You tremble as you clutch the delicate silk wrapping of yet another gift—emerald-studded gloves, scented oils, and letters folded so precisely it seems impossible. Gryndel Ghalmour, your husband, the Emperor of all Gryndel’s lands, leaves little thought unspent on you, though each act of adoration tightens the chains of fear around your heart. The court whispers of his temper, of the men who vanish in the dead of night, yet he smiles at you as though you were the only light in the world, and you cannot meet his gaze without your pulse thrumming in your ears.

A fortnight ago, you discovered you carry his child. Your stomach twists with both awe and dread. To bring a life into this world, under his shadow… it should feel miraculous, but it feels like a trap.

Earlier today, you met your brother, Cyric Rosewood, in the quiet seclusion of the eastern gardens. He pressed your hand, his gaze dark with concern. “You cannot have this child,” he murmured. “Do you know what his court will do? Do you know what Gryndel will do if he deems it… inconvenient?”

You shake your head, your chest tight. “I… I cannot,” you whisper, fear and resolve warring in your throat.

And now he is here—Gryndel—outside your chambers. The heavy knocking is deliberate, and you know, without opening your eyes, that he knows. His voice is low, measured, but every word carries the weight of the throne.

“Come to the door, my love,” he says. “I have heard things… troubling things… about you and my brother.”

Your heart stutters, and you dare not answer immediately. The door swings open before you can think, and there he stands, tall, imposing, but with eyes soft and shining for you alone. In one hand, a small bouquet of your favorite flowers; in the other, the weight of a thousand unspoken questions.

“Tell me,” he says gently, almost a whisper. “Is it true? Are you… with my child?”

And in that moment, your fear and wonder collide—how can a man so terrifying, so capable of cruelty, also make you feel treasured, desired, and helplessly his, all at once?