Try to recruit Alexa with a sweet deal.

The next day you find yourself at your desk writing letters. Plotting, corresponding with agents, securing the loyalty of allies, making sure of Lord's and Ladies allegiances – it all takes a tremendous amount of paperwork. You will be happy if you manage to finish all of it in three days.

You are so focused that you don't react when the door is opened with a loud crack, nor when two people enter dragging your struggling sister into your room and toss her on a chair. You calmly continue writing the message to one of your agents as two of your loyal guards leave the room and close the door behind them.

You can hear Alexa squirming in her seat as you make no sign to acknowledge her presence. Finally, you roll the letter, close it with your seal and put it with your other messages. Pausing before you turn to look at your sister and smile.

“Well hello Alexa, it's good to see you!” you say jovially.

She glares at you but her hostility fails to remove the smile from your face.

“Is that so? Maybe you can you tell me why my own brother had me kidnapped and dragged here?”

“You don't send messengers, you don't write - how else am I suppose to talk with you?” you ask with a pout.

“What for?” She looks sharply at you as she snaps back, “To fuck me before sending me to my ****?”

Hoo... it seems that she is quite knowledgeable of your actions. Good. You wouldn't have it any other way.

“Whatever might you be talking about sister?”

“Don't treat me like an idiot!” she scoffs “I know what you've done with Azar. She came to you **** for help. You gave her hope, fucked her, and when you got bored with her, you gave her away to be tortured and executed. You took advantage of Azar's desperation and sent her to her ****.”

You look at your sister toughly. She truly is a genius to have figured so many of your actions. But she doesn't seem to be overly upset with what you have done, more irritated that you have dragged her here and are playing games with her.

“True, Azar and Ivette came to me **** for help. If it was only to escape from Freya, I would have helped them without question. But Azar didn't just want to hide... she wanted to have her daughter a Queen while she would become Queen dowager.”

Alexa stays silent and merely nods for you to continue.

“Wasn't Freya the same?” You ask rhetorically. “Wasn't she the same before she got into a position of power? You know as soon as my and Ivette's – or Azar's – child would be born, she would have me assassinated. Then she would kill you, Erika and Sarah.”

“You don't have any proof to support your theory – because it's only that, a theory.” She points out.

“Neither wwre any guarantees that it wouldn't go the way I just described.” You look right into her eyes “Azar, in the span of year changed from a simple **** to royal concubine. Make no mistake, she is an ambitious woman who would do anything to survive. So yes, instead of allowing her to plot against me I got rid of her before she became a danger..." Adding with a smile, "...and if I could have some fun with her before removing her – why shouldn't I?”

“And if you are wrong about her?”

“Leaving her to her devices is a risk I couldn't take. Should the worst come true, too many people would pay with their lives for my lack of action” you close your eyes “that's the burden of being royalty. I take solace in the fact that her demise will help our dynasty to survive.”

You sit in silence for couple of minutes

“What will you do with Ivette?” she asks.

“She and her loyalties will be tested. Should she pass, she will continue living, should she fail...” you don't finish. You don't have to.

Alexa looks at you with eyes filled with resignation.

“So what do you have in store for me, brother dear. How will you use me in securing the future of our dynasty?” You smile at her.

“I have a very heavy fate in store for you, sister dear. You will become a nun in Uueremund convent.”

“So you would marry me to a goddess, to secure the loyalty of nuns in service of some minor pantheon?” She asks surprised and resigned. “I would think that marrying me off to some noble would be worth more to a dynasty.”

“On the contrary my dear sister. Your job is to take over the convent and the entire order. And while there, you can do whatever you want with any of those pent up noblewomen as you want. Just be sure that you are discreet about it.”

Alexa looks at you in shock. No wonder, you just gave her what she desired the most, freedom and a power base without the necessity to become someone’s wife. She always was a free spirit – at one time you even walked on her having fun with your uncle's exotic bodyguards – Rahua and Heqet – and what a sight that was!

Alexa sat there stunned for few more moments before jumping on you and hugging you with a screech of joy and kisses you time after time. With a laugh, you accept her joy. Finally, she calms herself and looks you in the eyes.

“OK, but what's the catch?" she asks while sitting on your knees with her arms around your neck.

“I want you to take over as the kingdom's spymaster.”

Your sister looks at you with a raised eyebrow.

“Is Beatrice not good enough?”

“On the contrary yes – she is a very good spy-master. Intelligent, cunning and devious. But, she's getting old and considering she's almost twice my age, I will certainly outlive her. So I need to prepare someone to take over her duties... So are you interested in helping me ruling the kingdom as my invisible hand?”