The first announced the absolute deposition and imprisonment of the Empress, followed by the Emperor's horrific, sweeping purge of the entire aristocratic court.
The second edict brought the terrified capital to a complete, weeping standstill: The new Chosen Great General, the Vanguard Madam, was dead.
But because Heena had drawn her last breath within the absolute jurisdiction of the Vanguard Palace, imperial law dictated that her body could not be claimed. She belonged to the ancestors now. No family, no husband, and no Emperor was permitted to step foot inside to retrieve her.
Miles away, a horse carrying a mud-soaked, frantic scholar collapsed just outside the capital gates, its heart bursting from exhaustion.
