The undead princess

Victor was pulled out of his trance-like state by the sound of Shadowmare's stomping, as well as Rashara's comment. That was when he noticed that his guards were trying to contact him. He quickly pushed himself off Rashara and concentrated on the message. "What's wrong?" He demanded, obviously irate that he was disturbed from what he was doing. "The pass, m'lord. A inquisitor is here again. And he's far from alone..." "Damnation!" Victor almost shouted, before turning towards Rashara again. "There are enemies at the main gates. I have to deal with it. You should probably go back to the castle, where you'll be safe..." He said, still angered.
 
The sudden shout from Victor made Rashara's body jolt. The sound in his voice was one of defensive fear, which made her nervous. In seconds, she was standing next to him and following him through the feild. Her thin hands dusted her dress of excess dirt as she tried to catch up with him, desperately trying to get his attention know that he was heart set on confrunting the danger at his front gates.

"Wait" She finally shouted, reaching out to touch his hand but being sparked by a certain kind of energy feedback. "Ouch!" She pulled her hand back to her chest, not even thinking twice about it. "What's happening? Let me help!"
 
Victor was surprised as his energies were slightly unloaded at Rashara. "Damn it! Sorry, it's just... This damn Human Empire and their Inquisition! Always pestering me! Always wanting to 'purge' the undead from here! Bullshit! They'd try to kill us even if we were just humans, unless we surrendered to them!" He exclaimed angrily. His skin almost started crackling with energy as he walked on, before he suddenly stopped and tried to calm himself. He turned towards Rashara. "Do you have any way to deter some over zealous humans, who want nothing more than to rule the whole world and exterminate anyone not human, or accepting their 'god emperor' as the one true god and leader?" He asked, attempting to stay calm.
 
"well...." Rashara pulled her body away from him, less she be shocked again by his sudden flex of energy. "Does the burial necklace of a fallen princess mean anything to them? Perhaps if you show them I am alive?" She paused, remembering how Victor mentioned stealing her body away. "I suppose it would be difficult to explain, but my Father might be able to give you some sort of diplomatic immunity?" It was a very difficult idea indeed, but she was confident in the Lords love for his people, both alive and undead.
 
"If only it was that simple..." Victor sighed, starting to walk slowly towards his horse. "Did I mention the whole 'The Holy Human Empire wanting to purge all undead' thing? Even if your father was one of the High Lords, he wouldn't have anything to say in the matter. The Inquisitors only answer to their Emperor. No one else can give them orders. And they care even less what other kings and emperors says. If it's not humans willing to join their Empire, by force or not, will be purged. So no, no diplomatic immunity..." He sighed deeply again.
 
Rashara's jaw dropped as Victor explained her Fathers uselessness. Never before had her Father not been able to do something and she had always assumed that he was the authority of the lands. It was her own ignorance that led her to that assumption, she knew that much.

"I'll come with you, maybe I can help..." In truth, Rashara had no idea how she would assist him. She looked less of a princess with her dress dusted with dirt and her hair tangled with long blades of grass from their unexpected wresting match. Her hands traveled over her chest to loosen as much filth from her clothing as possible, before looking back at Victor for acceptance in following along.
 
"I do not truly know how you can help. But I suppose you could act as a bit of a calming aid on my side... I don't want to kill more Inquisitors or their soldiers after all... But they tend to make me rather..." He cracked his neck to the side. "Angry."
He swung onto Shadowmare, and got a concentrated look on his face. "Edward, I'm coming down in a moment. Try to make sure nothing escalates before I do." He turned to face Rashara again. "It's up to you. It could very well end in bloodshed, but again, if you wish to try to calm me, I welcome it." He said, a slight spark of something seemingly appearing in his eye.
 
"I will do what I can" The Princess said with a grunt, lifting herself up into the saddle of Mara. The mare was sweet and patient, unmoving as Rashara took her time finding a comfortable seated position. She had never witnessed bloodshed before, and the idea of being so close to it now made her sick to her stomach.

"How often do you get these...visitors?" The voluptuous red head pulled gently on the reins, steering the mare to follow after the Lord.
 
Victor sighed again, thinking for a moment. "It depends. If Inquisitors return from here, reporting that we are but a minor village, and not a big threat for the moment, it'll be less of them for a bit. They've got so much to do, with their strict laws, after all. They prefer to take care of dangerous heretics, you see. There are sometimes other groups coming by, though they are by far rarer, due to the Holies controlling much of the surrounding area." As he spoke, he rode downwards, down from the height of the mountain they were, quickly finding a road leading further down, towards a valley, seemingly the only way in and out of the area. Further down, they could see a wall, and a small group of skeletons standing by it.
 
Victor's words didn't mean much to Rashara, considering her ignorance to politics and the issues of the land. His issues especially, were much different from anything she would have ever heard from her father or his councilmen.

She kept close during the quick trek to the front gate, where she noticed Edward waiting with a small group of loyal guards. Shadowmare's steps seemed to attract their attention, though they had no ears to listen with. One by one the skeletons turned to watch them approach, placing a boney hand over their chestplate and bowing their heads.

Rashara kept back, trotting Mara behind Victor and curiously listening in what his servants had to report.
 
"Sir Edward! Report!" Victor demanded as they approached the guards.

"It's Lord Inquisitor Gabriel Angelos, M'lord. The one who keeps coming here." Edward replied, as he straightened himself again.

