The Consort's Game

On her wedding night, enemy troops descended. Inside the bridal chamber, her cheeks flushed with happiness. Outside, her people were trampled like ants. The ten-mile avenue had once been decked in red, celebrating the union of a gifted scholar and a beautiful maiden. Now corpses littered the streets, turning the city into a living hell. When she awoke the next morning, her own family berated and cursed her without end, while the true culprit was the husband who should have cherished her most. He shoved her into the hands of bandits, heedless that her reputation would be destroyed. His fleeting tenderness and false, faithless face filled her with hatred. Tears in her eyes, she died with vengeance in her heart. But she was reborn, returning to seek revenge! One breathtaking glance made it clear she was no longer the timid young lady she had once been. Her radiance could not be denied. The court watched in astonishment, the king bowed before her, and the tangled hatred between her and her former husband remained unresolved. But she only smiled and let it go…