Reading Instructions

This was the first novel I wrote, a long time ago. The beginning was pretty terrible, so I was surprised when some friends liked it. It startled me, and some friends even kept following the updates. Thank you all for your support. But I didn't have an outline for this book. I wrote wherever my dreams took me, and after revising it over and over, I didn't even know how I was supposed to continue. I didn't really believe in writing a massive war novel about a vast Human Empire where eight lords fought one another.

But were most of you here for the romance between the male and female leads? Did you like watching them love and fight each other, with the female lead as the villain? Well, I tried changing it, and this was the result. But I still believe in grand battles. I love the Lord of the Rings movies, and I wanted to create a battle with armies numbering in the tens of thousands. Otherwise, all my worldbuilding would have gone to waste. After all, the earlier story was built around the Rebellion of the Eight Marquises twenty years ago, as well as the bracelet left behind by the Ancient Elves—which was based on the One Ring from The Lord of the Rings. So I had to split the book in two. If you like the romance between the leads, you can read Volume One as a prequel, Chapters 1–199.

The prequel is exclusively available on

The prequel is... hard to describe. I wrote too many steamy scenes, and the work got taken down. After major revisions, I finally managed to save it. The protagonist gets treated like a dog, so if you want a story where he gets to dominate, read Volume Two, the main story, where he strikes back hard.

For the main story, you can start directly with the second part. The protagonist and the female lead will fight to the death. There is no female lead in this book; the female lead is the main antagonist. I've kept most of the new worldbuilding while creating a new story and adding many races and countries, such as the Dwarf Empire, Elf Empire, Orc Empire, Dragon Country, Swamp Country, Sky Country, Ocean Country, and Demi-humans. Volume One is set in a dark, gothic medieval Europe, with a rather oppressive atmosphere and slow-moving plot. For Volume Two, I plan to jump straight to the birth of the Magic Steam Engine and the start of the Steampunk era—a Warhammer-like world of magic, steam, and many races. For the female lead's bracelet, I plan to draw on the concept of the demonic realm in the Battle of the Armies. If you haven't seen it, you can check out the Western Hobbit Trilogy.

Here's an introduction to the old version of the story:

Starfrost Oath: Prisoner Under the Throne — Synopsis

In the Augustus Empire, where Magic and Battle Qi intertwined and Imperial Power and Nobility stood side by side, a silent storm was brewing in the shadows of the gilded palace. The Old King was aged and senile, the struggle for the throne was simmering beneath the surface, and the Eight Hereditary Marquises each had their own schemes. The Royalist Faction, Separatist Faction, and Neutral Faction were locked in a tangled struggle, pushing the empire to the brink of civil war. At the heart of this vortex of power, a soul who seemed insignificant yet unexpectedly became a pivotal piece was enduring a hellish ordeal and transformation.

He was Leon von Hohenzollern, guardian of the Northern Frontier and second son of Hohenzollern Marquis, the empire's God of War. Yet in stark contrast to his family's illustrious reputation, he was "notorious" in the Imperial Capital Sacrifice as a worthless playboy. His magical power was weak, his Battle Qi feeble, and his behavior outrageous. He was the laughingstock of noble society and a stain on his family's honor. But no one knew that within this scorned body was a despairing yet clear-minded soul from another world. After crossing into this world, Leon had gained no powerful cheat. Instead, he had inherited the original owner's mess: his family's disappointment, his enemies' contempt, the dangers of the Imperial Capital, and a cold, humiliating engagement that bound him tightly to the altar of power.

His fiancée was Eliza Windsor, the jewel of the empire's wealthy Windsor family: a cold, exceptionally gifted young mage, and the prized student of Countess Margaret Strauss, the Iron-Blooded Prince. This marriage was a fragile alliance between the military might of the Northern Frontier and the empire's wealthy elite, the Hohenzollern Family's lifeline in the political mire, and the most elegant shackle around Leon's neck. At Count Strauss's Mansion, Leon lived at the mercy of others, walking on eggshells as he endured Eliza's cold scrutiny and almost cruel "lessons" day and night. In despair, he struggled to maintain his "good-for-nothing" disguise and searched desperately for a way out.

