The Castle in the middle of nowhere.

I looked at the battleship in front of me in awe. I was proud of my people, I was humbled by their efforts, and I was overwhelmed by their creation. I was kinda glad that Jester was far away doing whatever he was doing. I almost heard him calling this ship, or its reactors, 'nu-cu-lar.' I nearly chuckled at my thoughts. The people invited to the presentation had remained silent, their shock evident. Ertu and Akh'ila exchanged nervous glances and discreetly looked at me in fear. I knew exactly what they were thinking. They were very, very glad that they had switched sides. However, one person wasn't paralysed by the sight: Janet A'nnet Sparrow. My Admiral was looking at the dreadnought with maternal affection and anticipation. We all strolled along until we entered the deck where the crew representatives were waiting. Entire companies of Marines, Sailors, Royal Mages, and Dragon Riders were waiting at attention, saluting us. The crew tried to abide by protocol, but it failed miserably as the first thing I did after the presentation and receiving and repaying honours was officially hand the ship over to the command of Admiral Sparrow. In a panic, the crew started issuing special ear protectors for all the civilians and guests, trying their best to ensure they all wore them.

"Make good use of this ship, Janet," I said with a cold smile.

"Oh, you bet I will, my Lord." She smiled viciously and tested the internal communication system. After ensuring her headset worked properly, her smile changed from vicious to playful. "Let's take him for a walk, my Lord."

"Permission granted." I smiled, and she started issuing orders.

While my Queens and other guests wandered the main deck looking for the best places, in their opinion, to observe the first official flight of the new flagship or simply talk with the crew, the Metakans quickly approached me.

"I'm more than surprised, Theon," the Empress said with a dry voice as she tried to fix the ear protectors that had slightly ruined her hair.

"We don't have quantity so we have to offset that with quality, Matilda." I smiled and noticed the significant nod made by Major Vargas. So it was time, huh?

"It's a magnificent ship..." He started and bowed slightly. "King Theon, we received news that the road to Metaka is safe."

Cassmira and Leonard stiffened, while Matilda couldn't decide if she was happy or if she wanted to murder the Major. It was evident that she had only heard the news just now.

"I see. I will make sure to send enough soldiers with you to safely escort you home, Empress Matilda." I nodded and saw Cassmira’s pleading gaze. Sadly, I shook my head in denial so only she could see it. I knew what she wanted, but I couldn't keep the Empress in Avalon indefinitely. "I'm sure we can discuss the details later on."

"Engines, full power!" Janet had almost finished the entire sequence of orders. She took a deep breath and shouted. "HMS Dauntless, ASCEND!"

The battleship left its drydock with a series of metallic clangs, accompanied by voices full of awe. For its size, Dauntless was quiet as he ascended towards the surface. The vast gates opened in stunning silence, unleashing the battleship on the unprepared world. After the moment Dauntless needed to clear away from any nearby buildings, Janet raised her left hand and showed three fingers. The helmsman obediently turned the ship towards the Palace.

"Full speed!" Janet shouted, making me raise my brow.

The monster made of steel and wood started gaining speed faster than any airship ever built. The wind carried away the surprised yelps of women and cries of men as Dauntless raced forward like a warhorse anticipating battle. I knew there was not nearly enough space for an Iowa-class battleship to gain full speed, but it was an open question what Janet wanted to prove. We flew over Palace Lake, and a few moments later, we flew over the Royal University.

"Back-Him!" Janet yelled and quickly went to me. "He is magnificent, my Lord."

"I'm glad you like your newest toy." I nodded with a smile and smirked after I realised she had given her last order in a perfect moment to stop Dauntless before he could leave Avalon. She was excellent.

"King Theon... This ship..." Cassmira turned to me, too shocked to form any sound sentence. She looked cute in the high-tech ear-protecting headset and her long, ornamental dress.

"King of the oceans. He was made to rule the waves across the seven seas." I smiled at her and straightened proudly, crossing my arms in front of me. "The terror of the skies."

"First!" Janet slightly raised her head towards the bridge. "Park my little boy at Palace Lake!"

"What do you think, Amber?" I looked at my Queen, who was talking with Ban nearby, and she slowly shook her head.

"How large of a crew does this monster have?" she asked amusedly.

