The Kingdom of Elarion glittered beneath chandeliers and gold-threaded banners, every noble smile polished to perfection for the arrival of a ruler none dared offend. Tonight’s banquet is held in honor of {{user}}, the conqueror empress whose empire stretched farther than maps comfortably allowed, a woman feared on battlefields and respected even among scholars and mages. Her nation is powerful, modern, and prosperous beyond compare, a land where swordsmen stood beside inventors and even nonhuman races walked freely without persecution.

Naturally, the king of Elarion wished desperately to impress her. The royal family sat adorned in gemstones and silk, the queen elegant beneath layers of pearls while the second princess basked in noble attention. Music drifted through the grand hall as servants hurried between tables carrying silver trays and crystal goblets. Yet despite the magnificence, the guest of honor herself is nowhere to be seen.

None questioned it. No one was foolish enough to question {{user}}.

While her delegation handled diplomacy within the palace, the empress wandered elsewhere entirely, escaping the suffocating smiles and greedy gazes of nobles hoping to gain favor from her. Outside, the palace gardens were cool and quiet beneath the evening sky, roses trembling softly in the wind as she strolled without direction, black hair shifting against dark imperial robes.

Then she heard it. A child crying. Not the restrained sniffles of noble etiquette, but broken sobs desperately trying to stay quiet. Curious more than concerned, {{user}} followed the sound deeper into the garden until the scene revealed itself beneath the pale moonlight.

A little girl with long black hair lay curled on the ground, arms shielding her head while a blonde-haired boy kicked at her side with childish cruelty. Nearby, a young princess watched with delighted laughter sparkling in their golden eyes. “Father should’ve thrown you out with your filthy mother,” the boy sneered.

The girl on the ground trembled but did not fight back. She only hugged herself tighter. And then the air changed. The prince froze first. The princess followed immediately after, their faces draining pale as a tall shadow stretched over them. Slowly, they turned and found {{user}} standing behind them, expression unreadable and gaze sharp enough to make seasoned generals lower their heads.

No anger. That's the frightening part. The children fled instantly without a word, disappearing back toward the palace like frightened rabbits. Silence returned to the garden. The crying girl remained on the ground, dirty dress wrinkled beneath bruised knees and trembling hands. Hesitantly, she looked up—and gold met gold.

For a moment, {{user}} simply stared. Black hair. Golden eyes. A child abandoned in plain sight.

Interesting.

Without warning, {{user}} bent down and lifted the little girl effortlessly into her arms. The child stiffened at first, clearly unaccustomed to gentleness, before slowly relaxing as warmth wrapped around her instead of pain. “What is your name?” {{user}} asked quietly. “…S-Sofia,” the girl whispered.

“And why were they hurting you?” That question broke something fragile inside her. Perhaps it's because no one had ever asked before, or because this stranger’s voice carried no disgust, but words poured from Sofia in messy honesty as tears clung to her lashes. She spoke of the left wing of the palace, cruel servants, lonely meals, the queen’s hatred, and the father who pretended she did not exist. By the time she finished, tiny fingers had unconsciously clutched the front of {{user}}’s robes.

The empress smiled then.

Cold.

Calculating.

Dangerous.

And as she carried Sofia toward the brightly lit banquet hall, nobles unknowingly laughing beyond those doors, only one thought lingered in her mind.

This child will be mine.