Lola had only just parted ways with her friends when fate dealt her a cruel card. Turning the corner of the east corridor, she collided with a presence as cold as marble.
Her breath caught in her throat.
The Empress Dowager.
"Good day, Your…" she began, trying to mask the thunder in her chest.
"Save it," Victoria cut her off with a flick of her wrist, her voice as sharp as glass. "I have no interest in pleasantries from a foolish little girl playing pretend."
Lola froze, spine stiffening.
Victoria stepped closer, the rich fabric of her gown rustling like a warning.
"You think you've played your part well, don't you?" she hissed, her gaze drilling into Lola's. "Slipping into the Emperor's bed as if that might earn you a place beside the throne."
"Your Grace, I…"
"Silence," Victoria snapped. "Let me be clear. I do not care how charming your face is, or how warm your bed may be. You are nothing, dust on the hem of history. And if I must burn down the entire court to rid it of you, I shall."
The blow of her words was physical, cold and exacting. As she brushed past, her shoulder slammed against Lola's with deliberate force, sending the young woman stumbling slightly.
When the corridor finally emptied, Lola pressed her hand to her chest. Her heart was galloping wild and unmoored. The tears stung, but she refused to let them fall.
Not here. Not now.
Inside the Imperial Council Chamber, Xander sat at the head of a long table adorned with scrolls, maps, and half-forgotten decrees. But his mind wasn't with policy. It was with Lola.
The weight of what had passed between them, what he had taken, what she had given pressed heavily on his conscience. He had never meant to cause her pain. And now, he wasn't even certain how to protect her.
His silence hadn't gone unnoticed.
The dukes and ministers exchanged glances. A murmur passed between them like a ripple over still water.
"Your Majesty," Baron Barnaby said at last, raising an amused brow, "you look like a man who stole a maiden's innocence and left his soul behind with it."
A few men chuckled.
Xander's eyes narrowed. "If that was meant to be humorous, it failed."
The laughter died immediately.
"My apologies, sire," the duke mumbled, clearing his throat.
Xander exhaled, weary. "Let's return to the matter at hand."
But his heart was no longer in the council chamber. It was with her.
And unknown to him, the storm gathering in the palace corridors had only just begun.