Alnus-Alguna Border
The cannons roared as they rained fire and death among the mass of undead. The rotting corpses broke apart under the cannonballs long before they reached the defensive line of halberdiers.
The state troops held their ground, keeping the horde of undead at bay with drilled professionalism. Behind them, crossbowmen and handgunners unleashed bolts and lead balls into the enemy.
Erhardt, upon the hill, seated on the back of his horse, saw all of this. His men were holding the line. Good. So far, everything was going well.
The coalition army had arrived yesterday, at the Alnus-Alguna border, west of the Tuba Mountain Range. For the past month, the Grudgebringers had been stationed there, ambushing and destroying any undead force that dared to venture north.
The coalition had arrived just in time. So far, they had only been relatively small bands of undead, no more than a few thousand. Now, the Von Carsteins were sending tens of thousands of undead.
Erhardt's state troops, the mercenaries, the ad hoc human and demihuman auxiliaries, and Pina's legions were holding the center line. Meanwhile, the Bretonnian knights charged into the undead's flanks, crushing rotting corpses under the hooves of their horses.
"It is good fortune that the battle goes in our favor." Pina said as she rode up to Erhardt, "Whatever intelligence guides the dead is ill suited to battle, the way they keep throwing bodies at our lines."
"Don't start celebrating yet." Erhardt replied, eyes focused on the battle, "Whomever our enemy today is, it's clear that they are a lesser Von Carstein, perhaps one of the newborn vampires. Mannfred's inner circle will be much more dangerous."
"You don't need to remind me." Pina stated, "Your Lector Natter educated me on your people's Vampire Wars; very interesting tales."
"Did he now? What did he tell you?"
"Everything. From Vlad's rise to power, the insanity of Konrad, and Mannfred's final war. It's clear to me that the Mannfred creature is the most cunning of the three, which, coincidently, makes him the most dangerous as well."
Erhardt grunted, but said nothing. Instead, he kept his eyes on the battle. The vampire had sent out undead drake riders, which were swooping down into their lines, and picking up two to three men at a time, flying them to a great height, and then dropping them.
The Prince was not worried however. He saw his iron companies load grapeshot into their guns, and had already begun to aim their cannons into the sky. That was how they killed the lesser dragons by the dozens back during the weeks long Siege of Alnus.
"You stare intently at the battle." Pina observed, "But you're not just looking at the fighting, are you?"
Erhardt raised an eyebrow at her, but then gave her a small smile.
"Quite perceptive, aren't you?"
"I grew up in the Saderan Imperial Court; you do not thrive there by being unobservant. Now, will you tell me what has your attention?"
"Very well." Erhardt said as he looked back to the battle, "You know that I underwent a religious rite, yes?"
"It was dedicated to your death god, Morr, correct? It changed your appearance."
"It did more than that. It allowed me to bond with the armor you see me wear right now. Within its construction is a spirit of death. It is through it that I now have certain… abilities. I am using one such ability even as we speak."
"What ability is that?"
"The Colleges of Magic call it the 'Witchsight.' I can now see magic. More importantly, I can see souls. I see the souls of everyone around me. I can see my dead men as their lives depart their bodies. Most of all, I can the souls of the damned; the poor wretches who have been raised by the Von Carsteins as their undead slaves. Their souls are now tied to their bodies, trapped here on this mortal plane. They are in such great pain Pina. We need to free them. The only way to do that is to kill Von Carstein's vampires and necromancers."
"I… I see." Pina said, looking from Erhardt to the undead, and then back to Erhardt, "What else can you now do?"
"Not much." He stated truthfully, "I am no mage. I can cast no spells. There is something I can do with my sword however-"
He was cut off by a loud horn blast, originating from the undead's side of the field. Squinting his eyes, Erhardt saw a new wave of undead come. They looked different from the usual mobs they had initially faced however. They flew banners.
"The time has come for us to join the fray." Erhardt said, drawing his blade, "Shall we?"
"After you." Pina said, drawing her own sword.
With that, both royals charged down the hill, followed closely by his Reiksguard and her Rose Knights.
Earlier, behind the right flank
"How much longer must we wait?" Halros said as he scratched his lion behind his ear, "It's not right for the Asur to let the younger races do our fighting for us."
"Patience noble Halros." Vanon said as he watched the battle, "It is also not right for the Asur to spend our energy fighting lesser foes such as these zombies. Better for us to engage the enemy when they throw their best troops at our allies."
"I know, I know." The Chracian said, "But it's not in my nature to wait on the sidelines for a fight."
Vanon sympathized. Halros was not the only Asur to grate at being held in reserve. As Erhardt had the largest number of soldiers in their coalition, he was the nominal leader. That sat ill with many of the prouder elves under Vanon's command. Still, they obeyed his orders, and held position, waiting for the vampire's elite units to enter the fray.
Then a horn blast sounded.
"Vanon!" Tuka shouted as she ran over, followed closely by her friends, Lelei and Yao, "The scouts just reported in. They saw things called wights approach!"
"Wights are what we have been waiting for." Vanon said, "Where are they coming from?"
"The southeast." Lelei said, pointing in that direction, "If you have a spyglass, you can see them now."
Vann removed his spyglass from his belt, and looked through it. Sure enough, an army of wights, or grave guard as they were more commonly known, was marching into the field. They marched in close formation, each armed with the short sword favored by the local soldiery, a gladius, he recalled, and a rectangular shield.
"I see them." He said, "Tell the archers and Eagle Claw crews to focus their fire and… wait. What are they doing?"
The grave guard had closed ranks, putting their shields together until their front, sides, and top were completely protected. The formation reminded Vanon of the shell of a turtle.
"Well, that's new." He said, "Whoever controls the grave guard is clearly has better imagination than the one controlling the zombies."
Vanon put his spyglass away and mounted his horse.
"It won't save them though! Sons of Ulthuan! To battle!"
Erhardt hacked at the undead with his sword, sending rotting body parts flying with every swing. For each horror he slew, he could see their trapped souls leave the prison that their bodies had become.
That filled him with joy.
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Pina smash a wight through its skull with a warhammer, having traded in her sword for a weapon that crushed bone. He noted with approval that Pina had tied her beautiful long braid around her head to prevent a foe from grabbing it, and was wearing a helmet, decorated with the Saderan dragon, for added protection. A future foe she may be, but she was growing into quite a warrior.
Their assembled knights were crushing all that stood before them, trampling old bones and maggot infested flesh under hooves, and steel weapons fell the abominations by the dozens. All across the field of battle, the undead were being pushed back by the coalition's superior skill in arm. State Troops, who had been holding their ground, now advanced, halberds, spears, and swords sending the enemy back to their graves.
