“Keep your guard up Christoff, and don’t overextend when you strike. Keep your strength in check, use it when you need to but otherwise use your speed.”

Christoff nodded wiping sweat away from his forehead.

“You’re doing much better, give it another six months I might think you’re ready to actually guard something. Again.”

Christoff sighed and tried to break through Enid’s guard. Unlike the first time they met she was not making it easy to strike her. And this time they used practice swords. He wasn’t making it easy either. After several minutes of back and forth Enid found an opening and brought the wooden sword in hard against the padding, she used enough force to leave a bruise. Christoff cried out in pain.

“You need to get used to the pain Christoff, if a blade hits your armor but doesn’t penetrate it, it will still hurt. That shock, that is what kills. You need to push through the pain, be above it, focus on the task at hand and use the bruises to woo maidens after the battle.”

He blushed a bit.

“You are still holding back. I’m tough I can take it. Used to be if I didn’t stop a blow from my father it’d be broken ribs. A bruise won’t kill me.”

“Yes, Milady but your betrothed may kill me.”

“Henry is harmless.”

“Says you, he gives me a look like he wants to end me every time he lays eyes on me.”

“He is jealous of all the time I spend training you. Between you and Rosealyn my days are quite full, but a promise is a promise and I shall train you until I trust you with the lives of my family.”

“Milady, I respect you, but I don’t think I could be more ready then you if I had a hundred years to practice.”

If you only knew how right you were.

“That’s enough for today.”

Enid put her blade in the weapon rack and made her way back to her chambers. She could hear Christoff speaking to one of the new men Enid had brought on to help defend the Earldom. Christoff was still breathing heavily from their training session.

“I don’t understand it, six months we’ve been training and she works me like a dog, and I sweat like a pig, and she doesn’t even have a hair of place. It’s like she’s on a whole other level then us mere mortals.”

“In more way then one lad!”

“That’s the countess you’re talking about, best be careful Lord Henry doesn’t hear you.”

“That blow hard.”

“That blow hard is the only man I know who would have a chance in a fight against the countess. They came to blows in the stables once. As the story goes Lord Henry and she went blow for blow.”

“I heard he got himself spanked with her sword. Wonder who wears the pants in that relationship.”

“It wouldn’t matter, when I asked to be hired as a men-at-arms she kicked my ass in a dress. Only reason I managed to not get kicked out was she let me injure her arm. I knew she’d done it on purpose but to be trained by someone like that.”

“Someone like who? The most beautiful maiden in the Duchy?”

“No, the greatest swordsman I’ve ever seen. Its like she was born with one in her hand. I get the feeling she could take on an army of a hundred men and come out the other side neigh unscathed.”

“Lad, you need to lay off the wine. It’s going to your head.”

Enid shook her head with a smile as she closed her door, silencing the outside world. She stripped her clothes off and slipped into the hot bath. She washed the mud and grime of the fight off and then washed her hair. There was a knock at her door. Enid could tell it was Mary, but the one she was with the scent was unfamiliar.

“I’m not decent, Mary.”

“William said you’d want to see her right away, milady.”

“Oh, send her in.”

She sank into the tub and pushed up wards to rinse her hair and stepped out of the tub. The person with Enid was someone she recognized quite well on sight.

“Hiptsu, what brings you to this shit hole?”

“Your royal highness I have a message from the council, for your eyes only.”

“They sent a Seer as a common messenger?”

“The emperor requested it himself, and that I bid you greetings on his behalf.”

Enid dried herself off and pulled on a robe pushing her hair over the back of it. She reached out for the letter.

“Also, if it’s bad news they knew I wouldn’t kill my own second daughter.”

“Perhaps, your royal highness.”

Enid broke the seal and a wisp of magic escaped.

Wonder what curse would have befallen a would-be spy.

Enid unraveled the scroll. Letting out heavy sigh.

“They couldn’t just use fucking Latin? They had to write it in father’s code?”

She scanned the paper. She hated translating the gibberish she could just use the tablet but then she’d get out of practice doing itself. When she reached the end her eyebrow arched and the parchment tore under her fingers.

“Bad news your royal highness.”

“The worst kind. You are well positioned blah blah blah, the council feels at this time it is prudent to keep you in the position, blah blah blah, stability of the region blah blah blah. Your skill as a courtier, and your skill with a blade make you a strong pillar to base the region on. Blah blah blah. With kindest regards. In other words, keep sitting on my hands and playing nursemaid to a bunch of Pugmentia. I’ll need you to return a message for me, and since I’m going to be stuck here, I’ve a new Seer for you to train. Make yourself comfortable. Bath? Blood?”

“I will be fine your royal highness.”

“For the love of the gods, call me Enid.”

“Yes, your royal highness.”

Enid frowned and started writing furiously on a parchment. Deciding on a mix of Egyptian hieroglyphics, Latin, Greek and for good measure Babylonian. She rolled it up and sealed it placing it back in the tube. She pricked her finger and sealed the tube with her blood. Wishing that all blood eaten by the victim who opens it that is not Sextus tastes of manure and bog water until the suck on a hags still attached toe under the high noon sun on the summer solstice. and if it were a non-vampire their heart stop on the spot.

“It is for Sextus’s eyes only.”

“As you decree your royal highness.”

“Wait here I’ll get Cindie so you can leave immediately. She’s only six months old, she’s still new to the gift of blood.”

Hiptsu nodded. She slipped the scroll case into her pack. Enid made her way to Cindie’s room. She was unrecognizable now. Enid had done excellent work on her scar. Only a normal face remained. She had already packed her things and was sitting on the bed waiting for Enid to arrive.

