Antares and Solara were now in their private chamber, both were sited on the bed but each facing the opposite side of the wall, not wanting to meet the other's gaze.
The room they were in was a private room in the palace that was far away from the busy side not wanting to attract attention and that is why Antares had chosen this room for the seeding ritual.
Then suddenly Antares embraced Solara from behind, clearly surprising the girl, Antares was going to take the lead but he himself was red as a tomato because he was shy since Solara wasn't Zarah who he had a connection with, but for the sake of the tribe and his plans he was not going to buckle down so easily.
"You don't have to worry, the children will be safe and cared for." Antares whispered in Solara's ear. Actually the young queen had been worried about the orphans she had left at the shelter, but now that she heard her husbands reassuring words she had nothing else to fear removing a big weight on her shoulders.
Solara expressed her gratitude to Antares with a grateful smile that lit up her face as she felt the warmth of his embrace. The affectionate exchange between the couple was palpable as they locked lips in a deep and passionate kiss. Solara could feel the intensity of his desire for her as his strong manly hands gripped her buttocks, kneading them with a tantalizing touch that made her moan with pleasure. The sensation of his touch and the euphoria of the moment lifted her up, both figuratively and literally, into a state of pure bliss
With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Antares leaned in towards Solara's ear and growled her name in a low, sultry tone. "Solara," sending shivers down her spine. As she turned to face him, he playfully nibbled on her earlobe, knowing all too well how much she enjoyed the sensation. Her body trembled with desire as he continued to tease her, drawing her closer and closer to the edge of passion. With a loud moan, Solara surrendered herself completely to him, consumed by the very lust that burned within her.
Solara stood in front of her husband, her body aching with desire as she gazed into his eyes. With a blunt demand, she uttered,"Fuck Me, Antares," Without hesitation, her husband quickly rid her of her dress. As he pressed his body against hers, she let out a loud moan of pleasure, feeling him slowly thrusting inside her. With each movement, Solara's body trembled with ecstasy, her mind consumed with the sensations that Antares's touch was bringing her. She couldn't help but wrap her arms around his neck and kiss him deeply, her fingers tracing the contours of his body as he held her close. With his strong hands grasping her breasts, Solara felt a sense of unbridled passion coursing through her, each moment bringing her closer to the pinnacle of pleasure
----------------------------------
The morning within the Royal Bedchamber felt fundamentally different from any other dawn beneath the crust of the earth. Usually, the "morning" in the underground palace was marked by a dim, mechanical brightening of the light crystals to a dusty gray, mirroring the sunless world outside the cave walls. But today, the obsidian chamber was bathed in a soft, rhythmic golden radiance that seemed to seep from the very veins of the stone. It was as if the ancient foundations of the palace were breathing, vibrating in harmony with a new source of life that had been ignited in its heart.
Antares woke first, but he didn't spring from the bed with his usual martial vigor. Instead, he let out a low, weary groan, his muscles protesting as he tried to shift. The "Seeding Ritual" had been far more than a mere physical act; it was a massive, draining transfer of essence.
He felt a deep, localized soreness in his lower back and thighs, his body feeling as though he had spent the entire night sparring with Eli and Levi without armor. Every inch of his frame felt heavy, his joints stiff from the intensity of the mana exchange. The ritual had demanded everything of his physical vessel to bridge the gap between his kingly spark and Solara's dormant potential.
Beside him, Solara remained in a deep sleep, but she was fundamentally transformed.
The floral tattoo on her arm was no longer a static mark of ink. The gold-etched petals were now bio-luminescent, pulsing slowly with a warm, amber light that matched the rhythm of her heart. Even her skin seemed to have a faint, pearlescent shimmer, as if her very cells had been reinforced and polished by the royal mana Antares had poured into her . He had also poured all his essence points in her to strengthen her physically because he noticed that during the seeding ritual she was particularly weak and it left him with zero essence points.
As he watched the light dance across her sleeping form, rubbing his aching shoulder, the System interface flickered into existence with a triumphant, melodic chime.
[Ritual Successful: The Queen has Awakened]
[Sub-Level 4: Royal Brood Chambers and Queen chamber activated]
[Genetic Weaver Active: You may now influence the traits of the next generation.]
[Current Population Growth Potential: +500%]
[Reward for First Successful seeding ritual: +2,000 Essence Points]
[Total Essence Balance: 2,000]
[Status Note: Physical Stamina severely depleted. 48 hours recommended for full recovery of your vitality.]
Antares stared at the notification, letting out a dry, tired chuckle. Forty-eight hours? I have a march to lead, he thought, though the 2,000 essence points were a welcome sight for his efforts. The exhaustion was a small price to pay for the "Online" status of the chambers. He could feel it now a deep, subterranean thrumming coming from far beneath the palace floor. The Brood Chambers, empty and cold for centuries, were warming up, fueled by the psychic and biological connection he had established.
Solara stirred, her eyes fluttering open. When she looked at him, Antares saw that her honey-colored irises were now flecked with spinning gold leaf, swirling like miniature galaxies. Unlike Antares, she looked completely revitalized, her skin glowing with a fresh, radiant energy.
She sat up slowly, gasping as she clutched her chest, her breath coming in short, rhythmic hitches.
"Antares..." she whispered, and her voice sounded layered, as if a thousand whispers were echoing behind her words, harmonizing with her tone. "I can hear them. All of them,I can feel their heartbeat. It's like a song that never ends." she said as he gently touched her belly that glowed faintly
"It is your gift, Solara," Antares said, his voice a bit raspy from exhaustion as he pulled her into a grounding embrace. "You aren't just a singer anymore. You are the conductor of the hive."
