After the fall of the First Empire, the Ashridge Empire, humanity's last hope forged by the conqueror Sariel I, stood on the brink of uniting all humankind—until the emperor slipped in his bath and died. This sudden, almost absurd death unravels the tenuous order he fought so fiercely to forge, leaving the Ashridge Empire teetering on the brink of chaos.

Now, on the threshold of a new age, people whisper about the true cause of the emperor's death, as loyal knights dance with powerbrokers, a prince torn between love and duty, and a slave cook's secret devotion collides with forbidden passions. These entangled souls must decide whether to rekindle the dream of a golden age or let the empire burn to ashes.