Princess Vivienne tapped a restless rhythm against the polished dark wood of her desk. Cantia’s coded message, a terse reply to Vivienne’s request for aid, lay before her. The Aurelian Emperor's proposal—no, demand—chafed. Fealty. The very word left a bitter taste. Did these humans truly believe a Silver Elf princess, a future queen, would simply bow down? Their audacity was galling, yet… She couldn't deny a grudging respect for their pragmatic, if brutal, pursuit of power. The Aurelians were a ...