Queen Rosetta looked at herself in the mirror. Her pale blue eyes stared back at her and she admired her long locks of blonde hair that curled around her face.
She wore a small silver taira instead of a crown and had on a white dress that flowed past her generous breasts to her feet.
"She's here your Majesty," squeaked a handmaid from the doorway.
"Ah good, send her in," replied Rosetta. Inside she was worried, the Empire next to her kingdom had coveted her lands for years and had recently acquired many new provinces by treaty. The Empress was coming for a meeting and Rosseta was determined to hold her own, she would not surrender her Kingdom's independence without a fight.
A short while later a woman strolled through the door.
"Queen Ember I presume", greeted Rosetta.
"It's Empress Ember," scolded the woman. "I think you forget I now large my domain is now." She was looking at Rosetta as a fox would look at a rabbit.
"Of course Empress" replied Rosetta in a consilitory tone, "we're all delighted to have you in our Kingdom. If there's anything you want on your stay just say and we will be happy to oblige."
"Oh I know," responded Ember with a wolf-like grin. Now that Rosetta thought about it, Empress Ember was a rather intimidating woman.
Standing at 5,9 and being 10 years older than Ember's 25 years, she reminded Rosetta of her old tutor that used to scold her. Her hair was such a dark shade of black it seemed to smother any light that touched it and her lips were blood-red. Even her eyes seemed to have red irises, although surely that must be a trick of the light, thought Rosetta.
Ember's body was lithe and slender like a snake's and was wrapped in thin red silk so tight and form-fitting that it seemed to command the eyes attention to its curves. In fact Rosetta was sure she could see Ember nipples poking through the fabric.
"My eyes are up here Darling," quiped Ember and Rosetta's cheeks went pink. Ember smiled upon noticing this and then sat down at the table in the centre of the room. "Sit" she commaned, pointing at the chair opposite and Rosetta seems to forget she was a Queen and obeyed.
"Empress Ember, I need you to know that I intend," began Rosetta before she was interrupted.
"Let's discuss the terms of your surrender," said Ember plainly.
"Empress!" gasped Rosseta, "this is a free Kingdom with no desire to join your Empire."
"You don't want to serve under me as one of my faithfull and obedient Ladies?" asked Ember with an expression of mock hurt.