The Burdened Throne: Ashes of Empire

The empire was already dying before the fires came—only no one dared say it aloud.



Kaelen never thought he would leave the eastern wing of the palace, let alone carry the weight of a crown no one wanted him to wear. His name wasn’t in the songs. He was the son of a concubine, remembered only in passing, spoken of in low voices between closed doors. He spent most of his childhood in echoing corridors, listening more than speaking, watching servants flinch at shadows too long to be cast by candlelight.



Then the war came. Not like a storm, but like rot—quiet, patient, devouring from within. By the time the outer walls fell, the court had already started feeding on itself. One by one, the names he once knew turned into threats.



Now, with the capital in ruins and his family scattered or dead, Kaelen is pulled into a world of old grudges and shifting allegiances, where loyalty has a price, and silence is often safer than truth.



He doesn’t know what kind of ruler he’s meant to be—if ruling is even still possible. But as the old empire crumbles, and the generals begin carving it up like meat, Kaelen must decide whether to step forward… or disappear entirely.



This is not a story of chosen heroes. It’s a story of someone who wasn’t supposed to matter—and who might still break everything.