Adelaide Kasperek was having a servant comb her hair when her twin sister had barged in the room.

"Ugh do you not have the manners to knock," Adelaide complained rolling her eyes.

"Sorry," Pepper said as she strolled in with a scroll in her hand. "But I have to check in with you last minute before you leave for your trip."

All of Pangaea was in a frenzy. A new Empress for the African lands was all anyone was talking about. This was also the ultimate test for the Kasperek's.

"It was about time that hag finally disappeared from this world," was Adelaide first words when she was first told of the death of former empress Tamela Eze.

"What do you expect when meeting her?" Pepper asked her older sister by five minutes, as she took a seat on the stool behind Adelaide. "Do you think she be tough enough."

"Knowing Tamela was her mother probably, but we'll see," Adelaide responded. The African Lands were always known to have the fierce, and strongest leaders, soldiers, and warriors. The Kasperek family had a history of failure trying to invade, capture, and steal from the African lands. The only enemy the Kasperek could not ever defeat was the empire of the African Lands.

"This could be a chance for us?" Pepper said with a smirk.

"How?" Adelaide asked with an eyebrow up.

"If she isn't up for it, if she can't govern and control her states and lands, this could be a chance for us to expand the European Lands, and gain more control in Pangaea," Pepper said. "She is young and inexperienced."

"Don't be stupid," Adelaide replied. "The Queen council has their eyes on us more than ever, ever since what happened with Vanhala's."

Pepper rolled her eyes, "Ugh they need to get over that eventually. Mother was always the most bloodthirsty in the family."

The Massacre of the Vanhala's at the Greenland state that used to be part of Frozen Lands was what almost destroyed the Kasperek's and lead to the imprisonment of Adelaide's and Pepper's mother, the former empress of the Frozen lands Isolda Kasperek.

"No matter what happens I will not engage in conflict that will have the Queen Council remove me from my thrown, and throw me in exile, like they did with mother. One more conflict, one more war, and its over for this family," Adelaide hissed.

Suddenly the servant ended up combing a part of Adelaide's hair that was tangled, which resulted in her pulling too hard.

"OW!" Adelaide yelled with annoyance. "What the hell are you doing." She turned around to see a short young servant, with a giant red face, whose hand was now shaking in fear because of the mistake she realized she just made.

"I'm so sorry your majesty," The servant said quickly bowing on the ground and placing her forehead on the floor. "Please forgive me."

Pepper giggled, which increased the anger in Adelaide.

"Ugh take her outside and make her kneel in the sun for a hour," Adelaide said with anger. Two female guard's nodded, and took the arms of the shocked female servant forcing her to leave the room.

"Maybe this family is going to soft," Pepper said. "If mom was here that servant would be dead." Pepper got up and placed the scroll in front of the desk that Adelaide was sitting at. "Here the Queen councils final invitation and reminder about the trip."

Adelaide ignored the scroll and looked at the mirror in front of her. Her reflection showed the long caramel blonde hair, and steady sharp, red eyes, features that almost everyone in the Kasperek family had. Along with her long cat like eyelashes, thin dirty blonde eyebrows, and pore less ivory skin. The only difference between the two twin sisters was Adelaide's hair being blonde, and Pepper's being red. Adelaide looked on the table to see the heavy blue jeweled tiara the servant was suppose to put on her head before she had kicked her out.

"First impressions are important," Adelaide said reaching over for the tiara on the table. "How this new empress handles herself in this trip is how I will judge if we should engage in conflict with her or not."

She lowered the tiara on her head.

Marjo Vanhala stood outside her icy window watching the wind blow. She had finished afternoon sword training practice outside in the bitter cold and now was going to head to bed, skipping another night of dinner.

Her emotional and mental health was getting worst as what the main doctor in her council told her. Practically everyone was now begging for her to take better care of herself in terms of health and engage with others more.

For hours Marjo could stay in her room doing nothing but looking out the window. Only coming out to do sword and fight training. Skipping meals. Just letting her council rule the Frozen Lands as she has no energy. Suddenly a knock came at the door for Marjo that cold night. Marjo balled her fists, she hated when they bothered her at night.

She went to open the door, "Didn't I say to never disturb me during this time!" She yelled looking at who wanted to speak to her.

"Your Majesty PLEASE!" shouted one her servants for the harem. The servant quickly bowed and pulled out a board which had a dozen thick glossy wooden finished sticks, each with a male's name on it. It was a board of picking who the empress was going to pick to serve her for the night.

