[b][h3]Tarsus, Royal Palace, King's Private Garden - Sunrise with the Queen.[/h3][/b]

His lovely wife lay nestled against him, herself lightly dozing, enjoying the warmth and comfort of her husband. He smiled, kissing the top of her head, before looking out at the world, gazing at the sea to his south, and to the horizon of the east. She'd told him that she was pregnant, no longer did she bleed, and that they'd finally conceived a child. He was so overjoyed, yet, here he sat, his mind moving like a storm against the brilliance of such information. He sighed quietly, holding his wife closer, feeling her form against his own in the embrace, stilling the storm for a moment, before turning course, and heading headlong into it. Later today, he'd have to helm the ship of his nation's future.

The Generals and their officer had completed their readiness inspections, going over the entire nations forces twice, before informing King Nikolaos that they had fifty thousand active duty troops, with perhaps many more in reserve status, though most if not all those extra men had gotten back to their lives, farming, sailing, mending, being civilians. They would be rusty, even considering their mandatory military service in their youth, and the occasional regional call ups and drills. Would fifty thousand be enough, if Europe turned into an unfettered war? The border between Komentiolos and Khazaria had been heavily fortified, the length of the mountain passes spiked, dugout, caltroped, and evened featured Fougasses, which he was told was an improvised mortar dug into the ground and filled with gunpowder and projectiles. In short, if the horse devils dared to march south overland, they'd be slowed down heavily to allow for more troops to be deployed to the region. He did not trust that boy emperor, and much to the annoyance of other commands, thirty of the nations field guns were attached to the regional defense forces, on top of all their permanent gun emplacement. 

For now, he pondered to himself as his wife stirred, let the troops drill and train, as well as the artillery corps. Let them enjoy going home to their families at the end of the day. He'd let Valentinian know to inform local Kyrios and Kyrias to inform their militias to train as well, and prepare dispatches to reservists to report in for monthly drills. His main concern however was the disposition of his naval forces. So much coast line to defend, and of course, enemy coasts to attack if it came to that. Twenty seven frigates and seventy five sloops, formidable and numerous, but not enough. He and his advisors had debated for days, even weeks, but the matter was settled, build the nation's navy up, to at least forty five frigates, and at least one hundred and thirty sloops. This of course in conjunction with the outside orders for ships from Hispalis. The logistics of it had been frustrating, not to include an organized strike by workers, which almost lead into an all-out riot, if not for the intervention of the Queen and the men's wives, who had peacefully worked things out. They were scared and tired, hungry and overworked. Nikolaos kissed his wife, before watching the sun barely begin to crest the horizon. Better provisions, as well as using prison labor to construct the new dock yards and slips to build the expanded navy, to help lessen the strain on his skilled labor. What a day that had been, though even that was in the past now.

Time was short, he smiled, looking down at his wife while she moved again, snuggling closer to her husband. Hand atop her belly, he made up his mind for now, so that he could get back to enjoying time with Queen Anna. He himself, along with an honor guard larger than normal, would attend the state dinner of King Freud, and hear what he had to say and propose. Let the savages know who all stood against them and their unchecked aggression. He was sure the Kyrios and Kyrias for war would be pleased, but this was not for them alone, he himself had grown tired of hearing how the mongrels of the north raided with impunity. King Freud appeared to be an honorable man, and Nikolaos planned to closer their relations through this dinner, via trade, non-aggression towards one another, and perhaps, even a defensive alliance. Of course, the two nations alliance depended on if the Kalseran leader would allow for military access to her nation, in order to allow for Komentilian troops to not have to make the extensive naval voyage all the way around continental Europe. Her nation held a much closer path to meet up with the potential Dorist allies. 

Lastly, he would have to plan a dispatch to the Kingdom of Hispalis and to Aegyptus, to first hopefully further strengthen relations to those who controlled the narrow straights leading out into the greater world, and of course, could reduce the flow of trade. While second, to answer his brother's request to formally marry the daughter of the most powerful noble family in the colony, which both the family and his brother said, would allow for the proper turnover of the colony into a true and rightful part of Komentiolos once again, as it had been before the dreadful civil war that fractured the Eastern Diorite Empire. The Theme of Aegyptus, it certainly sounded nice. He kissed his wife once more, and held her close as together, they watched the sun finally rise across their Kingdom.