Empyrian- Chapters 32-34 free porn video

This is the continuation of the novel "Empyrian". Please make sure you've read chapters 1-31 before proceeding! Also, please, if you are reading the story, let me know what you think. This work has taken over a year and countless hours to complete. Your feedback is a must! Please, please leave a review so I know if someone is reading! Still LOTs more to come!! - Alice CHAPTER 32 The real reception was one week later in the Summer Palace itself. To say that this was the ticket to get in all the Empire would be an understatement. They would have another reception in the capital city Verstrata and then probably have an abbreviated tour to the main cities as well as an introduction to the future Queen. The engagement announcement and accompanying photo's had made international news and so the various cities in Virago were clamoring to meet their future Queen. But for now, this was the party to be invited to and was considered an official state function, Asta's first as a member of nobility. All of those who were in the throne room when the engagement was first announced were present as well as other key officials. The event was set in the massive dining room in the palace. It was quite the invite. Hanna was in overdrive. She was now officially one of Her Royal Highness, Archduchess Astrid's lady's maids, which likely insured Asta would never really learn how to do her own hair and makeup. This evening Hanna was helping her highness get ready at Asta's apartment, as she had not yet taken up residence with the Empress officially. She brought the evening's dress into the bedroom and laid it out on the bed. It was a gorgeous strapless design with a full ball skirt. Hanna had given the Archduchess an up do, and had managed to put small hair clips in strategic places. As far as Asta was concerned, it was still magic as to how the hair stayed in place. Having a wider array of underwear choices now that she we truly female, she chose a black satin and lace thong to start because, frankly, she had the ass for it. She next put on stockings and a black satin garter belt to which Hanna helped her lace the straps through and under her underwear and attach to the stockings. This would allow her to use the loo without having to pull her garter belt down or unclip the stockings. The dress did not require a bra as the cups were built into the bodice. Asta kept thinking she had seen this dress before. Hanna put the full petticoat on the floor and helped her step into it. She then fastened it to Asta's waist and then held the dress over her head lowered it down onto Asta and the petticoat. The dress actually had both a zipper and corset laces. First Hanna pulled in the laces so that it was a tight fit (but not too tight) and then pulled the zipper up hiding the laces underneath. The dress fit perfectly, tight enough to accentuate her trim, athletic waist but not too tight as to be uncomfortable for the evening?s festivities. As Hanna handed her the opera length gloves, she looked down and remembered where she had seen the dress. It had been the dress she had worn in the dreams when her mother first spoke to her. It felt as good now as it did in the dream. She slipped on a four-inch black patent leather heel with black satin bows on the toe. She wanted to be as tall as possible standing next to her betrothed. The final touch sat in a velvet box on the bed. Hanna opened it and pulled out a diamond-encrusted tiara which she carefully placed on Asta?s head. It was beautiful and understated but finished the royal look Asta was now required to have. With tiara in place, she was ready to depart. She was to meet Viktoria at her residence and they would head to the party together. She said good night to Hanna and then, meeting Marta at the door, walked through the quiet halls to the Royal Apartment?s back door. The guards now gave a smart salute to her and were quick to open the door. Brigit met them by the grand staircase and curtsied to the Archduchess. They waited only a few moments for Empress Viktoria to descend the stairs. Viktoria was wearing a floor length red silk mermaid dress with a boat neck and small puffy shoulders. The sleeve ran to her mid arm and then split open and fell to the floor giving an illusion of that she wore a cape. She wore her Imperial sash over her right shoulder connected down at her left hip and wore the Royal Order of Sapphos Cross on her left chest. It?s brilliant blue-green colors set off against the dress. She wore a pearl choker and dangling drop pearl earrings and a tiara set with diamonds and pearls. It was larger and more grand then the one Asta wore, by design. She saw Asta waiting for her and beamed the whole way down the stairs. To Asta, she was a regal vision. When she got to the bottom, they each gushed over the other?s gowns and hugged careful not to disrupt any makeup or hair. The excitement to celebrate their love and union was palpable between them. Empyrian energy always seemed to electrify the surroundings when the two came together and Bregit was especially fond of the moments the two would see each other as she always felt the electrical charge as a warm sensation in her heart. They had grown even closer over the last week and were inseparable