by Alice Wilde
Besides, I can’t stand the way Luo behaves, especially with his other women.
I smile noncommittally at Luo and nod.
“You can go,” Luo says with a wave of his hand. “I have work I need to do, but I expect an answer by sunset.”
I leave the room as quickly as politeness will allow. At least he isn’t forcing himself on me. Gods, is that my standard now for a good man?
I spend the rest of the morning wandering through the gardens near my own quarters, never venturing far enough away that Roan or Li couldn’t find me easily. Morning turns to afternoon, and I can’t help the nerves rising within me. Time is passing far too quickly, and there’s still no sign of them.
I steady myself on a nearby tree as I suddenly realize that I’m actually going to have to make a decision in regards to Luo’s proposal. Am I willing to marry this man? Could I live out the rest of my life like this? If I’ve lost my men, is there even a better option for me?
I could try to go back, but then I’d have to face Damien alone. There’s no way I could unite the Highlanders and Vikings on my own, and I doubt the emperor will be eager to send an army off with the woman who’s just rejected his offer. But perhaps if I agree to be his empress, Luo would fight for me. We might still have a chance at defeating Damien.
My head spins as I try to think through my options, and then another thought suddenly races to the forefront of my mind. The emperor doesn’t know I’m pregnant. I’m going to have to tell him if I decide to accept his offer, and then what?
I stumble to a nearby bench as I try not to hyperventilate. My anxiety suddenly turns to anger as I focus on the source of all of my problems. Even from afar, Damien has torn my life from my own hands, and by all the gods, I will not stop until I take it back.
Taking a deep breath to calm myself, I return to my room to prepare myself for the night ahead.
I stare at my reflection for a long time, willing myself to move forward with my decision. It had been easy to be angry and resolute when there were still several hours left to decide, but the afternoon had come and gone, and my men are still nowhere to be found. I try not to think about what this means, but my eyes sting at the thought.
Standing, I walk slowly out of my room, holding my head high, and do my best to keep my composure as I make my way back to Luo’s quarters. A servant greets me at the entrance and guides me through the hallways to a different room from this morning.
The guards let me in without any trouble this time, and I find myself stepping into a room of white and gold. Long white curtains and golden lanterns hang from the ceiling in various sizes, twinkling like stars. In the center of the room is a small table set with only a few dishes, instead of the overwhelming amounts of food I’d grown accustomed to seeing.
There’s a sliding door on one side of the room, and Luo is quietly looking out of a window opposite me.
He turns to face me as I enter, and even I can’t deny how handsome he looks. His hair is tied up in a tight bun on the top of his head with a gold cloth. He’s wearing well-fitting pants, and his white shirt is wrapped tightly around his torso, emphasizing every curve of muscle. Over this, he’s draped a white jacket with gold embroidery. It’s loose-fitting and hangs pleasantly over him, hitting about mid-thigh in length. Something about the whole scene makes me feel woefully unprepared.
“Good evening, Annalise,” Luo says, gesturing toward the table.
We take our places, but neither of us seems to want to eat anything.
“A drink?”
“Yes, please,” I answer.
The corner of Luo’s mouth twitches at the haste with which I answer, but I can’t tell if it’s out of amusement or disapproval.
“Cheers,” Luo says, raising his glass to me.
We down the contents of our glasses, and I wrinkle my nose as I’m reminded just how horrible this particular liquor tastes.
“I think we both know why you’re here tonight,” Luo finally says, looking at me expectantly.
“You’re right,” I say nervously. “As I’m sure you know, Li and Roan haven’t returned, which leads me to believe they fell fighting your snake demon.”
I pause, swallowing the lump in my throat as I try to keep myself from bursting into tears. “I’ve thought a great deal about your offer, which is more than generous, and I’ve come to a decision. However, there are several things you need to know about me first—”
“I don’t want to know anything about your past,” Luo interrupts. “Just tell me what your decision is.”
The emperor’s remark leaves me at a loss for words, and my mind goes blank as I try to gather my thoughts.
“Yes or no,” Luo presses.
“I…I…Yes, but—”
“Good,” Luo says, clapping his hands loudly.
I’m startled as several men enter the room and gather around us as Luo speaks to them in a commanding voice. My heart beats hard in my chest as I try to grasp what’s happening. The whole scene lasts a matter of minutes before Luo stands and offers me his hand. I take it instinctively, and Luo pulls me to my feet before leading me toward the door I’d noticed earlier and sliding it open.
Inside is a room similar to the one we’d just been sitting in, but instead of a table, there’s a bed.
“What’s happening?” I ask in alarm, stopping in my tracks.
“We’re consummating the arrangement.”
“Shouldn’t we be married first?”
“I’ve already taken care of the legal work. We can have a formal ceremony later,” Luo says, lifting me off the ground and carrying me toward the bed.
My mind races for some excuse to get out of the situation, but nothing comes to mind.
“I’m not ready,” I say quietly.
Luo looks down at me curiously before tossing me onto the bed. “I’ll make you ready, wife,” he says as he climbs on top of me.
