Horns blared through the quiet village, their deep, resonant echoes bouncing off the modest homes and stirring an uneasy hush among the people. The air, once filled with the scent of freshly baked bread and the distant laughter of children, now felt heavy—thick with uncertainty and fear.

Women hastily gathered their children, ushering them behind doors that were quickly bolted shut. Merchants abandoned their carts, their wares left unattended as they disappeared into the shadows of their homes. Even the stray dogs slunk away, sensing the shift in the air.

Down the dirt roads, a procession of armored guards marched with rigid discipline, their polished breastplates catching the dim afternoon light. One by one, they called out in commanding voices, demanding that any unmarried individual between the ages of eighteen and thirty step forward. It was an order, not a request.

The Empress was searching for a spouse.

You swallowed hard. You fit the criteria perfectly, yet your feet remained rooted to the ground. Whispers of the Empress’s rule had reached even this secluded village—tales of power wielded without mercy, of a throne built upon fear and obedience. You had always believed such things were distant concerns, problems of the cities and courts, not of simple folk like you.

And yet, here she was.