Ryan rode away, leaving the Emperor and the three Primarchs sitting in the open-air courtyard of Angron's forest cabin. Angron watched Ryan's departing figure and shook his head. He had something to say but decided to keep it to himself. "Father, try some of this dwarven Bugman's ale. It's delicious."
The Emperor and the Primarchs sat down, while the Custodian Guards brought over an entire roasted lamb, still sizzling over the fire. The flames crackled and sparked in the icy cold, and the rich fat dripped and sizzled. Under the clear winter sky, the group chatted leisurely as Rogal learned bits and pieces of current events from Angron and the Emperor.
"It seems you're doing well, Angron. I'm genuinely happy for you, despite what Khorne might think..." Rogal's expression soured.
"Whoever kills me gets to ascend, right? This is the third time I've heard this!" Angron retorted impatiently. "You don't need to repeat it!"
"Ryan Macado... our new brother, Father. Was he the handiwork of your loyal dog? I thought he had long turned to dust on the Golden Throne." Rogal learned about Ryan's origins from Angron, his face filled with disdain and disgust. "So, your loyal dog left you one last gift after all?"
Without waiting for the Emperor's response, Rogal continued, "Of course, what you know, your Chancellor knew. You only trusted him. He and Guilliman came to the Perfect City, destroyed my life's work, and then demanded I kneel and apologize. When I confronted him, he ran away like a coward!"
"My friend Macado sacrificed nearly everything for me. He was loyal, capable, and approached problems with reason and wisdom. He died for me and left behind one final gift. You can't understand how important Macado was to me. In many ways, his stance was naturally opposed to yours because you can't grasp that maintaining an empire is far harder than conquering it." The Emperor picked up his dark beer, and a nostalgic expression softened his face of unparalleled brightness and glory. "His ways and principles might be worthless to you, but they were invaluable to the Empire."
"Scheming, calculating, boring. Your Chancellor was like a spymaster lurking in the shadows, always plotting something. That's why I hated him. I wanted to kill him so many times!" Angron's face flushed with anger. He reflected briefly and then shook his head. "But Ryan is different. He's a good brother. I like him."
"Back then, did you need a reason to kill? Angron, when you had the Butcher's Nails in your head, you wanted to kill everyone without needing a reason. Just like Perturabo, who hated everyone without a reason." Clarkson calmly shook his head. "Your words can't be taken as fact, but it's true that almost all the Primarchs hated Macado. He opposed psykers yet liked to show off his psychic abilities, second only to Father. He constantly gathered intelligence on the Primarchs and used his psychic powers to test their loyalty. Like you, he was indifferent to the deaths of countless lives as long as it achieved his goals. Whenever faced with a problem, he preferred using bureaucratic means to solve it."
"Exactly, that's how I see it too," Rogal agreed.
"True enough," Angron nodded.
The Emperor's face briefly showed a flash of disappointment. He realized that the three Primarchs before him were not the best audience to discuss Macado's merits. Fulgrim or Guilliman would have been more suitable. But thinking of Ryan, the Emperor decided to continue. "That's why I say you can't comprehend Macado's contributions. He established an effective bureaucratic system for the Empire that endures to this day. He single-handedly shouldered countless burdens of administrative work and the nearly endless task of personnel management. When you completed your conquests, you could confidently leave with your progeny, knowing that the myriad problems and the delicate balancing of relationships between surrendering warlords and the Imperial authority would be handled by him. And he always took on these responsibilities without complaint."
"For an empire, even one or many valiant generals aren't indispensable. But a chancellor who can govern the entire state is irreplaceable. Macado took on the 'necessary evil' for me. He dedicated his life to serving me, even sacrificing himself when I needed it most. He was my Signifer. I will always remember his contributions."
"He left me Ryan, the Primarch of the Grey Knights. That was his final and greatest discovery in his long life. He gave his life to complete him, and he succeeded. Ryan is growing steadily now. I have bestowed upon him the Macado surname, which clearly shows my stance."
Hearing this, Rogal, Clarkson, and even Angron, who had lived here for years, understood the Emperor's message fully.
