Maude Holloway has spent her life being trained to kill, and every day,
she fights to remain gentle.
As the empire's only sword saint, Maude carries a power she never asked for and refuses to use. Her father treats her like a weapon. Her brother resents her for outshining him. The emperor sees her as a convenient solution to problems she wants no part of.
Maude wants only one thing: to live without hurting anyone.
But when political pressure forces her into the center of imperial expectations, Maude opts to becomes a liability. Her refusal to fight turns deadly, and every attempt to stay harmless tightens the noose around her freedom.
And when she is taken far from home, as a captive, she must confront the truth she has spent years avoiding:
Power does not disappear just because she refuses to wield it.
In a world where loyalty is a performance and survival demands impossible choices, Maude must navigate fragile alliances, unexpected kindness, and the terrifying possibility that she deserves more than the life she was given.
A quiet, emotionally charged fantasy about trauma, identity, and the courage it takes to choose mercy in a world that only values strength.