Empyrian- Chapters 18-20 free porn video

This is the continuation of the novel Empyrian. Please make sure you've read chapters 1-17 before proceeding! Also, please, if you are reading the story, let me know what you think. This installment will get you to the halfway point of the story, so LOTs more to come!! - Alice CHAPTER 18 Andreas awoke in a haze. He was aware that he was in pain. He slowly blinked and took in his surroundings. It was dark and he was in a round stone room on some sort of cot. There was a blanket on him, but he was naked. The room had a stone tile floor with a drain in the center and was perhaps four or five meters in diameter. There was a showerhead in the center above the drain and several nozzles to his left on the wall. To the left of them, was the door to the room. Opposite him were two windows at shoulder height. He took this in before another wave of pain hit him. The pain was intense, and it was all over him. His bones hurt. His skin hurt, everything hurt except his groin. He felt a wave of nausea coming. He looked around. The only place he could see to vomit was into the drain. He crawled over to it, wretched and then vomited. He sat there for some time on all fours. Waves would hit him, and he would retch again. Sometimes he would vomit. He was aware that he was also defecating. Whatever it was coming out of him, it wasn't what he would have expected. It was definitely bodily waste, but not like he was used to, he couldn't make out what it was in the low light. He was beside himself with embarrassment at shitting himself and practically laying it but the pain was too much for even his dignity to overcome it. Another severe wave of pain washed over him. His hips felt like they were on fire, as did his abdomen. His skin and scalp burned. He doubled over in pain and lay on the cool floor. He couldn't move. Another, more intense wave of pain hit him, and he felt like he would explode. Blessedly, he passed out instead. --- His mother's silk nightgown dropped to his ankles, covering his body in its wonderful fabric. He loved how it felt on his skin. He particularly loved how it felt on his crotch and soon the fabric was pushed straight out by his erection. He wrapped the fabric around the erection and stroked it. He loved how it made him feel. He had only recently found out how much pleasure this could bring him, but now he was careful not to get any of his ejaculation on his mother's clothes lest she figure out what he was doing. He walked into the bathroom, still stroking his small erection. He took some tissue, lifted the nightgown and came neatly into the rectangular piece of paper, not drop missed. He flushed it down and removed the nightgown until next time. --- Occasionally he would wake up and hear a woman crying out. He couldn't see anyone else so he couldn't be sure who it was. Only later would he come to understand that he was the only one in the room. Well, that wasn't strictly true. People would come in and help him every so often. They would turn on the warm water from the showerhead and clean him off and then dry him. Somehow, through the haze, he kept ending up on the cot. It got bright in the round room at some point. The light was coming through the two windows. He opened his eyes. He ached all over. What didn't ache was sensitive to the touch, like his scalp. He looked at his hands, they felt like they had arthritis, but his fingers looked longer and definitely slimmer. He had two cracked nails but otherwise his hands looked good, the red fingernails looking even more in place on the slender, feminine fingers. He could tell there was more he needed to see of his body. Somewhere in the back of his brain he knew that the pain meant he had gone through some intense changes, but for now, he was warm, and he was tired. He closed his eyes again and he slept. --- When the dream came to him, he was back in the Empress's living room. Sun was streaming into the room. His mother was there waiting for him. She had on a cream silk dress with a Bardot neckline and full skirt that ended below her knee. It had a floral pattern up one side and was tied at the waist by a satin belt with a jeweled buckle. She came up to him and hugged him. "Andreas, you're going to be just fine," she said holding him. She stroked his hair, which seemed to be down around his face now. It seemed much lighter in color, fully blonde. "You are going to look so lovely," she said. He heard footsteps behind him and turned to see the Empress. He stepped away from his mother and gave a deep curtsy. "Your Majesty," he said in a strange hoarse voice. "Andreas, you sweet thing," she said smiling. She walked up to him, grabbed him behind his head and kissed him deeply. "I will make it up to you I promise," she said. He turned back to his mother. "The plan has worked. We are almost there. Remember, save yourself until the summer solstice. She knows not to force you. Be well Andreas..." she said and everything faded away to black. --- "Andreas..." he heard a voice far away. "Andreas..." He heard it again. "Go away its not time yet," he thought to himself. "Andreas." It was closer now and someone was shaking him. He opened his eyes. An attractive woman was kneeling by the cot. "Andreas, let's get you to a proper bed. The worst is over. You can rest again in your new bed." The woman sat him up and wrapped his blankets around him covering