For the last two days since the vampire wedding, I've been running the dungeon with Ailine so that Sara can spend some more time with her family. Degare woke up this morning, meaning he's likely playing with Anastasia while getting used to being a vampire. Even without increasing his level, his stat increases will take him a little to get used to. 

As we work on clearing and collecting all kinds of vegetables, I got a message from Tsuki.

(Aunt Lia! There's a big ol' group of dwarves coming along the trail you cleared!)

(Dwarves? How many, Tsuki?) I asked her.

(Um… A bunch are in wagons, and there's a more fancy carriage with a bunch more guards,) she said. (Maybe a hundred? More or less?)

That's a lot of dwarves. And a fancy carriage? The fuck is going on? Definitely not an attack. They wouldn't be that dumb or send that few. 

(How far out?) I asked.

(Maybe, like… two days? Three?)

I looked at Ailine, who stopped when I did. "Ailine. Tsuki spotted around a hundred dwarves coming towards us, and they're a couple days out. Any ideas?"

"Hmm…" She pondered. "Oh! Shane did ask me about if their king and council wanted to send more dwarves to observe our technology or train magic when he sent a report. I told him it was fine and that we would provide housing in the longhouses as long as they provided for their own extra expenses while here and sent an equal amount of guards for Captain Dridok or workers for the tunnel."

Am I even needed here anymore? Maybe I should go on a trip again. I feel like an extra cog sometimes.

"Good call," I said. "Both would definitely be appreciated. Especially if they do it mostly on their dime and not ours. Us subsidizing a few people is one thing, but a hundred? Yeah, no. Even Captain Dridok's guards are working as temp guards and get a wage."

"What are you going to do, Lia? Fly out to meet them?" Ailine asked.

"Nah. I can't do that for every group that comes. We need to start greeting people like a real monarchy. I'm wondering if the fancy carriage has one of their elders or something. Maybe to negotiate the road or some type of potential trade?

"Regardless, knowing that there might be a VIP gives us a heads up and time to greet them like royals should. This'll be a good chance to do it. I don't have to convince the dwarves of anything, so we can put out the second throne and greet them as queens."

With that decided, I reached back out to my niece. (Tsuki. Good job spotting them. No need to interfere or make contact. Just go about patrol as normal.)

(Gotcha! Later, Aunt Lia!) Tsuki said.

"What should we do next, Lia?" Ailine asked.

"Well, we begin preparing to receive guests."

I reached out to a redheaded moth. (Hey, Navi. Want to play queen and receive a hundred-ish dwarves in a couple days?)

(Haaa! Do I ever! It's been so long since I've played queen!) she happily replied.

For the next two days, I worked with all of the people I needed to set this up. We don't need to do anything grand or shocking. Just come across as put together. Subtleties and details will get us better results this time as opposed to rings of fire and dragon breath. 

Hmm... I want Sara to lead them in, but I just realized I never actually gave her a rank, title, or anything else. She's always just 'Sara,' but even all of the soldiers treat her with reverence since she is our dungeon companion and a much higher level.

Well, she already does the odd military type jobs. I've been meaning to organize a special operations team for when we strike the Empire. This might be a good time to officially form it, even if it's still just in name for now. I have to get through all these damn refugees and get a surplus of food again before I can get rid of most of them. I can't hire them to mine and build the second city until I can supply them with food at the very least.

Alright! It's decided! Let's just pull the fucking trigger. No use pussyfooting around. 

I reached out telepathically. (Hello everyone on the fairy communication network! First off, I'm tired of always calling it by some long name. Let's just call it the FCN. Next! Sara Thibodeaux will be officially given the rank of Captain and will organize the new Midnight Special Forces! Have a good rest of your day!) 

The next five minutes were just a buzz of people talking over each other on the FCN. Asking questions, giving congratulations, general comments, you name it. It was like an AIM chatroom, only with less people asking for your ASL or catfishing. Since I didn't get to surprise the dwarves this time, I needed to drop something. 

