(Flashback 2) The Snow Palace - One of many council meetings

The Empress lounged lazily in her throne, her head thrown back as she gazed down her nose at the many Kings and Queens gathered around the long rectangular table. There was no illusion to be maintained. There was no equality. She was above them all.

At her right side at the head of the table was the Princess, and on her left, sat the exquisite Swiss Markisa, who looked much like a vampire in the glow of the candle lights. Slightly off to the side and behind her, sat her most trusted advisor and childhood friend, Corvus Corvidae.

The rest of the thirty seven seats of the table were occupied by the various Kings and Queens. Together, their Kingdoms and Queendoms controlled ninety-percent of the city-planet-world, which, including her own Arctic region, made up her Empire.

She generally disliked council meetings -- the Kings and Queens, with the rare exception of a few, were not very interesting to talk to. They were nice people, and they knew how to manage their Kingdoms and Queendoms effectively, keeping their people happy and under control, but they lacked a vital something that made them exceptional. Which is why they were all bland, boring and the same.

Tonight, the conversation was as lively as her cat, which had passed away just a few days ago. Freshly dead. Which was understandable, there hadn't really been any pressing matters for the past few months. Everything was running smoothly, as they should -- sometimes she felt like hiring some people to stir up a little trouble just to make the meetings more dynamic. It was boring, running a perfect world.

She dozed, hearing faint snippets of conversation about certain ex-aristocrats. Scandalous details, petty gossip. She almost nodded off to sleep, when she caught the Princess's eye.

The Princess blinked a few times.

The Empress stared back.

The Princess scratched her nose and brushed her bangs away from her face. Her dak eyes narrowing with laughter. I think he's hot.

The Empress wrinkled her nose in distaste. You can't be serious.

You're right. I'm not. I'm just bored. The Princess yawned.

The Empress rolled her eyes. There's nothing new to evaluate here.

The Princess grinned. That is clearly untrue. I see the way you're looking at her.

The Empress smirked. Who?

The Princess glanced sideways, a surreptitious movement of the eyeballs. She is very pretty, I must admit.

The Empress smiled. Too bad there are not enough worthy men.

The Princess blinked in agreement. Actually. I've heard of an entire colony of males hiding out in the mountains, north of Ru-Och.

The Empress cocked an eyebrow. The Elam rebels? ... they have no one man enough to handle either of us.

The Princess shrugged. I've been snooping around for fun. There's whispers of an uprising.

The Empress stared. Well, at least it'll make things interesting. Once we crush them...

The Princess giggled. We'll save the hot ones...

The Empress's eyes fell upon the door in front of them. Is that an envoi, I hear?

The Princess blinked twice. Come to notify us of the rumors, I assume...

The Empress did not move. About time something has happened around here. But then again... rumors take a while to manifest. We have at least another year before anything concrete happens, I'm sure.

The Princess winked. Well, look on the bright side. At least this one is almost over. And there was some gossip...

I am so hung over thought the King. He and his guards went to every single tavern that the Empress's city had to offer, the night before. The ale tasted like watery bodily fluids, but he needed to be drunk to endure the formalities and beaucracy of the rest of the Empire.
Why am I even invited to these councils? He pondered Not like I care about the problems in some fool's kingdom thousands of leagues away
He sighed. It was the most boring council he's ever attended. Granted, he rarely showed up to any of them, but this one was painful. Even the Empress was looking as interested as a piper with a drum.
His eye took notice of something moving out from under the table. It was a white house cat. Without even thinking he unsheathed his flint-lock pistol, which was forgotten to be removed by the Empress's guards, and shot the cat. A bang, followed by a squeal from the cat, was greeted unhappily with silence.
aw crap. I'm in trouble now

The Empress's head turned so quickly, her eyes immediately burning holes into the source of disturbance. She glared openly at the King of Ru-Och, but inside she was bursting with laughther, which she contained.

She nodded at one of her guards, who dove under the table to retrieve the carcass of the dead animal.

The King must have thought that he had gotten away with his primitive flint-lock pistol -- when really she had specifically told the guards to let him keep it, knowing that it would being some sort of entertainment at the dinner table.

She felt all eyes fall on her as the weight of his punishment rested in her hands. She smiled slowly, cocking her head to one side, letting the tension build until she final spoke, shrugging nonchalantly. "It's not my cat. Take it away."

The King gave a pathetic grin, trying to show how sorry he was, for what he thought, was such an innocent action.

"The lil' bastard startled me is all"

Everyone at the table glared at him. Not the best way to represent Ru-Och, but the King thought otherwise. He never wanted to appear pompous or dignified. He was simpily Ru-Och and represented the country well.

"Now tis act of violence brings me t'somethin else, lasses and lads... What of the Elam rebellion? Where d'you all stand for that? As you know we've been 'aving tension with the exiled scum fur some time now. When the bleedin lungs are ye gonna get off yer asses and help!?"

Its been a been a bitter standoff. Ru-Och's armies were marching towards the mountains where the exiled rebels grew stronger by the passing day. Nightly artillery barages desamated all life on those mountains, but they still seemed to be doing various acts of espionage. It was time for the rest of the Empire to act...