On the other side of the battlefield, Pina's legions were also making great progress. This may be their first battle against the undead, but they were professional legionaries. They kept their fear in check, and pressed onward, hacking at their decaying foes with swords, and bashing them with shields. Demihuman auxiliaries, both Saderan and Imperial, displayed valor as well, fighting the undead with great courage and resolve.
Erhardt kept his focus on the enemy in front of him however. The vampires were sending in more wights. Unlike the ones he had previously been fighting, these ones moved with drilled discipline, in formations that he had seen living Falmart armies fight in.
"Do you see that?" Pina asked as she rode up next to Erhardt, the spike of her hammer coated in blood and gore, "Those zombies are in the Testudo Formation. Damned souls must have been soldiers in life."
"And the one controlling them must have some experience in military matters." Erhardt replied, "We need to find the vampire, and kill it."
"First, we need to break their shells." Pina stated, "How accurate are your artillery officers?"
"They trained in Nuln, the most prestigious school of artillery in the Empire. The only ones more accurate with cannons would be dwarfs."
"Then you should send a rider back there and tell them to break those formations. We break that, and we can break through their lines, find the vampires leading this force, and kill them."
"A sound strategy. Sir Gruber!"
A Reiksguard Knight approached, and saluted Erhardt.
"My Prince?"
"Ride back to the Iron Companies, and tell their captains to focus fire on the wights marching in formation. Then tell the handgunners to keep fliers away from the cannons."
"At once My Prince!"
Erhardt turned away from the knight and back to the approaching wights. Things were about to get lough; it was time to call back the knights.
It was then that he was set upon by an undead dragon. It grabbed his horse in both its claws, picking it up with the intent of flying away.
Acting on instinct, Erhardt brought up his sword, and felt his armor's spirit awaken within the plate. The magic of the Amathyst Wind flow from his sword arm, and into his blade. He then slashed at the dragon's legs which were holding his horse, cutting through them like a hot knife through butter.
Erhardt and his horse fell back to earth, but the force of the impact broke his steed's legs, and sent the prince tumbling to the ground.
Erhardt quickly got to his feet, and looked his horse over. Between the broken legs, and the gaping holes made of the dragon's claws, there was nothing he could do for it… except give it mercy. He would have to be quick; the dragon, despite missing its hind legs, was coming back around.
Erhardt stabbed his horse in the head, ending its suffering. He then turned, and lopped the heads off a trio of approaching zombies in a single swing, before then turning his attention back to the approaching dragon.
Erhardt held his sword in both hands, and readied his stance. The dragon flew low, and opened its rotting jaw with the intent of grabbing him and puncturing both armor and flesh with dozens of holes. In response, Erhardt willed that more magic pour into his weapon.
Erhardt Franz had the Witchsight, but that was not all his bond with the armor gave him. The plate possessed a spirit of Death within it, and manipulated that creature to provide magical power to destroy the undead through channeling its magic into the weapon the one wearing the armor wielded. The more powerful the undead foe, the more magic that would be channeled into the blade.
Facing an undead dragon allowed the spirit to send large amounts of power into his sword. Any more, and the elemental might overwhelm him. As it was now, however, his sword was glowing with magic, ready to do its bloody work.
The dragon swooped down, and tried to snatch Erhardt in its mouth. Instead, the Prince sidestepped the rotting jaws, and brought his blade down on its neck. The force from the magical attack did not just slice through scales and necrotic flesh, but it also completely shattered the bones in the neck, and decapitated the monster in a single blow.
The dragon crashed into the earth, and began to burn in the purple fires of Shyish.
Erhardt had no time to savor his victory however. His heart had stopped beating. Desperately gasping for breath, Erhardt had let go of his sword, dropped to his knees, and began pounding his armored chest with his gauntlets.
Eventually, that muscle began to move again. Through labored breathing, Erhardt muttered a quick prayer to Sigmar. It seemed that, the stronger the magic in his attacks, the more likely it would be to kill him. He had not expected that, but it was not surprising. Still, it would not be good for his health if he repeated that attack twice in the same battle.
"Prince Erhadt!" Pina shouted as she rode over to him, "I saw you got to your knees! Are you well?"
"I am fine." He said, standing up and picking up his sword "We need to return to the battle."
"Yes, about that." Pina pointed to the enemy's line, "I think one of the vampires is coming to us."
Erhardt followed her finger and saw what she was pointing at; a giant white furred ape like creature, easily the size of a small house, approached. It had six arms, each as thick as tree trunks, and huge teeth that did not fit in its mouth. Looking harder, Erhardt saw that, on its back, there was a humanoid figure, riding the monster from a saddle, reins in one hand, and halberd in the other. Raising its hands, it sent forth bolts of dark lighting, killing several State Troops.
"Oh, good." Erhardt said, "Not only a vampire, but a vampire riding some sort of zoo attraction, and me without a horse… Dammit."
He began to regret using that magical attack on the dragon earlier… this new monstrosity was going to be a worse problem.The ape rushed his men, knocking them aside with every swing of its arms, and screeching a horrible shrill sound from its lungs.
"Fuck." Erhardt stated as he mounted a spare horse, "That thing is going break my formation unless its distracted."
"Do you have a plan?" Pina asked, riding up next to him.
"I've already used up my one attack for the day." Erhardt replied, "I dare not use it again, lest the death elemental tear my soul to shreds… You there!" he turned to one of his Reiksguard, "I have a mission for you. Go find us a battle wizard and bring them here to fight the vampire and its ape creature. We need spells for a monster of that size."
"At once!"
The knight saluted, and sped off on his horse. Erhardt then turned to Pina.
"We need to occupy that creature until the wizard can kill it." He stated, "Care to join me Princess?"
"You need not even ask."
===
The vampire, Cladius Von Carstein, directed his mount forward, and the monster tore into a line of halberdiers, ignoring their thrusts, and grabbing a man, before tearing him limb from bloody limb with its great hands.
"Face me vampire!" Erhardt shouted as he rode up to the ape monster, and slashed at an extended arm with his sword, cutting deep into its flesh, "Or have you Von Carsteins become cowards since the days of the Wars?"
"So, the Prince is here?" Cladius asked, leveling his gaze at Erhardt, "What a prize you will make for my master! You will make an excellent Wight! Kill him Netari!"
The ape, Netari, roared, and swung at Erhardt with a colossal fist. Erhardt moved his horse out of the way, and counterattacked with a swing of his sword, cutting into a great finger, and making it rear back and roar in pain.
"Circle it!" Pina shouted as she and the knights caught up to Erhardt, "But stay out of its reach!"
