83 Bets

[Within the Mansion]

Francine, Melissa, Maria, Neferata and Paris sat together within the small library of Mark has built near the Door House. They were all silent as they drank their tea while looking at each other, as this was the first time they all had met without the presence of Mark and now they are just drinking silently after they had concluded the week's reports from the various things that were left to them by Mark to handle.

They had spent some time together but only during with Mark in the bedroom and the duties they were given kept them from meeting each other until now. Maria and Melissa were quiet as they mostly handle the minor stuff Mark wanted but Paris and Neferata were staring at each other for quite some time now.

Francine did not care much as she was sewing a kerchief while sipping tea from time to time. She had already accepted the fact that her husband was going to be a great figure so she did not mind much even if one of the women along with her husband was her mother.

It was her fault too they ended in that situations so she couldn't complain much, as well as her position as the main wife is publicly cemented already thus the ones who were somehow trying to get the second place was these two who somehow developed a rivalry.

And since Mark did pamper them by giving them increased physical parameters saying that they are now stronger than most in their world. Thus after Mark left for his 'mission' the two went to spar with each other every day, though not always winning in their sparring, Paris seemed to be quite eager to beat Neferata in their fights.

They had spent some time being helped by Mark anyways to adjust to their new strength which even the former Vampire Queen took some time to get used to as she felt twice stronger than she had before. Though Melissa and Marian were former vampires too but they did not side to Neferata as they were more like the neutral ground within the group.

"So what will it be for this week little girl?" Neferata sneers at Paris who looked fuming at the former vampire Queen.

"If we're talking about little then it should be you seeing at how much you have nothing much on that chest of yours." Paris retorted at Neferata, beautiful as she was, she was just 16 years old when she turned into the first vampire thus her growth did not develop much since then.

Even when she had been purified her of her curse and making her sober after four thousand years of living in darkness and blood, she did not grow much which has become a sore point that Paris says every time to unnerve her.

"Why you bag of useless puffy meat! I shall flatten those for you if you want, say it then, is it archery? Horse-back riding? Swords? Spears? Out with it and I shall defeat you!" Neferata had been very obedient of Mark and she knew she could not hurt these women but she wanted a better position within her peers.

"Heh! If you were as young as me then I would have folded you many times over." Paris said.

"At least I don't sleep with my daughter's husband." Neferata retorted.

"The Vampires are your daughters so you technically did and besides it is better than raising a young man to become your husband and get rejected you old hag!" Paris stuck her tongue out as she glared at Neferata.

"That's it you chattering noisy mortal!! I shall put you in your place!" Neferata looked pissed when she got called old again.

"Stop it the both of you, cease this or our husband might know of this and we will all get punished." Francine had to intervene but she still blushed when she spoke of punishment followed by Melissa and Maria. Paris smiled foolishly as she suddenly daydreamed and Neferata scoffed but with a slight blush covering appearing on her face.

"And besides, since we have all heard the recent reports then what should we do about this situation at hand. Reports indicate that unnatural activities in the Eastern Steppes which might hit the northern nation of Kislev, nobles have increased the orders of food and supplies which we can provide but we have not proper reason to give to the other lords in case they might question where the resources have come from." Francine was quite dutiful as she did not want the growing reach of Mark to dwindle on their watch.

"I'll handle that, if some tries to do something it will reach my ears soon and I'll handle such people once they try to do something out of our interest." Neferata smiled evilly as she did not want the hope of having the world within your hands vanish due to some idiotic greedy nobles.

"Then what of the delegation coming from the Athel Loren, what shall we do to those that want to talk to our husband? They had spoken that they do not want to speak to anyone other than our lord husband, we have given them accommodations but I don't think they might like it if our dear takes a bit more time away."

"I have sent the Elves that were saved by Mark to entertain them and had them look around the fief to see the cleaning we have done for the realm. That would give us about two months if they are to be showed the whole changes we have implemented." Maria answered as she was the one handling the resources in dealing with visitors.

"Then about the various peasants and new citizens within the realm?" Francine looked at Melissa.

"The systematic arrangements of the Lord had proven very useful in weeding out undesirable elements within the rabble. This has reached the ears of various noble houses and tried to copy our system but the refugees still go to out lands. Thus we have been able to recruit a thousand more into the soldiers in training as well as improve the garrisoned men within the Duchy." Melissa answered.

