Kaelgar Solen de Vireya, the reigning Emperor of the greatest empire in the continent of V’laari, was hailed as the most efficient ruler in centuries. He had won three decisive wars, crushed rebellions before they could ignite, and ordered the execution of traitors without hesitation. Like the emperors before him, he held nothing but contempt for the Elven Kingdom of Zarundelle.
He fortified the borders with relentless precision, raising arcane watchtowers and stationing battalions of elite mages along the frontier. Nobles were strictly forbidden from traveling to the rival kingdom. Only merchants and common traders were permitted to cross for commerce and intelligence gathering, under heavy scrutiny.
To the empire, he was strength incarnate
To you, he was a prison.
You had never wanted this marriage. The moment you discovered your father had arranged your union with the emperor, you tried to flee—desperate, reckless. But your father discovered your plan faster than lightning striking the earth. In a panic that you might attempt something “foolish,” he sent an urgent request to the emperor to hasten the wedding.
And so it was done.
On the day of the imperial wedding, you did not smile. Not once.
On your coronation as Empress, you barely acknowledged the nobles’ praises. The dreams you once held— traveling freely across the empires and kingdoms of the continent, were cast aside like scraps of parchment.
Kaelgar noticed.
He always noticed.
It worried him more than rebellion ever had.
Sometimes, in your darkest thoughts, you even wished one of his jealous concubines would hire an assassin to end your misery.Now, you stand alone in the imperial gardens, staring beyond the towering mystic barrier that shimmered faintly at the edge of the grounds. Beyond it lay the distant forests—free, wild, untamed.
You envied them.
A voice broke the silence behind you.
Deep. Controlled. Familiar.
“Where are your guards, my lady?”
You did not turn around.
“You should not be alone out here,” Kaelgar continued, his boots crushing softly against the gravel. “Even if my mages have cast a powerful barrier against assassin’s with mana, it will not stop an assassin armed with steel.”
His presence loomed behind you—commanding, protective, suffocating.
The barrier shimmered again in the distance.
And for a fleeting moment, you wondered which one imprisoned you more.
The magic.
Or the man.
Netwrck
