Chapter 50 #2
Purity nodded. “Our angeli embassies gave me the idea.
We should make our temples oases, escapes from the mundane cities they're built in. As we did in Sanctuary, make the first two floors open to the public, and then build the private space on top of that. When we disappear from view a century from now, worshippers will still have a place to gather and pray to you.”
“I like that you're already thinking about what comes after the war.”
“That day will be here faster than any of us expects,” she replied. “You will deserve a rest when that time comes, so if I figure this stuff out now, no one has to bother you then.”
“Alright, you-”
“Not yet!” Purity exclaimed. “Come here. I want you in my mouth when you release it. The original. I like you standing over me, ready to thrust into my throat.”
I was happy to oblige. God, the moans of a woman’s climax traveling through my dick felt incredible. I'd never get tired of that.
Xilouis sent word that the queen of a neighboring kingdom had come to Safina to request an audience. Invia was already at the palace, looking after our post-conquest efforts of solidifying our control while also managing the preparation for our assault on the next plane up.
While I was on my way, Invia arranged for the meeting to happen in a smaller study rather than in a throne room or in a grand banquet hall.
She had been paying attention to how I handled the range of egos that visited me in the past. A study was more intimate and didn't remind the visiting queen that she was beneath us.
She knew that already. As long as someone respected that fact, rubbing their noses in it would only breed contempt.
Invia pranced to the door when I stepped inside. She threw her arms around me and gave me a long deep kiss.
“I missed you,” she said, pulling me back to guide me into the room.
“And I you. What have I missed thus far?”
“Nothing. I have not spoken to her so we could do it together.”
“Perfect. I'd like you to lead this discussion. We've established that this plane must respect me. We need to do the same for you if we want you to be an effective queen.”
“Thank you for your trust, Father,” she purred.
Before reclaiming her seat in a velvety highback chair, Invia poked her head outside and told the angeli minding the door that we were ready to receive our guest.
The angeli that stepped inside had the same marble-like flesh as the other angeli I had met, except where the others had veins of silver weaving through glossy white, hers were a sapphire blue, and her eyes glistened with the faint rainbow of opal.
“Angeli have races just as humans do,” the angeli said as if reading my mind.
Her voice had the whimsical tinkle of harp strings.
“I am Queen Lace,” she continued with a bow. “Your Divine Majesty. Queen Invia. Thank you for granting me this audience.”
Invia raised an eyebrow and glanced at me. “‘Your Divine Majesty?’”
I shrugged. That was the first time I had ever been addressed that way.
“Why did you choose those words specifically?” Invia asked.
“I am in the presence of the being people call the God of Silk and the God of Debauchery,” Queen Lace answered. “I only mean to express the due reverence and respect to my better.”
Queen Lace was obviously sucking up to me, but she was damn good at it.
“I like how that sounds,” Invia said. “I think you should keep it, your Divine Majesty.” She turned back to Queen Lace. “Please, sit.”
When we had settled, Invia gestured for Queen Lace to speak.
“I wish to secure peace between our kingdoms,” Queen Lace began. “My envoy relayed your terms, and I find them to be fair. I have set aside land across the courtyard from the palace for the Sanctuary embassy, and I have laborers available should you need assistance.”
“That is gracious of you,” Invia replied. “The reaction of the envoys left us less than hopeful, so this is a bit of a surprise.”
“Small minds make shortsighted decisions. The nation of Naos was never a friend to my people. You eliminated an enemy and offered to replace that former conflict with peace. That is my motivation as the leader of my kingdom.”
“Do you have other motivations?”
“As an angeli, I am motivated by ascension. For this, you offered a trade. If I give you knowledge, you will grant me passage to become an archangeli.”
“How do you expect the other kingdoms to react to our offer?” Invia asked.
“You will find them to be fools in many regards, but they are practical when it comes to war. A suspicion that you might go back on your word and invade their lands is likely to fester, but that will not overcome the truth of you maintaining your borders as promised.”
“We keep our promises.”
“Indeed. My belief in your word is why I am here. As part of the information I offer, I have brought one of my advisors with me. They have recorded the details of our military forces as well as the forces of the other kingdoms. You will know their strength and number as well as the resources each kingdom contains.”