"I favor Ryan because he is Macado's last gift to me."
As the Emperor expected, Rogal and Angron both showed expressions of displeasure, while Clarkson seemed lost in thought.
"He mingles with xenos," Clarkson finally spoke after a long pause. "At his wedding, we saw he kept a xenos close. His wife worships a xenos god."
Angron, slicing into a lamb chop, glanced unhappily at Clarkson, indicating that he shouldn't have brought this up. Rogal's eyes lit up with interest. Based on Angron's knowledge, the Word Bearer Primarch would be eager to learn about this "xenos deity"—what it was, what it stood for, its doctrines, and its church.
"I'm aware." The Emperor said calmly, tearing off a piece of roasted lamb with his teeth. "I observe everything about him, including the xenos by his side."
"Father, then why do you tolerate this?" Rogal asked, his excitement evident. "Weren't you always insistent that we must..."
"That is Ryan. He is the convergence of Macado's and my power and wisdom. He is different from you." The Emperor continued, "He is incorruptible."
"..." Rogal nearly wanted to jab the Emperor's face with his fork after hearing that.
It seemed that Ryan was the true favored son.
"Guilliman also mingles with xenos, and Sanguinius collaborates with Necrons." Clarkson continued. "Does this mean your views have changed, Father?"
"Different situations require different approaches. That's why I agreed to a truce with the Eldar Death Guard." The Emperor shook his head. "The Lady of the Lake's faith and the knights' chivalric spirit are similar. They set a series of moral guidelines, encouraging mortals to fight ceaselessly against evil. From this perspective, her influence on Ryan is positive."
"Sulia has a noble human bloodline. She will bear a healthy and powerful child with Ryan. I look forward to that day… Of course, I must also warn her." After saying this, the Emperor fell silent.
Once the roasted lamb was finished, the Custodian Guards served two large plates of roast chicken, a roasted piglet, two baskets of fresh vegetables and fruits, and a golden double-headed eagle statue.
Bound in golden chains to the statue was the Lady of the Lake, her divine powers sealed by the Emperor. In her current state, she was as fragile as a mortal. Her graceful body was tightly restrained, her senses suppressed by the Emperor's overwhelming power. A black cloth blindfolded her eyes, and holy scriptures sealed her mouth, allowing only muffled sounds of "mmph, mmph."
The goddess was clearly in despair, struggling futilely. Her delicate wrists and ankles were shackled, rendering her immobile.
"Hehehe~" Angron and Rogal chuckled, while Clarkson nodded approvingly. "A warning... indeed necessary."
...
Meeting Ryan's father initially filled Sulia with surprise, followed by anxiety. The lady knight, rarely seen out of sorts, opened her entire wardrobe in a panic, fretting over her attire. She paced back and forth, uncertain about what to do.
Sulia had received hints from the Lady of the Lake about the nature of Ryan's true parentage, and she wanted desperately to make a good impression on this formidable being.
Her marriage to Ryan was blissful and sweet. Sulia knew how many women across the kingdom and even the entire Old World envied her, including a future Elector Countess in their own household! She couldn't afford to show any flaw. To Sulia, the realm of relationships was as competitive as the battlefield. Though gentle and graceful, she was well-versed in courtly matters.
"When meeting Father, you don't need to dress up too much. Just wear what you normally would." Ryan smiled wryly, pointing to the dwarven-made mechanical clock. "Father's time is precious. Don't keep him waiting."
"But..." Sulia was still indecisive. Seeing this, Ryan embraced her, kissing her cheeks. "Don't worry, Father acknowledges you. You're my wife."
"Well... okay." Ultimately, Sulia cautiously chose her standard Bretonnian marquise attire. Once she was dressed, Ryan carried her in his arms, mounted his pure-blooded elven steed, and rode swiftly towards the forest cabin.
The bestowed Imperial Princess would meet the Emperor in the icy snow of the Winterveil Festival.
Initially, upon seeing Ryan's other brothers, Rogal and Clarkson, Sulia thought they were quite peculiar.
