The cold marble floor chilled the tips of her toes.
Five candidates for the title of Imperial Princess.
And only one throne.
The massive golden doors at the end of the hallway had not yet opened, but it felt as if someone's fate was already being decided inside.
The candidates all held their heads high, yet their fingertips trembled ever so slightly.
Someone will become the Princess.
Someone will lose their name.
And someone might not even see tomorrow's sun.
There was no one in this palace who did not know that truth.
A low, heavy voice echoed from beyond the door.
Someone's turn had ended.
In a moment, the servant would open the door and call the next name.
As that moment drew closer, her heart grew strangely calm.
Fear had ended long ago.
Only the desire to survive remained.
No matter who the Emperor chose, the people walking out of this hallway today could never return to who they were before.