Watching the EMPEROR sit in the den of my rooms in the Great Hearth.

Watching the EMPEROR on one of Morygen's chairs with a leg crossed over his knee.

Watching the EMPEROR drink HOT CHOCOLATE with a content smile.

"This is good," he smiled to Morygen.

WATCHING THE EMPEROR COMPLIMENT THE BREWING OF HOT CHOCOLATE.

My brain was on the verge of melting.

"Th-th-thanking you," Morygen had a crushing grasp on one of my fingers.

"You are quiet, my son," the Emperor noted.

The Emperor was drinking cocoa in my den. The Emperor was drinking cocoa in my den. The Emperor was drinking cocoa in my den.

"I think you broke him," Morygen scratched her cheek awkwardly.

"Ah," He sipped again. "That is unfortunate."

"You are…" I began awkwardly.

"Not what you expected?" He finished before blinking. "Ah, well given your condition it is understandable."

"My condition?" I asked nervously.

"Iwasin the process of altering your soul's makeup when you were taken," He explained before giving me another blank look. "I was somewhat concerned that you had not catalyzed properly."

"I am not sure I understand," I said.

"It is quite complicated," The Emperor explained. "Are you familiar with the notion of a multiverse?"

He smiled when my face blanked.

"Then know that I can look to what could have been," He explained. "All worlds are possible even if not all are equally linked to the warp."

No.

"So I found a world where I scented that my own world was both impossible and known," He continued.

No?

"A place too sealed for the barest whisper of chaos to enter," He smiled.

I was frozen in place.

"I plucked a single soul as it neared oblivion, one that would know what was to come," he casually explained. "It expired of course but not before I was able to weave the memories and personality into your own soul, then I sealed the slight hole that was that tear."

I had no response for what he so casually said.

I was not me.

"I am not me?" I asked.

"You are," He nodded. "I will apologize though, I am uncertain what would have happened had it not succeeded. It was just too tempting a prize, to even have one possibility crystalized and analyzed beyond what I safely can. Placed beyond the sight of that twisted force."

I should have been angry, I should have cursed him and I should have been screaming.

Instead I let go of a breath and looked to Morygen.

She had no fear or disappointment in her eyes.

"You are you," she smiled without a doubt. "That is enough for me."

"I had not expected this however," He looked at Morygen. "I am fascinated by your attraction to her."

I looked at him carefully, "You are being more honest than I had expected."

"Is that so?" He tilted his head and his expression became blank again. "I am very honest when I speak. The trouble is that mortals struggle enough with my presence unless they are properly deafened and even then it does require effort as you saw."

Despite myself I snorted, he still wore charisma as a cloak but it was distant thing which pulled at my caution and allowed me to relax.

"So I let my thoughts be known instead," he continued. "And hand signs are easier when interacting with the Anathema Psykana. I am out of practice with actual speech, I will admit. I do offer my apologies, you cannot hear my thoughts and I was uncertain if this world retained a proper sign language."

That was… shockingly mundane. He had brought me to his knees because actually speaking for him was the equivalent of a powerful psychic assault which could bring a psychically-deafened Primarch to his proverbial knees.

"You were surprised that he is my husband?" Morygen asked carefully.

"Exceedingly, it was my intent to make them sterile," He explained. "I am uncertain why they seem immune to physical urges for the most part. I am pleased with the variance."

I had not expected him to be so…open, mysterious was the byword for the Emperor and hearing him speak so casually to a mortal was frankly disturbing.

"I know that I was born to be a tool," I admitted. "I will serve as long as no action is taken against us."

The emperor sipped again before giving me a blank look, "A parent produces children to fulfil an objective even if it is simple reproduction. Why would I act against you?"

"You will at one point speak to one of us as if we are a tool," I referred to Guilliman's ill-luck in a hopefully vanquished future.

Another sip before he put down the cup and clasped his hand together.

"May," He said without an expression. "Never forget that word Galtine, I know many things that might happen and you know precisely one. We arebothof us in truth no more likely to know tomorrow than a tribesman on a feral world. Take what you can from what you know, dissect and study its every facet butneveraccept it as absolute."

The force came back to his words as he forced every word like a dagger into my mind.

"As to what I said, it is likely what that brother perceived," He said patiently. "I will tell you this, I am a man or at least something of a kin with one. If I am strained then interpretation grows stronger in my words, this can and assuredly will happen."

I nodded at what I was realizing was a lesson, "You were-"

"Do not tell me," He interrupted patiently before turning to Morygen again with a fatherly smile, "How many others know of this aside from you?"

"Our closest allies think Galtine can glimpse at the future," Morygen stammered as formally as she could under the pressure of the Emperor's gaze. "They don't know anything specific, only I do."

Fear crept up into my spine at her words.

"Do not hurt her," I forced myself to say quickly.

The Master of Mankind actually sighed.

