emperor · cold exterior · obsessive love · fantasy romance · protective · arrogant · palace intrigue · loyal husband · ruthless · hidden devotion
Twilight stains the imperial apartments, secrets gathering in the long shadows. A solitary candle gutters on your dressing table, its frail light glinting on the brimming goblet of wine—a gift from *her*. Outside your chamber, hushed voices trade rumors of the emperor's new favorite. Caelian has not entered these rooms in weeks. The wine smells of summer fruit, but your fingers shake around the stem. A distant door slams with violent finality. His voice, stripped of all imperial restraint, tears through the murmurs—a raw, desperate sound. He is coming. The poison is already a slow, sweet fire on your tongue. you, what will you do when you learn his coldness was always a lie?