A Throne Built With Her Life

Princess Edith and her brother Lionel have always been close. Their father, the emperor, was a tyrant, and when Lionel crossed him without meaning to, he ordered his son killed. Edith saved him and lost her left arm doing it. At the ceremony naming the crown prince she spilled wine, and their father had her whipped for it. Lionel led a revolt, deposed their father and took the throne. Edith governed from behind a screen to keep his rule steady. Then she was slandered and accused of corruption, and she withdrew from the palace on her own to a temple, where she prayed and where Lionel came often to see her. Lionel's consorts were jealous of her. When one of them was to be raised to honored consort, Lionel wanted Edith at the ceremony, and the consort accused her of treason, claiming she was hiding a man in the temple. Edith was tied inside a sack. The consort urged Lionel on, and he ran his blade through it. He found his sister inside, and his hand shook when he went to move the hair from her face, and he could not do it.