What have I gotten myself into?
Sixteen
Li
“Where is she?”
“With the emperor,” the maid answers nervously.
“Why is she with the emperor?”
“He’s asked for her hand in marriage.”
“What?” I shout before noticing the maid’s fear and reign in my temper. “Roan, lie down to rest. I need to find Annalise.”
“What’s going on?” Roan asks.
“There’s no time to explain. Lay down and I’ll be back as soon as I can,” I say as I race from Annalise’s quarters.
Apparently, we’d been gone far longer than we’d realized. It wasn’t until we’d made our way back to the palace that we discovered we’d been gone nearly two days. It seems time had the opposite effect on us than it had with Luo.
I hadn’t been too concerned with how long it might take us to deal with the shifter when we left, but I hadn’t anticipated having to worry about the emperor’s intentions with Annalise. Exhaustion has already started to set in, but none of that matters to me right now. My only thoughts are of Annalise…I just hope that I’m not too late.
I speed past the guards at the entrance to Luo’s quarters and can hear them chase after me as soon as they realize what’s happened. I slow down for a moment to focus on the sounds and scents around me, and I find it. Annalise’s scent is subtle but undeniable, and I follow it through the halls to a set of guarded doors.
“Let me in,” I snarl.
“We’ve been given orders—”
“To hell with orders,” I snap, shoving the men aside with ease and pushing into the room beyond.
It’s empty, aside from a table still set with food and dishes and Annalise’s scent. Looking around the room, I notice another door and rush to it. I only hesitate for a moment before throwing the door open.
“Li? You’re alive!”
Annalise is lying on the bed, Luo on top of her, but from what I can tell, he hasn’t managed to take her yet. I can’t help but let out a sigh of relief.
“Can’t you see we’r
e busy,” Luo says with agitation.
The guards who have been chasing me through the palace run up behind me, but Luo holds up a hand to stop them.
“What’s going on here?” I ask as calmly as possible, but I can feel the tension in my body.
Luo is clearly frustrated as he pushes himself into a sitting position on top of Annalise. I start to look away, but I’m glad to see I don’t have to as she is still fully clothed.
“Annalise has accepted my offer of marriage,” Luo says flatly. “I think you can figure out the rest.”
“But you can’t marry her!”
“And why not?” Luo asks fiercely. “I didn’t force her into it. She came to the decision on her own.”
“Because,” I start, my mind racing to find a suitable answer to Luo’s question. “Because she’s already married.”
“What? To whom?”
“Me.”
I have no idea why I said that, but I keep my face hard and unflinching. Roan would kill me if he were around to hear that answer.
Luo stares at me for a long moment, his eyes narrowing as he processes what I’ve just said. Annalise is watching us both in wide-eyed confusion, and it’s only now that I realize we’ve been speaking to each other in Chinese and she has no idea what either of us has said. I can’t help but feeling relief knowing that, although a small part of me wishes she had.
“Fine,” Luo finally says, breaking the silence. “You should have said something long ago, but I suppose that makes sense. She wasn’t too eager to make a decision until she was quite sure you weren’t returning.”
Relief washes through me, but I do my best not to show it. “She’s not one to make a decision like that lightly,” I say. “Marrying you would have been her last option.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Just that I…She doesn’t play games when it comes to marriage. She wouldn’t break her vows unless she had good reason to,” I hasten to clarify. “My death being one of them.”
I can tell from Luo’s expression that I’m starting to go down the wrong path, and he’s starting to get suspicious.
“You said she’s a queen,” the emperor says slowly. “What reason does she have to marry you?”
I have no idea how to answer this question. How do I go about telling the current emperor that I was born the heir to his throne centuries ago? Saying it would sound ridiculous, but what other reason would Annalise have to marry me if I weren’t of royal blood? Come to think of it, who am I in this world? My family died out long ago, I have no worldly possessions of my own, and the sole reason I’m even alive is because of a curse.
“Love,” I finally answer, but the word is strained and feels strange to say aloud.
I’ve screwed up. The emperor is looking at me with an expression that almost seems to scream that he knows I’m lying.
“Fine,” Luo says coldly, getting off the bed and re-wrapping his shirt around himself. “Prove it.”
“What?”
“She’s right here,” the emperor says, gesturing toward Annalise. “Prove you’re married.”
Wo cao. Why didn’t I just say she was married to Roan? If I backtrack now, Luo will just think I’m making everything up, and who knows how he’ll react. I can’t imagine he’ll take too kindly to being lied to.
“I…I need a bath,” I say slowly.
Luo frowns as he draws nearer, but then wrinkles his nose and nods as he catches a whiff of me.
“You’ll bathe here,” Luo says.
Speaking to one of the guards, he instructs them to bring a tub with hot water and plenty of soap.
I wish I could speak with Annalise alone, but the emperor shows no sign of leaving us alone without first having proof that what I’ve said is true.
It doesn’t take long for a bath to be prepared for me, and I’m stripped of my dirty clothes. Stepping into the steaming water, I can’t help but feel a mild sense of satisfaction as I see what appears to be envy flash across Luo’s face before he turns away.
