— A messenger, boss, — the girl said and stood almost at attention in the hallway of the house.
Oleg had softened his heart recently, and among his gendarmes, he had started encountering such sweet "gendarmettes." Of course, no one dared to joke with the ladies, and their chief bodyguard trained them diligently. Even he had a tough time, as he had to break his habitual images and stereotypes. It wasn't easy to accept that a fragile girl could easily be stronger if she drank more blood than you.
— What did the messenger say?
— The messenger is not from the baron.
— That's what you should have started with! — the man began to get ready much faster.
The baron's envoy, Feff, was well-known in the village, well-fed, and was almost considered one of their own. The guy tried to flirt with the girls and always eagerly shared information and how he obtained it.
"Interesting, what do the church officials want from me?"
But the messenger wasn't in a robe. A thin, short young man dressed in very simple clothes quickly bowed. Perhaps too low for someone of his position, as an envoy represents his lord, and despite their origins and lineage, they are always treated with great politeness.
"Which village sent him, I wonder?"
But this conclusion of the vampire was also incorrect. The envelope was sealed with the duchy of Kass's coat of arms, with ribbons indicating the female owner of the seal. This meant the letter was from the dowager duchess, as the young lord of the province had not yet taken a wife. Though, according to rumors, many in the kingdom wished to ally with young Kass.
Opening the envelope right there, the vampire began to read. Halfway through, he looked at the messenger and then at the gendarme standing next to him.
— Feed the man, — he then switched to Russian, — Wake all the triumvirs.
The disgruntled triumvirs appeared before Alexander twenty minutes later.
— What's so urgent that we had to be woken up, and on a clear day too? — grumbled Eugene, who had not slept all day because of his wife, and as soon as he fell asleep, the gendarmes woke him up.
— The dowager duchess is asking for my help.
— Has the baron's title become yours already? — Konstantin sat in a chair and yawned sweetly, having stayed awake for another, but much more pleasant reason.
— No, it's not mine. And no one has promised it to me. But they are asking for revenge for her sister.
— What happened to her?
— She disappeared on the way with her escort. Apparently, it was bandits.
Silence fell in the room.
— We need to go. Reputation is above titles, — Eugene spoke first.
— Go ahead. You'll also get a chance to see Kass. And it will be useful to speak with the duchess in person.
— Then I'll take a dozen gendarmes and two scouts. If we leave in two hours, we should manage to get to the city before the gates close.
— Just don't forget to visit the baron and inform him! — Konstantin shouted at the retreating knight.
The tavern door swung open. None of the regulars even cast a fleeting glance at it. Who would care about the visitors of the dirtiest dive in Kass? Even bandits avoid gathering here; it's a place solely for drinking and drinking a lot.
The newcomers looked out of place against the backdrop of the surrounding environment. Four people in armor and with weapons, all of excellent quality, though the steel didn't shine as warriors prefer; it was dull and darkened, but everyone has their quirks. One of the newcomers went to the counter, while the other three moved between the tables, occasionally distracting one patron or another from their mugs.
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