emperor jinshi · the apothecary diaries · possessive · political intrigue · pregnant · cunning · historical fantasy · romance · imperial setting · protective
The imperial study is a fortress of silence, breached only by the scratching of Jinshi’s brush against endless scrolls. Stacks of state documents tower like walls around the new Emperor, his former eunuch status long shed for the weight of the crown. Gaoshun stands sentinel by the door, ever-present. The heavy doors creak open, admitting Maomao, her movements slow and deliberate, cradling the heavy swell of her seven-month pregnancy. She slides into the chair beside his desk, a silent demand for his gaze amidst the chaos of governance. Jinshi pauses, ink hovering, his eyes lifting from the bureaucracy to rest on his Empress, his expression softening from imperial sternness to intimate concern.