The streets were alive with activity as residents of Blackthorn muttered between themselves in hushed voices as Damien and his crew paraded down the main road with a fleet of armoured knights. Although all the knights were technically under Damien's control as the defacto lord of the region, just from a glance at their differing armour quality, a person could tell between the various factions within the knight's ranks.
The ones walking on the left side of Damien wore polished silver armour that gleamed in the midday sun with capes cascading down their backs with a distinct Silvermoon crest signifying their relation to house Silvermoon and Princess Emilia. The young princess had been enjoying some afternoon tea when the announcement for everyone to gather at the gates reached her pointed ears. She quickly changed into noble attire and now strode beside Damien a few steps behind. Although she hid it well, Damien could tell she was nervous. She had obviously run away from home, and a convoy bearing her Fathers name had shown up unannounced.
In front of Damien was his trained division of knights, Zero had done a splendid job teaching these people in the forest next to Tarlington Fortress, and with repurposed armour from Staedbergh, they looked professional. Damien knew they were about average in terms of fighting potential, but it was necessary to put his military might on display. Behind Damien floated his own personal Aurel with whom he had made the initial connection and another ten behind that. The floating suits of black armour and especially the one covered in blood runes drew most of the attention. Even the knights belonging to Richard Cunningdal that filled up the right flank couldn't help but shoot the occasional glance at the sight.
The clink of metal as the hundreds of knights marched to Blackthorn's main entrance was a sight to behold. As the parade approached the front gate, all the Overseers with red eyes and fangs stitched on their uniforms standing on the walls saluted Damien as the group passed through.
Beyond the gate was a convoy of around twenty carriages; knights in green chrome armour with bird-shaped helmets stood in line with their hands placed on the hilts of their blades. 'Those are the elites of the Royal Family,' Damien thought as his parade parted like the red sea and let him walk through.
The green chrome knights also parted, and a lanky half-elf wearing black robes covered in swirling patterns emerged. His pitch-black eyes, unnerving to look at, scanned the surroundings before finally landing on Damien.
Despite his exploits, Damien was still a mere B-grade mage, so being stared down by Kassinki's A-grade Guild Master made him gulp.
"Greetings, Duke Nightshade, or should I refer to you as your Highness?" The guild master's voice was monotone but had a dangerous edge.
Damien still had no idea the proper etiquette for receiving a Royal Decree. The first and only one was by Beldroth all those months ago, and the situation was similar this time - except for one crucial difference. Beldroth was strong, but even back then, Damien could have had a fighting chance. As Damien gazed into Jannalor's eyes and from his game knowledge, he knew this half-elf was a walking demi-god. Whatever that Royal Decree entailed, Damien had no say in the matter. If Jannalor had come to kill, then Damien would die. If Jannalor wanted to seize Blackthorn for the crown, so be it. 'If they sent the Guild Master and a platoon of elite knights out here, then it must be severe... anything I say here won't change their mind, and since I don't know the proper etiquette, ill just bear the role of a vampire royal. And we have no etiquette.'
Damien waved him off, "Whatever you see fit, Sir Jannalor. How may I be of assistance today? I heard you came bearing a Royal Decree?" Damien kept up his confident facade. 'If only they arrived at night, then I would have a fighting chance with Vanity, Lily and Jackson on my side, but all I have on my side are B grades.'
Jannalor smiled. But with those eyes, it was creepy. "That I have." He reached into his robes and retrieved an enchanted red tube bearing the Greentail family's crest, a green snake around a golden staff. He injected some mana, the top of the tube popped, and a scroll fell into Jannalor's waiting hand.
Over a hundred knights stood silent as Jannalor coughed into his hand and began reading in his bored, monotone voice that sent shivers down everyone's spines.
"By decree of his majesty Edward Greentail of Kassinki, Duke Nightshade is hereby ordered to return to the Kassinki Capital to attend his majesty's birthday in one month." Jannalor looked up from the parchment and at Princess Emilia Silvermoon, "Your presence is also expected." Upon ending his words, the scroll exploded in flames, and ash scattered with the wind. "Do you obey?" Jannalor asked with his hands behind his back. All the green chrome knights stood straighter and gripped their sword hilts.
