BloodStar

Chapter 65: Offer and Counteroffer

Michael sat within the negotiation tent patiently awaiting the arrival of Xenia BloodStar. He felt optimistic that she would arrive; however, he also knew that she may not show at all and instead opt for confrontation on the battlefield with no diplomatic talks.

He swirled a glass of red wine and took a sip. His attendants had prepared the temporary tent to perfection. Fur rugs covered the floor, and the table was fully set. A nicely sized circular table engraved with the Holy Light Empire emblem had been set with bright candles, food, and wine for the two leaders. The food was underwhelming as it was only lunch time rather than dinner.

As Michael took another sip of wine, a soldier rushed in frantically, “She is here! She is here!”

Michael stood and said, “Gather yourself, soldier! She is not here to slay us all. She is here to speak with me. I invited her here. I expect you to show her the respect someone of her stature deserves.”

The soldier nodded, “I will show her in at once.”

Michael sat his wine glass down slowly and carefully and then stood ready to greet her. Moments later, the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on entered. Michael was stunned. He hadn’t seen Xenia up close before, and the combination of her natural beauty and powerful aura struck him like no woman ever had before.

The soldier leading her in stammered and stuttered without the courage to speak in her presence and her suffocating aura. Michael dismissed him angrily, “Leave us!”

The soldier scurried away as if he were running from a rabid bear ready to thrash him at a whim.

Michael then said, “Welcome General BloodStar. No matter how our talks go this afternoon, I want you to know that your presence honors my request, and it shows good faith.”

Xenia stood in her Warlord armor. Her beautiful hair fell along the back of her armor, and she looked ready to fight at a moment’s notice. She even maintained a sinister and suppressive aura around her to intimidate lesser enemies as she entered their camp.

She eyed him up and down noting his lack of formal wear. He wore a simple quilted black top with his initials embroidered upon it with a matching pair of quilted pants. An outfit for proper lounging after training.

She said, “It’s Warlord BloodStar. Not General. And I had no idea the great St Michael of the Holy Light Empire was capable of wearing such casual clothing especially for such an important meeting.”

He laughed, “Warlord BloodStar, my apologies. Congratulations on the promotion, I assume. And in this moment, we are not at war. I simply want to talk with you.”

She maintained a serious composure, “We are very much at war. Even in this moment. But I am here to entertain your proposition that you mentioned, so do tell me.”

He motioned for her to sit at the table as he sat across from her in the opposite chair. The two leaders took their seats, and Michael said, “Wine?”

She gave a disgusted look and said, “No, thank you. The dreadful drink is a poor substitute for the real thing.”

Michael looked at her with a confused look, “The real thing?”

She nodded as if it were obvious, “Yes. Blood.”

Michael grinned with both amusement and surprise, “There is plenty of blood around; however, none of it spilled. I’m afraid if you want blood, you will have to wait for the battle.”

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She rolled her eyes, “Trust me, St. Michael. If I wanted blood badly enough, I would get it.”

He swirled his wine and relaxed, “New armor? I love it.”

“Yes, new armor. I am taking this war much more seriously after you and your family nearly killed me. I won’t fall so easily this time.” She crossed her arms and leaned back in her chair before saying, “Cut to the chase. Stop wasting my time.”

Michael leaned forward over the table and said, “Very well. I have called you hear to propose a trade.”

She stopped him and said, “There are very few things you can offer to halt this war. If you plan to waste my time, you will only anger me. Proceed cautiously.”

Michael shook his head, “Oh no. I certainly do not plan to abate this inevitable war. We will see each other on the battlefield, at least I hope. I am a much more gifted warrior and ki user than you know. Which leads me to my point. I would like to submit myself as a prisoner in exchange for Pope Peter.”

Xenia sat with her arms crossed still and asked, “And why would I want to do that? Pope Peter holds a higher position in your empire, does he not? You’re the lesser son of Pope Gregory. I don’t see the merit in this proposition.”

St. Michael nodded with a smile on his face, “The merit is not obvious, but allow me to explain. You see, I am actually quite a bit more gifted with my ki than Peter. My position as the leader of our armed forces also means I am the anchor for the army’s morale. And, I think you may be interested in this last fact… I am much more resilient a prisoner than my brother. I would be much more enjoyable to torture.”

Xenia didn’t respond. She was a bit caught off guard by the proposition in all honesty. She sat in silence considering what Michael had just proposed.

Michael filled the silence between them, “Additionally, my father will stop at nothing to get him back. You would be a fool to pass this offer up.”

Xenia maintained eye contact with Michael and finally leaned forward over the table herself, “A strong, gifted ki user, the leader of the armed forces of the Holy Light Empire, and a resilient man who I could torture for hours on end?”

Michael nodded in confirmation and Xenia laughed, “I’m afraid you have sold yourself too well, St Michael.”

Michael said, “Oversold? You would be getting the sweet end of this deal then.”

She stood up and said, “That’s not what I meant. A strong, gifted, and resilient man. Michael… I don’t want to imprison you.” She walked over to his side of the table and put her hands on his shoulders as she bent down and said in his ear, “I want to use you.”