The turning point began with a carefully orchestrated humiliation. At Eliza's Coming-of-Age Ceremony banquet, the heir of the hostile Metternich family publicly provoked Leon, intent on trampling both him and the Hohenzollern name into the dirt. Driven to the brink, under immense pressure and with a faint resonance from a chance discovery—a dusty, mysterious bracelet—Leon erupted with astonishing quick wit and ruthlessness. Not only did he deftly resolve the crisis, he also tore open old wounds from the war twenty years earlier and issued a fierce declaration. He unexpectedly stunned the whole room and even attracted the attention of Prince Augustus, the empire's Imperial Marshal.

The incident was like a boulder thrown into still water. Leon's seemingly reckless actions unexpectedly disrupted the delicate balance among the factions, forcing the powerful to reassess this "good-for-nothing" pawn. He discovered that perhaps he did have something to rely on: the shabby-looking bracelet might be connected to the ancient legends of the Elf Empire, and it had a mysterious bond with him. Meanwhile, his family, who seemed to dote on him blindly—his stern father, kind mother, god-of-war older brother, and pillar-of-the-family grandfather—might prove to be his strongest support at a critical moment. But the crisis escalated as well. Eliza grew increasingly interested in the bracelet, viewing it as an important research specimen. The Metternich family plotted revenge, the Soros Family watched greedily, and contenders for the throne tried to recruit or exploit him...

What unsettled Leon even more was his growing suspicion that Eliza Windsor was more than a cold fiancée. Her research on the bracelet, her pursuit of magic, and even her attempts to "tame" Leon himself all concealed deeper motives. And those affectionate letters from the Northern Frontier, full of care and expectation, might also hide secrets and lies. Beneath the Imperial Capital, undercurrents surged. The ruins of the Elf Empire, lost magical traditions, the secrets surrounding the Half-Elf Consort from twenty years ago... Ancient conspiracies and modern power struggles became entangled.

Realizing that only power could let him control his own fate, Leon began to act in secret. He risked approaching the Dwarf Master Craftsman, an ally of his family, and offered knowledge from another world—such as the Spinning Jenny and the concept of the Magic Steam Engine—as bargaining chips in an attempt to win allies and secure a place for himself. He and Eliza began a tense struggle over the bracelet's secrets, personal freedom, and the fate of their families. From probing encounters in the hot-spring baths to clandestine rivalries at the Royal Academy, and then the combined pressure of various factions, Leon danced on the edge of a blade, using his wits, courage, and a little luck to carve out room to survive.

This is an epic tale of turning the tables in dire straits. It tells the story of how a modern soul, trapped in a world of magic and political intrigue, began as a "prisoner" whom anyone could bully, then relied on patience, intelligence, a stubborn struggle against fate, and a power that gradually awakened to navigate among the empire's most powerful nobles and warriors. He would lift the veils one by one, set the wheels of history in motion, and ultimately carve his name into a throne of iron and magic. In a world where friend and foe were hard to distinguish, and loyalty intertwined with betrayal, how would Leon von Hohenzollern break his shackles and compose his own Starfrost Oath amid the empire's A Song of Ice and Fire? It all began beneath the throne, in the darkest of cages.

The Relationship Between the Kingdom and the Eight Marquisates

This relationship could be summed up as a tense standoff that had shifted from a feudal "lord-vassal" contract to a relationship between a "Central Imperial Government" and "Semi-Independent Warlords."

Here's a detailed explanation:

I. The King's Direct Territory: The Royal Domain

Geography and Strategic Position:

It was usually located at the empire's heart, in its most prosperous region—for example, the vast plains surrounding the capital, the mouths of major rivers, and the transportation hubs connecting the various marquisates.

Its location was intended to "hold the empire by the throat," ensuring the royal family's economic and military advantage at its core.

Economic Foundation:

The empire's most prosperous region: fertile land, advanced agriculture, densely populated cities, and the empire's most important ports, if the capital was a seaport.

The royal family's "purse": All taxes from the Royal Domain went directly into the royal treasury, rather than being paid as a fixed "tribute," as in the marquisates. This gave the royal family a source of revenue independent of the nobles.

A center of commerce and handicrafts: The capital was necessarily the empire's commercial, cultural, and artisanal center, drawing wealth from all over the world.

Military Forces:

Royal Standing Legions: The king directly controlled these troops, which were made up of professional soldiers, equipped with the finest gear and trained to the highest standards. They were loyal to the emperor himself, not to any local lord. They were the core of the emperor's military might.

Imperial Guard: The elite of the elite, responsible for protecting the palace and the capital.

The Imperial Marshal's personal troops: As mentioned earlier, these were directly commanded by the king's younger brother, a prince, and stationed near the capital. They were a rapid-response force that could counter threats from within or without.

