BloodStar

The morning of the wedding had arrived. With only three hours until the wedding ceremony, Jacek stood in front of a floor-to-ceiling mirror fixing his hair until his best man Vega approached him from behind, “And here is your tuxedo jacket.”

Vega held it up and put it on Jacek fixing it and smoothing out any wrinkles as Jacek positioned it comfortably over his white dress shirt.

Jacek inspected his black-tie outfit in the mirror, “Did you hear about the mobilization on Khan Island last night?”

Vega nodded his head, “I thought they were drills at first, but Constance now tells me a small group of rebels has attacked a royal guard sent by Ramses and Zara.”

Jacek nodded, “These rebels are fools. They have earned the ire of the BloodStar King and Queen while also earning the ire of my bride. She isn’t one to take being upstaged kindly.”

“Well, I hope it’s nothing you two lovebirds have to cancel your honeymoon over. I am sure Constance can take care of it with my help after the wedding today.” Vega retrieved a bow tie and brought it back over to Jacek.

Vega expertly fitted the bow tie around and under Jacek’s collar before allowing Jacek to tie it himself in the mirror.

Jacek turned around after finishing, “How do I look?” He held his arms out to present himself.

Vega shook his head with his hand up to his mouth with a look of concern, “This isn’t good, Jacek. This isn’t good at all.”

Jacek furrowed his brow and looked back at himself in the mirror with a frown of confusion, “What? What is it?”

Vega took a deep sigh, “Well, you said it yourself. You’re a fool.”

Jacek turned back around and maintained his concerned and confused expression waiting for Vega to elaborate.

Vega finally cracked a slight smile, “What was it? Erika doesn’t take kindly to being upstaged?”

Jacek finally smiled and laughed, “Vega you fucker. You had me worried there!”

“No, I mean it! You look sharp. Well-dressed. Handsome. Erika has her work cut out for her if she hopes to be the spotlight next to you.” Vega walked over to the mirror and began to tighten and adjust his own tie next to Jacek.

“Before I forget, let me get the ring.” Jacek walked over to a chest of drawers and pulled out an old yet clearly valuable jewelry box.

He walked it over to Vega and opened the box revealing a very large diamond surrounded by numerous smaller diamonds all embedded into a gold ring.

“This ring has been in my family for many generations. In the few hours you have possession of it, do not lose it.” Jacek spoke with a stern voice to make his point clear.

He then snapped the box shut and handed it to Vega.

“Trust me. There is no safer place for this ring than with me.” Vega took the jewelry box and carried it with two hands securely.

Jacek felt the pressure lifting off his shoulders knowing that he no longer had to constantly account for the ring’s well-being. His mind wandered to his dream last night, “Vega, weird question, but I had a dream last night. Did Constance… you know… did she…?”

Vega raised his eye brows, “Did she what? Mind fuck you and make you cum in your sheets?”

Jacek nodded his head as he laughed before saying, “Yes, that. Did she do that to me last night?”

Vega sat in a chair with the jewelry box in his lap, “No, she didn’t. I’m afraid she was busy in bed with me literally all night. I honestly don’t know where she gets the energy. She stays up late and gets up early. I swear these BloodStar girls are machines.”

Jacek smiled and nodded his head in thought. Vega then followed up, “So you had a dream about Constance on the eve of your wedding? I’m surprised it was her and not Xenia.”

Jacek scrunched up his face and looked to Vega as he tilted his head in acknowledgement.

Vega silently gasped, “Bro! You didn’t?...”

Jacek shook his head, “I mean, yea. I did. I had one of the most explosive wet dreams in human history about me passionately and slowly making love to Xenia.”

Vega laughed with a scoff, “Passionately and slowly? Not sadistically and fatally? Yea that was definitely your dream, not Constance’s.”

Jacek took in a deep breath, “Yea so I guess it was all me then. Kinda fucked up right?”

“Not fucked up at all man. Xenia was a lot of evil and unspeakable things. But she was also a sexual goddess. She was a once-in-a-generation talent on the battlefield. She was a future ruler of her empire.” Vega looked to Jacek meeting his gaze, “She was your peer. Your equal. And it would be foolish to say that you two didn’t share a connection for both better and worse. So no, it’s not fucked up. It’s expected.”

Jacek gave a slight scoff of laughter and put his hands on his hip, “Thanks, Vega. I mean it. Thank you.”

Vega laughed, “Don’t sweat it man. But tell me. Was it amazing?”

Jacek tilted his head to one side and pushed his tongue up against his cheek before bashfully nodding with a smile.

