C55 Dark Symphony Of War And Lust

Constantia squinted at her, clearly unconvinced.

"But you like him, don't you?"

Lucilia fell silent. Her fingers clenched against the railing.

"Well?"

Lucilia exhaled sharply.

"He's… a rather attractive man especially now after his growth spurt or whatever that was. I won't deny that. And…"

Constantia smirked.

"And you like the feeling of power he gives, don't you? Hmph. Don't bother denying it. Any woman would feel something when the high and mighty are forced to kneel with a single command because of her."

Before Lucilia could respond, the distant sound of singing echoed from the ballroom, reverberating through the night. The anthem.

Constantia turned slightly, watching the grand hall in the distance. A knowing glint flickered in her eyes.

"If you want your chance, that's it."

She glanced back at Lucilia.

"That stinky boy of mine is dead drunk right now. Just keep in mind that there might be a time when he will have to choose between a political marriage and you."

Lucilia hesitated, her hands tightening into fists. Then, with a sharp breath, she turned and walked away, her steps more determined than before.

Constantia watched her go, amusement curling her lips.

"Hehehe… It's good to be young."

A sigh escaped her.

"If only I were younger by a few decades."

A firm hand landed on her bottom, making her jolt slightly. She turned her head with a raised brow.

"Hmph. Who says we can't still have fun at our age?"

Came the deep, smooth voice of her husband, Augustus, his smirk matching the mischief in his eyes.

Constantia huffed.

"Like I said, all of you Von Deaths men think only of alcohol, women, and war."

Augustus snickered.

"And yet, you married one."

She snorted but leaned against him, her body fitting against his with familiarity forged through decades.

"Yeah, I did, and I dont regret It one bit"

...

The hall was alive with the lingering energy of the drinking contest, the revelry still thick in the air. My voice echoed through the grand hall as I prepared to sing the next line of the anthem, my hand tightening around the bottle at my side.

But then. A voice. Clear, mesmerizing, cutting through the air like a blade through silk. I snapped my head toward the source, my mind momentarily shaken from the haze of alcohol.

Lucilia.

She walked forward, her voice carrying through the hall with an elegance I hadn't expected. The way she sang, it wasn't just words; it was soul, power, something almost ethereal.

"Through fire, through steel, through blood we rise,"

"Great grandchildren of Kronos, grandsons of Zeus, sons and daughters of Ares, children of Nova Roma!"

Her voice soared, weaving through the crowd, drawing every eye in the room. The sway of her hips, the rhythm in her steps, it was different. Not the nervous, uncertain steps of a woman out of place, but something deliberate. Confident.

Hmmm… Either I'm too drunk and seeing things, or I'm about to get laid tonight...

I thought as I smirked, jumping off the table, landing smoothly on my feet. I joined her voice with my own, deep and commanding, the two of us singing in perfect harmony.

"Bound by duty, forged in pain,"

"We stand as one, we break the chain!"

My steps matched hers. She moved, I followed. Or was it the other way around? I wasn't sure.

"Never broken, never bent,"

"Warriors that would break first before bending!"

The crowd began clapping, some stomping their feet to the rhythm, the energy in the room shifting, intensifying. Augustus and Constantia exchanged smirks, already seeing where this was headed.

"Ours is the land, the iron and stone,"

"Imperium reborn, the Imperator on the throne!"

Lucilia met my gaze, her emerald eyes flickering with something I couldn't quite place. She let herself be led but never overpowered, her body moving with a grace that only years of experience could teach.

"Hail the sword! Hail the shield!"

"Hail the ones who never yield!"

I reached for her wrist, spinning her once, then twice, our voices never breaking.

"Brothers, march! Sisters, stand!"

"One Imperium! One rule! One land!"

The music swelled, the instruments rising to match the fire in our voices. The crowd was beyond mesmerized now. They were entranced. Enthralled.

Lucilia's dress flared with each movement, the glow of the chandeliers casting golden light over her form. My fingers brushed the curve of her waist, guiding her effortlessly.

