"The castle is busy again," Drogo commented, frowning. Even he had noticed the increased presence of the maids as he came in, wiping some sweat off his brow. "What have you heard, cat?"

Santana stopped watching the birds in the tree to turn to look at Drogo, "I've been caught far too many times. The dwarf picked me up by my scruff last time. I wanted to claw her eyes out. So I've been sticking around, Matt's been hopping around so why don't you ask him," Santana said dismissively.

"She's been plotting the downfall of the dwarf this entire time," Sansa said without missing a beat. The talks had basically come to a standstill and she was worried that the kingdom was simply stalling, but for what she had no idea. It was rather disorganized, and being put on the backburner showed her what the kingdom thought of their forces. "They're preparing for something."

"Allies?" Drogo questions, "Stalling till they have their troops in position? Where is their swordmaster?" He spits the term with venom and glares at Santana.

"They think that they're better than us, they won't bother moving troops to be in advantageous position, they don't need to. Their airships are more than enough to change the tide of the battle. They know this, I know this, I don't really understand what we're doing here. If they wanted to enslave our people they would have done so already. They haven't. I don't quite know why they aren't exactly benevolent," Santana mused before shrugging.

There's a momentary lapse of silence before Drogo grunts and turns to Sansa, "Have you written back to the elders? What have they said?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing? Do they not care about my cousin—" Drogo roared but before he could launch himself into a tirade Matt burst through the doors, gasping for air, before he pauses and looks up at the predators in the room who were all looking at him. A visible shiver runs down his spine even as he stands up to look them directly in the eye. "We have a problem, the delegates that they were whispering about have arrived," he gasps.

"And?" Santana shrugs.

"It's the Holy Empire." The tension in the room skyrocketed as all three predator beastkin unleashed their annoyance at the situation making the room nearly suffocating with their thick pheromones. "Stop."

Sansa stops immediately and pinches the bridge of her nose, "Cruelty is the point, my last husband was like that. "We must protest their involvement in any talks, and Santana, Drogo you must go down there. We must show our displeasure promptly and with force."

"Drogo, I'd rather take Matt. There can't be any bloodshed, and it's best we keep him away from their delegation," Santana reminds Sansa.

Sansa scowled, Santana was right they wouldn't be able to control what he would do once he came face to face with the Holy Empire's delegation and if they were the ones that spilled blood here, the Holy Empire would have casus belli to launch a full scale attack. "Very well, your mate has been missing do you think she's aware of this play?"

"No." Santana said firmly, though she wasn't sure what to believe anymore. She should have simply taken her mate the first time she had been able to.. It would have solved all of this. It would have given her standing.

"You need to be sure." Sansa insists. "The situation has become dire and if they plan on allowing the Holy Empire to take control—I need to write to the Elders at once. They need to start preparing the troops. Drogo you are with me, we need to make a formal protest to the king immediately." There were a million things to do and she needed to make sure she chose the ones that were far more important."

For once Santana didn't have a scathing comment for Sansa, as she nods at Matt and pulls away from the window. "We don't have time, it's best to be present as they arrive and get welcomed," Santana says as she drags Matt along.

~ O ~

"What are you doing here?"

Lawrence groaned as he stepped out of the carriage, before smiling at his daughter who looked positively mortified at his arrival. He certainly wasn't expecting that reaction from her, but he had arrived with a rather impressive delegation filled with young women who had been brought with the express purpose of marrying his granddaughter. "You sound disappointed to see me."

Brittany grinned and pulled away from Mike, "Grandpa! What did you get me?" She insists running up to him and throwing her arms around his broad shoulders and hugging him tightly.

Lawrence let out a laugh and hugged her tightly, "I imagine it's here somewhere—"

"Father, you can't be here," Judy grimaced, this was the last thing she needed. Her parents in the same room would lead to a national incident and absolute embarrassment. She turns to look at her husband who has a massive smirk on his face and she scowls at him.

Lawrence looked at his daughter and shook his head a disappointed look on his face, "I would think that you would be happy to see me—"

"I love you father but we're going to have a representative from the Draconic kingdom soon—"

"Grandma's coming?" Frannie questions and looks over at Quinn. "And you didn't see this coming?"

"I've been busy, and I haven't gotten to it yet!" Quinn complains sighing, she had finally managed to get the scent of drake dung out of her hair.

Lawrence froze, "What?"

Before anyone can say anything Santana practically bursts onto the scene with Matt and glares at the much older man before pausing and sniffing the air, her eyes widening he smelt a bit like her mate. A member of the family. She tilts her head even as Matt gathers himself.

"Your highness—" Matt begins as suddenly a large shadow suddenly blotted out the sun, for a brief moment and he immediately turns around and jets back inside looking for cover and leaving Santana standing by herself as the shadow suddenly disappears and a tall woman drops down and lands on top of the carriage which groans and splinters under the sudden weight change.

Santana dodged a large piece of wood, easily ignoring the screams from the crowd as a woman with wild hair and a massive predatory smile on her face. She understood Matt's reaction, she felt like turning and running as quickly as she could but instead as the woman turned to look at her, she immediately falls to her knees in a bow. The pressure that was being exerted was nauseating and she knew that she would die if she pushed her luck. If she challenged them, true power was radiating off this woman.

It all made sense, her mate's sturdiness, the reason why her core was resonating with Charlie, the strange language that Charlie had switched too. The reason why most of the family pricked her senses, and kept her on edge and why the drakes obeyed the imperial family. Sansa was going to lose her shit.

Judy stared at both her parents and turns around and looks at her husband for support but he just seems amused by what was going to be unleashed on the kingdom.

"You've gotten old."

Lawrence immediately groaned, this was why he never left the Holy Empire, the love of his life was everlasting, and he had wanted her to have a perfect image of him in her head. "And you're only more beautiful."

The youthful woman suddenly shifts, aging rapidly so she can match him. "Judy, make sure we have a really big room."

Judy shuddered and shook her head, "Mother, your reunion with father can wait, when there aren't so many prying eyes. The Holy Empire—"

"It's a bit late for that," Lawrence groaned, the years of having to live a lie was over. The Holy Emperor was probably going to declare him a traitor, there was very little point in going back. "I still must try my best to prevent this travesty. A beastkin Judy, have you lost your mind. She's a princess, and given her position it is imperative that she marry someone of her stature and can benefit the kingdom."

"Lawrence, you're being rigid again, let the girl have a pet," Artemis said dismissively tugging on his arm.

"I am no one's pet," Santana hisses as she forces her body to remain upright despite every instinct telling her that she was courting death.

Artemis's gaze shifts towards Santana for a moment, she studies her for a brief second, "She can take concubines."

Santana scowled and opened her mouth only for Judy to immediately make herself known, "Mother, father, I know you both mean well but Russell and I decided that we were going to let our daughter's choose how they wanted to live their personal lives. I have not budgeted for any castle repairs for this year, so behave."