when not in official meetings. Given her new position as second only to Viktoria herself in the government, and as a General, she was now asked to sit in with Viktoria on matters of state and with Alina on military matters. It was a steep learning curve but the bond they shared within the Empyrian somehow allowed Asta to understand the nuances of Viktoria?s thoughts without needing them to be discussed. In some ways, it was as though they shared a single mind and so Asta was able to take in great quantities of information, history and experience very quickly. Viktoria, too, found that Asta brought her new ways of thinking and approaching problems. By the end of the week, the two were finishing each other?s sentences. The security detail, including Marta, came in from the front door and met them. Each of them was wearing stylish evening suits and appropriate shoes should they need to spring into action. The outfits would allow them to blend in with the assembled party guests more easily. They led the small procession through the front door of the Royal Apartments and back out through the throne room to the two double doors to the People?s Hall in the Palace. This would be where the evening started after the receiving line. They walked the length of the room to two large doors Asta had come through the first night she and Alina had come to dinner. She knew behind those doors was a big and long receiving room. The Empress and the Archduchess stopped there. Once they were all in order, the footwomen swung open the doors. The room was filled with guests in their best gowns, and it erupted with applause. Empress Viktoria led the Archduchess out on her arm as they were announced, and they walked the length of the room and back to the same doors. They again went through into the Great Hall and lined up so that they could start the receiving line. Once the formalities were done, they could attend to the various people that wanted their attention, or to whom they wanted to speak. Asta was not yet a known commodity, so many were taking their time to find the right moment to introduce themselves. Verily, it is fair to say the imperial court and the various government officials, ministers and military officers were still trying to understand how this woman had come to be the future Queen of Virago in such a short time. Asta didn?t fancy herself a political player regardless, but her newfound powers she shared with Viktoria made winning them over rather easy. She could just will for their trust and loyalty and they would forever oblige. And so, it was with that truth that Viktoria and Asta would use tonight to win over certain key people. The first two were the women who led Seremante and Indrandia. Right after the receiving line was finished it was arranged that the two leaders would meet Astrid on the balcony outside. Asta took up a spot at the balcony and waited for Valencia to bring them to her. Lady Valencia, as she was now referred to thanks to her mother?s new title, had her beautiful blonde hair pulled back tightly into a perfect ponytail and held in place with strands of her own hair which somehow, impossibly Asta thought, never tied to anything and seemed to disappear into the ponytail. "Magic," she thought. "It just had to be magic." Valencia wore a silver sleeveless mermaid bateau neckline, shantung gown with intricate lace detail that wrapped around her waist and up the front of her dress. She had a matching wrap that she wore low across the back of her shoulders and through and around her satin gloved arms so that it stayed in place. She had on long diamond earrings and her silver four-inch heels matched her dress. Asta thought she was the most beautiful woman there, except maybe for her fianc?. Valencia stepped forward curtsied to her sister and announced each of the ministers by name. Each then genuflected to her in deference to her new title and said in unison, "Your Imperial Majesty." "Ministers, how nice to meet you both," Asta started. "I asked her Majesty the Empress if it would be all right if I met you privately this evening," she continued, letting a subtle but strong wave of suggestion leave her and enter them. It would encourage them to give her their fealty from that day forward. She also gave them a strong suggestion that they were proud of her and had strong admiration for her. This would then help them speak highly of her when they returned home to their regions. The two leaders spoke freely and graciously to their new sovereign and expressed their happiness that the Empress and she had found true love. Once the conversation was over, Valencia, on duty that evening, then escorted the ladies away and soon they were lost in the crowd. It didn?t take long before Catrine and the General found Asta, still on the balcony. By then she had won over several more officials and ministers. Both women curtsied to Asta as they must in this setting. Asta smiled as she recognized they both wore the same gowns as they had in Andreas?s dream. Catrine in a full pink evening gown, skirt and bodice with intricate stitching and Alina, a light blue floor length sequined gown with a straight satin skirt, a slit up one side. Her lips were a luscious red and her hair was straight and fell to her shoulders. Asta