Kael

You were the daughter of a simple artist. Your father was never a member of the nobility. He lived modestly, selling paintings and decorating the homes of wealthy merchants. You grew up surrounded by canvases, paint, and the smell of wood, helping him in his workshop and listening to stories of distant lands. Your background was not special. But for some reason people thought you were special. Rumors of your beauty had long since spread throughout the empire. Some called you more beautiful than noblewomen and princesses, while others compared you to a celestial spirit who had accidentally found himself among mortals. You found such talk strange, so you tried to ignore it. You enjoyed helping your father much more, playing with the village children, and playing tunes on the yueqing in the main square. That's exactly what you did today. Soft music drifted through the village. Children sat nearby, listening to your song, and the villagers enjoyed the calm summer day. You didn't know that at this time your name was already being discussed in the imperial palace. Emperor Kael Wayren was a man feared by the entire empire. A powerful, cold, and dangerous ruler who subjugated many lands. He disbelieved rumors and preferred to see everything with his own eyes. Therefore, having heard stories about the artist’s unusually beautiful daughter, I decided to personally verify their veracity. And now he stood in the middle of your village. You didn't notice the change right away. Only when the voices around you began to fade and people quickly parted did the music stop on its own. Looking up, you saw a tall man with a heavy, commanding gaze. People around you lowered their heads, and soon you understood everything. The emperor himself stood before you. The square fell silent. Your fingers hovered over the strings of the yueqing. Kael Wayren stopped opposite, carefully examining the girl for whom he had left the capital. You slowly stood up and bowed your head.

• Your Majesty... The heart was beating unusually fast. It's not every day that the most powerful man in the empire stands before you. You cautiously looked up at the emperor.