“Good morning, Empress.” Lena opened her eyes and felt Rachel’s warm body pressed against her.

“Rachel. Mm, you’re warm.” She then groaned. “I think I did something in my space last night, and made my body’s muscles sore.” She tried to move and grimaced. “I think I need assistance today. I feel like my body has been stretched forcibly.” Rachel nodded, and looked deep into her body with her black eyes.

Unlike the goddess, or when Lena accidentally accessed the power that the goddess gave to her, Rachel’s black eyes were a result of brown eyes darkening when she went to Haven. Normally, those who go to Haven retain their natural eye color, but they turn to a solid color with no white or iris.

“You have a little heat in your muscles, Empress. It would be wise to take it easy for a few days and let it subside.” Rachel said softly.

She sent a frantic message to Kyrie right after she stood up and put Lena in her wheeled chair.

Goddess! The seeds!

 

*****

 

“Advice?”

“Immediately plant the rest, or she'll have no chance at all. She’ll be in agony if they aren’t in place.” Lydia said, though her eyes held a trace of worry.

“Agreed.”

 

*****

 

Rachel stood in front of Lena.

“Rachel? What’s wrong?” Rachel tapped her forehead and breathed the red mist over her body. Lena’s eyes closed.

“Sorry, Empress. Your body is too special.” Rachel said softly. “Nicci, I need your assistance.” Nicci appeared from a dense mist near the bed, while Rachel laid Lena back down. She stripped her clothes off, and laid down on her left. Nicci laid on her right.

“Work quickly, Nicci. She doesn’t have much time before they take root.”

As they both bit into her neck, Nadya and Nuri appeared beside the bed, laid down and bit into her upper thighs.

Goddess! We need Lydia and Ayn here now! They are growing too rebellious, and move faster then we can move them!

“Not enough.” Kyrie said through her teeth. The number of people at Lena’s side had grown, and it still wasn’t enough. The seeds had sprouted, and followed the veins to the source. Her heart.

The seeds left behind to be moved had also sprouted, so they had to be moved. Each one held onto its place stubbornly, and wouldn’t move into their planned space.

And, to make matters worse, she needed more seeds so that her body wouldn’t be in a state of flux.

Kyrie stood up, and disappeared from the throne room.

 

*****

 

“Bite me. Harder, Kata!” Solange cried out as she got closer to the edge of a climax. Solange lifted her head when the goddess appeared in the room. The rage flowing off the goddess was so intense, Kata passed out.

“Is this your duty? To fuck the dying Empress’s guard?!” She lifted Kata off the bed by her neck.

“Goddess! Please! Don’t kill her!” Solange got down on her knees and begged.

“The only reason she is still alive is because the Empress is not yet dead!” She ground out. “IF Lena dies, you and Hanna will be boiled alive in acid for ten thousand years! And Kata will be fed to the dogs.” The judgment was made.

A red circle was seared into Solange’s chest, and Hanna’s, though she was not in the room.

“Now get in the Empress’s room and do the duty you were supposed to perform! The duty you were assigned! The duty you have failed to perform up to now!”

 

*****

 

Rachel didn’t pay attention to Solange or Hanna as they bit into Lena’s belly and moved their tendrils throughout her body.

Kyrie, who could do nothing but watch, let tears roll down her cheeks. This human woman, who sacrificed a piece of her body, and who would also give up her life for her, had the power of a divine being tearing her human body to shreds. The seeds of her rebirth went where they wanted to.

With little to no choice left, Kyrie sent a shockwave through the room and ripped the Others away from her beloved Empress.

She laid on top of her body, and put her lips on top of her rapidly cooling ones. She pushed the remaining seeds into her mouth, and down her throat. Those seeds were the ones she would have laid in Lena’s womb after a thousand years, and have Lena give birth to their children.

That was a dream born of her jealousy, and hatred of the Emperor who made Lena dirty with his own seed.

“My dear Empress. I let you sleep with this little dream of mine.” She spoke inside Lena’s mind. A sphere of mist formed in front of her. Lena’s essence.

“That son is not yours, nor is it mine.” She smiled as she said it inside Lena’s mind.

“I used neither your egg, nor mine. I stole it from one of his concubines.” She felt a wave of warmth from the sphere of mist in front of her.

“These little things that now tear you apart was my gift. They would have taken root and made you strong. Strong enough to take my seeds and bear me...no. They would have made you strong enough to bear us children. Our children.” That warmth flared again.

“This gamble has stolen you from me. This gift now kills you, and tears you from my side forever. I am so sorry, my Empress.” Kyrie closed her eyes. That warmth flared again, mixed with a familiar and foreign power that she had only felt in the presence of her father.

‘Goddess.’ A soft voice spoke, followed by an even softer whisper.

“Please, let me be with her until she leaves me.” Kyrie said quietly.

‘Goddess. You’re heavy. I can’t breathe.’

 

*****

 

“Why is the Empress all bandaged up?” Kata asked the group of Others around her.

“Because they became too excited and they decided to bite me.” Lena frowned and moved a bit, then grimaced. “It seems they can’t heal me with the mist as it was used too often recently. These,” She gestured to the bandages. “Will heal in time.” Rachel smiled, but knelt down beside the chair.

“I’m sorry, Empress. When the Others saw me attached to your neck, they didn’t realize that I lost my self control due to your scent. The goddess said that it’s because of my arousal, and your personal scent, it made the Others go into a near feral state.” Rachel said down at her side. Lena put her hand on Rachel’s shoulder. She had no idea about the massive lie Rachel just spun, as she had used the things Lena was consciously aware of, not what she sensed in her subconscious.

“Then it appears that when you keep me warm, you’ll need to keep the door locked. One bite is fine, as long as you don’t tear out the skin. But eight different sets of teeth is a little too much for me.” She sighed, but then her face firmed up.

“Empress, why do you suddenly look incredibly frightening?” Rachel asked her. Lena pointed to Kata, and pointed to the floor.

“Solange. Hanna. Kata. Kneel.”

 

*****

 

‘As I thought. This is going to be more difficult then I expected.’ Lena groaned internally.

“Rachel, I need the bathroom. Keep them down until Nicci brings me back.” Rachel nodded.

“I understand, Empress.”

“I know you do. You should put on your robe, Rachel. My attendant should be properly attired when she helps me.” She also saw how Lena’s eyes were glued to her breasts, and how she licked the inside of her lips. Rachel smiled softly and nodded.

“I will, Empress.”

Nicci wheeled Lena out, while Nadya and Nuri looked at each other. They were confused, as they were also Lena’s attendants, and they were still naked.

“What about us?”