"I am not some senseless beast," he said blankly. "I wished to know what she knew, you care for her and I have no objection to that. Others can divine the future, you may claim such a gift if it suits you. But never say something critical to anyone, you are each other's confidants and will remain so. I would even encourage it."

His golden eyes bore into me as he spoke, "Secrets can be horrid things to bear alone, maddening. Two can hold a secret better than one in my opinion and I will give you the means to keep them hidden."

The pressure waned again as his smile returned. "I give you my leave to act in mankind's interest because I wove that purpose into you, My Galtine. I made you into someone that will defend mankind and encased you in armor their whispers cannot pierce. But never tell anyone whatmighthappen, never letthemknow your secrets by giving them to the winds."

I had the distinct feeling of a cross being lain over my shoulders at his words.

"I understand," I answered.

The faintly-human smile returned, "You are my tools and my children, Galtine. There is no distinction and I will never do any of you harm until the day I see you as a threat to humanity."

That brought a sea of questions to my lips but the weight of his words still hung on me.

I was a pebble he was tossing into a lake, I could not tell him anything without risking the words falling into the ears of Chaos.

No pressure.

"So I may ask as long as I refer to events past?" I asked.

"Yes," He nodded. "With a reasonable chance for a response."

I nodded before licking my lips.

"What year is it?" I asked.

"M30.817," He answered while eyeing his empty mug of all things. "Might I trouble you for another?"

Morygen got up to refill the cup while I recovered a touch more quickly from my shock.

"You are the fourth of your brothers found, if you are curious," he explained. "Horus Lupercal of the Sixteenth was recovered M30.803, Leman Russ of the Sixth was recovered M30.812."

M30.817.

That was… rather early on. The Crusade was still in it's natal stage then, a mere 19 years into its 200 year history.

Too early, the soonest Russ could have been found should have been the 820s.

Ishould certainly not have been found yet.

"You seem uncertain whether that is positive or not," The Master of Mankind observed while accepting another cup. "I offer you my thanks."

Morygen rushed back to my side as quickly as she could, I did not blame her for that. Speaking to my creator was like speaking to a star that was momentarily unwilling to erase you from existence.

He smiled at after sipping again from the cocoa, "I have always enjoyed the way that this is brewed here."

The thing that was vaguely a man gave us a fatherly look which he freely admitted was a rehearsed and forced effort.

"I have traveled to many worlds in this galaxy, some before other men dreamed of them," He explained. "I know of this world as well as I can taste your fear that I might punish you for the artificed mind at your hip."

I was beginning to understand that pretending to hide something from the Emperor required the full backing of Chaos and a half-galaxy's distance.

"Greetings," Merlin chimed through his sword-avatar. A studiously welcoming response that did not at all reflect the slight uptick in activity I felt along my internal uplinks with my friend(s).

"And I trust that you know all of this as well," The Master of Mankind aped a smile. "Your world's technology is fascinating, so many things to treasure and so many things to learn. Much of it dangerous to most of the imperium andallof it so difficult to reliably produce. Not least do to lack of.. well a certain property."

My blood ran cold as he pointed a finger towards Calyburne and I knew he did not mean the AI that dwelled within it.

He shook his head and bore his vision into me again, "Veils upon veils I will have to force onto you it would seem, even if I am pleased with the foolishness of those who dub themselves gods."

It was mildly terrifying to realize that all of my secrets had been laid bare and coopted in a few minutes of conversation.

"You are terrifying, my creator," I chuckled nervously.

"Indeed I am," He nodded. "The Sigilite has said much the same thing on a number of occasions. It is not a pleasant realization, I assure you of that. I have and will do things of horror as will you. We will destroy people who consider themselves innocent. We will purgate those who consider themselves just and to them we will be monsters. It is unproductive to forget this."

To my side I could feel Morygen's unease and I loved her for staying and braving the sight at my side with as little fear as a sane woman could.

"If you wish to reconcile this truth with the voices in your mind," He shrugged, a motion that seemed to strain against the world around shoulders which bore the collective sins and hopes of a species. "Then I would advice you to do as I, use the mind which I have given you and think of the alternatives without delusion, try and fail to do what you believe to be better. Take pride in your successes and suffer for your failures. It will temper you eventually."

I did not know if I was relieved by his acceptance or frightened by the bleakness he promised.

"You certainly are not Chaos," I finally shook my head. "They are supposed to singsweethalf-truths."

"Some of your brothers will need sweet words and others will need me to be something that fits their beliefs. I find myself wondering if I want to shape one which can know everything without risk or if this is my chance to defend myself in truth?" He seemed to be asking himself the question before giving me his barely-human true smile. "Forgive an old man his rambling."

We spoke for a while longer before he excused himself and left me alone with my wife.

We would have sat there in silence for hours had we not been called on by another of the new arrivals.

The first of our sons wished a word.