He felt a growing arousal in his pants as her physical touch and verbal forwardness surprised him. He began to speak, but she said, “Shhh. You’ve given me a lot to think about. Why don’t I think it over, and we can meet later this evening for dinner. I will dress much more appropriately for you, and I promise I will have an answer or a counteroffer for you at that time.”

A lot had happened in a short amount of time, and Michael simply said, “Dinner it is then. I will await your answer this evening. 7:30 pm right here. Any request for the main course?”

She made for the exit and stopped at the tent opening before looking back and saying, “My request for the main course? I hope we are so busy that we unknowingly skip it.”

Michael furrowed his brow as she walked out of the tent. He had no clue what she meant, but it sounded like she had little taste for traditional foods. One thing he knew for sure though. He had roughly 7 hours to prepare further argument to convince her of a trade.

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The seven hours passed quickly for Michael as he mentally prepared to present his case to Xenia once more over dinner. He would have much more time allotted to convince her given they would be sharing a meal together this time around.

He hadn’t changed clothes, and he still wore his casual yet luxurious quilted-pattern lounge wear. It wasn’t long before the same soldier presented himself within the tent, “Sir! Warlord BloodStar has arrived.”

Michael nodded, “Show her in. I am pleased to see your anxiety surrounding her presence has abated.”

The soldier smiled nervously, “Well, sir. She has a much more desirable appearance.”

Michael frowned with a confused expression, and the soldier simply said, “You will see what I mean soon. I will show her in.”

Moments later, Michael looked to see Xenia enter the tent. He was similarly struck by her appearance once again; however, this time he was left quite literally breathless as Xenia wore her same black, floor-length, latex dress with a cross upon the chest and leg slit running up to her hip. Black pantyhose covered her legs, and she wore knee high shiny black leather boots. She approached him with her veil covering her face, and she gracefully pulled it back to reveal her beautiful face.

She then reached out her hand and presented it to him. Michael was eager to obey her, and he took her hand in his own and bent down to kiss her latex-clad hand.

She then said, “Good evening, St. Michael. I am excited to discuss your proposition this evening. May we sit?”

He nodded and said, “Gladly, please sit. And please, just call me Michael. No need for the Saint title.”

He pulled her chair out for her and she replied, “And likewise, just call me Xenia.”

He smiled as he pushed her chair in for her and said, “Very well then. Xenia.”

He walked around to his chair and took his seat. The two had a smaller table than the round one before, and the setting was much more quaint with a nearby fireplace flickering flames as they sat down to eat. The dinner had already been served in various warm dishes on the table as to prevent interruptions during their visit together.

He started, “I must say, Xenia. You are stunning this evening. You wear your armor well, but you wear this dress even better. I also thank you for donning a cross upon your dress. I appreciate the respect you have shown to my empire.”

She smiled at him and said, “I am glad you like it. I like wearing attractive outfits for strong, capable men. I find such men to be much more desirable.”

Michael gulped as he heard her and said, “I am flattered by your words.”

She stood up and walked a few paces over to the flickering fireplace and sat on a small couch by the fire. She then patted the cushion next to her, “Let’s not rush to eat. Why don’t we talk closely first? I have thought about your proposition.”

He once again showed an overt eagerness as he stood to meet her by the fire. He sat directly next to her where she had patted the cushion. He purposely left a few inches between the two of them; however, as soon as he sat down, she inched over completely closing the gap as she pushed her dress and leg up against him.

She touched his shoulder with her hand and began to slowly trace down his arm with her finger as she said, “I would love to have you all to myself to torture at my own will… and that makes your offer very enticing; however, I must make a counteroffer.”

She continued to trace down his arm with her finger ever so slowly knowingly turning him on as she continued, “I’m always on the lookout for strong suitors. Finding a peer of my own strength is very rare. Finding one so handsome is even more rare. Did you know that I dated Jacek for a short while?”

Michael genuinely did not know as he said, “Did you really? I imagine Erika did not like that. What happened between the two of you?”

She replied, “Jarek wouldn’t allow it. And now, here comes your father interfering in my public and private affairs. And I thought to myself if Gregory wants Peter so badly then why doesn’t he handle it himself?”

Her tracing reached his hand, and she quickly moved back up to his chest and began to run her finger along and slowly down his chest as she continued, “Here is my counteroffer. I will fight your father, Pope Gregory, in a 1-on-1 match to settle this war.”

Michael liked everything about this moment. He liked the touch of her finger along his body, and he liked the sound of a 1-on-1 match. He thought to himself, “Father would crush her in such a match. I am sure he would jump at the opportunity.”

He laid back into the couch, and he asked, “That sounds too good to be true. My father is a very powerful ki user. Your odds wouldn’t be great in such a match. What is the catch?”

She reached his abdomen with her finger and said, “No catch. If Gregory wins, he gets to take the lands he wants, he gets to keep you, and he gets Peter back. If I win, I rule over the Holy Light Empire, I keep Peter, and I get you.”

She reached the bottom of his abdomen with her finger tracing, and then she grabbed his thigh with her hand and said, “Does that sound like a sweet deal? Think of all the bloodshed we could spare between our two opposing armies.”

