A/N: Its OK to skip the interludes But this one is good.
Several months previously. The court of the president for life of Basingstoke ( aka the Badlands)
Hannah came into the Kings audience chamber. Well most young girls would be looking embarrassedly to the floor she looked around her. She wore a baggy soldier's uniform. She was young,unkept, beautiful,her hair yellow like the fall of autumn leaves and a strange visual echo for his own daughter Victoria.
"You are the one they call Hannah of Leicester ?" the President of the Republic of Basingstoke began.
"I am" she looked at him like a man. In her eyes she had seen death, and death and made equals of them all.
"Hi I'm Harold, thanks for coming along. Let me get right to the point I'm told you lost both your parents"
"My farther died at Kircrook. His was one of those flailed alive and left in the pit." Hannah began she had searched in the fly-infested pit for two days looking for him.
She continued "My mother joined the First Earth Army day after and died during the battle of Thaxted"
"I'm told you've killed one of them" said Harold.
It had been mostly luck. Small girl unnoticed, nothing but a wooden stake and the heart to prove her farther's death wasn't wasted.
"Eye that's right, what of it?" one of the local warlord's men had fetched her, brought her south for some secret mission.
Harold came over to her and looked her in the eyes, "Are you afraid of vampires?"
"Me ? No, I have seen their black blood. They should be afraid of me." said Hannah.
Harold nodded, he liked her.
"Good. I don't know you heard but I've just been fighting in a battle against the worst vampire of them all. You heard of tapper called Sadismann?"
Hannah tried to remember "Duke of the coven of the meridian. Southern coven in London. Sits on the blood council, when it meets."
Harold was impressed, she listened out and kept a track of them. Know your enemy.
Harold walked and turned his back on Hannah , "He's offered me five years peace in exchange for my daughter Victoria."
Hannah could feel the tension in his words. He was given a choice his child or his Kingdom, well republic. Typical Vampire trick. He was torn.
"We have suffered from them, suffered badly." Harold said "We gave in good measure but it's hurt us badly. All we need is a bad harvest and we could be gone. My daughter is the only thing between my people and our extinction. It is a very hard thing to ask a farther to do, but a president must do things father should not. My fear is for my daughter. The very rumour of the deal has caught her soul. She is already slowly loosing her mind. She is not strong like you, if I gave them my daughter they would return a mad woman."
Hannah was young but knew enough to know the Barren lands as the vampires called this place was the only thing between the coven of the Meridan and the people of Mercia - her people.
"She and any servant are refusing to go. I can't blame her. He's willing to sign a contract, she won't be touched. She'll be looked after. I'm getting an iron cage as a safe room made for her.... I need someone to teach her to fight vampires. I want her to see bravery and I'm hoping she will get strong enough. I have need of someone who does not fear them. My daughter Princess Victoria she crumbles like a fallen leaf in Autumn at them."
"Well she should," said Hannah.
"You show wisdom beyond your years shield maiden. I must tell you things that should not be whispered outside this chamber. This republic is sorely weak. We are on our knees, if they attack again our republic will be lost. Would you like to take a familiars orders? See their long coats march our streets"
"I would rather die" said Hannah.
"Then you would have your wish. This we are very very close to. But there is still away. The so-called Duke offers me peace in exchange for my daughter."
"What would you ask of me lord? I don't know how to teach your princess to be strong"
"I'm asking you try and do what you can. If you cannot then I would ask of you what I cannot. So I am asking you freely. The Sadisman has not seen my daughter. I would ask you to take her place, be her. Keep the peace with the night leeches while we grow strong again. I ask this not as your president but as a farther. Every protection I give to her I would extend to you. If he touches you in her place it would be war".
"If they suspect you of switching daughters they would kill me"
"They would do far worse than kill you they would slaughter this kingdom. My life that of the Princess Victoria would be lost as well. I make my solemn vow that you would be a princess. I have created a contract with them, that the princess would not be touched. That contract would hold for you to. If they attempted to drink your blood, violate you in anyway, him that would have to be an act of war, as much as touching my own daughter. For if I failed to protect you like my own daughter that would be a signal that they had been tricked."
"I would have to act like a princess" said Hannah
"If you were to play her part you could work like a soldier. Someone like you in their black keep. You could find weaknesses, we might find a way for you to send messages back to us. They might let you look out of a window. We could watch for you, send messages that way."
"Would you have me kill Sadismann" said Hannha she might enjoy being the assassin.
"Him no. No him no contract. and way It's been tried. But killing someone he trusts might set them against them selves. We have a month and you teach her then observe her, learn to be her. Once you return this kingdom would be strong again. I would give you what ever you wished. "
There was a noise in the hallway.
"What of your daughter the real princess?"
"It would be her choice. Perhaps you could teach her your spirit. So she might choose to go to Duke Sadismann she might not. If not then she knows she would loose her place. Perhaps she would deserve a simpler life, like her mother god bless her, she is not as strong as sometimes we need to be."
Hannah looked to him, the father's care she had lost. She felt sorry for him.
There was a voice outside.
"Dad you home?" said a young voice.
"In here" said Harold. A young girl Hannah's age and rough height walked in. The both had blonde hair but of different tones.
Victoria "I was out riding and I was told you wanted me for something."
Harold walked to Victoria "Victoria" he began "you should meet Hannah, she's part of your new body guard. She's going to teach you a thing or two about fighting Vampires. Your old enough now and you can never be too prepared. Hannah his is Victoria. You can sleep in my house, stay close to Victoria at all times".
"Cool" said Victoria.
Harold turned to Hannah "Go, come back tomorrow and give me your decision"
A/N is the princess, the 'high born' Victoria or the low born Hannah ? If Hanna will she share the secret, will the King hold to his promise or will he sacrifice Hannah? Future Chapters will tell. It's not yet fixed and your comments will help decided the choice. More as soon as we can.