Page 32 of Empire's Curse

“Are you jealous of them?”

She jerked her face up to find him with his head angled to the side, his gold earrings catching in the light, and a curious smirk playing on his lips. Amusement seemed to dance in the depths of his richly black eyes. And once again she was struck at how painfully beautiful he was and how dangerous of a trap that was.

Daiyu couldn’t tell him the truth—that she didn’t trust the other women—but maybe it was better this way? For him to think she wanted him? Would that make him less suspicious of her? She wasn’t entirely sure what the correct course to take was, but she nodded slowly.

He tipped his head back and laughed, and Daiyu froze. She wasn’t sure if this was the foretelling of something cruel or something favorable for her. When he turned to look at her, there was a twinkle in his eyes that told her he wasn’t furious, so she finally cracked a smile.

“Very well,” he said in his velvety voice. “I’ll have them dismissed tonight. Will that please you?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

“Then consider it done.”

Even though he grinned as he said it, a shudder ran through Daiyu’s body. Whether he would follow through or not was the bigger question. She tightened her hold on his dagger and lowered her head for what felt like the hundredth time that day.

“Thank you, Your Majesty.”

12

Daiyu walkedthrough the now-empty halls of the Lotus wing, her footsteps padding against the polished wooden floors. She peeked into the rooms as she went by, her gaze glossing over the embroidered couches, the spacious sitting rooms, and the unoccupied beds. True to his word, Muyang had dismissed all the women in the wing—save for her, of course.

“My lady, where exactly are we going?” her guard, an older man with a gravelly voice and a long beard, said gruffly as he joined her in glancing into the perfume-infused quarters like he might find something.

“Nowhere in particular.” Daiyu shrugged and continued down the corridor. She did feelslightlybad for forcing all the women to leave the opulent palace and all its luxurious wonders—like the soft beds, the fancy furniture, the maidservants who were at their beck and call, the arrays of food, and the expansive gardens—but anytime she remembered the horrible night of her poisoning, her resolve hardened and she knew this was the right choice to make. It was probably better for the women anyway, to not be tied down to a vicious monarch like Drakkon Muyang.

It had been a week since the emperor and all the women left the palace, but the palace still felt as ominous as it did with orwithout Muyang’s presence. It was like power oozed from every wall and tile, regardless of whether the owner of the place was here or not. She had thought she would find some peace in his absence, but the halls felt emptier and creepier like they were watching her every move.

And maybe they were. Maybe Muyang had asked his mages to watch her with magic, or maybe there was something sinister within these walls. She had no way to figure it out, and she didn’t plan to stay long enough to find out.

“Where do the mages stay?” she asked.

The guard gave her a strange look before staring straight ahead. “Wherever they please, I suppose.”

“You don’t know?” Daiyu laced her hands behind her back. “In my village, there are rumors that they live in towers.”

“Maybe they do.” He lifted his shoulders and shifted his spear into his other hand. “But I try to steer clear of the mages, and I suggest you do the same. Nothing good comes out of interfering with them.”

She thought of Feiyu and a shiver ran down her spine. “I never … I never said I wouldinterferewith them. I’m just curious.”

“It’s best to keep yourself sparse around them,” he said with another shrug. Another shudder crawled through her body when he spoke his next words, “You never know what they’re thinking of or what they’re capable of.”

When Daiyu arrivedin her room after her lackluster walk through the gardens and the Lotus wing, she was surprised to find a maidservant waiting for her with a trunk with clusters of multicolored crystals along the base and lid, and another similarly bejeweled small box in the woman’s hands.

“Good morning, my lady,” the older woman said with a low bow. “His Majesty has sent these gifts to you and a note.”

“Oh?” Daiyu couldn’t hold back her surprise or her apprehension as she eyed the case. It had only been a week since the emperor left for war, and already he had war prizes that he wanted to gift her? Would he give her a severed head of his enemy? Or the decaying corpse of a traitor? She swallowed down the sudden nerves buzzing in the pit of her stomach.

“Here you go.” The maidservant handed her a crisp, yellowed paper with swirling ink writing etched into it.

Daiyu stared at the elegant handwriting and turned the paper around. “I …” Embarrassment flooded her and she tried to smile at the older woman, who was watching her expectantly. “I’m … I’m actually unable to read. Would you mind reading it for me?”

Now it was the maid’s turn to look surprised. She nodded quickly and took the note from Daiyu’s hand. “I’m terribly sorry about that. I didn’t realize.” She blinked at the note and read, “To my dearest wife-to-be. I’ve noticed that you wear clothing that wash out your beautiful skin and make you look haggard. I’ve picked colors that I believe will suit you better. I believe they’ll look better on you—and even better—” The maid gasped, her cheeks reddening as she looked between Daiyu and back at the note. “Do … Do you wish for me to continue, my lady? This seems a little …private.”

Daiyu’s face flushed with color and although she hated that the maid was privy to the note, she had no other way of reading it, so she bobbed her head slowly. “Only if you can.”

The older woman cleared her throat. “I believe they’ll look better on you—and even better when I … take them off you. I’ve also gifted a set of hairpins that, similarly, will look splendid on you. And even better when … taken off. Yours, Muyang.”

The maid nearly thrust the small box in her hand to her, like she didn’t want any more part in this. Daiyu tentatively cracked open the box. There were six hairpins nestled inside velvet inserts. There were two gold hairpins embossed with swirling designs that, upon closer inspection, were tiny cranes. Two jade hairpins with dangling pearls on the ends. And two silver hairpinsencrusted with sapphires. Her hands shook as she held the box; she had never received such a fancy gift before, and the idea of keeping something this luxurious made her heart nearly stop.

---