"Your Majesty asks for your presence at Macklebeth Palace tonight, My Lady," Elena said.
I lifted my gaze from the pile of papers on the table and fixed it on the woman standing before me. She wore a plain black gown with a white shirt underneath, her long silver hair tied up in a high bun. Her caramel eyes were calm, yet lines of apprehension marred her forehead.
"Why do you look so conflicted?" I asked nonchalantly. "If the emperor seeks his empress at night, shouldn't you sound more vibrant as my personal attendant?"
Elena's noble background and elegant aura contrasted with her maid outfit. Though she was the baron's daughter, she was the only person who volunteered to serve me, the omega empress. She shadowed me as my most loyal companion.
I quickly averted my gaze from Elena and turned my attention back to the papers in front of me.
"How can you stay so calm in a situation like this, My Lady? I'm worried sick. In the last three months, His Majesty has never sought you out without any evil intention," Elena said, her voice laden with concern.
I couldn't agree with Elena more, but I knew better than to voice it. In this palace, even the thin curtains seemed to carry every whisper straight to the menacing emperor, feared by all—and, regrettably, my husband, Theo Cardence Ravencrest.
"How many times do I need to warn you, Elena?" I asked calmly, rising from my designated seat in the empress's office. "Stop making such reckless comments. You know how hard I'm trying to keep the people I love safe."
Elena's face turned gloomy, her protest fading. She knew better than anyone how Theo loved to toy with his subjects' lives, especially when those subjects were connected to the duchy.
Despite being predominantly omegas, the duchy had always been the most influential family in the imperial court. My father, the grand duke, was an omega himself. To protect the Silver Dawn pack, from which the duke's family hailed, and to maintain their influence over the throne, my father arranged a marriage between me and the then crown prince, Theo.
Theo ascended the throne immediately after our marriage. Despite having no desire to become empress, I couldn't defy my father and consented to the marriage.
Theo had always resented the duchy's influence over the previous emperor. However, his animosity wasn't just about the dispute between the omega duchy and the imperial clan, Raven Claw. Theo had always blamed me for being unable to bond with his mate.
"I understand, Lady Iris. Allow me to prepare you for the night," Elena said calmly, her voice tinged with resignation.
"There's no need for that. It's not like we'll be romanticizing the night," I replied, gracefully exiting the room.
As I stepped outside, the guards greeted me with deep bows, their heads inclined to ninety degrees. Despite their respectful postures, I could feel the loathing in their gazes. Given the chance, they wouldn't hesitate to tear the omega empress's body to pieces.
The only thing I could ever thank my father for was that while scheming, he ensured that the emperor couldn't feed my body to his canines, as he often did with his subjects.
Nausea roiled in my stomach as I approached Macklebeth Palace. The palace where the Emperor resided had become a nightmare to me. In the three months since my marriage to Theo, we had never once consummated it.
I hadn't expected anything from this marriage. Instead, I was burdened with guilt for coming between Theo and his mate. But Theo, in turn, would bring mistresses every month and seize every opportunity to degrade my role as his wife.
As I entered the palace, the emperor's guard escorted me to Theo's personal chamber. I inhaled deeply, standing before the massive oak door. Two massive raven wings curved in the middle of the wooden frame, the royal emblem of the clan from which the royal family hailed.
The guards promptly bowed and left the corridor. No one was permitted to approach the emperor's bedchamber during my visits.
I gently pushed the door, finding it already ajar. I stepped into the room, where darkness loomed in every corner. The firewood in the fireplace had long burned out. The lamps were extinguished, leaving the giant candles in the candelabras as the sole source of light.
My gaze fell upon the figure reclining on the brocade couch in the center of the room. The luxurious silken fabric glowed under the moonlight streaming through the massive window behind it.
Yet, it wasn't the cozy ambiance of the expensive furniture and tapestries that captivated me the most. It was the man before me, semi-reclined, with eyes closed and the back of one hand resting lightly on his forehead.
His white bathrobe draped loosely over his shoulders, exposing his pale skin and impeccably sculpted chest. His broad shoulders could inspire envy even in the god of beauty, while his blond, soft hair flowed over his neck like a silken cascade.