"Netari" Cladius screamed, drawing his own sword and equipping a shield, "Kill them all!"
The vampire then leaped off his mount, and jumped at Erhardt. Moving faster than any human, the Von Carstein vampire severed the legs of Erhardt's horse, sending the Prince tumbling to the ground. Erhardt was quickly back to his feet though, and charged Cladius, swinging at the vampire's head. Cladius brought up his shield, and struck back, aiming at Erhardt's heart.
His blade was deflected by Erhardt's plate, and the human prince shifted to his right, and brought down his arm, trapping the blade between it and his side. Then before the vampire could remove the sword, Erhardt leaned his head back, and slammed his skull faced helmet into Cladius' face. He felt cartilage break, and he smirked at Cladius' pained scream.
Cladius let go of the sword, and stumbled a few steps back.
"You broke my nose!" the vampire shouted, "You worthless boy-"
Erhardt did not let him finish. Instead, he ran the vampire through the chest with his sword. Erhardt then kicked at Cladius' left knee, breaking it, and forcing the vampire down.
"A boy I may be." Erhardt stated, gripping the blade of his sword with both hands, and raising it over his head, "But at least I'm not a pathetic leech like you.
"Morr wishes to speak you; I would be a poor servant to keep him waiting."
Erhardt then brought the blade down on Cladius' head, splitting the vampire's skull open.
"Abomination." Erhardt whispered as he removed his sword, his voice dripping with sheer disdain. He then turned his attention to the ape monster. With its master dead, surely it would fall… except it was still fighting. He saw Pina, who was no longer on her horse, bring her warhammer down on an arm, and then quickly getting out of the way whenever it swung a thick arm at her, while the other knights kept their distance.
Whatever magic that controlled it was still functional. Looks like they would need that wizard after all.
'Speaking of which.' Erhardt thought to himself as he looked back at his lines, 'Where is that wiz- '
He saw a mage in golden robes approach, staff raised, and clearly preparing to cast a spell. It was Ottmar, the senior wizard of Erhardt's army, and a magister of the Gold Order. The spell he was casting… it was one that Erhardt was very familiar with, having seen it cast a half-dozen times during the Siege of Alnus.
Searing Doom. A devastatingly effective spell that the Supreme Patriarch used to slay hundreds of men. However, it paid no heed to the difference between friend or foe… and Pina would be in the spell's area of effect.
Acting on instinct, Erhardt grabbed the fallen vampire's shield, and charged forward. The shield was one of the large and curved ones favored by Saderan legionaries, a scutum he had heard it called. He hoped it would be enough.
He dared not shout a warning, lest he distract her from the ape. Instead, he ran as hard as he could. Already, he saw the sky open, and the first drops of molten metal come down.
He finally reached her, grabbing her left shoulder, and pulling her close to him.
"Prince Erhardt, what are you-" she began, outraged at his improper conduct, and in any other situation, she would have been in the right.
Now however…
"Get down!" he shouted, bringing the scutum above their heads, and forcing both of them to their knees. No sooner had he done so, when the Searing Doom came down in all its power.
A rain of metal blanketed their corner of the battlefield, killing everything that it came into contact with. The ape monster bore the brunt of its power, burning through flesh and bone, and making it scream so loudly, Erhardt could swear that his ears were bleeding.
He felt the metal strike the shield, and he felt the intense heat beginning to burn his arm. Gritting his teeth, he kept the shield up, and worked through the pain, lest both he and Pina die.
Thankfully, for all its power, the Searing Doom was mercifully short. The rain stopped, and wasting no time, Erhardt threw his molten metal covered shield away, before then hastily removing the armor that covered his left arm, the one that held the scutum aloft.
"Fuck that hurt!" he cursed loudly, cradling his arm close to his chest as he laid on the ground, "Fucking wizard, fucking ape, fucking vampires fuck, fuck, fuck! I hope Sigmar smites all of those fucking-"
"I think that's the first time you've cursed in front of me." Pina joked as she removed her helmet, offering an apologetic smile as she knelt beside him, "Thank you, by the way."
"Well, it wouldn't do for one of my own wizards to kill you Princess." He said with a humorless smile, "I would be a poor ally."
"Yes… indeed."
He grunted as he stood up, "I need to find a War Priest to heal me quickly. The battle isn't over just yet."
"Here, let me help." Pina said as she grabbed his right arm and placed it over her shoulders, grabbing her discarded helmet and his now cooled gauntlet and vambrace in her other hand, "Let's go. One of the knights will loan us a horse."
Erhardt said nothing. Instead he looked at Pina, really looked at her. Her face was covered in battlefield grime, she had a few cuts and bruises below her eyes, and her long red braid was in desperate need of care.
In that instant, she had never looked more beautiful to Erhardt.
"Fuck." He whispered to himself.
"How many escaped?" Vanon asked his officers.
"The vampire leading this force for certain, along with several of the higher vampires." The elf replied, "When they saw that the battle was turning against them, they ran as fast as they could back to Elbe. The lower vampires and their thralls were left behind to stall our allies and us. Without the direction of their superiors, they were easily slaughtered. The Sigmarites are hunting down any stragglers that remain."
Tuka stood behind Vanon on the battlefield, only half listening to his subordinate's report. Instead, her attention was occupied, scanning the battlefield, and picking out the figures in the distance, trying to see if she recognized them.
There was Prince Erhardt's right hand, Siegfried, wading through the rotting gore as he directed state troops.
Princess Pina's Legionaries were gathering the dead, both recently living and recently shambling, and throwing them onto separate piles based on which allied army they belonged to, to be retrieved later by their respective countrymen, and the undead, which would simply be burned in a great pyre, lest the vampires reuse them.
Yao and her dark elf fighters were scouring the field, killing any undead that was still thrashing around, yet unable to stand.
Then there were Prince Erhardt's auxiliaries, his irregular soldiers pulled from the human and demihuman refugees. Even from this distance, Tuka could see that many of them were in a state of shock, some vomiting their breakfasts. This had been their first taste of battle, and it hit them to their core. Tuka could sympathize; she was exactly the same when the Flame Dragon burned her village.
Now, however, it seemed that the more she fought, the easier it became…
"We're finished here." Vanon said, "Gather our dead and wounded and return to camp. We'll let the humans clean up."
Some salutes, and the elves dispersed. Vanon turned on his heel and began walking back to camp, Tuka right beside him.
"How are you?" he asked, his normally even tone laced with concern.
"I'm fine." Tuka replied, "Truly. Fighting is becoming second nature to me."
"It's truly remarkable how easily you can adjust." Vanon stated, "As well as how quickly you can pick up skills. You're becoming quite good with a sword."
