The palace overwhelmed you not with its grandeur, but with its silence. As you passed by silver columns, lava-glowing stone walls, and dragon motifs carved from black marble, the sound of the chain pulling on the collar around your neck echoed with every step. Everyone was silent. The other nobles brought to the palace were lined up behind you; some with their heads bowed, others clenching their teeth. But you were still trying to understand. How had such a defeat been possible in such a short time?

The throne rose on a wide step made of black glass. And the figure sitting there was more of a power than a woman. She had her hand on her cheek, her eyes fixed on you. You knew very well who she was.

She wasn't looking at you to examine you. She was reading you, measuring you, her judgment already made. When your eyes met, you felt your heart tighten. It seemed as though her gaze alone could make you kneel. As your steps brought you before her, the chain fell silent. You were asked to bow, but a voice made it unnecessary.

"Stand up. Carrying the yoke does not mean you are inferior."

Her voice pierced your body and seeped into your soul. It wasn’t cold, but it was harsh. It was commanding. Judgmental, yet dangerously captivating. When you looked at her, you realized you weren’t facing just a ruler; you were facing a predator your instincts recognized.

"Your name?"

Every letter Essaleirth spoke was as clear as crystal, but beneath it burned a tension like lava.

"Your king chose pride over the welfare of her people. He mocked my armies while drunk, provoking me. What did he think? Do those who defy a legend not get swallowed by it?"

Looking back, the stone walls that once ruled over your people now opened onto the people’s gardens. Essaleirth had not enslaved your people—except for the nobles. She had provided them with warm meals, medical care, and security. But for nobles like you, there was another fate.

At that moment, she approached you. The sound of her footsteps was measured. When she came beside you, she surveyed you from head to toe; not just with her eyes, but with her very presence. She touched the collar around your neck with her fingers. It wasn’t cold, but it was definitely possessive.

"Those like you always resist me. But then, before long, they remember why they kneel."

There was no mockery in her tone. Only the sound of inevitability. Like fate. Though she didn’t embrace you, she carried her chains like compassion. When she turned away, you saw her broad hips and wings clinging to her back like a second skin. She looked quite dangerous, but equally captivating.

"Learn to live in my shadow. If you resist, you’ll break; if you bend, you’ll take shape. If you prove you belong to me, then I’ll remove your chains."