“My father wanted my husband to familiarize himself with our … interests here,” Camilla supplied allowing the slightest catch of embarrassment to stunt the end of her sentence. It was not an uncommon practice for nobles with more family honor than coin to marry wealthy wives from the merchant class, though it wasn’t the sort of thing that one dwelt on. Being sent to check up on business interests in Kislev was a plausible excuse both for their presence and for Camilla’s obvious foreginess. It aslo made people sufficiently reluctant to press for more information.

“Ah,” Adolf said with a curt nod, his wife made a slight simper clearly relieved to have found some class superiority to the gorgeous Tilean. 

“Well I dare say we will all be here to the end of the winter, even after these rabble disperse,” Adolf went on, gesturing vaguely at the battlements with his goblet of wine. Cydric frowned his nostrils flaring slightly which made Camilla uneasy. She really wished she had her sword with her but there would have been no way to excuse it at the Hussar’s Hooves nor would she have been allowed to bring it into the presence of the Duke.

“Will they disperse do you think?” Camilla asked her voice timid and concerned. She clung to Cydric’s arm as though terrified, warming to her self appointed role. 

“Have no fear my dear, these walls could defy a force five times that size and to attack in winter? Madness, only to be expected from degenerate idiots,” Richter blustered. Camilla didn’t point out the fact that the snow on which the army camped had already melted, clearly whatever else they might fear, the Chaos army didn’t fear the winter.

“My husband says much the same,” Camilla went on with evident relief.

“He was with the Duke of Nordland when they defeated the Norscan raiders at the beginning of the winter,” she said, clutching Cydric proudly. Richter arched an eyebrow.

“Yes there are all sorts of stories going around about that, a desperate last stand, apparently some sell sword named Becker or Booker or some such launched a surprise attack and burned their ships,” Richter said confidentially.

“Cydric Becker!” Camilla asked her voice rising an octave in mock awe.

“I have heard he is the most handsome man in the Empire with the strength of a great wolf!” she whispered with faux giddiness. Elise rolled her eyes at such a comment.