The War God's Favorite

The Dragon Empire

[This Story is now professionally signed and fully available on the App AnyStories!  A paperback/hardback version is to be released in 2021! 

The Sequel will also be released on AnyStories only!  ]

First Day of the Red Moon Festival.

The streets of the Capital were crowded with people from all the country, as they all gathered towards the Palace to celebrate. For the Dragon Empire, the Red Moon Festival was one of the biggest celebrations of the year, the one that was held to show off their power and wealth to the neighboring kingdoms. Every rich person in the Country waited for that day to show off their wealth and those who weren't as prosperous found tactics to pretend to be.

Warriors in shiny armors, Officials in pretty carriages, Women covered in jewelry and even children in their best attires. If one had any assets, he was to expose it or hide in shame, for power was everything in the DragonEmpire.

In the middle of the crowd, were those no one noticed, those no one cared about, following their masters, eyes stuck on the grounds.

Slaves.

Lines of slaves, following the caravans of their master in a pitiful silence. Walking like shadows, only heard by the clatter their chains and shackles made with every step.

However, a young woman among them didn't have her eyes down. Hers were fixated on the blinding gold of the palace's roof.

The Palace, heaven's place to rest on earth. People of the Capital may be rich, powerful, but no matter what, the one standing above them all was the Dragon Emperor.

Sovereign to all, the Emperor was almighty, a living deity among mortals. With unrivaled power, he governed the country with an iron hand. No matter what, his words were law. The Dragon Emperor never wanted anything, for everything in the country was his. He was loved, feared and worshiped by his people.

And on this Red Moon Festival, the holy gates of the Imperial Palace would open to the worthy. Red envelopes had been sent 10 days prior, and people would kill to see the Palace Envoy deliver it at their door.

The slave girl had seen her master thrive and pray for this letter to arrive on his doorstep. He was an old minister, but even his seat at the court could not guarantee this red letter would come. He was so stressed out he had been even worse to his entourage than he usually was. To his concubines, his servants, even his slaves.

She even had a fresh scar on her back attesting of that. She could still feel the burn of the whip...

But the letter had come, and on the First Day of the Red Moon Festival, the old man was headed to the palace in an expensive-looking carriage, with seven of his favorite concubines sharing other carriages with servants, and about thirty slaves walking behind them.

The young maiden didn't care for all the festivities outside. They walked past nice smelling food stalls that painfully awoke empty stomachs. Hers was just as empty, but she did not care. She was used to it. She ignored the shops, the foods, the common people admiring their procession, and walked along.

As usual, the minister was welcomed to the palace, casually discussed with his peers about the coming events of the Festival, and showed off his young and beautiful concubines. For commoners, who could not enter the Palace, the Festival took place in celebrations in rich people houses, or street shows and fairs. But for the chosen ones, many great events and shows were to be displayed in the Palace's Grand Arena. The large plaza, built like a Colosseum, was big enough to sit a few thousand people. A tenth of it was isolated, a special box facing south and more richly decorated to welcome the Dragon Emperor and his attendants.