his naked body. She helped him up and walked him out of the room through the door and into the hallway. Everything ached as he moved. There was a desk and two nurses stationed there, right outside the door to his circular room. There too, was Marta sitting in a chair next to a door across the hall. She stood up when he walked out and quickly and carefully put herself under one of his arms to help him. The other nurse let her take him and walked ahead of them. They walked through the door across the hall and into a much nicer room. It wasn't exactly a hospital room because it was spacious and well- appointed and decorated, but it did seem to have the things a hospital room would have. It even had a balcony with a sliding glass door looking out at the mountains. Andreas remember the blinding light as Marta helped him hobble to the bed. He felt like a real truck had hit him. It felt good to walk though. The pain at this point felt more like he felt when he'd had a heavy work out and he needed to stretch rather than pain you might feel with from injury. That was a good sign he reckoned. But what the hell happened? "Marta," that strange voice said again. He cleared his through and tried again. "Marta." It was his voice, but it was a woman's voice. He put his hand up to his throat then he stopped and looked at her. She smiled back at him. "Yes Andreas, I'm here," she said. With his free hand he reached to his crotch. Everything was still there. Marta got him to the bed and she and the nurse helped him in. "What time is it?" he said trying to get his bearings. His voice sounded strange. It seemed like it was an octave higher than even it had been and he kept thinking he must have some phlegm in his throat causing it but no matter how he tried to clear it, the voice remained unchanged. "It is 0600," she said knowing he would understand. "Two days later," she added. "Two days?" he asked. "What do you mean?" He straightened himself out on the new bed, which was set in an upright position. He lay back. She waited for the nurse to leave. "It was two nights ago when you, ah, passed out," she said. "What happened? I remember the soldiers, and General Lopez." He stopped. "Oh wow," he said putting his hand to his mouth. "And then, oh no... What did I do, Marta?!" he said starting to get concerned. There was a long pause as the memories came flooding back to him and he started to tear up. "Is she going to put me to death? And Alina! Is she going to kill me first? Oh, what was I thinking?" he said. He held his hands to his face to hide his crying. Marta wasn't much for consoling people, but she reached out and took his arm. "It's ok, Andreas," she chuckled a bit. "You're fine. General Skarpsv?rd has been worried about you. They have been trying to figure out what happened. She'll be able to tell you when she gets here. She spent all day with General Lopez yesterday. I'll go make sure she knows you're awake and talking. Just relax, everything is good," she patted his shoulder and walked out talking into her wrist. Andreas wiped his eyes. Why had he cried? Was it his new body? Was he going to have to get used to the new hormones now streaming through it? Was that a sexist question he wondered? Speaking of which...he looked at his hands again, remnants of tears still on his index finger. His eyes moved upward, examining his arms. They seemed slightly thinner in the forearm and his biceps were all but gone. His shoulders too, seemed to have a lost a third of the mass they had. He looked down at his chest. His hands went to the breasts, they were noticeably bigger as well, possibly a whole cup size. He unwrapped the blankets and looked. They were properly shaped breasts now, smallish, maybe "B" cups but rounded. Little peaches one might call them. He opened up the blanket more and looked down past the breasts. His rib cage seemed to taper inward into a feminine waistline and then flared out to unmistakably feminine hips. His tummy was flat and thin but still soft. He had lost a lot of weight. He reached up to his head. His hair fell down to almost his shoulder. He grabbed it and studied it as best he could by pulling it in front of his eyes. Blonde. He suddenly remembered his earrings! His left hand shot up to his ear lobe. Small metal balls where in his ears. The diamonds were gone. He hoped someone had changed them out. The nurse came back in with silk pajamas. She helped him into them and took the blanket he had been wearing away. Before sitting in the bed again, he stretched a long stretch, hand well above his head. He slowly bent down at the waist and was amazed to find that he could put his palms on the floor inside his feet and his forehead could touch his knees. He had always felt he was flexible, but never like this. He stood back up, a little woozy and sat back on the bed. There was a soft throw blanket at the foot of the bed so rather then get under the covers, he pulled that up and covered his mid-section down. The nurse also had soft socks she put on his feet and showed him where some slippers were by the bed if he needed to get up to use the bathroom across the room. She then prepared an IV drip to help get him hydrated again. She rolled up his left sleeve, sterilized his arm and deftly maneuvered the needle into his vein. He sat on his bed. He had a strong desire to see Alina. He wasn't sure why, he just, well, he missed her for some reason. He