It's not all that interesting, trust me. Worst part of Abraxan history class, by far. At least the Free Cities do more than farm.

[ She's quiet for a moment, thinking this over. When she says that she's not clear on Oliver's intentions, she means it. ]

Now, don't take this as written in stone, it's only my opinion, but I think this isn't about choosing sides at all. I think it's mostly about chaos. There's power in chaos, power that can be harnessed in all manner of ways, including magical. And there might be something that he needs us to take our attention away from. If we have to contend with escapees and the involvement of the other nations, then we won't be watching when he does whatever it is he wants to do.