“You know I take it?”

“Yes milady, I’m to go with the one who came before me.”

“Yes, her name is Hiptsu, she is my second daughter as are you, that makes you sisters. Listen to her as you would me, I can think of no better to train you.”

“Thank you, milady, you have made me a new woman.”

Cindie touched her face where the scar used to be and looked in the silver mirror.

“You were already beautiful Cindie, I just removed the damage your father did to you, nothing more.”

“You did more than that milady, you healed my soul. I was bitter and angry at the world. I hated him, I hated everyone for the looks they would give me, but you never looked at me like a monster.”

“That’s because you were never one, just angry and justifiably so, we may not see each other again, Seers tend to lead solitary lives and travel.”

“I will think of you often, and I will live by your example.”

Cindie embraced Enid who then took her arm and lead her to Hiptsu.

Hiptsu nodded in greeting to Cindie.

“Greetings sister. We have far to travel tonight. We should get started. But before we go… Your royal highness, if I may be so bold as to ask what you wrote in your letter, so I may know if it will be well received or not?”

“I told my father I needed a dowry if the council was going to keep me here and wants me to shift mortal power to a mortal, and he better make it a big one. Also, an update on matters here. And an introduction for Cindie.”

Hiptsu smiled and bowed low.

“Fair travels to the both of you, may the sun never warm your faces.”

Enid watched as the pair left through a secret exit. She slipped off her robe and summoned Mary with the bell.

“Help me into my dress, we’re going to have guests late this evening.”

Mary helped Enid on with another one of the obnoxious dresses she was forced to wear to keep up appearances.

“Tell William I need to see him immediately.”

Mary nodded and moved off. Enid sat at her dressing table and slid the silver hair clips into her hair, pushing it back out of her face. She smiled at herself.

They’ll love this at vampire court.

She stood and walked towards the door of her chamber, William was about to knock, and he stumbled backwards when seeing her hair. Enid smiled

“I’m sorry, I just wasn’t expecting the silver, Milady. Are you sure it’s wise if you’re going to call a court?”

“Well since I’m not allowed my silver sword because it’s a weapon and it violates the law of safe conduct these Pugmentia cling to it’s the next best thing.”

“But they’re silver.”

“Hair pins, they aren’t weapons, by any definition of the word.”

“Of course, milady. I will summon the court immediately.”

Enid made her way towards the court chambers. And settled down into her seat atop the dais. It took two hours but the court was soon attended by all thirteen of the vampires that claimed citizenship in the area.

“Thank you all for coming, I heard from Prague. The council has asked me to stay on until we can stabilize the area further.”

Enid held up her hands as the vampires erupted into a shouting match as to why this was the worst decision possible. She left them slowly quiet themselves before speaking again.

“You know my feelings on the matter, I want to be gone as much as you want me gone, but I’m bound by the council’s orders. It is their feeling that none of you have what it takes to deal with balancing the workers for the church, the banditry we’ve been suffering, and the ability to maneuver a mortal into this chair. I have given them other recommendations but was ignored. I have a plan, it is long term but we’re all immortal, so what is a few years right?”

“What is your plan then?”

“I will marry Lord Henry, in a mortal ceremony. Once he’s established and the church is finished, I’ll have a tragic accident or die for the “pox” then my successor whoever that may be will take over and hold court elsewhere leaving mortal matters, to the mortals. And vampire matters to whoever that might be. In the meantime, we need to keep everything as the status quo. Even a year after the Strix the church is sniffing around.”

“If you hadn’t translated those scrolls for them, would they still be?”

“Yes, they’re like dogs sniffing out a bitch in heat. We all must do our best to limit talk of supernatural, or devilry in the area. We need this place to be a Christian bastion in a corrupt and evil world. Where god is responsible for miracles, not the devil with his bargains.”

Wilham spoke up, he was always the loud one.

“You speak nonsense, milady.”

“If I still ate mortal food even speaking of the church would make me vomit. However, it is my job to protect you by doing so, so I do so. Who here hasn’t profited from the church’s reconstruction and expansion? Wilham, have you not had a ten-fold increase in income from your quarry?”

“Yes milady.”

“And you, Victoria, you’ve had how much more of your clothing sell? My point is, every single one of you has profited. New territories have opened up, blood has been flowing freely all because of the church and my guidance.”

Enid looked to each of the assembled vampires who all nodded.

“Then why do you want me gone so badly? Have I not given you mostly free reign to expand your interests? I put no limits on your blood slaves, I freely give my assistance to any who request it and I’ve not raised a blade to any vampire in the territory of Narfordshire since my hand was forced by your former leader. So then why am I so despised and feared?”

The vampires looked each other and the stone floor.

“I am dangerous, I’m older then then lot of you combined, but I demand no control over you, I expect only that you keep the covenants and heed my advice, all of which is in your own best interests. If anything I would think you demand I stay. I control the security forces; I control the church construction and I’ve got the bishop bound to me. You are safer than you have ever been, and you have more freedom then Odocar ever deemed offer you. I ensure you get the best contracts from the church and the king. And I literally ask for you to follow the laws of the empire, with no cut of your money save that demanded by the king’s taxes.”

Enid leaned back in her chair.

“I apologize for the rant my vampire brothers and sisters, I was expecting to be released from this gilded cage and instead was sentenced to a human lifetime it seems. Does anyone have any concerns?”

She looked to each vampire in turn once again. Seeing no takers she stood up and motioned to a table it had an array of chalices holding fresh blood.

“Please feel free to mingle and partake of the refreshments. Fresh as it was taken for the mortal who donated it to our feast.”

Bunch of ingrates.