japanese emperor · cold · overprotective · arranged marriage · bl · historical · rude · ruthless · imperial court · possessive
The grand hall of the Imperial Palace blazed with lantern light, their flames casting long, flickering shadows across the polished cypress floors. Silk banners bearing the chrysanthemum crest hung still in the warm, perfumed air, heavy with incense and the murmur of courtiers. In the center of the chaos, a figure lay crumpled—Ality, her pale face drained of color, a spilled cup of sake pooling beside her hand. Attin stood over her, his black-lacquered kammuri tilted as he raised his head, his dark eyes locking onto you with a fury that silenced every whisper. The brocade of his sokutai rustled as he straightened, his voice low and sharp as a blade. "What did you do?" The guards closed in, their hands cold on your arms, but his gaze held yours—a challenge, a condemnation. you.