Marjo Vanhala was having a foot message by Klive in the afternoon in her bedroom before her advisors had came knocking on her door. She was reading a book sitting on the edge of the bed while Klive sat on a chair across from her pressing her feet. It was a comfortable and pleasant silence. Ever since Marjo started to interact with the harem more everyone in the palace was a little happier. Finally, their empress was starting to go out more and not just stayed locked up in her room. But they still had a long way to go. Right now, everyone was hoping for a offspring. A baby or a child was what everyone in the palace was hoping for next.

Marjo put her book down and looked at at Klive whose head was down, and he was still pressing her feet. "That's good for now Klive, thank you," Marjo said.

Klive nodded stopping, and Marjo took his hand to sit down next to him on her bed. She placed her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her forehead.

That was when Marjo heard a knock on her door. She stood up to go answer it and told Klive to just say on the bed.

When she opened her bedroom door facing her now was three of her advisors with trouble faces. "What is it?" Marjo asked crossing her arms.

"Your majesty it the queen council," the older women in the middle said first.

Marjo rolled her eyes, "What do they want now." She leaned against the doorway.

"They are upset about you not attending the queen council meeting for the new empress Rehema Eze, of the African lands, and they are upset with you never communicating with the others and isolating yourself from Panagea," A male advisor said out of concern.

"It's not the first time they complained with a letter," Marjo huffed. "Just throw the letter in out and don't reply they will give up eventually."

Marjo was about to walk away and shut her bedroom door but the middle advisor put her foot in the way to stop the door from closing.

Marjo noticed and glared at her, "What do you think you're doing?"

The advisor immediately turned red from fear and kneeled on the floor, the other two advisors standing by did the same thing as well, "Your majesty I deeply apologize but I needed your attention to tell you something."

"And that would be?" Marjo asked still with an expression of anger.

The advisors looked at each other scared to say the next words.

"What is it!" Marjo snapped. "Tell me now!"

"The queen council announced they will be coming to the frozen lands, with invitation or not...to talk to you, and express concerns with your ruling," The advisor finally said.

Marjo balled her fists, she knew when it came to the queen council she couldn't fight back because that would be declaring war, and now here they are having the audacity to come into her homeland with no invitation demanding things.

Marjo now shut the door in anger and her advisors didn't dare stop her.

The Kasperek's were having dinner at dawn. Adelaide was sitting with all three of her children, her eldest daughter Yelena and her twins, the boy Finn and the girl Quinn. Among the dinner table also sat her younger twin sister Pepper, and the emperor Grayson.

The dinning room was quiet and all that could be heard was forks and knifes clashing on plates to eat.

Pepper broke the silence being she was so bored. "So, does our empress have any thoughts to share with us from her trip to see the new Empress of the African Lands."

Adelaide gave her a look, "No." She said simply and drank some wine from her cordial glass.

"Well, I do," Pepper continued. "I mean she was interesting, quiet she mostly spoke to Kiana the Empress of the Sea and Islands."

Adelaide eldest daughter Yelena hasn't touched the food on her plate, "What do you plan on doing with her," Yelena asked. Everyone turned the eyes on her.

Pepper smirked, "That is a good question."

Adelaide leaned back in her chair, "I want nothing to do with the new empress, we have our own issues in the Europeans Lands to take care of it."

"Was the Vanhala there?" Yelena asked.

"Nope," Pepper answered. "She never comes to anything."

Adelaide seemed to notice a smile on her daughter faces when Pepper had said that.

"We ought to not repeat mistakes we as a family has made in the past," Adelaide said. "Do you forget the reason your grandmother is jailed right now. One more act out of line or abuse of power and the queen council will get rid of us for good."

"Not if we get rid of them first," Yelena said. She had her hands on her lap and still touched nothing on her plate. She held a slight poised posture and her twin siblings sitting next to her shifted in awkwardness.

Adelaide glared at her, "You listen her young lady, you ought to watch what you say. Saying things like that in front of the wrong people could have people think we are at war with the queen council."

Yelena chuckled, "The queen council is nothing for us to fear."

Finn, her younger brother tried to change the subject, "Well momma, during schooling we are learning economics that can help with the European Lands and advance us further."

Adelaide gave him a soft smile, "See, yes those are useful things that we do need to focus on at the moment."

"Its useless." Yelena challenged.

The room went to a sudden silence.

"Excuse me?" Adelaide asked dropping her fork.

Yelena looked up from her plate directly at her, "Its useless. I want my history classes back, I want my empire studies back, war tactics, fighting skills, beast lessons, advanced science. That is what will give this family the respect it has lost over the years."

Adelaide now glared at her eldest daughter while the room was in a deep uncomfortable silence.

"I think your tired Yelena go to bed." Adelaide said sternly.

"What?"

"Go to bed."

Yelena didn't say anything at first. She just stood up and bowed with a blank expression, "I apologize for my disobedience this dinner." She walked gracefully out the room.

Adelaide shook her head in disbelief. The things Yelena would say raised her concerned, why was her eldest teenage daughter so...cruel. Was it just having the blood of a Kasperek that made her this way? What was going to happen if Yelena ever sat on the throne, would she have the same faith of her grandmother or even worst. Because what her grandmother did nearly destroyed this family reputations for good.

"Oh, don't be so upset," Pepper said waving her hand. "She just loyal to this family and our achievements of the past and wants us to succeed."

"Do not encourage her!" Adelaide yelled. Adelaide abruptly stood up and looked over at the emperor of her harem Grayson who was quiet as a mouse this whole time.

"I'm removing your salary again this whole month, I leave her in your care and she's just been getting worst and worst."

Grayson's face turned pale, "My love please, I try too. I promised I do. It's just Yelena doesn't listen to me. She is very stubborn."

Adelaide brought her face closer to his, "Then you ought to try harder. I can't babysit every single one of you. I have a state run."

Grayson gently tried to reach over for Adelaide wrist to calm her down, "Of course I will always try harder," he said. All he knew at this moment was to say something that she would like to hear so he would not get punished.

Adelaide yanked her wrist away from him violently walking away and leaving the dinning room.