Empress is on Honeymoon!

When part of the ocean itself froze, and the waves of the tide were disrupted, the Empress of this Empire, of course, sensed the anomaly.

Yet, she chose not to interfere with Aether, allowing him to face the Mortimer alone.

To her amazement, he emerged more victorious than she had anticipated... She thought he would at least struggle but... 'Not bad' she thought.

Next,

She had no doubt in her mind that Aether would eventually visit the place—the one he once called home.

With this in mind, she stationed her spies around the broken slave building, which was the last lead she had on him. Her instincts proved correct, as Aether did indeed show up. As soon as he arrived, so did she, following him discreetly, her curiosity piqued.

Aether, however, was no fool.