"Once upon a time, there was a slave in the southern part of the continent of Penumbralia, and that slave's name was Ogeada. One day, Ogeada killed his master and fled from there. Later, he became a mercenary and roamed from battle to battle. After years of fighting, he used his wit to kill the king he served and, by marrying the princess who had fallen in love with him, became the king himself. Ogeada continued to wage war after becoming king and united all the remaining southern lands, becoming the sole king of the south. However, Ogeada was a very ambitious man and wanted to be the sole king in the whole world, for which he needed to conquer the continent of Penumbralia first. Ogeada fought for years and eventually conquered most of the Penumbralia continent, leaving only one kingdom remaining. That kingdom was the Tiamat kingom, which at the time was still a small and impoverished kingdom. Upon learning of Ogeada's war, the people panicked, except for one person. The only one who was not afraid of Ogeada was Marcellus Gladron Tiamat, king of the kingdom of Tiamat, He bravely refused to surrender to the southern empire and eventually started a war that would last about 150 years, but the winner would be the Tiamat kingdom. The legendary king Marcellus Gladron Tiamat became respected for centuries as the second founder and savior of the Tiamat kingdom. And so, our tale for tonight comes to an end..." 

Catherine felt sad when she woke up from the warmth of the dream she saw, gone because of the sunlight. This was the last story her father had told her, and the day after telling this tale, she had gone to the Tamerid Empire for a diplomatic meeting but never returned. Catherine was just a child when she lost both her father and mother at the same time, but she vowed to seek revenge, so she pushed aside these memories that devastated her and got out of bed, ringing the bell. Soon, the servants entered.

"Our Princess, how may I assist you?" said the servant.

"Bring me my clothes and do my hair" Catherine said in a subdued voice. Catherine sat at the make up table and waited for her servant.

"As you command" said the servant, pulling out several elegant dresses from the wardrobe. Then she proceeded to do Catherine's hair from behind. The servant did the same thing every day, but Catherine's soft hair and scent still captivated her.

"You look as beautiful as ever today, our princess" said the servant when she finished her work.

"Thank you. You may leave now," said Catherine. When the servant left, she approached the window and looked outside. Unfortunately, she could only see the palace garden because the palace was surrounded by high walls. These walls had been built by Marcellus Gladron Tiamat and were still sturdy, but Catherine hated these high walls because they blocked her view. Despite dressing up and getting her hair done every day, Catherine couldn't leave the palace.

Since her father's death, her uncle Vincent had forbidden Catherine from leaving the palace. Every time Catherine objected to this decision, Vincent would say, "It's for your safety."Catherine's desire for freedom had been burning ever since the walls of the palace imprisoned her.  Her uncle's attitude annoyed her, but she was already planning to kill him. After all, even a fool would understand that the Tamerid Empire was responsible for her parents' death, yet her uncle had done nothing about it and, worse, was secretly strengthening his position. Catherine was sure her uncle Vincent had a hand in her parents' death, so he was the first person she planned to kill, but with each passing second, things were getting more difficult for her.

Uncle Vincent was currently the temporary king and was increasing his power every day, with the number of lords supporting him growing. Lords who didn't support him were suspiciously dying. In such a situation, every passing second was against Catherine. Indeed, Catherine, being a woman, had sparked a debate among the lords, and many didn't want a woman to rule, openly supporting Vincent's permanent reign. In such a situation, Catherine's situation was very difficult. 

Catherine was lost in thought when a man entered through the door. He was Catherine's personal guard and also a member of the espionage unit of the Tiamat Empire. He approached Catherine.

"You seem unhappy today, my queen," he said.

"Did you gather any information?" Catherine asked.

"Yes, my queen, important information. It seems that the Alpshar Kingdom and the Asina Kingdom are on the verge of war. Additionally, we have learned that the island federation will also join this war," he said.

"What? Why am I only learning about this now?" Catherine yelled as she stood up.

"I'm sorry, my queen, but we have just learned about it ourselves, and I have informed you immediately," he said.

"Is this information reliable?"

"Yes, my queen, this information was sent to us by reliable sources," he said.

"Then do you think the Asina Kingdom has a chance of winning?" Catherine asked.

"It's possible, but Alpshar has never lost a war before, and it has achieved this through its cunning. Additionally, although the Tamerid Empire will not be directly involved in the war, we have learned that it will provide assistance," he said.

"Very well, thank you. You may leave; I need some time alone," Catherine said, and after the guard bowed, he left. Catherine glanced out the window for a moment before sitting at her desk and taking out a piece of paper to write a letter. She hadn’t written to Ethan in a long time, so it was crucial to send this letter promptly.

-----

Ethan, along with Duchess Theodora, was riding towards the camp of the Tamerid Empire. They were heading there to greet Empress Anastasia, who was coming to the capital of the Asina Kingdom for a diplomatic visit. Ethan and Duchess Theodora, accompanied by a few guards, continued their journey without delay and soon arrived at the campsite. Since the Empress's camp was close to the capital, there was a chance they could return to the city before sunset. As Ethan approached the camp, several guards bearing the emblem of the Tamerid Empire blocked their path.

"Who are you?" a guard asked in a stern voice.

"I am Ethan Asina Lenistark, the third prince of the Asina Kingdom. We have come to escort Empress Anastasia Valentina Tamerid to the capital," Ethan said loudly and showing the royal emblem of the Asina Kingdom.

"You may enter" the guard said.

Ethan and his group entered, and soon they noticed a cold-eyed woman standing in front of a large tent. The woman had short golden hair, purple eyes, and was quite tall. Her broad shoulders and sturdy legs indicated that she was dangerous not only because she was an empress but also because of her fighting abilities. As Ethan dismounted, he approached the woman.

"Greetings, Empress Anastasia. I hope your journey was smooth" he said, approaching Anastasia.

Anastasia was surprised to see Ethan. After all, he was a giant among women and taller than almost all men. It had been a long time since she had finally seen someone taller than her.

"It seems you resemble your father very much" she said.

"I've heard that many times, and I confess we do resemble each other," Ethan said politely. He was now standing in front of the most powerful woman on the continent, and if it weren't for the Alpshar, she would still hold the title of the most powerful person. Even after this one-sided defeat, she had managed to maintain her power and influence, which showed how intelligent she was. Indirectly, the fact that Alpshar was able to outsmart such a woman showed how great a monster Alpshar was. 

"I have heard a lot about you beyond your appearance, and most of them were positive" Anastasia said.

"Your kindness, Ms. Anastasia. I've heard a lot about you too, and as a sincere compliment, I'm always impressed by how much you've accomplished in such a short time" Ethan said. 

"Then may I assume you have a fondness for strong women?" Anastasia asked with a smirk.

"Absolutely."

"Haha, you seem to be quite fun, Prince Ethan. When we arrive at your palace, pay me a visit, and I'll prepare the famous Tamerid tea for you," Anastasia said.

"I would gladly accept your gracious invitation," Ethan said. Anastasia observed Ethan silently for a while and finally spoke.

"If you'll excuse me, I'll change my attire, and then we can set out before it gets dark," Anastasia said. Ethan, noticing her attire for the first time, realized that even her ordinary clothes showcased her beautiful figure. "Please, make yourself comfortable and don't rush. We'll be waiting for you here," Ethan said, and after casting one last glance at him, Anastasia entered her tent.

Anastasia