"Take this, husband," Aurelia said as she untied her hair, tying a silver cloth around Aurelion's arm. It carried her scent, her aura, the feeling of home and love.
"I will be back, and we will begin to work more intensely...on a child. Aurelia, if anything major happens in the Empire, notify me immediately. As long as you are in this world, the bracelet will allow it. Whatever happens, make sure you're fine." Aurelion said as he kissed her forehead and captured her lips, before bowing down and kissing her belly, causing her to blush.
He did not give an ounce of care about manners, nobility and so on. Respected it, yes; however, he was Aurelian! A man's principles should not change regardless of position, unless it was required, and besides Aurelia herself, no one could change his views.
"Go now, show them what being an Aurelian means. Come back to me, whole!" Aurelia said as she watched him get on top of his horse, his silver hair and robes fluttering. Today's weather was windy, causing leaves to fly. He departed towards a designated spot, his knights following behind him, clad in silver armour that had a crimson serpent on it.
Under the gazes and waving of his family, as well as the knights, he left towards Valerion, who was on a grassy field, preparing to teleport a Master, the strongest Expert and his 150 knights, as well as his own entourage. He saw Aurelian and smiled.
"Let us go; my father and the Imperial Council are awaiting us. Aurelian, do not pay attention to anyone besides my father and our War Marshal. I doubt anyone would dare to cause you any trouble whatsoever." Valerion said as he snapped his fingers, causing a massive gate to open up.
Aurelion nodded and entered, along with Luther, Severin, Thomas and his knights. Valerion entered last, and the portal closed, leaving only the green plains fluttering in the wind.
Thankfully, Valerion was an Archmage; the teleportation would have been a very big issue if he were not. Teleporting a Master required an Archmage; the gate would not be stable, and tragedy could ensue if there was no such person.
This is what made Masters so valuable besides their strength, and this is why positioning mattered a lot. It also spoke about the value of Archmages, which was a notch below.
Valerion was sweating and gathering his breath as he stood in the Imperial Gardens; it seemed like two Masters could have been a stretch. Men were already awaiting their return, as the knights of Aurelion were escorted along with Thomas to their resting place. From here on, it would be only Luther, Severin Halderick and him.
Following behind Valerion, Aurelion felt a lot of stares on him. Through the windows, on his sides, everywhere. It seemed like everyone was curious about the Goddess chosen. In the end, they arrived in front of the Throne Room, and they were soon welcomed there. Silence was what greeted them, as the officials, the princess and princesses shut their traps, lest they lose their heads if they said something wrong.
The Emperor was on his throne, while two masters stood on his sides. One was his Imperial Guard's captain, the other was his brother, most likely, as they were too similar. It was almost guaranteed that the Emperor himself was a master.
Luther nodded towards them as they exchanged greetings; only Severin and Aurelion remained silent. They only gave a light bow, a form of greeting towards an Emperor, but not a higher-up. This was the proper respect towards an Emperor of a foreign country; had they been in a Kingdom instead, the King would have had to come down and greet them this way instead.
"Welcome, Severin. Your colleague needs you; my Empire needs you. Thank you for answering our need for help; your efforts will not be forgotten. Tell me, what reward would you like to receive?" Emperor Argos spoke with gratitude as he looked towards the foreign War Marshal. His tone was respectful; Severin was a god of war.
"My rewards are to be given to my protege. I am here only to help save innocent lives; nothing else matters. If anything, allow me to leave and join Venelus as soon as possible." Severin spoke as he looked towards Aurelion. Some might find his tone disrespectful, but he was not a subject, and he did not come here for rewards. His reputation was one of a just man; he was practical, not greedy. Men moved with their lives on the line whenever he made a decision; there was bound to be some effect on his life views.
"You will be escorted there with utmost urgency, my friend. Thank you. Now then, young Aurelion, slayer of the Immortal Soul, how do you find my Holy City, Rovanthar?' The Emperor's eyes landed on Aurelion, who felt more watched than ever, as whispers began to unravel with Severin's departure.
He stood straight like a spear, clad in a silver robe. His left eye seemed to be blind, and some scars were showing up on his neck, while a silver cloth was tied around his fingers.
"It is a glorious city, Emperor. I can feel the presence of your god, Argos. Truly, only a God could craft such divinity." Aurelion said as he smiled. It was indeed true; Thalorion was magnificent, as well as its waterfalls. He had read about it in books, but it was different seeing it now. Still, he had only seen its Inner Palace so far, but he was fascinated.
On the other hand, he could feel that this city was holy, just like Aurelion City; the difference was that this was made the capital. He did not know, however, what powers the city granted to its ruler, but it was definitely lesser than his own. There was a difference between being chosen by a God and inheriting as an heir. It meant not receiving its blessings fully.
"Haha, I am glad you like it. Please, do tell me, what would you like to receive in return? My daughter, Eleonora - the jewel of my Empire's hand? Artefacts? Whatever it is, name it. We will need your Living Silver Artefacts." The Emperor spoke, causing shock to spread around the council as they looked towards the princess.
Princess Eleonora rose slightly as the council's eyes turned toward her. Tall and poised at 1.76 meters, she carried herself with quiet imperial grace. Her blonde hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders, catching the hall's light like woven gold. Clear blue eyes met and gazed at Aurelion - steady, calm, and aware of the weight of her father's words. She did not flinch, nor look away; she simply stood there, composed, the jewel of the Rovan Empire.
"There will be no need for that. If my circumstances were different, I would request nothing. Send money to my City, assist me in rebuilding it; I will leave the price up to you. My second request will be, if there's an opportunity now or in the future, allow me to tour your Palace and City - It is a beautiful place." Aurelion said, calm and composed, causing even more shock to spread.