The silence in our quarters stretched on after Elmenhilde's departure, each of us lost in our own thoughts about the impossible situation we'd walked into. Valerie sat on the edge of one of the ornate chairs, her fingers absently tracing patterns on Chastiefol's surface, while Xenovia had claimed a position near the door where she could monitor the corridor outside.
"This is completely insane," Valerie finally said, breaking the quiet. "You can't seriously expect Queen Carmilla to just hand over centuries of vampire tradition and hierarchy because you asked nicely."
"I don't expect anything," I replied, moving away from the window to face her properly. "I made an offer. She'll either accept it or she won't."
"But why?" Xenovia asked, turning from her surveillance of the hallway. "What's your real goal here? You could have just offered a military alliance, helped them win their war, and maintained the existing power structure. Why demand complete surrender?"
It was a fair question, and one that deserved an honest answer. "Because the existing power structure is the problem. Every supernatural conflict I've encountered comes back to the same issue—ancient hierarchies, inherited power, leaders who care more about maintaining their position than protecting their people."
"So you're going to replace all of that with... what? Your own hierarchy?" Valerie's tone wasn't accusatory, but there was genuine concern in her voice. "How is that any different?"
"Because I don't want to rule," I said simply. "I want to eliminate the conditions that create these conflicts in the first place. Supernatural beings hiding from humans, factions fighting over territory and resources, leaders making decisions based on pride instead of pragmatism."
Xenovia frowned thoughtfully. "That's... actually quite ambitious. You're talking about restructuring supernatural society entirely."
"The alternative is letting it destroy itself through endless wars and political maneuvering." I gestured toward the window, where the sounds of military preparation continued to echo from the courtyard below. "Look at what we have now—vampires fighting vampires while terrorist organizations manipulate both sides. How is that sustainable?"
Valerie was quiet for a long moment, clearly thinking through the implications. "And you think Queen Carmilla will see it that way?"
"I think Queen Carmilla is desperate enough to consider options she would have dismissed outright if approached earlier" I replied. "The question is whether she's desperate enough to swallow her pride."
"What if she isn't?" Xenovia asked. "What if she decides to fight instead of surrender?"
That was the key question, wasn't it? I'd made my proposal knowing there was a significant chance it would be rejected. The real question was what I would do if it came to that.
"Then I'll have to decide whether forcing the issue is worth the cost," I admitted. "I don't want to conquer anyone, but I also can't let this war continue indefinitely while people die for the sake of vampire politics."
Valerie studied my expression carefully. "You're not telling us everything, are you? This isn't just about ending the war. There's something else you're considering."
She was perceptive, I'd give her that. "I'm considering all possibilities. Queen Carmilla might accept my proposal, but she might also be planning something else entirely. Desperate people make unpredictable choices."
"Such as?"
"Such as deciding that if she can't win on her own terms, she'll make sure everyone loses." I moved back toward the window, watching the vampire guards below. "Or such as making deals with outside parties that she thinks will give her an advantage."
Xenovia's expression sharpened. "You think she might be in contact with Khaos Brigade?"
"I think she's been fighting a losing war for months, and desperate leaders sometimes make alliances they would never consider under normal circumstances." I turned back to face them both. "Which is why I need to know exactly what we're dealing with before tomorrow evening."
"What are you planning?" Valerie asked, though her tone suggested she already suspected the answer wouldn't be entirely conventional.
Instead of answering directly, I activated Incursio, feeling the familiar sensation of the armor materializing around me. The advanced camouflage systems came online immediately, bending light around my form until I was effectively invisible to normal sight.
"I'm going to take a look around," I said, my voice slightly distorted by the armor's vocal systems. "See what Queen Carmilla and her people are really up to when they think no one is watching."
"That's... probably espionage," Xenovia pointed out, though she didn't sound particularly disapproving. "Are we officially adding breaking and entering to our diplomatic mission?"
"We're officially making sure we understand the situation before making any irreversible commitments," I corrected. "Stay here, keep an eye on things, and try not to start any international incidents while I'm gone."
Valerie stood up from her chair, concern clear in her expression. "Be careful. If Queen Carmilla really is planning something underhanded, she'll have defenses against exactly this kind of surveillance."
"I'll manage," I assured her, moving toward the window. "If anything goes wrong, get out of the castle and back to Lavinia. Don't try to play hero."
"Says the man who's about to sneak around a vampire stronghold by himself," she replied dryly.
I activated Incursio's flight systems and slipped out into the perpetual twilight that shrouded Carmilla territory. The castle was even more impressive from the outside—ancient stone walls rose in elegant Gothic spires, while modern magical defenses created barely visible barriers of energy around key strategic points. It was clear that centuries of vampire engineering had gone into making this place both beautiful and impregnable.
