Chapter 2

Early the next morning, I changed into a sea-green winter gown that looked a little less shabby than the rest of my clothes and took Nell to the Royal Garden.

It was January and bitterly cold, so the garden was nearly empty.

In the distance, a figure in imperial gold stood alone beneath a blossoming almond tree, with only two attendants waiting a respectful distance away.

My heart leaped into my throat.

The last time I'd seen him, his eyes had been cold enough to freeze my blood.

But I had no other way out.

I pulled Nell around to the far side of the tree, pretending I hadn't seen him, and turned to her. "The blossoms are lovely this year. Pick a branch for me, and I'll set it before the chapel altar."

Nell went to pick the flowers while I bent down to gather the fallen petals.

Then a wave of real dizziness crashed over me.

It wasn't an act. Ever since I'd become pregnant, I'd been having dizzy spells, and this one hit hard and fast. Everything went black.

As I pitched forward, a hand caught the small of my back and held me steady.

It was a strong hand, but it went rigid the moment it touched me.

"How dare you."

The voice above me was ice-cold.

I forced my eyes open and found myself staring into a pair of pitch-black eyes.

Severin Veyr, the youngest emperor in the history of Aureva.

"Your Majesty... forgive me."

He let go as if he'd been burned and took two full steps back.

He made no effort to hide his disgust.

"Your name."

"Elara Mornay, Junior Consort of Moonrest Court."

His brow knit. He clearly remembered that night, and his whole face darkened like a storm cloud.

"Go back to your quarters. And stay out of my sight."

He turned and walked away, the hem of his robe stirring a cold gust behind him.

I didn't go after him. I slowly got to my feet and brushed the mud off my knees.

Nell had gone white with fright. "My lady, His Majesty is so frightening..."

I watched his retreating back. "It's fine," I said calmly.

He'd remember me now.

That was enough.

For the next three days, I stayed put in Moonrest Court and didn't set foot outside.

The golden text appeared every so often, and little by little, I figured out how it worked.

It was like a crowd of onlookers commenting on my life. It never gave me direct orders, but it let slip crucial information.

From those fragments, I pieced together a few things.

First, Empress Isolde didn't love the emperor nearly as much as everyone thought.

Second, only the head of the Royal Physicians' Office knew that the emperor's body had been damaged when he tested a medicine for the empress, and it was a closely guarded secret.

Third, the "wandering healer" who had prescribed that faulty remedy had been introduced to the palace by House Ravencourt.

The third one was the most terrifying.

What if that prescription hadn't been a mistake? What if it had been deliberate?

What would House Ravencourt gain from leaving the emperor without an heir?

Before I could figure it out, trouble found me first.

Empress Isolde summoned me to Swan Palace for a private audience.

By custom, a lowly junior consort like me only paid respects twice a month with everyone else. A private summons could only mean bad news.

I put on my loosest quilted gown and layered three heavy robes underneath it. In January, no one could fault me for bundling up.

At Swan Palace, Empress Isolde sat upright on the swan throne. She had an oval face, delicately arched brows, and almond eyes that held a hint of a smile.

The smile never reached the depths of them.

"Junior Consort Mornay, you've come. Have a seat."

I curtsied and took the lowest embroidered stool.

"I hear you haven't been feeling well lately?" She held her teacup, her voice as gentle as if she were coaxing a kitten.

My chest tightened. "Yes, Your Majesty. The climate here doesn't agree with me. Those of us from the south always have trouble adjusting to the north."

"Is that so?" She set down her cup. "I also heard you fainted in the Royal Garden."

News traveled fast.

"I skipped breakfast, that's all. I'm sorry to have worried you, Your Majesty."

The empress smiled and turned to her maid. "Send for Physician Pell. Have him examine Junior Consort Mornay."

The blood in my veins ran cold.