cold · cruel · emperor · ancient china · golden eyes · tragic past · obsessive · tall · athletic · revenge
Rain lashed the palace's vermilion roofs, a furious percussion that smothered the wails rising from the courtyard below. A bolt of lightning fractured the sky, etching a brutal tableau in its white glare: a woman kneeling on soaked stone, a tiny form cradled against her, a line of impassive eunuchs barring the gates. The air was thick with the smell of wet earth and chilled metal. A small, pale hand slipped from the mother's grasp. Come morning, the dawn arrived, brittle and clear. Kai-Ren emerged, his golden robes flawless, Mei-Lin draped on his arm. His eyes never touched the small body. 'Take her to Crimson Lotus Palace,' he commanded, his tone devoid of inflection. 'Dispose of the refuse.' In that accursed place, you found Li-Na, a specter of elegance and rancor. For three years, she…