The Broken Empire

Preface, Content Warnings and Recap

For months, Emperor Godfrey of House Richter has prepared his forces, watching and waiting as his birthright is torn apart by those who question his right to rule. In the south, his uncle stubbornly refuses to accept the reality of the state of the nation, while in the west, the treacherous General Theoderic dares to claim the crown for himself.

With his preparations finally complete, Godfrey and his allies strike out at last, planning to eliminate his two greatest rivals with the simultaneous launch of two campaigns, one against the wealthiest city in the land, and the other into the desolate Ashfields.

Lady Marshal Frieda is no stranger to war, but for the first time in her life, she now draws her blade against her compatriots, willing to sacrifice her honour and if necessary, her life for the sake of her lord's vision for the Empire.

Lady Mallory von Gerd, one of the only souls in all the realms to know the truth that lies within the Emperor's heart, has already surrendered the woman she was for the cause of order and peace, though the ordeal ahead may prove all her efforts fruitless.

Lady Erika von Dieter, a feared and mistrusted Death Maiden, cares nothing for noble intentions or rightful claims. Driven only by her desire for revenge, Godfrey's enemies are her own for as long as it takes her vengeance to be completed.

Failure is not an option. Compromise with traitors is unconscionable. The broken Empire of Sanressia shall be restored by force, or not at all.

Introduction

Welcome to The Broken Empire, the sequel to Hope Amidst The Flames, and the third book in the Records of the Third Sundering series! If you are interested in reading onwards, I would highly recommend that you read the first two books first, as otherwise, the story may not make the most sense. :)

As is tradition, there will be a short recap of the events of HATF after the Content Warnings if you would like a little refresher of what occurred in the previous story, if it has been some time since you read it.

I'm maintaining the format I adopted for HATF where I split the larger chapters into multiple parts, unless I could not find a good place to do that! For TBE, this applies to the majority of them, but there are a handful that are just in one part. Once again, I hope that this doesn't result in them having abrupt cutting off points. :)

Content Warnings

War, Violence, Blood, Self-Harm, Torture, Religious Persecution, Xenophobia/Discrimination and very heavily implied/referenced alcohol abuse.

Recap

Following the events of Fading to Ruin, Yekaterina, along with Ladislava, Charlotte and Emma escaped to the Kingdom of Mir. Bertram von Klaus, the Imperial Regent, issued a proclamation demanding that Yekaterina's father, King Viktor, surrender her to his custody. When Viktor inevitably refused, the entire nation was designated as being in rebellion against the Empire.

Arrogantly presuming that his forces would easily overawe the army of Mir, which he initially dismissed as an undisciplined barbarian horde, Bertram suffered a humiliating defeat when the army he sent to retrieve Yekaterina was crushed with ease. Enraged by his failure and eager to avenge his honour, the Regent sent a second proclamation, with far harsher terms that would see the end of Miran culture and religion.

The demands were rejected without consideration, but as the Kingdom prepared to defend itself against the full might of the Regent and his "Loyalist" allies, the Usurper, General Theoderic Warden launched a surprise attack, necessitating that Mir split their forces.

Accompanied by the Court Sorceress, Lady Beatrice Willows, and forewarned by her magic of Divination that the Usurper was relying upon Demonic Magic, Viktor set out to engage him, leaving the majority of the Kingdom's army under the command of Yekaterina.

Enlisting the aid of additional allies in the form of the Dayan priest, Father Maxim, and officers sent by Grand Duke Cyrus, Yekaterina prepared for what was thus far the largest battle of the civil war. At the same time, unbeknownst to her, Viktor and Theoderic clashed in battle, where disaster for Mir struck.

Theoderic's forces, far from just consorting with Demons, had outright allied with them. It was only Beatrice's presence that prevented utter catastrophe, but Viktor was still bitten by a Serpent Demon, falling into a slumber that he showed no signs of awakening from.

At Saint's Bridge, despite Bertram's perfidy and attempted murder of Ladislava, the Miran army was able to win a stunning victory, shattering the Regent's credibility in the eyes of his supporters, and all but eliminating him as a viable contender in the civil war.

However, with the debilitation of King Viktor and the casualties sustained by the forces of Mir in their battles, it was apparent that there was little scope for immediate action, especially with the onset of Winter.

Most of the season has passed, though far in the frigid north of Upper Sanressia, Godfrey, the self-proclaimed rightful Emperor of Sanressia, prepares to finally make his move...