Rogal's face was inscribed with incomprehensible scriptures, his expression a mix of emptiness and fervor, resembling an ascetic who had briefly lost his purpose after slaying his enemies. He seemed to be in
a state of confusion.
Clarkson's skin was pale as snow, his face cold as ice. The raven wings on his back gave him a terrifying aura. When the lady knight appeared, Clarkson barely managed a nod.
But when Sulia's gaze shifted to the leading figure, she froze.
The Emperor was without his helmet. His sacred and noble visage, paired with eyes filled with infinite authority, gazed upon Ryan's wife. His face, a convergence of all the miracles and light in the world, was so overwhelmingly majestic that anyone who saw him would instinctively offer eternal loyalty. It was suffused with memories and sorrow.
Sulia had seen countless statues of gods in the Old World and had even witnessed the Lady of the Lake in person. But never had she seen someone who deserved such sincere reverence and admiration, someone so worthy of fervent trust and love. His every gesture was so divine that Sulia instinctively wanted to kneel.
This was the majesty of the Lord of Mankind.
Before Sulia's knees could bend fully, a tremendous golden force lifted her up. The Lord of Mankind looked at his daughter-in-law and smiled. "No need to kneel, no need to kneel. Sulia? May I call you that?"
"Of course, Father-in-law..." Sulia felt a deep sense of anxiety. She didn't know how to behave. She had never encountered someone so holy. The golden armor adorned with a soaring eagle on the shoulders gleamed in the winter sun. Sulia didn't know his name, so she used the traditional address. In this world, a husband's father was either called by his name or referred to as 'Father-in-law.' Sulia glanced at Ryan for help, but he simply shook his head slightly.
"Very good." The Emperor carefully examined the beautiful and regal lady knight, and his expression softened a bit. "You chose to marry Ryan. That's good. You are the Imperial Princess I have appointed. In the future, you will continue to fulfill and enjoy your role as Ryan's wife."
"Yes." Sulia dared not speak further. She was anxious about the nature of Ryan's father. Why would such a supreme being leave his offspring in Nord to be raised by mortals?
There were so many mysteries surrounding Ryan. Each time Sulia uncovered a bit, more layers of enigma seemed to shroud him.
But she always felt proud and honored because he was her husband, her man.
"You may not fully understand my existence, Ryan's origins, or what the Macado name signifies. But that's alright. This won't be our last meeting. You are my daughter-in-law and, currently, the only one I acknowledge as Ryan's wife." The Emperor's words carried an implicit message. "Just perform your duties well. That's the best help you can provide me."
The Emperor's smile made Sulia's heart swell with pride. This wasn't without reason. A golden light radiated from the Emperor, a cold beam penetrating her chest and merging into her being, becoming imperceptible. "There will be a day when it becomes useful."
After this, the Emperor turned to Ryan. "I am about to travel to Lusatia to meet with Fulgrim. Ryan, my son, prepare yourself. When the time comes, honor awaits you. Your great journey has only just begun. Your story will be sung for generations until the stars fall and the Milky Way dims."
"I understand, Father." Ryan acknowledged. Supporting Sulia, he carefully tended to his wife's pale face, which was still reeling from the overwhelming encounter. "I will be with Sulia."
"It seems many aspire to be my daughter-in-law." The Emperor gestured grandly. As Ryan sighed and Sulia looked on in shock, the Lady of the Lake, bound to the golden double-headed eagle statue, was pushed forward by the Custodian Guards. Her dress fluttered in the winter breeze like a helpless iris, struggling in despair.
The Lord of Mankind signaled the guards to remove the goddess's blindfold and scriptures. The beautiful deity struggled and pleaded, "I mean no harm to you, the supreme being beyond the stars. I only wish to be your daughter-in-law too! Sulia and I are together in this!"
"Did I ever acknowledge that?" The Emperor's voice, cold as eternal ice, pierced the goddess's heart.
"No, you can't do this. You've acknowledged Sulia. Why can't you acknowledge me?" The Lady of the Lake was genuinely frantic. If this supreme being refused to recognize her, all her plans, her love, and her grand future schemes would be ruined!
"You should be grateful. Not killing you is my greatest mercy."
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