[Chapter Size: 2100 Words.]
Third Person POV
Toussaint.
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...
Not difficult was it to reach the castle, while Ciri clung to Madara's back and he kept the foal within one of his arms, wrapped in his grip, climbing the walls and jumping directly onto the castle's outer wall.
They began to climb its towers until reaching the castle's rooftop, where Madara had a better view of the outer grounds as he started searching for Anna Henrietta. He eventually found her on one of the balconies, directly on the main tower, where her room should be.
Anna was biting her nails, a habit poorly regarded but one she had developed since childhood, when she was very nervous — which was the case now, since three Nilfgaardian delegations had arrived shortly at the castle through portals after she had warned the Empire about Madara through magical devices.
She hated that, for the moment the Emperor's soldiers arrived, it felt as though she no longer had any power over the fief. The first thing they did to her was assume control and invite her — which was nothing less than an order — to go to her room and lock herself in, since, according to them, her life was in danger with Madara Uchiha within the duchy.
In the next instant, her servants and soldiers were no longer hers, and now she was there, staring at the distant landscape from her balcony in frustration, trapped in her own castle, unaware that something had emerged above her and was advancing into the room.
Madara waited for Ciri to complete the spell that silenced the entire area before turning his attention to the woman ahead.
"Anna Henrietta", he said in a calm tone, inside her own room.
The woman jumped and turned around startled, her eyes widening as her face paled the moment she realized who was there: the young man, as they described him, the girl… and a dog — a bit different from the horned horse foal they had mentioned.
"It's you…" she murmured the obvious, while Madara nodded and the platinum-haired girl watched her with a hint of suspicion.
"What are you doing here in my room?", she murmured, taking a step back immediately and nearly bumping against the balcony rail. Her mind was racing with a thousand thoughts, most of them frightened upon seeing them.
She could be in great danger right now, and what the Nilfgaardians had told her to do — hide in her room — proved useless. As if that would stop them if they wanted to kill or kidnap her.
"There's no need to be frightened. We're not here to harm you. We only want to talk", Madara said calmly. But that didn't seem to change much of the duchess's suspicious and even frightened expression.
Seeing this, Madara continued. "Well, we came to talk because we want to buy a vineyard", he said, while Anna Henrietta couldn't help but make a grimace. That meant trouble: the Empire's greatest enemy owning property on her lands? She could even understand if he simply bought it in secret, but no… he was there declaring it to her. What did he think she would make of that?
"You don't expect…", she began, but couldn't finish before being interrupted.
"I expect you to help me with this", Madara said, making a small pause before continuing. "I want you to buy something under someone else's name, or else forge our names. We want a small property, but a functioning vineyard. We don't want to harm anyone in this place, we won't draw the Empire's attention as we did today. As for the duchy, you will have my protection. Obviously, I can't go around claiming I'm your tool to solve problems or acting like a wandering knight shouting honors for ladies and common folk, but I can deal with things in subtle ways. Bandits, monsters… and even a certain higher vampire who lives in this region. Vampires can already cause great trouble in the city; a higher vampire is a danger to the entire duchy. He hasn't taken over the area only because he knows humans are like flies — they're weak, but they never stop coming — so he stays hidden to avoid more problems."
Madara spoke calmly, while Anna Henrietta's expressions shifted. She looked horrified, incredulous, and even angry at times as the Uchiha laid out his conditions.
"You know what you're asking is far too dangerous. Even though I believe — and somehow trust — what you just told me about this possible alliance… if I'm discovered, I'm dead. The Empire would never allow it."
"If you're discovered, I will protect you. But that won't happen, as long as you never use our names and we don't parade around. The Empire will fall in the future, Anna Henrietta. What they did in the North will soon be undone. And when I act against the South… well, you can imagine what will happen, if you know my reputation." He spoke while she seemed tense, yet silent.
"It seems mere words aren't enough, right? Then let me show you." Madara added, closing his eyes. Anna Henrietta immediately knew something was about to happen. She barely had time to take another step back before she saw his red eyes. In the next moment, she was in the middle of an illusion.
"You really like scaring people, huh?", Ciri commented beside him, crossing her arms and watching the scene while the woman seemed completely paralyzed.
Madara didn't take his eyes off the duchess. "Well, it usually works well." He shrugged. He had used the same method on a druid, on a king, on a dwarf, and on a dragon.
Anna simply began moving again, blinking before looking around and seeing she was in her room, but she was… frightened. She hit the balcony railing and realized she was turning her body backward, about to fall. But Madara was fast enough to grab her waist and pull her back in a single motion, while Ciri still had her arms crossed, pouting.
"Careful", Madara said, releasing her as she took a step back.
The woman looked terrified, her eyes fixed on him. He had shown power — and power enough to terrify her once again. In that moment, Anna Henrietta knew that if this being before her — human or not — fought against the Empire, they would never stand a chance. He was like the very manifestation of destruction, and Madara would agree if he heard that thought.