laid back and waited for her to come. CHAPTER 19 "Andreas," Alina's soft voice landed in his ears. "Andreas, they told me you were awake." Wahl opened his eyes. He must have dozed off while he was waiting for her. "General Skarpsv?rd," he said, moving himself to sit up. "What time is it? I fell asleep again." "No, no. Lay down. We'll have you up in no time but relax for now. It's just after eight AM. I've just come to see how you are and give you back your earrings," she said. She was holding a small box, which contained his diamond stud earrings. Together, they replaced the small studs in his ears and put them in the box. She then sat on the edge of his bed and started to examine him. She touched his hands, arms and face and then ran her hand through his long hair. She took Andreas's breast into her hand and gave a full squeeze, then slid her hands down to his waist and then to his hips. "Yes, well it was almost complete. Very interesting," she said. "And your eyes are now fully green, simply stunning". The nurse came in and pulled out the IV needle. She put a small bandage on the spot and told him to hold it for a minute or two so it would stop bleeding. She took the IV stand away and left the room. "General, about what happened the other night, I'm deeply sorry. I lost control of myself and crossed the line. I hope you know I had no intention of...well...I mean that is to say, I would never do something to betray your trust or her Majesty's..." his voice trailed off as he wasn't sure exactly what to say, except that he was profoundly sorry - and embarrassed. Alina just looked at him and waited a beat. "Whatever are you going on about?" she asked rhetorically. "You have nothing to apologize for. As I recall, you were following strict orders from her Majesty the Empress and you followed them as a good soldier would. No need to apologize at all my girl." She used the feminine descriptor again. He let it sink in then said, "But, but what happened, exactly, General? I can't really remember anything except a blinding light..." He closed his eyes and put his hand to his head as if that would jog some memory. "Well," Alina started. "Actually, we aren't exactly sure what happened to you. We can see the outcome though. The Empress has a very strong connection to the Empyrian, as, it would seem, do you. The climax you gave her must have been so intense, and the Tor energy she released so massive, that it had the power to almost change you completely. It was interesting, though unfortunate for you," she said patting him on the arm, "that your transformation was not instantaneous as it normally is. You endured what we call the "?verg?ng", the "transition". "For the very few it is how the metastasis took place. Long and slow, Incredibly painful. But only the powerful endure such a long metamorphosis, those that commune naturally with the Empyrian. Usually," she paused, then reached up and gently stroked his hair, "only those of royal lineage had to withstand such a trial." She paused and let those words linger. "Catrine's family, your family," she corrected herself, "is of noble blood. That is why there is something so special about you," she said still stroking his now blonde hair. "The Empress has been very worried about you, as have I. In fact, another strange thing seems to have happened. You must have released more than just Tor. Each of us in the room was affected. Each of us has a much stronger bond to you then before. Marta threatened to resign if we didn't allow her to be your personal protective detail. Can you believe that?" she asked. "Wait, what do you mean my "protective detail"?" he interrupted. "She insisted that she be allowed to guard you. Quite unprofessional, but I of course granted her an immediate transfer from my own detail. She has not left your side since we brought you here. Not only does she recognize how special and important you are but her attachment to you is protective. Mine is more nurturing it would seem. I have been constantly worried about you and have been pestering Marta and the medical staff for the last 24 hours for situation reports." "So, the Empress overloaded me with her sexual energy? She is powerful enough to turn me without releasing my Tor?" "Almost," replied Alina. "You still have your baubles down there," she teased, gesturing to his midsection. "But everything else about you from what we can see has changed. You are a beautiful woman by the way my dear. Just lovely. I'm rather proud, as is your mother." "Now, there is one other wrinkle from the event," she started. "The Empress was affected?" Wahl ventured. "Ah, yes, good point, two other wrinkles. Let's start with that." "Her Majesty was deeply affected; I would say on many levels. It isn't my place to speak for her, but she wanted me to let you know that she is so pleased by your progress and that she would like to receive you this evening in her private chambers if you are able. She has not stopped inquiring about you these last days. The medical team was to give her a report every hour on the hour. Between the two of us, I am quite certain they are ready for you to be released so they can go back to normal." "The other wrinkle I'm referring to is about your sister." Wahl turned to her hearing those words. "Is she alright, do you know where she is?" he asked, worry coming into his voice. "I do. And she is fine. Valencia was there with