“You dog, Jacek!” Vega stood up and prepared to punch Jacek’s shoulder; however, he held his fist back and said, “If your damn tuxedo wasn’t so perfect, I’d smack you right now.”

Jacek laughed, “Get out of here, Vega! I’ve got to clear my head before the ceremony.”

“Clear your head? Is that some kind of euphemism for-“

Jacek laughed, “Alright, alright.” He walked Vega over to the door and said, “Don’t lose that ring. All you have to do is keep it for a few hours and hand it to me during the ceremony.”

Vega saluted Jacek, “Yes sir, Lord Heraklinos.”

Jacek shook his head, “Get out of here, soldier.”

Jacek and Vega shared one last laugh before parting ways as Jacek closed the door behind him.

He walked over to his bed and sat on the edge thinking about Vega’s words, “So I’ve lost my peer, I’ve lost my counterpart in this world. Who will challenge me now?”

He lingered on his thoughts for a moment until finally concluding to himself, “No one will challenge me now. We should all be so lucky to be stewards of peace in the world.”

He nodded to himself as he prepared to relax for the next several hours by reading a book and admiring the garden views outside his window.

____________________________

Elsewhere, on the wedding grounds in a separate building, Erika sat in a salon chair getting her hair done by a team of professional stylists.

She took several deep and calming breaths as several people worked on her hair and makeup all at once, “I will not let this small wrinkle on Khan Island or the death of St. Michael ruin my wedding.”

She took several more deep breaths and then erupted in rage out of nowhere, “Fuck! I have one wedding! Just one! And these empires can’t keep their shit together even for a moment!”

She stood up from her chair and brushed off her stylists and began to pace the room with her hair and makeup only halfway complete.

Suddenly, a knock at the door sounded. Erika loudly barked, “Who is it?!”

The door creaked open, and Constance poked her head in, “Erika! Hi!”

Erika bit her lip as Constance showed herself in, “You have a lot of courage walking in to see me on my wedding day after allowing your so-called drills to evolve into a fatal stand off with rebels on Khan Island at Khan Castle.”

Constance brushed it off with a perfect smile, “Gosh, wouldn’t you know it? I swear the second I leave that island, everything and everyone loses it. I’m sure you can empathize. If it weren’t for you, this wedding would be a disaster. Luckily, you are here to hold everything and everyone together.”

Constance’s flattery quickly took hold as Erika calmed down, “You’re quite right, Constance. We don’t always see eye-to-eye, but this time you are quite right. We are surrounded by imbeciles.”

Erika shot a dirty glance at her stylists after her imbecile remark causing them to politely bow before scurrying out of the room in fear.

“I swear, if I wasn’t a role-model and leader of this peaceful world, I would curse all of them.” Erika scoffed and looked in the mirror, “Look at this fucking disaster. My makeup. My hair. All second-rate.”

Constance walked over to the stylist chair and motioned with her hand, “Allow me to fix it. Sit.”

Erika grit her teeth but ultimately nibbled at the opportunity, “You think you can fix this before the wedding.”

Constance laughed, “I know I can. How do you think my hair always looks so flawless? You learn a trick or two when you are the one standing by Xenia BloodStar all your life. My illusion magic is akin to real-time photoshop. I can smooth your look, make split ends vanish, and make impossible braids with your hair. All with just a little help of ki.”

Erika allowed a slight smile to break through her otherwise irritated expression as she walked over to the stylist chair, “Fine. You have one chance.”

Constance began to undo what her stylists had worked so hard to create, and she brushed Erika’s hair out as she began to style it herself.

The two girls shared small talk for a few moments until they both went silent as Constance allowed Erika to relax while working on her hair and infusing illusion ki when necessary to supplement her designs.

After thirty minutes, Constance finally spun Erika’s chair around for her to see in the mirror, “Well? What do you think? Do you still hate me?”

Erika was dumbstruck by her own appearance, even touching her face to make sure it wasn’t all some elaborate illusion.

“Yes, I still hate you, Constance. But oh my god. For today, I suppose I can put aside that hate because I look amazing. Truly.” Erika remained in awe as she continued to admire her hair and makeup in the mirror.

Constance smiled at her through the mirror, “Good, I hate you still too.”

Both girls shared a brief laugh together before Constance said, “Now I’ve done my job here Master Sage; however, while you may be the spotlight of the ceremony, your wedding décor still needs to serve as a complement to your beauty. I am off to place and arrange the flowers, so that they may amplify your elegance further.”

Erika still couldn’t believe the hard work Constance was putting into her wedding, and she thought to herself, “She is undoubtedly putting in work for a few favors down the road, but I don’t even care.” She looked at herself in the mirror again and smiled, “This is worth whatever favors she may ask for, surely.”