"Thank you…"
"You wish to say something?"
"Oh no, it's nothing urgent."
"The battle is over, and it will take ten minutes to get back to camp. You can talk to me, if you like."
"… A few weeks ago, you asked about our kings, my people's that is. I had the feeling that was more than just simple… curiosity. Then you began to speak of creating a new elven kingdom. Why? What interest is there in such an undertaking to you? Why would you take a risk on such an impossibility?"
Vanon was quiet for a minute, and Tuka was afraid that he would not say anything. It almost surprised her when he finally did speak.
"I hail from Ellyrion." He said, "I'm proud of my homeland, and all of Ulthuan."
"You have much to be proud of." Tuka said, with a hint of bitterness, "You have lands, castles, homes…"
"To see your people not have the security that mine do… it strikes me as a great injustice. An injustice that needs to be put right. The Asur have armies, weapons, and the tactics to make it so."
"How would you convince them in the first place though?" Tuka said, raising her voice a little in frustration, "Your people do not care about mine."
"That's not true. Yes, they can be arrogant at times-"
"Oh Vanon." Tuka interrupted wit ha sad smile, "We both know that your people have their own concerns. Helping mine is not even on the list. The Asur armies will never march on our behalf."
Tuka reached into a satchel and took out a wooden bracelet, carved with intricate designs. Slowly, she ran her fingers over it, looking forlorn.
"It's just our lot in life I suppose. To stay in the shadows, away from human eyes. That's what kept us alive. We may sing songs about our heroic rebels, but they all end the same; in death."
She looked up at Vanon with her big blue eyes, and stared directly into his own.
"I know you want to help us. But it's an impossible dream. It would be better if you just forgot it, and return to your Ellyrion."
Seeing his spirits plummet, Tuka lowered her gaze, returning it to her carved wristband.
"… That's quite a piece of craftsmanship you have there." Vanon said, changing the subject."
"Thank you. I carved it myself."
"You carved it? Once again, I'm impressed. The detail on that is quite beautiful."
"Thank you."
"It is that beauty that I want to protect."
She looked up at him again, curious by what he meant.
"You have a culture that is unique in this world Tuka. Thousands of years of traditions and customs… and I'm worried it will die out."
"What do you mean?"
"Look around you." He said, spreading his arms, indicating the battlefield before them, "What do you see? Whom was it we were fighting?"
"The undead."
"Yes, and who was it you fought alongside me last?"
"The Druchii, at the Archway."
"And before that?"
"The bandits at Italica, who were controlled by the, daemons, was it?"
"The one thing all these enemies have in common is that they are from my world. Somehow, Chaos daemons and vampires have managed to find a way to this world. If Prince Madir and the others fail to guard the Archway, then the Druchii will come through it and come here. All of these foes, they all wish to kill, to destroy, and to ruin. Your people may have survived the Saderans and all the humans before them, but can they survive enemies that are beyond mortals like the daemons, or live a cursed existence like the vampires, or who are cruelty incarnate, like the Druchii? Can they truly survive all that as they are now? Scattered, afraid, hiding in the woods?
"No… we probably would not." Tuka admitted, "We could last a few centuries, but in the end, I'm sure they would drive us into extinction… but your people-"
"Oh, hang what my people want." Vanon practically shouted, "If they refuse to help, then I will quit my post, and I shall go to each and every forest, and convince all of your people to unite myself."
"You're… you are that committed then?" she asked, "Why? Why would you ruin your career like that, for elves you do not even know?"
"My reasons… are not entirely altruistic. The Ruinous Powers and the vampire are in these lands, along with other mutations brought about by the Chaos Moon. A strong, united elven kingdom here could keep that in check.
"That is merely an added benefit though. In the end, your people, my people, we are all the children of Asuryan."
"How can you say that? My people do not even worship Asuryan."
"That does not change anything for me. I want to help, in whatever way I can. For they are your people, and you love your people… just as I love you."
He pulled her close and kissed her forehead, then resting his chin on the crown of her head.
"I know you are uncomfortable in Ulthuan, despite its many joys. Therefore, I want to make a home for you, here, and if the only way to do that is to unite your people into a single nation, well, then that is what I shall do, for you, and for our shared future."
Tuka actually laughed at that.
"I should have known that this was some sort of grand romantic gesture on your part. It's almost out of character for you."
"Perhaps, but we all have unexpected sides to us."
"Well… if you're willing to go to this, extreme length, to unite my people, then at the very least I can show you how to get to them."
"I appreciate that Tuka." He said with a smile, and a short laugh, "Cadai knows I am already out of my depth with this. Having the two of us together on this… well, it won't hurt our chances."
"The three of us." She said softly, almost a whisper.
"I beg your pardon?"
"There will be three of us Vanon."
"Who would the third be? Yao? I suppose having one of your world's dark elves with us would be proof of a united front-"
Tuka shook her head.
"I'm not talking about Yao." She said, "There will be you, me, and…"
She grabbed one of his hands, and placed it on her stomach. Vanon looked at her, greatly confused… until the gears in his head began to turn, and she saw his eyes widen in understanding.
"H-how long-"
"Two weeks now." She answered, "I was going to tell you after the vampires were dealt with, but I could not wait any longer…
"Vanon of Ellyrion, you are going to be a father."
"Morr's breath that hurt!" Erhardt cursed as his burn was being tended to.
"I'm surprised that your skin was not melted." Pina admitted as she applied the salve to his arm, "Whatever it was that your wizard cast, it looked hot enough to melt through flesh."
"It speaks well to not only the magical protection of my armor, but also to the skill of whoever made that shield I used." He said, wincing as her bare hands continued to rub, "Though, I am afraid it was probably just luck that we survived. We probably do not want to repeat that, lest our luck runs out."
"Ha! Agreed!"
Pina had helped Erhardt to the medical tents, only to discover that the Sisters of Shallya were already working past their capacity with far more serious cases. In comparison to severed limbs and stab wounds, Erhardt's burns were minor, and the Prince refused to be seen to before the more critical of his men had been tended to. Pina took him then to her army's medical tent, and furthermore, had acquired a special salve to be used to treat burns. Like in his camp though, all the healers were busy with more serious injuries.
So, Pina had decided to apply it to his burns herself, which was how the two royals had ended up in her tent alone, while he was completely bare chested. Were it not for the fact that she was still in full armor, and that they were both still covered in blood and other battlefield grime, one would jump to improper conclusions.
Not that it was any less awkward for Erhardt, nor for Pina, which was why Erhardt sat stiff as a spear in his chair, looking directly ahead, and a furiously blushing Pina kept trying to keep both of their minds off the fact that she, an unmarried princess, was touching the bare arm of an unmarried prince.
