[2009 – October – Saturday]
'Throuple', I guessed that was what we could be called, given the relationship between Laura, Jean, and me. At least, according to new-age nomenclature.
Personally, I would rather stick my head into a wood chipper than say that word out loud though, which shouldn't come as a surprise since I did favor conservatism and held traditions in higher regard.
Most of the new-age stuff just seemed like an excuse for excess or debauchery of various kinds, as well as shrugging off traditions as if they were worthless and held no wisdom whatsoever.
And personally, I had an aversion against that.
History was for us to recall so that we could be aware of the thorns that awaited us on our own path forward. And the same was true for traditions.
That wasn't to say that one had to strictly adhere to them but the wisdom of those that came before us should at least be worth it to take a deeper look and gain some real understanding of them before deciding if it might resonate with oneself.
Mindlessly breaking with tradition was a childish and foolish action. After all, finding your own path wasn't about rejecting all other influences but about enlightening oneself about past and present wisdom, and using that exact wisdom as a guide forward.
I also felt that throwing around words like 'throuple' would spoil the special bond that I shared with Laura and Jean. After all, this wasn't some kind of thoughtless experiment for us, born out of youth and the wish to rebel against the moral boundaries set by our parents.
What the three of us shared with each other was nothing so mind-numbing.
What bound the three of us together was real connection, a bond that went so deep that I couldn't even tell when it had appeared nor if I could ever live without it. Even as a Realm Lord that was allowed to catch glimpses into the deeper truths of reality, I could not find answers to those matters.
It made me believe that something as cheesy sounding as 'soulmates' might truly exist
, beings born to be with one another, drawn to one another, living for one another.
Still, even if that was nothing but an illusionary fantasy, a fictitious spark in my mind, the thought that Laura and Jean were meant to be with me, their laughter meant to be heard by my ears, and their lips meant to be kissed by me, was like a source of unending inner peace.
Putting those musings aside for the moment, I got dressed in some light-blue jeans, a white hoodie, and a pair of sneakers. Naturally, I wore underwear and a shirt beneath.
Placing the sleepy and feathery princess next to my neck, her amber eyes half-lidded as if she would fall asleep again any moment, I couldn't help but smile faintly as I left to find Emma.
I could sense her location to be almost on the other side of the planet. It seemed that she had some business dealings in Tianjin to attend.
A twenty-hour flight had been replaced by instantaneous travel via shadows. It was obvious that Emma made good use of my gift and her reliance on Clarice's ability had nearly completely vanished.
I also remembered reading something about the Club's business in Tianjin, which was one of the most important coastal cities in the northeast of China.
The signing of the 'Treaty of Tientsin' in 1858 forced an end to the first phase of the second Opium War and gave foreign powers, including Great Britain, France, Russia, and the USA, incredible privileges on Chinese soil that weren't just limited to trade.
But what was hidden behind this historical moment was the fact that the Hellfire had been greatly involved in all matters connected to the signed treaty.
In fact, from what I understand from the given intel, the Club had used the treaty to increase their influence massively along the Chinese coast, which they had turned into a spear point to infiltrate this vast nation more deeply and truly connect it to their sphere of influence, economically and politically.
Naturally, the Hellfire Club had possessed some influence in China even before that, given the truly ancient nature of the organization that Selene had founded and controlled like a marionette for many many centuries.
Though from the record I recalled that the Club's actions had been even more insidious than just 'grasping an opportunity'.
Anyone who knew anything about the Hellfire Club was sure to understand that this was not an organization that waited patiently for opportunities to exploit different business ventures. This was an organization that acted from the shadows to create an opportunity for itself.
The Club had done the same when it came to the Chinese Dynasty and the riches and power that it could potentially provide.
Not just the second, but even the First Opium War happened because of a few whispers directed into the right ears at the right time, sparking a conflict that had created rifts in the political cohesion of the Dynasty at that time, as well as shifting the attention of global superpowers to where the Hellfire Club had wanted it to.
I could easily spy Selene's shadow behind those actions, and her ability to create sky-high waves with a single pebble honestly impressed me.
Still, Emma wasn't in Tianjin for the Club's business but because of Frost International. She had used the Club's network and influence over the last few years to expand into the Asian market through the Chinese coast since that was still one of the places where the Hellfire Club's power was the most concentrated, giving her comparatively easy access to this market.
I guessed that she must have chosen Tianjin due to its proximity to Peking as well as its ability to provide naval trade routes to Northern and Southern Korea, as well as Japan. There might be other considerations involved but I couldn't guess upon those since my understanding of business was admittedly rather limited.
…
[Tianjin, Frost International Tower]
Having just finished the talks with some of her Chinese business partners that required her personal presence, Emma exhaled almost tracelessly after seeing her business partners out and returning to the lobby and entering the empty elevator waiting for her.
Sometimes, being a cold-hearted businesswoman was exhausting, even more so since her own child had found its way back into her life, which took up much of her attention.
But this was what she did best and also the source of her influence and political sway. The Frost family's safety was ensured by her younger brother's sky-shattering strength but it depended on her for prosperity and growth.
The world wasn't in a state that allowed anyone to rest on their laurels, one could only move forward, be more ambitious, more ruthless. Chaos was on the edge of the horizon, and it had been a long time coming.
Emma, on her part, was determined to emerge not just as a survivor but as a victor because she knew very well that sometimes surviving just wasn't enough. Life could be worse than death, and in many ways, it sometimes brought with it sorrows that left one bereft of any will to live.
Closing her eyes for a few seconds to clear her mind while the high-speed elevator took her back to her office, Emma sensed the exact moment that 'he' appeared silently behind her.
Like a comforting shadow, her younger brother's presence filled the small space as he deliberately revealed himself to her senses. No doubt though, if he tried to hide, she would be helpless to sense him.
Smiling gracefully, Emma turned sideways and leaned back against the side of the elevator, her movements causing the beige fabric of her expensive suit to tighten around her feminine curves, her flaxen golden hair falling in soft waves.
"You've made quite the mess out of HYDRA, Elijah.", Emma greeted the dark-haired young man, his calm shadowed eyes gazing back into her icy blue ones.