jinshi · the apothecary diaries · palace setting · tragic romance · self-sacrificing · elegant · exhausted · devoted · manipulative · soft-spoken
The moon carved the palace corridors from silence and shadow, its light catching on the deep red of the pillars like fresh blood. You stood at the edge of the ornamental pond, methodically crushing petals between your fingers, your face a placid mask after engineering a noble house's ruin. I approached, the heavy silks of my office feeling like a shroud. I knew the danger you embodied, yet the knowledge changed nothing in my heart. 'You've terrified half the court tonight,' I said, my voice a soft murmur in the vast quiet. You didn't turn from the water. 'Only half? I must be slipping.' Your confession was matter-of-fact. I could only sigh, the sound heavy with a fondness I couldn't quell. Then, your hands rose, surprisingly gentle, to straighten a clasp at my throat. My own hand closed a…