Orlov had looked all over the palace for Ivan, yet he never expected to find him in the library. Ivan was never one for books, one would always find him in the training area for knights, or in his study lounging about. Orlov certainly didn’t expect to open the door and have a book thrown at his face.
“It’s not here!” yelled Ivan. “There’s nothing here!” Orlov bent down and picked up the object that assaulted him. The title read ‘Holidays of the Continent’ by some author he didn’t recognize.
“And what is it that you’re looking for?” Ivan’s head popped up from behind a bookshelf, surprised to see his friend.
“Kassio! Maybe you can help me. You’ve travelled quite a bit, what do you know of the Feast of Ephr
The day of the Feast was very boring. Cecily and Emery came to wake Ursa up, showering her with paperwork that needed to be done and reminding her of the points Ursa wanted to bring up in court that day. Ursa would have given anything to hug her soft, warm pillow and sleep for the rest of the day.“My Lady, please!”“This should be a day off! I shouldn’t have to work on Feast day!” Ursa complained.“My Lady, you’re acting like a child. Have some respect!” Cecily admonished. All Emery did was giggle and hop into the sheets with her mistress.“Ursa’s right! It’s Feast day! And it’s not as if we’re not-”“You shut up! By t
The Day of Magia arrived soon after, and so the palace prepared for the departure of the top three people in the empire: The Emperor, the Empress, and the Prime Minister. The small number of magic practitioners in the capital congregated in the palace to join the Emperor’s procession to the Temple of Hypnotite. Ursa decided to pack light, seeing as the trip would be short, and the temple practiced simplicity in life to feel closer to the manna.“I don’t feel manna,” she had rebutted when Orlov informed her, noticing the papers of dress ideas her handmaidens had left on her desk. “Why would I need to underdress?”“You have a point… though you will feel a bit out of place with all that lace on.” Ursa quietly stuck the papers in her drawer, clearing her throat out of embarrassment.
An elderly man dressed in all white waited for them at the entrance of the temple, flanked by men in similar dress, however much simpler.“Is that the Oracle?” whispered Ursa. Ivan nodded, his knuckles tightening around the reins of his horse. The rest of the journey there, which wasn’t too long, Ursa remained at Ivan’s side, tightly hugging his waist in case she slipped off. The group dismounted from their horses, and some young boys and girls ran out and took the reins from the magic users.“Your Majesty,” the Oracle greeted with a smile, but he did not bow. Ivan stood tall, not wavering either.“Your Holiness. It’s been awhile.”“Yes it has. Please, come in! Tell me, how was the forest?&rdqu
Ivan laid on his side, watching his wife’s figure as she slept. After provoking him, she became demure, hiding her face in the sheets.Oh well. He did promise he would not do anything to her until she was ready. He won’t break his word. But as he watched her sleep, he noticed her quiet shudders under the thick covers. He noticed her erratic movements, her bothered expressions, the sweat beginning to form on her brow.Ursa laid on her back on the bed next to her husband, but her brain brought her somewhere else. Images, scenes, people she had never seen before-- all flashing before her like a montage-- a cacophony of voices and sounds drilling into her ears.She was standing in the palace in Ichares, wearing crimson robes with lavish furs lining her ostentatious dress. The hallway was ab
The next morning Ursa woke up refreshed. It was unlike any other sleep she’d had before. Although the spot next to hers was a bit cold, Ursa still revelled in her husband’s smell, which lingered on the pillow.She slowly slipped out of bed, her feet reeling back from the cool sensation of the tiled floor. On the table in the corner there was a blouse, black skirt, and a thin lavender greca with a note on top. It had messy penmanship-- barely legible-- but Ursa managed to make out what it said.‘Beloved Ursa,I left early to spar with Kassio. A priestess-in-training had some clothes you can borrow until we can retrieve our belongings. Breakfast should be in the Mess Hall-- I’ll ask someone to guide you there! Don’t miss me too much!
