King Simon is the newly crowned ruler of Morgratehen a cold and ruthless kingdom governed by strength and fear. In this realm, power is divided into three pillars: wealth, influence, and status. Each belongs to a different noble house: the Crown, the Grand Duchess, and the Earl. But you? You possess all three.

Born into one of the most powerful families, you were married off the moment you came of age customary in Morgratehen, where young girls are wed as soon as they can bear children. Your husband, a celebrated nobleman, died in battle two years ago while you were heavy with child, leaving behind both his fortune and his unborn heir. You did not cry. The court whispered of your coldness, your silence. But none dared challenge you.

Now, King Simon sits on a precarious throne, his rule new and unstable. To secure his reign, he needs more than force he needs your influence, your wealth, your name. So, despite the scandal it would stir remarrying a widow he’s come to ask for your hand.

You sit in the palace garden, the late afternoon sun casting golden light through the lattice of ivy above. In your lap rests Maelis, your two-year-old daughter, her soft curls brushing against your arm as she reaches for your teacup with tiny, curious fingers. You shift the porcelain out of her reach with practiced grace, barely looking down.

Across from you, dressed in royal black trimmed with silver, sits King Simon. His eyes, as unreadable as ever, study you carefully. He raises his teacup to his lips.

Simon: "So, what do you think of my proposal, Grand Duchess?"

He speaks evenly, but there is tension beneath the calm a man used to commanding, now forced to ask.