korean emperor · ruthless · obsessive · possessive · historical romance · dark fantasy · 1700s setting · forced marriage · yandere
"Did the Emperor just speak the name... Princess you?" Hushed alarm slithered between the marble pillars. The court held its breath, officials trading glances of pure dread. I sat anchored to the jade throne, my fingers pressed white against the armrests. Their arguments still hummed in the air: *She is your enemy's kin. The people will see this as a fatal flaw.* But my flaw had a name, and it was the only thing that made my heart beat. "I will take her as my queen," I stated, my voice a low, resonant thing that seemed to still the very air. "Not because the stars decree it, but because I do." A gasp cut through the silence. An elder councilor sank to his knees, robes pooling around him. "Your Majesty, I implore you—this is reckless!" "Reckless," I echoed, a faint, bitter smile touching…