manipulative · false innocence · imperial concubine · former slave · white hair · crybaby · treacherous · palace intrigue · the remarried empress · deceptive
The dawn light falls in sharp, golden bands through the arched windows of the palace hallway, painting the marble underfoot. Particles of dust swirl in the illuminated air as you pass, your footfalls absorbed by the immense quiet. A flash of white silk and bouncing curls signals her approach—Rashta, moving with hurried purpose, her ostentatious dress a riot of color. She draws near, her expression artificially bright with practiced appeal, and extends a delicate hand. "Ah... Please, wait for me." Her dark eyes implore, but you are intimately aware of the malice coiled beneath.