I Can't Get the Vampire Rogue to Romance Me

Chapter 80 - First Lady Enrichetta

"First Lady Enrichetta," Artmond intoned, with an additional nod of his head. "I will confess, we did not know it was you until we arrived upon your state." He then held out the small dog he had cradled in his arms under his cloak. "I believe this creature is your true hero."

Lady Enrichetta's face ignited with delight as she quickly scooped the little dog, whose tail was wagging so faster than could be seen as he wiggled his little body as if he expected to fly through the air to his mistress's arms without any concern for gravity.

"Oh Fidelis! Oh thank the gods you're alright," she cried as she buried her face into his side. Fidelis expressed his joy even more, licking her face with kisses.

"He was very brave, coming to find us and lead us to you," Artmond said, going a gentle smile at the scene.

After another indulgent moment of the dog's adoration, Lady Enrichetta lifted her face to regard the rest of the party.

"Please introduce me to my companions," Artmond said, turning away from her expectant look.

"I am Valerian, lady," the rogue said before Artmond, who had gestured first to Evangeline, could say anything.

Like Artmond had, Valerian offered a gallant bow to the noblewoman, though his was styled a bit differently, with a foot placed slightly more forward and his fist crossing his body to tap at the opposing shoulder. "I am Lordling Valerian of the Koson Mountains, lady," he said.

Thieves Skill: Legerdemain. Success.

Evangeline's eyebrows popped up to her hair line. She hadn't known that fact about Valerian, but he wasn't lying.

She did however feel that familiar Special Skill tingle.

"What an ass," she said under her breath, burning a Meta Point.

But she did know about the First Lady Enrichetta. She was in fact Artmond's fiancé and if she had chosen to try to romance Artmond in the game, this would have been a big plot point for that story. The only reason Evangeline knew anything about it was because her friend Tara had been totally smitten with Artmond on her first playthrough. Because Evangeline had no interest in romancing Artmond, she had allowed her real world friend to play her videos and clips of this meeting. She now recognized that Valerian did introduce himself by a title and that she never had gotten far enough into the game to figure out what the title meant.

"And this is our leader, Evangeline," Artmond continued to say as if Valerian had spoken.

Lady Enrichetta nodded respectfully in acknowledgement, though her nose wrinkled for a moment. "Your leader? These are not your body guards and servants?"

"Uh, no," Artmond said. "What Evangeline said is true. We are currently traveling as adventurers."

The noblewoman's eyebrows furrowed harshly. "So you are you breaking the engagement between our families?" she asked, her words taking on an edge of harshness.

Artmond held up his hands defensively. "No, not at all. It..."

"Our story is more complicated than that, my lady," Sigismund interjected. She then bowed the deep formal bow of a cleric, her hands tucked into her sleeves. "I am Cleric Sigismund, charged with delivering your betrothed to you. I apologize lady, I know we owe you a better explanation for our situation, but I have only managed to stabilize your man with my abilities. His injuries are very severe, and while I have kept his hit points from draining away, I do not have the ability to heal such deep internal wounds. We must get him to some one with a higher level than mine."

"What is his condition?" Lady Enrichetta asked, taking the information into stride.

"Severe bleeding. It will start affecting his hit points again in about an hour if he does not receive further treatment," Sigismund reported. "I am only able to remove minor conditions with my blessings."

The Lady nodded. "It's still a better chance than he would have had without you. I thank you, Cleric." She then regarded the horses. "Are we able to move?"

"I don't see how, my lady!" the unharmed coachman, called back. He sounded weary, and now that the chaos was over. He patted the side of the second horse, now standing. "Delight here is back on her feet, but I fear if we make her pull the coach again, she will succumb again."

"That is not a problem," Hagor said, emerging from the other side of the other horse he had been soothing.

The large elf nodded his head to the noblewoman, whose own eyebrows couldn't control themselves as her gaze took in his large, muscular form.

Giving himself space, he dropped to his hands and knees. "I can shift one last time today," he said, then his whole body began to shiver. Within a few seconds, Hagor's form twisted and burst, until instead of a kneeling man, a large brown reindeer stood there. Shaking his rack of antlers, he turned himself to place himself before the coach, ready to willingly step into the traces.

"Oh my!" the noblewoman said.

"Hagor is a druid, lady," Evangeline said, "He can't turn into a horse, but a suppose a reindeer may suffice."

"Needs must one supposes," Lady Enrichetta agreed. She then carried her dog back over to the side of the carriage.

"I'm Harrowheart by the way," the orcess said as the noblewoman passed. She startled at the bold declaration, and Artmond jumped forward to try to intervene on the social faux pas, but instead of taking haughty offense, Lady Enrichetta inclined her head.

"I am glad to meet you under these circumstances, Mistress Harrowheart," she said simply, then continued into the carriage, first setting the dog down and then arguing with her injured coachman, who was arguing about getting in with her.

"Did you hear that? She called my 'mistress,'" Harroweheart said to Evangeline, delightedly.

A smile cracked the rogues face. "Yes, I think I like First Lady Enrichetta," she said.

"What does the 'First' mean in her title anyway?" the blacksmith asked.

Knowledge: Nobility. Failure.

"I'm not actually sure," Evangeline said.