The northern territories took ten months to calm. Ivan and Orlov fought together in countless battles, but they’d have it no other way. Before, their relationship was muffled by the teacher-student label the king had placed on them. And although Ivan still saw Orlov as a teacher, he also saw him as a friend… like a brother. Or however a brother was supposed to be. Those boys in the palace could not qualify for the position. When they returned, the king honored Ivan and Orlov with a banquet, and promoted Orlov to a diplomat to the Allied Clans. “So you’re just going to leave for Vaatu territory like that?” Ivan huffed as they practiced sparring.“I don’t control where the king takes me. Besides, he’ll probably send you on another campaign soon. We can only

Lady Tatya lounged about in her chambers, reading a horror novel. This was one of her favorite genres. She loved the thrills, the twists, the terrifying reality that burst through the pages. But most of all, she loved the creativity. So many ways to die, so many ways to make someone fall on their own sword. Tatya turned the page with such vigor, she almost ripped it. Yes, this was the moment in the story where the characters were cornered and trapped by the monster, the monster that had a million ways to torture them. Skinning, drowning, beheading… all wonderful ways to cause someone’s death.Unfortunately Tatya’s monster was such a public persona. The Empress of an entire empire! And behind her stood the bastard king, with a skillset equivalent to even the Oracle in the Temple of Hypnotite, despite being so young. Truly a terrifying ex

It wasn’t that Ursa wasn’t frightened or anxious about the results of the investigation. She worried how far the person who framed her went. She took comfort in knowing that their plan went awry when the Emperor ended up drinking the wine instead of her, although not much comfort can be drawn knowing that you were the one meant to be poisoned. Still, Ursa didn’t know how adaptable her opponent was to the new situation. She trusted her handmaidens with her life, and now they had the chance to prove themselves. Ursa only had a fledgling of an idea of who it could be, but making rash assumptions would lead to her downfall. So instead she sat in the cold, damp cell with only Cecily’s cloak to comfort her.***Emery knocked quietly on the door to the Emperor’s study. She had a feeling

The maid crept around the corner. Surprisingly, there were only two guards on duty. They were standing by the door looking bored, as if they wanted to be anywhere but there. The maid could relate; she would rather not be there at this moment. But alas, it was either: assassinate the Emperor or be tortured by that lunatic Lady Tatya. To ensure that she did the job properly, Lady Tatya said she would ‘take good care of her mother’. The maid’s mother was the only family she had left! The only reason she kept working for the Poplovs was because she had no other source of income. If she knew this was to be the outcome, she would have rathered to starve on the streets. “Greetings,” the maid said in a shaky voice. “I’ve come to deliver medicine for His Majesty.”&

When her maid never returned, Tatya felt a weird sensation in her heart, one she had never felt before. It was as if her stomach was flipping over inside her, turning the rest of her organs inside and out. She waited for Fate to come and catch up with her, but He never did. Her father came home from court, but he only mentioned the situation with the Emperor in passing, and not at all in a concerned manner. “Father,” she couldn’t help saying at dinner, “What of the Emperor? And the Empress?” Lord Poplov looked a bit irritated, but hid it well. “The Empress was cleared of all charges, Apparently it was just some maid, though I think there’s something more to it. That cunning Orlov is hiding something.&rdquo