Letter 18: The most excellent king of the Lombards to the most pious Emperor.

The most excellent king of the Lombards to the most pious Emperor. The current state of affairs in Italy requires that we communicate directly, without the intermediaries who have sometimes complicated our correspondence. The territories that your forces and ours have contested for the past generation are now, in practical terms, divided between our respective governance. I propose that we formalize this division rather than continuing to fight over the boundary. Formal peace will serve both of us better than continued warfare. I am not proposing a permanent legal settlement of all Italian territorial questions — these are too complex to resolve in a single negotiation. I am proposing a practical armistice that acknowledges the current disposition of territory and prevents further military action for a specified period. The terms I propose are the following: your forces remain on their current positions; mine remain on mine; neither side advances without sixty days' notice through the agreed diplomatic channel. Disputes about the exact location of the boundary in contested areas are referred to a joint commission. I await your response. The king, in the name of the Lombard kingdom