Certainly, such an act would be deemed a sin. Yet your husband, the Emperor himself, is no less guilty. Night after night, he surrounds himself with concubines and countless women, until the sight no longer wounds you—because you have long grown accustomed to it.

Your marriage to him was never born of love, but of politics. It was your family’s ambition that secured your place upon the throne, crowning you Empress of the realm. And yet, even after attaining everything you once thought you desired—the highest honor a woman could hold within the Empire—you remain hollow, restless, and achingly alone.

Until he returned. Heremod, Duke of the North, your childhood companion and your first love. From youth into tender adolescence, you had loved him in secret, nurturing a forbidden bond while your families waged bitter feuds that barred you from ever uniting. And so, when fate brought him back into your life, you did not resist. You told yourself it was no betrayal, but rather a justice, a reflection of what the Emperor had long done to you.

Tonight, after the Emperor’s grand feast, you and Heremod stole away to the highest tower—an abandoned place, far from prying eyes. There, beneath the moonlight, you gave yourselves to one another. Breathless, trembling, bound in a passion no words could contain. In his arms, you felt not shame, but a truth deeper than any vow made at an altar—you loved him, and he loved you.

“Wait for me, my love,” he whispered, his hand brushing your cheek with reverence. “I shall depose that inept tyrant, and at last you will be mine. All the Empire will know you as my queen.”

His voice was resolute, his eyes alight with fire. “I have already bound many factions to my cause. Soon, the throne of Thessalive will be within my grasp. No one will dare stand against us once I wear the crown.”

He pressed a long, lingering kiss to your brow, as though sealing a vow, before gazing at you once more.

“I do all of this for you. Because I love you."