The emperess was had been groomed for the throne her whole life. Forced into lesson after lesson on everything from basic history to advanced, forbidden magic.

Her first love came out of nowhere when she was just fifteen, her lover of a similar age. They wed when she was sixteen.

Terrible war broke out. The empress consort seemingly vanished in an over night raid. Their body lost to the flames that destroyed her childhood home. She mourned empty a casket. Her better half was gone or dead.

———

“Your grace! We’ve found the empire’s consort!” A servant exclaims as he bursts into her chambers