Matilda, the legendary warrior woman of the Kingdom of Halm, turned the tide at the Battle of Blackthorn Valley, saving the kingdom from the brink of collapse. In the aftermath, she chose to live in anonymity, entering into a five-year romance with Ryan, a major in the Order of the Griffin Knights. Just as she was wholeheartedly preparing for their wedding, Ryan’s former riding instructor, Isabella, returned to the kingdom. During an honors ceremony, Ryan poured out his heart to Isabella—revealing to a stunned Matilda that she had been nothing more than a stand-in, a substitute used by Ryan to help him forget his true, unattainable love. Their five years together vanished like a bubble. Heartbroken and having severed ties with Ryan, Matilda accepted a royal summons to discuss a potential marriage alliance with King Conrad. Ever since Matilda had saved his life on the battlefield at Blackthorn Valley five years prior, Conrad had harbored a deep, secret love for her—waiting patiently for years until, at last, his wish could be fulfilled. Unwilling to accept defeat, Isabella—leveraging her status as a former mentor—sowed discord and stole the "Medal of the War God" that Matilda had dropped, falsely claiming the credit for the victory at Blackthorn Valley. When the army was ambushed in a canyon, Ryan abandoned his post to save Isabella, leaving his legion leaderless and in dire straits. Matilda stepped in to take command, crushing the enemy and turning the tide once more; yet, afterward, she attributed all the glory to her deputy, Roland. During a royal jousting tournament, Isabella publicly claimed to be the true "War God," questioning Matilda’s qualifications to serve as a judge. Matilda entered the arena and defeated her with ease. With testimony from Roland and the captain of the royal guard, Isabella’s crimes—stealing honors, orchestrating a fraudulent marriage, and plundering the nobility—were laid bare. Throughout it all, King Conrad remained steadfast in his trust, using his royal authority to shield Matilda. He even gifted her an entire regiment of royal heavy cavalry, empowering her to return to the battlefield and take command once again. Driven to desperation, Isabella resorted to a treacherous ruse: she lured Conrad to a secret chamber in the tower and drugged him, hoping to sabotage the coronation. Matilda led a party to break in and rescue her husband; shaking off the effects of the drug, Conrad turned the tables and subdued Isabella. At the coronation ceremony, Conrad himself placed the queen’s crown upon Matilda’s head, declaring before all that they would rule the kingdom together. Five years later, Matilda returned in triumph from her campaigns, reuniting with the King and their young son just outside the royal capital. From beneath a withered tree in the distance, Ryan—who had spent half a lifetime in ruin—watched for a long while; finally finding a sense of peace, he turned away and vanished into the wilderness.