=====

POV - Princess Perrin Rancorock

We've been traveling for almost three weeks, but I can finally see the walls of a city! There are wooden palisades on both sides of the large and wide open section leading to the massive wall. Looking out the window of the carriage, I took in the view, as well as what greeted us.

Standing in front of the open gate was someone in an intriguing colored matt black armor that seemed to shift color slightly as we approached. On their back was a beautiful blue and silver spear. The same color as Daddy's sword. Flanking them on one side was a group of eleven dwarves in the standard armor I have grown accustomed to seeing. On the other side was a group of eleven humans in matte black armor with red speckling on the breast plate. 

As we approached, the center figure stepped forward, along with an older human soldier and a middle aged dwarf soldier. Our caravan pulled to a stop as they talked to the lead wagon. After a couple minutes of back and forth, we started moving again, but slowly.

"Princess, I believe it would be best to sit fully inside as we enter the city," Botill chastised me.

"I know that, Botill. But this is just so exciting!" I said.

Botill stared at me unmoved. "Princess, I can't protect you if you are hanging outside of the window."

I sighed and resigned myself to end my curiosity here. "Fine, Botill, fine. I'll sit."

"Thank you, Princess."

Oh, Botill. You've been my guard for over a decade now, but you still worry about me just as much as you did when I was a child. After sitting and waiting patiently for a couple minutes, we were greeted by a knock on the front sliding window followed by the driver's voice.

"Princess, the group from Midnight has come to greet you," the coachman said.

"Then let's do so!" I replied.

Botill left the carriage before I did, followed by Else. The one to speak is the armored figure with the mithril spear.

"Greetings, Princess. I am Captain Thibodeaux of the Midnight Special Forces. I came to extend an invitation to you from Their Majesties, Queen Midnight and Queen Nikita. They wish to formally greet you at the castle."

"Greetings, Captain Thibodeaux." I said. "We graciously accept. Please lead the way."

"As you wish."

After getting back into the carriage, we continued into the city. I can't contain my excitement, therefore I opened the window to see. To Botill's approval, I didn't lean outside this time. 

What I saw was the side of a clean, bustling street, with shops spread out, glass windows, and items on display. People all in relatively clean clothes going about their day, and seemingly enjoying themselves. I spotted humans, elves, but also a couple dwarves. All seem to be getting along together. 

What an interesting thing to see for the first time. I had learned in my lessons that the races all interacted together before the Vampire War, but to actually see it happening is so different! Just seeing humans and elves for the first time is amazing! They're all so tall, too. That's definitely going to take some getting used to. 

After passing a smaller wall and a beautiful courtyard, we came to a full stop and disembarked. Stepping out, I get my first view of the castle itself. Hidden by the wall and the front of the carriage, this is my first time seeing it, and it is truly spectacular. 

I thought my home in Dunmoor was large, but a true castle is on another level. This is why I am so excited for this trip! Reading about something or learning about it from instructors just isn't the same as experiencing something in person!

Walking inside with Botill and Else a step back over my shoulder, the captain led us into the castle, which was brightly lit with those lightbulbs they brought for us, and to an audience chamber. On the dais are three thrones, and there they are! The red eyes! The pointed ears! The fangs, visible when they smile! Eeeee! Real vampires!

Calm down, Perrin. They'll think I'm weird if I ask if they could bite me this soon. This is just our first meeting. Take a deep breath… Okay. I'm good.

I walked into the center of the chamber and gave as elegant of a curtsey as possible. "Greetings. I am Princess Perrin Rancorock, heir to the dwarven royalty." Good job, Perrin! You didn't mess it up!

The beautiful silver-haired vampire wearing a crown spoke next. "Greetings Princess Perrin. I am Dalia Midnight, Queen of the Vampires. Allow me to introduce my wife, Queen Consort Ailine Midnight, and our daughter, Princess Anastasia Midnight."

