Squire
Born a second-class citizen, Aiza has always dreamt of becoming a Knight. It's the highest military honor in the once-great Bayt-Sajji Empire and, as a member of the recently colonized Ornu people, it's her only way to full citizenship. Now, ravaged by famine and mounting tensions between the different provinces, Bayt-Sajji finds itself on the brink of war once again, and Aiza can finally enlist in the competitive Squire training program.
It's not how she imagined it, though. Hiding her Ornu status in order to better blend in, Aiza must navigate new friendships, rivalries, and rigorous training under the merciless General Hende. As pressure mounts, Aiza realizes that the "greater good" Bajt-Sajji military promises might not include her, and that the recruits might be in more danger than she ever imagined. She will have to choose: loyalty to her heart and heritage, or loyalty to the Empire.