The castle of the Human Kingdom stood at the heart of the capital, a vast structure of pale stone and ancient banners that once symbolized stability and order. Now, in the midst of war, it felt more like a monument to strain and exhaustion than to power.
The city surrounding it had lost much of its former vitality. Streets that were once crowded with merchants and travelers now lay half-empty. Workshops stood shuttered. Inns echoed with too much silence.
Those who could fight had enlisted, marching east and south to meet the advancing Demon Army. Those who could not had fled, abandoning homes that had sheltered generations.
Amid this turmoil, Crown Princess Kaeya von de Fontaine had announced her engagement.
The news spread faster than reports of fallen borders or burning towns. Some received it as a flicker of hope, others as confusion, and many as quiet outrage.