"I obey."
***
"Like hell, I obey such a stupid decree!" Damien raged within his office inside the Tarlington fortress. Varn's chaos mana blanketed the room, making him feel even more on edge as it prickled his skin and messed with his mana circuits. He paced around, occasionally paused beside a window, looked out at the calm lake, and scoured the shoreline for those green chrome knights or that stuck-up half-elf. "That 'party' will be a death trap."
Damien looked between Fay and Emilia, who lay on two couches a table apart. Apart from Varn in the corner, Richard Cunningdal was also present. "What do you think?"
Richard nodded, stroking his magnificent reddish-brown beard, "Mhm, I agree with your worries. But what can we do? Each of those elite royal knights is in the B grade, and Jannalor himself is high in the A grade. So they sent that team here for a reason." Richard narrowed his eyes, "They expected resistance."
An explosion of mana rippled through the door of the room as it swung open. Purple light backlit, a tall half-elf wearing black robes. "Evening, gentlemen."
Vanity, lying in a comfortable armchair in the corner of the room, pushed herself out of the chair's comfortable embrace and manoeuvred herself in front of Damien. Her scarlet eyes never left the elf, and her heart beat loudly in her chest.
Jannalor's pitch-black eyes followed Vanity with a hint of amusement, "Relax, vampire. I am here to talk. Please forgive my unannounced visit." Jannalor then turned to Emilia, who had sat up straight like a beanpole and smiled, "Princess Emilia, it has been too long."
Emilia returned a warm smile and relaxed, "Yes, Jannalor, it has been far too long, and I have missed your company greatly... what have you come to talk about?"
Jannalor carefully closed the door behind him, and his smile vanished. "Politics, I'm afraid." Then, his pitch-black eyes turned to Damien, "In my humble opinion, I suggest you ignore the Royal Decree."
The room went pin drop silent. Everyone showed varying faces of confusion and disbelief. Jannalor shook his head at their reactions and continued, "Don't get it twisted. I am on Princess Emilia's side and always have been. I volunteered to bring the Royal Decree here for a chance to speak to you all without arousing suspicion." Jannalor nodded to Richard, "The situation has gotten worse, I am afraid, and I suspect this year's birthday party will be his majesty's last."
"So we don't have to accept the decree?" Damien questioned over Vanity's head. She had relaxed but was still glaring intensely at Jannalor for any sign of deceit. Vanity was the only one that had a fighting chance in the room, so the safety of Damien lay on her shoulders, much to her annoyance.
"Yes and no." Jannalor looked around and felt awkward being stared down by everyone, "Mind if I take a seat?" Emilia patted the spot next to her and shuffled down the couch. Jannalor gracefully perched himself and continued. "I will explain from the start, so we are all on the same page, alright?"
Nobody disagreed, so he took a breath and began his tale. "It has been confirmed by a few sources. Richard Cunningdal included. That Prince August has not only dabbled in the dark arts... but has fully surrendered himself to a liches spirit to obtain an A grade in necromancy."
"So he is a dual mage? I heard he also has a B grade in Wind Magic?" Fay asked from the side.
Jannalor nodded. "Indeed, although the two schools of magic have poor synergy, it still makes him a problematic opponent. Anyway, that is beside the point. He has used his powers to slowly take over the nobles and replace or transform them into puppets under his command." Jannalor raised a finger to draw everyone's attention. "And this is a major issue that has made him invincible. The King is aware of his son's antics, but he still doesn't fully understand how deep his son's control really goes."
"King Edward is a foolish King." Damien said with spite, "How could he let this happen?"
Jannalor, Richard and Emilia all sighed together, and Jannalor spoke. "That he is. The Greentail family has been in decline for generations." Jannalor patted Emilia on the shoulder, "No offence. But they have grown complacent over the years. With the noble pledge protecting their incompetency, they have further decreased their capabilities. It is due to King Edward's blatant incompetency throughout the years that allowed Prince August to gain so much power so quickly within the court."
