WhenDimitriwokeupearlythem,hefoundMariannasittingquietlybyhisbed，ionfinishingaredscarfshehad🌵🃝😴beenknittingforquiteafewdays．Reluttodisturbher，hefeastedhiseyesonthisdomestie，butsomehowshesehathewasawakeandlookedupfromherknitting．Themeetingoftheirfoureyesbroughtonap🏐leasureofintimadtheysmiledateach🌘other．
"Hi，Mr．Sandman．🅽Youdidn’tsendmeanygooddreamsstnight．Whatmagnifitdreamsdidyouhavethat🖠📿yousharewithme?"
"I’mafraidIdid🚇👕n’th☏aveanystnight.”
"Well，prettysoonI’llbegoingtoMrs．Kaffee’s．YourememberItoldyouIpromisedtocateradinnerforthem．Iwon’tbehometilltetonigh🕍🈚⚡t.”
"Mrs.Kaf🜂⚿🗎fee?"Dimitrisuddenlyassociatedthewomanw🙨homadetroubleforhimatthegasstationwithMrs.Kaffee，Marianna’spresenter．"IsherfirstnameIleen?IsherhusbandpresidentofWorldBank?"
"Howdidyouknow?"sheansweredsurprised.Dimitrisatuponthebeda🗄🙃ndsaidurgently，
"Whenyouseeher，tellhertoruhesedaystherewillbedrastigesinherhous🉂ehold.”
"HowItellherthat?Youha☹venoprooforevidenceexce🜙🂨ptforyourintuition.”
"Tellhe🛎rthatanyway”insistedDimitristubbornly．
"Allright，allright,Iwill．"shesaidreassuringly．SheknewDimitrioftenfusedhisdream🖉swithreality，butshewasedabouttheunusualexpressiononhisface．Shewaokeephimhome，outofharm’sway，insteadofwanderingaboutinhiscurrentstateofmind，soshesaidtohim，
"Dimitri，wouldyoudomeafavorandworkintheyardtoday?The1awnneedsmowingareeshavetobeprune🕟dandtrimmed．Iknowyoulovegardening，sowouldyoustayhometodayanddoitforme?"
"OfcourseIwill，Marianna．Ihavenothingtodoany⛔🚃way.”Mariannaheldupthescarfshehadfihaflourishandsaid，
"Do!Getup，zybone，andseehowyouliket🝛henewscarfImadeforyou.”Goingtothecloset，shetookoutaburgundyredwoolensuitsuitableforwinterwearaoge．Herfigurewasfullbutbeautiful．Dimitrilookedatherandthought，
"Iwillferohetitleof“QueenofmyKingdomofDreams”．Herfigureisontheplumpsideandsheisnolongeryoungasmyotherbeautiesare，buthermannersandbearingaredignifiedandimpressive．She’dmakeaperfectroyalspouseforme，myequandnotmysubordinate．Unfortunately,sheisma🔖🀫rried．Butsowhat?It’sonlymyfantasy．Shealwaysbethequeenofmydreams”．Seeinghimstaringath🚦ersoily，Mariaembarrassed．Sheblushedandsaid，
"Whatareyoustaringat?Getup,getdressedandgoaboutyourwork!"Itwasasifshewasayoung🖉girgai🎄nihthemanofhe🎍🏲🝾rdreams．
AssoonasMaria，Dimitribeganw．Helovedgardeninganderfectly👗happypruningandtrimmirees．Ataboutnineo’clockheheardaslightbutinsistentnoiseinhisears，simirtothehummingofabee．Hestoppedwandlisteently．Thenoisebecamemoredistinctthoughstilldistant．Itkeptrepeating，
"YourMajesty!YourMajesty!”☢
“Somethingmustbeupiftheysendoutthisurgentcallforme!”hethough😼t．"Imustarrahisfleshbodyofmineinasuitablepdgobaydreamndatonce.”Dimitriiddownhisgardeningtoolsabacktothehouse．Ah,thereerthatMariannahadboughtforhimwouldbethebestpce,hethought．Heybaitandfelsleep．
AttheAdministrativeter，thetwenty-fourbeautiesreportedthehappeningsofthepasttwodaystoKingDimi🌵🃝😴tri．Theradarshadpickedupsignalsearmyofabout200,000soldiersoftheaRomanEmpireadvangandsurroundingthemountains．Theyhadbeenastooseethoseaghostsmargtowardsthem，armleaming，spearsshiningandpennantsflyinginthewind,theirhorsestrottingandsnimpatientlyontheway．Onourside，detepneshadbeeand500ablebodiedyoungnativesfromthemountainshadbeestrategicspots，buttheyneededKingDimitribacktotakeandofthedangeroussituation．Dimitriwasaghastatthisturs．Hepacedtheroomwithaheavyheart，browsknitted，regrettinghisimpulsivedecisiontopunishDonKaffee,whichresultedinthisuedattackbyRomantroops-theDon’spatriots．Hekhattheenemyoverwhelmedhiminnumbersandoheykheyofthend,theywouldattack．Thateaedestruofhisnewlyestablishedempire.Allhishopesandpnswouldetonothing．Butthen，hisproudandstubbornnaturecametohisaid．"No，Iwon’tgiveup．Notwithoutagoodfi🇵ght！Imustknowwhattheenemy’spnsare"hedecided．Hewentbacktohiscouddreamed．
IoftheChiefturionoftheRomanLegiomospherewastense．DimitrisawDonKaffeewithhisdarkgssesandexpressionlessfacediscussingpnsofattackwithhisgenerals．Thediscussionhadevidentlybeengoingonf☤🁓🅕orquitesometime．TheRomangeneralswereadamant．
"Thesemountaiuralge🝤ographic⛛🛃barrier.Justlikeafortress，theyareeasytodefendbuthardtoattack.Wemustsendoutscoutsandmakeroughmilitarymapsbefonapnofattack.”
"Im🅾🌋♌possible!”saidMr.Kaffee☢“That’soutofthequestion．Timeisoftheesseackatallcost!”
“🅥🈮🁪Thereisnopossi🅽bilityofa💯quicksuccess”insistedonegeneral.
"Itwillcostthelivesoftoomanyionaries!"criedanother.Justthen，itortedthattherewassomeosidethetentaskingtoseetheChiefturionwithpnstodefeattheeheDohepersonthtforthat⛘🚪once．DimitriwastakenabacktofinditwasIleen，whomhehadkilledbutter🇽🞃👠resurrectedianceforhisharshness．Herfacesobeautiful，wasnowscarredbythecwsofthetigers，andhereyeswerefullofhatreday．