A Message
A man with light brown hair and ice blue eyes was sitting on an ornate, high-backed chair in a large, white and gold drawing room. There was a large crystal chandelier hanging in the middle of the large drawing room. The walls and ceiling were ornately carved and tastefully decorated with exquisite paintings and expensive curtains. The room showed a lavish opulence that rivalled any palace in the world. In fact, the light brown-haired man was sitting in the most important palace of the United Kingdom.
The man’s name was Christopher Smith. By his physical appearance, he appeared to be a man in his mid-twenties. He was wearing a dark blue bespoke suit with a white button down shirt and a dark red tie. His leather shoes were also made for his feet. His clothes made the blue of his eyes even brighter. It was as if the two ice orbs of his eyes could freeze any soul they gaze upon. He had the demeanor of a calm and calculating man. His sharp cheekbones, aquiline nose, and square-cut jaw only added to the quiet but imposing strength that he possessed.
He was currently the only person inside the large drawing room. But outside of the ornate double doors were two large and muscular men, wearing black suits, that were guarding the door. With how tense the two men were, a stranger could not tell whether they were trying to keep people from getting in or trying to keep the man from getting out.
Christopher waved his right hand in the air and a floating image of a beautiful woman with dark purple hair that was almost black and bright emerald green eyes appeared in front of him. The image was a moving picture of the woman’s face that morphed from an unreadable expression to a bright smile that made her jewel-like eyes twinkle.
The woman had an ethereal and exquisite beauty that even he found difficult to fully describe. There was a purity to her, a promise, a rawness of power to her delicateness that drove him--or any other being--to feel the desire to conquer her, to possess her, to ravage her. She was like an unattainable prize that was also an incredible blessing to anyone who had her. He wanted to own the sparkle in her eyes, wanted to be the reason for them, wanted her eyes to always be sparkling when they looked at him.
He leaned back on the seat, a fist against his chin. He had a faint smile on his lips as he looked at the moving image of the woman. His ice blue eyes emitted a deadly, scalding coldness.
He stared at the woman’s image for quite a long time. But he did not seem to mind the passing of time as he memorized every facet of her exquisite beauty for the millionth time. No, he would never tire of looking at her face.
A knock on the door interrupted his silent admiration. The man waved his hand again and the floating image in front of him faded into nothingness.
“Come in,” he said, eyes trained on the door.
After a beat, a middle-aged man in an expensive suit entered the room. He had silver-blond hair that was neatly combed back and a pair of steady blue eyes. He cut an handsome, authoritative figure but currently had a subservient behavior in front of Christopher.
“Pardon the interruption, Your Imperial Majesty. We just received missives from the other rulers,” the middle-aged man said.
Christopher waved a hand at the middle-aged man. The man rubbed the silver ring that was on his right index finger with his left index and middle fingers. An iPad appeared in the man’s hands and he walked over to Christopher. Before he handed the device over, he opened the necessary documents for his master to read.
Christopher carefully read the messages from the other rulers and several powerful individuals. While he did so, the middle-aged man just stood beside him with his back straight and his hands behind his back, ready for his master’s beck and call.
There was a satisfied quirk to Christopher’s lips by the time he finished reading. When he was done, he handed the tablet back to the middle-aged man. The middle-aged man just looked at the seated man, waiting for whatever the man wished to do.
“Alexander,” Christopher said, calling the middle-aged man’s attention despite knowing full well that the other’s attention would always be on him.
The middle-aged man with silver-blond hair named Alexander lowered his chin towards Christopher in acknowledgement.
“Send out this message to everyone in the alliance.”
Alexander made sure to open his ears wide and right down his master’s words deep in his heart and mind. When it came to His Imperial Majesty, mistakes would never be tolerated.
“Make the final preparations. We conquer the world when the moon covers the sun,” Christopher said in a deep, commanding voice.
In his mind’s eye, he envisioned a woman with long, dark purple hair and emerald green eyes falling into his arms while a man with the same dark purple hair and black robes lay dead on the ground. The world around them was dyed red in blood and every being prostrated themselves in front of him.
Christopher felt a desire so powerful because of the vision that a flicker of power laced his words.
Alexander felt like he had been punched in the chest and stomach. It made him uncontrollably cough out a mouthful of blood. He immediately wiped the blood with a white handkerchief from his pocket, his facial expression remaining calm but subservient as ever.