"The other noble houses? Why are they trying to copy the ways our husband introduced?" Francine asked as she was curious.

"Because he is a natural born King and he knows how to rule over all, they see his ways and they became jealous of our results. Thankfully the Shadow Corps our Husband created has proven very good in thwarting various intruders that wanted to access the records even if they were just false one to begin with." Neferata smiled proudly as she felt that since her 'mistake', she was given glimpse of a world ruled by one man in the future.

Even though not her initial dream of having the vampires rule as superior beings but this was a much better alternative. She now had seen a better future where she would have not to suffer torture from the curse and thirst for blood.

"I can see it, he will stand above all other in the future and we are by his side. I know I can never have him alone, we all have learned that in a 'hard' way so better to put past delusions and give our all to him. The world is in need of his correction!" Neferata looked like she was about to give a very rousing speech but Francine stopped her.

"Alright, we all know that so should we be worried that these people are trying to take our husbands ways shamelessly or must we ignore such actions?"

"Ignore them, as much as they try to copy us it is of no use if they do not have the means to ensure stability like what was shown to us by him. All these years I have spent meeting nobles ball after ball, it has not ever occurred to them that whatever they are doing would not last long and shall be their downfall one day." Paris said as she sipped her tea while perking out her chest looking smug at Neferata.

"Tsk…as much as I do not want to agree with you, I still can't deny how innovative the world envisioned by our husband. It might take some time but time is what we now all have, some blocks of stones along the road might make us stumble but they will be cleared away in the end." Neferata had experienced thousands of years of schemes and betrayals but the one laid out to them is by far the only one she could see to be able to unite all the people under one banner.

"Then we should do our best to gain more trust from him, even I can see there are things he has not told us which gives me a bit of discomfort but that is quite understandable since he is who he will be." Paris smiled as she looked dreamy while fidgeting on her seat while daydreaming of something.

"Besides that, what is the situation of the procurement of the various beast all around the world? Have the Tilean Poachers delivered what we had asked of them?" Francine looked at Maria who nodded but looked hesitant.

"Is there something bothering you sister?" Francine noticed how Maria fidgeted a bit, being left in charge to handle the things when Mark is gone does a bit of toll on them. So sensing a possible problem going in their way made them want to not disappoint Mark.

"Did they do something to what we have asked Maria?" Even Neferata seemed serious when she saw the slight tense face of her former subordinate now sister.

"It' just that the Tilean Merchant brought along a Border Prince who asked for my hand and he won't relent when I had said that I was already promised to another." As Maria finished the room wen silent as the women looked all uncomfortable.

"Is this Border Prince related to that Merchant in anyways?" Melissa asked as she remembered the one time Mark got angry due to a similar situation.

"No, he was just there on a whim and said to have come to the Duchy to find a suitable partner." Maria said as she too did not want to have this situation escalate like what Mark did when another noble tried to lay his hands to Francine. A noble house gone within a night just because he tried to do something he thought to be normal in other noble houses.

Good thing that evidence shown that the noble family were worshippers of Slaanesh which made most not want to investigate the sudden disappearance of a Viscount family.

"Did any of girls have any information about this person?" Paris looked at the former Vampire Queen and asked in a slight sing song tone but everyone in the room knew that they were all hiding this matter to Mark. They did not want to see his maddened face again, that night was forever made them cement a fear of even angering him even if they knew he loved them and is a really responsible partner.

"Accident?" Melissa asked.

"Carriage Accident." Francine nodded.

"Bandit attack?" Maria asked.

"Greenskin raid." Paris said.

"An Accident in the road in his carriage getting killed during a greenskin raid led by a Orc Shaman then, I know which girl could arrange it." Neferata then waved her hand to send an encrypted magical message to one specific dhampir.

Just like that a noble of the Border Provinces is gone due to the wrong words said. This table of five women now holds the greatest spy network and coupled with resources provided by Mark made them all the more deadly. This was the start of the feared Council of Black Roses which brought fear to the people of this world and into the future.

[Backyard, training field]

"Raaghh!! Another one!!"

"GGRRR!!"

