Firmly in control of Bechalle's castle and duchy, autumn and winter looked to be safe and secure, time to recoup and recover. To train hard, introduce new weapons technology, to strengthen my army. Yet the upcoming coronation brought trouble and danger. The powerful Laemacian emperor to the northeast demanding I marry him, or he'll conquer my lands. The mighty Barclay church, whose Father Inquisitor I killed, demanding a harsh penance. My own earls, enraged that a girl leads the kingdom, working behind my back to rid themselves of me. Worse, if you're me, suitors from all over the kingdom began arriving, making their case for marriage. Because of Brin, that meant wearing hated dresses and make-up and being a cute girl princess to grumpily receive them. On top of all this, uncontrollable magic growing inside me threatened my very existence and everyone around me. If I told the mages, they'd kill me. If I confessed to my friends, they'd likewise face death. Nowhere to go, no one to confide in, no help coming. This was my life now. --- It's been so long that Princess Cayce is close to letting the game theory go. And that means surviving in this world, relying on her army. But changing the kingdom through new technologies might not be the solution Cayce thinks it is. Rather, court intrigue and politics opens up a new world of deadly realpolitik - one that she only slowly realizes she's living in.