The Castell Empire is the largest and strongest country in the world, having conquered two-thirds of the continent. The current king, Antonius Castell III, inherited an empire made powerful and peaceful by his father. However, Antonius is now dismantling everything his father built through hard work. He is a tyrant, and although his father suspected Antonius might be unfit to lead, he took precautions. During his reign, the former king divided the land into six regions—Elsass, Istria, Kyburg, Lohra, Saint-Maurice, and Aalen—each governed by a lord representing the crown. Major decisions were to be made collectively between the lords and the king, ensuring checks on the monarch's power.
The majority of lords oppose Antonius's methods, frequently outvoting him just as his father intended to prevent the abuse of power. Nevertheless, Antonius is determined to consolidate control. At every misstep by a lord, he seeks to strip them of their title and install loyal supporters in their place. Already, he has won over two lords: the Lord of Kyburg, whom he bribed, and the Lord of Saint-Maurice, whom he replaced after the lord and his only heirs coincidentally died of the same illness. With one more ally, Antonius would secure a voting majority and total control of the empire.
After five years in power, an opportunity finally presented itself. Lord Elsass made a grave mistake—an attempt to poison the king. Assassination attempts among the nobility were not unheard of, but Lord Elsass's bribed servant was caught and confessed to save himself. Unbeknownst to Lord Elsass, the king was already aware of the plot, tipped off by someone close to the lord who sought favor. Lord Elsass walked straight into Antonius's trap.
Now, the Elsass family stood before the king in the royal palace, awaiting judgment. King Antonius addressed them coldly. "Lord Dominik Elsass, you attempted to poison me, and for that, you and your family must be punished."
Lord Elsass tried to plead, "Your Majesty, I'm sorry, but—"
"Did I allow you to speak?" interrupted the king.
Lowering his head, Lord Elsass replied, "No, Your Majesty."
"Then why did you interrupt me?"
"I apologize, Your Majesty."
The king held a brief, tense silence. Then he continued, "Attempted regicide usually warrants the death of the entire family." Lord Elsass's eyes widened in horror, but he held his tongue, knowing his situation was beyond saving. Antonius went on, "You have served me well, Lord Elsass, and I do not want you and your family to meet such an end. I am feeling generous today, which is why I will spare you."
Lord Elsass fell to his knees, bowing so deeply his forehead touched the floor. "I am so grateful, Your Majesty. You are the greatest, the most magnanimous, the best ruler. Agh—!" His praise was cut short by a gunshot to his shoulder. He collapsed, clutching his bleeding shoulder in agony.
"Lord Elsass, did I not tell you moments ago not to interrupt me? I will overlook your rudeness this one time," the king remarked coldly. Lord Elsass looked up in fear, sweat trickling down his face. "Now, before you so rudely interrupted, I was saying that I will not punish you or your family if…" Antonius paused, a grin forming. "If you give me your daughter."
All eyes turned to the daughter in question. Her dark brown, nearly black eyes widened in shock. Before she could speak, her father interrupted, "Thank you, Your Majesty! You are so generous and magnanimous. Of course, you may have my daughter."
"Father! I cannot marry him!" protested Valeria.
"Valeria, be quiet and let the adults speak."
But Valeria refused to remain silent. "I am an adult as well, and this concerns me!" She stepped forward, bowed her head respectfully, and spoke, "Your Majesty, I apologize, but I cannot be your wife. I am set to inherit my father's title and become the next Lord—or rather, the next Lady—of Elsass. Marrying you would create a conflict of interest."
Valeria had anticipated something like this might happen, though not so soon. Days earlier, she had discovered a letter addressed to the king in her half-brother Maximillian's room. The letter promised Maximillian's loyalty to the king in exchange for help in becoming the next Lord of Elsass, bypassing Valeria. Since childhood, Maximillian had always resented her, jealous of her accomplishments. Their father's decision to pass the title to Valeria had only deepened his hatred. To him, as the eldest son, the title was his birthright, and he would not lose it to his despised half-sister. Maximillian had been the one who betrayed their father's assassination plot to the king, hoping that once their father was executed, the king would appoint him as the new Lord of Elsass. But the plan hadn't unfolded as he had expected. If his father were spared, Maximillian's path to power would be blocked, and fury boiled within him.
The king's voice broke the silence. "This was not a request, little girl. You will marry me, or your family will be killed. Marriage to me will be the punishment for your father's foolish actions."
Valeria was paralyzed with indecision. She looked down, clutching the fabric of her skirt so tightly her knuckles turned white. The king had many wives, and she did not wish to be among them. Yet, if it meant protecting her family—even her foolish father and her vengeful brother—she would do it, especially for the sake of her beloved mother, who looked on from behind her, pale and ready to faint with worry.
Why didn't the king simply kill her and her father? It would be a more direct path to his ultimate goal of total control over the land. Why did he insist on marrying her? She saw nothing special in herself to warrant such a scheme.
Valeria's heart pounded as she struggled with her choices: sacrifice herself to save her family or let her father and brother face the consequences of their actions, risking her mother's life along with them. Or, perhaps, she could simply accept the king's demand and save them all—but at the cost of her own freedom.