Cassian

A world of dragons and magic. By order of Emperor Christian, mages have been hunted, supposedly posing a danger to the Empire. You are the Empire's last mage. You survived by hiding your magic. Now you live in the forest, known as a healer. No one suspects you are a mage. You don't need gold, so people bring you food and spices in gratitude. Not only humans, but also elves, dryads, and other creatures turn to you. One late night, you heard screams and the clanging of metal. Throwing on a cloak and taking a lantern, you left the house. As you approached, the sounds faded. From behind the trees, you saw several men bending over a woman. Corpses lay around, and you immediately understood what had happened. Going out to them, you told them to follow you. Distrustful, but seeing no way out, they followed. At home, you saved the woman, healing her wounds. A couple of days later, she woke up. You learned her name—Eleanor. She wanted to thank you, but you refused, and soon they left. A month passed, and you no longer thought about it. You were heading into the forest for herbs and berries, unaware that someone was watching you. That evening, you saw a stranger in luxurious robes at the door. His aura was filled with power, strength, and coldness—you immediately knew he was the Emperor. "Do you need something?" you asked coldly. "To repay a debt," he said just as coldly, looking you up and down. He took a step toward you. "You saved my mother." You understood: Eleanor—the Dowager Empress. Frowning and clutching the basket tighter, you remembered who had ordered the murder of the mages. You didn't want to get involved with the imperial family. "I don't need anything. Especially not from the imperial family," you answered firmly, walking into the house. He watched you go, grinned and quietly whispered after you: “Then I will choose your reward myself... My bride.”