I stood before the gates of Emperor's Reach, and I could feel the unstoppable stretching of my lips into an unintended smile, as the words I exchanged with the one still in my arms a mere hour or so ago rung joyfully in my ears.

"You're excited." Eve calmly stated, empowering her voice to just barely beat the sound of the deafening headwind created by our speed, so that only I could hear her.

"Hmm?" I looked at her in confusion for a moment, as my eyes that were lost in the fog of thought regained their clarity, before I lovingly asked "Had a good rest love?"

"Mmm." She adorably murmured in conformation, while ever so lightly lowering her head to hide the subtle blush that was slowly colouring her cheeks, feeling somewhat embarrassed to have so innocently fallen asleep in my arms without notice.

"You still haven't answered me. What has made you so eager?" She then quickly repeated, clearly trying to change the subject from such an unseemly topic for her, despite the fact that in my eyes it was the epitome of adorableness.

And though wanting to tease her more about it, I decided to err on the side of quenching my curiosity instead of appeasing my own sadistic pleasure, as I interestedly asked "Why do you say I'm excited?"

"Your heart." She answered, her hand slowly reaching to lightly touch the area directly above my heart. "It's beating faster than usual."

"Maybe it's just because I'm delighted to have seen you so peacefully sleeping in my arms." I said with a half flirtatious, half cheeky smile, squeezing her body closer to mine.

Retribution for my mischievous words and actions came swiftly after, as a light fisted tap landed upon my chest, followed shortly by a silent little glare that I could almost physically feel through her black blindfold; and despite these deeds obviously dealing me no apparent damage, the devastating blow she'd unknowingly done upon my senses was far from light.

'To think my Eve could show me such faces?!' I nearly screamed out in my mind, as a hearty chuckle echoed from my throat, much to her continued frustration.

But then a small, knowing smile, portraying an image of absolute confidence in what she was about to say emerged upon her lips, as she assuredly declared "This is not the rhythm your heart adopts when it's reacting to my presence."

"You've already memorised how my heart beats?" I asked half in genuine surprise, half in elation masked as playful teasing, as the symptoms of an Eve in love began to slowly creep their way into her.

"It just happened, with no will of my own. It would've been even weirder had I not, considering how often you shamelessly try to find an excuse to invade my personal space." She quickly argued back, almost as though she was defending herself from a heinous crime.

Another chuckle escaped me then, before my eyes took on a darker tone, as I slowly answered "The reason my hearts beats so, I think, is because in my four years of rule, I've already participated in two wars, yet in both I had to maintain a certain sense of restraint, a line I made sure to never fully cross, merely tiptoe, for worry of international rebuke and a cojoining of the opportunistic carrion to swoop in and hungrily devour and strip me of all I hold dear yet again; but now, as I make my way south of the Hadrian Mountains, where those same eyes and powers would hardly be able to so keenly be aware of my actions, I can't help but find a sense of liberation swelling within me."

The voice of that being I met when I regressed back in time, accepting my ancestor's gift, in tandem with my own memories of endless hordes of enemies uniting under the banner of that northern weasel were especially loud during those times, always reminding me of both my own weakness as well as the necessity to maintain a certain level of restraint; and to a certain extent I also didn't wish for my family to think ill of me as well.

Yet contrary to what I expected, instead of the reaction I thought I would receive from the younger Eve, she surprised me with a response that almost perfectly mimicked the one in my memories, so much so that I thought I had the older her in my arms instead, as I heard an amused giggle from her, while she smilingly said "I wonder what the world's faces would look like if they heard that all you've done so far, that has already marked you as one of the most brutal despots of our era, was still just you with a leash."

I stared at her in shock for a moment, before saying "Well, I almost lost this sense in the latter part of my battle with Maximillian. I also lost it when my family was targeted by assassins during my first year of reign."

"Did you now?" She asked with a half knowing, half flirtatious smirk, obviously having heard of the many rumours regarding my annihilation of several noble houses during that bloody event four years ago.

"I did." I nodded.

"Then why haven't you ever told me of these times?" She asked in an almost accusatory tone.

"...Never had the chance." I answered after a brief pause, which was a little white lie, that she obviously saw through, but thankfully didn't follow up on, as she instead said.

"Well I don't think you need to continue to hold yourself back this time, after all, I still think it unfair that I still know so little of the man I'm engaged to, when he claims to know almost everything about me."

Exiting the tunnel of my memories then, with a large satisfied smile on my face, as I then refocus my attention back onto the present, and coolly call out with a voice that ripples dreadfully on the skin of those who heard it "Hamilcar."

"My emperor." The old demon responded with a quickly hidden bloodthirsty grin, as he slowly rose to his feet, casting a long shadow on all those behind him, due to his sheer height, that seemed even larger than ordinary now for some reason.

"Let us get on with business, shall we?" I said, as I calmly passed him, making my way through the parting people.

"With pleasure, sire." Answered Hamilcar, his stoic face ever so lighting with the sanguine coloured power and passion held within his eyes.

A declaration that was quickly followed by the rising of Avestan, Archon and accompanied by the creepily cackling of one mad cannoneer, as they all then began to eagerly rise from their positions and trail us a step behind, as we swiftly made our way to city's central citadel, as well as the military headquarters for all three armies south of the Hadrians; which also happened to double as Hamilcar's personal residence, mostly since the ancient demon never saw it fit to leave his post.

And by now all the other highest ranking members of the conquered Murathicus lands, had also joined us, who primarily included Tessiphina, general of the Eighth Army, as well as the newest and sole person awarded the rank of duchess in the conquered lands, her son and heir Amhain; and of course Barrafin, now dubbed the newest Marquis of Madra and temporary general of the Nineth Army.

Walking into Hamilcar's personal, a room named by some as the Map Chamber, for how many charts and other similarly inked papers were strewn about across it's walls and tables, I silently took the seat at the head of the table, as all the others took their customary places; with Hamilcar taking the area to my right along with Avestan, Archon, Tessiphina and Orhan in that order; while Hasdrubal, Leonid, Barrafin and Amhain took the chairs to my left, before the rest of the high commanding officers trickled in behind them.

And obviously my personal guards, Horus and Abraham stood protectively behind me, only leaving Eve not yet seated, as she had left my arms along the way, and now stood next to me, quietly using her powers to silently measure the weight of those before us, which left her slightly reeling in surprise by the collection of so many powerful and competent people in one place, almost finding none among the many participants who seemed to be of little worth.

Which made sense, since this whole area and most of development was in the hands of none other than Hamilcar, and if it was something that old demon despised, it was the stench of worthlessness.

"My lady, if you will?" But then, Yara's voice broke her from her stupor, as she placed her a seat right next to mine.

"Thank you." She acknowledged her right hand women's efforts, before she then seamlessly took her place beside me.

Seeing this display, it didn't require my most competent generals more who have yet to be properly introduced to her to understand her identity, as they quickly bowed their heads in her salute, greeting as one "Hail to her imperial majesty."

Eve again only regarded them with a simple nod, long since having abandoned her shock when others showed her such levels of reverence.

"I've received your reports on the conditions of the armies and the overall state of the situation to the south, but have their been any further developments I need to be made aware of?" I immediately turned to Hamilcar after their greeting of Eve, voiding any chance for unnecessary words, and diving directly into the matter at hand.

Smiling, the Grand Marshal replied "Despite further signs of de-escalations throughout the middlelands of the Murathicus territories, we have seen no further changes; but my liege, before we continue, may I ask what is the overall dominating doctrine for the coming war, just so that we may set the tone for the remainder of our meeting?"

"We advance."