A misty, honeyed morning light filtered through the window by my bed. I sat up, stretching my arms, and looked outside at the beige sky.
A gentle breeze rustled the tangerine leaves of the trees, signaling the arrival of autumn. I got out of bed and moved towards the window.
The palace square was alive with activity—soldiers and carriages bustling about, while the maids hurried through their tasks. I remembered that the emperor was expected to return soon, having claimed victory in the recent border conflict.
It hadn't been long since several species had formed an alliance and invaded the wolf territory. As the situation escalated, Theo had taken matters into his own hands.
"My Lady, the emperor's butler visited earlier," Elena said calmly.
Since the incident with Viviana's maids, the mere mention of the emperor's butler's arrival made me shiver. His visits were never associated with good news.
"What does the emperor want this time?" I asked, my tone calm and detached.
Living with Theo had numbed me to the extraordinary. I had even forgotten what it felt like to be surprised.
"His Majesty desires the empress to greet him upon his return," Elena replied. "Let me prepare you, My Lady."
I sighed with relief. Compared to the trials Theo had subjected me to before, this request seemed almost trivial.
"If the emperor wishes the empress to receive him upon his arrival, then it's a modest request," I said, trying to reassure myself. After all, what more could he possibly demand?
Elena dressed me in a sumptuous gown that flowed like a cascade of liquid silk, its iridescent tulle rippling with every movement. Despite my preference for simpler attire, Elena insisted on adorning me in a red gown. I couldn't refuse her persistent insistence.
She draped a brocade red outer robe over my plain white inner gown, its collar and billowing sleeves embellished with delicate gems.
"It seems excessive to prepare so grandly for a man who wishes me away," I remarked, gazing at my reflection in the mirror.
My face and ears flushed as I scrutinized my appearance. The red blush on my cheeks deepened, highlighting the sparkle in my large, rounded eyes, and the peachy tint of my lips accentuated my small, delicate features.
The rhythmic thud of the emperor's army soon resonated throughout the entire arena, signaling his return. The distant rumble of hundreds of carriages echoed even within the empress's quarters.
I moved gracefully through the hallways, making my way to the entrance of the main palace, with Elena and the other maids following closely behind.
As I approached the entrance, Viviana was already there, dressed in her finest to greet the emperor. Her long, voluminous blonde hair cascaded around her petite frame like strands of golden cornsilk. Her green eyes shone with the brilliance of freshly cut jade, and the thin white gown, crafted from the finest silk, flowed over her delicate, milk-white skin like a glistening stream.
Viviana hailed from a minor pack in the wolf kingdom, one with little reputation or notable achievements. This pack, largely composed of omegas, contributed minimally to the kingdom. Theo, the crown prince feared by all, would undergo a drastic change when it came to his mate, Viviana, despite her being an omega and not belonging to a noble family.
As I stepped outside, the entire arena bowed in respect, acknowledging me as the empress. Yet, Viviana remained unmoved, refusing even the slightest bow. Elena leaned in close, her voice a whisper in my ear.
"Such audacity, My Lady. Even the concubines bowed to you, the empress. And yet this woman, who isn't even of noble blood, dares to stand so brazenly—" Elena trailed off, her words faltering as Viviana turned to face me, her lips curling into the brightest of smiles.
"Greetings to the moon of the empire," Viviana said, her smile as radiant as a sunflower basking in sunlight. "It is a relief to see My Lady in good health again."
Viviana's approach caught me off guard. I knew she wouldn't let the incident go easily—not after losing one of her closest attendants—but I hadn't expected her to bring it up so boldly, even if only indirectly.
I remained silent as the murmurs of the nobles floated to my ears.
"Lady Viviana is as lively as ever. Such a treasure. But the empress? She's so distant and cold."
"Why must she always act so superior? She's not even an alpha."
"Everything she has is thanks to the grand duke. She stole it all from Lady Viviana. And now she shows her nothing but coldness. How heartless!"
The whispers didn't go unnoticed by Elena's keen ears. She clenched her jaw, muttering angrily, "How dare they criticize the empress right in front of her? They said nothing when that woman showed her disrespect, but now they pity her because the empress didn't engage in idle chatter? Hypocrites!"
I ignored Viviana and pretended not to hear a word. As the mother of the nation, I couldn't allow my personal grievances to interfere with my duty before my subjects.
After the incident with her maids, I was certain Viviana wouldn't miss the chance to garner sympathy from the nobles. Already, most of the noble families favored her. The ones who had always opposed the duchy's influence over the previous alpha lord, Theo's father, were now rallying behind Viviana.