us two nights ago. She is a deputy chief of staff to the Empress, under me. It would have called it a lady-in-waiting in the old days I suppose, but it is all business these days. She had just returned from her duties that evening and walked in." Andreas vaguely recalled hearing the door open and close, but he couldn't be sure what was going on around him as engrossed in the Empress's sex as he was. "We found her on the ground as well, at the other end of the room. The wave that hit us also enveloped her. Somehow, the effects seemed to enhance her physically. It was as though she went through a sort of mini ?verg?ng as well. I dare say not as painful as your ordeal, but she is still sore. We believe since you share the same bloodline, the energy force affected you both in similar ways. Her physique was altered, not unlike how yours was but not quite as demonstrably. She has always been quite lovely but the Empyrian has embraced her and seems to have enhanced her features. Not only that, but she is seemingly a bit stronger as well. The doctors reckon she likely has stronger cognition on top of it all. You seemed to have bumped up her IQ several points," she smiled at Andreas. "It takes great love to affect someone like that. She is a lucky sister," Alina said, again stroking his hair. "Anyway, she spent yesterday recuperating in her room. You may not know this, but she lives in the royal apartment so that she can attend to her Majesty whenever she is needed." Andreas sat there and took in the information. He had not seen Valencia in over a dozen years. "When will I be able to see her?" he asked. "Tonight, I suspect. She is a very capable deputy and is with her Majesty constantly. She is one of her closest confidants, actually and is never far from Empress Victoria. I suspect she'll be there when you arrive," she answered. "Now, I think we'll have to have Hanna come see you. We need a new wardrobe for one thing and some time for her to clean you up," she said, picking up Wahl's hand and examining one of the chipped nails. It reminded her of how excruciating the last thirty-six hours were for her young prot?g?. She had watched some of the agony as Andreas had screamed out, his body breaking and reforming. The outcome was, of course, as it should be, but she did not like watching him in so much pain. Yes, she clearly had some sort of devotion to Andreas now. He was the key to so many things to come, but more so, the Empyrian connected them. He was like family now. "How quickly things change," she thought to herself. Soon the General bid Andreas goodbye and went back to her offices to continue to debrief Tilda, General Lopez. Since he was awake, the nurses had him get up and do some stretching. He walked a bit up and down the hall and drank some sort of energy concoction they had made. It wasn't too bad, and he was starting to feel better, more awake when Hanna came in with an assistant. She was carrying a garment bag over one arm and rolling a kit of some sort which Andreas guessed had her beauty supplies in it. Her assistant carried a large, long box that she put down across one of the chairs near the bed. Hanna laid the garment bag down at the foot of the bed and gave Andreas a kiss on the cheek hello. She was always so happy and friendly. They had some work to do she said, and she set about preparing the beauty supplies from her kit. She called it her little box of magic. Little did Andreas know he was about to get a crash course in the amount of effort women put into their look. Since they were not at a proper salon, she had Andreas wet his hair in the bathroom sink and come back to sit stiffly in a chair she had put in the middle of the room. Hanna brushed the now blonde hair straight inspecting it as she did. The hair was now shoulder length and she decided just to do some trimming, mostly to even it out at the bottom. She decided not to cut bangs and so, after putting some nutrient oils and heat resistant products in her hair, set about blow-drying the hair so that she could put some highlights in. Andreas's hair was now a golden, almost white blonde but Hanna wanted some highlights and lowlights to add depth and dimension to the hair and to frame his face. She explained that dry hair absorbs the dye she used better, hence why they dried it first. The two women had already prepped everything for the highlights and so quickly had his hair pulled aside and clipped in various spots to facilitate the application of the dye. He started to get uneasy about the whole process. The ladies wore gloves and there were brushes and foil all going in and out of his hair, but he took a deep breath and reminded himself, much like with the nails a few days before, he needed to embrace his new life and this was now a part of it. Most important to him was to make the Empress happy and his new appearance was one easy way to do just that. He did want to make the Empress happy, didn't he? Not just as a loyal subject either, but as something more he realized. He had feelings for her. I smart tug at his hair brought him out of his thoughts and a tear to his eye. While Hanna finished putting in the highlights, her assistant started in on the damaged fingernails. As they removed the old acrylic nails, they found that Andreas's fingernails had grown out just long enough to be fine on their own. Hanna and her assistant decided to remove the fake nails and