Blessyway

Betrayed by blood. Stolen from her homeland. Sold across the sea.

Nyasha wa Kinywa, daughter of Chief Kinywa wa Kobia, once danced beneath the sacred mountain as the pride of her people. But her stepmother’s jealousy delivers her into the hands of slavers, tearing her from the land she loves.

A mighty storm shatters the ship meant to carry her to chains. Nyasha survives — only to be swept into the heart of a foreign empire. There, in the Dragon Emperor’s palace, she is offered as tribute to the imperial harem.

But Nyasha is no ordinary concubine. She refuses to beg for favor. She refuses to break under the weight of schemes and cruelty. She speaks of her home — of warriors, chiefs, and the power of Kiini Kiro — and with every word, she draws the emperor’s heart closer.

When jealous consorts accuse her of witchery, Nyasha is cast into the cold palace. Forgotten. Despised. Until the truth emerges: she carries the emperor’s heir — a child long thought impossible.

TOUGH EBONY:The Queen from beyond the sea

The great ship glided into the imperial harbor as the sun bled into the horizon, casting the city's towers and temples in gold. Nyasha stood at the rail, wrapped in a cloak too fine for her, her dark eyes taking in the strange land.

The harbor bustled with life — merchants, soldiers, fishermen — all pausing to stare at the foreign woman with skin like polished ebony, hair braided with shells from a faraway sea.

Nyasha's heart beat steady, though her future was a storm she could not yet see through.

> "Kiini Kiro, guide my steps in this strange land," she whispered.

At the palace gates, she was led through marble halls and silk-draped chambers. The air smelled of sandalwood and power.

Everywhere, eyes followed her — curious, fearful, envious. Whispers rose like wind through bamboo.

They brought her before the imperial ministers. Men in robes of crimson and jade regarded her as one might regard a rare beast.

> "She is fit for tribute," one said.

"Let her be presented to the emperor. The harem could use such novelty."

Nyasha lifted her chin. She did not understand their words, but she understood their tone.

> "I am no one's prize," she said softly, in her own tongue.

Night fell, and with it, the moment came.

She was bathed in rose water, dressed in silk robes that felt foreign on her skin. Her hair was oiled and combed, though she longed for the weight of her own beads and shells.

They led her to a grand chamber, where lanterns flickered like a thousand fireflies. At the far end sat Li Wei, the Dragon Emperor, his gaze sharp, his presence filling the room like a storm held at bay.

Nyasha met his eyes. She did not kneel. She did not bow.

> "Who are you?" he asked, his voice low, curious.

Nyasha did not understand the words — but she understood the question in his gaze.

> "I am Nyasha wa Kinywa. Daughter of Chief Kinywa wa Kobia. Stolen. But not broken."

Her voice was steady, her heart unbent.

And in that moment, the emperor of a thousand lands saw not a gift, not a concubine — but a queen the sea had carried to his shore.

The Dragons Palace