The servants scrub me clean as quickly as possible, but the water turns dark so quickly, fresh water has to be fetched for me to finish bathing with. I don’t think I’ve ever been doused in so many fragrant oils in my life, but the stench of the last few days is finally hidden, if not washed away.
I rise and the servants rush to clear away the bathing materials, leaving me dripping wet in the middle of the room, at least momentarily. It doesn’t take long for me to notice a growing number of female maids peering around the sliding door from the other room at me. I cover my nudity as best I can with one hand and run my other through my still soaking hair to push it out of my face.
Annalise has covered her face in her hands, but I can still tell her cheeks are flushed red as she tries not to look at me. I have a hard time keeping a straight face as I notice her peek through her fingers.
“Get on with it,” Luo says, still speaking to me in Chinese as he leans against the wall.
“I’ve never had to be watched,” I say. “I don’t think I can—”
“You’ll manage,” the emperor snaps. “Or you’ll admit that you’re lying and we’ll go from there.”
Internally, I feel like I’m being torn to pieces. Of course, I want to be with Annalise. I’ve wanted to be with her since the day I first laid eyes on her. But I hadn’t imagined it being like this, and I don’t want to betray Roan’s trust. And what if Annalise doesn’t want to be with me? I can’t force myself on her, even if it might save our necks.
If only I hadn’t given such an idiotic response, none of this would be a problem. I could have continued being the man I’ve always striven to be and spent the rest of my days in honorable torment, loving Annalise from afar.
Luo clears his throat in agitation, and I make my way toward the bed, leaving a trail of water across the floor as I do so.
Annalise’s eyes widen from between her fingers as she watches me approach.
“Li?” she asks nervously.
“May I join you?” I ask, my eyes briefly flitting toward the emperor.
“What?”
“May I join you in bed?” My voice catches slightly, and I can feel my nerves getting the better of me. Of all the things in the world, you wouldn’t think getting into bed with a woman to be what throws me.
“Yes, of course,” Annalise says, moving to the far side of the bed to give me enough space to join her.
I slip under the bedding and stare up at the ceiling, grateful to be at least momentarily covered from all the prying eyes in the room.
“What’s going on?”
I look over at Annalise, who’s watching me nervously, propped up on her side. My mouth is dry and my heart is beating harder than I’ve ever felt it in my life.
“I’ve done something stupid,” I whisper, turning toward Annalise.
“Where’s Roan?” Annalise asks anxiously.
“He’s fine. Well, he was bitten.”
“What!”
“But he’s okay,” I say hastily. “He’s resting, don’t worry about him.”
Annalise sighs in relief and leans back into her pillow. “So, what’s wrong, then?”
“I…I may have just told the emperor that you’re my wife.”
Seventeen
Annalise
I stare at Li in complete shock and disbelief. If we weren’t being watched by so many people, I have no doubt that I’d be yelling at him. How could he be so careless? Lying to an emperor? My heart starts to race as the gravity of the situation settles over me.
“So,” I say as quietly as I can, although my voice has already started to shake. “What exactly is going on right now?”
Luo says something in Chinese from across the room, and I watch as Li tenses with discomfort.
“The emperor has asked me to prove it,” Li says, looking down at his hands.
I close my eyes in an effort to remain calm. “So, we’re supposed to have sex, here, in front of all of these people?”
Something in the way Li says this makes my heart break. Besides our one shared kiss, he’s always kept a distance between us, especially after Roan and I were wed. He’s become my most trusted confidant and has always done everything in his power to keep me safe. I want to be angry with him for his slip in judgment, but I can’t. Not when he’s been the most steadfast of all my companions.
“Li…” I start, but then trail off as I find myself at a loss for words.
“You can say no,” Li says, misunderstanding my speechlessness. “I would never hold it against you. I can be man enough to take the fall for my own mistake. Please, Annalise, don’t do anything that you’ll regret. Not even to keep me from harm.”
I take Li’s hand in my own and squeeze it gently.
“Li, I can’t deny that I’m not too thrilled with our current situation, but I care far too deeply for you to see harm come to you. You’ve been a constant savior in my life. I’d be honored to save your life for once.”
Li looks up at me, and I’m taken aback by his pained expression. “I don’t think I can do it,” Li says. “Not like this.”
“What do you mean?” I ask anxiously.
“This isn’t how I want us to come together. It’s unnatural and dishonorable. I’d be breaking Roan’s trust.”
I can tell Li is starting to panic, and it’s triggering panic to rise within myself as well.
“Li, pull yourself together,” I say as steadily as I can manage, although I feel a lump starting to rise in my throat. “I’m not losing another of my men. Not today.”
I let go of Li’s hand and stroke his cheek with backs of my fingers. Li raises his eyes to meet mine and I seize the moment. Pulling myself to him, I press my lips to his. Li tenses, and for a moment, it’s as if I’m kissing a statue instead of one of the most gorgeous men I’ve ever met…until he kisses me back. The world melts away around us as the kiss ignites a fire within Li.