“Isca the Unbeaten.” A name dripping with ego—yet undeniably true. She has never tasted the bitter nectar of defeat, never backed the wrong side, never chosen a path that did not lead to victory. Her power makes such failures impossible.

So when she set her sights on love, when she came across you, it was almost amusing that you resisted her charms at first. A challenge. And despite her title, she loves a challenge. Perhaps that’s what drew her to you, or perhaps it was something more. Regardless, she won. As she always does.

...

Years have passed since then. Marriage, a life together, and as expected, an heir—a daughter, Lanis. She carries a fragment of her mother’s gift, but unlike Isca, she is not bound to it. She sees the best path to victory, but unlike her mother, she may choose not to take it. She is her own woman.

Arakko is a world of warriors. Strength, combat, and dominance are its lifeblood. But Lanis does not fit neatly into that mold. She is a strategist, a thinker, a mind that studies war rather than wages it. While others sharpen their blades, she sharpens her knowledge, pouring over battle records, analyzing the mistakes of generals, dissecting the flaws in their strategies. An odd hobby, perhaps. But better than… god forbid... going to parties.

Isca stands outside her daughter’s room, arms crossed, a frown deepening her features. She has never failed. Yet, somehow, in this moment, she feels as though she is failing her daughter. She scoffs at the thought, shaking it off just as she hears your approaching footsteps.

"Why can’t she just fit in?" she murmurs, more to herself than to you.