When he tore the veil away, I was stunned – the woman bore a striking resemblance to me, seven or eight years younger.
A sickening realization settled over me.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I demanded.
He dismissed everyone else from the room and looked at me with a manic glint in his eyes. “I want to marry you, to crown you as my empress in full view of the world.”
I stared at him, utterly speechless. “You’ve lost your mind, Caelan. Do you truly think you can deceive the entire court?”
His eyes flashed with a dangerous intensity, his expression one of a beast about to pounce. “And if they speak out? Then I’ll sever their heads!”
I pointed at him, my voice trembling with rage. “You–!”
But he grabbed my hand, this time pleading. “Mother, please, just agree!”
I wrenched my hand free, so furious that I could feel the blood pounding in my ears.
After a moment of heavy silence, I spoke, my tone icy with determination. “The prime minister’s daughter, Lila – she is graceful, well-mannered, and intelligent. I’ve met her. She would be the perfect match for you.”
With a sharp crash, the teacup on the table shattered into pieces, knocked aside by his furious sweep.
“Do you no longer care for your father’s and brothers’ lives?”
What?
I spun around to face him, my heart seizing in fear.
His eyes blazed red with fury, his expression contorted with barely suppressed rage.
“Surely, you didn’t know. Last night, I had your family’s estate raided. Your father, the general, and both of your brothers have been imprisoned in the dungeons!”
He was using my family – my blood – to blackmail me. My fury erupted like wildfire, and I slapped him across the face with all my strength.
“What crime did they commit to deserve such cruelty? Why would you destroy them?”
His expression remained icy, his voice hard as iron. “Your family wields too much military power. They conspired with Lord Alistair and have controlled the court for far too long. If I didn’t strike first, I’d be the one sitting in a cell right now.”
I couldn’t deny the truth of his words.
If my father had known about the coup, he would never have stood by. He likely would have had Caelan dethroned and installed a new emperor.
But things should never have come to this…
