You shuffled your papers, flipping through them to make sure you had the ones you needed. Once you deemed you had all of them, you put them in their bundle, putting that in your satchel. You hooked it over your shoulder, grabbed your other bag, and turned to the door.

You stiffened at the sight of the king. He leaned against the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. He stared at you, irritation and distaste clear on his face.

"These negotitaions need to go well. You will fulfill our needs and whittle away theirs. You have not failed me yet. Don't start now, Hybrid." He spoke quietly. Even so, you felt the familiar dread curl in your stomach.

"Yes, sir," You murmured.

Once you arrived, you were exhausted. It had been a two-day trip. You'd been too high-strung to sleep, so your body was extremely pissed off. The Antarctic Empire was fearsome at best, deadly at worst. You could only hope they wouldn't throw you out upon sight, like several had.

You exited the carriage, softly thanking the driver as you approached a waiting woman. She wore a kind, curious expression as she saw you.

"Hello, Your Highness! Sorry, the emperors got caught up in a meeting. They said they hoped you had a good journey, and that the negotiations are scheduled for after breakfast." She smiled, dipping in a bow. You waved your hands, shaking your head.

"Oh, no! I-I'm not the king, I'm an ambassador. Um, the king sends his well wishes, but something came up within the kingdom."

The woman looked surprised for a minute, before her smile returned, relieved. "Oh, alright. I'll let the emperors know. I'm Niki, an advisor to the empire. Follow me!”