This is what her life had been reduced to, this mindless game of survival where she shivered in the corner of her cage, careful not to touch the already rotting corpses next to her. It wasn't just the morale of the enemy soldiers that surrounded her that was low, but also that of her fellow prisoners that kept glaring at each other whenever their eyes met. Occasionally the women would fight for the rags of their dead friends to warm their frozen bones and spit on each others' faces. The cold rain that had lasted for what seemed like four years and not four days had extinguished any plans of escape and mutual cooperation. Even she herself, the princess in rags, in disguise, had seemingly given into the terrible weather and the unbearable cold. The thick, bloodied cloak of Maleiek wrapped around her body, she stared blankly ahead and gritted her teeth.<br/><br/>Sajedene's spirit was perhaps locked in ice, but her rage still burned. It was only when the castle came into sight when the prisoners finally forgot about their quarrels. She raised her gaze as well and wondered for the first time in a few days whether she had made the right decision to turn herself in for the sake of Maleiek. Had she escaped with her father, perhaps she would have been able to follow a more comfortable life, however her anger would have still been the same. The unbearable burn of anger would have stuck with her regardless her choice.<br/><br/>Once inside the castle, the cart they were on was stopped and it was clear that this was the end of their journey. One after another they were pulled out forcefully and lined up for quick inspection. Those who showed signs of sickness or weakness were thrown away and those who still had enough muscle and spirit in them were kept and assigned to various duties. As the officer who was making the choices walked in front of her, instead of inspecting her legs and arms, he grabbed her by the chin to observe her face. Underneath all the dirt, there were still the refined features of a princess, and he dd not seem to miss that about her. "This one looks like a lot of fun." He commented and gave Sajedene a smile. "Perhaps we should send her to his Highness. Ivar, bring her to the castle and tell the maids to clean her up, give her some proper clothes and then escort her to Gando."<br/><br/>A younger officer nodded and pushed Sajedene forward. "Move it, woman. His Highness will not wait."<br/><br/>She obeyed wordlessly, knowing better after four days of journey that the men of the Empire were cruel animals that could tear her apart should she disobey. Once inside the castle, Sajedene was given a swift bath which helped to warm her bones before being dressed into a modest dress and shackled. Walking around the castle with her escort, she found herself surprised by its modesty. It was no secret that the Empire was rich from its victories in war, yet this wasn't exactly apparent in her surroundings. Ivar then left her in the care of a young man named Gando. To be the servant of the Emperor made her slightly nervous, as much like everyone else she had heard the frightening stories of Daishoga. The greatest torture for her was to know that her love was dead and so she found comfort in the fact that he would unlikely be able to hurt her any further than that.<br/><br/>Pushed into what looked like a study, Sajedene stumbled and fell on her knees before managing to catch a better view of the man she would be serving from this moment on. The two shared a short conversation before Gando was dismissed and she was left alone with supposedly the most cruel man on the continent. Suddenly, her shackles were gone and she was reminded of the Emperor's... powers. Had he really killed a family member? In Vaandom there was a story of Daishoga that said he had with cold heart murdered both his father and mother. Of course, such stories were never quite accurate, but there had to be some truth to it.<br/><br/>"My name is Sage... your Highness." Sajedene managed to speak without raising her eyes from the floor.