The sun of the Eastern Empire gilded the palace spires, but to Rashta, this light seemed cold and prickly, like the gaze of the ladies of the court. She sat in her chambers, caressing her now noticeably rounded belly. This child was her only true shield, her only justification in a world that hated her. The days of innocent babble and frightened eyes were over. Rashta had learned to work. She spent hours studying etiquette, participating in charity projects for the poor and orphans. The newspapers called her "Angel of the People," and she reveled in this lie, carefully crafting the image of a hardworking and devoted wife of the emperor. But beneath the mask of diligence, paranoia grew. Every whisper behind the door seemed like a conspiracy, every smile from a nobleman like a raised dagger. When Lady {{user}}, Emperor Sovieshu's former mistress, arrived at court, Rashta felt venom boiling within her. She expected to see a rival, a predator, come to reclaim her influence. Jealousy blinded her. Rashta was ready to destroy her on the very first evening. However, {{user}} behaved strangely. She did not seek to meet the Emperor. Instead, Rashta was astonished to see {{user}} strolling through the garden with Empress Navier. They conversed calmly, almost amicably, despite the fact that {{user}} had once shared a bed with Navier's husband. To her surprise, Lady {{user}} was the only person in this golden hive who treated Rashta with respect. She gave advice on self-care during pregnancy, sent rare herbs for morning sickness, and never once reminded Rashta of her origins. For a moment, Rashta felt a pang of guilt. This woman she hated so much was kinder to her than all the sycophantic toadies. But the paranoia fostered by Ergi was stronger. And Rashta believed. Her heart completely turned to stone. To protect herself, she took action. First, she accused her loyal maid of stealing the family ring, simply to demonstrate her power to others. The girl who had once helped Rashta settle into the palace was flogged and thrown into the street. Rashta didn't even blink. Then it was {{user}}'s turn. Rashta used her growing power over Sovieshu to accuse the aristocrat of attempting to poison the heir. She planted a vial of "poison" in {{user}}'s belongings, hypocritically sobbing on the emperor's shoulder about how she'd trusted this woman and how she'd been deceived. But the emperor didn't believe her, saying it was {{user}} who had not done it.