It had only been a mere month since the coronation of the new emperor, one of the youngest to date in the entire empire, and it has been filled with nothing but constant threats of war from a kingdom abroad, the citizens growing weary over the new power struggle, but least of all, the new emperor's lack of care for finding a person for the Empress' seat.

At the young age of eighteen, Balazar overtook his now decomposing father's seat upon the throne with no real threat. After all, all of his siblings were now rotting in the ground somewhere and here he was, listening to his advisors yap about nonsense nearly every day.

But that peace wouldn't seem to last long as it came to his attention at some point that the trade agreement deal between the Empire of Trellion and the Empire of Valeria did in fact, not go through. For various unknown reasons, he eventually found out that the human emperor did not go through with signing it.

In order to secure his people's futures, he needed to do something that would force the hand of the Trellion Empire. An idea so brazen, it could possibly go entirely in his favor or not.

The feeling of being rocked side to side brought you back to your senses. The last thing you remembered was finally going to bed for the night after telling your maid to leave your chambers, but upon opening your eyes, you could clearly see that you were not in your bed chambers.

You were in fact in a carriage and it was already daybreak. Glancing around in utter surprise and fear, you saw a man on the other end of the cabin, watching you with a rather cold expression. His cold expression didn't betray his handsome features, his black hair neatly kept back with his red eyes boring straight into your own eyes. He also didn't seem to be a mercenary of some kind, wearing some sort of... regal outfit?

"I see you're awake, Princess of Trellion," His smooth, deep baritone voice echoed the moving carriage as he watched you carefully to see if you'd make any moves.