The shrine wasn’t far, according to Chlaesis, it was just a bit hidden due to its age. Ursa was unsure of this, seeing as she only just met these girls, but she had no reason to distrust them. The sky was beginning to darken though it was still early morning, not even past ten yet. The air was beginning to feel a bit moist, but otherwise it was a fine day. There was a dirt pathway covered by trees and other flora that Ursa recognized from Chlaesis’ description. It was very scenic, with all types of little birds and small forest creatures darting around under the underbrush and bramble.The path had a certain energy Ursa had never felt before in all her life. A warm feeling rushed from her heels to her head, leading her along, an invisible shepard gripping her control hard.Ursa was brought to a clearing that lost most of its beauty from
Sweat dripped from Ivan’s forehead, falling to the earth in little droplets. He wiped the remaining droplets off with the sleeve of his shirt.“Your strokes have gotten stronger,” Orlov commented, setting down his sword on the bench. The two were out in a small area behind the temple dedicated to training, be it magic duels or sword duels. Ivan and Orlov frequently made use of this area in order to practice and hone their skills. Ivan had left early to meet Orlov for a spar for old times sake.“The last time we sparred seriously I was a child. Of course I’ve gotten stronger.”Orlov chuckled, taking a swig of water. “Of course. I shouldn’t underestimate you.”“I’m just impressed you can still ke
“Where are we?” Ivan asked. He never really stopped to think about where he was going, all he knew was that he had to find his wife.“We’re under an old shrine. I didn’t know there would be a cave system… what a find…” Ursa mused. She held onto his hand tightly while Ivan’s other hand produced a small, flickering flame from his fingertip. The couple made their way down the tunnel, hoping to see just a slant of natural light.“How’d you get here? Why didn’t you go with everyone else to the morning prayer?”“A few priestesses recommend I check out the shrine instead. They told me it was a tourist attraction, but now I see that they were just being great businessmen.”&ld
Aisha spent the entire next day pouring over other material Ursa had pulled from the library and pacing outside of Ursa’s wing. Earlier that morning, she had stopped in to update the Empress on what she and Ivan had found, but the handmaiden Emery firmly stood her ground, chasing away any and all visitors, no matter how important they were.She was like a guard dog, really, the way she looked like she’d bite someone’s head off if they got even remotely close to the doors of Ursa’s apartment. Aisha had wanted to fight Emery on this, but she also knew how much Ivan had been stressing Ursa’s physical recovery from the chaos that occurred at the New Year’s Celebration, so Aisha slinked away back into the library quietly until lunch time, where she and Emery rehashed their earlier arguments. Inside the most heavily guarded doors, an empress laid in her bed with the covers half off, only covering her freezing toes. The rest of her sweated out a non-existent fever, while Cecily dabbed a col
The Poplov townhouse was located in the upper echelons of Ichares. The streets were clean, the houses were opulent and luxurious, the architecture a crude copy of the palace. It was not hard to break into the house, seeing as there were so many windows and not enough guards-- though this criticism could be shared with the palace.Ivan noted this.Aisha and Ivan were both dressed in black clothing-- Ivan in a black poet shirt and tight dark trousers, while Aisha wore a skin tight turtleneck with matching trousers. At present, they sat in a tree, watching the windows as light passed through the dark hallways, a maid checking the corridors.Aisha bounced her leg anxiously, causing the branch to sway with her. Ivan sent her a withering glare, instantly freezing any movement from her leg. They had been sittin
Aisha juggled her broadsword in her hand while her other hand held her dagger tightly. She stared at her brother, only the light from the torches around the arena illuminating his lean frame. Ivan shrugged off his coat and kicked it to the side, his signature sword appearing out of thin air.“How--” Aisha gawked, staring at her own swords that came from the weapons room.“Magic?” Ivan smirked, spinning his sword with his wrist as he got into position. Aisha made sure to note down to have him teach her that trick before getting into her own starting position.Neither of them moved, circling each other. Aisha’s left foot shifted and then she was off, launching herself high into the air, raising her swords up into a crossing motion. She landed on the blunt side of Ivan’s