remembered the amazing kiss Alina had given her that night in her dream and blushed slightly. The three of them chatted and sipped sparkling wine until Valencia returned and found them. "Your Imperial Highness," she started, choosing the formal greeting as she stepped among the ladies. "Her Majesty the Empress would like for you to help her give a toast now and asked that I come get you," she said to her sister. A smile always crept across Valencia?s face whenever she called her sister by her now formal title. It was still a strange thing to Asta?s ears as well. "Why thank you Lady Valencia," she replied, returning the subtle sarcasm her sister had given her. "Excuse me ladies," she said to Catrine and Alina and the two ladies curtsied to her. She still wasn?t used to that move either. "You?re not going to make me call you ?Your Imperial Highness? when no one?s around are you," Valencia asked as they moved through the room to find the Empress. "Probably," Asta replied. "It has a nice ring to it don?t you think?" "You?ve become such a deva now that you have a title. How about I just call you ?your devaship??" she said with a wry smile. "Well that just doesn?t sound as good," she replied matter-of-factly. One of the things Asta was so grateful for in these last weeks had been having her sister there with her to not only help but to keep her centered and grounded. She wasn?t sure what she would have done without her there for her. Valencia soon had the two together and Viktoria took Asta?s hand. The group she was speaking with all curtsied and Viktoria excused them to walk over to the small riser that had been put out so that she may give a toast. Maya, the butler rapt a long bell which emitted a low but loud chime to get everyone?s attention. "Her Imperial Majesty, Empress Viktoria," she proclaimed loudly. The assembled guests applauded. Viktoria and Asta stood on the small riser just high enough to see out over the dinner crowd and so that they could see them. "Thank you, to you all for coming. It is with joy in my heart that I receive you here tonight to celebrate the occasion of our engagement," she said, reaching back down and taking Asta?s hand in hers. "The Archduchess and I are so pleased that we could share this evening with friends and family and those that champion the vision we have set forth for our country." "Virago sits on the precipice of history. She has waited and prepared for a long time for what is to come. For years, centuries even, our neighbors looked down upon us for what they thought were our simple ways and for nurturing the gifts the heavens have given us - for worshiping the Empyrian, which sustained us for generations. The world thought us dullards or simpletons, or worse, they called us sorceresses. They used their bigotry and hate to put their thumbs down on us and to take advantage or us and our resources where they saw fit. That was until my predecessor, Queen Merit-Mead, built our capabilities and joined us with the lands of Seremante and Indrandia, the basis for our new empire. It is with her vision in mind that I lead you today. Together, we shall not only retake what was ours, but show the entire continent what it means to be led, and loved, by the nation of Virago!" she paused, sending out a wave of adoration to crowd who responded with great applause. "The months to come will be difficult, but I can?t imagine working through them without my beloved Astrid by my side to carry out our plans. Together we will lead Virgo into her future. Please raise your glasses," she said raising her own glass high. "To Astrid, and to Virago!" CHAPTER 33 The cell door swung open and Asta walked in alone. Marta stood just outside in a mild state of panic having just allowed her protectee to enter a prisoner cell full of enemy combatants. Asta was not concerned. She was in her uniform, in part out of respect to the men she was about to transition. She took stock of the room and then moved toward the last man chained to the wall on the left, her boots clicking on the floor as she moved. Each man had been stripped of his combat gear, boots and outer layers. Each stood in an olive-green t-shirt and camouflage pants chains holding their feet in place and their hands above their head. One of the many idea she and Viktoria had discussed with Generals Skarpsv?rd and Lopez was to find a way to have an elite strike force loyal to them but stationed in Elsmere. These would need to be men, or at least appear to be men. Having discovered that Asta and Viktoria now had the power to change the sex of anyone she wanted, they decided to build a team of select soldiers and send them back to Elsmere. When the time came, she had flown back to the base near the Elsmere border she had once tried to infiltrate. A team of ten more Elsmerian commandos had been captured 12 hours prior and so a window of opportunity presented itself. Converting Major Domhnall Byrne into a loyal Virogonian soldier would also be something of a personal gift to hersef. She missed her friend, plus, she had here, in this room, the perfect squad of commando?s. She positioned herself directly in front of the officer in charge and broke into a big grin upon seeing her old friend. "Major Byrne, I am General Wahl. I apologize for the shackles, but