The day of Marquis Dupont's arrival had finally come. The sun was shining and the birds were chirping. In the distance coming down Luxen Road, a procession of mounted soldiers and a carriage came into view. Bearing flags with a silver harp on a field of dark blue the procession made its way steadily into Hannover.
As the Dupont party entered the palace compound they were met by Victor and a couple dozen of his French Imperial Guard soldiers. Victor was eagerly awaiting to see the man who was supposedly here to offer a favourable deal.
Out of the carriage stepped a short and skinny gentleman. His hair was white as snow, his eyes a deep sapphire blue and his face devoid of any ageing despite his deceiving age. For someone who looked so youthful, you would not expect him to be 47 years old.
After stepping out of the carriage, another figure soon emerged behind him. Standing taller than Cedric, this skinny young lady with similar white hair and blue eyes approached. With slight curves, she had a similar body type to that of Veronica.
Intrigued by these 2 interesting-looking individuals, Victor politely smiled as they approached. "Greeting Marquis Dupont, Lady Clarisse. Welcome to Hannover. I must say your visit has definitely left me surprised. I did not think the Dupont family would be so quick to meet their new neighbour." Victor said in an upbeat tone.
"Thank you for such a warm welcome, Duke Luxenberg. We have been excited to meet the man who brought down the Cruyff Dukedom with such ease… We have traveled quite far to have the opportunity to talk with you so may we come in?" Excitedly replied the marquis.
Slightly thrown off guard by the cheery attitude of Marquis Dupont, Victor paused a moment before politely smiling and leading them into the palace. Victor ordered Florence to see that the Dupont's luggage was carefully brought to their rooms. With a nod, Florence diligently underwent the task.
Traversing the Luxenberg Palace the Duponts and Victor arrived at the palace lounge. Taking in the surroundings the Duponts seemed impressed with such a lavish looking palace. Eager to hear about the reason for their visit, Victor did not hesitate to break the silence.
"So I must what brings you 2 to visit. I only assumed the Marquis would be coming due to him wanting to discuss some sort of deal, but it is a pleasure to see you once again Clarisse. The last time we saw each other would have been at my grandparent's wedding anniversary party over a year ago." Victor said, speaking in a relaxed and inviting manner.
In truth, Victor was surprised Clarisse came to visit alongside her father. Clarisse and Victor had only briefly interacted with each other once at his grandparent's wedding anniversary party. So it was a bit of a surprise she would come on such a long journey.
"Straight to the point, it suits you, young duke. Truth be told I have come to see you because I am desperate. I am prepared to offer my territory and my loyalty as a vassal as payment if you can meet a few demands I have," replied Marquis Dupont.
Victor was flabbergasted. To come to a rival ruler's territory and offer him your lands was unheard of, it was borderline insane. Not knowing how to comprehend that information, Victor silently sat in his chair trying to make sense of such a tremendous offer.
"Surely you jest Marquis Dupont, what could I offer you that would warrant you to swear fealty to me?" Victor asked anxiously, trying to get an understanding of what would push the Marquis so far to propose such an absurd deal.
"Security and revenge. I am sure you are aware that my son died a few years ago due to an unfortunate accident. There was some truth to that, but it is not the full truth. I have reason to suspect that the Grand Duchy of Maximillian had a part to play in the death of my son, Conrad." The Marquis said beginning to elaborate on why he is proposing this deal.
"People say my son fell from the cliffs and hit his head on a rock and floated off to sea. What they do not know is that day my son was with the youngest son of Grand Duke Maximillian and his lackeys during a visit to my territory. I believe that snot-nosed bastard killed my son and now his father is trying to take advantage of his absence." Marquis Dupont continued.
This news deeply concerned Victor, he had an upcoming visit to see Grand Duke Maximillian. Wanting to hear more Victor began to speak, "What do you mean trying to take advantage of his absence?"
"As you know, Clarisse is my last living relative. She is destined to inherit my Marquisate, however, due to the fact she is a woman her rule will be contested and people will try to marry her and claim the title and land for themselves. Grand Duke Maximillian is one of those men proposing that 1 of his 3 sons should marry her for security and strengthen our bond as neighbours. That power-hungry bastard will see that my territory is annexed into his own."
Victor was stunned, to think that the potential killer of his son was now trying to arrange a marriage just to steal his land. It was sickening to think of. Still confused about his part to play in this deal, Victor asked another question, "So in return for your loyalty and territory what would I have to do?"
"I have only 2 conditions. Firstly you must promise me that you will go to war against the Grand Duchy of Maximillian in the future. I wish to kill the man who thinks he can rob me of my family and ancestorial home," Marquis Dupont replied coldly, the thought of the Grand Duke infuriated him.
Understanding the first condition Victor nodded, but was not sure what the second condition was so he asked what the other requirement of this deal was. The Duke smiled gently and glanced over at Clarisse for a moment. Turning back to Victor he began to speak softly.
"I wish for you to marry Clarisse and make her your Duchess or should I say Grand Duchess after you absorb my lands into your realm. Clarisse has already agreed to do this so you will not need to worry about whether she is okay with this or not."
Victor was beside himself. For the last two days, he had been trying to conjure up ideas as to why the Marquis was visiting, but now he was utterly blindsided. He did not expect such a grand and difficult deal.
Victor looked at Clarisse to see if she was truly okay with such a deal. To Victor's surprise, she lightly smiled and nodded. Seeing this left Victor to contemplate in silence for several minutes.
Trying to figure out the pros and cons of such a deal left Victor with a headache. It was not something that could decided on so easily. He needed time and the counsel of his advisors. However, the system would help him come to a swift conclusion. A blue system screen appeared right in front of him.
'Main Quest!: Conquer The Grand Duchy Of Maximillian!'
'Rewards: ?????'
Victor could only sigh in disbelief. Not too long ago, he had been at war with the Cruyff Dukedom, and now the system was urging him to get into another war. Victor's common sense violently urged him to think more on this deal or outright refuse it, but it was no use. Impulse began to take over, and Victor's mouth opened without properly thinking.
"I guess I should be calling you father-in-law now."