I wasn't planning on doing two ONCs, but a character has been whispering in my head for years, and she finally demanded her spotlight. Since she has a tendency to get her way, I had to indulge her.

Shoutout to my lovely sister, who first fiddled in the proto-version of this world with me, and whose male characters I'm stealing and making my own. Thanks for letting me commit thievery.

I think this story is going to be an interesting one for me. I don't typically do morally grey MCs unless they get their just retribution, and most every character in this book is going to be grey. They are selfish and prideful and ready to seize the world with both hands. I suppose this makes sense; it is a political fantasy.

I'm also trying out some new world-building things, and finally getting to do in-world book quotes, which I've been dying to try for ages. I'm going to do my best to balance not info-dumping and also not leaving you in the dark, but we're going to explore a (hopefully) very interesting empire with a non-standard political structure. There's also magic, just to make things more complicated. xD So strap in!

Hopefully this stays under 40K words. The plot itself is fairly small, but I've imagined this as a luxurious, immersive experience, and I hope to deliver. You'll be in Imperia for about a week, and I want you to feel like you were there for all of it.

Primary
Let's play the game of colors: you paint me red because you love me, and I'll paint you black because I want you gone.

Secondary
»I'm unstoppable. I'm a Porsche with no brakes. I'm invincible. Yeah, I win every single game« - Unstoppable, Song by Sia

In Imperia, power is a delicate, all-consuming game. So when young Lady Sylnavi's father commissions her to quietly destroy a political rival, she's thrilled. Impress, and she earns her place as her powerful father's right hand. Fail, and—well, there is no such thing as failure, is there?

But when the rival turns out to be the first person she's ever met who can match her own ruthless cunning, the plan gets more complicated. After all, if he's smarter than her father... wouldn't it make more sense to switch sides?

As her father and his rival vie for her loyalty, she must decide what is most important: family, love, or her own unending ambition.

Some of the names in this book are inspired by fans and friends! You can tell whose name we used that chapter because they have a dedication for where they first appear. If you would like to potentially see a fantasy-ized version of your name included, join our Discord server! You're looking for the #lost-roads-gate once you get inside. The link is inline, and also in our bio.