"Yes!" Valerian excimed with unexpected enthusiasm, his typically restrained military demeanor giving way to genuine pride. "All vampires in my territory are part of my brother's army!"
This statement, delivered with uncharacteristic animation from the usually stoic military leader, revealed yet another yer to their centuries of deception. Valerian's entire domain—a territory that had been considered a separate archduchy for two millennia—had always been Lucius's military force. What vampire society had accepted as an independent power base was actually an extension of Lucius's authority.
The pride in Valerian's voice showed he considered this service an honor rather than subordination. Where vampire society valued individual power and autonomous rule, Valerian took evident satisfaction in his role supporting his brother's vision. This fundamentally redefined their retionship from what appeared to be equal political allies to a commander and his trusted general—a military hierarchy rather than political partnership.
This revetion expined why Valerian's territory had remained such a powerful deterrent despite its seemingly small popution. The closed borders, the limited diplomatic access, the carefully controlled information—all served to conceal not just physiological differences but the true nature and scale of their military capability.
Court officials struggled to process these implications, their expressions revealing the mental recalibration required to understand that what had appeared to be two separate Archdukes was actually a unified power structure. The political equilibrium that vampire society believed existed for two thousand years suddenly appeared as carefully crafted illusion.
The truth emerged that Lucius had always controlled far more territory and military might than anyone realized. The supposed bance of power between Archdukes—the foundational assumption underlying two millennia of vampire politics—had never truly existed. Lucius had not merely been one voice among equals, but always the dominant power, with Valerian's territory representing an extension of his influence rather than a separate political entity.
Valerian's willing subordination to his brother contradicted vampire society's obsession with individual power. In a society where status derived primarily from autonomous authority, Valerian had spent two millennia concealing that his ultimate loyalty was to his brother rather than his own territorial ambition.
Throughout this entire revetion, Valerian maintained his military precision, still holding Nova's former owner by the colr with casual strength that emphasized his role as enforcer. The noble dangled from his grip like a symbolic representation of the consequences awaiting those who threatened what the brothers valued—a visual reminder that behind Lucius's measured governance stood Valerian's direct military action.
The perfection of their complementary approaches was suddenly apparent—Lucius the strategist and Valerian the implementer, their brotherly bond creating a unified force that had shaped vampire society while appearing to be separate powers. What had seemed like political alliance now revealed itself as something far more integrated and powerful: family loyalty spanning two millennia of coordinated action.
