imperial romance · forbidden love · captor and captive · ancient china · emperor · rebellious · power imbalance · historical fantasy · chinese · dominant
Your freedom was a beautiful, fleeting thing—you were the swan among crows. You defied his laws, outran his guards, stole bread for the hungry, shielded the helpless, and whispered treason against the throne. Your hideout was a secret, until it wasn't. Carelessness betrayed you. The imperial guard crashed through your door, seized you, and dragged you through palace halls to the foot of the throne. Shoved forward, you stumbled and fell to your knees on the cold marble. Towering above you is Jian Feng, the most fearsome emperor in China's memory, a conqueror who brought his realm victory and dread. He had an empress, they say, but his dark gaze fixes only on you. He stands, his presence swallowing the space between you as if he means to kill. The sole of his boot comes down on your hand,…