they are necessary given who you are. I have respect for you and your team, so I?ll be completely transparent with you. I?ve come to recruit you and then send you home so that you may serve Virago and our Empress," she said matter-of-factly. Byrne studied the woman standing in front of him. She was impossibly beautiful. Her face, her hair, her clearly ideal body were all flawless and on top of that, she carried an air of confidence that was hard to ignore. She was stunning, but clearly more than that. Whatever it was, it seemed to create an intense magnetism. He couldn?t take his eyes off of her. "Go to hell lady, we?re not for sale," Byrne replied trying to overcome her presence. "I understand Major. I?m not going to try to buy you. I?m just going to turn you and make you Viragonian," she replied. "Ha, whatever the hell that means," he snorted, not really knowing what to make of the comment. "You hear that boys? Some kind of crazy bitch here," he said, raising his voice to the team could hear him. "You?re too good looking to be a soldier much less a General lady so why don?t you move on and let us get back to our knitting," he said. Some of the men chuckled around him, bolstered by their leader?s fearlessness. "A complement. Thank you, but I agree. I don?t see why we have to drag this out. Besides you and your team need to get to your extraction location on time," she responded. "What?" he said, somewhat incredulously. "My apologies, I?ll say it louder," she said speaking up so all the prisoners could hear. "I said you have to get to your extraction point on time. You have an exfil team coming in a little less than 12 hours by my watch," she said examining the timepiece on her wrist. "So, I agree, we should get things moving." "Yeah, whatever, lady," Byrne said, shaking his head. She had good intel. That was a problem. Asta paused, examining Byrne. For some reason, she didn?t have the same sense of loyalty to him she knew she once had. Maybe the brotherly bond was broken with her transition, but she had an inkling that once she converted him, they would grow close once more. He had come back to save Andreas, just like he promised, she gave him that. He was brave and loyal, and she respected that but, as of right now, her loyalty was utterly and completely to Viktoria and Virago. Whatever bond she had with Domy only bought him her earnest attempt to make his transformation as easy as possible. Besides, he really was an attractive man she thought. She would have fun. Having seen him in various manner of undress over the years, she knew he had a strong and hard body underneath his clothes. She was definitely attracted to him and starting to get aroused just thinking about taking his cock into her hands. "Domy," she said now looking at him, a lascivious look in her eyes. "You don?t recognize me, do you?" Asta asked, smiling sweetly. She was enjoying this and had been looking forward to this moment since she had found out who was in the cell. Major Byrne looked at her with a puzzled face. He clearly couldn?t understand how she knew his nickname. "No, how could you. I look and sound nothing like I did when I was a man, but still, I thought the name would tip you off," she continued. "You and I were like brothers. Ever since I can remember I admired you. You were stronger than me, a better athlete," she said stepping close to him now. "Even more handsome," she said softly to him as she reached over and gently stroked his face. His eyes were alert and darting all over Asta?s face for some inkling of recognition. She knew his mind would be racing trying to figure out what she was talking about and what tactical options he had. She savored the confusion she was causing. She took a small step back and looked him in the eye. "You know, I always did like your dick, so big and brown. Tell me, Domy, is it still big or is it shriveling up into your nut sack right about now?" She appreciated the banter, even if he didn?t. "Bitch is tripping, Major," said the corporal down the line. "Don?t listen to her she just trying to get in your head and shit," he added. "What are you playing at lady?" Byrne said looking right into Asta?s eyes. "Well, several things, I should think. First, I?m trying to tell you that I?m your old friend Andreas Wahl in her new glory," she said pausing to present herself, arms outstretched. "Second, I?m trying to tell you that I am going to turn you and make you my elite squad, all of you, not just you Major," she said, making sure the corporal down the line heard her. "Wahl is gone, and you must be some kind of sick in the head lady," Byrne said. "It?s General to you Major and I assure you I am the man you used to know." "uh huh, then prove it," Byrne said, not knowing why he even encouraged it. She again stepped closer in. Byrne was not capable of moving in his restraints, so she had nothing to worry about save perhaps a headbutt ? not really his style against and unarmed woman. She examined his chest and shoulders closely. "I forgot how strong you are Domy," she said, rubbing her hand on his chest. "Let?s see..." she said in a soft seductive voice. "How to prove it to you? Do remember what we talked about in the operations center right before I left on the op? You said ?point the end where the