"Two thousand seven hundred Sailors, Marines, Dragon Raiders and Mages," I replied, seeing how her eyes went wide in shock.

Suddenly, a short but nerve-wracking horn sounded, and Dauntless awakened his mighty armaments. A multilayered shield encompassed the battleship, and I could see the nervousness of our Metakan guests.

"Please don't be alarmed. Just keep the ear protection! It's just an all-systems ship test..." Suddenly, I turned towards the Admiral, noting the Elf was smiling widely. "Wait! I take that back! Don't you dare to fire the main batteries, Janet!"

"Hahahaha! It's a shame, my Lord, but aye, aye!" She bowed to me and nodded to the Empress, who relaxed and started observing the turret movements with heightened curiosity. After a few minutes, Janet nodded and raised her head towards the bridge. "Signal to release test targets, exclude the biggest ones, and close the city's shield below us to make sure nothing slips through!"

"Aye, aye!" the sailors repeated, calling attention to the signal lamps.

The practice targets were shot from the walls of Avalon en mass. Dozens of smaller and bigger targets swarmed the air in the proximity of Dauntless, quickly gaining the attention of the Phalanx CIWS magiguns. While Iowa had only four of them, Dauntless had twelve. While the guns were currently under manual control, I knew that Verni was working on something to speed up the target acquisition process. With a menacing and fairly loud ‘burrr,’ the cannons made short work of smaller and medium targets that simply vanished, shredded into pieces. Not a single shot was wasted, and every single one reached their target. However, even if the gunners had missed, the projectiles would have vanished long before they could harm any bystanders. Ian was simply a genius; with the help of Amber, Luna, Stella, and half of his weapon development division, he created a magic system that automatically measured the distance between the guns of Dauntless and what they targeted, making any projectile fired from the dreadnought explode after a certain distance. That was how the relatively simple safety feature created a proximity fuse, turning every gun onboard into a devastating flak battery.

The short bursts of magic fire were extremely satisfying for me and terrifying for anyone hearing them for the first time. It lasted long enough for the people to get somewhat accustomed to them just as the much bigger targets started flying around us. It was only then that the secondary armaments came to life. The smaller towers, housing double 5-inch/38-calibre guns, acquired their targets and, with a thunderous roar, began the execution. The ten turrets covered everything above the hull, while smaller turrets and CIWS-like emplacement underneath the ship provided the perfect three hundred and sixty degrees of coverage. I took a deep breath and inhaled the hot air that woefully lacked the smell of gunpowder that would typically accompany this display of unquestionable power. I felt the shocked gaze of almost everyone on the deck and smiled proudly. This ship was still hiding more in his arsenal, but even this was enough to erase entire Navies. I looked at Janet, who was sparkling with joy and barely holding her excitement.

"He is all yours, Admiral."

•••

"Janet, can you escort the Empress directly to Yranta?" I asked as we both entered the bridge, momentarily left alone.

"Hmmm... You want me to take Dauntless to Metaka, my Lord?" she asked slightly hesitantly.

"Yes." I nodded shortly. "Normally, I would try to keep a low profile with something this big, but I'm tired of hiding, Janet. I'm tired of pretending. I want every single Metakan noble and royal to know that we won't be playing their little dirty games. I want you to convey to them a crystal clear message that Empress Matilda is my dear friend and mother of my Fiancée. If a single hair falls off her head, they will have to explain themselves to the main batteries of Dauntless."

"I understand, my Lord." She pressed her fist to her heart and lowered her head.

"I don't think that your presence in transferring Galahad and his forces is necessary." I sighed. "I also don't believe that you can freely operate in the Shadow Realm."

"I must agree..." She nodded and inspected the bridge. "But if I may..." She waited for my approval and continued after I waved my hand. "Showing this ship to the Metakans will surely create some degree of chaos..."

"I know. But I thought about it..." I caught her skeptical gaze and barely held my laughter. "Listen... The Empress once told me that her husband was treating me like a vassal. I am sure that he is not, but unfortunately, that would create problems if some stupid nobles were going to formulate some unreasonable demands. For example, some of them may think that they are superior and Arcadia was simply trying to gain their protection. It wouldn't be that much of a stretch of the imagination to assume they could demand some of our lands for their imaginative protection. Others could demand tributes or whatever, inevitably leading to another war. That's why you will take Dauntless on a little trip. I will assign the full company of Praetorians to you as well."