Michael nodded as he looked her in the eye, “You will have given yourself a tall task to defeat my father. He has fought in many wars. His Lightbringer ability knows no bounds with both power and tactic. He would surely annihilate you.”

She held her grip on this thigh and leaned into him pushing her big boobs against his shoulder as she brought her face closer to his and said, “Sometimes a girl has to take drastic measures to get what she wants. And what I want is for you to command and lead the Holy Light Empire for me. I want you to command the empire as a territory under my rule. I could give you all the power your family would never dare to bestow upon you.”

She inched closer and closer to his face and said, “And like I said. It’s tough for a girl like me to find powerful, handsome suitors.”

He looked in her eyes sparkling with the reflection of the flickering fire as he thought to himself, “This deal is a win-win. If father wins, we gain everything we are fighting for in one fell swoop. If father loses, Xenia will hand me all the power and authority I have ever wanted.”

He gazed into her eyes feeling a pull towards her. He knew this to be a deal with the devil, and he desired to make it.

She then released her grip and moved back away from his face and said, “No rush though. I am happy to delay our battles until your father has time to reach a decision.”

He was caught off guard by her sudden retraction when all he wanted was for her to keep advancing.

Michael gathered his composure and stood. He took a step towards his desk to call his father at once; however, Xenia stood with him and grabbed his shoulder preventing him from moving away from her.

He turned to face her, and she said, “Like I said. There is no rush. And I have one more much smaller deal to make with you.”

She put both of her hands on his waist and pulled him so close to her that her boobs pushed up against his chest. She had once again drawn their faces ever nearer to one another as she said, “I will let your father pick the time, place, and conditions of our fight if you do a couple of things for me.”

His lips were drifting ever forward towards hers as he quietly said, “What did you have in mind?”

She took one hand from his waist and placed it at the back of his head and said, “Take me right here, right now. By the fireside.”

Michael couldn’t resist. He leaned in for a kiss; however, just as he was making his move, Xenia turned her back towards him and pulled her hair forward revealing a zipper along the back of her dress. She said nothing and stood there waiting.

Michael didn’t need for her to tell him what to do next. He placed one hand on her waist and the other grabbed her zipper and began to pull it down the length of her dress until he had fully unzipped her dress down to her lower back.

She then stepped forward and allowed her dress to fall off her shoulders and then to the floor. Michael looked on as she stood naked with her back towards him. She stood in just her black pantyhose going up to her upper thighs and her black boots.

She took a step closer to the fireplace and laid upon the fur rug in front of it. She looked up at him and said, “Now, take your clothes off and then you can come get your kiss.”

Michael took his shirt off overhead and then quickly removed his shoes and pants to join her on the fur rug. He maneuvered over her body and kissed her softly on the lips. She reached down to touch him as they began to kiss more passionately.

Xenia then rolled him over. She sat atop of him and began to ride him harder and faster with each thrust. She let out a series of hushed moans attempting to contain her pleasure as to not alert the guards standing outside.

After nearly fifteen minutes, the two had reached their climatic conclusion together, and they lay by the fireside in post-coital ecstasy until Michael finally said, “I will counsel my father regarding your counteroffer first thing in the morning.”

Xenia ran her hand along his hair and said, “Does that mean you are kicking me out now?”

Michael laughed, “Not because I want to. Trust me. But I don’t want my soldiers to mutiny against me if they know we slept together.” He bit his lip and then said, “Although I suppose if you get pregnant that will be a tough one to explain. You are a risky girl letting me finish inside of you.”

She smiled at him as she rest her head on her hand with her elbow propping her up, “Actually, it’s not that risky. My family has a bloodline power. The last one in existence to my knowledge. For a man to impregnate me, their ki must be extraordinarily powerful. Otherwise, my body and my ki will prevent your sperm from ever having a chance. While my body can miraculously heal, the same healing ability eliminates all foreign substances such as drugs, alcohol, and even sperm save for the strongest. That’s why I’m so keen to have sex with powerful men such as yourself.” She ran her finger down his chest and said, “I’m very keen to keep trying with you. I need an heir, and you are so hot.”

Michael was intrigued by her bloodline power information, and he simply replied, “Maybe you can invite me over to your camp, and we can have another tryst together.”

Xenia stood up and began to put her dress back on. She turned her back to Michael and waited. He stood up and zipped her sexy dress back up all the way to the top of her neck.

She then turned and said, “Tell your father I need an answer by tomorrow evening, and I want you to give me his answer in person. No later than midnight.” She threw him a flirtatious smile, “At my camp. I’ll be waiting for you, Michael.”

She walked out without saying a formal goodbye leaving Michael alone. One evening with Xenia had him questioning his entire future. She had given him a very bright future regardless of the two outcomes. He put his pants back on over his still erect cock, and he put his shirt back on.

He then stepped out of the tent and told the officer standing guard, “I will be visiting Warlord BloodStar’s camp tomorrow night. Alone. Do not engage the enemy until that meeting takes place.”

The soldier saluted Michael and said, “Yes sir, St Michael! I will inform the appropriate officers at once.”