Happiness so vast I felt slightly suffocated with it shot through my body, as if it were a tsunami being herded and crammed into the small crevices of my heart, making me feel as though it were about to rupture under the unrelenting ocean of joy forming in my heart.

    Yet before I could even enjoy this blissful warmth for a few seconds, it suddenly became scorching, as if a blazing inferno had suddenly erupted within me, instantly devouring the ocean of glee that had formed in my heart, pushing it''s might to immense degrees before suddenly beginning to spread to every fiber of my being, as if my very blood had turned to something more akin to liquid fire in my veins, before suddenly dissipating in my muscles giving me such terrifying energy that I felt I was back in the prime of my previous life, able to single handedly bring kingdoms to their knees and empires to the brink of despair.

    It was excitement. Excitement that was so fierce I felt I needed an outlet for it immediately. So I quickly dismissed my brothers'' guards, before unhesitatingly drawing Dark Majesty from my hip and started training as my aura, a light grey that was closer to white than black, stuck to my blade like a second skin.

    I didn''t even bother to grab my training halberd to train with it at the same time, as I often did.

    For the next two hours I never once stopped my training even for a second, until I suddenly felt something click, as if a barrier that previously stood before me had suddenly been lifted, and my strength quickly multiplied, my strikes became more precise and my paper thin aura suddenly flared out, instantly doubling in size. I had broken through to the second rank of saber martial arts.

    "Congratulations, sire." Horus'' and Abraham''s words echoed out instantly from behind, yanking me out of my stunned silence.

    "Thank you." I replied calmly, hiding my inner disbelief.

    I had initially estimated that I would need another year and a half before I could break through in my martial arts, yet surprisingly I had just accomplished just that. Sparing me so much time and effort training.

    Ecstatic by all that has happened this night, especially after all the trouble of yesterday, I decided to stop for now and go back inside, knowing that breakfast was fast approaching, and after missing yesterday''s lunch and dinner, I knew that I could no longer be absent from anymore family meals, or I''d risk facing the might of my mother''s sadness.

    So I swiftly arrived at the dining hall, only to be surprised at the sight of my lone mother, sitting at the table, quietly eating her meal.

    "Good morning mother." I said as I made my way to my seat.

    She replied enthusiastically, as her face lit up with a warm smile at my presence "Oh sweetheart! Good morning. I thought you''d be busy today, so I started without you. Quick, bring another set of plates and utensils, and order the chef to prepare a fresh batch of eggs and bread." She finished by instructing the maid staff to serve me.No?v(el)B\\jnn

    "... Very well." I said after a moment, deciding to trust in mother. who I knew would heaven and earth if she must for us.

    It was then that the maids brought me my food and I started to dig in, until my mother suddenly asked with a concerned tone "Sweetheart... I wasn''t going to ask at first, but was in the letter his excellency sent you?"

    I looked at her in shock for a moment, since my mother hardly ever concerns herself in political matters, knowing that if she did, what remains of my opposition might use it as an excuse to start rumors of how my mother is the actual leader of the empire, and I her obedient puppet.

    But though I had told and assured her time and time again that if any dare say that I would deal with them, and even if they did spread those tall tales, simple rumors could no longer jeopardize my power.

    Yet she never budged and remained stubborn on this issue, believing it better to not give them even the slightest chance to attack.

    "Why do you ask?" I inquired, curious of her reasons to finally breach her own rules.

    "You vanished for the whole rest of the day and Haytham suddenly erupted in a fit of rage and stormed off a few hours later. How could I not be worried?" She answered, her worry now even more pronounced in her voice.

    Nodding, I quickly explained the whole situation to her then waited silently for her to organize her thoughts. Which didn''t take long as she said with an unmistakable air of grace and authority around her, having entered her empress mode as a force of habit "Seems like someone has dug a truly abyssal trap for us this time."

    Smiling, I ask "Do you have any council for me mother?"

    Yet before she could answer the dining hall door swung open and Abraham entered saying that "His excellency, Archpriest Adam Sekhmet has arrived."

    A statement that froze both me and my mother solid in a mix of shock and worry.

    Yet unbeknownst to any of us at the time, an insignificant beggar in worn out linen clothes, with sun kissed skin and eyes as dark as his unkempt, shaggy hair arrived at a small, nameless town on the western cliffs of the Jurren De Yachi mountains with a report that would change the empire and the world for many years to come.