“So you're telling me they don’t notice?” Valten asked, as they arrived at Nuln, having cleared the distance at a gallop, speeds faster than any Valten had seen. Not that it was easy, Estaria’s Fatigue was at 74% from the run.
“Yea. I could heft a Great Cannon over my shoulders and walk into the Throne Room, and they would ask why I was bringing a Great Cannon into the Throne, but not a single one would be compelled to bring up the point that I was carrying the damn thing” Estaria replied, walking lazily into the Throne room. After such a sprint, she was feeling a bit haggard. It would go away with rest, but until she got that rest, she was going to feel that single percent away from losing stats from fatigue.
“Well that is handy. I can’t tell you how much more I could get done if I wasn’t hiding the upper limits of my System-assisted powers” Valten took the lead, entering the Throne Room ahead of Estaria, and approaching the table where a collection of people stood. The Countess had little care for things outside of Nuln, and so had no War room, forcing The Emperor’s retinue to adapt the Throne Room for that purpose.
“My Lord Franz, I bring to you the great Scion of Ulric, Savior of the North, Defender of Middenhiem, Mother of The Snow Dens. The Gods hands are shown in the world. This is news both bold and grim” Valten spoke. Estaria cocked an eyebrow and looked to him for all the titles he spouted with such conviction and confidence, like she actually had them.
“I see the titles do not include the one that worries me, Valten” Karl replied, looking up from the table and staring at Estaria. She really didn’t look like any of those titles, in this wedding dress of sorts, and wearing heels. He didn’t need to know about the breastplate or blades in the heels or the rest of the armory she could pull out at a moment’s notice.
“The trouble of Augury, My Lord. Though the populate called her so, she does not claim it herself. Nor do they realize the gravity of such title. I…” Valten faltered when he saw Estaria’s Death Glare at one of the nobles. “Ahh...Sorry, My Lord. Estaria has been absent for a while, she has not heard of the new policy about Vampires” Valten spoke, the topic shifting as Estaria was suddenly brought into the new culture of the Empire. Though one of the Greatswordsmen looked up and at Estaria, she wasn’t looking, and so he simply returned to his post.
“The Auric Treaty was made after Vlad Von Carstien saved The Emperor in the skies above the Auric Bastion. Afterwards, a Daemon was killed trying to assassinate and impersonate the Ar-Ulric, and we realized this was going to be the worst invasion we have ever fasted. The Auric Bastion had fallen, Daemon Assassins were coming, and a new Everchosen had broken through Kislev. So we made a treaty with the Sylvanian Vampire Counts. They are an official territory of the Empire, have a vote on the council, and a Runefang. In exchange, they do not attack civilians for blood, or raise the dead unbidden. Any man who wishes to serve the Empire beyond death may volunteer. A few other things worked out between diplomats, but the short version is, they are on our side against Chaos. The Dwarves are apprehensive, but they have always been slow to accept change, and haven’t pulled out of any support already given, so we will let them come to terms in their own time” Valten spoke about the Undead at length, and then finally, he was silent.
“Well, so long as they are here officially and it’s not some magic glamour tricking everyone into thinking he is human. As for the other issue, I have no claim on your Throne, Emperor Franz. My loyalty is yours, as it has always been” Estaria said. What has the world come to, that they were allying with vampires? She looked about the rest of the people, but considering the scale of the people here - only Valten and the Counts - it made sense that only Vlad was around.
“With Middenhiem returned to us, we can lead an assault with our Unified Forces to Altdorf, clearing out the reavers there and having the Imperial Engineers Guild repair the walls. Taking the city won’t be a problem, from our scouts it has been abandoned for many months now. But keeping it for the length of time required to repair will be the issue” Karl spoke, clearly letting Estaria stay here for now, taking her oath of loyalty at face value, and treating her as a defacto Countess. She was currently the woman in control of Middenland’s capital, after all.
Before anything else could come of it, however, the doors opened and another woman entered, escorted by some guards.
“Isabella? What is wrong?” Vlad flitted from the table to the woman’s side, and there was great love in the man’s eyes. Even a dead heart could beat, it seemed.
“A Mad Priest attacked me in the streets!” Isabella replied, her voice haughty and confident beyond measure. But Vlad, just gave her a look which made her squirm a bit.
“Did you bite him?” He asked.
“I...needed to protect myself…” Isabella’s voice dimmed to a cuter, less narcissistic tone. And under Vlad’s glare, she broke. “Maybe, a little? But he is still alive” The last bit was hastily added, but Vlad still sighed.
“The Vampire Wars taught me I will get nowhere throwing myself against the Armies of the Empire. We must be allied with them to prosper. And this alliance relies on us showing we can be better than what they think of us” Vlad spoke, his words filled with passion and the speech really worthy of an Elector Count of The Empire.
“This alliance is two-sided, Vlad. I shall speak to the people later today, so that they show their best side” Karl spoke, walking up to Vlad. There was a tight bond there, as one would expect from a man who had saved his life. Maybe this whole Vampire thing would work out in the end.
“You two should go out somewhere. Seeing a Vampire in love will turn some heads and wreck some preconceived notions. Caught me off guard” Estaria spoke up. Isabella looked to Estaria and her eyes glittered, flitting over with vampiric speed to stroke the dress.
“This is fantastic! Where did you find such a dress?” Isabella looked up at Estaria, and it really looked like she wanted to either eat her, have sex with her, or both.
“It’s a secret” Estaria gave a wink and then fluttered eyelashes, flirting silently with the Vampire as if on instinct, before looking to the rest.
“I must return to Middenhiem now. The Province is still in Chaos hands, and I have a lot of work before I can fix that problem” Estaria told the crowd, reaching out to stroke Isabella’s cheek. Flirting for control and position was a response she had learned in Naggarond, and not something she could shake, especially not when faced with a woman as beautiful as Isabella. The gathered people nodded and Estaria left, back to Middenhiem. She made sure her Fatigue was at zero, and made a more leisurely pace so she didn’t have such a high level when she turned back up.
“Anywhere fun?” Filnon asked, as Estaria pulled up outside the gates and stood down the men.
“Met the Emperor. Tacit approval to carry on being the owner of Middenland and whatever else I can get my hands on, proviso of talking about it after the invasion. Which, will most probably lead me to giving everything back, honestly” Estaria gave the footnotes, and then kissed her wife. It was nice to be home. Home, meant she could kick Chaos Ass. “Damn...forgot to tell Valten about the dungeons” she suddenly cursed, clicking her tongue in vexation.
“New player about then?” Filnon snuggled her head into Estaria’s shoulder as she asked.
“Mmm, Sigmar’s. So, he is good, here” Estaria then picked Filnon up, and headed to the bedroom. She needed some wife time, after so long away.
