Page 20 of Empire's Curse

Lanfen shivered beside Daiyu, and although what he was saying was true—that if he wanted to overpower them, he could very well do it with or without their cooperation—she couldn’t help the unease that washed over her at those words. At the sheer power he held and how powerless she was.

Daiyu exhaled deeply. “I apologize if I’ve offended you, Great Mage. I would very much appreciate if you could send my sister on her way home.”

“No need for such politeness.” Feiyu held his hand out to Lanfen, who inched closer to Daiyu and didn’t seem keen on going with him. “Come now, let’s go.”

“It’s okay.” Daiyu nudged Lanfen toward the mage. “You’ll be fine.”

Lanfen reluctantly stepped forward, gave Daiyu an uncertain glance, and placed her hand in Feiyu’s.

For a moment, Daiyu wanted to step forward and call the whole thing off—surely, it would be better to have Lanfen on her side while she navigated the strange palace and her place here? And yet, she remained rooted in place, her tongue stuck to the roof of her mouth, and her eyes drinking in Lanfen’s image like it would be the last time.

An electrifying charge shifted in the room and before Daiyu could say anything, Lanfen and Feiyu disappearedin a flash. Daiyu blinked, and she was suddenly alone in the room. It had happened so fast that she couldn’t do anything but stare at the spot they had just been at.

She prayed she had made the right decision in trusting the mage.

7

For the next three days,Daiyu didn’t hear from Feiyu about Lanfen’s whereabouts; in fact, she didn’t see the mage at all. She had been locked inside her room, unable to leave, and her only interaction with people was the handful of maids who would bring in her food, help her change clothes, and who set up a bath for her. Anytime she tried to talk to any of them, they gave her the cold shoulder and didn’t indulge her in any information about what would happen next.

It wasn’t until one afternoon where Daiyu was lounging on one of the many couches in her suite that a series of knocks had her jumping to her feet.

“His Majesty has summoned you to his quarters,” a booming male voice called through the set of double doors.

All the color drained from her face. Why would the emperor want her in his quarters? Was he going to sleep with her, abuse her, or had he heard of her plans of escape? Would he torture her? A million morbid ideas flitted through her mind and she wanted nothing more than to run as far away from this place as possible—but that was impossible.

So she squared her shoulders, brushed a shaky hand over the pale gold and sage dress she had on, fixed the honey-coloredhairpins in her hair, and left her room, where a palace guard gave her a small nod and they walked her down the winding, polished halls. Her heart hammered in her chest to a wild tune. This was a good thing, she told herself. She’d be able to find a way to escape, surely? Perhaps the emperor was going to tell her that he had made a mistake in choosing her—a very obvious commoner—and was letting her go? Or, more logically, she could find a weakness of his to extort and exchange for her freedom? No, that would surely end in her death.

Her jumbled thoughts came to a stumbling halt when the guard stopped outside a grand set of gilded doors and rapped his knuckles gently on the embossed surface. “Your Majesty,” he said. “She’s here.”

Daiyu’s palms suddenly became slick and she wiped them on the sides of her dress, her gaze darting from the door to the end of the hallway. All she had to do was stay quiet, smile, and act docile, she told herself. So long as she didn’t do anything outrightly rude, the emperor shouldn’t find a problem with her … Right?

And if she acted boring enough, there was a sure chance that he would toss her aside for someone more suited for him?

“Come in.” She recognized the smooth, authoritative voice.

The guard yanked the door open and motioned her inside. Without wasting another breath, Daiyu sauntered inside, head low. It wasn’t until the door shut behind her that she peeked inside the room. The emperor sat on the floor in front of a low table with an assortment of roasted meat, fried vegetables in hearty broth, and sticky white rice. A servant poured tea from a kettle into his cup, which he held in his palm loosely.

Drakkon Muyang’s hair was undone, so unlike the polished version of him she had seen just days ago. Vibrant purple robes covered his body entirely, and gold flashed over his wrists and neck, and a jade-encrusted sword was laid in front of him next to his platter of food.

Upon seeing her, a small smile curved along the corners of his soft mouth, and it was only then that Daiyu remembered to dropto her knees in a bow. Her body went rigid and her insides felt like they were quivering.

“Greetings, Your Majesty,” she whispered, her chest tightening with apprehension. This was the famed emperor said to have killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people. Who was rumored to have killed one of the princesses because she refused to bow to him. Who was said to be part demon.

And she was in his presence for the third time—she should’ve been considered lucky she was still alive at this point.

Muyang watched her for a moment, and Daiyu forced her face down, unable to meet his dark eyes. Her legs grew numb and a tingling sensation ran down her calves. A cold shiver ran over her body, and she wasn’t sure if it was from being under his scrutiny or from nervousness of what was to come. She licked her chapped lips to moisten them. She was teetering on the edge of flight or fight—and both would sign her death.

He was too powerful, and evil, andbeautiful, she reasoned. A combination that made her heart race like a prey caught in a spider’s web.

“You may rise.”

She jerked herself up, and her stiff legs complied. She placed her hands behind her back and tried to keep her gaze on anything but him—to the brilliant scarlet pillars erected throughout the room, to the hexagonal caisson ceiling with a dragon looping toward the center, the lush rugs with gold and emerald threads, and then to the table of food.

The servant in the room bowed low and drifted to one end of the room, where she kneeled, likely if the emperor needed anything from her. Meanwhile, Daiyu remained stuck in position by the door.

Muyang picked up his silver chopsticks and then a piece of roasted venison from his plate. He ate it quietly, and Daiyu could feel his cold gaze lingering on her, and it took all her strength to avoid his eyes.

Staring the emperor in the eyes could get her killed, after all.

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