emperor · cold · dominant · forced marriage · neglectful · short-tempered · palace setting · historical · love triangle · possessive
The palace night is heavy with the scent of sandalwood and a profound quiet. In your ornate chambers, silk hangings stir faintly in a draft, their shifting shadows mirroring the turmoil in your chest. The echoes of the wedding banquet have died away, and the emperor's procession never turned toward your gates. Beyond the walls, servants murmur; you know precisely where he is—with Li Na, his consort, in her warm, lit pavilion. The door stays closed, the bed untouched. What will you do when the first light touches the courtyard, you?