After arriving to the Duke Robert's keep, we were bluntly told that we had to wait outside while Marina and Mary had to explain who we were, I'm not going to lie waiting gave me time to work my mind through the bullshit... no that is an underfucken statement. I through Old Mate was stabbed...

I release a breath, from my cross legged position. I had been sitting here for the last half an hour... in out. In out.

Opening my eyes, off my left Hannah was sitting on her knees. With our men standing around watching the knights.

The Servo-Ork-skull flew in front of me and it's photoreceptor eyes "blinked" as it was recording everything happening around us.

"I don't understand why you broke... a tradition like that." I asked as the skull recorded my words.

"Like what?" She asked with a knowing smile.

"Do I need to point out the skull?"

"Well, it was my first and Servo-skulls are meant to be important." She shrugs without opening her eyes, "But that is somewhat true, I won't lie." She lifts her hand and the skull leisurely floats over and after retrieving it, she looks at it and starts reading through the logs she nodded.

"So?" I inquire.

"According to this, we have nearly twenty watching us, not including those around us. Cloak and Dagger types." She answers. "Also, I am going to smack some sense into that Heiress."

"Why?"

"She pointed him out and the Duke throw a few fireballs." She clenched her hand, but released a sigh of annoyance.

I felt another attempt by their Psykers to get information from Hannah or I. Grabbing what felt like a tendril I opened a direct link between me and him, with myself giving him a simple warning. "I will personally kill you if you keep doing that." I cut the tendril down forcing the feedback to hit hard on his end.

Feeling someone new coming, Old Mate looks for me and what looked like a house servant, the same one that took Marina and Mary after arrival...

"The master of the manor Duke Robert will see you now, but you aren't allowed any guards." She tolled us... a loophole found within a second.

Hannah heard the same loophole... "Sure." I said, without much certainty or regard to the Duke's wishes.

"Yes, one minute." Hannah said. "Hamilton... would Skitarii be considered 'guards'? Or soldiers?"

"Neither Daughter. They are your servants first and soldiers or guards second."

"Thank you." Hannah said, "Hamilton and Mujra fall in." She ordered.

I stood up and patted my thigh, and Old Mate came to me. Giving the guy a great scratch behind his... my ears... "Well I doubt the Duke would mind if my pet joins us." I said.

"The Duke will not be happy." She said in an attempt to make us give a shit.

"And who was attacked in the streets?" I bite back with some spite, "If the duke can't even guarantee the safety of a visitors to his city and that isn't even getting into the issue that I am the Heir Apparent as well."  The servant silenced herself before she could say anything that could in-rage me farther.

"Then I will take you too him." She said, and if her head was any lower you'd swear she was an headless type of undead.

I grabbed Felica shoulder and whispered a order into her ear. She was surprised but agreed nonetheless. With that done we followed the servant into the keep, with our alertness out the roof...

Old Mate was right on my heel with Hannah and her two 'servants' following behind.

We followed the house servant until she stopped in front of a door, we... I allowed her to knock on the door before just walking past her and opening it.

"Wha... It's you." A male voice snarled, looking at him... I was unimpressed. He wore an elaborate purple robes roman style with a staff leaning on his sit, his... is that purple eye color or his he fucken' with me... at a guess his age is roughly late 30s or early 40s. 

He had no shoes and nor was the Heiress for that matter...

The room looked to be his study, with a dozen book shelfs with books both old and new. Along with a balcony.

"Yes, it is me." I replied.

"I said, no guards!" He said after raining in his temper.

Rubbing my wolf's flank, I replied with. "He is my pet."

"And these are my servants." Hannah added onto.

A growl come from his throat, "I thought you two would have some common sense as royalty."

Me and Hannah chuckle, "Common sense was traded in for safety after the attack."

"Which according to my people was instigated by you." The Duke said.

"Before or after I was stabbed in the side?" I replied harshly, "Just be lucky I don't hold you accountable."

"Oi!" Marina's voice fills the room. We both snap our heads at her. The traveling clothes she wore before was replaced with a purple-crimson dress with fingerless opera gloves in a shade of deep black. "Father, do not forget he did save my life."

"And only four days later ruined an alliance that would have given the Dukedom thousands of more troops!" He snapped, grasping his staff and it glowed along with the dozen or so carvings. "And I shoul-d... Impossible!"

