"Mistress" Reginia acknowledged, bowing down her head in front of Lilith. It felt immensely humiliating for the woman to show submission to someone much lower than her station and when the one dominating was Lilith, it was almost impossible to resume the proud standing position without getting her command in return.

The General's wife had already indicated to every single member of the household that if they weren't paying heed to her control, they had no right to exist inside the mansion.

"Vrak" The maids in the room including Vios were astonished when the lady used the ancient symbolic language of Ambrose to signify everyone should leave except the woman who was bowing infront of her. The people were in trance but as soon as Lilith raised her palm gracefully they recognized the order.

[Vrak= leave us alone]

"Reginia, this one has heard about you quite much, you lineage and connection thus concluded that it might be in your fair knowledge of how the Ambrose ceremonies work. One supposed that your guidance in the banquet would be of use." The lady-in-waiting shuddered completely understanding that it cannot be denied and her mistress was not simply asking.

She almost clenched her fists.

'I will see how powerful you are after I am done with you' despite the devious conspiracy brewing into her mind she kept a calm façade, smiling and announcing her reply obediently.

"This slave does not dares." she went on her knees to express her false gratitude.

The commander of Hecodoctus sighed, feigning innocence.

"One is aware of your immeasurable pains Reginia. When this wife was a still a maiden there were thousands of commoners flocking Ions, your homeland in hopes to get a simple glance at your esteemed father Lord Forves and once, I too had the privileges.

Since I had known your father as a righteous man, I will not let the worries plague your mind anymore. The banquet is in the honor of Goddess Riera, this General's wife would select a good candidate for your marriage and bestow upon you." lightning flashed at the beautiful face of the woman, ink heart which was smiling and anticipating the downfall of her mistress was currently drowning as a thunderbolt of realization flickered across her face that had long gone green.

NO! this cannot happen.

___________________________________________________

Court of King Alexander had heard tales of the woman, officers and garrisons had seen the devastating beauty but it was the first time that their wives and blue blooded daughters would have a look of the general's wife rivaling them.

Men were coarse thus it was pulled off as a long sided humor that a commoner and an orphan to that with an upbringing as coarse as a mountain slave was compared to the young maidens that mastered scholarly arts and had so much effect as to make the animals sway with their songs and flowers blow like circulating oceanic currents with their virtues.

King Alexander and Queen Seycea were seated on the golden high throne decorated with red fire lilies as the aristocrats went and pay their respects to the almighty majesties.

Royal couples were never tainted with affairs and the questing of their chaste demeanor, while the emperor was allowed to have innumerable beauties in his inner palace, his concubines were only allowed to serve him but this couple was a little different, while Alexander was contemplating and being merry as the officials praised endlessly, Seycea had dressed more magnanimously than before making the nobles take a glance and speak in hushed whispers that she was indeed unparalleled and no slave was worthy of even a comparison.

She wished for Azarios to see her in new light.

"General Azarios and General Lady Lilith!" the announcements were made by the guards endlessly as soon as a bureaucrat reached at palace grounds but it was this first time that the people were talking in hushed tones were now stumped quiet and even the monarchs held their breath for their own different reasons.

As dark as an abyss of infinite ink, the general's clothes were made to be envied, if one looked closely enough it was embellished with threads of silver, the signature iron clad boots had glimmering silver blades of poison at the sides on bottom, it was arrogance and temptation entwined, this general was a man of his own mind.

Not even the king had in himself to eradicate him from the solid position but the most astonishing part was his indifference and cold attitude towards the royal family and the throne. Even the people were aware of his power and position and yet the man never did once tried to snatch away the golden position of a monarch.

As if it was worth dust to him.

If that wasn't enough to turn a person green from envy then the woman walking beside him definitely was. The ladies in the ceremony that were glaring at the General's beloved wife that he stole from heavens were ignored as the said general lady walked beside her husband in harmony expressing a calm and placid face as if she had done this a thousand times.

The teal gown adorning her delicate curves exposed her slender pale neck, while her hair tumbled to her hips in shining curls. Nobody dared breathed a little heavily infront of the woman who strolled the royal ceremony as if going through one's backyard.

She would bring their empire to ruins if any other nation's king or prince had his eye on her.

A slight gasp was muffled and yet it cannot be ignored when the palace was so silent as the people saw the chiefly diamond pin with three pearls dangling it was binding the ebony curls. 'falcon of west' indeed, the dangling pearls were called the falcon of west as it was made from the beak of the gigantic falcons that circulated at the shore of the unconquerable western sea.

The last pearl that was seen belonged to the great great grandfather of King Alexander and that too was lost as the compensation of war with other kingdoms five hundred years ago.

And commander Azarios had three! And moreover even the emperor would not allow his empress to touch the pearls but this General, he spend such treasures on his wife. This was a new level of adoring, yes the master invested thousands on ladies but this kind of lavish treatment.

She had stolen a lion among men!

The women had their eyes turned red from jealousy, they will make sure that the pride with which the woman stepped inside would be crushed after they were done with her!