A story in which a king becomes infatuated with a young girl who is supposed to serve solely as the queen's womb.

Aiko is an extremely poor girl. She has less than nothing. She lives in the Empire of Shintokanai, in a world where men rule. She is forced to work day and night for her Uncle and Sisters. Until one day, she gets kicked out. Without power, money or status, Aiko's fleeting moment of joy withers into despair and gloom as she realizes she is doomed to die, hungry and cold on the streets. She will luckily be saved by Eriko, the head maid of the Emperor's palace. Aiko will be forced to become a maid. What other choices does she have? Starve or serve. She has just started and she already hates her job. But what happens, when she catches the Emperor's cold and brutal eye? The Emperor is known for his cruel ways. Deaths are common in the palace, and they stain every corner. He is a horrible man. He adores spilling blood. Life in the palace is not easy. It is like a never ending maze. Whatever path you will take, can elevate you, or destroy you completely and thoroughly. Finding a honest person in the mess is hard. What will Aiko find in the Emperor's soul?

James Alcott has always had a talent for charming women right into his bed, a talent that he has enjoyed, along with his status of being heir to the Earldom of Ethridge. A chance encounter, however, with a woman who does not see worth in wealth of status will change his life forever. Alice Devereaux has been hiding for three years. She fought and survived the 1832 French Revolution and is hiding in England under a pseudonym. Her family and friends all died as criminals and if she ever returned to her native Paris then she would be slaughtered too. Her family's hatred of aristocracy has been instilled in her and she carries around the burden of both her and her people's failure to create equality. And then, as if God is testing her, she meets a man who holds all the qualities she was born to hate - wealth, status and arrogance. But that man is determined to succeed in winning her. So what is she to do? Succumb to his charms? Or hold true to the beliefs of her French comrades?

How can you lose something you never have? When your own mother poisons you to gain pity from others, how should you feel? Why was I, the youngest, being married off? How could I care about something that was never mine? WARNING! Viewer discretion advised: Story contains adult content that is unsuitable for children. NOTE from the writer: I'm an amateur writer so please overlook plot holes, grammar issues, or anything else a story is supposed to have. This is my original story so... as the saying goes "if you have nothing nice to say, don't say anything at all".