put on new shade of red, slightly darker than the prior one. Soon, Hanna was done with the dye in his hair and told him it needed about thirty minutes to sit. He was sore as he sat in the chair, but he sat still so the ladies could do their work. Whatever was going on here was nothing compared to his basic training for the military. Hanna moved down to his hands so that each of them could work on one hand, removing, cleaning and then painting each nail. With two of them, the work went quickly. Once done with the nails, Hanna removed the foil from Andreas' hair while her assistant removed the toenail polish and added a matching coat of the new color to his feet. The polish didn't take long to dry and once Hanna felt the nails were ready, he got out of the chair gingerly. Hanna then hurried him into the shower to wash his hair with shampoo and conditioner. She made him wash it twice and then had him sit with the conditioner in his hair for a couple of minutes before rinsing it out. The combination left his hair smelling like spring flowers which made him surprisingly happy. It was weird having enough hair to grab by the fist and it would take him a bit of time to get used to the feeling of it brushing his neck and shoulders. Once rinsed, Andreas quickly dried off and put the pajamas back on. Hanna sat him back down in the chair and again added product to his hair before she began blow-drying, brushing it straight as she did. Once done, the assistant put on some light make-up around the eyes and on his cheeks, but left his lips natural. By now, it was approaching noon. The two of them were deciding what the plan should be when the doctor and Marta came in. "Andreas, I'm Doctor Mahon," said the woman in the white coat. She was average height and average build. She wore no make-up and her hair was back in a ponytail, thick glasses on her face. "Well, you certainly look better than you did this morning," she said noticing the hair and makeup. "Your color has come back too," she said looking at her face and hands. "I'd like to take a look at you one more time but, I don't think there is any reason for you to stay here any longer," she said. She asked him several questions like did he have any pain anywhere? Did he feel nauseous or did he have an upset stomach? She had him do a few stretches and then proclaimed him fit. "The soreness will go away soon. Here are some analgesics, but I don't think you'll need anything else." She handed him three pills from a bottle in her pocket. She asked if he had any other questions and, since he had none, she said her goodbyes and left the room. Marta spoke up as soon as the doctor had left. "Andreas, the General wanted me to let you know that your quarters are ready for you. If you're ready, get dressed and I will escort you there," she said matter-of-factly. Andreas pictured his room. Perhaps they had added a few things to make it homier. "Looking forward to my two chairs!" he said jokingly. "There are a lot more than two chair," she replied. "You won't be going back to the confinement center. You now have an apartment in the palace," she said, smiling. "A very nice one in fact. I've already scouted it for you while you two were preparing." Andreas walked over to her. "The General said you requested a transfer from her detail," he said to her. "She also said you stayed here for two days watching over me." Andreas took a step closer examining her face. She looked tired. He put his arms around her in a big hug. "Thank you, Marta," he said earnestly. He was feeling very grateful to have her there for some reason. Marta was a bit uncomfortable but managed to give a half hug in return. "You are welcome. Now don't get all soft on me major. We have things to do." "Indeed," broke in Hanna. "I brought you your new uniform so that we could exit the building in style," she chimed in, excitement in her voice. Walking over to the garment bag, she picked it up, holding it at shoulder height. She unzipped the bag and pulled out three hangers each holding a garment, laying them neatly on the bed as well. She then unzipped a small pocket and pulled out a black bra and matching panties as well as a sturdier shape wear brief to help with the unseemly lines his natural body created in the crotch. The bra was more of a sports bra, but the fabric had a nice shine to it and no wires or clasps. Marta excused herself from the room and Andreas removed the pajamas and put on the underwear. Before putting the bra on, Hanna removed a soft tape measure from her cosmetic kit and took a few measurements. She called the numbers out to her assistant who dutifully recorded each. As she was now in charge of Andreas's new wardrobe, she was relieved that the key measurements they had given her last night were the same. She next handed Andreas the white uniform blouse. It buttoned up the front to a tall mandarin collar that had a V-shaped notch. She then handed him the breeches. They were similar to the fabric of Marta's uniform, but these were navy blue. The woven fabric had a bit of sheen to them. They were designed to be very flexible and have a full range of motion. The material was able to stretch and hugged his legs, tapering down to the ankle, almost more like leggings in that respect, where there was another closure. The waist had a hook-in-eye closure and zipper on his left hip so that the front had no lines. "Good thing there were