The Ascent to Godhood

The Protector's death brings relief to people who have spent decades resisting her rule. Lady Han has helped build that opposition, yet the news leaves her mourning rather than celebrating. In a tavern far from the centre of power, she remembers a time before the ruler became the figure her enemies feared. A young dancing girl once loved the woman who would reshape a country, and the history between them does not fit comfortably into public accounts of victory or resistance. Her recollections trace desire alongside the growth of political power, asking what remains of an intimate bond after the people within it become opponents on a much larger stage.