"I must say, you're quite good at this." Erhardt stated.
"Yes well, when you grow up with a bunch of rowdy girls training to be knights, you earn more than your share of cuts and other injuries. There was one time where Bozes ended up with a broken nose on three separate occasions. Thankfully, healing magic was able to fix it in such a way that you could never tell it was broken to begin with!"
Erhardt chuckled to himself "Did you break anything in your wild youth?" he asked.
"I may have broken both several fingers on more than one occasion." She admitted, "But in my defense, I did not know how to fight someone wielding a greatsword taller than an orc."
"Sounds like quite a story." Erhardt said, "We should exchange more in the future."
"The future…" Pina whispered.
"Hmm? Did you say something?" Erhardt asked.
"After this war against your vampires is over Prince Erhardt, you and I need to speak about our futures… yours, and Sadera's, in a way that will benefit us all. But to do that, I will need you to do something for me."
"And, what exactly would that be?" Erhardt asked, suspicious.
She stood up, walked in front of him, and bent down so that they made eye contact.
"I need you to take me to your homeland, and to meet with you father, Emperor Karl Franz."
"I do not know what I expected." Mannfred said, seated on his throne, as he shook his bald head, "Clearly, I am to blame."
"My Lord-" the vampire who knelt before him began, only to be silenced by Mannfred, who sharply raised his hand, silencing the vampire.
"Yes, this must be my fault. I only bestowed upon you the blessed Blood Kiss, turning you from a weak, frail human insect, and into one of the Midnight Aristocracy. I only gave you power beyond that of mortal dreams… as well as an army, almost seventy-five thousand strong, and sent you against a foe that is weak, fragmented, and fears the blades of their allies as much as they fear our own; but, this is clearly my fault. I am to blame for this crushing defeat… for I allowed a groveling, weak, and utterly idiotic leech like yourself lead the army! A fool who turned tail and ran, at the first sign of danger!"
The audience winced at Mannfred's rising temper, and more than a few began to draw back into the shadows, lest their lord's anger be turned on them.
The Von Carstein Court had settled into the royal palace of Alguna, recently taken in a lightning assault, led personally by Mannfred and Remus. The human defenders had broken quickly, and the rat who called himself king quickly surrendered his crown to spare the lives of his people. The same king was then killed, and then raised from the dead to serve as Mannfred's personal footstool.
"But, I am a generous Lord." Mannfred then said, his temper disappearing so quickly it was almost jarring, "And a lesson has been learned. Now all that remains is forgiveness."
As he said this, Mannfred stood up from his throne, and approached the kneeling vampire, who cast his gaze downwards, clearly worried as to what Mannfred intended next, as the Lord of the Von Carsteins was infamous for the cruelty of his punishments.
Which was why the vampire was shocked when Mannfred gently placed his hand on his shoulder.
"You are forgiven for your failure." Mannfred said, "And I hope the lesson has been learned."
"I-I thank you master! It has, oh it- "
"I was not talking to you." Mannfred interrupted, then nodding his head at the crowd, "I was talking to them."
"What-"
Faster then a mortal eye could blink, Mannfred dug his sharp talon like nails into the vampire's neck, and quickly tore his head and part of his spine out of his body, spraying blood and gore everywhere.
"So…" Mannfred began, looking into the decapitated head's terror stricken and unblinking eyes before then placing his thumbs over them and pressed down, "Have you all learned your lesson?"
His question was directed at the other vampires. No response came from them. No response was needed. The point had been made.
"I thought as much." Mannfred stated as he threw the head to the side, and made his way back to his throne, leaning back and propping his feat up on his rotting footstool.
"Now that an example has been made, we must address the threat that marches on our door. An army of the living, Imperial, Saderan, elves, and mongrel mutants all, marches at us, wit the intent on ruining all we have built. My subjects, this cannot stand. Despite the dearly departed cowardice, the truth of the matter is that they did emerge victorious against him. We underestimate Prince Erhardt and Princess Pina's forces at our own risk. We are still shoring up our powerbase here in the south, and their interference can set us back months, perhaps years."
"My Lord," Remus said, stepping forward, accompanied by his Wight King father, "Send me, and I will smash the mortals, and bring their bodies to you. I promise to put an end to them, before they can interfere anymore."
Remus did not offer empty promises. Of all the newly turned Elban vampires, his conquests exceed all others. When he promised to destroy a city, he would do so. When he promised to bring Mannfred a mortal king alive, her would do so. A reliable warrior, but ambitious, and eager to stand closer to Mannfred than all others.
"In normal circumstances, I would grant you your request Remus." Mannfred said, "But these are no normal circumstances. We must put an end to their quant coalition as soon as possible. I've learned from experience that the best way to deal with a problem, is to simply do it yourself."
"Then you intend to lead an army north yourself Lord Mannfred?" Remus asked.
"Not an army Remus. All of our forces are to cease their current campaigns, and march north with me. Rather than wait for the mortals to come to us, with the occasional speedbump in the form of lackies, we shall instead stamp out this challenge to my power in one overwhelming strike. All we kill will rise again and serve me. Any who survive will tell the tale of our might, and our numberless army, and that story will travel far and wide across the continent. Terror will grip the hearts of our enemies, and entire kingdoms will lay down and surrender rather than be turned into undead slaves."
He stood again, spreading his arms wide as he did so.
"This battle will be our message to this world; that we are unstoppable, that even the guns of the Outlander Sigmarites are nothing to us, and that we will soon rule the world!"
Applause and cheers rang out through the hall, with all eager for blood. Such revelry was cut short, however, when the doors to the hall were dramatically swung open with such force, one of them fell off its hinges and collapsed to the floor.
Many of the hall's occupants were ready to attack the interloper, but quickly shrank back upon seeing whom it was.
There were two of them, with one standing a head taller than the other occupants in the hall. Both were clad in ornate, blood red plate armor, decorated with nightmare symbols, and fearsome dragons. Both projected an intimidating presence, but the taller one seemed to be murder and death personified.
The taller one walked forward, with his fellow a respectful pace behind, approaching Mannfred's throne. Remus then maneuvered so he blocked the duo's path, placing his hand on his sword while he was at it, staring the taller vampire in the eye.
The newcomer returned the gaze, completely unimpressed. Where Remus was tense, the newcomer's body was relaxed, unconcerned.
"Move." He said, in a tone so chilling, Remus flinched involuntarily, "I want to talk to Von Carstein."
Remus stood his ground however; for the next five seconds, before stepping aside. The duo continued on, only halting when they were at the foot of Mannfred's throne.
"Von Carstein." The tall one said, "It has been a while."
