BloodStar

“Send her home! Tell her to leave! NOW!” Erika fumed at Jacek. The two were just about to make their big appearance at their engagement party held at the Sage Empire Palace.

Erika folded her arms and fumed still in her anger, “I cannot believe you. Inviting Constance Khan into my empire without my consent. Inviting her to a private party at one of my proudest moments. How could you?!”

Jacek took a deep breath, “Erika it’s not like that. I sent an invitation to Vega, and he used his plus one to bring her. She was never directly invited. And to kick her out would be an international conflict. Constance is playing well with our plan and instruction. She has proven competent in stabilizing the BloodStar Empire. She has fallen in line. Your line.” He sighed again and softly grabbed Erika’s shoulders staring into her eyes, “Forget about Constance. She’s not a Master like you are. She never will be. She is beneath you. In every way.”

He leaned in and kissed her forehead, and Erika smiled, “Okay. You’re right. Thank you, love.” She then took a step back and gave Jacek a stern look, “But she is NOT coming to our wedding!”

Jacek took a big deep sigh and decided to bite his tongue and save that battle for another day.

Meanwhile, the party had gathered at their tables awaiting the big announcement. The invitation hadn’t been specific as to what the occasion was though many suspected the big announcement could only mean one thing: an engagement.

Constance nestled up on Vega’s arm, “So tell me, Vega. What’s the big news. Surely Jacek told you, didn’t he?”

“No, he actually didn’t. But come on. We both know what this is about. Erika and Jacek are tying the knot. They are getting married.” He took a sip from his glass of champagne.

Constance leaned back in her chair, “Everyone is getting married it seems.”

Constance smiled back at him and pet his arm with her hand; however, inwardly she rolled her eyes and thought, “In your dreams. Disgusting. I am dedicated to my empress. I will marry who she tells me to and when she tells me to.”

At that moment, Jacek and Erika came walking out onto a large stage with microphones waiting for them. As it was in the Sage Empire, Erika took the first words, “Thank you all for coming! We really appreciate it as we have very big news today.”

Jacek smiled at her and then addressed the crowd next, “It’s a big step for both Erika and I, but it is also a giant step for the world as we combine the strength of two empires.”

Erika could hardly contain her excitement as she then blurted out, “Jacek and I are getting married!!!”

The crowd went wild with cheers and excitement, and Jacek and Erika turned to one another and kissed on stage in front of their cheering crowd.

As the crowd quieted, Erika spoke again, “We know this will be a meaningful shift for the world and our politics combining two large empires. Thusly, we have decided to have our wedding sooner rather than later in order to formalize our marriage for international politics and planning purposes.”

Jacek grabbed his microphone and followed her, “But enough talk, let’s celebrate!”

As the crowd cheered again and the champagne began to flow in earnest, Erika and Jacek exited the stage and began their gladhanding.

Constance grabbed Vega’s hand and stood him up. She had the intention of snaking their way towards Erika and Jacek to say hi. As she moved through the party in her sexy, tight, and crimson red cocktail dress complete with a large ruby necklace and stiletto crimson red boots, people began to gawk at her. She captivated the party without a word as she exuded beauty, warmth, and charm with her smile.

Jacek noticed Vega from afar and ran to him, “Vega! Brother! You made it!” The two massive and muscular men embraced one another and began to talk.

Erika rolled her eyes openly and approached Jacek following him from behind. Constance did the same following Vega from behind.

As both girls arrived, Constance smiled and said, “Congratulations you two love birds! We have all been waiting for this moment!”

Jacek nodded, “Thank you, Constance.”

Erika gave a fake half-smile and nodded her head as well. Constance then clapped her hands together, “I can’t stay long as I must be getting back to the BloodStar Empire soon for meetings, but…”

Erika interrupted her with a genuine smile, “But we will miss you so much, Constance!”

Constance tilted her head in a cute manner and smiled, “I know! I’m such the life of the party! But I think Vega can carry on in my stead without me.” She pat Vega on the back and then continued, “I have to leave early, but… I have a gift for you two.”

Jacek eyed Erika with a silent look implying ‘See, this is why it’s good to invite people like her’.

Constance snapped and a private attendant walked over handing her a bouquet of flowers. The entire room’s gaze gravitated to these flowers with a look of utter amazement.

Constance took the bouquet and handed the flowers to Erika.

Erika took the bouquet in hand and gave a look of genuine amazement and surprise, “But these… they can’t be.”

Constance smiled, “They can be. And they are! BloodStar Roses!”

Jacek looked at her, “But these are extinct. Long extinct.”

The BloodStar Roses had a pure crimson red color to their petals, and in the presence of ki, they had a subtle and beautiful glow which pulsed a beautiful red.

Constance shook her head, “They are BloodStar Roses. We would never allow them to go extinct. Though I think I have the last seedlings in the world, yes. The former empress tasked me with keeping them alive for posterity’s sake. I have quite the green thumb it turns out. I have ushered them back to healthy numbers within my castle greenhouse.”

The attendant then handed Constance a jar. She took them and presented the jar to the couple, “A jar of seeds complete with instructions on how to foster their growth. Begin this week, and you should have hundreds of flowers ready for your wedding. Can you imagine? Hundreds of BloodStar Roses giving off a glow of ki as you two wed one another.”

Constance shed a real, but fake, tear, “It would be beautiful.”

Erika was still stunned in amazement, but finally pulled herself back to reality, “Constance this… Thank you. Thank you! Our wedding will be absolutely beautiful with these!”

“It’s the least I can do after you both have helped me so much. I can’t wait to see how beautiful they are at your wedding. Vega and I will definitely be there!” Constance hugged onto Vega’s arm.

Erika suddenly realized in thought to herself, “Fuck. I guess I have to invite her now. Damnit.”

Erika smiled through her thoughts, and both she and Jacek were all smiles as they moved on to the next guests to thank.

Constance’s phone began to ring with a blocked number, and she turned to Vega, “I have to take this. I will be in the courtyard. Don’t bother me.”

Vega nodded his head in confirmation as Shadow Slave took hold of him enforcing her commands. She walked outside to the garden courtyard and answered the phone, “I don’t have long, but I cannot wait to tell you about where I am later when we have more time. I want time to give you every detail.”

Xenia answered from the other end of the phone, “I don’t have much time either actually. I am impatiently waiting for a man to reach the top of the mountain to take a swim with me.”

“Take a swim? That poor man.” Constance laughed.

Xenia then said, “Since we are both short on time, let me just cut to the chase. I need to kill a lot of people to garner St. Michael’s attention. I need to turn my serial killing into a public crisis. But I want to have fun doing it. I need you to come up with an idea for me, please.”

Constance smiled deviously to herself, “A fun game? Oh, I know just the thing. And I’ll even offer a prize should you win my game.”

Xenia abruptly said, “Oh here comes my date. I must go. I’ll call you later to hear your news and the details of your game.”

Constance kissed into the phone, “Goodbye, love.”

She hung up the phone and slowly walked back into the party thinking about and longing for her empress. She walked over to the bouquet of BloodStar Roses which had been set up in the middle of the party for everyone to view.

She removed a single rose and held it softly by the stem smelling it and watching the petals pulse with a glow of ki thinking to herself, “I will never love anyone more than you, Xenia.”

She kissed the rose and placed it back in the glass vase.

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