Victor groaned loudly as he climbed the stairs up to the battlements. In a way, he was happy that it was Angelos who had come once more. Yet on the other hand, he wouldn't really mind some other Inquisitor. For every battle he won, his forces became slightly more numerous, after all. Sure, some of his were broken, and in no shape to return, at least not as warriors. But the forces of his enemies mostly turned into his forces after all.

"Greetings once more, Lord Angelos." Victor called down to the Inquisitor. He sat there, in white armor with a golden trim. He was holding his helmet under his arm, and had a very large, gold trimmed and ornate warhammer hanging on the side of his horse. The man himself seemed to be slightly old, with gray hair and several small scars over his face. He was followed by a small army of large soldiers, wearing what seemed to be very heavy, silver armor.

"And greetings to you too, Lord DeLoch. I don't suppose you've been thinking of expanding your little empire lately?" The Inquisitor asked with a slight smile, as he tneded to do when he came here.
 
For a moment it seemed as if she were back home. Climing the steps of the battlements brought her back to the days that her father would tour her around, introducing her to new soldiers and showing her the view from the tall towers. Rashara stayed back, cautiously listening to the civil conversation between the men before sneaking a peek over the side to view the Inquisitor.

His armor was familiar, though she doubted it was any different from any other holy vestment. What exactly did he mean by expanding Deloch's empire? Did she count as an 'expansion'?
 
Victor had a rather mixed expression. One of amusement, yet also of anger. He was tired of being bothered so often, yet this was the least annoying of them.

"No, I'm not expanding past my mountain here, as I've told you so many times. I've still got a lot of room for expanding the village, and so, I have need to expand. But I would appreciate if you or your friends wouldn't come here as often."

"Well, there is nothing I can do, really. Sure I've got a lot of pull among the others, but if I outright tell them not to go here, I might be branded a heretic myself. So no, I cannot. Oh, I can warn you. There will be another radical coming here in a few days. Until next time!" Before Victor had any chances to reply, Angelos and his men had turned and started leaving.

"Damn radicals!" Victor shouted once the humans had gotten a bit away. "Ugh... I'll have to deal with an attacking army in a few days then..." Victor sighed, leaning on the chest guard.
 
It was over before it started. Rashara had been expecting some sort of argument or low blow comments, but it seemed the inquisitor was just there to warn him. Who were these radicals? The Princess moved closer to Victor, unsure of what to do with his sudden anger. She watched him curiously as he lean against the side wall, wondering what there was for her to do to help him.

"Can I....help in anyway?"
 
Victor sighed again. "Yeah, I suppose you can help... I mean, if you can help me think of something else for a while, that'd be appreciated." He turned towards her, putting a gentle hand on her hip. "I mean... I haven't really been as relaxed in at least a hundred years as I was when you were laying against me..." He smiled slightly at her, attempting not to be too creepy.
 
"That seems pointless" She said sternly. "If you need to prepare an army to defened your village, then you need to start planning right away!" Rashara looked down at the hand on her hip, tilting her soft features up to look into his eyes. "I would rather keep you focused to...sleep well at night than distract you before an oncoming battle..." Her eyes looked indecisive, feeling the obvious desire off his body that yearned to be close to her. She was nervous, knowing all too well that this was the main reason she was ressurected. Being his wife was what he wanted of her, though he did not force his desires. It surprised her, how gentle he was.

"Do you not agree?"
 
Once more, Victor sighed. He looked deep into her eyes as he spoke. "I do not worry about the battle. I do not worry about losing my men. I do not fear the Empire. If my army cannot hold them off, I can easily slaughter the entire army with my magic without taking any kind of harm myself."
He gently placed his other hand gently on her other hip. "What I need until then, is not to stress out and worry. Magic requires concentration. If I can't concentrate, I can't use my magic. And if my army should fail then, we'd be in a very bad situation." He looked almost hopefully at her. He had never truly feared the Empire, as he always knew he had his magic to use against them.
 
Rashara's brows sewn together in confusion. "So why not destroy the army with your magics and be done with it? You could easily take over the kingdom and be a fair ruling King, could you not?" She moved back, not wanting to confuse the kiss they shared earlier with feelings of adoration. She would let him touch her body, though only as much as she could tolerate without falling to peices from inexperiance.

"I don't think I can help you with the relaxation you wish to find..."
 
Victor dropped his hands downwards, and his eyes followed. He stayed like that for a few moments. "Let me tell you a tale..." He said, slowly raising his gaze again. "There once was a great mage, who had great ambitions. So he started in a small area, and gathered followers and soldiers, whoever would follow him. He was a charismatic leader, and his followers loved him. And before long, he started conquering other lands. Other kingdoms and empires, adding them to his own. His empire grew and grew, and so did his armies. But one day, his luck ran out. All nearby nations, no matter size, race or religion, joined into a great army, far greater than that of the mage. The empire crumbled, and was split among the those who helped. They could find no way to kill the mage, so they trapped him in a heavily enchanted coffin, and sealed it deep under the earth, in a prison made only for him."

Victor paused for a few moments. "And since then, Necromancers have been told that tale. Others do not care if your people are happy. They care nothing of you. If you raise the dead to start an empire, everyone will turn against you." He had a grim look on his face as he finished.
 
As the Princess listened, her hands went to his own, interwining her fingers between his and squeezing. "I said nothing of the undead, Victor..." Her bright green eyes caught his, motioning for him to look out over the land with her. "Who is to say that you cannot rule over both living and undead alike? Why can you now spark a peaceful revolution of acceptance?"
 
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