Administration and Law:

Direct rule: The king appointed and dismissed officials in the Royal Domain, and they answered directly to him. The king's laws applied there, and the administration was far more efficient than in the self-governing marquisates.

Seat of the central government: The cabinet, supreme court, Ministry of Finance, and all other central institutions were located there. Government orders were issued from this center.

Summary: The Royal Domain was the material foundation of imperial power. The king's power depended directly on how much money, how many soldiers, and how much administrative control it could provide.

II. The Relationship Between the Royal Domain and the Eight Great Marquisates: A Dynamic Balance and Struggle

This relationship rested on three main pillars, but was also full of inherent tension.

The Three Pillars (The Legal and Practical Ties)

The Historical and Legal "Lord-Vassal" Contract:

Origins: At the founding of the empire, the king, the founding emperor, granted lands to the eight meritorious lords, the ancestors of the Eight Great Marquises, in exchange for their loyalty and service, primarily military support.

The marquises' obligations: In theory, the marquises had to pay the king a fixed tribute, obey the empire's basic laws, and provide an agreed number of troops in wartime.

The king's obligations: The king had to protect the marquisates from foreign invasion and arbitrate disputes between them.

Electoral System: This contract reached its peak in the Electoral System. The Eight Great Marquises had the power to elect the king, meaning that, legally, the king also had to treat them with a certain degree of respect.

Mutual Deterrence Through Force:

The king's deterrent: The Royal Legions, together with a military alliance of the Royalist Faction's marquisates—Hohenzollern and Gilbert—were powerful enough to suppress any one, or even two, rebellious marquisates.

The marquises' deterrent: If the Eight Great Marquisates united, their military strength would far exceed the combined might of the Royal Domain and the Royalist Faction. Therefore, the king's core strategy was always to "divide and rule," preventing the nobles from forming an anti-imperial alliance.

Economic Interdependence:

The Royal Domain depended on the marquisates: Despite the wealth of the Royal Domain, the empire's enormous expenses—such as defending against northern barbarians and maintaining the central bureaucracy—still required the marquisates' tribute and support. The commercial taxes of wealthy marquisates like Roland and Metternich had a significant impact on the empire's finances.

The marquisates depended on the Royal Domain and the central government: The marquisates needed the unified imperial market, common currency, roads, and law and order maintained by the central government to trade. Border marquisates such as Hohenzollern and Balck also needed central military and financial support when faced with major foreign threats.

Underlying Tensions and Conflicts (The Root of the Current Crisis)

Autonomy vs. centralization: This was the most fundamental contradiction. Within their own lands, the marquises were "little kings," wielding nearly complete authority. Every ambitious Augustus emperor dreamed of curbing the marquisates' autonomy and turning the empire into a truly centralized state—for example, by appointing governors, imposing direct taxes, and standardizing laws. This was bound to provoke fierce resistance from the nobles.

"Obeying the call, but not the command": In peacetime, the marquisates often paid lip service to the king's orders. The king could "request" or "coordinate," but it was difficult to "command" a powerful marquis to do anything without offering enough in return or threatening them with military force.

Succession crises as a catalyst:

In an era of strong rulers: A powerful king with the political and military accomplishments of the founding emperor or a great restorer could use personal prestige and strength to subdue the nobles and expand the Royal Domain's authority, bringing centralization to its height.

In an era of weak or transitional rulers: When an old, frail, or incompetent king was on the throne—especially during a succession crisis—imperial power shrank dramatically. The nobles' centrifugal tendencies reached their peak. They seized the opportunity to expand their influence, withhold tribute, and even wage war against one another, while the king was often powerless to stop them. This was the perfect time for your story to begin.

A Comparison

You could imagine the Augustus Empire as a joint-stock company:

The king was the chairman and CEO, wielding the highest nominal authority while directly managing the company's most important and profitable business division, the Royal Domain.

The Eight Great Marquises were major shareholders who also served as general managers of regional branches. They had their own independent operations and profit centers—the marquisates.

The Electoral System was the board of directors' power to elect the chairman.

The empire's laws and traditions were the Company Charter.

Now, the company's founder and powerful CEO, the Old King, was about to retire, and his successor had yet to be chosen. The major shareholders, the marquises, began plotting among themselves. Some wanted to maintain the status quo—the Royalist Faction. Others wanted to back a puppet chairman in order to gain more benefits—the opportunists. And some simply wanted to split off their own regional branches and list them independently—the Separatist Faction.