The angelic countenance would fool anyone thinking the man had emerged from a fairytale. Who could assume behind such an innocent appearance, what kind of ruthlessness had been hidden.
Without even realizing it, I found myself getting close to Theo. I noticed him grimacing in his sleep and wondered if he was having a nightmare. As I lifted my hand to wake him, my wrist was captured in a sudden grip.
Before I could react, strong arms pinned me down on the couch, my frail body sinking into the soft cushions. My gaze met Theo's, his crimson eyes gleaming like rare jewels. My long raven hair spilled over the beige fabric of the couch.
"What do you think you are doing?" Theo asked, his tone ringing in my ears like a melody. God must have been biased when creating this creature, I thought.
Theo's eyes roamed over my body before he added, "If you wish to seduce me, shouldn't you have put more effort into it? Have you not seen my other concubines, hm?" Theo brought his lips close to my ear and whispered, "They spend weeks deciding on the perfect gown and matching jewelry before they receive the invitation to spend a night with me."
"I doubt rearranging my gowns and jewelry would make any difference to you, My Lord," I answered calmly, not shaken in the slightest.
I felt Theo's slender, long fingers tighten around my wrist. I could already tell his grip had left bruises. A bit more pressure would be enough to break my bones permanently.
Nevertheless, I knew that seeing me unafraid would anger Theo the most. And I had no intention of giving him the satisfaction of watching me in pain.
Theo suddenly lifted his body off mine, his bathrobe barely clinging to his broad shoulders. Water dripped from his wet, blond hair, each droplet tracing the defined curves of his abs.
"The town of Willowbrook," Theo said calmly. My heart skipped a beat at the mention of the name. "I heard you refused to hand it over to Lady Viviana."
My expression soured at the sound of her name. Viviana Cross, the source of much of my suffering. The emperor's mate, known as 'The Heavenly Princess.'
The emperor clapped, summoning a few maids into the bedchamber. They entered with their gazes lowered, hands clasped in front.
"Speak," Theo ordered, reclining on the couch and crossing his legs.
"It's true, Your Majesty. Her Majesty insulted Lady Viviana earlier this morning. Not only has she often belittled Lady Viviana, but today she even kicked us maids out of the palace for serving Lady Viviana," one of the maids reported, stepping forward.
"Such a blatant lie," I muttered in disbelief. I recognized the maid instantly; she was one of Lady Viviana's personal attendants. The evil smirk on her lips made it clear she was framing me.
"Did you kick Lady Viviana's maids out?" Theo inquired, his eyes fixed on me with a familiar, menacing glare. I knew whatever I said would fall on deaf ears. His beloved had likely already cried on his chest, complaining about how I had put her in her place.
"As empress, I merely reminded Lady Viviana that she cannot claim land as she pleases," I answered calmly.
"Did you kick out her personal maids?" Theo asked again, rising from the couch. His tone was calm, but his gaze was chilling.
"They were being disrespectful," I replied. The maid from earlier trembled slightly as my gaze met hers.
"You have disrespected the emperor's mate," Theo said. "As you reminded Lady Viviana of her place, shouldn't I, the emperor, also remind the empress of hers?" He leaned close to me.
I gripped the sides of my gown, my face remaining unfazed by the threat. Theo turned to the maids and declared, "The empress has misused her position. Don't you, my loyal subjects, seek your revenge?"
The maids seemed momentarily baffled by Theo's words as they exchanged skeptical glances among themselves. But soon, evil smirks curled up on their lips.
"Bring the leash," Theo ordered calmly. His crimson eyes glowed in the dim light like a monster from my childhood nightmares.
After that, time became a blur. The night seemed endless as I closed my eyes and swallowed the pain for the thousandth time. My palms bled from clenching tightly, staining my gown with blood.
My calves were exposed, bruised, and bleeding from the relentless hits of the leash. The maids took turns, lashing at their empress while my husband sat before me on the couch, calmly watching the punishment he had ordered. His chin rested on his hand, eyes bored, and legs crossed.