Army of the Damned

VOLUME 6 Chapter 6

 Laying in an open balcony that overlooks the vast snowy meadows around her estate, Alana lowered her teacup as she looked to the man that sat opposite of her. Wearing a powdered wig and a violet dovetail coat with polished buttons. He crossed his legs as he took some of the biscuits. "My Lady, may I ask when this search will end? Keeping that many scouts and my son far from our borders is costing my Barony quite a large sum."

She slowly looked at him as her eyes stared at the vampire man's light purple's iris. "When he is found. I've run over the finances multiple times already with my other Barons and it is possible to keep this up for the foreseeable future."

His hands then floated about the 3 tier dessert stand as his other hand took a sip of the tea. "It's just that... with our population slowly but surely growing. We must focus more on the future. After the Calamity and keep our troops within our borders." Alana lowered the cup from her mouth as she breathed in. "What do you mean by this?" fluffing his coat, the nobleman reassured his stance as he lifted his chin up slightly more as snow slowly fell on the balcony floor.

"You must think of the future. Whom will you marry and the expansion of the domains. I believe Sir Angelo is perfect for you. I am saying this now, I plan to marry my daughter to House Dreyfus myself and secure further alliance and my son to perhaps the Charlemagnes House." She grinned at him as her hand took a redberry jam filled cookie. "The future, huh... I'd rather not think so much about it now. Much more pressing matters are at hand, Sir Loumoi."

As he lifted up his hand, one of her maids approached him. "I'd like more of these jam filled ones." as he leaned into her. His hands resting on the armrests of the metal chair. "But My Lady, the improvements a marriage to the Angelo Family could bring to our people could be immense!" As she held her teacup with both of her hands, the Countess took in the aroma of the hot beverage as she watched over a handful of grazing cows far away in the meadows.

"I do not believe he's suitable for me. After my travels, I've found myself learning more about myself and the type of person I'd like to marry." Loumoi scuffed as the maid bought more of the sweets. His gloved hand instantly took some as he dunked it on his tea. "Very well, but I do hope you do not plan on marrying a mortal. Even for the reputation of the Minuits, that could very well start an upheaval on a scale I am not prepared to deal with."

With a smile on her face, she lowered her cup as she observed the vast mountains far off in the distance with its peaks rising up to the clouds. "Do not worry, I do not intend to do such. Although our God would not care, I do still wish to respect the societal expectations of the Kingdom. He also knows that."

Sighing, Loumoi looked at the wet biscuit on his hand, its form slowly reshaping as a portion was about to collapse. "Lady Minuit, I have faith in your judgment. But to bring a Mortal into your Retinue? Do not tell me that he will be staying in the Bloodrose Estate." As he took a bite, the Countess responded with a quick and clear tone. "He will."

"Lady Minuit, everyday we spend more and more on this search party the more I fear our finances will start to be affected." Breathing in, he lifted his hand and swayed it across the front of his body, as if to wave upon the vastness of the Kingdom's land. "We cannot keep this up. Even as you say that this is some wonderful General who has proven his worth. He is merely a Mortal who will expire. At least with Elves, they're long lived and their imperfections, very few and their loyalty, as strong as the concrete of this manor."

He then leaned sideways, getting closer to her as he kept his hands to himself. "Does he own land? How many men are under him? Servants? Horses? Castles?" her hand moved her teacup to its plate. A single touch of her finger lit up its rim as steam billowed from it. "He owns a quaint three story house inside a Castle, a horse, a dragon and almost eight thousand men are under his tutelage including machines of many types."