Crossdressing For The Emperor

Chapter 2Lioren’s POVWhen he opened his eyes, I noticed he wasn't confused. He was aware. He looked at the ceiling, then the walls, then the small space between us. He seemed to be taking everything in without moving much. His breathing was still uneven, and his body was weak from whatever had happened. But his eyes were steady, which didn't match how weak he seemed.Most people who woke up like this were confused. They asked questions before they understood. They reacted before they thought. He did neither.His eyes found me quickly and stayed on me. I felt the weight of his gaze, sharper than I expected.“Where am I?” he asked. His voice was low, a little dry, but calm.I made myself stand still. “You’re somewhere safe,” I said. “I found you near the forest. You were hurt.”He looked at me for a moment, as if trying to see if my words were true.“My name is Liora,” I said. The lie came easily. It always did when I needed it.He nodded slightly, accepting it without question. That

Chapter 4Lioren’s POVBy the time the soldiers got to our clearing, it was clear they were looking for one person. I could tell by how they walked. They moved with a clear plan, their steps sure and their group tight. They acted like they already knew where they were going. Even the sound of their armor was steady, showing they were trained, not just walking around.This wasn’t just a regular patrol. This was a search. And whoever, or whatever, they were looking for had led them here.I stayed where I was, just inside our shelter, my body tight as I listened. Everything I had learned over the years told me to run, to hide, to disappear before they saw me. But it was too late for that. They were too close.“Stay back,” I said quietly, not looking away from the doorway. For a moment, I thought Kael would obey. But then I heard him move behind me. It was a quiet sound, not of fear or worry. I turned just in time to see him step forward.“Kael—” The warning was too late. He moved past me

The room where the Emperor sits was colder than I remembered. Or maybe it was just me. The big, gold crown sat on its soft pillow, waiting. It felt strange, like a weight I was too weak to hold just a few days ago. My memory, which had been a jumbled mess of pain and confusion, was now clear and sharp. I saw images of people who had turned against me, like a bad scar. The kingdom was a mess, and I had just come back to try and fix it. But even with all the urgent things I had to do – finding the traitors, making sure our borders were safe, getting my power back – one picture stayed in my mind, clear and bright. It was the face of the young girl who had found me, who had saved my life when I was just a broken man in the woods. Liora. I remembered her soft voice, how she looked at me with quiet care, not fear like I was used to seeing on others’ faces. I remembered her gentle hands cleaning my wounds. And I remembered my own words, said when I

The Emperor’s rooms, usually a place where I could think straight, plan, and feel my strength back, now felt like a prison. The shiny wooden floors of my study seemed to laugh at me with every step I took. I walked back and forth, the sound of my boots like a drum for my growing anger. My advisors had given me the royal order, something needed, a way to show Kaldor its Emperor was back, strong and in charge. It was meant to heal the kingdom, to bring everyone together. But the most important part of that plan, the woman meant to be my Empress, the symbol of hope I had so boldly announced, was gone. Vanished like smoke. How could she had just vanished. What could have happened? "She was here one moment, and then… gone," I growled, my voice tight and rough. Anger, cold and sharp, burned inside me. I had sent out my best men, the soldiers who had promised their lives to me. I had told them clearly: find Liora. Bring her to me. I needed her here, with me, to keep the promise I had made,

The knock didn’t come again.Whoever was outside the door was just waiting. That was worse. A second knock could be the wind, or the old wood creaking, or any of the little lies a scared mind tells itself to get more time. But the silence that followed – patient, calm, not bothered at all – left no room for faking it.Someone was there. Someone was waiting. And they weren't in a hurry.I stood in the middle of the room, knife in my hand, my heart in my throat. I counted my breaths until I could think straight. The light coming through the cracks in the walls had changed from gold to a softer color, hinting at evening. Outside, the village carried on, not knowing I was there – the distant sound of a child, a low sound of an animal being led somewhere, the normal sounds of a place with nothing to hide.I walked across the room. I put my hand flat on the door, pressing, as if I could feel through the wood who was waiting. Then I pulled it open.The young man in the doorway looked as harm