Twelve beings stepped through the stone circle, a portal to a chamber that existed neither in this world or out. They greeted one another, placing their weapons on the round, stone table in the middle of the room before taking their seats. These ancient beings were often referred to as "Gods" by the human race, each quieted and turned to the highest Queen in the room.
"Welcome once again. Is there anything significant to report? Okeanos?" her eyes met his expectantly.
"The oceans are in the same state they were a decade ago, albeit warmer. More humans are becoming aware of the impending threat to this world, and I am hopeful for the first time in a long while that they are going to repair the damage."
"Father, please," Leander coughed from across the table. "You trust them far too much."
"Perhaps," he acknowledged his son. "I stand by my word."
"My Queen," Andris spoke up only to have the Goddesses turn to him.
"Oh… Queen Selini," he clarified with a smirk. "The fairies have been wreaking havoc on the temples in Europe once again. There have been three fires this week alone…"
"They were warned," Kerasea spoke up from her seat. "Consider it a reclaiming of our own lands."
He nodded silently without responding.
The Goddess with long, blonde hair turned her attention to her son and smiled. "How is your little project faring?"
"Very well!" he burst into laughter. "I have been supremely impressed with my author's ability to map out every aspect of daily life in her characters."
"Grafi, you are a genius. I can't believe it's working," Demetra clapped her hands happily.
"Is she at all aware of what she is actually doing?" Calix asked with a grunt.
"Not at all."
"What about the characters? What happens when she deletes a scene?" Nerina asked excitedly.
"Some are confused for a moment but recover quickly."
The chamber quieted for a moment. "I would like to know more about this project of yours," Kerasea purred as she tapped her long fingernails against the stone table.
"Well you see…"
***
She poured a fresh cup of coffee, adding a package of protein powder and stirring it in before making her way down into her basement. Her purple bunny slippers shuffled against the pile of the carpet as she let out a long yawn, making the long trek to her desk and plopping down into her thick, leather chair. Checking her disheveled hair in the camera of her monitor, she combed her fingers through the mahogany strands before clicking on the number of her book agent and taking a drink of her coffee.
"Good morning, Jess," he nodded briefly before reading over her latest contribution.
"Talk to me, Mr. Welsh," she grabbed her favorite pen and waited.
"I have… questions."
"Fire away."
"Okay…" he flipped through some pages. "Right, so we established in Emperor Virgentarth's backstory that his father, the former Emperor had formal concubines. Emperor Galba has three wives as well… so why doesn't Virgentarth have at least a mistress?"
"I've been so focused on the friendship between the Emperor and Empress that I honestly haven't thought about it much. Isn't the third book a bit late to introduce a new character?"
"Does it have to be a new character? What about Queen Catira?"
"The Queen of the Magi? Why would a queen become a concubine?"
"A second wife? It could tie into the magicians losing their powers that began in the second book."
She rolled her eyes around in thought. "I think it would break Empress Soraya's heart if he just pops up and marries… oh wait. It could be a slow burn. The loss of magic is a threat to the empire, and he consults the queen for advice. She moves to the Imperial Capital to investigate, and they become close… they fall in love… yes!" she frantically jotted down her notes.
"At the same time, Prince Anian can put the moves on Empress Soraya to gain intel before attacking the Imperial Palace," he suggested.
"Got it, got it… okay," she finished writing and looked up. "I have all new ideas and I need to get it out. I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Good luck!" he held up his thumb as she quickly ended the video chat and opened up her workspace. She read over what she had originally written at the opening of her third installment of 'For the Love of The Empire' and sighed before deleting it all. Little did she know that with each stroke of the delete button, she was creating chaos in another realm.
Click.
A breakfast table full of pastries and fruits blew into oblivion.
Click.
The Empress' flower garden burst into flying petals that blew away.
Click.
The deep, blue eyes of Emperor Virgentarth widen as he looked around, his palace, advisors, and senators disintegrating before his eyes.
"Not again!" he called out as his voice disappeared into a void of nothingness.
Jessica cracked her knuckles and rolled her neck before placing her fingertips over the keys and began typing.
"Empress Soraya made her way to the dining room, a beautiful table full of fruit and various breads greeting her as the emperor rose from his seat to greet her."
"Good morning, my moonflower," he kissed her cheek as she smiled happily before taking her seat beside him.
"Good morning," she nodded as the maid poured a glass of juice for her…