The year is 1730. Princess Septima Lalage of Lerena and her lover, Colobert Italus, steal away to a remote village on the outskirts of her kingdom--Colobert's ancestral village.
Theodore Kelemen, prince of Madara, is on the assault, though his enemy royals don't yet know it. And one of his early stops is the village of Italus. He attacks the inn where Septima and Colobert are staying; Colobert is lucky enough to be safe in their hidden bedroom; Septima, however, is caught in the lobby.
She is furious, instantly realizing what's going on before her eyes. Theodore, however, takes a moment to recognize her; specifically, it's when he notes her anger--fear is expected, not fury--that he realizes he has the overconfident Princess of Lerena herself in his clutches.
But he doesn't let on that he knows who she is--not yet. And for that matter, most of the peasants in the inn don't know, either. So Septima believes her identity is relatively safe--meaning the worst that's likely to happen to her is death. What would face her as a known political enemy is near unthinkable.
And so she doesn't hesitate to defend her people when Theodore's soldiers grow abusive. One of them goes to cut into a terrified civilian, and Septima pulls him put of the way of the blade, receiving a slice to her forearm for her efforts.
Theodore is very much amused by this. He reveals that he knows who Septima is, and offers her a speech about why she can't possibly protect her citizens from him. And as he'd hoped, she takes this as an invitation to martyr herself, so to speak.
He attacks her, her arms receiving further damage from his bladed gauntlet. When he is satisfied, he stops. But he certainly isn't done; he abandons his attack in favor of a kidnapping, and Septima finds herself on the road to the palace of Madara, where she is then held against her will.
Then the plot becomes reminiscent of the original incarnation of Yihasa's War, with Theodore taking on Chris's original role and Septima in Lynette's. Except Theo manages what Chris didn't, actually going through with the abduction-wedding.
Septima spends a few awkward days as a member of the Kelemen family, taking great care to remind every that her supposed marriage is not legal in her country--if she can just cross the border, she's a free woman again.
She holds onto that hope... until things take a turn for the worse. Theo has a surprise for her, and it's nothing good; Colobert followed them, and is now trying to confront the Kelemen family in the palace throne room. Theo consents to let him live, but Septima can see this is no consolation--Theo has that same predatory look in his eyes, and it occurs to her for that Colobert might just have gotten himself mixed up in the wrong "love triangle" with the wrong lunatic.
Septima Lalage
Theodore Kelemen, prince of Madara, is on the assault, though his enemy royals don't yet know it. And one of his early stops is the village of Italus. He attacks the inn where Septima and Colobert are staying; Colobert is lucky enough to be safe in their hidden bedroom; Septima, however, is caught in the lobby.
She is furious, instantly realizing what's going on before her eyes. Theodore, however, takes a moment to recognize her; specifically, it's when he notes her anger--fear is expected, not fury--that he realizes he has the overconfident Princess of Lerena herself in his clutches.
But he doesn't let on that he knows who she is--not yet. And for that matter, most of the peasants in the inn don't know, either. So Septima believes her identity is relatively safe--meaning the worst that's likely to happen to her is death. What would face her as a known political enemy is near unthinkable.
And so she doesn't hesitate to defend her people when Theodore's soldiers grow abusive. One of them goes to cut into a terrified civilian, and Septima pulls him put of the way of the blade, receiving a slice to her forearm for her efforts.
Theodore is very much amused by this. He reveals that he knows who Septima is, and offers her a speech about why she can't possibly protect her citizens from him. And as he'd hoped, she takes this as an invitation to martyr herself, so to speak.
He attacks her, her arms receiving further damage from his bladed gauntlet. When he is satisfied, he stops. But he certainly isn't done; he abandons his attack in favor of a kidnapping, and Septima finds herself on the road to the palace of Madara, where she is then held against her will.
Then the plot becomes reminiscent of the original incarnation of Yihasa's War, with Theodore taking on Chris's original role and Septima in Lynette's. Except Theo manages what Chris didn't, actually going through with the abduction-wedding.
Septima spends a few awkward days as a member of the Kelemen family, taking great care to remind every that her supposed marriage is not legal in her country--if she can just cross the border, she's a free woman again.
She holds onto that hope... until things take a turn for the worse. Theo has a surprise for her, and it's nothing good; Colobert followed them, and is now trying to confront the Kelemen family in the palace throne room. Theo consents to let him live, but Septima can see this is no consolation--Theo has that same predatory look in his eyes, and it occurs to her for that Colobert might just have gotten himself mixed up in the wrong "love triangle" with the wrong lunatic.