The silence in the chamber was suffocating. The flickering lanterns cast long shadows against the embroidered silk walls, creating illusions of specters that whispered of past betrayals. Seraphina sat on the cold stone floor, her wrists still red from the weight of the shackles that had been removed only hours before.
A servant girl entered cautiously, carrying a tray of food. The scent of warm rice and fragrant duck broth wafted through the air, but Seraphina made no move toward it.
"Eat," Evelyn's voice cut through the silence. The empress sat behind a carved wooden desk, sorting through delicate scrolls of military records.
Seraphina's stomach twisted. Hunger gnawed at her insides, but she refused to be seen as weak. "Is this a command or a gesture of goodwill?"
Evelyn lifted her gaze, her golden eyes sharp. "Does it matter?"
Seraphina met her stare, neither willing to blink first. Finally, she reached for the bowl, lifting it to her lips. The broth was rich, a taste she had not experienced since before her downfall.
"I have no intention of breaking you," Evelyn continued, setting aside her scroll. "But I also will not let you waste away in defiance."
Seraphina set the empty bowl down with careful deliberation. "Then why keep me alive?"
Evelyn leaned forward, resting her chin on her fingers. "Because warriors like you are rare. And I would rather have you by my side than against me."
Seraphina exhaled, the weight of choice pressing against her chest. To surrender her pride or to embrace survival—either path carried consequences she was not yet prepared to face.