People don’t all respond to this sort of thing the same way, though. I think there’s room for various interpretations of the MC in the beginning, based on the info presented and the options we are given.
Just do whatever makes this most satisfying for you.
Damn this was a really strong prologue, was completely into the vibe of my ruthless and charismatic prince, even if the King had the final word clashing with the sister over the war and even spitting to their faces how ignorant they were about the conflict was first class entertainment. Spiteful characters are the best if these are well written with consistent reasons behind their behaviour and grudges, the time our character has spent with the Kingdom’s armies the loyalties he has carved and the influence that will remain with him even despite this arranged marriage is something to look for certainly.
With the seeting established there is a lot of ground for character development, remain loyal to a family that has casted you aside and do your duty swallowing your feelings, renounce your family find happiness and turn the might of the Empire against your former homeland, be the saboteur and torn the Empire into pieces from within kill your imposed spouse and continue a desperate campaign allying with warmongering factions of the kingdom and those unsatisfied with imperial leadership.
Interactive fiction such as this can lead to lots of outcomes and dynamics, here made a tiny list but with only those possibilities explored freely this may very well end up as a jewel among medieval fantasy interactive fiction. Let us carve our own fate and influence the setting wildly, be angry, resentful, forgiving or hide our true intentions, a realistic and complex MC completely in our hands, a true blessing!
I would rather just continue the war and if I die so be it I would burn the empire down before I go, not before I end my own family of course fuck them.
You could always start another war as a Emperor’s/Empress’ Consort against your former kingdom. You are a direct descendant of the current ruler → you have a pressed claim to the title. You even have advantage: you were a general of king’s army, you know how it operates from top to bottom.
Just make sure that other claimants can’t press their claims as well (murder them to death) or won’t be able to (renouncing also works).
Ok, I have bad news but also maybe some good news…
The emperor/empress you’re betrothed to is unfortunately not a romance option despite becoming your spouse (it truly is a political marriage through and through).
HOWEVER, one of the romance options, the advisor (read her sneak peek here), might cure mommy issues you didn’t know you had.
I mean, if you look at it a certain way, the MC on said path is just trying to do the job they were doing in the first place, before the King began interfering.
Personally, I’m not sure the King knows what he’s doing when it comes to politics. It’s certainly a choice to send the commander of his armies alone and vulnerable into enemy territory, into the custody of Empress W.
While I was a little annoyed about another forced marriage where the spouse is set opposite your gender …knowing what I now know thx to spoilers…we are gonna be the best gay & lesbian spouse-friends. I got you, hunny. Let’s rule this world!
But can we have children with them still? A political marriage needs something else to tie it all together after all, either emperor/empress(guess the gender changes according to the MC’s, or is it openly inclusive? Not concerned about that anyways), those poor kiddos though trapped as the pawns of their parents that will likely use them for their twisted goals.
Apparently the empress/emperor is not going to do that.
MC here acting like political prisoner/collateral from the description author laid so far, not in house arrest of course, MC apparently have free roam but in foreign territory.
So like a glorified hostage? Strange but if they don’t control us much(broadly underestimate us) we can sabotage them from within, does the Emperor/Empress have other consort or something?
Either that or they eventually give up the Throne to a sibling sacrificing the chance of heirs for this charade.
Apparently yes but that doesn’t define MC, MC is free to mold their image, they can play peacekeeper, mediator, arbitrator, spy, usurper, kingmaker or just making friends on all side.
That’s how author describe it, it’s a story of rediscovering self after being deprived of independence of thought for so long.
Personally, my MC feels more like a political hostage of his own father. The old man will regret handing over his best general to a former enemy that will probably treat him better.