Moving carefully to avoid the detection systems I could sense throughout the structure, I began a systematic reconnaissance of the castle's interior. The lower levels were mostly military—armories, training facilities, and barracks for the vampire soldiers. Nothing unexpected there, though I did note that their weapons seemed unusually well-maintained for a faction that was supposedly losing a war.
The middle levels contained the more administrative areas—offices, meeting rooms, and what looked like magical communication centers. Again, nothing particularly suspicious, though I filed away the locations of several rooms that might contain useful intelligence if I needed to return later.
It was on the upper levels, near what I assumed were the royal quarters, that I finally found something interesting.
Queen Carmilla's private chambers were exactly what I would have expected from vampire royalty—opulent furnishings, priceless artwork, and enough space to host a small diplomatic reception. What I hadn't expected was to find the Queen herself in a state of intimate embrace with Elmenhilde.
I froze in place, suddenly very aware that I was intruding on something extremely private. Professional surveillance was one thing, but this crossed several lines I preferred not to cross. I was about to retreat when Queen Carmilla's voice stopped me.
"Are you certain he'll accept the arrangement?" she was asking, her fingers running through Elmenhilde's hair with obvious affection.
"Cao Cao seemed confident," Elmenhilde replied, her voice soft with contentment. "Though I still don't understand why you agreed to this in the first place. Having a human rule over us goes against everything our faction represents."
Queen Carmilla's laugh was rich and genuinely amused. "My dear Elme, sometimes you're wonderfully naive. Do you really think I have any intention of actually surrendering to that arrogant boy?"
The words hit me like a physical blow. I remained perfectly still, invisible within Incursio's camouflage, as Queen Carmilla continued speaking.
"Cao Cao made me a very reasonable offer," she explained, settling back into what was clearly a familiar and comfortable position. "If our young troublemaker proves too strong for their initial assault, I'm to approach him during the battle and strike from his blind spot. One decisive blow while he's distracted with other enemies."
"And if he's not too strong for them?"
"Then the problem solves itself, and I inherit whatever territories they choose to grant me." Queen Carmilla's voice carried the satisfaction of someone who believed she'd outmaneuvered everyone around her. "Either way, the Carmilla faction emerges victorious, and I maintain my independence."
Elmenhilde was quiet for a moment, clearly processing this information. "When will Cao Cao attack?"
"Tonight, despite what I told our guests about needing until tomorrow evening. The Hero Faction and King Marius's forces should be in position within the next few hours." Queen Carmilla's smile was visible even from my concealed position. "By dawn, this entire situation will be resolved, one way or another."
I'd heard enough. Moving with the careful precision that Incursio's systems allowed, I retreated from the royal quarters and made my way back through the castle toward our diplomatic rooms. My mind was racing, processing the implications of what I'd just learned.
Queen Carmilla had never intended to seriously consider my proposal. She'd been stalling for time while Cao Cao and King Marius positioned their forces for a coordinated assault. Worse, she was planning to personally betray me during the battle, striking from behind while I was engaged with other enemies.
It was, I had to admit, a reasonably clever plan. If I survived the initial assault, her betrayal would likely be decisive. If I didn't survive, she would be in a position to claim credit for the victory and negotiate favorable terms with the new power structure.
The only flaw in her plan was that she'd had this conversation where someone with advanced surveillance equipment could overhear it.
By the time I slipped back through the window of our quarters, I had already begun formulating a response. Valerie and Xenovia looked up as I deactivated Incursio's invisibility, clearly eager to hear what I'd discovered.
"Well?" Valerie asked. "What did you find?"
I settled into one of the chairs, considering how much to tell them. The truth would certainly motivate them for the coming battle, but it would also eliminate any possibility of turning this situation to our advantage.
"Queen Carmilla is not planning to accept my proposal," I said finally. "In fact, she's planning to do quite the opposite."
"Meaning?" Xenovia prompted.
"Meaning we're about to be attacked by Cao Cao's Hero Faction, King Marius's forces, and Queen Carmilla herself, all working together." I leaned back in the chair, already running through tactical possibilities. "Tonight, not tomorrow evening."
The silence that followed this revelation was profound. Finally, Valerie found her voice.
"All three of them? Working together against us?"
"Against me, specifically," I corrected. "Though anyone standing with me will certainly be considered a legitimate target."
Xenovia's expression had shifted into what I recognized as her combat mindset—focused, alert, and slightly eager. "So what's our plan?"
I smiled, feeling the familiar calm that came with having all the pieces of a complex puzzle finally fall into place. Queen Carmilla thought she was manipulating me, Cao Cao believed he was orchestrating a perfect trap, and King Marius probably assumed his daughter would see reason once the fighting started.
They were all about to discover just how expensive those assumptions could be.
"Our plan," I said, "is to give them exactly what they think they want."
. .
Read upto 20 chapters at patreon.com/opeler
Check out my patreon, if you find it interesting do join or support me
Enjoy!