LOGINShare
Unintended Consequences III
Last Updated:
2024-10-29 19:42:56It 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
Related chapters
Where Loyalties Lie Unintended Consequences IV
The dark barn was illuminated by the setting sun on the horizon. The light strayed on a familiar silhouette, which Ivan immediately identified as his wife. She was laying on the ground, tied to a chair with a rough and splintered rope. The legs of the chair were broken, and her face was bloody and swollen. There were black and blue marks around her neck in the shape of a large pair of hands and her dress was ripped up and muddy.Ivan’s heart ached at the sight of Ursa. How could he have let this happen on his watch? How did these scum get into his palace and steal his wife away? Ivan slowly approached her body, cutting the rope with his sword. Ursa’s eyes fluttered and her mouth parted in surprise.“... You?” she asked, her voice raspy and broken. Ivan carefully slid his hands underneath her body to pick her up.
Where Loyalties Lie Return to Ichares
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
Where Loyalties Lie The Empress' Return
Ursa spent the next few days recovering. She stayed in bed and barred visitors, even the Emperor. Mostly because she was embarrassed about her face. A noblewoman’s biggest asset was her physical appearance, and Ursa had almost ruined it.All the way across the palace, a certain Emperor was bouncing his leg, shaking with anxiety. Why would Ursa not allow him to visit her? He had tried to bring gifts over to her, in hopes of lifting her spirits, but he was ruthlessly turned away by those blasted handmaidens! All Ivan could do was wait for her to get better. Even though he promised to stay by her side…“Your Majesty,” Orlov said as he knocked, “It’s time for morning court.” Ivan grumbled as he got up and followed Orlov to the throne room. Court had been pretty boring without Ursa to look at. She was the prettiest di
Where Loyalties Lie Out On the Town
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
Where Loyalties Lie Who Is Ivan Vasil?
After Ursa returned to the palace successfully, she was quiet for the rest of the night. She laid in bed, unable to shut her eyes and let sleep take over her. What those men in the pub said kept replaying in her head over and over again, like a broken music stone.There was so much she still didn’t know about Ivan, and she was so easily blinded by his kind gestures and handsome face. She wanted to know more about him, especially if she was to live the rest of her life tied to him by the strings of Qader.Tossing back and forth, Ursa finally decided to get up and make her way to the library. It was the middle of the night, but that was nothing a small candle and a long shawl to cover herself with couldn’t fix. Cecily and Emery slept in the room opposite of the library, so she didn’t need to worry about waking her up. Avoiding the servants
Where Loyalties Lie Ursa Confronted
Despite Ursa’s late night escapade to the library, she still managed to wake up on time for court. Ursa’s routine went as usual, bathing, grooming, dressing and the like, although this time when she was done, the Prime Minister himself Lord Kassio Orlov waited outside her door.“Lord Orlov,” Ursa greeted politely as soon as she was ready.“Your Majesty. Today I thought I would escort you to court, seeing as your husband returns today.” The moment Ursa got the news that Orlov was waiting for her, she knew something was up. Why else would he be here? Orlov knew something.Ursa smiled, holding her arm out to loop in his. “That sounds pleasant. Besides, I have a few questions, Lord Orlov.”Orlov quirked an eye
Where Loyalties Lie The Story of Leila I
*TW: r*peA young girl, barely seventeen, was brought to her knees in front of the imposing king, sitting high and mighty on his throne. Her blonde, almost white locks of hair fell forward, covering her face.“Do you know why you have been brought here?” The scrawny attendant said with false authority. The girl shook her head, shivering from fear. How did she end up in this situation?Leila had come to Ichares with hope in her heart. There had been positions opening in the palace after some rumors had run rampant about the king’s behavior. However, Leila came from a poor family from the countryside, and her father was terribly sick and needed money for treatment. The moment Leila heard how much they would pay, she packed her bags and hopped on the first carriage out of her small v
Where Loyalties Lie The Story of Leila II
It had been raining non stop since the king found out about her pregnancy. Leila was in despair, stroking her flat stomach.“It would be good if I didn’t have to bring you into the world,” she whispered softly.“You shouldn’t speak like that!” admonished a booming voice from the doorway. Leila swiftly looked up to see her torturer. He wore a grand fur cape with gold chains and broaches. “This child is a gift, you should be thankful you are able to serve your king in such a way.” Leila didn’t respond, only looking through the window at the downpour outside. The king, angered by being ignored by this woman, gripped her chin with his hand. He put some pressure just so he could hurt her. “Listen to me when I talk to you!” he roared.Her vacant
Latest chapter
Where Loyalties Lie The Ghosts of Wruclas
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
Where Loyalties Lie Sibling Crime
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
Where Loyalties Lie The Duel
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
Where Loyalties Lie Respect, A One Way Street
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
Where Loyalties Lie Poplov's Numbered Days
“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.
Where Loyalties Lie The Tetsi Trial
“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
Where Loyalties Lie Big Reputation Brings Bigger Enemies
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.
Where Loyalties Lie A Handmaiden's Tale I / The Princess
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
Where Loyalties Lie She Who Does Not Break So Easily
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
