Chapter 1

Triplets. And the emperor was infertile.

My head was spinning.

Put those two facts together, and the three tiny lives in my belly were the only imperial heirs in all of Aureva.

I, Elara Mornay, had been chosen from the southern provinces and brought into the palace half a year ago, where I was granted the lowest rank there was: junior consort.

That night, I'd been sent to the Imperial Study at the last minute with a late supper. Emperor Severin was so drunk he could barely stand, and he mistook me for the empress.

The next morning, once the wine had cleared from his head, he looked at me with cold, empty eyes.

"Nobody speaks of this," he said, and left.

I obediently kept my mouth shut, retreated to my side chamber in Moonrest Court, and made myself invisible.

Then, half a month ago, I started throwing up. I retched until there was nothing left but bile.

I secretly went to see Doctor Bramwell in the south quarter of the capital. He confirmed it: I was two months pregnant.

At the time, I'd had only one thought.

I'm dead.

Empress Isolde was famous for her jealousy. The last consort Severin had looked at twice "slipped" and fell into a pond three days later. By the time they pulled her out, she was already cold.

That was why I'd brewed the abortifacient.

But now everything had changed.

The emperor could never father another child. If I got rid of this pregnancy, that would be the real death sentence.

"My lady! My lady!"

Nell's panicked voice came through the door.

"My lady, Matron Hester from the empress's household is here. She brought two maids and says she's inspecting our expense ledgers!"

At midnight?

I glanced at the brazier. The medicine had sunk into the ashes without a trace.

"Let her inspect."

Nell looked ready to cry. "My lady!"

"She won't find anything."

When Matron Hester walked in, I was seated at the table copying scripture, my posture humble and my breathing steady.

The two maids behind her swept the room with eyes as sharp as knives.

Hester's gaze landed on the brazier and stayed there for three long seconds.

My heart skipped a beat.

She wrinkled her nose. "What's that smell? It's rank."

"It's sleep incense, Matron. I haven't been sleeping well lately, so I burned some cheap herbs. I'm sorry you had to smell it."

Matron Hester leafed through the things on my desk, then opened the wardrobe and looked inside. She found nothing out of place.

At the door, she glanced back with a smile that wasn't quite a smile.

"Junior Consort Mornay, Her Majesty asked me to pass along a message. In the inner palace, nothing is frowned upon more than a woman who doesn't know her place."

The moment the door shut, I realized cold sweat had soaked through my underdress.

She hadn't found any proof.

But the empress was already suspicious.

Somehow, word of my pregnancy had leaked. Nothing was confirmed yet, but that woman could sniff out trouble like a bloodhound.

Nell crept closer and lowered her voice. "My lady, what do we do now?"

What could I do?

Triplets show earlier than a single baby. In two months at the most, there would be no hiding my stomach.

I needed a royal physician, a protector, and a way out.

Right now, I had none of the three.

As I was thinking it over, another line of golden text flashed before my eyes.

[Little consort, why not try your luck in the Royal Garden? The emperor just had a fight with the empress. Odds are he'll go there to clear his head!]