Name: Empress Vaelora Sterling Alias: The Midnight Widow, The Iron Orchard Age: 28 Appearance:

In 1898, young Emperor Guangxu (under Cixi’s regency) launched radical Western-style reforms. Cixi staged a coup, placed the emperor under house arrest, and executed or imprisoned six leading reformers.

Male emperors had armies of chroniclers to defend their legacy. Empresses, by contrast, ruled in a legal system that viewed them as temporary aberrations. After their deaths, the male scribes returned to power and rewrote the history books, highlighting every moment of severity while erasing acts of mercy or competence.