The Praetorian Guard lifted the halberd blocking her path. The time had come; she had been granted permission. Approaching the Emperor of Latveria required considerable psychological preparation, or one could easily be overwhelmed by the sight of his perfection and radiance. She struggled to suppress her racing heart and the urge rising from deep within to draw closer, then bent down and whispered into her sovereign's ear.
"My lord, they have arrived."
"It seems our conversation can only end here today. Governing a nation is no simple matter. I cannot devote all my time to such relaxed conversations. What a pity," said the Emperor of Latveria, with a trace of regret in his voice. His listeners likewise expressed their disappointment. He gave a few more instructions, then escorted T'Challa to the reception hall's entrance and had attendants lead them to the quarters prepared for the Wakandans in the surface royal city.
"Only Steve Rogers. I want to speak with him first. Then Natasha Romanoff. She is involved too deeply; she must continue cooperating." Once the Wakandans had departed, his manner shifted into one of careful contemplation. "I do not have time to meet everyone, so only a few can speak with me. As for the rest... I believe you can handle them, Diana. Also, tell Gideon Malick that the United States stock market should be opening. If he has not been slacking off, our acquisitions should be complete."
"Do you know how to make the dead speak? Different civilizations have different interpretations of the dead. Cultural attitudes toward death, and the varying degree to which different cultures accept it, lead people to view the dead through different lenses. When modern science truly entered people's lives, fear and uncertainty toward new things, combined with the longstanding Christian cultural backdrop, drove European