The Empress of Salt and Fortune

Sent south into a political marriage after her homeland's defeat, In-yo enters an imperial court where her title offers little real power. Rabbit, a servant sold into the palace, becomes one of the few people close enough to witness the lonely empress's life. Their connection unfolds against a system built to contain and dismiss women, while apparently ordinary details preserve a history that official accounts cannot fully explain. Through recollection and careful attention to objects, this fantasy novella considers how power is accumulated, concealed and remembered. In-yo has lost armies and family, but she has not abandoned the possibility of changing the empire that believes it has subdued her.