"Walach Harkon." Mannfred said, "Finally back from touring Falmart?"
"Yes, quite a trip if I do say so myself." The Grand Master of the Blood Dragons replied, "I see you've finally began conquering the locals."
"A blind man could see that." Mannfred replied, "What are you doing here Harkon? I thought you didn't want anything to do with my new world order?"
"I don't." came Harkon's blunt response, "But I hear tell of a coalition of men, both Imperial and Saderan, with elves and demihumans as well, marching south to fight you."
"You are correct. I intend to deal with them shortly."
"If that is the case Mannfred, then I would like to lead your vanguard."
Mannfred raised a hairless brow, "You have no wish to be a part of the world I am building here, but you offer to fight my enemies anyway?"
"I am of Abhorash, Von Carstein." Harkon said, "I live for the fight; and I am in need of a battle to blood my new followers."
"New followers… oh." Mannfred smiled, "Well now, that is interesting. Are they with you?"
Harkon nodded and snapped his fingers. Two dozen or so figures entered the hall. Most were human, but there were also a handful of elves, along with other demihumans. All were dressed in red plate armor, similar to Harkon's plate.
"May I present to new Order of the Blood Dragon." Harkon said, "Accept my request Von Carsten, and we will destroy the enemy for you."
Mannfred smiled.
"I would be a fool to say no."
The North
"Kalterina!"
The rabbit turned her attention away from sharpening her knives, and met the gaze of one of Ubbe's huskarls.
"What do you want?" she snapped, "I'm busy."
"King Ubbe has called a meeting of all senior warriors. He expects you to attend."
"Fine." She spat, placing her knife back in her sheath, "But this had better be important."
The huskarl nodded, and led the way, Kalterina following.
As they made their way through the camp, many warriors, human and rabbit alike, respectfully parted to allow them through. Kalterina paid it no mind. After all, it was the respect that she was due.
Two more huskarls stood before the doors of the longhouse. Upon seeing her, they nodded respectfully, and opened the way for her.
She saw many of their most seasoned warriors had gathered around the throne, mostly Aesling, but several of her kin stood alongside them as well. Seated upon the throne was Ubbe himself, a sword in one hand, and an infant warrior rabbit in the other. Kalterina's expression softened at the sight of their daughter, before quickly returning to her warrior mindset, and taking her place alongside her man, for she was both leader of the warrior rabbits, and the mother of his new children.
"Glad you could join us Kalterina." Siggy, the tribe's Vitki, and the other mother of Ubbe's other children, commented from the other side of the throne, "Now we may begin."
The rabbit grunted, but said nothing else. Siggy was constantly grating her nerves, but was ultimately harmless… to her at least. Kalterina had seen the vitki tear the skin off of men with just the power of her voice, as well as turn a rival sorcerer's tongue into a snake, which then bit him to death.
Yes, Kalterina would let her comments slide, for it was better to bear it than to make an enemy out of the powerful vitki.
"Now that we are all gathered," Ubbe said, "It is time to begin. We have built a settlement here, in this green land. We have grown stronger by fighting the beasts and monsters of this island. We have taken in the tribes of the plains warriors, took them into our beds, and have both emerged stronger for it! For almost two years, we have waited patiently, the soft men of the south unaware of our existence. That ends today."
"So, the sorcerer has decreed that now is the time to march?" a tattooed man with a crab claw for a hand asked.
"The old fool has finally decided to unleash us, as if we are his pet lapdogs." Ubbe said, spitting, "We may leave this island on his orders, but those will be the last orders he shall ever give us."
Kalterina heard several warriors make agreeable comments to her man's words. It seems he was getting them motivated.
"The old fool and his cabal believe that they manipulate us." Ubbe continued, "That we exist merely to do their bidding for their long plan. I say, that they are wrong!"
Some began to cheer at this.
"The fools may have directed us to this gate, and to this world, but no longer will we be content to be pawns in their game! We may leave the island now, but the battles to come will be fought on our terms. We will raid where we will, we will kill who we want, and we will take cities and treasure by the dozens! We will kill the soft Saderans, the weak and misguided Sigmarites, those frail high elves, and anyone else foolish enough to stand against us!"
He stood, and held his sword aloft, pointing it into the air.
"And while we tear down the 'civilization' they had built here, I will erect a mountain of skull, in offering to the Hound! Come, to the longboats!"
More cheers, louder this time, as the warriors left the hall, blood eager for killing. Ubbe passed of their daughter to a thrall, who bowed and left, leaving the Aesling King and his women alone.
"A rabbit warrior with Aesling blood." He commented, "Your people won't know what will hit them in a few decades."
"Out of curiosity husband," Siggy said, "What did old Bruno wish for us to do for him?"
Ubbe spat again at the mention of the Old Man's name.
"He ran into some trouble with the undead." He said "No glory in killing something that already died once; but enough about the old fool! Come my wives, glory awaits!"
He began to move to the exit, singing a song under his breath.
"My mother told me, that one day I would buy… galley with good oars… sail to distant shores. Stand up high in the prow, noble barque I steer. Steady course for the haven, hew many foe-men. Hew many foe-men."
"Well," Siggy began, shall we join him?"
Kalterina scoffed, "Need you even ask?"
A week later, they set out. Three hundred longships left the harbor, red and black sails unfurling, displaying the sea serpent symbol of Ubbe, along with the Eight-Pointed Star, while other ships dedicated their sails to a specific god, though the Hound, Khorne, was the most popular by far.
Hanging onto the dragon-head of his flagship, Ubbe laughed like a madman as the saltwater hit his face.
"Up onto the overturned keel!" he shouted, loud enough so that not only the people on his own ship heard him, but so did the ones sailing the closest to him, "Clamber with a heart of steel!"
"Cold is the ocean's spray." many of his warriors, Kalterina included, joined him, "And your death is one it's way. With maidens you have had your way… Each must die one day!"
One week after the battle, Coalition Camp
Pina left the strategy meeting quite pleased with herself. If she were not a princess, one might say that she had a bounce to her step.
More and more, she found that she was enjoying these strategy meetings. For years, she and her Rose Knights had been relegated to mere honor guard, something that the Emperor could take out of his box and parade around to impress visitors.
Now, however? Now she had seen more fighting in the last half year than in all the years before her combined. She had legions under her command, men who she fought alongside, and bled alongside. She was becoming the woman she had always dreamed of growing up to be. Not even her father's increasingly dishonorable letters cold tarnish her joy. In addition to her growing confidence, so too did her… friendship with the Reikland Prince.
