Chapter 1

I, Charlotte Lane, had been married three times.

The first time, I married Edward Shea, the heir of the Shea family, by my parents' arrangement. But what he wanted was a capable mistress of the household, while I was still a gentle, innocent girl.

The second time, I married Victor Chenford, a General, through an arranged marriage. He wanted a young woman who looked up to him with adoring eyes, but by then, I had already become that capable mistress of the household.

The third time, I chose for myself. I married the handsome young scholar, Simon Stone.

I was a powerful general, high in rank and authority, and I could finally make my own decisions about my marriage.

On the day I married, Edward stood in the street, begging me to stop my carriage. Victor tried to steal me away on my wedding day.

*****

The day I was about to leave the Chenford Residence, Victor hurled the pair of Twin Swan Pendants, the keepsake from our wedding, onto the floor, smashing them into countless pieces.

With reddened eyes, he demanded, "Was it really worth it? Just because I brought home a concubine with a tragic past, you're ready to divorce me and turn your back on everything we've shared?"

I stood rigidly beneath the corridor, my face hidden beneath a soft veiled hood, and replied in a flat voice, "If I brought home a mistress with a tragic story, would you accept it?"

Victor shook his head. "No way. My pride would be ruined."

He was the top general of the era. Though I was a woman of high status and noble birth, he could never tolerate his wife keeping a mistress outside the household.

I laughed. "That shows the bond between husband and wife doesn't matter much to you, so don't try to pin the blame for being cold-hearted on me.

"You can't stand me having a mistress, and I can't stand you taking a concubine.

"If you pity her so much, why not make her your official wife and let her have the honor of being the general's lady?"

Seeing how determined I was, he signed the letter of separation and handed it to me, his hands trembling. "After we're separated, where will you go?

"Are you planning to marry Edward again, or return to your family in Rivereastaria?"

Edward was my former husband, a gifted scholar who served as an official in Capitavia and was highly favored by the King.

He still hadn't remarried, and rumor had it that he regretted our separation and was waiting for me. Victor probably thought I'd choose to remarry Edward.

I shook my head gently. "Edward is no different from you. The marriages with both of you were those I never wanted, but were forced on me. They were cages and shackles to me.

"Rivereastaria is in turmoil, so I can't go back for now."

Victor looked worried about where I'd go. "So, where will you go? If you have nowhere else to go, you can stay in Greenhill. I'll lend you a house, and you can stay there for now."

He was always drawn to fragile women. It didn't matter who they were, his concubine or me. Whoever seemed weak, he'd pity and love them.

He loved playing the savior, basking in the adoration and dependence of the vulnerable.

But that was not me. At that moment, I carried myself like the true matriarch, ruthlessly decisive, poised, and capable. I never let anyone see my vulnerabilities, not my husband.

I didn't linger. I turned to leave. "I'm heading to the border. I've already asked His Majesty for permission. My father is old now. If he can't hold Greenridge City, I'll take his place.

"When the enemy comes, I'll be the one to face them. If we lose a city, I'll be the one to take it back."

Victor said, "Are you crazy? You're a woman. Battlefields are for men."

I tilted my head, my gaze unwavering. "When the enemy slaughters our people at the border, they don't care if they're men, women, or children. So, why should we draw lines when it comes to defending our home?

"You can guard the border. I'm my father's daughter. Like father, like daughter. I'm as capable. Why shouldn't I?"

With that, I walked out of the Chenford Residence with my maids in tow, heading straight for the frontier.

Victor called out behind me, worry thick in his voice, "Charlotte, you're underestimating how complicated this is. All I ask is that you come back alive."

He was overthinking it. Thanks to my father's training, I'd spent the past three years driving the enemy back time and again. I was the undisputed top female general of our era.

Kids all over sang, "Victor in the south, and Charlotte in the north. Victorious in every battle, and peace across the land."

*****

Three years later, I was getting married again. My elder sister, Mary Lane, frowned. "The man you chose is going to be a minor County Magistrate. Why not pick someone with real power? At least make sure he's not beneath your two ex-husbands."

My two ex-husbands were Edward and Victor.

One was the heir of a powerful noble family, a talented scholar with unmatched wealth.

The other was a general commanding two hundred thousand soldiers, with a hereditary title.

If I wanted someone with more power than those two, my only option would be the King.

These days, my reputation was all about blood and battle. I was known everywhere as the notorious female grim reaper.

Even the King got spooked when he saw me, so forget it. Besides, I was not about to settle for being anyone's side piece, not for the King.

I handed Mary a cup of coffee, smiling gently. "He's a good man. I'm satisfied."

Mary kept sighing, still annoyed. "Seriously, what's so great about him? He's not as brilliant as Edward, and he can't take on a hundred men like Victor. The only thing he's got is that pretty face."

I gazed at the flowers scattered across the courtyard. Each shone in its own way. Why bother comparing them?

For me, it was never about who was the best. It was about who suited me, and who truly brought me joy.

Edward was full of schemes. I was lucky to make it out of his house alive.

Victor was stubborn and self-absorbed. Not letting his stubbornness drag me down was my own strength.

Simon Stone, my fiancé, was straightforward. Maybe he didn't have much power or influence. Maybe he was a little timid.

I was not the same girl I used to be. I didn't need my future husband to shield me anymore. I was the one who could keep him safe.

That was why I went to the battlefield to earn my own military honors.

I wanted to take charge of my own marriage and my own life. I was done letting others pull my strings, done living with my husband as the center of my world. Why couldn't he be the one who looked up to me for a change?

Why settle for admiring the moon when I could become the moon everyone admired?

What I needed wasn't someone powerful to back me up. It was a warm pair of arms to hold me.

After I'd carved my way through the horrible battles, I wanted someone who would wipe the blood off me and say, "The battle's over. Sleep for a while. I'll carry you back home."