Morning the next day and Ulric hasn't made a move.

  It surprised me. I had slept with multiple detection spells on expecting an assassin by night, but nothing happened. Not that I'm compining though. It gives me more time with my grimoire, and with every passing hour I grew more confident. It all depends on how strong the old mage is.

  My chambers door opened and even without looking up, I recognized mother's steps as she walked towards my table. I looked up, met her smile as she sat on the table's edge, leaned in and kissed me fully on the mouth.

  Her lips parted from mine, leaving an electrifying connection in our gaze.

  "What?" I asked, smiling back, wondering why she seemed so happy.

  "Nothing," she replied, her eyes never leaving mine, a secret delight dancing within them. She leaned in again and kissed me, this time longer and deeper.

  I chuckled then notice the letter she was holding.

  "What's that?"

  She looked at it as though she was noticing it for the first time too.

  "Oh" she said, passing me the letter. "It's a letter from the king of Mittelreich."

  I unfolded the letter, my mother's eyes never leaving me as I read it. Once finished, I nonchantly tossed it among my pile of unimportant papers.

  "What does it say?" she inquired, curiosity etched into her features.

  "It's an invitation to a ball," I replied, rising from my seat. My steps carried me closer to her, and her eyes followed me, well aware of my intentions

  "Emperor of the Central pins invited you to a ball?" she queried, her astonishment subtly evident in her voice. "He has never done that before. Do you intend to accept?"

  "I kind of have my hands full," I said, pnting a deep kiss on her as I reached her. The kiss intensified, and my hand slid under her thin dress, gently caressing her breast.

  After a few moments, she pulled back gently. "That's unwise," she cautioned. "You don't want to make an enemy of the King of Mittelreich."

  "Don't worry I will send him a heartfelt apology" I said, taking my shirt off. "I can't exactly leave my kingdom at the brink of civil war to attend a party"

  She sat up from the table and began working my trousers.

  "The grand mage wouldn't dare attack you while you are honoring Mittelreich's invitation" she said, then leaned into a kiss as my trousers fell to the ground and my semi hard dick dangled.

  She grabbed and began stroking it gently while kissing me.

  She has changed. Becoming more assertive and dominant, and it got me hot. Real hot, but I also realize she was right. Mittelreich is the richest kingdom in the continent and also one with the rgest nd mass. They are one of 3 kingdoms of the central pins and the other two are more or less vassal states, making it fitting to bear the name empire of the central pins. Going to the ball would be my first official outing and many important people would be there. I could use it to my advantage.

  A grunt escaped my lips as her stroking became stronger and that made her cackle inbetween kissing.

  I spun her around fast and bent her over on the table. She was all smiles, heaving heavy with excitement. I couldn't recognize the woman I was looking at. It was like I had broken her and the thought of it made my dick throb. She was all mine and I could see it. Every being of her.

  Directing my now very hard dick, I plunged it into her at a single bound and that made her grunt in pain as always, her eyes lit with pleasure. Gets to me every single time, I thought happily as I withdrew halfway and smmed back in again. No one will take this life from me.

  ┌─────── ??? ───────┐

  After sex we rested on the bed together to regain our strength but then ended up fucking again, her riding me hard through out, so we had to rest again and went on water arts lessons in the evening.

  It was at the waterfall at the end of the capital city. Just us two without my knights and mother convinced me to strip naked and sit in meditation pose under the raging water falls.

  "Let the water recognize you and accept you as one of hers" she said, so I sat there, eyes closed, meditating. The pce is far from where people live so all I could hear was the sounds of the silence of the night. I gave it my all but nothing was happening. Panic was setting in because not even [Water arts] was reacting.

  ┌─────── ??? ───────┐

  Nerissa's heart was pounding as she was watching where her son sat. She had brought an artifact, a wrist band that could detect spells, without her son knowing. She believed him, she trusted him now but why is she so afraid? It had taken her a month to gain the water's favour and they had called her a generational genius for it, so why is she so anxious?

  The wind suddenly changed and the insects and animals of the nights were crying loudly as if announcing a presence. She looked at the artifact in her hand, even though the artifact would vibrate and glow if there was a spell she still checked to be sure but saw nothing.

  Nerissa's eyes darted back to her son, and her breath caught in her throat. The heavy water that had been falling had parted, and trickles of water had come together to form a crown above his head. It was momentary and rotated a bit then fell on his hair.

  What does that mean? Nerissa wondered, gncing at the artifact then back at her son again. She has never heard of anything like that before.

  As her boy stood up, naked to the moon's gaze, feet on the river, a powerful wave rose beneath him, lifting him with a regal grace. In silence, it transported him across the river with a magnificent spsh, depositing him on the bank where Nerissa stood. He was all smiles and she was all tears as she rushed and hugged and kissed him like never before.

  This is what true happiness feels like, she thought as their kiss was progressing into something else. Something reckless.