Damien had played the game and knew the events that transpired, but the intricacies of this world's noble system were beyond him, so he asked. "If even the King knows of his exploits, can't we have August thrown in prison or executed?"
"No," Emilia answered resolutely. "The Noble pledge was invented by the high nobles long ago and is deeply rooted in noble society. Moreover, Prince August, as the potential heir to the throne, is almost on par with my Father's noble rank. Therefore, according to the noble pledge, my Father could have anyone executed on a whim... he could also demand that nobles be stripped of their powers. But not August. For anything to happen to him, a court hearing would have to overwhelmingly vote against August for anything to transpire."
"Ah." Damien now saw the big issue. 'With Prince August controlling the majority of the court, they would never vote against him. And even if he didn't have control over them, they would likely still vote against the King due to his incompetency.' Damien frowned, something he had been doing a lot today and let out a sigh as he walked back to the window. Seeing the calm lake helped settle his mind a bit. This whole situation was frustrating. "So... if I deny the royal decree, what happens?"
"Well, we have a month to delay..." Jannlor sank back on the sofa with a tired expression, "...but a war with the capital is inevitable. Refusing to turn up to the King's birthday gives reason for him to strip your noble title..." Jannalor then looked at Emilia's nervous expression, "...and Prince August will claim you are keeping the Princess hostage and will have the full backing of that incompetent King to launch a war with Blackthorn."
Jannlor leaned forward. "Therefore, in my opinion, you have two options. Go to the capital and potentially die or get caught up in a nefarious scheme. Or refuse to go and prepare for war."
"And your stance on the matter?" Damien asked, and Vanity moved to protect him. Jannalor shrugged. "We will return to the capital with or without you." He smiled, still creepy with his pitch black eyes, "After all, I am not a noble. So if you tell me to leave, I can only oblige."
The streets were alive with activity as residents of Blackthorn muttered between themselves in hushed voices as Damien and his crew paraded down the main road with a fleet of armoured knights. Although all the knights were technically under Damien's control as the defacto lord of the region, just from a glance at their differing armour quality, a person could tell between the various factions within the knight's ranks.
The ones walking on the left side of Damien wore polished silver armour that gleamed in the midday sun with capes cascading down their backs with a distinct Silvermoon crest signifying their relation to house Silvermoon and Princess Emilia. The young princess had been enjoying some afternoon tea when the announcement for everyone to gather at the gates reached her pointed ears. She quickly changed into noble attire and now strode beside Damien a few steps behind. Although she hid it well, Damien could tell she was nervous. She had obviously run away from home, and a convoy bearing her Fathers name had shown up unannounced.
In front of Damien was his trained division of knights, Zero had done a splendid job teaching these people in the forest next to Tarlington Fortress, and with repurposed armour from Staedbergh, they looked professional. Damien knew they were about average in terms of fighting potential, but it was necessary to put his military might on display. Behind Damien floated his own personal Aurel with whom he had made the initial connection and another ten behind that. The floating suits of black armour and especially the one covered in blood runes drew most of the attention. Even the knights belonging to Richard Cunningdal that filled up the right flank couldn't help but shoot the occasional glance at the sight.
The clink of metal as the hundreds of knights marched to Blackthorn's main entrance was a sight to behold. As the parade approached the front gate, all the Overseers with red eyes and fangs stitched on their uniforms standing on the walls saluted Damien as the group passed through.
Beyond the gate was a convoy of around twenty carriages; knights in green chrome armour with bird-shaped helmets stood in line with their hands placed on the hilts of their blades. 'Those are the elites of the Royal Family,' Damien thought as his parade parted like the red sea and let him walk through.
The green chrome knights also parted, and a lanky half-elf wearing black robes covered in swirling patterns emerged. His pitch-black eyes, unnerving to look at, scanned the surroundings before finally landing on Damien.
