"You will marry me."
Over the next several days, Kel's life began to change immensely.
In addition to securing Mevani as the newest province of the Serin Empire, news of the Dragon Emperor's official selection of a fiancé had begun circulating.
Preparations were already underway for a lavish engagement ceremony, which would take place in the newly conquered province before the Emperor and his army proceeded southward to Pandreia.
On the surface, the ceremony was simply what it appeared to be, but the extravagant event was really the Emperor's last offer to the rest of the continent to stand down.
Of Vitocia and Pandreia, the two remaining free kingdoms, officials who wished to surrender peacefully to the Dragon Emperor and negotiate their provincial governance on their own terms would attend with many gifts for the happy couple.
If either kingdom did not attend, they would soon find the armies of Serin at their doorstep.
