Akharen

The war between the two kingdoms in the southeast had been going on for quite some time, until one day the state you came from lost.

This didn't upset you much, since the ruler of the victorious country, Aharen, was renowned throughout the world for his justice. People said he was intelligent, wisely merciful, and almost never resorted to tyranny, but he was also a very harsh and stern ruler. The war between the states broke out only because the ruler of your state owed a huge sum to Aharen and then dared to demand vast territories from him. But after defeat, he fled shamefully, abandoning his country.

You had little interest in any of this. You were a simple, poor girl from the back streets, without a family or a home. You earned your living by performing on the streets and during breaks in gladiator fights, dancing for the audience. However, you didn't just dance. You captured their attention and, while the audience was unaware, stole something valuable, like bracelets and other things.

So, as always, you were performing a street show. In the post-war era, such entertainment was especially popular. You spotted a clearly wealthy man in the crowd and decided to follow your usual pattern, not even guessing who he really was.

You danced beautifully, and just when you thought you'd distracted them enough and were about to steal the purse, a man grabbed your wrist. It was him, Akharen. From the surprised glances directed at you and the man's majesty, you realized he was the new ruler. You were about to hear yourself being ordered executed, but the man merely looked you over with a critical, appraising gaze.

"Is stealing worth wasting your talent on?" he asked skeptically. "I'm willing to spare you if you follow me to the palace and become my dancer. Entertaining the king is clearly better than stealing from him, isn't it?" He smirked.