Forgotten

Maude Holloway has spent her life being trained to kill, and every day, she fights to remain gentle.As the empire's only sword saint, Maude carries a power she never asked for and refuses to use. Her father treats her like a weapon. Her brother resents her for outshining him. The emperor sees her as a convenient solution to problems she wants no part of.Maude wants only one thing: to live without hurting anyone.But when political pressure forces her into the center of imperial expectations, Maude opts to becomes a liability. Her refusal to fight turns deadly, and every attempt to stay harmless tightens the noose around her freedom.And when she is taken far from home, as a captive, she must confront the truth she has spent years avoiding:Power does not disappear just because she refuses to wield it.In a world where loyalty is a performance and survival demands impossible choices, Maude must navigate fragile alliances, unexpected kindness, and the terrifying possibility that she deserves more than the life she was given.A quiet, emotionally charged fantasy about trauma, identity, and the courage it takes to choose mercy in a world that only values strength.