no men in the Virago military, this wouldn't work for them," he thought. There were belt loops dispersed around the waist band and two small pockets were on either side. Wahl pulled on the breeches and then expertly tucked in the blouse to the waistband, as he had for years. Hanna inspected him and examined how everything fit. She pulled out a black patent leather belt and he expertly threaded it through. It was more for the uniform aesthetic then to keep the breeches up and added a nice metallic shine from the belt buckle. Hanna walked back over to the chair and retrieved the long box. She brought it to the bed as well and pulled off the top. She pulled tissue aside and revealed a set of knee length boots similar to the riding style boot Marta had. She told Wahl she had had one of the nurses measure his feet so she thought they would fit. The boot was highly polished black leather. It rose higher on the outside, up past his knee than on the inside, just below the knee. The back had a short panel of modern stretching fabric that a zipper had been fastened to so that the boot had some stretch in order to fit snuggly, but still be easy in and out. There was a small metal adornment, a seal of Virago, on the outside leather at the knee as well. Hanna handed Andreas a pair of short black athletic socks he quickly donned and then he slid his left foot into the boot. He set his heel and then zipped the boot up. He repeated the same on the right and was soon standing up straight. He had never worn this style of boot before but it felt good to be in uniform again. Hanna had him walk to the mirror by the bathroom. She draped the uniform jacket over her left arm and inspected Andreas from all sides to make sure the fit was right. Andreas had to say, the way the uniform hugged his new curves was exhilarating. He had never had defined hips before and he couldn't help but check himself out in the mirror. He turned each way and his eyes kept coming back to his rear. It was perfectly shaped in the breeches. He'd get a lot of attention from the men in his old office he thought. A smile formed on his face, pride. Then quickly the smile faded. Why had he been thinking about the men in his old office? Satisfied with the look so far, Hanna held up the black military jacket and helped Andreas put it on. The wool material was surprisingly light making if perfect for the warmer season. The front of the jacket was double-breasted and overlapped so that the three rows of two buttons, six in total, were symmetrical in the front, three on each side of center. The jacket closed so that the V-shape of the two lapels we slightly above his breasts. The jacket was tailored so that it came into his waist and then tapered out slightly for his hips. There were two pockets on either side, more ceremonial then useful. The back of the jacket stopped at the belt, so unlike Marta's uniform, Andreas's new ass was visible for all to see. The effect was sharp. While it had an unmistakable equestrian look to it, possibly a holdover from eras gone by, the uniform looked good. Andreas felt energized looking in the mirror. He was ready to get on with things having been out of commission for the last day. Hanna felt that having straight hair with the uniform might not be the best look, so she expertly spun the hair up into a military style bun and pinned it in place, showing Andreas as she did. There was no chance he'd be able to do that himself he thought but it was nice of her to show him how to get it close. Satisfied, she spun him around and gave a few tugs here and there to the uniform. She explained what a few of patches were on the shoulder but as her Majesty and General Skarpsv?rd had not yet commission Wahl as an officer, the rest of the escutcheons, insignias and badges would come later. Giving one last sweep of the material with her hand, Hanna pronounced him ready for duty. Hanna called for Marta who came in and did her own inspection. Andreas could just make out the pride on her face. He did feel strangely attached to Marta and was happy that she approved. "I guess we are ready to go. General Skarpsv?rd wants to see you at the Central Command offices first, and then we can take you to your Apartment. Hanna can meet us there later this afternoon so she can get you ready for tonight". The three of them nodded. Hanna handed Wahl his last accessory, military style sunglasses that looped around the back of his ears. With that, Marta led him out, leaving Hanna and the assistant to pack up the beauty items. CHAPTER 20 On the way Marta explained that the Central HQ was different then the confinement barracks Andreas had been held in across town. HQ was actually a part of the Palace complex and so they would be able to walk to both HQ and his apartment. They emerged from a door into a courtyard and into the warm sunlight. Wahl was glad to have the sunglasses as he looked around getting his bearings. They actually were fairly close to the main palace building he had been in two nights ago, which made sense if they had to move his limp body. He surmised the set of doors he saw across the courtyard were likely a back entrance to the building he had been in. There were guards posted by the doors, which likely meant the Empress was in residence today. The building they came from was the very back side of the palace furthest from the central gate they had drove through two nights