“Thus far, you've shared the information that will protect your kingdom,” Invia replied, “but how freely you have met our demands suggests there is something more difficult to discuss, something that is best broached after you have established goodwill.”
Queen Lace smiled. I was beginning to think she and Invia might be a lot alike. Was the prospect of two Invias in my life amazing or was it terrifying? Both, perhaps?
“You have a keen mind, your Grace,” the angeli replied. “It is as you said. I hoped to build goodwill before I dared to be bold. Have I succeeded?”
She shot a flirtatious glance in my direction, a moment so brief that I wondered if I imagined it.
Invia thought, and I noted she specifically did not look at me. I told her to handle this. She knew she didn't need to check in to be reassured.
“Be bold,” Invia said simply.
“Clear my capital’s gate to the archangeli before you clear the one here in your kingdom.”
I couldn't help but sit forward, and I saw Invia do the same. Queen Lace had our interest.
“I have confirmed that an army six kingdoms strong is preparing to greet your forces on the other side of your gate. On the other side of my gate, they continue their usual patrol of 12 guards.”
I tried to contain my laughter, but I couldn't. I covered my mouth and sat back. This was incredible.
What felt like centuries ago, I was trapped on the fourth floor of the Lopav dungeon, and I made a pact with a beautiful frost demon. To seal it, I had to fuck her. She bent over, fully expecting me to enter her slit, but I put it in her ass instead.
If what Queen Lace offered was real, I could pull the same move except on a cosmic scale. The whole of the archangeli plane was watching their pussy because they knew I wanted to fuck. They wouldn't expect Queen Lace to lube me up and guide me through the back door.
Invia was more composed than I was, by the way. “You dislike the archangeli that much?” she asked.
Queen Lace nodded. “They have denied generations of angeli their right to ascend. Such a thing is unforgivable. May I continue my offer?”
My Queen gestured for her to go on.
“When this campaign has concluded, you will have conquered two ascension gates. I am willing to trade information in exchange for you ceding control of one gate to my kingdom so that we can own and protect both sides of our birthright.”
“If the information is equivalent in value, we would be open to that,” Invia replied.
We had never discussed the possibility of conquering multiple gates on the archangeli plane, but Invia also knew we didn't care about establishing an empire in the heavens.
Queen Lace had come to this meeting prepared.
If her information really was that valuable, I was happy to forfeit land I didn't desire to keep anyway. Invia had the same perspective.
“The towers were hidden to the beings on my plane just as they were hidden on yours,” Queen Lace continued.
“I have searched most of my life for an entrance because I believed their power would help me ascend.
The first piece of information I offer is a method for accessing the tower core, though I have not had the chance to verify that it works.
“The second piece of information is the location of a secret warehouse a merchant from the upper heavens uses on the archangeli planes. I am told he stores items there that are illegal to own anywhere in the heavens.”
Invia asked, “Does this merchant have a name?”
“Arcturus.”
Now that was suspicious. Was this a coincidence, or was this her leveraging knowledge of my connection to Arcturus?
If she did know about it, she was correct in assuming I would happily rob him blind if given the opportunity.
But did she actually have this intel, or was she just using the name of the only celestial merchant I knew to make the opportunity sound more legitimate?
“Since this information is unconfirmed, as you say, we would agree to giving you a gate if at least one of the two leads bears fruit,” Invia said. “If both are dead ends, you will not get the land. We won't assume you lied to us today, but it will be a consideration.”
“I agree to those terms,” Queen Lace declared. “I do, however, have a separate request: I have brought a daughter as a gesture of my kingdom’s trust in Sanctuary. I have done so in secret, as I believe our interests would be best protected if our enemies believed this meeting went poorly.”
“Very cunning,” Invia agreed.
“I ask that anything you might desire to do to my daughter, you do to me instead.”
“We do not force such desires,” Invia countered. “We would treat her as the honored guest she is, not as a prisoner or a war trophy.”
“The God of Debauchery and his Mistress Queen are honorable. Thank you for understanding my concern. I believe we have an accord.”
“Agreed.”
Invia and I didn't talk about it, but she and I agreed: We were going to fuck the feathers off this angeli princess.