Just then, I notice movement in my periphery. Glancing at it, I saw Else trembling and Botill has tensed up. Looking at the dais as a whole and not just the vampires, for the first time and notice who and what else are in the room. Standing on the backs of the throne are small  winged people. Fairies. Although, that wasn't what made the two with me so nervous. 

Next to Queen Midnight is a large hippogryph, and next to that, just off of the dais, was an elf, maybe a couple years older than myself. Along the sides are dwarves. I recognized a couple of them. Next to Princess Anastasia was an even larger monster. This must be what Daddy warned us about. Looking into its eyes, I also freeze, and my knees feel weak. Every muscle in my body is telling me to run. Ah, so this is a dragon. Truly terrifying.

As if to break me out of my stupor, Queen Midnight spoke again, drawing my gaze away from those orange eyes, and I seem to be able to think and move once more.

"Now, I will let my fellow Queen introduce herself and her family."

The four fairies flew off of the thrones, with a red one in front and the other three behind.

"Greetings, Princess Perrin. I am the magnificent Fairy Queen, Navi Nikita. Behind me are the Fairy Princesses, Lala, Tsuki, and Carmen Nikita. Next to the thrones are our friends and companions, the hippogryph, Talon, and the dragon, Mitena. We all welcome you and the other dwarves to the city of Midnight."

Flying back to the throne, Queen Midnight then introduced the last person. "With us today is the Princess of the Elves, Zahra Zarate." 

The blue-haired elven princess gave a curtsey. 

Queen Midnight then asked, "Princess Perrin, may we inquire about your visit? We welcome you with open arms, however, it is quite surprising to have you travel all the way to us."

That finally snaps me awake. Yes! I'm here on an assignment from Daddy! How could I get so distracted and flustered? I'll just offer my blood later. Come on, Perrin, you can do this!

=====

POV - Dalia

I watched as the young dwarf seems to psych herself up. She looks to be in her teens, is about three and a half feet tall, and has long, light brown hair in a loose braid. This girl seems to show all of her emotions on her sleeve as well. 

When she first walked in, her eyes sparkled when she saw us, and seemed to ignore everything else in the room. For fuck's sake, it didn't seem like she realized there was a goddamn dragon next to us at first. Then she saw Mitena, and finally came back to her senses when she focused back on me. Funny girl.

She seems to have gathered herself enough and speaks. "I was asked by my father, King Rancorock, to serve as the official dwarven representative for our people here in Midnight. We wish to further strengthen our relationship with yourselves and Midnight, and believe having an official representative could be beneficial to both peoples."

I see… They find enough value in what we're doing here to increase the people they send to obtain it. So much so that they'd send their princess and heir. I guess I should be flattered at that. Well, as long as they don't interfere with my plans, I have no complaints.

Just to be sure, I check with my fairy partner. (Navi, you cool with this?)

(Fine by me!) Navi said mentally.

I then said to the dwarf, "Princess Perrin, we are honored to have you here as the official dwarven representative. Unless you choose otherwise, we will have rooms prepared for you and your attendants. The other dwarves with you are being shown to their own quarters in our longhouses or barracks, and I have been briefed on the exchange of manpower for observers and approve wholeheartedly. 

"Steph and her son Degare will see you to your rooms. Tonight, we would like to have a small banquet to further welcome you, and to introduce you to some of the other important figures here. You must be tired from your travels, so please rest and unpack for now, and let Steph know should you require anything."

She gives another curtsey and the two with her give small bows.

"We would graciously take you up on your generous offer, Queen Midnight. Then, if you would excuse us," she said.

Steph and Degare then stepped forward. "If you would please follow us, Princess, we will show you to your rooms."

We watch as the dwarven princess heads out of the chamber with sparkling eyes. Is… Is this girl that excited about vampires? What, did she just read a young adult series about sparkling vampires and werewolves, or something? Does she have a t-shirt with whose team she's on written on it? Oh well. She doesn't seem to mean any harm.

