As per my punishment that had been ordained by my mother two days ago, I was currently in the royal family's carriage, fidgeting uncomfortably with the many straps, buttons and suffocating collar of my most hated formal imperial attire, as we made our way to the celebratory party of one of the oldest and wealthiest noble houses in the empire, the Altin family, who would today announce their oldest daughter's engagement to the eldest son and heir of the Khonshir family, another prestigious and influential noble house of the empire, with a long and storied history that rivalled, if not surpassed the Altin's.

"If you keep doing that, you're going to ruin all good work I put so much effort into." My mother, who sat beside me, rebuked me with an amused smile, as she stretched her hand to restraighten my collar.

I grunted, letting her do as she pleased as I replied in annoyance "I can barely move in these clothes."

She chuckled in reply, saying "They let you move enough, you're just not used to them." Then her usual sly smirk appeared to her face, the one she only reveals when she decides to have some fun, as she half teasingly, half lovingly said "Besides look how handsome they make my baby look. How else are you supposed to make those poor ladies swoon, so that you can give me my first grandchild?"

Her words caused a unintended grimace to appear on my face before I could stop it, as my mind was instantly flooded with the furious face of a certain pale blonde haired woman and her unspeakable, yet undeniably adorable wrath if she heard what my mother had just insinuated.

"What's with that look?" She asked with feigned anger, as her eyes blazed with a mischievous glint intertwined with a triumphant gleam. "Do you not want to give your poor old mother a few grandchildren before she dies?"

Knowing that she, like a shark smelling blood in the water, would now tease me to death as she finally believed she caught my weakness, so in order to save myself from her, I decided to join in on her game, as a sly smirk took hold over my lips "Very well, my poor, old, frail mother. I will..." Yet before I could finish, her menacing fingers pinched my sides like an iron vice grip trap.

"What did you say?" She asked, her eyes a silent warning.

"Nothing at all, my beautiful mother." I quickly replied with a flattering smile, as I scooted away from her and her fearsome pinchers, earning me a content snort, my words appeasing her.

Yet my movement reminded me of my constricting clothes, that I could've sworn were trying to strangle me, as I again started to fiddle with

"For the love of all the Gods, couldn't I have just worn my battle armour?" I muttered, irritation and desperation comingling in my throat.

"I'm afraid if you show yourself in full armour my boy, the whole party would fly into a panic." My uncle, who'd been silently enjoying the show thus far, suddenly said as a hearty laugh escaped his lips, imagining the terror the nobles would fear if I emerged before them fully armed and armoured.

I sighed at his words, knowing that they were true; yet before we could continue our banter, the carriage stopped, and Abraham's voice echoed out from outside "We've arrived, your imperial majesties."

And with the coming of his words, so did the purging of our earlier carefree attitude and playful smiles, as they were replaced with stoic masks, and regal, untouchable bearings.

My uncle was the first to exit the carriage, before he offered a gentlemanly hand to my mother, who came after him, and then finally I did, as I straightened my annoying clothes one last time, as even though I despised them, I couldn't deny their majesty and their effect on those who beheld them.

"We greet you imperial majesties!" A loud, booming echo sounded out as soon as I revealed myself, in front of the Altin family's mansion in the city, as all the nobles bowed at the gates.

Though this was slightly against etiquettes, since only the hosting family was supposed to greet us at the door, and not everyone, as that effectively blocked the entrance for us, none really paid much heed to that at the moment, as considering my current reputation and propensity to annihilate noble leangles seemingly at a whim, they would obviously not dare show even a shred of an action that might be viewed as contempt before me.

"Rise." I ordered, as we made our way into the venue.

"Thank you for your gracious invite, Adeline." My mother politely said to her long time friend, and lady of house of Altin, before she turned to the two stars of the evening "And my sincerest congratulations for the two of you on your engagement."

"Thank you, my lady." They all replied, as they again bowed to my mother.

Meanwhile, my uncle and I greeted the old master of Altin family "It's a pleasure to see you again, lord Aarav." My uncle said to the old man first.

"The pleasure is all mine, my lord Archduke. And it is even more so to you my emperor. You have graced us with a great honour this evening." He wholeheartedly replied.

"It's the least we could do." I honestly replied, since even though I found this to be a waste of time, I could've better utilized governing the nation, training my divine powers or my martial arts, I also knew how valuable of an asset this old man and his family are.

After all, they weren't just obscenely rich and influential, but they were among the most staunch loyalist supporters in the empire. In fact, the empire has more than on one occasion sought the help of their family when the times were dire, and they always answered. And we could even be considered distant relatives, as my great-grandmother, the empress of Azrael the Second, the mighty Beloved of Battle, was an Altin.

The coming two hours were an unspeakable bore, with me and my uncle meeting with one noble after the other, dancing with them in their dull games of politics, as we engaged in bloodless duels of triviality.

It was only over when we had greeted every worthwhile guest in the enormous party, that I excused myself, leaving the rest to my disgruntled uncle, who was not exactly enjoying himself either.

I chose a quiet corner to sit at, and though I could still their eyes ever on me, especially of those noble ladies, I gave none the opportunity to pester me any longer, as I slightly unleashed my hounding madness, emitting a pressure now that none was foolish enough to dare provoke.

But while I sat there in peaceful silence, I noticed my mother expertly gliding from one group of ladies to the next, like a butterfly dancing amongst a field of flowers, she effortlessly manoeuvred through this meadow of masked lust, greed, arrogance and envy like second nature.

'I'd almost forgotten how much of a socialite my mother was.' I thought, which reminded of how early I'd lost her warmth in my past life, which caused my madness, which I'd been subtly releasing to flare up wildly, almost causing my divine blood to answer it's call.

Thankfully I regained control of it in time, before I took a breath of the lavender flower I had in my pocket, making her face appear to me again.

"You're going to scare the others, sitting here like a frustrated dragon." The Forge Lord's quipping voice, sounded out as he approached me.

"Even you Valdour." I asked in exasperation at the title that has been rapidly been becoming synonymous with my name recently.

"Well, you can't claim that it doesn't suite you." He answered, a small smile on his face.

I snorted in reply, before knowingly asking "Finally managed to escape?" Valdour had been stuck the same as me, with greeting the guests with his wife all this time.

Sighing, he said in apparent exhaustion "I swear by the name of the Forge God, my ears were about to bleed if I had to listen to anymore of their self-aggrandizing words for a second longer."

Laughing at our shared plight, I playfully taunt him, saying "So you abandoned your poor wife, and escaped here to me?"

Laughing, he replied, looking back fondly where his wife and my mother now both stood together "Kora is far better suited to deal with those arrogant fools than I ever will be, besides I know she enjoys it, even if she acts spoiled to me later." He finished with a doting smile adorning his features.

I merely smiled at his lovesick self, yet before I could respond with anything of my own, he looked back at me and said in a gravely serious tone "But I didn't leave her side only because I despise those nobles, my liege. I also have an important matter to discuss with you. One that has being heavily on my mind as of late."