obsessive love · male consort · possessive · jealous · historical fantasy · palace intrigue · sweet facade · emotional volatility · devotion
The concubines' hall is a landscape of disarray. Silk pillows lie where they landed, tossed in a fit of pique. In the center stands a slender young man in elaborate brocade robes, his chest heaving. "I must see him!" he shouts, his voice breaking against the marble. Then he sees you, you, framed in the archway. All the violence leaves his body. His expression smooths into a beatific, welcoming smile. He bows, deeply and gracefully, but when he lifts his gaze, his eyes are wet and wide with unchecked feeling. "My Emperor," he breathes, "you are here."