C67 Iron Fang Imperator

The Black Sun Kingdom did not worship the true g*ds. Instead, they clung to their false idol, a fabricated deity woven into the monarchy's foundation which I wrote.

Their faith meant nothing to me. And they knew it after all In their eyes I was a heretic. A heavy silence settled. Then a command rang out.

"STAND DOWN! LOWER YOUR WEAPONS!"

Aurelia, still rubbing her sore wrist, shot a glare at her men.

"Are you all deaf?! I said lower your weapons!"

The Royal Guards hesitated for a fraction of a second before, one by one, they lowered their rifles, though their grips remained tight.

I snorted, shaking my head.

"That's better."

Aurelia exhaled sharply, whipping around to face me.

"You could've just taken the damn carriage."

I grinned.

"And miss out on this? Not a chance, princess."

I tilted my head slightly, smirking.

"Plus, you liked it."

Aurelia stiffened.

I nodded at her, my chiseled chin tilted just enough to make my point.

"Bet it's the most extreme thing you've ever experienced."

Her cheeks flushed red, her golden eyes burning with a mix of frustration and something else. She whirled around, her long black hair whipping behind her.

"GUARDS! Escort the Imperator to the embassy complex!"

she barked, her voice sharp. The Royal Guards snapped to attention, quickly forming up. Aurelia turned away abruptly, stomping off, her high heels striking the marble floor with furious intent.

"Madman! Absolute brute! Barbarian! I swear, if you weren't so important, I'd...!"

Her grumbling continued, a stream of curses under her breath as she disappeared into the palace halls. I snickered, exhaling a breath of smoke from my cigarrette which I just light up.

"Well, that was fun."

One of the guards twitched but said nothing. Lupa huffed in amusement.

...

The massive golden doors slammed open. Aurelia stormed in, her heels clicking furiously against the polished obsidian floor.

Her father, King Alaric IV, barely flicked his gaze toward her, his features unreadable behind his neatly trimmed beard.

The room was grand, ornate banners of the Black Sun crest hung from the high vaulted ceilings, gold and crimson drapes flowed behind the towering throne, where her father sat, flanked by two black robed attendants.

The Lafayet Republic ambassador, a thin, aging man with silver hair, paused mid sentence, his face wrinkling in mild annoyance at the sudden interruption.

"Father!"

Aurelia snapped, marching straight to the throne. King Alaric held up a hand, stopping her before she could get too close.

"Aurelia."

His voice was calm, yet held an authority that made even the most furious temper freeze in place. She huffed, crossing her arms.

"The Imperator...! He...! That man! That brute! That..."

The king sighed.

"Ambassador, that will be all for today."

The Lafayet diplomat bowed slightly, his face carefully neutral, though his eyes glinted with curiosity.

"Of course, Your Majesty."

As soon as he left the room, her father pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Aurelia, slow down."

His golden eyes met hers, tired but sharp.

"Explain everything."

The moment she heard this she let loose.

"Father, that man is a complete menace! He humiliated me in front of the royal guards! He... he refused my carriage, rode that beast from myths and legends of his into the capital like some barbarian, then threw me onto his lap like I was some tavern wench!"

Her golden eyes burned with indignation, her breath coming in short, furious huffs. A tense silence followed.

The King slowly narrowed his eyes, his jaw tightening, his expression shifting from dumb shock to something much, much darker.

"What… did you just say?"

His voice was low, dangerously calm. Aurelia, still fueled by rage, didn't notice the shift. She continued, her arms thrown up in exasperation.

"He made a complete fool of me! He humiliated me in front of the entire delegation, in front of our own guards! And that... thing... of his! That monstrosity! He let it rampage through our city! And do you know what he had the nerve to say to me?"

Aleric's eye twitched. His knuckles turned white as he gripped the armrests of his throne. Aurelia leaned forward, pointing a furious finger toward him.

"He said, and I quote, 'Welcome home, princess.'"

Aleric froze. His entire face darkened. A tense silence fell over the room.

Aurelia, realizing too late that she might've overstepped, finally took notice of her father's expression.

His fingers tightened even further around the throne's armrests, his jaw clenched so hard that the veins in his neck bulged.