bullets come out toward the bad guys?. And I said ?you always were so helpful, just like when you made me blow up the sodium in chemistry class?. I couldn?t hear for a week, Domy!" she added. She reached up and caressed his face again running her hand up over his shaved head. "Mr. Chapman was none-to-pleased about the beaker exploding, was he?" she continued slowly, almost seductively. "He gave us a week?s detention. Threatened to have us expelled," she said looking up into his eyes. "I believe you also told me you?d come get my ass if things went bad. Do you remember Domy?" Byrne stared at her for a beat, trying to figure out how she had that intel. They hadn?t mentioned Mr. Chapman?s name in the Op Center. "Seriously, who the fuck are you? No way you were listening in at the operation center," he said seriously. "You?re right, I wasn?t listening into the Operations Center because I was there. I am Andreas Wahl. And I?ve come to have you and your men join me. Elsmere has already lost; they just don?t know it yet. A cancer in the form of a king grows within them and it needs to be cut out. You will be on the winning side of history and you will do so at my side, under my command as the tip of our spear. You and your team will be elite players on a global stage. Agents hiding in plain sight. What do you say Domy, are you ready to be my guy?" she asked stepping in and kissing him on his cheek. He even smelled nice. "Can?t be you. Andreas would never do this to me. We are brothers. You must have tortured it out of him. And I?ll die before I betray my country" Byrne said defiantly. His men called out encouragements. "Oh don?t be so dramatic. We both know the type of men the King and the Prince are. They stand for everything you would spend a lifetime fighting against," she said, starting to get angry as though this were a plain fact he chose to ignore. She paused for a moment. "It?s neither here nor there, I suppose. You came to rescue Andreas and for that I?m grateful and proud of you. But I didn?t come here to talk you into anything. You will serve Her Majesty, and I can assure you that I can and will ?do this to you?," she said using air quotes, a look of determination coming across her face. "As a sign of respect, I?ll try to make the transition as easy as possible," she said looking again into his eyes. A telltale hunger grew in her as she anticipated his Tor entering into her and the lovely feeling it gave her. Before he could say anything else Asta had her hands on the top of his fatigue pants and was unfastening and unzipping. He sort of sat there confused by what she was doing, until her hand went under his briefs and grabbed his balls. In the time it took him to say "what the fuck?" she had pulled his underwear down and made him fully erect with her powers. "Mmm...there?s the cock I remember. Isn?t it gorgeous?" she asked licentiously to no one in particular. She gave the shaft a little stroke and then looked him again in the eye watching his response. "I am going to swallow you whole, Domy," she said eyeing his huge shaft. Byrne was now trying to tamp down the panic that was rising in him. He wasn?t sure what was happening and he had no training for this particular situation. Asta had a sudden thought. She wanted to show the rest of the troops just how much power she had, and maybe toy with her old friend at the same time. "Now, as I said, I?m going to turn you. But I?m a sporting lady so I?ll tell you what," she said so all the men could hear her. "If you want to join me, all you have to do is cum for me and your mine forever. But if you can hold yourself off and not ejaculate, I?ll let you and your men go," she said again in a wicked and seductive voice. "How does that sound Major? Fair?" she asked making a little question face as she did. Several of the men shouted out encouragement to him, shouting out several slurs aimed at her while doing so. It was all Marta could do to stay on the other side of the door and not beat these men for their insults. For his part, Byrne stood fast, a look of determination on his face as she gently stroked his hard cock. Try as he might, he couldn?t diminish his arousal. "I do admire your fortitude and courage, Domy. You always were a fighter," she said. "We were once brothers," she paused for a beat, "and now we will become sisters." With that, she sent a strong blast of Empyrian energy through him making him climax moments later. She deftly covered his erection with her mouth and caught his Tor as it came forth, swallowing it down with the accompanying and satisfying rush of energy. Byrne?s eyes flashed a moment of shocked concerned then closed as the orgasm burst forth from his phallus. He let out a soft moan as he emptied himself into her mouth. Within moments Byrne?s female self stood where he had, hands above her head in chains. She said nothing, head bent slightly forward as though in defeat. Her eyes were still closed, and her new, long jet-black hair hung down past either side of her face. There was a stunned silence in the room as the other nine men saw their commanding officer succumb. It seemed clear that their fate, too, was sealed. Asta took out a small key from her jacket pocket and undid the hand restraints first. "There now, isn?t that better Domy? How