“As you command, my master.” Alexander bowed down deeply and left the room as fast as possible without appearing rude to follow his orders.
The tips of Christopher’s lips quirked in a smile. His ice blue eyes almost glowed with unbridled desire as he envisioned the purple-haired woman in his bed.
“The moment I saw you, I knew that you were everything to me. If I have you in my arms, the world will bow down before me. It won’t be long, my love. I will free you from your cage,” he murmured in the air. The air shimmered like diamonds from his words.
+++++
In a secluded garden filled with the most beautiful flowers in the world that bloomed all-year round, a woman with long, dark purple hair and jewel-like eyes was admiring the explosion of beautiful colors made by nature. She was wearing pearl white robes that hugged her body in a flattering way but also flowed like the lightest material at the ends.
Admiring the view beside her was a man who was almost a head taller than her with white hair on his head and mustache and green eyes. He was wearing a dark grey suit with a white shirt and a black and white checkered tie.
They were also chatting amicably with each other. From time to time, a few bees flew by to visit the many blooms. It was a peaceful afternoon scene.
“You should bring Anthony to meet me one of these days. I heard he has become quite the genius, following your footsteps as an inventor and engineer,” the woman said with a smile.
The white-haired man, who was in his early sixties, had a rueful smile on his lips while looking at the woman. “Your Majesty, I would love for you to get to know my son. I have no doubt that he can contribute to your cause. It’s just that his proclivities have turned not just towards his inventions but also towards women. I fear that a person as magnificent such as Your Majesty will only bring out his uncouth behavior and embarrass us all.”
“Ah, the fruit doesn't fall far off from the tree it seems.” The Queen smiled a teasing smile.
The white-haired man scratched the back of his neck while biting his lower lip. He acted like a teenage boy in front of the woman. He could not say anything in response because once in his youth, he also had the same disposition as his son.
“Don’t worry, Howard. You already taught me plenty on how to handle womanizers like--”
The Queen’s smile froze, her words stopping in mid-conversation. Her red lips were slightly parted. The air shimmered with flickers of diamond dust around her. It created a beautiful and ethereal image with the backdrop of colorful flowers all around her.
Howard Stark, the white-haired man, looked alarmed when her teasing expression turned into a scowl. Although her brows furrowed, she still managed to look incredibly adorable and enchanting to any man or woman. But her facial expression and her now rigid posture still made the other man feel cold sweat pour down like a waterfall down his back. He held his breath.
The purple-haired woman blinked and her expression unfroze. Her smile returned as her whole demeanor cleared. Only then did Howard feel like he could breathe again.
Howard did not dare verbalize his concern seeing that the Queen acted nonchalantly as if to brush aside her change of demeanor. She was known as a mercurial being so people were used to her ever-changing expressions and conversation topics. But it still worried him nevertheless. Any flicker of a frown or a scowl would always be a cause for concern for any of the Queen’s subjects.
The Queen had always been the most favorite subject to study for any person under her rule. It was impossible to ignore her beauty, her power, and her charisma. She was the brightest star that lit the darkness of the world. She could even eclipse the sun in which the Earth revolved around. For her subjects, she was the center of the universe, the sun that everyone would gaze upon tirelessly. More than the mysterious Great Ruler whom they almost never saw, the Queen was the number one existence in the whole world for many cultivators and the few lucky mortals who knew of her..
“I would truly like to meet your son, Howard. Your family may not have been blessed with the disposition to cultivate, but both you and your son still hold the gift of knowledge and craftsmanship. It would be negligence in my part if I do not make use of his gifts as I have made use of yours. Don’t you agree?”
“Of course, my Queen. There is no reward I could think better for my son than to meet you.”
Howard recalled the last time that he saw his son. Unpleasant words were exchanged because he had reprimanded Tony of his philandering, only for his son to accuse him of adultery. Apparently, his son took notice of his many late night meetings with Peggy Carter and assumed that he was cheating on his wife.
Admittedly, Peggy Carter was a very attractive woman. But he would not dare risk life and limb just to sleep with her. First, he respected Peggy and loved his wife dearly. Second, if there was any woman who could compete with his wife--although he would never dare cheat on Maria, it would be the Queen. When he first met the Queen, he was young and may have felt desire for her, but he would never dare commit any questionable acts or feel traitorous feelings for her. It was sacrilegious just to even think about lusting over the Queen.
