Oblivion's Throne - Chapter 99: Vipers and Thorns

Utsuro no Hako to Zero no Maria, or The Empty Box and The Zeroth Maria, tells the sinister story of Kazuki Hoshino, who is almost madly attached to his everyday life, and his antagonist Aya Otonashi, who suddenly transfers into his class—for the 13,118th time. She majestically announces to “break” him, without paying heed to anyone else around them.

Theodora is the Queen of Polis, a city-state that lost the war against the most powerful empire in the continent.

She is sure that they'll execute her immediately but, somehow, she survives the meeting with the Emperor, and she finds herself... Married?

Tossed in a new world without connections and allies, she has to either accept her fate or lose the chance to help her people once again.

She soon finds out that her new husband knows more about her than she does herself, and that his purposes are often far from what she expects.

A fallen queen that doesn't know how to be anything else. A handsome Duke who's the cause of her ruin. And their efforts to find some happiness in a marriage that's been forced on them.

WARNING: there are contents not suitable for a sensitive audience.

The smut scenes are half-censored at the beginning, but the amount and details will increase after a few dozen chapters (according to the Queen's mood .-. )

***

«I'm sorry for lying to you, your grace...»

«You're a Duchess. No one will dare to consider your words a lie: if you say that you were painting souls, then it's the truth.»

«I will remember it.»

«No, you have to understand it, Theodora. You're not a prisoner, but my wife. I'll protect you when you need it, and I'll help you with any issue you have. You're not just a Duchess in the name. You're my Duchess.»

«It's hard to believe in such a short amount of time.»

«For now, stop shaking like a chicken. I won't hurt you.»

***

*NonRape-General langauge*Liora’s life takes an unexpected and cruel turn when she’s sent to the royal court as a concubine for the disgraced Prince Lucien, a man whose past is shadowed by betrayal and loss. Stripped of his royal title, Lucien has long distanced himself from love and loyalty, existing in a cold, indifferent world.Thrown into this world of palace internal battles, power struggles, and betrayal, Liora must face not only Lucien’s frosty demeanor but also the dangerous secrets that lurk within the court. Every move she makes is watched, every word is questioned. Yet, despite his distant nature, she can’t shake the feeling that beneath the hardened prince lies a man struggling with the ghosts of his past.As Liora tries to find her place in this hostile environment, she faces a constant dilemma: Can she warm the prince’s cold heart and heal his wounds, or will she fall victim to the very same forces that tore him apart?'Can she thaw lucien’s frozen heart, or will his haunted past consume them both?'Arranged marriage,Disgraced prince,Court intrigue,Royal concubine,Forbidden love, Political drama, Palace secrets, Unwanted bride, Betrayal. Haunted memories, redemption,Royal court drama, second chances

Thousands of years ago, the First Expungement came. The world changed, and humanity was nearly wiped out. Thankfully, with the paracausal power of Angelicas, humans was able to push back the Ghost tide and rebuild their civilization.

Now, however, it was time for the Second.

Finn Thresher was just a normal university student at first. He, like the rest of the public world, had no idea what was coming for them — but sometimes, just because you don’t know, doesn’t mean you can’t be harmed.

His family… his sight… his purpose. All lost to the paranormal.

It was time to abandon his beliefs. To throw away his morals.

After all… if these creatures weren’t human anyway, there was no point in showing them humanity.

In the first battle of this war, the Ghosts won, nearly driving the human race to extinction. In the second, the humans fought back with the power of Angelicas and managed to secure a victory.

Now, the third and final round was approaching — and this time, it’s personal.