I could turn everyone to ash with a flick of my wrist, but that wasn't enough. The court is a stage, and every noble an actor. Those who forget their lines don't last long.                Queen Rosanna.   "You want to know the secret to power?""It's not strength. The strongest knight in my guard couldn't unite two farmers, let alone a kingdom." A soft laugh. "It's not intelligence either. I've met brilliant fools who could recite every law while their people starved.""The secret is this: make them want what you want.""I was born with nothing. A farmer's daughter who learned to read by stealing books. The nobles laughed when I took the throne. A commoner playing dress-up, they said.""So I made them need me. Every trade route, every alliance, every tax law. I wove myself into the fabric of this kingdom until removing me would mean removing Valdria itself.""But here's what the history books won't tell you." She leaned forward conspiratorially. "I didn't do it through noble sacrifice or pure intentions. I did it through carefully orchestrated seduction.""I was fifty different women to fifty different people. The virgin queen to the clergy. The warrior queen to the army. The mother queen to the common folk. None of it was false, but none of it was complete either.""You want to know the real tragedy? I was so busy being everyone's queen that I forgot to be anyone's person. I have lovers but no love. Allies but no friends. A kingdom but no home.""So take my crown, child. Wear it better than I did. But remember this, power isn't about being strong or smart or even charismatic. It's about being empty enough that everyone can pour their dreams into you and see their own reflection.""I united Valdria by becoming Valdria. And now, as I die, I realize... I have no idea who I actually am.""Funny, isn't it? The most powerful woman in history, and I'm dying a stranger to myself."