She had not elaborated further in regards to her plans the night they returned from battle, when she had asked him to take her to his father. She promised to tell all after the vampires were dealt with. In the meantime, they had taken to enjoying one another's company. When on the march, they would ride beside one another. When making camp, the two of them oversaw the fortifications. When it was time to eat, they dined together. Afterwards, he would sing songs of his homeland, and she would recite the poetry of the masters. He would regale her with tales of Sigmar Unberogen, the Ur-Emperor, and she in turn would tell of the Dragon-Emperor, Old Sader.
She enjoyed his company, and he hers. Before the campaign, she knew better than to get too close, for theirs was an alliance of convenience. When the threat was defeated, they would return to being enemies. An unfortunate truth, but one she had accepted. Now though? She did not want to be his enemy. All she wanted was peace, and an end to the war. She wanted her father to return to the stern yet loving man he was in her childhood. She wanted to serve her Empire as a knight, with honor and dignity.
Not all such things were possible though. She would take what she could get however. For now, she'd settle for peace.
"Productive evening?" a voice asked from the darkness.
Pina turned around and came face to face with Voland, Captain of the Venators, one of Erhardt's mercenaries.
"It is not wise to startle a Princess of Sadera Captain." She said, adopting an edge to her tone, "What is it that you want?"
"Straight to business. Good, I like that." Voland said as he stepped forward, "Not here though. My tent. We can speak freely there."
"And why should I go anywhere with you, without my guards?"
"Because I have the solution to your problem little girl."
"And what problem would that be?"
"You want a bargaining chip for negotiations with the Sigmarites. I happen to know their dirty little secrets. Interested in finding out?"
She said nothing, letting his words sink in instead. He took notice and turned around.
"Come to my tent in an hour, then we'll talk."
With that, he disappeared into the camp, leaving Pina alone. What could a mercenary like him possibly know about the Sigmarites? He was a common sellsword… but a sellsword from the other side of the Gate. What if something that was common knowledge in their world turned out to be a trump card for her? Information on the other side was sparse, as the Sigmarites kept such information close to their chests. What little her agents had gathered came from the drunken ramblings of the state troops.
It was risky... but one that she was willing to take.
"So, you actually showed up." Voland commented as he drank an expensive Kislev spirit, "Good. Then we can begin."
Pina closed the tent flap behind her. Dressed in a brown cloak, Pina had come alone to the mercenary camp. For protection, she had brought a stiletto dagger, and had already used it once tonight to ward off a drunken would be paramour.
"I came here for information Captain." She replied, taking a seat across from him, "How much I'm willing to pay for it depends on how useful it is."
"Oh, I assure you, it is useful." Voland said as he propped his muddy boots up on a wooden table, "Probably could change the course of your little war. First things first though; the matter of my payment. I'll take ten thousand gold pieces for starters-"
"Oh, just ten thousand?"
"The next part is simple for you; I want me and my boys to make our new base of operations here."
"Why would you want to settle here?"
"New world, fresh start, and I've pissed off an army of people in the past. I mean, you have seen the way those Lady-Botherers were looking at me, haven't you?"
"Lady-Botherers?"
"The Bretonnians, what with their chivalry and all. Bah! They're just jealous because me and my boys beat them at their own tourney! It's a long story, but not important. What is important, is that my demands are more than worth the information I am going to give you."
"I'm not convinced." Pina said, "Give me something first, something that will convince me that what I am paying for is worthwhile."
"You want proof then? Alright, I can give you proof. I want you to take a good, long look at me."
"What game is this?"
"No game. Just look at my face, really take it in."
Pina let out a disgusted grunt, but did as Voland said anyway, leaning forward in her chair. As he was now, Voland was not a handsome man, but perhaps in the past he had been. There was something strange about his facial features though… something that she just could not put her finger on. Some features looked familiar however, but where had she seen them before-
Her eyes widened as the answer came to her. She opened her mouth, but no words emerged from it. Instead, the truth, unpleasant as it was, came to her.
Voland had a resemblance to Erhardt.
"Ah." Voland started, leaning back in his chair, "So you see now? He had a lot of his mother in him, but Erhardt still looks a bit like his dear uncle Voland, doesn't he?"
"Uncle…" she said, "You are Erhardt's uncle? How? Why?"
"Emperor Luitpold was a bit of a domestic tyrant." Voland said, "Rigid and uncompromising. But even for such a straight-laced fellow, he had his vices. One of them was pretty girls, such as dear old mum. That's where I come from; an illicit night of passion. Now, harsh taskmaster he may have been, but Luitpold took me in, put a roof over my head, food in my belly, and even an education in both academics and the battlefield. Naturally, I took to killing better than philosophizing, though I was good with numbers; served me well as a mercenary later in life whenever payday came around.
"You don't want to hear about my past though." Voland said, "You wanted proof that I know what the hell I'm talking about. Well, I should that being the bastard brother of the Emperor should be proof enough. Now, do you accept my terms, or not?"
Pina nodded, "You will have your gold, as well as the right to establish yourselves in Sadera."
"Good, then let's get fucking started. First, what do you know about the Empire's military strength?"
"Your people have powerful weapons. Gunpowder alone has killed thousands of legionaries. When the initial invasion force went through the Gate, they were defeated utterly. The Empire's military is not to be underestimated-"
Voland began to laugh.
"Do I amuse you Sir?" Pina asked testily.
"A bit." Came Voland's reply, "Ranald's balls, they have you fooled, don't they?"
"They?"
"The Empire I mean. They've made you all think that they're an unstoppable fighting force just because they have a few guns."
"The battles Sadera has already fought-"
"Were because you didn't have the slightest clue what you were getting into. So, I'm going to tell you the thing that Erhardt desperately doesn't want you to know;
"The Empire is weak."
"You expect me to believe that?"
"Shut up and listen; your provinces… they all bow down to the might of Sadera, don't they?"
"Yes."
"And the Emperor is the undisputed master of all he surveys?"
"Yes."
"And Sadera is the uncontested master of the entire continent?"
"Yes, what are getting at?"
"Heh, heh, heh…" Voland laughed, "What I'm 'getting at' is that the Empire is not nearly as powerful, or organized as you have been led to believe. The provinces are all practically independent, and if an Elector is feeling brave enough, he can tell the Emperor to shove it where the sun doesn't shine. Your first destroyed army? Taken down by the combined might of several provinces, working together. United, the Empire is strong, but divided, and they crumble easily; and believe me, the Empire is more divided than it is united. It is also dwindling; taking Alnus Hill and the surrounding countryside is a massive strain on resources and manpower. Little Erhardt cannot afford to keep expanding. He just doesn't have the manpower.