A slow, measured breath escaped his lips. Then another. Then, in a voice so cold it could freeze fire, he spoke.

"Leave us. Now."

The royal guards stationed around the throne room bowed and hurried out of the throne room as fast as their dignity allowed.

The massive double doors slammed shut. Aurelia suddenly felt a lot less bold. Aleric leaned forward slightly, his golden eyes boring into hers.

"Let me see if I understand this correctly."

His voice was calm, too calm. Aurelia swallowed.

"The brat. The snot nosed upstart, the so called Imperator of Greater Spartanum Ducatum..."

His hands gripped the throne tighter, the black and gold metal groaning under the pressure.

"Not only marched into our capital on that… thing as you call It… but he also..."

A sharp inhale.

"Disrespected my eldest daughter. In front of my own people. And she allowed it."

Aurelia's face burned.

"I... allowed...?!"

She snapped. Aleric slowly stood up.

"Yes. You allowed it. Because if you hadn't, that little f*cking whelp of a warlord would be dead right now, wouldn't he?"

Aurelia froze. She hadn't seen her father this angry in years. Aleric IV exhaled sharply, stepping down from his throne. He walked toward a nearby table covered in maps and reports.

Without breaking his gaze from her, he picked up a sealed report from their military intelligence division. He tossed it onto the floor in front of her.

"Read."

Aurelia, still stiff with frustration, hesitated before kneeling to pick up the document. She broke the seal and skimmed over the contents. The longer she read, the colder she felt. Aleric's voice rumbled behind her.

"Do you see now, my dear daughter? Do you see what kind of man we are dealing with? He is not a playboy. Not a thug. Not a fool."

A pause.

"He conquered an entire Ducatum in three days."

Another pause.

"He took a broken people and made them follow him like zealots, he plunged the entire ducatum In rivers of blood and the people love him for It"

Aurelia's fingers trembled slightly.

"And now, he is here. In my capital. On my soil."

His eyes narrowed.

"And you, gave him the upper hand."

Aurelia's stomach churned. For the first time, she saw past the insults, past the arrogance, past the games. The Imperator wasn't just dangerous. He was inevitable. Aleric ran a hand down his face, exhaling slowly.

"You were supposed to test him."

His voice was tired.

"And instead, he tested you. And you failed."

Silence. Aurelia's fists clenched. Her father turned back toward his throne, waving a dismissive hand.

"Go. Get out of my sight. I need to think."

Aurelia stared at the floor, her nails digging into her palms. Then, without another word, she turned and stormed out of the throne room.

The doors slammed behind her. Aleric IV stood motionless, his mind racing. Then, very slowly, a sinister smirk stretched across his lips.

"So. The brat thinks he can play games with me."

He chuckled darkly.

"Very well. Let's see how long he lasts."

...

MC POV.

I sat back on the luxurious recliner, lazily eating grapes with my service knee length boots propped up on the polished mahogany table like some common thug.

The interior of embassys complex nothing short of opulent, gold trimmed furnishings, velvet drapes, and dim ambient lighting that added to the air of imperial grandeur.

Then the door swung open, and in walked Lucillia.

"Is letting random women ride the Imperium's sacred animal a hobby of yours, or what?"

She stated coldly, arms crossed, her tone dripping with clear displeasure.

Hearing this, I shifted my attention to her, my lips curling into a smirk.

"Hmmm? What's this? Do I hear jealousy in your voice?"

I asked as I flashed my trademark devilish grin, the kind that could seduce even a succubus and watched with amusement as Lucillia's expression darkened.

Her emerald one third black eyes narrowed dangerously, and then, suddenly, her pupils flickered to an eerie shade of glowing purple a clear sign that neutral psionic energy was activating.

The air shifted. The moment it did, her entire demeanor seemed to change. And then.

"Dracula von Death, you g*ddamn bastard!"

She roared, her voice reverberating through the room with raw fury.

Wait. Chotto mate. What the hell?!

Before I could even react, she lunged forward, moving faster than her current body should've allowed.

In an instant she saddled me, her fingers clenched around my collar with an unnatural grip, yanking me forward with enough force to tear apart my service uniforms fabric.