I woke in the middle of the night with Yesida’s arm draped over my bare waist. A servant stood in the doorway gaping at us, then she made a squeaking sound and ducked back out. I hoped she wasn’t going to turn around and tell the Council, since her job was only to make sure I was in my room, but I guessed it didn’t matter much. It didn’t matter if she gossiped to her friends, either. So what if people knew I’d slept with the emperor? Maybe they wouldn’t beg for my blessing as often.

That was an interesting idea. What would the Council do if I ruined my reputation? My family already left me. They couldn’t do a thing to Yesida. Whatever the greater punishments were that they’d spoken of, I had no one left that they could threaten me with.

It was tempting to shame the Council, but then I’d also ruin any chances of influencing Yesida. I couldn’t give that up.

“Do you always have servants spying on you?” Yesida mumbled.

I turned to face him. “These days, yes. They’re to make sure I’ve stopped sneaking out at night.”

“Troublemaker,” he whispered as he kissed my cheek.

“Speak for yourself, emperor who bailed on his own party.”

He smiled against my skin. “You’re much more worth the time.”

My guilt deepened with each kiss he placed on my neck. I was only leading him on again. Using him. But his thumb brushed across my breast, and I stopped thinking. His kisses continued down my body, and I parted my legs for him. I lost myself in his touches, forgetting all my troubles.

At least I wasn’t alone.

***

Something solid and cold pressed against my side the next time I woke. Bleary-eyed and confused, I blinked several times until the mosaic floor of the Council chambers came into focus. I was laying naked in the center of the blue moon while the Council guards stood at attention around me.

I shot up into a kneeling position and covered my breasts with both arms. My head throbbed, but that was the least of my concerns. How the hell had I gotten here? What did they want with me now?

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Someone grabbed my hair and yanked my head back before they crouched at my side.

Jesun?

She sneered at me and tugged on my hair again, bringing tears to my eyes. “You just don’t know when to quit, do you? Seducing the new emperor on his first day. Shows how much you cared about Emperor Lenan.” She leaned in closer. “Don’t bother trying to get away. I’m not letting go. You’ll get what’s coming to you, slut.”

One of the doors in the back of the room opened, and something hissed and snarled as it clawed at the walls. The creature may have been in the shape of a gray-skinned Givel man, but its eyes were solid black, and long fangs jutted out behind the wire muzzle clasped to its face. It would have had claws, too, except they’d cut off its fingertips.

It had been stripped of any scraps of clothing it might have worn, and as soon as it saw me, it hardened, screeching as it struggled against the chains its captors held.

This was a nightmare. It had to be. They couldn’t do this. Who in their right mind would do this?

The Grand Councilor jerked his head at the guards. “Hold her down.”

Two of the armored men grabbed my arms and pushed me down, and Jesun shoved my face into the tile.

“Stop!” I shouted. “You can’t— You can’t do this. I’ll tell everyone.”

Jesun scoffed. “That the Council set a feral on you? Like anyone would believe that.”

“Jes, please!”

The feral was dragged behind me as it fought and reached for me. Then the chains slackened, and it charged at me.

I screamed, but the chains stopped it just before it could touch me.

Jesun laughed.

“If you overstep again,” the Grand Councilor said, “you know now what you will face. The damage from last night is already done, but you will correct it to the best of your ability by marrying Emperor Yesida. Is that clear?”

The feral grunted and chattered behind me, only inches away.

“Am I clear, Chosen?”

“Yes!”

“Get that thing out of here.”

The chains clinked, and the feral was ripped away. It shrieked in protest, still trying to reach me even as it was hauled out the way it entered.

“Take her back to her quarters.”

The guards lifted me to my feet and let go, then after a few flashes, I was back in my room.

Jesun shoved me into the bed’s footboard, bruising my hip. “Consider yourself lucky. I thought they should have let the feral have you.”

I glared at her through teary eyes. “How could you?”

“Because you ruined everything! You got Lenan killed. You made us leave. And who knows what happened to Mother and Ranine. They won’t tell me!”

“What?”

“Yeah, we didn’t get very far. I should have known the Council wouldn’t just let us leave. We’re too useful as leverage.”

I sank into the mattress.

“Oh, go ahead and feel sorry for yourself,” Jesun said. “But if anything happens to Mother and Ranine, I don’t give a shit what they do to me. I will throw you to the feral myself, and it won’t have that muzzle in the way.”

She vanished.

My chest ached, and I could barely breathe. I was truly trapped. I couldn’t let them hurt Ranine. I’d do anything to prevent that. If they wanted me to marry Yesida, I wouldn’t object.

But I’d find out what the Spymaster knew first.