do you feel?" she asked sweetly. Byrne came out of her daze and picked her head up to look at Asta as she brought her hands down. She rubbed her wrists and looked up into Asta?s eyes. A smile broke out across her soft brown face. "I feel so good," she unequivocally. Asta stepped in and hugged her, giving her a kiss on the lips as she did. "Mmm...I?m so glad my sister is here with me now," she said, releasing the hug and stroking her hair, pushing it back out of her face. She sent a strong wave of loyalty and reverence into Byrne. "Now, let?s get you out of all these cuffs and take a look at you," she said. Asta quickly removed the remaining restraints and then helps Byrne strip naked so that she and all the men could see her new body. They walked past the men to a full-length mirror that had been placed by the door and examined her new reflection. "Aren?t you gorgeous!" Asta said standing just behind her. "I think we?ll call you Dominique now," she said smiling next to her old friend as Dom turned side to side to examine her new body. "There are a few perks you should know about with this new body," she said, bringing her hand up and around to Dom?s breast caressing it. The sensitive nipples responded immediately, and Dom closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, savoring the new sensation. "And this," Asta continued, sliding her hand down to Dominique?s new sex and inserting her middle finger. Dom gasped as Asta sent a wave of pleasure through her and the men in the room. Dominique was brought to her first orgasm and cried out as she did, her whole-body shuttering. Another little wave of Tor passed through to Asta. Asta pulled her finger out of the new woman?s sex and brought it to her mouth inserting it and savoring the musky taste. She gave Dominique another lecherous look. "I told you I would eat you up," she said. "Oh..." Dominique said, running her hands over her breasts. "Mmm...I want more," she said breathily. "And so you will. Turn around Major. There are nine more sisters we need to bring on to the team," she asked as they turned to the other prisoners. Asta spoke up, "You will all be turned as I just turned the Major. You will all swear your allegiance to Virago as Byrne will now," she said gesturing to Byrne. "Major, what do you say?" "I swear my allegiance to Virago," she said without hesitation. "Excellent Major, where would you like to start?" she said, gesturing to the men. "The corporal will be a good start, General," she said eyeing the man across the room. Dominique slowly walked her naked body toward the corporal, shoulders back, hips swaying. "Stay away from me man! Come on Major, snap out of it," he said, fighting his restraints, fear in his voice. "Don?t worry Corporal," she said as she stripped off his pants revealing the erection Asta had just given him. "It doesn?t hurt a bit." She flexibly raised her left leg putting her foot up high on the wall and took his erection in her left hand before deftly sliding it into her wet pussy. The Corporal protested vigorously but was ultimately powerless, unable to move and with a raging hard on Asta wouldn?t let fall limp. Dominique pumped his erection for several moments before Asta brought them both to climax. She watched as Dominique took in his Tor and as the corporal transformed into Virago?s newest recruit. She let Dominique do this one more time, enjoying her new womanhood, while she unrestrained the corporal. She let Dom fuck the second fellow for a while, letting her cum on her own before using her power to make the captive release his Tor. She then had the three new women attack the remaining men. Soon, ten new women stood naked in the cell and Marta was allowed in. Asta let each of them examine themselves in the mirror before commanding the Major to get her team in line. Dominque barked out the order to fall in and stand at attention. In turn, they each swore allegiance to Virago. Asta called out and a handful of guards came in bringing with them the soldier?s remaining gear. They placed ten piles in the center of the room just in front of each of them. "Now, ladies," Asta started. "As I mentioned earlier, I am General, Astrid Wahl, soon to be Queen of Virago and you have each sworn your loyalty to the Empress. You have a very important mission ahead of you, which my team will brief you on as you prepare to meet the exfiltration team at your preset time. As you will have guessed, this means I can?t allow you to stay in your new bodies. I am sorry ladies, but your service of the Empress requires that you go back to Elsmere as you were. Well, almost as you were," she said with a little smile. Asta went down the row and, one by one, changed their appearances back to the men they had once been. All except for their new vaginas, which she left intact. "Let?s face it, it?s more comfortable then stuffing your dicks in your pants anyway," she said. "This is just a reminder of who you serve. Be careful not to give yourselves away in the locker room ladies," she added. Once the team had their old combat gear on and was ready to move, Asta pulled Dominique aside and gave her her new orders. "Now, one last thing," she said, handing the Major a new radio. "This will be one of the ways you can contact us. We retrofitted it