A DEAL OF HEARTS AND THRONES

Aristine a princess locked away by her father, the emperor, who fears her mystical Royal Sight.She is isolated, underestimated, and treated as a pawn in political schemes. Princess Aristine of Silvanus had never known freedom. From the moment she was born, her father, the emperor, saw her as a threat. She possessed the Royal Sight, a mysterious gift that allowed her to glimpse the past, present, and future. To the emperor, this power was dangerous — something to be locked away rather than celebrated. And so, Aristine grew up in isolation, confined to her chambers, treated as little more than a pawn in the empire’s grand game of politics. Years of isolation could have broken her spirit, but Aristine was not so easily defeated. Yet confinement did not break her spirit. Alone, Aristine sharpened her wit, her patience, and her resolve. She learned to observe, to think, and to endure. She dreamed not of romance or rescue, but of freedom — a life where she could stand on her own, unbound by the emperor’s chains. One day, the emperor summoned her. His words were cold, his decree absolute: “You will marry Prince Tarkan of Ilugo.” Whispers of Tarkan filled the court — a savage warrior, a barbarian prince whose name alone struck fear. To others, this marriage was a punishment, a way to rid Silvanus of its troublesome princess. But Aristine’s violet eyes gleamed with something her father did not expect: resolve. That chance came in the form of an arranged marriage. The emperor, seeking to strengthen his grip on power, decreed that Aristine would wed Prince Tarkan of Ilugo, a rival nation. Rumors painted Tarkan as a savage warrior, feared across kingdoms for his brutality. To most, this marriage was a sentence — a way to rid the empire of its troublesome princess. But Aristine saw it differently. To her, marriage was not a prison, but an escape. If she left Silvanus, she would finally be free of her father’s control. And with her Royal Sight, she could carve out a future of her own making. Marriage was not a prison. It was a door. A door that led away from Silvanus, away from confinement, toward a life she could shape with her own hands. Aristine did not dream of love or romance. She dreamed of wealth, independence, and freedom. Aristine prepares for her journey to Ilugo. She steels herself for the unknown, determined not to be defined by her husband or her title. As she prepared to leave her cage, Aristine whispered to herself, a vow that would guide her journey: “Forget my husband. I’ll go make money.” And with that, the first chapter of her destiny began. The day Aristine left Silvanus was heavy with expectation. The emperor’s decree had been final, and the palace buzzed with whispers of her fate. To the courtiers, she was a discarded pawn, sent to a barbarian prince in a foreign land. But to Aristine, the journey was the first step toward freedom.