In a pub in the downtown area of Ichares, sat a couple of men, drinking beers after a long day at work. Loud drunks they were, laughing at any slightly comedic event and complaining about their everyday lives. “Did you hear what the ‘Emperor’did today?” one of the drunks said loudly. His companions replied negatively. “That murderer killed old Lord Smirnoff right on the spot and then he gave that Romanov whore access to the courts!” Many men around them laughed at the audacity of that bastard king. What Emperor? He was just a murderer! “That snowflake Kiev even brought it up!” A man from another table added on. Soon everyone in the pub was discussing it. “Those female ‘officials’ backed it up. They’re going to ruin our governme

After all the women were settled in their seats did the festivities truly begin. Ursa sat and chatted with the girls at her table for at least ten minutes before Erara gave her the signal to start the first event. Ursa stood up, ready to announce the first game, when a few ladies and Lady Tatya stood up as well. “Your Majesty, we were wondering if we could recommend the first game,” Lady Tatya said. The girls behind her nodded along like puppets with strings tied around their necks. “Is that so? That’s a little untraditional,” Ursa replied. If Ursa allowed Lady Tatya to do as she pleased, it would undermine Ursa’s authority and set a precedent that she was a doormat. Ursa was not

It didn’t take long for Ursa to come to. By the time she did, she was tied to a chair in a dirty little barn. It had a bit of a haunted feeling to it, with rotting wood and fauna growing in and around the structure. Ursa regretted ripping her dress sleeve- she was a bit cold now. Nothing she couldn’t handle of course, she did grow up in the Romanov territory. Her head throbbed from being hit upside the head. Ursa’s hair was a mess and her dress was ripped and covered in dirt and mud. In other words; she looked disgraceful. She would be embarrassed to see the Emperor in her state.Lady Tatya… Ursa knew without a doubt this was her doing. Now she just wanted to know who did the dirty work for her. As soon as she thought that, the barn doors slid open, and a large, gruff man in all

Orlov rode the horse at an alarming speed, desperate to return to the city. The empress was barely hanging on, her arms loosely wrapped around his neck. Behind him, he heard the sound of horses approaching. Of course they’d send pursuers. These people must really want the Empress dead. Orlov was in no position to stop and fight. The Empress needed medical attention, and he needed to protect her. His neck depended on it! The pursuers were already neck to neck with Orlov. He released his only hand on the reins of the horse to grab his sword as the pursuer on the left slashed at him. His partner mirrored him, giving Orlov little time to defend from both sides. His boot kicked the horses back, forcing it to slow down. The pursuers ended up clashing with each other in an almost comical manner. Although Orlov was able to regroup, the pursuers were a

The weeks that passed after the revelation of Ursa’s five year plan and her visit to Lady Tatya were blissful. Either Lady Tatya learned her lesson, or she was plotting something for later, she stayed in line. Of course, she was also not invited to future tea parties hosted by the Empress.To the public, Lady Tatya was bitter towards Empress Vasil because of her quick rise to power, and Empress Vasil felt distaste toward anyone who defended the poor noble lady who got executed for masterminding a scheme to get rid of the Empress.Of course the kidnapping was never made public knowledge. Even the nobles were told a slightly different tale of what happened. Only those involved knew what really happened. But all that was moved to the back of Ursa’s mind. No one picked a fight with her for weeks. Inste