southland Elves, Humans, Westland Elves, and Eastland Elves. The Eastland is a very young country, only a few decades old. It was created after the war. The dwarfs used to live there, but they were exiled to the north ... where they're guarded day and night by the elves. I consider them an unofficial fifth nation, but ... really they're not. At the most, they're a colony, really."

"Well, there would be more of them if they didn't die off so quickly," Ulani shrugged. "I suppose for a race of mortals they're numerous enough, but ... it takes them a long time to recover from wars. On the other hand, they had a bit of a head start on the rest of us after this past war, since they didn't even take part."

She glowered and stabbed the needle through the sleeve far more forcefully than was necessary.

Ulani glanced at Cindy, then sighed and lowered the tunic. "I'm sorry," she murmured softly, resuming her work more carefully again. "Rather than help us in the war, the humans decided that they wouldn't mind if we were exterminated - nevermind that they were next on the dwarfs' list of people to conquer - and they basically left us alone. If they'd helped when Reb had asked, the war could have been ended after only a month, rather than a year, and many lives would have been spared - on both sides."

She shook her head sadly. "It's all so pointless."

Then again, if the humans had helped, Ulani and Ulrich wouldn't be in the Four Lands again.

"It was already two generations ago for them," Ulani frowned, "they've already forgotten about it. It makes it more difficult to deal with them, they think they're the ones who are always wronged, they never believe it was their kind that did the wronging."

She finished the tunic and held it out to Cindy again. "How's this?"

"You're very welcome," Ulani smiled. "Honestly, though, it's not like we could have you go around naked or anything. Let me know if there's anything else you need as well, though, all right?"

She pushed her chair back and started to clean up her sewing mess.