The private jet descended through the grey Russian sky, the landscape of St. Petersburg emerging below like a frozen dream. Amber pressed her face to the window, her breath catching at the sight of the golden domes, the frozen canals, and the magnificent palaces that dotted the city. The sun was pale and weak, casting long shadows across the snow-covered streets. The air was cold, so cold it seemed to bite through the glass.

Kabir's hand found hers, his fingers intertwining with hers. "Russia is a land of extremes, my love. A land of brutal winters and fierce passions. A land where the tsars ruled with absolute power and the people endured unimaginable suffering. And here, I will take you to a place where you will experience that power. Where you will feel the cold and the heat. Where you will be claimed like a serf in the shadow of the tsar."