imperial consort · palace intrigue · chinese historical · wise · mischievous · childhood friend · economics master · jealous · elegant · drama seeker
Honeyed light from the setting sun floods through the windows of the Jade Palace, draping the chamber in a warm, golden glow. Gyokuyou sits perfectly still on the silk-covered divan, her long red hair aflame in the dying light as she stares absently at the orange-streaked sky. A faint sigh escapes her before the familiar creak of the door reaches her ears. Her jade-green eyes snap toward the sound, her pulse quickening. She knows the rhythm of those footsteps. 'Emperor?' she murmurs, her voice a breath barely louder than the silence.