ago. They crossed the courtyard and headed for a newer looking building to the right of the main Palace buildings. The fa?ade was made to look like the older stonework of the palace, but it was clear this was a modern building. Marta had to escort Wahl through several security checkpoints since he had no official credentials himself. Once through, they took an elevator up to the top floor and took the long hall all the way to two big doors at the end. By the time they reached the doors Andreas was feeling looser; the analgesics and the brisk walk helped his tired muscles. There were guards and electronic security measures that Marta again escorted him through. The guards opened the door revealing a reception room for receiving guests. There were two couches and a few chairs and a sergeant who acted as a receptionist who greeted them warmly. The Major in Wahl was glad that the rank insignias were basically the same in Virago as they were in Elsmere. The back wall was dark tinted glass through which one could make out shapes moving around and lights from display monitors. It looked like a large command room Andreas guessed. The receptionist rose and walked over to the glass doors, swiping her badge to unlock them. She held open the door closest to her and wished them a good day. Spread before them was indeed a command center, perhaps a thousand feet square, give or take, and twenty-five or thirty feet high. Not huge, but an effective space for a secondary command center away from the capital city. Andreas assumed this was the summer palace for the Empress and so this operation would follow her to some degree. There was a wall with perhaps twenty different large monitors in various sizes surrounding one large display in the center. There were various workstations scattered around the floor in an open work plan and then glass enclosed offices on two floors on both the far side and to Wahl's right, facing the displays. One of the glass walls to an office had turned opaque leading Wahl to believe that for sensitive meetings the glass could be switched from transparent. In the center of the room, at a planning table of sorts, stood General Skarpsv?rd and the woman he recognized as the former General Manuel Lopez. The Captain walked Wahl up to the General and coming to attention brought her hand up into smart salute to the Generals. Wahl was not sure the custom with the Viragonian military, so he also snapped a quick salute. "General Skarpsv?rd, Major Wahl as you requested." She snapped the salute down crisply and put her arms behind her back, feet slightly apart awaiting any follow up orders. Major Wahl did the same. "Excellent, thank you Captain, that will be all for now. We will need her for a while then we'll send her off with you." she said. Marta snapped another salute, thanked the General and expertly turned and departed back to the doors to the war room. "We'll have to figure out exactly what to call you Andreas, but we'll stick with "Major" for now. Major, may I reintroduce you to General Tilda Lopez. General, I believe the two of you met the other evening," she said in a sort of devilish tone. Wahl snapped another salute and then accepted Lopez's outstretched hand. "It's a pleasure to officially meet my liberator. I've told General Skarpsv?rd how good you were under my command. It will be nice to join forces to execute the Empress's grand vision," she said genuinely. "The pleasure is mine General," Wahl said, falling back into his old deferential habits of dealing with superior officers. Clearly Lopez had changed more than his appearance in as a result of his transformation. He had been an outright sonofabitch when Wahl was under his command he thought. He looked at the two of them. "Forgive my delay in meeting with you. How can I be of help?" There was much to discuss. The two Generals brought him up to speed on the overall plan and what pieces needed planning still. Clearly, Lopez had brought them further in their planning in the last day and a half then they had in the prior six months. Her depth of understanding of the Elsmerian defenses and readiness, as well as what tactics special operations units could undertake immediately would transform the General Skarpsv?rd's strategies into a winnable plan. Wahl gave some color commentary to the General's points and a few extra details here and there. They talked for several hours, reviewing things on the table in front of them, as well as various items on the screens on the wall. They chatted into the late afternoon until Marta finally returned. "General, pardon the interruption. As you requested, it is time for Major Wahl to return to the apartment to prepare for this evening," said Marta. "Yes, thank you Captain. The Empress has made it quite clear in the last 12 messages she sent me that the Major is not to be late," she said mildly exasperated. "As you can see Major, we have much still to talk about. You will be reporting here, to me each day so that we can continue this work. This is the Empress's directive to us," she said. "Marta will take you now to your apartment and see to it that Hanna has gotten everything prepared. Her Majesty has requested dinner attire. I will likely not be there this evening, but I will see you again here tomorrow...whenever her Majesty releases you," she added slyly at the end. She gave Wahl a little wink and a feeling of uneasiness washed over him.