"I don't need a staff to fight, you half-baked Mage. A true Mages needs nothing like an amplifier." I said, subsisting Psyker with Mage. While several motes of fire and golden light danced around my hands and arms.

Hannah seemed to join in and smoke emitted from her fingertips, and the sound of dripping water, and her tail was arced over her head like a scorpion.

"You done with that dick measuring contest?" Marina asked. The three of us grumble fine and sit down, with Marina playing mother with the tea pouring Hannah and I a cup. "Now. introduces yourselves without turning the keep into a warzone."

The Duke released a breath and spoke, "My name is Duke Robert, reigning monarch of this Dukedom... and if you didn't know, the Dukedom is called 'Hestoria'. And we are the last place on this planet that still follows the Golden Father's teaching!" He slammed his clench fist into the arm chair.

"Greetings duke Robert. I am Joseph Crown-Prince to the Imperium of Man... and the golden father would hate it if you worshiped him." I greeted back, with sarcasm and emphasizing his title within the hierarchy, and pocked at his Emperor bothering.

"Bah, your like the rest ig-!"

"No, actually. I am more aware of his wishes then you are." I replied, with some confidence and he doesn't opposes me as my rank and where I would be would give me greater knowledge of the Emperor's wishes.

Hannah speaks next, "I am Daughter Hannah to the Omnissiah."

"What rank is that?!" He asked indigent.

"The same as a crown-princess." She replied.

The Duke thrummed his fingers along the arms of his chair. After a very long silence followed until he spoke again, "Why are you even here?"

"We have no idea, your daughter invited us." I replied and place down the tea, as I hadn't even touched it.

Now with Marina on the spotlight she looks almost betrayed... "Yes, at first I wanted to get you here so that you could form a relationship with my father... but after that... incident... I have no idea anymore."

A pair of palms hitting faces resound through out the room.

"Really?" Three voices asked her.

"Sorry." She said and shrank back.

Duke Robert straightened his jaw and spoke, "What is your plans while in my land?"

"As until father notice, we plan to return this world back into the fold."

.

Meanwhile those four argue, the Guardsmen and Machanicus were waiting outside.

.

Felica and Marcus where discussing with the highest ranking member of Hannah's troop.

"Are you sure?" Kulian asked, his binary box was slightly moved aside allowing himself to speak without the robotic edge on it.

"Yes, the God-Prince said, that if anyone attempts to disarm us or any else. We have been given his full support to defend ourselves and if needed fight back with lethal force." Felica said.

"Yes, but you are also asking if you are attacked. You want us, without our Daughter's order to aid you." Kulian repeated.

Felica raised her hand but sighed, "We are all servants under the Emperor!" She whispered harshly, "I am asking that you don't let us go down, remember their are eleven of us, and only seven of you. If they can disarm the guard then they will be embolden to disarm your men!"

Marcus added, "Disarmed men are dead men."

"Fine..." Kulian said, "But I want it in writing that you two convinced me!"

Marcus pulled out a piece of parchment and wrote, "I Commissar Marcus. Convinced Second in Command of the Daughter's Forces to aid us in combat."

Felica took the parchment, "I Aid-De-Camp Felica. Convinced Second in Command of the Daughter's Forces to aid us in combat."

"This is acceptable." Kulian nodded after rolling the parchment and hide it into his robes, and he turned and walked over to his fellow tech-adepts.

Felica and Marcus returned to find several guardsmen were playing a card game the Prince called 'blackjack' .

Felica sat down and joined in. With the Commissar collecting who had the most of the reward, said reward was each person's 'grumble allowance' as that was the only useful reward at the moment.

They played a few rounds with Juliana whining as she lost the most.

While that was going on the people watching them got their orders from a man who seemed to almost appear from shadow.

Nodding the knights advanced. "Contacts!" The dealer of the card game shouted and dropped the deck he was held and pulled up his Lasgun.

The action was met with similar results from every other Guardsmen and the Machanicus prepped themselves without making to too obvious.

The lead knight shouted an order that changed the dynamic between everyone present. "You are to disarm and face trial for crimes against the Dukedom of Hestoria."

"Really?" Felica asked.

