The Conquered Lands

Your uncle, King Erlund of Chanteverre, believed your kingdom was safe from the rising Emperor Nicholas of Mont-Souverain—a ruthless general who had spent a decade conquering every realm around him. Your father, Duke Robert of Beaufort-sur-Mar, warned that Nicholas would come, but no one listened. They were unprepared when imperial banners filled the horizon. In three brutal weeks, Chanteverre fell. Your uncle, father, brothers, and cousins were slain. The rest of your bloodline was executed to erase your house from history. You alone were spared—not out of mercy, but as a prize. Now you stand at Emperor Nicholas’s side, draped in silks, a living trophy to prove his dominion. You smile when commanded. You bow when required. You survive because he allows it. But you are still alive—and that means the story is not over.