"We are the hammer, we are the blade,"

"The shield that guards, the fire that razes!"

Her breath hitched for just a moment as I spun her one last time, catching her mid twirl, pulling her into my arms as the anthem reached its climax.

"Bound by honor, sworn by fate,"

"We carve our path, we change our state!"

For a second, just a second, we stood there, chest to chest, our breaths mingling, her hand gripping my forearm, mine pressed firmly against the small of her back.

"Through storm and strife, through war untold,"

"Imperium's Iron Fenrir awakens, the legions hold!"

Our voices, together, carried the final lines.

"Hail the blood, hail the fight!"

"Hail the dawn of Spartan might!"

The hall shook with applause, the onlookers cheering, clapping, roaring with approval. But I didn't hear them.

Lucilia's emerald gaze locked onto mine, searching, questioning. The warmth of her body against mine, the soft rise and fall of her breath, it was all I focused on.

"Rise as one, march as steel!"

"Imperium stands! Imperium kneels to none!"

The final note rang through the air, reverberating like the last call before battle. For a moment, the world around us faded.

At this point I was no longer thinking straight, I was drunk as f*ck, my junior had taken over control and my rampat evil psionic energy wasnt helping either.

I dodnt know how we ended up In my temporary room, but the moment the doors behind me closed shut.

Lucilia barely had time to gasp before I spun her around, pressing her against the heavy oak. My breath was hot against her ear, my hands gripping her waist as I felt her shudder beneath my touch.

"Imperator..."

She whispered, her voice uncertain yet laced with something deeper, something that burned just as fiercely as the fire roaring in my veins.

I didn't answer. Words were useless now.

I claimed her lips, swallowing whatever protest she might have had. She melted into me, her arms winding around my neck, her fingers tangling into my hair as if she had been waiting for this as much as I had.

I lifted her effortlessly with one hand under her perky bottom, feeling her legs wrap around my waist, her breath hitching as I pressed her even closer.

While with my other hand I unbottoned my pants, as I parted our lips and travelled down her neck, bitting Into her firm and full b*easts.

It didnt take long before I found my way Inside her damp cave of wonders, as I did Lucilia tensed up, her body arching up, one hand digging Into the doors while other dug Into my muscular and ripped back.

With each thrust my scleras darkened until they were pitch black, all that was left pure all consuming Instict.

I could no longer hear, see, smell or feel anything else, the only thing keeping me from going completely loose was my own subconciuosness.

...

March 6.

The first thing to return was sound.

A high pitched ringing faded in and out, like a radio struggling to tune into a channel. Then came the rustling of fabric, the distant murmurs of people outside, and worst of all.

The shrill cries of the f*cking hell spawn birds outside my window.

"Shut the f*ck up..."

I groaned, my voice raw, barely above a whisper.

Next came the smells. Stale alcohol, sweat, smoke, and something faintly sweet. Perfume? No, more natural, more familiar.

Then sight. My HUD flickered to life, a cascade of golden warning notifications flashing across my vision.

[WARNING: 1% Brain Cell Death]

[WARNING: Severe Dehydration: Life, Threatening]

[WARNING: Minor Kidney Failure Detected]

[WARNING: Recommend Immediate Fluid Intake]

I exhaled slowly. Thank the g*ds I can't feel pain. I tried sitting up. Mistake. Something soft pressed against my arm, keeping me down.

I blinked, turning my head. Lucilia.

Her body was curled up against me barely covered by a blanket, one arm draped lazily over my chest, her breath slow, even.

The dim morning light cast a glow over her bare skin, exposing every mark, every bruise, every faint bite.

She was in a worse state than me.

Her hair was an absolute mess, disheveled, loose, tangled from hours of... last night. Hickeys trailed down her collarbone, grip marks circled her skin, and faint crescent shaped indentations from my fingers dotted her hips.

For a moment, I just blinked at her. Then the memories crashed into me like a f*cking 200 tons panzer.

Oh. F*ck. Me.

Last night. The drinking contest. The anthem. The dancing.