"GO!!"

"BaaabaaaAAA!!"

"GRAGH!!"

A cacophony of grunts and screams is heard in an open field where men of various races lift various heavy weights and training equipment made by Mark and introduced to them.

Now it is the hotspot where the soldiers, beastmen, Torgu, Reepicheep, Greenskins, trolls, orges and shadows bond in an image of sweat and brotherhood. Now a contest between them is happening on who could make more repetitions in weights proportionally in ratio to their body weight.

"REEPICHEEP GO!! I bet my month's wage to you!!" Shouted a soldier.

"Baaa!! Show them real Gor strength!! Baabaa!!" an Ungor supported the strongest Ungor in the group.

"Waagh!! Git dem scrubs and show dem wut we Greenskins made uv!!" an Orc screaming his lungs out also screamed.

"My moneys on the troll!!" a soldier shouted on the bet organized as he placed his bet on a box strapped behind Bart the hyperactive Pug who is tasked to gather the betting money. Zooming all around the wide area and coming back to the betting station where various Shadows write who bet on whom and kept track of the odds between the various competitors.

"Ughh, men…" the women of every side were watching from afar and rolled their eyes in how the men in the guards and people of their great Lord behave as well as act. They too have their competitions but it was more on who could shoot more accurately with an arrow or a spear.

"I know right, they just kept repeating the same movement anyways. And the great Lord himself said that doing it too much would damage our body, he is really innovative and brilliant in making us there various facilities that no one in the world has." A female Shadow said as she polished her daggers while watching at the female open area which was more calm and organized.

"Bart!!" a female orc shouted and the Pug instantly appeared besides her and she placed her money on the tray on the pug. "Mah coins on the Big'un"

"Hey, why are you joining their uncouth activities?" A female soldier looked at the orc who shrugged her shoulders and answered.

"Mo money…" this made the other women watching pause and instantly took coins in their pockets.

"10 silver on the guard captain."

"50 coppers on the Troll!"

"40 silver on the Knight!!"

"20 silver on Reepicheep!"

"2 gold on the Gor!"

"Baaa! 80 coppers on the Troll!"

The women placed their bet in a hurry as the contestants were now starting to strain in their actions. The leaders of each group were watching this from afar looking a little serious compared to their subordinates within the open area.

"It seems the Great Lord is correct in giving some time for the men to unwind and compete, you can see their past prejudices are starting to fade in their bonding times. Not everybody betted on those of their kind and it seems that even the women are starting to connect." The First Shadow which was the Best hunter that was on the first town Mark had said as he watched how his shadows also got raining in this event in being able to listen well to the various bets within the noisy area.

"Morale as his Great Lord said is needed and having culture unique to us will make the people be able to connect to each other, even now I would have never thought seeing such a various mix of races being able to gather and have a peaceful time together yet the Great Lord has done such miracles so easily." Hans was there watching in joy as he extended his hand and said "20 gold on the Knight, tell him if he lost he will have to hear from me."

"That's a little bit foul don't you think so Sir Hans, 20 gold on the Troll, if he loses he'll get his blood drained by us for a week and leave him barely breathing everyday." A sultry voice sounded out as a Dhampir with gifted proportions walked in and placed her bets on Bart's tray.

"Hahaha, if I am foul then you are quite rotten aren't you Lady Bisset? So how's the situation within Kislev?" Hans laughed as he looked at the dhampir that arrived, she was the one in charge of the Kislev intelligence branch that monitored the activities of the northern country's nobility.

"Same old same old, it's cold, they drink and they spill their secrets to me so now I know that something big is heading our way." The woman smiled as she took a seat and placed a letter on the table.

"Hmm?" Hans looked skeptical and picked up the letter then broke the seal to read it. As he read his eyebrows rose and got serious for a minute. He then stood up with nary a word as he went to the largest building within this dimension of his Great Lord.

"What was inside the letter?" the First Shadow asked.

"War" Answered the lady.

"How much?" asked the First Shadow.

"A million…" said the lady as she sipped her wine while watching the event in the open field.

(A/N: Updates will resume on saturday 15th April, this week had just been hectic since vacation after midterms had just finished and teachers are getting antsy again with our schedules and projects not yet submitted.)