"Which leads me to my most damning truth; the Empire is surrounded by enemies. You remember your first army that went through the Gate? Well, it had to misfortune to run headfirst into the mother of all Beastmen Warherds. It would have laid waste to the countryside if your people didn't crash into them. You see, Beastmen live in the forests, that's their territory. Any man who goes in gambles with their life; and the Empire is, oh, perhaps seventy percent forest… you could say that the Empire actually belongs to the Beastmen, and not humans.
"Of course, Beastmen are but one of the worries our 'great' Emperor has to deal with. Then there's the greenskins; huge hulking masses of muscle and brutality, who think war is a jolly good time. There's the undead, which you are quite familiar with by now, there's the daemon worshiping northmen who come raiding, the dark elves who prey upon the coastline, and, though no one is willing to admit it, there's an entire empire of ratmen underneath our feet, millions upon millions of the vermin, and if they ever got motivated, they could probably overrun the world in a decade, maybe less.
"The point I'm trying to make, Princess, is this; your Sadera has a larger army, more resources, is far more secure, and is otherwise in a better position than the Sigmarite Empire, which is internally divided, surrounded by enemies, and whose most recent successful expansion is a single hill in another world. Their only defense against you is a single undermanned fort on a hill, and the illusion that they're bigger and stronger than they really are. I just shattered that illusion for you. If you want, I can shatter more things for you in the future?"
"Such as?" Pina asked warily.
"Well, after the Von Carsteins are dealt with, no doubt your father is going to want to send in another invasion… and invasion that's going to be far more successful than the last two no doubt. You have numbers and unity on your side… but you are going to need inside information. Information that I can provide."
"You… you would assist an invasion against your own people? Your own family?"
"The Griffon Princes of Altdorf are not my family; I'm bastard born, remember? To them, I'm not even fit to breath in the same room as them. My family, and my people are the Venators, not stuck up Reiklanders, who are eager to get into a fight but less willing to see it through. Plus, if you're out to conqueror the whole continent, eventually you'll attack Bretonnia; I have a few scores to settle there as well. For now, though, I'll settle on my money, and the right to operate in Saderan territory. That is, if you found my information worthwhile. Have you?"
"You'll have your payment." Pina almost hissed, disgusted by the man in front of her, "And I will think on what you have said."
"I'll be here." Voland replied with a smirk.
After storming to her tent, Pina paced back and forth, internally debating what to do. She had wanted information, and now she had it. Should she return to Sadera with it, her father would no doubt raise the legions, and assault Alnus Hill. Having learned from the mistakes of the Vassal Kingdom's assault, the legions would eventually prove victorious, taking Fort Griffon, and the Gate. They would then sweep into the Sigmarite Empire, and the war would rage for years. Thousands, tens or even hundreds of thousands would perish, the Sigmarites not giving an inch, dying to the last, all the while the beastmen, greenskins, and worse would attack the legions, killing more and more men. Even is Sadera could claim victory, such a victory may prove to be at too high a cost…
Even knowing this, Pina was conflicted still. She had her duty to Emperor and Empire, and delivering this information would make her father forget all about his previous instructions of having her seduce, marry, and then kill Erhardt… Peace with the Empire though, would save countless lives, especially with new threats seemingly emerging every day.
What to do? How best to serve Sadera? What would her father, the old him, before he lost his scruples, had done? War, or peace? What would he had done? What would Old Sader had done?
For an hour, she debated internally with herself, trying to decide as to what her role models would have done… until a revelation came to her.
Perhaps she should stop thinking about what the men of the past would have don, and decide on what she wanted to do. What did she think was for the best for Sadera?
She clenched her fists, and straightened her back. She knew now; she knew what she was going to do.
"Prince Erhardt, Princess Pina is asking to see you." A Reiksguard announced while Erhardt reread a field report.
"This late?" he asked, "Very well then, send her in."
The Reiksguard nodded and stepped out, letting Pina, still garbed in her brown cloak, inside, her golden circlet, placed upon her brow, the only proof of her royal blood.
"Princess, to what do I owe the honor?" Erhardt asked as he set the report down on his table, "Something you forget to bring up at the meeting earlier?"
"No, nothing concerning the coming battle." Pina said, "I have something I need to tell you."
"I see… this must be important then."
"It is. I just want you to know that, whatever happens, I am loyal to my homeland. I would do anything, and I mean anything, to see it survive. Even if that means going against the will of Emperor Molt Sol Augustus."
"That's…" Erhardt began, shocked by what he was hearing, "What you're saying is…"
"It is treasonous in nature, I know." She stated, "But my father may not have Sadera's best interests in his heart. I believe that I do. Which is why I am utterly dedicated to bringing peace between our two Empires, Prince Erhardt, to spare countless lives… and to ensure that you and I will never become enemies."
"I… appreciate your honesty, and your trust in me; it cannot have been an easy decision to come to me with this."
"I thank you." She said, "And no, it was not an easy decision to make, but the righteous decisions rarely are. However, that is not the only reason I came to you this night."
As she spoke, Pina closed the distance between the two of them. Erhardt noticed, and tried his best to not appear flustered at her physical proximity.
"Really?" he began, "Then may I ask what is your other reason then-"
He was cut off when Pina grabbed both his face with both her hands and kissed him on the lips. It was deep, passionate, and Erhardt, eyes wide at this turn of events, was so taken by surprise that he offered no resistance when he felt her tongue enter his mouth.
When she pulled back, her face was almost as red as her hair, and she was panting almost as heavily as he was.
"Though I am a knight, I am also still a maiden." She began, resting her hands on his shoulders, "And I intend to remain one until the day I am wed… but the Von Carsteins… we could all be dead tomorrow. If the gods decide that I am to die, then so be it, but I would know something before they take me."
"A-and what would that be?" he stuttered. The only thing that allowed him to speak was the fact that she seemed to be as embarrassed as he was right now.
"If I am to die in battle, then I would know what it is like to sleep beside a man that I care for. I would know what it is like to be held by a man who cares for me in return.
"Prince Erhardt… would you do me this service?"
Erhardt could not speak. No words came past his lips, not matter how much he tried. Instead, he merely nodded, and that was all the answer that was required.
They kissed again, and disrobed. Within a few minutes, the two young royals were in Erhardt's bed, trying to calm their rapidly beating hearts at the close proximity to one another. Eventually however, tiredness overcame the both of them, and they drifted off to a pleasant sleep in each other's arms.
What transpired within the tent, however, did not go unnoticed by one.
Siegfried stood outside the tent. He had intended to speak to Erhardt, only to arrive outside the tent in the middle of the private conversation. He had heard what was said, and shook his head in frustration, before turning to leave.
"That damned fool." He whispered under his breath, "Both of them. This is not going to end well."