"If you do not disarm you will be deemed enemies and will face death. But anyone that surrenders and betrays your prince will be gained land, titles and women or men is some cases." The Knight said, with full insurance that anyone in a helpless situation like this would give up.

What he wasn't expecting was what role a Commissar is for.

"Anyone that accepts it will be shot!" Marcus shouted and fired his bolt-pistol into the air. "You are Guardsmen! Under the command of the God-Prince! Form up! Show them what it means to be loyal!"

Upon his words the Guard readied themselves for battle.

Felica looked at the knight and asked, "Does that apply to them?" With a gesture at the tech-adepts.

"Do you think me a fool? I said everyone!" The knight reaffirmed.

Kulian softly muttered something, the rest of Hannah's command squad formed up and the 'exploration team' put down their recording equipment and grabbed their rifles.

Felica smiled, which sent a shiver down the spine of the knight and those that saw it. "Then, by the order of the God-Prince. I Felica Faros sign the death warrant of anyone that dares to attack us!"

"It's a bluff!" Shouted one of the knights and charged.

Felica fired a single shot on full power which bisected the man. As his hip exploded from all the water in his body becoming a gas.

Under their helmets faces paled at the power she had displayed, and even their Mages took a few steps back as they didn't believe they could stop such a weapon for long. To them if those were normal firearms then fine... but that?

"Anyone else!?" She shouted at them.

The Knights and Mages back up slightly. But again the shadowy figure appeared and pointing at Felica, "Why do you defy fate?" His voice was shadowy almost ethereal and but she could feel something entering her mind.

"Commissar! Non-lethal!" She shouted and pointed at the new arrival. And at her order he aimed and fired half of his bolter shells. Whatever protection he had shattered and his leg gave out, as his left leg was gone with the shell that took hit exploded into the ground. "You are lucky I am feeling merciful." She stated darkly.

Marcus reloaded.

.

Back inside.

.

Hamilton spoke interrupting the currant 'Conversation', "My Daughter. Imperial Guard have been engaged the the Duke's men, killing one knight and badly wounding a Psyker."

Joseph jumped up drawing his pistol, and Hannah's tail lashed out coiling around Marina's throat. Duke Robert didn't think he would be caught.

"Care to explain?" Joseph asked.

"What do you mean? You killed a noble! I can't allow you to walk!" He shouted and reached out for his staff.

Firing a shot, the staff split in two. "No you don't!"

With a growl the Duke stood. "With a single order I can and will have you all killed." He stated.

"With a single order I can and will raze this Dukedom to the ground." Joseph countered. "Plus this will all start with her!" Old Mate moved forward and circled Marina like a shark.

"You wouldn't dare!"

"If you were planning to sell her off over soldiers? Then you clearly don't care."

"Of cause I do she is the Heiress! She will inherit this Dukedom once I pass on!"

Joseph chuckled. "Yes, and after her marriage and your death... young Marina will find herself dead either at the hands of her 'husband' or by a goon in the streets. Then your family will end and the little pig I killed would lead this Dukedom into the ground."

"You don't know if any of that is true!"

"It's logical really, but clearly your too blinded to see it." Hannah states, as she slowly pulls Marina closer to herself.

They stayed like that for nearly a good minute... the Duke rethought about all the actions he had done until now... he annoyingly add to agree with Hannah, who still had her tail not too tightly but tight enough to keep Marina from escaping. He only one cause of action that could keep her save and prevent the Dukedom from being destroyed... and he could prep himself to deal with the boy.

The Duke sighed, stood up and reach his hand out. "For this once. Let's restart this... relationship, on the ground you accept my one term."

"Alright I'll bite." Joseph said and lower his Las-pistol slightly.

"Become my Daughter's betrothal. In exchange I will not continue in attempting to kill you and your men." Everyone didn't know what to think, but Joseph countered.

"Fine, but I want to recruit nine people of my choosing including two Mages." He said and reached his hand out. Joseph believed that even if he was given choses among rapid loyalist Marcus will set them straight and combat along side the normal guard will make them hesitant to turn on those they had fought with... if not? Combat is a chaotic place.

"Deal!" The Duke smiled internally as he could give him people wholly loyal to him over and once at the right time a masterful betrayal. But to ensure it... families would be used, hostages that will keep them loyal and ensure they do their jobs.

Both sides planned for each others downfall.