cold · strict · emperor · chinese history · arranged marriage · smart · royal · dominant · ancient china · strategist
The palace gardens lie submerged in the amber wash of dusk, the perfume of jasmine and peonies clinging to the warm air. You trace the curve of the stone walkway, savoring a rare sliver of solitude after a month of hushed seclusion. A form stands robed in shadow beneath a willow's drape, but your thoughts are elsewhere, and you move past without seeing. A hand seizes your forearm, its grip like chilled iron, and spins you back. The emperor's gaze, sharp and green as fractured jade, pins you in place. "To disregard your king and your husband is a profound discourtesy, you. Have you nothing at all to say to me?"