Talia looked at the man standing before her, utterly surprised at how familiar he looked but she just couldn't place where she had seen him before. She wondered the criteria by which the representative was chosen as he didn't even seem like that type to lead an entire empire, he looked more like a trader or a rich merchant who knew nothing but to abuse the power he held in his hands. He lacked the haughtiness that surrounded most leaders too.
"I'm sure you have question." he spoke again interrupting her train of thoughts
"Lots of them actually." She answered human and he just smiled indulgently at her as he sat two seats away from her and again she was totally floored as to how unassuming he looked.
She cleared her throat as she spoke "I would like to know how this city thrives."
Tal laughed at the awed tone in which she asked the question "It's a secret I won't be able to share with you just yet."
She nodded "Did you rescue me?" The lack of answer told her what she needed to know and then she sighed "Why?" she asked again.
"Quite simple Talia. Our empire has a problem and that problem is a problem we think you can help is solve."
The smile was gone from his face now and she could see the seriousness in his face as he spoke "The vampire king is a problem that we need gone and we in the Yogvian Empire think you can help us with."
She looked at him confused "I understand the Thonis empire having an issue with him but as far as I know the vampires have never strayed this far before."
"No they haven't and do you know why that is?" He didn't wait for her response before continuing "It's simply because vampires do not thrive in this land."
Her brows furrowed "I don't understand."
"Our empire has been able to pull together a unique set of resources that enables us to successfully prevent the entrance of vampires into our borders, they simply die while trying."
"Why are you bothered if they can't harm you?"
"The humans are our allies, Talia." He answered simply
She wondered why the war couldn't be taken to the vampires if the two empires aligned together.
"The injustice, murder and violence of the vampire king is all geared towards one purpose."
"What purpose is that exactly?" Talia asked him
"He's planning to claim all territories for himself."
Talia went still from that response, she had speculated that the vampire king and his advisers were greedy and brutal and ruthless, she had also thought of why he attacked cities and empires without question and why he had people in his empire murdered for no reason but never in her wildest dreams had she ever thought of this.
"How exactly do you know this?" She asked her voice barely a whisper
"He told me himself."
"What?" She asked in shock
"I'm somewhat of a spy for my Kingdom too, I have been able to infiltrate the kingdom and gained the favor of the king."
"So you know how to get to the king?" she asked incredulously
"Yes, I do but I cannot kill him"
"Why?"
He sighed "I took an oath, one that binds me to him and can not be broken. Only if he's killed by someone else can it be undone."
"So you took the oath of the knights." He nodded at her statement and she stared at him astonished. The oath of the knights was an ancient ritual among the vampires that prevented betrayal amongst the king's council and ranks. The ritual was performed in the temple under the watch of the gods and it was binding the king to each one of his night, any of them that chose to harm the king will face the same fate he would as long as he was part of the plan either actively or as an accomplice.
"But you're still betraying him right now." She spoke and she hoped her face conveyed the question she was dying to ask
"Yes, I've been able to find a way to dodge the effect even if I feel it so much."
She stared at him in amazement, he had basically just admitted to being able to bypass the rituals of the gods and do whatever he pleased even if it was against his master, the king
"Why did you become the king's knight?" She asked him
Talk sighed, the expression on his face was one of immense sadness as he recalled the past "Harold was one man who had a lot of promise, his ideas were noble and I felt he would be the best king to bring peace to the vampires and help keep them in check but apparently I was wrong."
"So now you want to bring him down?" She asked
"Yes, with the help of your troops we hope to be able to accomplish that and install a new system with the vampires."
She sighed not even bothering to ask him how exactly he knew about the men she had, she had first sensed that the man was one who was privy to many secrets even ones that weren't supposed to be known.
Just as she was about to ask another question a guard rushed in panting from the exhaustion of obviously running to the chambers and with fear clearly writen all over his face
Talia was on her feet before even registering the movement of her body and she vaguely heard Tal asking the guard what it was and even before he answered she knew deep within her bones what had scared the guard so when he said "the vampire king is here" Talia was not the least bit surprised.