After receiving the lavishly sealed invitation, Sultan Jeremeh Mehmad II of Bedouin—a ruler famed across deserts and seas—journeyed to the Dunkirkshire Empire with his three wives, a retinue of children, and an entourage befitting his title. Known for his grandeur and appetite for pleasure, the Sultan was a man who savoured the richness of life in every form. Dance, theatre, painting, music—no art, no expression of beauty, escaped his appreciation.
For years, he had believed that no other realm could rival Bedouin's passion for art. Yet whispers reached him across the dunes that the youngEmpress of Dunkirkshire, Caroline Rusenberg, had begun hosting gatherings of artists from distant lands to perform and present their crafts before her.
The idea intrigued him. Normally, such an invitation would not tempt him to leave the comfort of his jewelled palaces, but curiosity pricked at his pride.