With her charming aura and sweet words, Viviana had cultivated a strong social circle among the noblewomen. Although I was well-loved by the people of the kingdom, within the royal court, my position was the most precarious.
No one would dare speak of what truly happened in the emperor's palace with the empress, yet Viviana had made sure the nobles knew about her maids' beheadings, painting me as the villain in their eyes.
When my father, the grand duke, arranged my marriage to the crown prince, he crafted the terms carefully. The emperor couldn't remove me from my position as empress without my consent, though he was free to take as many concubines as he wished.
This contract was only possible due to the sacred blood I carried—the key to the sacred sanctuary. Because of this, Theo couldn't simply dispose of me like his other subjects.
To keep Viviana close, Theo elevated her to nobility, but he never intended for her to be just a concubine. He wanted her to be an empress. To achieve that, he chose to torment me, hoping I would surrender the title on my own.
The grand carriage bearing the emperor came to a stop in the palace square. The crowd, filled with reverence, bowed in respect, their voices rising in a thunderous chant that echoed through the arena.
Theo stepped down from the carriage, his presence commanding in his black regal armor, which seemed even more otherworldly in the aftermath of victory. The triumph had only amplified his already striking appearance, reinforcing his title as the most beautiful wolf in existence.
The arena's vibrant chatter fell into an immediate hush as a new figure descended from the carriage. The woman who emerged was a vision of otherworldly beauty, her very presence challenging the bounds of mortal allure. Standing almost at the same height as the emperor himself, her slender, statuesque form was draped in a splendid gown of the richest red hue, its luxurious fabric adorned with intricate, shimmering embroidery that caught every glimmer of light.
A delicate veil, almost weightless, cascaded from her head, the sheer material floating like a whisper of mist. Another veil, slightly thicker, covered the lower half of her face, revealing only her piercing, sharp eyes. Those eyes, a striking shade of purple, seemed to hold an ancient, mysterious depth. Anyone who met their gaze would feel an involuntary shiver, their knees growing weak under the weight of her enigmatic presence.
In the past three months, Theo had brought countless concubines with him whenever he went to war. Their presence had never troubled me; I had managed to avoid the torment of dealing with my husband's mistresses.
But today, for the first time in my life, I felt an overwhelming sense of inadequacy. My existence seemed to diminish in the face of such resplendent beauty. Gasps of astonishment rippled through the arena, as if the air itself was captivated by the spectacle. The emperor's own appearance, commanding awe and reverence, was now overshadowed by the mistress standing at his side. Her beauty, so striking that it seemed to dim even the charm of the man known for being the most handsome of all species, left me in awe.
It was beyond my comprehension how someone could possess such otherworldly allure while almost entirely veiled. If just the hint of her face could induce such a profound reaction, I could only imagine the impact she would have if her entire beauty were fully revealed.
Theo stunned the arena into silence once again as he extended his hand toward the exquisite beauty by his side. It was an unprecedented gesture for the emperor, notorious for discarding his mistresses as swiftly as he acquired them. He was known to rarely spend more than a single night with them, for all his love was reserved for his true mate.
Yet, this woman appeared oblivious to the emperor's offered hand. She busied herself with adjusting her opulent gown, the lavish fabric proving more of a challenge than she anticipated. Her delicate struggle only heightened the spectacle, drawing every gaze in the arena, making the scene all the more mesmerizing.
My eyes flicked to either side of me, and I realized I wasn't alone in this sudden crisis of self-worth. Viviana stood nearby, her expression strained with deep concern. Her normally calm eyes betrayed the intensity of her emotions, and her fists were tightly clenched. Perhaps the shock hit her even harder than it had me. Viviana had always been certain that the emperor would never forsake her.
And so far, she had been right. No matter how stunning the other concubines were, Viviana had always kept that unpredictable man wrapped around her finger. But now, I could sense that grip weakening.
I let out a silent laugh at the absurdity of it all, my gaze drifting back to the unfolding scene. As I turned, my heart skipped a beat. Piercing purple eyes locked onto mine. The concubine was staring directly at me, her gaze so captivating that I couldn't look away. There was something unnervingly mesmerizing about those eyes, though I couldn't quite place it.
For a brief moment, it felt as if time itself had frozen. Her gaze seemed to dissect every fiber of my being, as if she had discovered something of great interest. Though the moment passed quickly, it left me feeling unsettled, as though I had been seen in a way I couldn't fully understand.