In truth, Madara could destroy the entire duchy of Toussaint with that blue giant; with a single movement, in an instant, all that land would disappear from the map. How could she not be frightened by the scale of destruction he could cause?
"If you meant to scare me with that… I must say I'm terrified", she murmured, trembling and struggling to breathe.
"We like your land, Lady Henrietta, and my wife and I don't want trouble. But we want a chance to settle here, just with a summer house. You won't have any problems with us, I can assure you. Let me repeat… I am not like the gallant knights you're so fond of, but I solve problems better than any witcher: common monsters, higher vampires, or even demons. All you need to do is give me a communication device..."
"...But know that if you try anything to betray us… well, besides it not working, it won't be easy to become our enemy. However, I believe you will make the right decision. After all, you will have Cintra's support once it is reclaimed. And when the attack on the South happens, I will turn a blind eye to Toussaint — even if your knights are on the battlefield, I can ignore them and spare them."
Madara spoke, and Anna couldn't help but shiver.
"I must think about this, Lord Madara. You know I couldn't make an immediate decision. I hope you can understand my distress", she said in an almost theatrical tone, placing the back of her hand on her forehead as if afflicted, even though her emotional state already seemed shaken — she was simply used to acting that way naturally.
"The only thing we want is a vineyard, Lady Henrietta. Nothing more. This is something you don't need to think much about. In any case, I've said what I needed. We will return in the late afternoon. Know that none of those soldiers Nilfgaard sent can deal with us. From what I'm seeing, your door is locked and there are guards outside waiting. They kept you like a caged bird the moment they arrived, which cannot be pleasant for you. Now we're leaving."
Madara turned to Ciri. "Can you take us to the rooftop?" She nodded, since she had gone before.
Anna Henrietta only watched the three disappear, an emerald light enveloping the group before they vanished. No one appeared at the door during that whole conversation; she didn't understand, but she didn't question it for long before turning her attention back to Madara's words.
On the rooftop of the castle, Ciri materialized along with Madara and Eira.
"She isn't as arrogant as I imagined she would be", Ciri murmured, and Madara smiled.
"Certainly, she isn't. She truly loves her people and thinks of them; on many occasions, she even acts bravely to help them when necessary. But in front of people she cannot deal with, she trembles..." he said, then grew serious, looking toward a corner of the rooftop before continuing.
"Anyway, one of my clones is coming."
Immediately, a shadow leapt from one of the sides of the towers and approached them. A clone of Madara — one not created there, but sent together with multiple wood clones he had scattered across the entire continent days earlier, dispatched directly from Skagos.
"You caused quite a commotion as soon as the knights reported that you were here", said the clone, wearing Akatsuki robes. "I was in the court the whole time listening to the conversation."
Madara only shrugged at the clone's words, and the other continued.
"The Empire is so arrogant that the moment it arrived, it took control of Toussaint."
The original didn't fail to ask, "Did they send anything interesting...?" Even Ciri seemed curious.
"There is a Nilfgaardian emissary who arrived along with the three platoons. His name is Ardal var Ekkerni. He ordered two of them to quickly search for you, while he himself stayed here in the castle. He is arrogant enough to look down on Anna Henrietta and command all of her troops. None of the duchy's knights or soldiers seem to like it, but they have no choice. The man holds a high position in the southern court", the clone reported.
"And plenty of privileged information, I presume." The original Madara couldn't help but smile. If there was someone important there, why shouldn't he take a look inside the man's mind and learn how his little one was doing?
"I'll pass you all the information I gathered so far. You can make another clone", said the clone before disappearing, turning into a lifeless wooden doll.
Madara absorbed everything he had done there. Interesting. From reading documents, listening to conversations, and observing problems, he had found several quite useful things — enough that they could even be used against Anna Henrietta to pressure her into taking his side.
In any case, he used the same wooden figure to create another clone, one that would observe everything happening in the castle like a discreet shadow while Madara and Ciri continued surveying the region.
"What are you going to do?", Ciri asked, unable to hold back, while Madara returned to smiling.
"There are plenty of interesting things in the duchy right now. We can start with Nilfgaard's men", Madara said, not missing the opportunity now that the soldiers were there.
And there was something else that had caught his attention from the information the clone had passed to him: the letter in the hand of that Nilfgaardian noble emissary. A letter with the Emperor's seal — and it wasn't meant for Anna Henrietta, since it had never been delivered to her. This Ardal var Ekkerni kept it with him at all times. Clearly, it was meant to be given to the two of them.
Madara couldn't help but consider the many possibilities of what the Emperor wanted with them. Ciri was his daughter… but the Emperor had no idea that Madara knew this. Not even Ciri knew at this moment. And now they were married.
He would be lying if he said he wasn't curious to know how the Emperor of Nilfgaard was dealing with the fact that he, the Empire's greatest declared enemy, was now the husband of his only biological daughter — his heir, in other words.
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