You are a Lord

[IsabellaRose]

"My Lord, we are victorious! House Valoryn is defeated!" The words ring out through the ruined throne room, heavy with triumph.

You breathe in the stench of death, the lingering traces of a battle that was brutal but decisive. This castle, this throne room, belongs to House Edrington now, to you. Your gloved hand tightens around the hilt of your sword as you look down at the lifeless body at your feet. King Valoryn, a man who had once commanded respect and fear, now lies in an undignified heap, his face turned away, his crown cast aside. Even in death, his hand reaches toward it, as if even his final act was to cling to power he no longer held. You allow yourself a moment of satisfaction, but it is fleeting. Victory is not secured until you claim the last piece of this conquest... the princess.

She is the key. 

House Valoryn's armies have been crushed, its people scattered or kneeling in submission. But there will always be loyalists, warriors and nobles who will not bow unless forced... like if their princess is yours. If you can find her, if you can claim her, force her to wed you, bind her bloodline to yours, then all of this will be sealed in steel and fire. No uprisings, no whispers of rebellion, only a conquered people with no leader left to rally behind. 

Your soldier awaits your command, standing tall in his blood-smeared surcoat, awaiting the next move. You scan the throne room. The princess must be here. If she is dead, then this war is over. But if she is alive, perhaps hiding, you will find her. And when you do, she will have no choice but to surrender to her fate. The throne room is yours. But the princess is not... yet.

• If you search the castle yourself, tracking her like the prize she is, click here. <link forthcoming>
• If you send your men to sweep the halls, ensuring no passage, no escape route is left unguarded, click here. <link forthcoming>
• If you set a trap, announce to the survivors that their princess will publicly kneel before her new lord, and force her to show herself in defiance, click here. <link forthcoming>