Ursa gave a shallow wave to the guards stationed outside of Ivan’s study as Aisha trailed behind her with a tray of food. The guards instantly bowed and one stuck their head in to announce her presence. Ivan was hunched over his desk, staring intently at a particular piece of paper as his quill moved on its own-- most likely enchanted by Ivan, writing furiously. “Ivan.” He looked up, surprised to see the two women. “What are you two doing here?” Ursa gave him a funny look. “Our arrival was just announced. Didn’t you hear?” Ivan didn’t respond, choosing to just lounge back in his chair. The quill fell back and landed unceremoniously onto the paper. “We brought you dinner.” Aisha set the tray onto t
“Your Majesty, Lord Volkov is here to see you,” one of the guards from outside said, peeking his head slightly into the office. Ivan only waved his hand as an indication for the other man to come in. It was the middle of the afternoon, a few hours after the morning’s court session had ended and he finished his meeting with his advisors (without Orlov, he thought bitterly), but Ivan felt so very unproductive.He had sat there while everyone talked at him, only nodding or shaking his head, sometimes yelling at people who got a little too presumptuous. It wasn’t that Ivan didn’t understand the things being said in court-- after so many years of attending, it would be quite stupid for him not to have an idea of how these things worked. But Orlov made it easier for Ivan, always taking a load off of the heavy weights that already pushed Ivan to his knees.
“The prosecution would like to call its first witness up to the stand: Yuri Tetsi!” Orlov announced, and waited for the Young Tetsi to make his way to the stand. Ivan sat in his throne in his usual posture, his hand holding his face as he leaned into the side of his throne. Yuri Tetsi clambered up to the stand and took a seat, his hands nervously shaking. Once Young Tetsi looked ready, Orlov began laying the foundation of his questioning, asking simple questions about Young Tetsi himself before delving into the real case. “You claim to have recorded evidence of secret plots against the Empress?” asked Orlov. “I do. My own father, as well as Lord Haschoff, Lady Salisterova, Lord Grieschkov, and Lord Telbor all had conversations with each other and others about a few things. At first, they conversed abo
Ursa returned to her chambers after a quiet dinner with just Ivan and Aisha. It was a nice and gentle dinner, where the only mention of Orlov was Aisha excitedly announcing she would be helping. Otherwise, the dinner was the perfect glimpse of a life without Orlov constantly breathing down Ivan’s shoulder, and Ursa enjoyed it. But even Ursa could admit, a piece of Ivan was with Orlov in his home, eating dinner alone. Ivan would smile and joke with them, but his gaze was far off, not even in the room. It burned Ursa. It burned Ursa even more to know that a part of her also felt deeply while staring at the empty chair next to Aisha. Once upon a time, Ursa thought that she and the prime minister were friends. Friendly rivals, intellectual equals, and respected colleagues. She missed the mirage.
Ursa’s lunch didn’t end up being as peaceful as planned, as the second Vasil barged in on her meal. “Sister, I hear you’re heading the Orlov Investigation!” Ursa put down the little bite sized sandwich Cecily had prepared for her as Aisha made herself at home in the chair across from her. “You heard correctly.” “I want to help.” “No.” “Please?” “This is a delicate political matter, Aisha. My apologies if I don’t think you’re quite ready for such a complex matter.” Aisha slid down her seat, crossing her arms. “I can handle it. I’ll be covert. No one has to know we’re working together.” Ursa smirked as she put he
Ursa dropped a bag of coins into the maid’s hand, and the small girl scurried out of the library. After more than half a year at the palace, Ursa learned who could be bought and who could be swayed to join her cause-- her cause being keeping her in the loop of things she otherwise wouldn’t be. That just happened to be any and all court matters, seeing as Ivan specifically kept her out of political matters. “You’re still recovering, Ursa! I can’t have you getting all stressed about these matters when your health is so fragile!” But her health has been ‘fragile’ for a little more than a month and a half. Physically, Ursa was already back in her original form, and more than capable of delving back into court. But the most work Ivan had even let her see had only been the preparations for the upcoming annual Royal Hunting Trip, renamed to the Imperial