Despite his exploits, Damien was still a mere B-grade mage, so being stared down by Kassinki's A-grade Guild Master made him gulp.
"Greetings, Duke Nightshade, or should I refer to you as your Highness?" The guild master's voice was monotone but had a dangerous edge.
Damien still had no idea the proper etiquette for receiving a Royal Decree. The first and only one was by Beldroth all those months ago, and the situation was similar this time - except for one crucial difference. Beldroth was strong, but even back then, Damien could have had a fighting chance. As Damien gazed into Jannalor's eyes and from his game knowledge, he knew this half-elf was a walking demi-god. Whatever that Royal Decree entailed, Damien had no say in the matter. If Jannalor had come to kill, then Damien would die. If Jannalor wanted to seize Blackthorn for the crown, so be it. 'If they sent the Guild Master and a platoon of elite knights out here, then it must be severe... anything I say here won't change their mind, and since I don't know the proper etiquette, ill just bear the role of a vampire royal. And we have no etiquette.'
Damien waved him off, "Whatever you see fit, Sir Jannalor. How may I be of assistance today? I heard you came bearing a Royal Decree?" Damien kept up his confident facade. 'If only they arrived at night, then I would have a fighting chance with Vanity, Lily and Jackson on my side, but all I have on my side are B grades.'
Jannalor smiled. But with those eyes, it was creepy. "That I have." He reached into his robes and retrieved an enchanted red tube bearing the Greentail family's crest, a green snake around a golden staff. He injected some mana, the top of the tube popped, and a scroll fell into Jannalor's waiting hand.
Over a hundred knights stood silent as Jannalor coughed into his hand and began reading in his bored, monotone voice that sent shivers down everyone's spines.
"By decree of his majesty Edward Greentail of Kassinki, Duke Nightshade is hereby ordered to return to the Kassinki Capital to attend his majesty's birthday in one month." Jannalor looked up from the parchment and at Princess Emilia Silvermoon, "Your presence is also expected." Upon ending his words, the scroll exploded in flames, and ash scattered with the wind. "Do you obey?" Jannalor asked with his hands behind his back. All the green chrome knights stood straighter and gripped their sword hilts.
"I obey."
***
"Like hell, I obey such a stupid decree!" Damien raged within his office inside the Tarlington fortress. Varn's chaos mana blanketed the room, making him feel even more on edge as it prickled his skin and messed with his mana circuits. He paced around, occasionally paused beside a window, looked out at the calm lake, and scoured the shoreline for those green chrome knights or that stuck-up half-elf. "That 'party' will be a death trap."
Damien looked between Fay and Emilia, who lay on two couches a table apart. Apart from Varn in the corner, Richard Cunningdal was also present. "What do you think?"
Richard nodded, stroking his magnificent reddish-brown beard, "Mhm, I agree with your worries. But what can we do? Each of those elite royal knights is in the B grade, and Jannalor himself is high in the A grade. So they sent that team here for a reason." Richard narrowed his eyes, "They expected resistance."
An explosion of mana rippled through the door of the room as it swung open. Purple light backlit, a tall half-elf wearing black robes. "Evening, gentlemen."
Vanity, lying in a comfortable armchair in the corner of the room, pushed herself out of the chair's comfortable embrace and manoeuvred herself in front of Damien. Her scarlet eyes never left the elf, and her heart beat loudly in her chest.
Jannalor's pitch-black eyes followed Vanity with a hint of amusement, "Relax, vampire. I am here to talk. Please forgive my unannounced visit." Jannalor then turned to Emilia, who had sat up straight like a beanpole and smiled, "Princess Emilia, it has been too long."
Emilia returned a warm smile and relaxed, "Yes, Jannalor, it has been far too long, and I have missed your company greatly... what have you come to talk about?"
Jannalor carefully closed the door behind him, and his smile vanished. "Politics, I'm afraid." Then, his pitch-black eyes turned to Damien, "In my humble opinion, I suggest you ignore the Royal Decree."