with a new setting for a dedicated encrypted channel," she said. "Let me show you how you access it." Asta took the radio and showed him through a series of moves how to open up the direct line to the Virago command. It would be impossible to accidently activate it should it be found and only a technical expert would see what was done to the internal workings of the radio. She handed it back to Byrne who made sure to retrace the steps Asta had used to activate it before reattaching the radio to his combat vest. She looked into his eyes. "You won?t disappoint me will you Major?" she asked again using her powers to make him loyal to her. "No General Wahl, you know I won?t," she said with a crisp salute. "Excellent. I?m so happy you are with me now, Domy, truly. You?re the only person I missed from my old life. I think we will be an excellent team you and I, just like sisters. Don?t you agree?" Dominique smiled a big smile. "Yes ma?am, a very good team." CHAPTER 34 The following months were very busy for both Astrid and Viktoria. At the end of August, they needed to move back to the capital, Verstrata, and to the country?s main palace. And so, they settled into the Imperial Palace or Minnesm?rke Palace as it was called. The palace had to make some accommodations to the Empress?s residence in order to offer Astrid proper space. The Empress?s closet, for example, simply could not house the Archduchess?s now impressive wardrobe. While they made no semblance of keeping separate beds before the wedding, they did need separate dressing and personal space to allow for their different schedules. And so, the palace workers had set about moving some walls to make the new space. In the end, it was only a matter of taking space from a suite on the other side of the existing wall and transforming it into the Archduchess?s closet and dressing room, bathroom and office. They had done such an excellent job the Empress said that she could not even tell that it was not an original layout of the palace. The Empress and the Archduchess had, by now, been on an engagement tour of the empire. It was both a smart diversion to focus the world?s attention away from any of their geopolitical plans on the continent and a welcome celebration of the love they shared with one another. The ministers of Seremante and Indrandia each had hosted them, as well as the various regents of each of Virago?s largest cities. Various parades and events were planned for each of their visits and it was clear the Archduchess was a very popular figure from the onset. That was even without the encouragement Viktoria and Asta could give the crowds with their powers. Together, the couple was beloved throughout Virago. There had been some rumblings from the press about where exactly Astrid had come from, since she wasn?t a known member of the royal court or of the political scene. Thankfully, Catrine had always intended her son to one day join them and had created an identity and background for Asta that matched her sister Valencia?s. While it wasn?t as rich and deep as a normal person?s, it held up to scrutiny by journalist and global news media. Similarly, various foreign embassies were hard at work trying to determine where Astrid had come from. While they grudgingly accepted the story the palace gave them, they suspected there was more to it or possibly another story altogether. Indeed, several heads of state made formal visits, ostensibly to wish them their best, but many to quietly meet this new woman on the world stage. The first to visit them was the sovereign of Pyandavostok, Vsevolod and his wife Olga, parents of Xenia, Queen of Elsmere. Empress Viktoria had known them since she was a little girl as the countries were allies and quite close thanks to Queen Merit-Meade, Viktoria?s predecessor. Not only was it a social visit, but it would prove vital the Empress?s plans as Pyandavostok was one of the most powerful nations in the world. She would need them in the near future for her plan to work. Viktoria welcomed them at Minnesm?rke Palace with a state reception and then she and Archduchess Astrid hosted them for a more intimate dinner. "How is Xenia, your Majesty," Viktoria finally asked as desert was being cleared away. "I wish I could tell you she was well but the years with that man have taken their toll. She no longer has the spark of the girl we raised, I'm afraid. I would pray for his early exit from this world but I fear our grandson, Juan Louis V, may be worse. His father has corrupted Pyat, if he wasn?t rotten from the beginning. Hard to believe a boy like that came from our lovely Xenia. I wish there were something more we could do for her." "It is a sad thing that has befallen Xenia. She should be allowed to lead her people as their queen...or be able to find a suitable leader if she is unable." Viktoria said. "I have something to discuss with you that I think might make her life much easier," she continued, reaching out to their mind with hers and encouraging Vsevolod and Olga to examine the world?s politics in a slightly different way. Her way. Thanks to the new power brought to her from Astrid, Viktoria?s persuasion was absolute and by the time the king and queen left the country the next day, they were avid supporters of Empress?s plans.