War Trophy

A war trophy, a spoiled first princess—can you re-educate her, or will she bend you under her heel?

Plot

A Peace Sealed in Blood :root { --ink: #241f1b; --muted: #756b62; --paper: #f6efdf; --wine: #6d2932; --gold: #a9874c; } * { box-sizing: border-box; } body { margin: 0; color: var(--ink); background: radial-gradient(circle at 12% 10%, rgba(255,255,255,.8), transparent 26rem), linear-gradient(135deg, #b7c9d3 0%, #e9eef0 48%, #cbd8df 100%); font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; min-height: 100vh; } .snow { position: fixed; inset: 0; pointer-events: none; opacity: .42; background-image: radial-gradient(circle, white 0 1px, transparent 1.5px); background-size: 83px 97px; } .page { width: min(900px, calc(100% - 32px)); margin: 34px auto; padding: clamp(32px, 6vw, 78px) clamp(24px, 8vw, 96px); background: var(--paper); box-shadow: 0 18px 50px rgba(35,52,61,.26), inset 0 0 0 1px rgba(117,92,57,.2); position: relative; } .page:before, .page:after { content: ''; position: absolute; left: 6%; right: 6%; height: 1px; background: linear-gradient(90deg, transparent, var(--gold), transparent); } .page:before { top: 22px; } .page:after { bottom: 22px; } .eyebrow { text-align: center; letter-spacing: .28em; text-transform: uppercase; color: var(--wine); font-size: 11px; margin-bottom: 18px; } h1 { text-align: center; font-weight: normal; font-size: clamp(32px, 6vw, 56px); line-height: 1.05; margin: 0; color: #382d29; } .subtitle { text-align: center; color: var(--muted); font-style: italic; margin: 18px auto 46px; max-width: 560px; font-size: 17px; } .ornament { text-align: center; color: var(--gold); font-size: 22px; margin: 22px 0; } p { font-size: 18px; line-height: 1.82; text-align: justify; margin: 0 0 20px; text-indent: 1.7em; } p:first-of-type { text-indent: 0; } p:first-of-type:first-letter { float: left; font-size: 4.2em; line-height: .78; padding: .08em .08em 0 0; color: var(--wine); } strong { color: var(--wine); font-weight: bold; } em { color: #58483c; } blockquote { margin: 32px 5%; padding: 18px 25px; border-left: 3px solid var(--gold); background: rgba(255,255,255,.32); font-size: 20px; line-height: 1.55; font-style: italic; color: #493b34; } .chapter { text-align: center; margin-top: 44px; color: var(--wine); letter-spacing: .12em; font-size: 13px; text-transform: uppercase; } @media (max-width: 600px) { .page { margin: 0; width: 100%; min-height: 100vh; padding: 46px 23px; } p { font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.7; } blockquote { margin-left: 0; margin-right: 0; font-size: 17px; } } Chronicles of Two Kingdoms A Peace Sealed in Blood The story of a kingdom that could not win—and of the princess who became the price of salvation ❖ When the armies of Vaeldor were defeated for the third time at the walls of the capital, King Lancel Darkren finally understood: he could no longer continue the war. His fortresses, one after another, opened their gates to the conqueror. The treasury was rapidly emptying, allies fell silent, and his own generals were already beginning to whisper of betrayal. The final blow was the fall of the Silver Pass—the main road leading to the royal palace. After that, the army of Kaldheim could enter the capital in just a few days. And so King Lancel Darkren sent envoys with an offer of peace. The terms of the treaty were as generous as his desperate hope to keep the throne allowed. Vaeldor agreed to pay an enormous tribute, renounce disputed borderlands, open trade routes, and grant Kaldheim special rights in its ports. But the main point of the agreement was a marriage alliance. King Lancel Darkren offered the conquering monarch the hand of his firstborn daughter—Princess Adelaide Darkren. He himself called it "a union of two great powers". Court scribes, competing in the pomp of their phrasing, wrote even more solemnly: "The joining of two royal houses for the sake of eternal peace and prosperity of both kingdoms." However, everyone present at the negotiations understood perfectly the true essence of the deal. Lancel Darkren was giving his daughter to the conqueror so that he would not take everything else. Chapter One ❖ Adelaide learned of her future marriage not from her father or mother. She was told at breakfast, while choosing between candied plums and pears stewed in honey. The servant delivered the news in such a cautious tone, as if announcing the death of a beloved dog. The princess listened to the end, then asked who exactly would become her husband. After a short pause, she inquired whether his palace was beautiful enough. In twenty years of life, Adelaide had grown accustomed to getting everything she wanted. She grew up in marble halls, where tall windows overlooked rose gardens, and the floors were polished to such a shine that servants sometimes slipped, trying not to make an extra sound. She was surrounded by teachers, musicians, seamstresses, ladies-in-waiting, and court flatterers. Every day she was reminded that she was extraordinarily intelligent, beautiful, graceful, and worthy only of the best. No one dared tell her the truth: Adelaide was capricious, spoiled, and completely unprepared for life outside her native palace. However, the princess herself sincerely believed that she possessed an impeccable character. If someone cried after talking to her, it meant the interlocutor was too sensitive. If a courtier left the palace after a humiliating reprimand, it meant he simply could not withstand the company of a great woman. If a suitor refused to continue the engagement, it meant only one thing: he did not match her level.

Characters

Tags: Royalty Princess ArrangedMarriage PoliticalIntrigue War Fantasy Historical MarriageBeforeLove SlowBurn EnemiesToLovers FemPOV Arrogant Cold Dominant Submissive Transformation Redemption Love Hate Mysterious OpenEnding

Chats Started: 39

By: cpt_kira_yamato

Stories

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