"You haven't let anyone in the harem serve you in over three weeks, Madam please pick a concubine tonight. The men are getting restless."

Marjo sighed. It was true. She had difficulty being consistent with her harem, and that was why even after 14 years being empress of the frozen lands she had yet to bear a single child.

Marjo approached the board of names and scanned it. The servant held it high above her as she bowed down in front of Marjo.

"Can I offer some word of advise, your Majesty?" The servant said hesitantly.

"Go on," Marjo allowed her.

"Maybe a new man for tonight, the ones that haven't got a chance to serve you are suffering the most from lack of attention."

Marjo nodded biting her lip and feeling a tad bit guilty. She flipped over a wooden stick that had the name of someone she wasn't familiar with and the servant left to get the man.

Marjo went over to her bed and sat on the edge leaning against the footboard.

Suddenly the door opened slowly, and a figure appeared. A young man, tall, and well built. He had a handsome face, and was soft spoken. Dressed in a white robe on and was bear foot, he approached Marjo, "Your majesty," he said bending down to great her.

"You may rise," She said quietly.

He wasn't sure what to do next, he was quite shocked from being picked tonight. He started to undo his robe which would leave him naked, but Marjo stopped him.

"You don't have to do that," Marjo said.

'Maybe a kiss?' He thought. He slowly approached her but was shocked when Marjo turned away.

"I'm quite tired so I don't want to do much tonight but sleep," Marjo said as she went to slip in her bed.

Feeling embarrassed he was about to give up. He waited months for this moment, he wasn't ready to give up yet the night was still young, and this might be the last time he ever got to serve her. "Your majesty maybe you want me to read to you before you go to sleep."

"Nope, I'm tired." She said her back was now facing him as she laid on her bed.

"What about I can play the fiddle for you, maybe some entertainment."

"No." She said sternly.

"Maybe I can-"

"NO!" She yelled sitting up from the bed. "Do I have to call a guard to kick you out?"

Suddenly the man quickly went on his knees and bowed his head on the ground in front of her. "I'm sorry for making her majesty upset, I deeply only just wish to serve her tonight." Tears started to form in his eyes. It all back fired, and now it was worse. Now the empress was angry with him. He couldn't stop the tears from falling as his body shaked in the kowtow position he was in.

Marjo rolled her eyes, "Why are you crying?" She asked.

"I just want to do my job as a concubine and please you," he said. "It is hard to be a concubine when Empress shows no interested in any of us. I didn't mean to anger you, but an abandoned harem is a miserable one with no one to love us."

Marjo felt a sharp pain of guilt. She forgot how her decisions and actions affect other peoples lives as empress. "Please stand and tell me your name?" Marjo said. "No one in the harem has ever fought this hard for my attention, after I shut them down."

"Klive," he said blushing looked down. His red eyes were puffy, from crying. Marjo bit her lip in guilt and stood up from her bed to walk towards him. She took his hand gently and kissed his forehead.

"I'm sorry for my selfish behavior as empress. I forget about those that rely on me at times," she said with a soft smile. She took his hand leading him to the bed. Straddling him, she lifted his face up forcing him to look at her. Klive had slowly started to remove his robe.

"I will try my best to give you all the attention you need," She promised.

"You mean that, your majesty?" He asked as his voice chocked.

"I very much do." Marjo smiled, leaning down to kiss him.

Suddenly a knock came at the door interrupting their kiss.

Marjo glanced at the door annoyed and back at Klive, "I must check what that might be." She told him with guilt.

Klive removed his hands from her waist to allow her to climb off him, "Off course your majesty."

"Just stay here," she said giving him a blanket to cover himself as she went to answer the door.

"What!" She answered rudely with a face of annoyance. She met the faces of two advisors of her cabinet.

"Its another invitation from the Queen Council and a notice letter from them as well," said the older women.

"Ugh can't this wait?"

The two advisors exchanged looks. "They are concerned about your lack of communication with the other empresses, and a new meeting for the the new Empress of the African Lands is being held. Another complaint about the wall construction as well your majesty."

All the Queen council ever did was whine and complain to her. Sending notice, after notice. What did Marjo do? Just ignore them some more.

"I have nothing to say to them," Marjo said as she was about to shut the door, but the older woman stopped her.

"Will you at least be attending the conference your majesty?" She asked handing her the invitation.

Marjo looked down at the invitation. A conference with the new emerging empress of the African Lands was bold in the center. "No," she replied.

She ripped the invitation in two half's and left the remains on the floor, shutting the door on her advisor's face.