The Trip

Atticus approached her, wrapped his arms around her waist, with one hand stroking her pregnant belly, and kissed her cheek. "My love, I've missed you."

His wife, Mei, chuckled softly, leaning into his embrace. "Sure you did. How was your trip?"

"It was war, darling, and it was as expected, successful," Atticus replied with a laugh, knowing how his wife loved to water down serious situations with the most simple terms.

"Of course, genius, a trip to wage war is still a trip," Xiao Mei rolled her eyes as she countered.

"At least now that you're home, I would finally have you all to myself. The kingdom has had you for long enough." Mei leaned in more into Atticus's embraces as she placed a kiss on his neck.

"Really don't wanna ruin the mood, my love, but I have just one more mission, orders from the king." Atticus broke the news of his upcoming trip to her and twirled her around so she faced him. Mei at this point had a look of disappointment on her face.

"Why can't the king send someone else? You just got back!" She pouted.

"It's a royal order, and I will be back before you even realize it," Atticus assured her, trying to comfort Mei.

"But for now, I wanna taste my wife's exotic meals before setting sail," Atticus said as he stroked her hair with a cheeky smile plastered on his face. Mei's face couldn't help but be filled with a blush at his words.

"Alright, that's enough, out of my kitchen. You need to wash up while I finish up my cooking," Mei pushed him out of the kitchen, for she knew she wouldn't get any work done with him here. His presence was distracting enough, and his words never ceased to make her feel like a girl who just fell in love for the first time again.

After a delightful meal filled with laughter, Atticus prepared to leave for his mission. He couldn't resist pulling Mei into a warm hug, his strong arms enveloping her. He once again gently stroked her pregnant belly, a tender smile on his face.

Mei chuckled and gave him an affectionate look. "You know, Atticus, you don't have to keep checking if the baby's still in there. I promise, our little warrior is snug and secure."

Atticus chuckled too, a twinkle in his eyes. "I know, my love, but it's a habit I can't help. Besides, it's a comforting feeling."

Mei leaned in to give him a playful peck on the cheek. "Oh, you big softy, go save your kingdom as always and don't worry too much about us."

Atticus feigned offense, placing a hand over his heart dramatically. "Me? Never! A warrior to heart."

Mei giggled, her eyes dancing with mirth. "Alright, alright, my fearless warrior. Just remember to come back to us in one piece, worrywart tendencies and all."

Atticus leaned down to capture her lips in a sweet and lingering kiss, savoring the taste of her love and the promise of their growing family. "I'll be back before you know it, my dear. Until then, take care of our little warrior."

With one last tender embrace, Atticus left their home, his heart lighter, and his laughter lingering in the air.

Back in the palace, Emperor Ling Tian remained on his throne, deep in thought. A shadowy figure emerged from the darkness, stepping forward to reveal a man cloaked in secrecy.

"Is everything proceeding as planned?" the Emperor asked, his voice tinged with anticipation.

The mysterious figure nodded in the dim light. "Yes, my lord. The message has been sent, and the pieces in Listrea are in motion."

Emperor Ling Tian leaned forward, his eyes glinting with determination. "Remember, cut off any loose ends. We cannot afford any slip-ups. Eldoria's future depends on this; it's time I took control of things before it gets out of hand."

With a solemn nod, the shadowy figure disappeared back into the depths of the palace, leaving the Emperor to contemplate the waves of change about to happen.

Atticus and the royal guards' journey took over a day before crossing the northern border to where the kingdom of Listrea was located. If Atticus had been going alone, he would have probably gotten there faster, but it would be odd for the general of Eldoria's army to show up alone. This wasn't a matter of strength but of face.

A mission like this is normally below his status and pay grade, but orders from the king could not be disputed, especially one this harmless. Besides, he could feel that the atmosphere both in the palace and the kingdom itself seemed to have changed a little. His meteoric rise to a position such as his had brought a lot of disapprovals from those stuck-up nobles who had nothing better to do than constantly increase taxes and oppress the people under their jurisdiction.

A scandalous rumor of him gathering military power so he could usurp the king had circulated around the royal circle, but Atticus paid it no heed. First and foremost, his duty was to his kingdom. After a few more hours of horse riding, they finally got into Listrea's territory. They rode through the town towards the royal capital where the palace and the king of Listrea were located.

Their attire, armor, and the majestic steed Atticus rode on garnered attention from the natives of the town as they rode by. They finally arrived at the gate of the royal capital, and Atticus could see the guards parading about.

"Halt!" One of the guards ordered loudly. Atticus and the royal guards slowed down and got their horses to a stop. Before saying anything else, he brought out a golden badge which gave a shiny luster under the harsh sun and raised it to the soldiers.

"I'm Atticus, General of the Eldorian royal army; your king should be expecting me."

"Atticus!" One of the soldiers blurted out in shock. Hearing the name 'Atticus,' the soldiers felt a cold feeling pass by their necks, their hearts picked up pace a little as fear gripped their very being, even though there wasn't any obvious threat around. But who hasn't heard of the name Atticus, the hero of Eldoria and one of the youngest and strongest generals in its history? Most of all, his might in battle was one every soldier in Listrea had heard of, for with every swing of his sword, a life would be sent to the underworld, so maybe there was justification in the fear they felt.

"You can go in," the soldier said as they opened the gates. Atticus and his men trooped in and right after entering the gate they met some figures blocking the path in front of them, a man in shiny golden armor that bore some similarities to his. Around him were other armored guards with less conspicuous fittings.

"Welcome, Atticus Steele; we have been awaiting you," Zhang Ming, the general of Listrea's army, said in a welcoming voice. 

"The king is on his daily hunt, he would like to meet you in the outer garden" Zhang ming said as he gestured out towards the gate they just came in from. Atticus who had been silent the entire time raised his eyebrows at this odd way of meeting but since he was just here on a diplomatic mission he saw no reason to object to something as little as this.

"Lead the way" Atticus replied in his first words to Zhang ming.

The Listrea's general put on a large smile as he commanded. "Open the gates!" The large cogs set in motion once more as the gates opened, paving way to the path that lead to a destination where an important meeting in the history of both kingdom was about to happen.