CHAPTER 146: THE PURPOSES, A BRIEF STOP AND THE ASTRAPI KINGDOM

The remainder of the coming days returned to their serene silence, with the only difference being everyone’s insatiable curiosity about my chosen bride; which hogged nearly all the time and topics during breakfast, lunch, dinner as well as the evenings, which is were the brief intervals I would pause my training on and emerge from my room.

And these extended periods of quiet allowed me to not only progress further in my training, but to also better prepare and further refine my plans for the coming days ahead.

’We have four objectives we must achieve on this journey,’ I thought ’the initial, but most important one, is finding Eve. The second, and probably the easiest, is the first official debuting of my brothers on the international stage; a guaranteed and verified future pain in the neck as I can already imagine all the mountains of marriage and alliance proposals these two are going to receive in the coming years; especially that rascal Cyrus.’ A weary sigh then unintentionally leaked from behind my clasped teethe.

’Hopefully he’ll make an effort remembering mother’s lessons and won’t indulge in his more worrying habits.’ I ruefully ruminated.

’The third task is the necessary maintenance work of strengthening, rebuilding or forging new diplomatic ties with the rest of the world, which shouldn’t prove to be too difficult as we are now recognized as a nation on the rise in nearly all fields, so I doubt any mishaps are likely to occur, especially with Darius manning the helm on these matters. And the final, but the least likely motive to bear fruit, is this.’ I thought as I stopped my practice, and picked up the ancient tablet on the nearby nightstand.

It’s been three years since the Archpriest gave me my great father’s keep sake, and it’s still as much of a mystery today as it was that day.

Despite gathering an elite team of scholars and historians, as well as sinking thousands of Darr in order to unravel the secret of Azrael’s plaque and it’s odd and seemingly random collection of royal sigils, we have yet to discover even a single solid lead that could help us decipher it’s worth, if it has any to begin with, as I have started contemplating the possibility that this thing, whatever it is, is not as important as I had made it out to be.

But I am not willing to give up on it just yet, for the simple reason that it is related to the Beloved of Battle, and I doubt my ancestor would waste so much time and effort on safeguarding a simple meaningless object, which is why I required Leonid on this trip, as his connections could possibly aid me in acquiring a meeting with the Strategus of Sophientia, Basileus the second.

For if even the descendant of the Goddess of Wisdom can’t uncover the secret of this thing, then no one else could.

It was then that I was taken out of my thoughts, as I felt Ardaanin suddenly stop, which was odd since it only ever paused it’s march at sunset, but before I could dwell on it too long and call for someone to explain, Isaac’s voice sounded out from beyond the door saying "My liege, we have arrived at the Fourth Army’s barracks."

Realizing what has happened, I quickly make my way out of the moving giant, and behold the sight of a bowing Hasdrubal with thousands of kneeling men behind him, as the booming echo of "We welcome his imperial majesty!" wrung out in a harmonious wave of sound.

Walking over to him, I tell him to rise before we strongly embrace each other, like two old friends.

"I was surprised you would stop at our humble abode, sire." He humorously said, as we released each other.

"And why would that be? Have you grown so bored in this dull place that you’ve started slacking off Hasdrubal?" I jokingly asked, making us share a short chuckle.

"Though I do not deny the allegations of tedium, I do not resent it, as I would still rather suffer it’s suffocating presence than the exciting detonation of a crisis." He seriously said, with his usual smile plastered across his face.

"How surprisingly wise of you." I said in mild astonishment, as we made our way into the massive square shaped curtain walls, that hid the barracks behind them.

"Did you have to add surprisingly?" He asked with feigned annoyance lacing his words, before he quickly schooled his tone and expression, remembering we were still in midst of thousands of soldiers and officers.

"I did," I quickly answered "since I thought you would nag me half to death for cruelly abandoning your here for the past three years."

"So you do know that you’ve been cruel to me." He whisperingly quipped, bringing a bigger smile to both our lips, before he continued "But I won’t deny the obvious benefits and experiences I’ve earned in this place."

