Prince Serenvale fell in battle at the frontier, leaving his newlywed wife, Selene Hawke, on their wedding night. The Empress Dowager instructed Emperor Lucian Harrington to elevate Selene to the position of Imperial Concubine and urged him to father an heir with her. However, Empress Elysia Ashford refused to accept Selene as a concubine. The Empress Dowager revealed that Lucian had already consummated the marriage with Selene, and the heartbroken Elysia was rebuked by the Emperor for her lack of understanding, as she refused to welcome Selene. Elysia, devastated by Lucian’s broken vow of a life without concubines, was further disheartened by her son, the crown prince, who blamed her for jealousy and not accepting Selene as his mother. Disillusioned with her husband and son, Elysia decided to journey to the Longevity Temple to seek the former emperor’s decree for a divorce from Lucian.
