Okay. This is a shorter chapter than most and it fought me hard.

But finally, it's here. I really regret the delays but hope we can get going again.

So... Here we go! Read, review, and hopefully... Enjoy!

Impact

The Village of Capena

It was with some relief that Taylor's party discovered the source of the fire was not, in fact, an attacking force but a granary fire. With all hands turning to, the fire was successfully contained. Although the damage done to the granary was considerable, there was, thankfully, no loss of life.

Afterward, Taylor and Merisa shared a rueful laugh.

"I think with everything that's been happening lately, we've just come to expect trouble."

"Justifiably so, my lord. Though I am relieved that was not the case here."

"I wouldn't be too quick on that, skipper, ma'am," Sergeant Davis announced, looking through his field glasses. "Looks like we've got riders coming in."

Argenta nodded, taking a look herself. "I see them, my lord." Her ears twitched and Taylor got the impression of a tracking radar locking onto a target. "About a score of men, loaded heavy."

Taylor considered this. "Sergeant Davis, have your men stand by. Man the fifty cal but wait for my order. Lady Merisa?"

"My Lord?"

"Let's not force a fight if we can help it. No one draws a blade unless they get hostile." He turned to look at Argenta.

"Of course, My Lord," she nodded to the other House retainers. She was interested to see, firsthand, how Lady Octavia's heir handled himself. Of course, if this was a hostile force, she was quite confident that she and her sisters could deal with them quite effectively.

As the newcomers drew up, Taylor crossed his arms and waited…

Vespasia frowned at the sight before him. He recognized the colors of Legate Germanicus' House retainers and the unmistakable presence of well-equipped Warrior Bunnies… He respected their abilities even if he thought it undignified for any truly respectable Saderan to mate with such beast women… So Videlia's hand was in this somehow. But what drew his attention were the odd wagons and carriages and the hard young men eyeing him and his men watchfully. He didn't know much about the 'Green Men' save three things: They were barbarians, they were the enemy, and they were here. Well, technically, he also knew that the Empire was in negotiations with said barbarians and so their presence here was technically not a causus belli. But all of these things put together made him very uneasy and he wondered just what Videlia was playing at.

"Who is in charge here?" The steward asked in a tone of authority. While the barbarians' presence might be legal, he certainly did not consider it welcome. He intended to have answers.

"And who you might be to ask?" Taylor levelly replied.

"I am Caim Du Vespasia, Steward of these lands! I ask again: Who is in charge here?"

Taylor smirked. "Looks like I've found the man I've been looking for…"

Rondel

This sucks! Itami exclaimed once more in his mind as he mulled the situation over and again giving it his consideration.

Yao had stopped the first would-be assassin a bit too permanently for questioning but according to Shandy and Sir Grey, the bounty on his head was a fairly hefty one and there would undoubtedly be further attempts on his life. Indeed, Shandy reported that a particularly notorious assassin, known as the 'Pied Piper', had been directly hired as well.

"Who is this 'Piper', anyway?" Itami asked them.

"Oh! No one knows what the 'Piper' looks like!" Shandy explained. "He… if he is a he and not a she… He could be a she for all we know… Anyway, the Piper is known to manipulate others into doing his work for him."

"Leaving someone else to take the fall," Tomita observed. Grey sourly nodded in agreement.

"Anyway, since no one knows what the Piper looks like, they could be of any race! They could be anyone in a crowd!"

"How do we stop an assassin who could be anyone?" Kurabayashi demanded to know.

"Vigilance," Itami replied. "We stop his puppets and the Piper will have to make a try, himself eventually. And then we stop him. We nab the Piper and most likely, any other assassins will back off. We just have to make the game not worth the reward."

"Great!" Shino huffed. "How do we do that?"

"By painting a target on my chest," Itami answered.

Grey nodded. "And then we see who goes for the bait."

Of course, he would be satisfied with this plan, Itami thought. It isn't HIS neck on the line.