"Oh..." She quickly assessed what I said and bitterly smiled. "It's always the same, isn't it? You want to slap their hands before they do anything stupid, my Lord?"

"Indeed." I sighed with the same bitter smile. "I imagine that everyone in the Empire will be dying to meet with you once you dock... Huh... I am not even sure if Dauntless will fit into their harbour. Anyway, once they see the battleship, the nobles will do anything to meet you. Simply ignore them."

"With pleasure, my Lord." She smiled, amused. "I will make sure they understand that we are there to simply escort the mother of your Fiancée home, my Lord."

"Hmmm... I know what I said before, but if you voice it like that, some people might think that Cassmira is going to fight for the right to succession and we want to avoid that." I rubbed my chin. "I like the idea and simplicity of the message but I'm more than sure it would be misread. Be careful, Janet and don't extend this visit. Just take her and her bodyguards home and get back. It's better to let them mull over and over again what was the meaning of this and how they should react. If they spam the official diplomatic channel, it will be easier to deal with. Being extra polite to the Emperor, Vettalia and Guad should assure them that we are their allies, not rivals."

"Yes, my Lord! I gladly accept this mission."

•••

Cassmira was sitting in the garden pavilion near the harbour that normally was used by HMS Victory. She was already accustomed to the sight of the giant ship of the line because that ship felt familiar despite its size. However, HMS Dauntless was another cup of tea. It screamed of power and might; it showed the incredible wealth of its master. She wasn't even trying to understand the magitech that allowed such a monster to be born. But here it was... She ignored everything around her and continued to ponder. Eventually, she sighed and decided to follow up with her plan. Ignoring her brother, who was talking with Lady Rose anyway, she slowly approached King Theon who was sitting on the side.

"King Theon..." She bowed and then saw his troubled look.

"I told you that Theon was enough... We can never be sure who is watching or listening."

"Theon..." She smiled warmly. "Tomorrow is my seventeenth birthday. I hoped that Mother would stay, but I see how she is torn. On the one hand, she wants to celebrate the occasion with us, but on the other, she knows that she has no time to spare. The road back to Metaka will take weeks, and she feels like she wasted too much time here."

•••

"I see..." I nodded and made a panicked mental note that I had to find her a fitting birthday present.

"I have a personal request... Theon." She slowly put an open palm of her hand on her chest and took a deep breath as if making that request was hard for her. She blushed a little bit, but her eyes shone with determination. "I know it is selfish of me, but I want to ask you for a favour. If my mother has to leave, please, can you spare an airship to take her home safely? I know your military is involved in numerous operations across Arcadia, but if it is just the smallest of your ships..."

She eventually stuttered and lowered her gaze, unable to continue. I smiled warmly at her, but she wasn't paying attention to me at the moment. She was immersed in anxiety and fear. I knew this world considered fifteen-year-olds adults, but I saw how many of them struggled. She was just one of them but much more conscious of her standing and the gravity of her requests. When she finally raised her head, I saw that she was trying to hold back her tears.

"You don't have to reply immediately, King Theon, but..." she nervously and quickly added but went silent upon seeing the calm wave of my hand.

"Cassmira, I have already decided." I gave her an encouraging smile. "Dauntless will take your Mother home."

She paled a bit and looked at the dreadnought that rested on the calm surface of Palace Lake. "But... It's too much..."

"It's all right, Princess Cassmira. Admiral Sparrow will personally make sure that your Mother is safely delivered to Yranta." I looked over her shoulder and chuckled. "Speak of the devil. Go tell her that she doesn't need to hurry."

The Princess followed my gaze and saw the Empress coming our way. She curtsied with a cute blush and a delighted face. She hesitated for a moment but before I was able to explain that I had my own reason for sending Dauntless to Metaka, she swiftly climbed on her toes and quickly kissed my cheek. "Thank you so much, Theon."

Before I could say anything she was already gone. I simply chuckled and returned to my interrupted thought from a moment ago. However, something kept bothering me the longer I looked at the panicked Matilda and happy Cassmira. Then, realisation dawned upon me, and I looked at the sky with a very perplexed gaze.

"That means that tomorrow, Leonard has his birthday as well. Shit..." I mentally instructed Eva to inform Ragnar and Wendy that I would need their help in just two hours.