"Anastasia." I turn towards my daughter sitting in her adorable throne with a little tiara on her head. "You're most likely going to interact a lot with Princess Perrin. One day, she will be the Queen of the Dwarves. Try to get along with her, alright?"

"Yes, Mommy Lia!" She turns to Mitena. "Come on, Mitena, let's go play!"

"Groewell!"

Those two rush off and I turn towards Zahra. 

"For you, Zahra, this is a golden opportunity. For your own goals, you're going to need the support of the dwarves. What do you think a good way to get that support is?"

She scrunches her face. "...Becoming friends with Princess Perrin?"

I nod. "Yes, but how will you do that? Also, don't answer like you're unsure. You want to become a queen, so speak with confidence."

"Um... I should get to know her and talk with her."

"Better. You will also need to break the habit of saying 'Um' and 'Uh' when asked a question. Breaking that will come with time and experience, but just try to be aware of it and try to catch yourself. I know it's something done unconsciously, but you'll need to present yourself with dignity. 

"What I would suggest is at dinner, you invite her on a tour of the town with Anastasia and either Tsuki or Carmen. Showing her around will be helpful for her, give you something to talk about, and give you experience talking and answering questions from those in positions similar to yours."

"Yes! I'll do my best, Lia!" She raises a fist in front of her in determination and heads out of the room. 

The dwarves also left after their princess, and I assume Shane will bring her up to speed since he was essentially the unofficial rep before. Now, it's just Navi, Ailine, and I in the room.

"Seriously. Since when did we become a fucking boarding school for princesses?" I say.

"Hahahaha! You're collecting princesses like a protagonist with a smartphone! Just get a human for a full set, now! Leave the kids alone you old elephant. They're starting their slice of life, school arc in their own stories." Navi, of course, is amused at the entire situation.

"It'll be alright, Lia." Reaching over the arms of our thrones, Ailine squeezes my hand. "You're doing a good job, and the dwarves are acknowledging that by sending their princess here. You're also doing great teaching Princess Zahra."

I sigh. "I get that with the dwarves, although it's surprising they sent their heir as a rep this soon, but I never asked to teach that girl anything. I'm not a queen-maker. Fuck, everything I know comes from secondhand sources from a different world! I have no business teaching others."

"And yet," she retorts, "you're doing a wonderful job."

I just sigh again and lean back. It's getting closer to the time to strike the Empire. Just a few more things to finish and prep, then I can finally begin the endgame after all these years.

That night, dinner went well. The six princesses seemed to get along well, and Anastasia asked permission to go around with Tsuki, Zahra  and Perrin, so I assume Zahra's request was a success. Perrin was introduced to Captains Dridok, James, and Sara without her armor, as well as Elden and Realyn. Her maid seemed to get along with Steph, who appeared to be showing her around, and her bodyguard constantly glanced at Mitena. Better get used to the dragon, Ms. Dwarf. If she had appraisal, she'd probably be nervous about Anastasia, who out-levels her by over twenty percent.

Finally, the dinner came to an end, and everyone returned to their lodgings. For the next couple of weeks, I stayed mostly in the background and directed what was going on. 

The first thing I did was to get Sara and put together a rough plan for the Midnight Special Forces, or MSF. I explained what I wanted them to be ready to do once we began our attack, and gave Sara instructions on how to get them ready to do their jobs. Many of the members would be from her existing task force. Total, there would be fifty people she would lead. We'll power level them all to at least level 55, then they'll continue to work on their skills. 

I was afraid of someone finding my people with appraisal, but apparently it is more rare than I thought. One in a quarter million, rare. Because it's a great military asset to have, anyone with it will be recruited as soon as they're found and their family and themselves will be set for life with their pay. Even the dwarves value it highly, so no wonder their general had it. He was probably trained for a high position from a young age.