"...How surprisingly wise of you." I said again, trying to hide the sly grin begging to stretch across me face.

"Would you stop saying that." He quietly cried out, so that the men couldn’t hear, but it brought a short laugh to both of us.

"Now then, let us critique how abysmal of a job you have done here." I then jokingly said, as we entered through the barracks gates.

And so for the next hour we toured the premises of this place that was designed with a strict adherence to the dogged doctrine of function over fashion, mostly as a ceremonial formality and expectation, as I was perfectly clear on the state of it all from Hasdrubal’s precise monthly reports and his unflinchingly loyal personality.

But after the hour had gone and passed, I returned to Ardaanin with the others, much to the disappointment of Cyrus, who greatly enjoyed the experience, while Nizam was as stoic as usual, having found a soldier’s life interesting, but not much more.

"Safe travels, sire." Hasdrubal respectfully said with a deep bow, as he saw us off.

"Thank you. Oh, and before I forget." I calmly said, before I lowered my voice as much as possible, and handed him a small pouch, saying with a teasing inflection "A token of your beautiful lover’s affection."

Hasdrubal’s hands that were inquisitively opening the mysterious pouch immediately paused, before a happy smile crawled it’s way up his cheeks, saying "I see."

"You don’t deny it?" I asked, surprised; thinking he would immediately grow flustered.

"I think it would be stupid do so anymore in front of you, my liege." He helplessly replied, with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Very true." I answered with a nod. "But you better hurry up old friend and make your intentions clear to everyone else as well; especially to her. There is no wrath like a beautiful woman’s ire after all, and she won’t wait forever."

"Understood." He seriously said, almost as if I were giving him a command during a pivotal moment in battle.

But that only broadened the smile upon my face, for I knew him more than most ever could.

Hasdrubal was a flirt and a certified suave, who was both equal parts confident and charming with the usual ladies he’d take a fancy to; the ones who’s feelings for were so shallow, that it often times was just a casual fling or a temporary fascination for him.

But when he truly becomes interested in someone, he grows as meek and cowardly as a church mouse, taking everything with the seriousness of war and battle, as if the life and death of nations was on the line, as he would begin incessantly doubting and second guessing every word and action of his and hers to such a degree, that it would leave him paralyzed, and unable to move from his current place.

Only twice I had seen a woman bring this friend of mine to this state, the first was when he met that northern witch that seduced him to his end, and Anastasia was the second.

’Well I guess I need not fret over this matter now. His face is as serious as in my past life, when he spoke of that damned woman, so I just need to sit back for now, while occasionally prodding this lovesick fool in the right direction, and all will be well.’ I happily thought, as remounted Ardaanin to continue the rest of our journey.

On the sunset of the next day, we had reached the south bank of the Vronti River, the designated border between our two nations. And by dawn the next day, we had officially passed into the Astrapi Kingdom’s territory, where we were quickly welcomed by a column of a hundred men in bright blue and grim grey robes, surrounded by a thousand plate armoured guards.

"Hail to the Ruinous Dragon, the Bloody Emperor and the Mad Monarch; Master of the Scorching Desert, Lord of the southern realms, Holder of the Black Throne of the South, and Emperor of the Eclipse Empire, his majesty Alexander the third. By royal decree of the Storm King Aegaeon the fifth, we welcome you into the Astrapi Kingdom." The leading man among them stepped forward and proudly proclaimed, before he respectfully bowed.

"We thank his majesty, lord Aegaeon; and we will of course not snub our gracious host’s generosity and sincerity." Darius emerged from within Ardaanin and replied, though he did not bow like they did, as his seniority, position and reputation offered him such privilege, and in fact he might have placed the opposing emissary in a difficult spot had he done so, since even the master of these lands could not accept too many bows from a man such as Darius, let alone them.

We then followed their lead for the next four days, until we beheld the beating heart of the Astrapi Kingdom; the ancient seat of the mighty Storm Kings, and one of the oldest and most immemorial and venerable cities in the world.

Katai-Verta; the City of Storms.