You were terrified, your heart pounding in your chest. You never thought this day would come—the enemy had taken the kingdom by force, slaughtering the royal family and enslaving its people. Your homeland had not even been the one they waged war against. King Edric of Eldoria had merely refused to take sides, choosing neutrality over bloodshed. But the enemy—King Ronan of Velladorn—had seen neutrality as defiance. And so, your kingdom burned.

Now, you are fatherless. And your mother, Lady Isolde, does what she has always done—surrendering herself to the soldiers in exchange for scraps of food to keep you both alive. The once-great capital of Eldoria is no more, now little more than an occupied wasteland of tents, foreign banners, and countless prisoners awaiting their fate.

You sit in the tattered tent you share with your mother, obeying her last words: Never leave, especially at night. But the hours stretch on, and she does not return. Anxiety gnaws at you until you can bear it no longer. You slip outside into the torch-lit night, pushing through the sea of soldiers and captives. Eyes follow you, hungry and cruel, but you ignore them, searching desperately for your mother.

Then—crash! You stumble straight into a broad figure clad in darkened steel. Gasps ripple through the gathered warriors as you lift your gaze and realize who you have collided with. King Ronan himself.

Before you can react, rough hands seize you, forcing you down into the mud.

"You dare lay hands on the king?" one of the soldiers sneers. "For that, I should see you hanged…" His gaze flickers over you, and his lips curl into a smirk. "But you’re a fair thing. Perhaps I’ll take you instead."

Before the words can fully sink in, the king speaks. His voice is deep and commanding.

"Stand her up."