All the previous events came back to her in a rush. She traced the carved stone with her fingertips when a voice, even and airy, broke through her thoughts. "Beautiful, isn't it?”

A woman with scarlet hair sauntered into the room as if the situation was casual. “When I was little, my grandfather would take me down here just to talk about the architecture of the castle." A small smile curved her lips, she strolled with her hands behind her back. Adorning a royal uniform. A red sash wrapped around her waist where a saber was tucked by her hip.  

"Beautiful wasn't what came to mind." Aletia narrowed her eyes at the woman. "More like...grotesque." Aletia smiled back, a polite smile enveloped in venom. 

The scarlet haired woman just grinned more broadly, "I see. Well, you are entitled to your own opinion. But I suppose close mindedness lends to narrow opinions." 

“So you kidnapped me to debate about vampiric art?” Her eyebrows scrunched, scrutinizing the woman with a pointed look.

“No and no. Kidnapping is such a…brutal word. I merely invited you to my home –”

“Without my consent,” She added, a few steps closer to the woman. “This could cause an issue you know. Kidnapping an Imperial family member. Could wrap a noose around your neck? Oh, forgive me, is it…drive a stake through your heart, bloodsucker?” Aletia challenged, face to face, her amethyst eyes tracking each twitch of the woman’s expression.

“Before I noticed the trademark purple eyes, I noticed the narrow like pupils. Viper-like. It seems petty to be prejudiced when you yourself are a Rolineir.” 

Aletia clicked her tongue. That word, Rolineir, was just as steeped in prejudice as Vampires. Aletia onoted how Delilah brought it up. As if she were trying to establish a sense of comradarie from a discriminated race to a discriminated species. 

“If you expect me to be cordial when you’ve ‘forcefully invited’ me here, you must have the density of a brick.” 

The woman mock surrendered, holding her palms up and curling her lips in a grimace, “Pardon me, no need to lash out, your highness. Forgive me. We have gotten off on the wrong foot. I am Lady Delilah De Lorant. Crown heir to the Lorant throne."

Delilah bowed, that infuriating smile dripping with mirth still plastered like it was carved on her features.

"You expect me to bow too? To my kidnapper?"

"Again, this is not a kidnapping. Though perhaps you should consider your part in this. You and your knight injured a few of my men. So let's call it fair play?"

Aletia wanted to laugh at the absurdity of it all. Why was this royal vampire even trying to be cordial? Why did she kidnap her? Why is she still alive? Before she could give voice to the questions swirling in her head, Delilah spoke again, "We couldn't exactly leave an Imperial lying on the docks now could we? Especially when said Imperial provides bountiful opportunities."

"I see. So you want a ransom from the Emperor. Kidnap his daughter, demand something in exchange for my life-"

"There you go again with your terrible impression of me. No, no, no." Delilah shook her head vehemently as if the thought never dared cross her mind. Which Aletia considered odd, what with the attack she basically admitted orchestrating in Port Valor so violent actions should have been natural to her.

Aletia tilted her head and arched her brow, again scrutinizing, "So the terrorist has more morals than to ransom off a Princess?"

Delilah sighed at that. Maybe Aletia was finally getting on her nerves. A win in her mind. She wanted to continue to prod and pry until this immortal creature broke and finally revealed her contents.

"'Terrorist' is again such a pedestrian term. I prefer revolutionary."

"You seem to prefer a lot of favourable terms for the heinous acts you commit. I assume you're responsible for all the attacks in Novantia."

"You assume correct. And heinous? Considering the sort of atrocities perpertrated towards my species, heinous is too hyperbolic of a word of what I have done so far."

"So this is about a grudge then? Enacting on centuries of genocide on your people now all of a sudden?"

"I suppose you can put it that way. But it's more than that."

Aletia paused, a silent gesture for Delilah to continue. Her curiosity getting the better of her again.

"Novantia. Rich. Powerful. The largest Empire in the known world. Any one would be envious of that accomplishment. But each of its titles 'earned' is gained from the blood spilt on its very land. From Vampires and from the Rolineir people too I can imagine."

Delilah paused for a beat, "Vampire's live for centuries. And Vampire's never forget. But the issue remains not just on the old wound that has festered but in the very place we reside." Delilah gestured to the space around her before continuing, "We were practically sequestered here. Exiled for existing. We have made a home but...with as many Vampire's that still live - resources dwindle. It is projected by scholars that we have but a century left before Lorant becomes uninhabitable."

Her amused expression fell the more she spoke. Taking on a seriousness that did not fit the impression Aletia had of her.

"Vampire's are not immortal. We can still starve. We can still die. I don't want my species to become extinct and Novanita...well, Novantia has an abundance of land. If we can annex a part of that land, establish an area for our people - we can survive. We can prosper."

Aletia takes in her impassioned declaration with a sharp exhale. Aletia had studied this fervently as a child. Lorant was embargoed centuries ago and the ban had not been lifted. Kingdoms, Empires and smaller Islands were banned from trading due to fear everyone held of the Vampiric race. Any sort of ambassadorship was denied leaving them isolated from the rest of the known world. No wonder they're resorting to these means.

Her eyebrows pinch together in a thoughtful look, "In order to do that, you'd need to slowly combat them and start a war."

"Yes. War is our ultimate goal. Guerilla attacks to slowly deprive of resources. To distract and then finally a war is staged in the North."

Aletia's nodded. It all made sense now. Port Valor as it's named suggests was a Naval base. And she could bet that all the other attacks had to be on supply caches and Imperial military bases.

"Now, what part do I play in this?" Aletia took a firm step towards Delilah, "Kidnapping me was pure circumstance but considering how this all a grand scheme of yours, you wouldn't let me hear your plans without having a role for me." Aletia could tell Delilah and her, much to her dismay, were similar. And if Aletia were in Delilah's place, she would not have revealed as much without a clear purpose in mind.

Delilah's smile returned, "Well, your highness, what I want from you is simple."

Delilah's grin sharpened to a dangerous edge, fangs flashing, a lioness about to pounce.

"Become Empress."