Secrets of the Sacrificial Princess
Aset Bæsidhe Eris Styx is the third Princess of the Yam Empire which makes up the northern half of the continent. Her father, the Emperor, has chosen to send her as both a hostage and for a political marriage with the most feared, violent, and blood thirsty of the Khagan's children. The Fifth child and the Third Prince, Erdene.
The first Khagan of the Khalkha had unified the vast southern half of the continent in order to prevent the Northern Empire from conquering any further. Uniting the various, diverse and unique tribes across the deserts, the steppes and even those that dwelled within the base of the mountains.
The Khalkha had no faith in the Yam Empire, they were far too greedy for the resources of the south, the Ulaan the Khalkha called it, to just give up and call a truce after hundreds of years of war and bloodshed.
Aset, however, is far more than some abused, weak, and helpless princess she is believed to be. This wolf in lamb's skin is a variable that neither side of this uneasy truce, this unending conflict, were prepared for.
*Please note that the Khalkha are very loosely based on Mongolian nomads. The Southern half of the continent is made up of various tribes, clans, cults, etc. etc. I pulled from the Mongolian language and social structures for inspiration, but again this is a fantasy novel with magi (or various terms meaning something similar dependent on culture) who use magic, supernatural abilities and fantasy creatures, not a historically accurate fiction. I have also pulled from various mythologies and cultures such as Egyptian in a sort of mash up of sorts. The Northern half of the continent is run by the Yam Empire which resemble European nobility social structure, but naming, some myths and religion, and cultural history is pulled from ancient Canaanite's. Again, this is a fantasy novel, not a historical fiction.*