"So much danger.." Rory commented, a gleam in her eye. "You could die, Youji." He yelped in pain as she suddenly bit down on his arm, drawing blood, which she proceeded to lick.

"The pact is made. If you die, your soul belongs to me." Emory, I have delivered unto you many souls as your servant in this world. I ask for this one life. I will protect this life and I pray that I may walk with him for the rest of my days in this life. Rory nodded to herself. The others had forged their bonds. The lines of fate were in place. Tuka had cast the bond of family. Leilei had invoked a claim of common law marriage… It was a false claim. But it had been made. Whether Leilei's primary interest had been to jab at her sister was irrelevant. Yao had even now shed blood for Itami. And now Rory had forged the pact joining Itami's life with hers. Of course, she wanted more than that. She wanted his heart and his dreams as well. Perhaps the path that Nayu and the others have taken with Taylor is an option for us? Allies, rather than competitors. It is not the way of Itami's land any more than Taylor's. She internally grinned. But they are in OUR world now!

In the meantime, Itami shook himself from the surprise and apparent non-sequitur of Rory's actions, Itami put his thoughts back to matters at hand.

"Before I go making sure I have the full attention of all the people who might want to kill me, I think we need to go over how I don't get killed in the process."

Adurni

Vespasia watched the tiny screen with consternation as the all too recognizable features of his cousin appeared before him. Octavia's smile was predatory as she looked out at him.

"Hello, Caim. Yes, it really is me! No illusions, no tricks. But you know that. My face, the signet of our House, my seal on the letter which My Son will present you, will confirm that. Oh yes! My Son!" Her grin was even more predatory now. "By the laws of our people, I have adopted an heir, not of the blood of Germanicus. On that basis, I expect you will treat your lord with the proper respect."

Vespasia numbly turned to regard the young off-worlder before him. On the screen, the image of Octavia leaned back in satisfaction, allowing him a brief moment to process everything.

Then she resumed…

"Oh! I've waited almost twenty years for this! My father was free under our laws to humiliate my husband and deny my children their rightful heritage. But those same laws allow me to adopt an heir… Even from outside of the Empire. Such as when the Emperor himself adopted the son of Beaumont… As long he is a free man of human blood. I have obeyed our laws and the letter of my father's decree."

Then her voice turned somber.

"A great change is coming to the Empire, cousin. I intend that my family will survive that change. A local tale told here warns that 'The wind does not respect a fool.' Do not stand against the winds of change, cousin."

Vespasia closed his eyes in resignation. His uncle had been often frustrated with Octavia's defiance and lack of regard for social custom. In his attempts to bring his daughter to heel, his uncle certainly never would have imagined this turn of events. Octavia had, indeed, used centuries of established custom to completely upturn her father's designs. And Caim could either attempt (with little legal justification) to resist the evidence before him or he could yield and accept that this off-worlder… This enemy… was, in fact, the rightful Count of Ravenna.

He took the rod of his stewardship and offered it to Taylor.

"What would you have me do… My lord?" Vespasia could not quite keep the irritation and resentment from his voice.

"A steward serves as his lord sees fit. You don't seem to like me and frankly, I find you as much joy to be around as a locust swarm." Taylor folded his arms.

"That said… You know this land better than I do. You know its people and you know what they need. I'm not going to dismiss the person who knows what I need to know." He leaned forward. "That said, I AM the lord of these lands. I will ask your advice and the benefit of your experience when possible but in the end, MY decision. Do you understand me? I'm willing to work with you but if you can't work with me, then I expect you to be honest enough to say so. Am I understood?"

Vespasia was caught by surprise at the blunt candor, though he knew he should not have. It fit Octavia's personality well. As a steward, he had a duty to this land. In the end, his own honor left him only one choice.

"Yes, My Lord."

"Good. Now, after we're done here, You may escort us to Adurni."

"Your will be done, my lord."