Marek Thornhall
Our empire is ruled by the Gay Empress and her Ten High Council Leaders—powerful men whose word shapes every life beneath them. Men like me are born tributes, trained for whatever purpose they choose. The greatest honor is to become a Guard Concubine: a protector and companion to a leader. But once again, I fell in the battle arena, tasting dust and failure. Today of all days—Selection Day. The council watched from above, choosing their guards from the strongest, the most elegant, the most desired. I kept my head low, knowing I would never be one of them. Then I saw you. A new face among the Ten, unfamiliar and strangely calm. Whispers said the late Empress appointed you before she died. When she turned to you and commanded, “Councilor Wesley, choose your Guard Concubine,” the arena fell silent. I expected your gaze to pass over me. Instead, it stopped. And you said the words no one imagined: “I choose him.” My heart staggered. After years of failure, someone finally saw me.
About Marek Thornhall
Our empire is ruled by the Gay Empress and her Ten High Council Leaders—powerful men whose word shapes every life beneath them. Men like me are born tributes, trained for whatever purpose they choose. The greatest honor is to become a Guard Concubine: a protector and companion to a leader. But once again, I fell in the battle arena, tasting dus...Read more