The room went pin drop silent. Everyone showed varying faces of confusion and disbelief. Jannalor shook his head at their reactions and continued, "Don't get it twisted. I am on Princess Emilia's side and always have been. I volunteered to bring the Royal Decree here for a chance to speak to you all without arousing suspicion." Jannalor nodded to Richard, "The situation has gotten worse, I am afraid, and I suspect this year's birthday party will be his majesty's last."
"So we don't have to accept the decree?" Damien questioned over Vanity's head. She had relaxed but was still glaring intensely at Jannalor for any sign of deceit. Vanity was the only one that had a fighting chance in the room, so the safety of Damien lay on her shoulders, much to her annoyance.
"Yes and no." Jannalor looked around and felt awkward being stared down by everyone, "Mind if I take a seat?" Emilia patted the spot next to her and shuffled down the couch. Jannalor gracefully perched himself and continued. "I will explain from the start, so we are all on the same page, alright?"
Nobody disagreed, so he took a breath and began his tale. "It has been confirmed by a few sources. Richard Cunningdal included. That Prince August has not only dabbled in the dark arts... but has fully surrendered himself to a liches spirit to obtain an A grade in necromancy."
"So he is a dual mage? I heard he also has a B grade in Wind Magic?" Fay asked from the side.
Jannalor nodded. "Indeed, although the two schools of magic have poor synergy, it still makes him a problematic opponent. Anyway, that is beside the point. He has used his powers to slowly take over the nobles and replace or transform them into puppets under his command." Jannalor raised a finger to draw everyone's attention. "And this is a major issue that has made him invincible. The King is aware of his son's antics, but he still doesn't fully understand how deep his son's control really goes."
"King Edward is a foolish King." Damien said with spite, "How could he let this happen?"
Jannalor, Richard and Emilia all sighed together, and Jannalor spoke. "That he is. The Greentail family has been in decline for generations." Jannalor patted Emilia on the shoulder, "No offence. But they have grown complacent over the years. With the noble pledge protecting their incompetency, they have further decreased their capabilities. It is due to King Edward's blatant incompetency throughout the years that allowed Prince August to gain so much power so quickly within the court."
Damien had played the game and knew the events that transpired, but the intricacies of this world's noble system were beyond him, so he asked. "If even the King knows of his exploits, can't we have August thrown in prison or executed?"
"No," Emilia answered resolutely. "The Noble pledge was invented by the high nobles long ago and is deeply rooted in noble society. Moreover, Prince August, as the potential heir to the throne, is almost on par with my Father's noble rank. Therefore, according to the noble pledge, my Father could have anyone executed on a whim... he could also demand that nobles be stripped of their powers. But not August. For anything to happen to him, a court hearing would have to overwhelmingly vote against August for anything to transpire."
"Ah." Damien now saw the big issue. 'With Prince August controlling the majority of the court, they would never vote against him. And even if he didn't have control over them, they would likely still vote against the King due to his incompetency.' Damien frowned, something he had been doing a lot today and let out a sigh as he walked back to the window. Seeing the calm lake helped settle his mind a bit. This whole situation was frustrating. "So... if I deny the royal decree, what happens?"
"Well, we have a month to delay..." Jannlor sank back on the sofa with a tired expression, "...but a war with the capital is inevitable. Refusing to turn up to the King's birthday gives reason for him to strip your noble title..." Jannalor then looked at Emilia's nervous expression, "...and Prince August will claim you are keeping the Princess hostage and will have the full backing of that incompetent King to launch a war with Blackthorn."
Jannlor leaned forward. "Therefore, in my opinion, you have two options. Go to the capital and potentially die or get caught up in a nefarious scheme. Or refuse to go and prepare for war."
"And your stance on the matter?" Damien asked, and Vanity moved to protect him. Jannalor shrugged. "We will return to the capital with or without you." He smiled, still creepy with his pitch black eyes, "After all, I am not a noble. So if you tell me to leave, I can only oblige."