While the MSF soldiers were training, I took their enchanted matte black armor we gave them, and added a thin outer layer to make it look how I needed. I also took my armor, Sara's, and Ailine's and created an outer shell of thin metal to make it look like church armor, including the helmet. Since I wasn't pressed for time, I made everything to a much higher standard than I did when attacking the elves. 

The shell is very thin and can easily be equipped or unequipped directly on our real armor. At the joints, I did a small chainmail so as to hide the real armor beneath, yet look believable. This included a mail coif for the neck, although it only went under the fake helmet. All together, it looked extremely believable. If we were going to position ourselves, looking like holy knights could only be to our advantage. At least until faith plummets.

Talking to Sara and some of the other humans that traveled, there are no ID's in this world, and entering a city just requires a toll. I suspected that when I never found any ID papers or cards after killing the church people and the bandits. Seems really lax, but I guess when you don't have to worry about other countries, it's more like driving from one state to another on Earth. Cities have boundaries, but anyone can come or go. 

I wonder if in the future we can make enchanted guild cards or something... Thoughts for a later time post-empire.

Slowly, I was finalizing my plan to attack the Empire. I want as many of my pieces in position as I can get before then. I just need to beat a dungeon once more, and hopefully get the information I want from the gods. I might be treating them a bit like a magic lamp, but whatever.

One day, while working on my preparations, I get a message from Tsuki. 

(Aunt Lia! Those elves you wanted me to keep an eye out for are a couple days away!)

(Thanks, Tsuki.) I leave my work and go out towards the longhouses.

On my way, I pass by the lab and see Navi busy enchanting bags while humming. I put in a request for the special forces and the other people I'll need to use. Walking out of the castle, I pause and stare at the odd site in front of me.

There, running through the courtyard, is Mitena with her saddle. On her back are Anastasia and Perrin sitting in the saddle, laughing and smiling together holding onto the reins. Chasing behind are a distressed bodyguard and flustered maid. Steph is slowly walking behind, completely relaxed with a smile on her face. I don't even want to ask, so I ignore the comedy skit and keep walking. At the very least, Anastasia seems to be getting along with Perrin.

Leaving the castle, I go by the Church of Balance. It's still mid-morning, and they still look like they're serving food. I even see Degare helping. There are more human priests and priestesses being trained by my request. I have ten that have agreed to open churches in the human lands once I clear it out enough to be safe for them, along with providing a couple bodyguards. I have an extra twenty training and leveling with the special forces whose sole job will be to be bodyguards for the priests and priestesses. 

I make it through the vibrant city with my shadow cloak on. Because there are a few vampires living here who also use cloaks, I don't stand out all that much. What a weird thing this is. The vampires have almost all become active in the day. It's just weird and unnatural, but I can't overlook how well they have blended with everyone else here. 

I finally made it to the longhouses. There are still plenty to build, but we'll put this next group to work. I walk into one that has become the de facto embassy of sorts. It's where Zahra and her group leaders all stay, and they even made little cubicle walls for pseudo-rooms for paperwork and other office jobs. Want an elf of some standing? Check the embassy. My whole city is just a fucking weird patchwork. Whatever. It's working, so who am I to complain?

"Princess Zahra." I said once I saw her, busily working on paperwork and reading reports.

"Queen Midnight! To what do I owe the pleasure?" She stands to greet me. Because of others around, we both stay more formal.

"The other elves are a couple days out. Are you ready to unite your people?"

A smile brightens her face. "Very much so. Everything is progressing and we reached our expected level of completion. Rest assured, I will work to handle their transition as guests here in Midnight."

"I'm counting on you. Remember the possible scenarios we talked about and be ready to lead your people."

"Yes!" she said, standing a bit straighter.

I turn to leave. I just hope that she can handle what comes. We leveled her to 50 and gave her good equipment and weapons. It doesn't make her an expert, but one can't deny the value of stats. At the very least, being a higher level will give her some protection for herself.

Here's to hoping headaches are kept to a minimum.