It was an unspoken rule to all of her subjects to always protect and uphold the Queen’s dignity and purity. In all the history of the Queen’s rule, there was no known instance of her taking a lover. No one would even dare to claim that they were the Queen’s beloved lest they invite the ire of many cultivators.
There may be a rumor of the Queen being the Great Ruler’s lover. But it was never proven. Even the Great Ruler himself or his subjects have never spoken to confirm such rumors. No one was ever powerful enough to read the Queen’s power level or current state. So no one can confirm if she had ever lain with anyone. And no one would be brazen enough to ask the Queen directly. Such questions were uncouth and scandalous and would equal a punishment of death if the Queen was ever offended.
Howard knew, that in the Underworld, virginity was prized for the accumulation of inceptual energy. When a person took that accumulated inceptual energy and used it for double cultivation with another person, it would greatly help both of their cultivations. It was like working only with half the effort but one would receive twice or thrice the benefits.
It was also ideal if both parties were virgins once they began the double cultivation. If the pure inceptual energies of two parties combined, it would create an ideal synergy that would be many times more beneficial to both parties.
Sexual relations were not frowned upon or taboo in the Underworld. But losing one’s virginity did not just entail the first sexual encounter but also the gifting of one’s inceptual energy that you had accumulated since your birth up to that moment to the other person.
Such a being as the Queen was known to have lived for a very long time, even at the very beginning of the Underworld. If she was yet to gift another of her inceptual energy, the receiving person will have the most potent and pure inceptual energy in the world.
“I will bring him to you whenever it pleases you,” Howard continued.
The Queen smiled sweetly at him. “War is upon us. So, how about tomorrow?” She clasped her hands in front of her.
Howard’s heart skipped a beat at the Queen’s smile and words. He was not sure yet where his son was, but he would definitely bring him to meet the Queen tomorrow come hell or high water.
“Of course, Your Majesty.”
+++++
Back in Bucky’s apartment, Bucky was packing his things while Steve was helping him. He just finished the calls that he had to make with his agent and manager about his movie contracts.
He already had a Captain America movie in post production and there was no getting out of the press tour for it. He could already exit the MCU with this movie, so he called his lawyers to help him get out of his remaining movie contracts.
Steve already volunteered to offer his help and told him that no expense will be spared if necessary to get him out of his current contracts and obligations.
“I’m sorry about the press tour. It’s already been scheduled to happen in different parts of the world, and I really couldn’t get out of them because I’m the main character.” Bucky sighed as he folded his clothes into his suitcase.
From the other side of the bed, Steve was also packing things in a bag. He smiled at Bucky, showing his perfect, white teeth. “Don’t worry, Buck. I’ll be with you every step of the way.”
Bucky stilled for a second. Then, a pleased smile formed on his lips. “You mean, you’ll accompany me during the press tour and in red carpet events?”
The blond nodded. “Can’t leave my guy all alone now, can I? And besides, I’d love to see you in a suit.”
Bucky bit his lower lip as he bowed his head, looking at Steve through his lashes. He thought that he would also like to see Steve in a suit. He was sure that Steve would definitely steal the show from him or the other actors. It was just inevitable given Steve’s incredible looks and bright aura.
“I’d like for you to be there, too,” he said to Steve.
By the time they finished packing Bucky’s things, it was already late afternoon. It did not surprise him anymore when Steve stowed all of the bags away in his magic storage holster.
Bucky rubbed his palms in his jeans as he sat on the bed, looking at Steve for direction. “So, where to?”
Steve smiled a bright smile at Bucky and the brunet almost got distracted by the redness of Steve’s lips.
“Buck, there is one other person that I put above anyone else aside from you. And I can’t do anything else without her blessing.”
Bucky already knew who Steve was talking about, and he could not help but feel nervous and a little bit of anxiety in the pit of his stomach.
“Before we do anything else, you need to meet the Queen.”
Bucky took a deep breath and put on a brave and determined face in front of Steve. He stood up and held the blond’s hands.
“I can’t wait to meet her,” he said with a smile. He leaned forward and Steve’s answering smile was even brighter.
He might feel nervous, anxious or apprehensive about Steve’s sovereign. But he was also excited and was anticipating the moment that he could finally get to know her. Steve had been waxing poetic about the Queen, so he wanted to see her for himself. He wanted to see the woman who made it possible for to find love.