Solara pulled back, looking at her hands. She felt a surge of warmth in her throat and instinctively let out a soft, melodic hum. As she did, a wave of golden pheromones, visible only to those with mana-sensitivity, rippled through the room.
The light crystals in the room, which usually responded only to the King's presence, flared with a brilliant, steady light. A wilted fern in a decorative pot near the window suddenly straightened, its leaves turning a vibrant, healthy green in seconds.
"I feel... connected," Solara said, her fear from the previous day completely replaced by a sense of profound purpose. "I can see the 'threads' of the people. If they are hurt, I can feel their emotions and a lot more."
She stood up, her movements possessed of a new, regal grace. She didn't need to be taught how to be a Queen; the ritual had unlocked the ancestral memories of every Queen who had come before her. She moved to the balcony overlooking the inner palace gardens and closed her eyes.
"The Brood," she murmured. "It's time for me to do my duty."
Antares watched her, mesmerized, though he remained seated on the edge of the bed, waiting for the stiffness in his legs to subside. He could see the Genetic Weaver skill at work. In her mind's eye, Solara was already surveying the dormant eggs in the sub-levels, her mana reaching out to touch them.
A knock at the door signaled the arrival of Zarah. When she entered, she stopped in her tracks. She didn't need the System to tell her what had happened. The air around Solara was dense with the Great Mother's Aura, a passive power that made Zarah's own instinctual loyalty thrum with intensity.
Zarah bowed, her eyes shifting to Antares. She noticed the slight tremor in his hands and the way he held his back—the clear signs of a man who had given his very life force to the ritual. A complicated flash of empathy and pride crossed her face.
"The palace is buzzing, My King," Zarah said, her voice steady. "The servants are working with a fervor I haven't seen. The moss in the settlement is blooming. The people know. They feel it my lord, the Queen has been born."
Solara walked over to Zarah and took her hands. The golden glow from Solara's tattoo dimmed as she touched Zarah, transferring a sense of calm and vitality to the exhausted Head of Household.
"I couldn't have done this without your strength, Zarah," Solara said softly.
Antares finally forced himself to stand, masking his soreness with a kingly posture, though every muscle screamed in protest. He looked at his two Queens, his eyes fixed on the 2,000 essence points in his display.
"The foundation is laid," Antares declared, his voice firm despite his fatigue. "Now, time for part B of my plan."
Antares finally forced himself to stand, masking his soreness with a kingly posture, though every muscle screamed in protest. He felt a dull, heavy ache deep in his marrow, a physical reminder of the sheer amount of raw mana he had channeled into Solara to bridge the gap between their souls.
Solara turned away from the balcony, her expression a mix of awe and a strange, primal urgency. She walked back toward Antares, her steps light and ethereal, contrasting sharply with his heavy, stiff movements. She reached out, her hands resting on her lower abdomen where a faint, golden warmth seemed to emanate through her silk gown.
"Antares," she whispered, her eyes wide and shimmering with gold leaf. "It's... it's happening. I feel them as though my body is no longer entirely my own. I feel... I feel ready to lay and they are eager to come to this world."
Zarah's breath hitched. As an Antman, she understood the biological gravity of those words. The Queen wasn't just a title; she was the literal engine of their race.
"The Brood Chambers," Solara continued, her voice trembling with excitement. "I can hear the ancient room calling me,I'm overflowing with the life you gave me last night." she said as both of her hands were now on her belly.
As if in response to her declaration, the golden System interface flickered into existence before Antares's eyes, more vibrant than it had ever been.
[BIOLOGICAL SYNC COMPLETE]
[Notification: The Fertilization of the Eggs has been SUCCESSFUL.]
[Current Status: Gestation Phase 1 Initiated.]
[Quantity: 300 First-Generation 'Awakened' Eggs detected.]
[Note: The Queen requires immediate access to the Royal Brood Chambers for deposition.]
[New Total Essence Balance: 2,000]
Antares stared at the screen, a wave of profound relief washing over him, momentarily dulling the soreness in his joints. Five hundred. In a single night, they had secured a future for Three hundred new lives, lives that would be born with the strength of his blood and the harmony of Solara's strength.
He looked at Solara, who was looking at him with a silent plea for guidance. Despite his exhaustion, a fierce, protective instinct flared in his chest.
"Zarah," Antares said, his voice regaining its kingly resonance. "The Brood Chambers are active, It is almost time for Solara to lay the eggs but before she goes there gather twenty of our maids and gather them in the court yard before the ant king's tower, inform Ian of the situation and preppare for a large meal for Solara, she's going to need to be strong for this coming battle." Antares smiled the direction of solara.
Solare blushed shyly since her stomach was grumbling and she did not think that Antares had heard it but nothing could escape the sharp hearing of Antares.
Zarah nodded sharply, her face set in a mask of grim determination. She stepped toward Solara, offering her arm. "Come, Solara. It is time for you to do your duty as Mother of the hive." Solara took Zarah's arm, her glow intensifying as she prepared for her first act as the Mother of the Hive.
As they turned to leave, Antares sank back onto the edge of the bed for a moment, his body spent but his spirit soaring. He watched the 2,000 essence points shimmer in the air.
He was wondering how best he could use these essence points then an idea struck him."I think it might just work."