Dark Intrigue.

Mira sat in her cave hundreds of miles away from Freeconia on a remote island looking into a large cauldron and seeing the amazon realm going about its business. She waved her hands over the cauldron and the image changed to that of the palace where Queen Arerto was in talks with her advisors. Mira whispered to herself that soon the amazons would fall under her spell and Arerto would no longer be Queen. Mira was patient and first, she had to break Arerto who was extremely strong will and strong-bodied. Mira grinned as she waved her hand again and found one of her spies in the palace and it would be her who would bring Arerto down for Mira. She took a lump of clay and started to mould it in the image of Arerto until she had a perfect facsimile of the Queen in her hands "Soon my sweet Arerto you will be mine and so will your people" with that she cackled and placed the clay doll on a shelf and started to make potions.

Arerto was sitting bored listening to the various advisors who kept her informed of what was happening in the realm. Her sisters were away with their various armies and Arerto envied them. The realm was in a good place with low taxes and high numbers of workers working the fields and producing all sorts of goods for trade. After signing some decrees and laws Arerto dismissed her council and stood up and headed back to her quarters to get dressed for the state visit of Damen from the lands on the eastern border. In her room waited Delia and Selina ready to bathe and pamper her but she dismissed them telling them to come back later. Arerto went to a picture hanging on the wall of her mother Queen Alcippe who after her **** the reigns of power fell to Arerto. "Mother being Queen is so hard I do not know how you managed it for so long." inside her head Arerto imagined her mother saying" Daughter you are doing a fine job of being Queen but stop underestimating yourself"

Soon Delia and Seline returned and started to prepare Arerto for the state dinner. They both bathe her cleaning her pure soft skin and then rubbing in rose-scented oils. Once they had dried her off she was dressed in fine gold and red dress and gold slippers which was topped off with a gold crown inlaid with deep red rubies. Then a red ruby necklace was placed around her neck along with matching earrings and a ruby ring for her finger and finally gold bracelets for her wrists. She looked at her reflection and gave a wry smile recognising her beauty then turned and told Delia and Selena to get changed and then they would all head down. The dinner was choreographed by her minister for external affairs and when she entered the hall with Delia and Selena she saw the long table laid out before her. At one end was her throne which was sued for these dinners. Seeing everything in order she went for a walk around the palace grounds waiting until the dinner was to commence.

The skulls were whispering to Mira as she watched the preparations for the dinner and they were saying soon soon soon. Yes she thought to herself soon I will be Queen Mira of Freeconia and the former royal family would be my slaves. She once again took up the doll and laid it on her table and then poured various solutions over it and soon the doll started to grow. Soon after a while there on the table lay the perfect doppelganger of Arerto perfect down to the royal birthmark. Of course, it had no free thought it was Mira's to do with as she wished and when the time came the doppelganger would be put to good use. Until then it lay naked on the table waiting to be sent forth to start the downfall of the Freeconian realm and the rise of Queen Mira. Mira stroked the whispering skulls and then headed to her bed to relax and look into her future. Soon she was a sleep and drifting into a deep sleep and the image came into view again.

~ Two girls in the Freeconian arena sparring with unsheathed swords both sweating and training as the metal clashed. Then one girl fell off balance and the other girl's sword sliced her face. The fight was stopped and the girl on the floor held her face her hands covered in blood the other girl dropped her sword into the dirt of the arena and knelt beside the fallen girl. "Sorry Mira it was an accident" said Arerto. The rest of the dream was the same Mira being shunned for the scar on her face until she eventually left Freeconia in the dead of night.~