by Alice Wilde
Taking a bit of pink paste on her fingers, the woman carefully presses and blends the color onto the apples of my cheeks in little circles. I’m then instructed to press my lips down on a small strip of deep red paper she places between them, the color staining the center of my mouth the same color. As a finishing touch, small flakes of gold are pressed onto my skin around the outer corners of my eyes. The woman steps back to admire her work and then says something to the others before turning to tidy up her workspace.
I stand and follow the other two ladies back through the building and we knock on the door to be let out by the guards. Outside the doors, Luo is waiting, along with several of his own guards.
“About time,” Luo says, although I can’t help but notice the way he admires my appearance. He dismisses my lady’s maids with a wave of his hand and then turns on his heel. I follow after him, stepping between Luo’s guards, who then fall into place a few paces behind me.
The walk back through the garden is a silent one. Even the birds have stopped singing. A soft breeze rustles through the trees, bringing the delicate scent of flowers and honey with it. Stone lanterns have been lit at varying intervals along the path. Aside from the men currently accompanying me, the whole of it all is magical.
When we exit the gardens, I realize we’ve arrived at different building than either of the two I’d been in before. A number of soldiers are stationed outside, but the doors have been left wide-open. The men bow as Luo approaches and we step inside.
The same stern-faced man from earlier in the day approaches, although his parchments are currently tucked away in the crook of his arm. He bows to Luo and then looks me over with a judging eye. His lips tighten, but he says nothing as he directs us to follow him further into the building.
I wouldn’t have thought it possible, but everything I see here is even more opulent. Aside from the many stunning Chinese pieces, there are priceless items from all over the world almost everywhere I look. Rich fabrics, beautiful tapestries, and ornate rugs litter almost every surface, but in a visually pleasing way.
The man guiding us comes to an abrupt halt in front of a circular doorway, the room beyond hidden from view by a set of curtains. He pulls them aside so that first Luo and then myself can step inside.
In the center of the room, the emperor is lounging next to a table overflowing with food and drink. He looks up at us as we enter and his face lights up with excitement.
“Come!” the emperor says, gesturing toward the open spaces at his table.
Luo bows in acknowledgment and moves to seat himself at the table, and I follow suit. I’m still unsure if the emperor can actually speak my language or if he’s only using words that are familiar to him. Hopefully I’ll find out the answer to that as well as a number of other questions this evening.
Glancing around the room, I’m unnerved to discover we’re actually sitting in what appears to be the emperor’s bedchamber. Aside from the various servants moving about to keep the tea and wine cups filled, there’s no one present.
“Eat,” Luo says when he notices me staring around the room.
I look down at the chopsticks lying in front of me on the table and sigh inwardly. After a few days of practice, I am getting better at using them, but not nearly well enough to keep from embarrassing myself in front of the emperor. Nevertheless, I take them in my hand and proceed to eat to the best of my ability.
A chuckle from across the table draws my attention, and I notice that the emperor is watching me. I’m thankful for the excess of paint on my face as I feel heat rushing to my cheeks. As I go to reach for more food, Luo nudges me. Looking up, I realize the emperor is raising one of his cups to me and is waiting for me to do the same.
I reach for one of the cups placed in front of me.
“The other one,” Luo says sharply.
Picking up the other cup, I smile and raise it to the emperor, who then knocks back the entirety of his drink in a single, fluid movement. Hesitating for a brief moment, I do the same with mine only to instantly regret it.
The clear liquid has nearly no smell, but burns hotter than the fires of hell and tastes far worse. For a moment I wonder if I’ve just ingested poison, but the thought quickly dissipates as the emperor bursts into laughter. Luo cracks a smile, but it isn’t enough to hide his obvious annoyance at the whole situation.
“You didn’t tell me foreign women could be so interesting, Luo,” the emperor says in a language I can mostly understand, albeit not my native tongue, and not one I am very good at speaking.
“I wouldn’t presume to know.”
“Oh? So, you didn’t bed this one.”
“Of course not,” Luo says with exaggerated distaste.
I’m appalled that they’re speaking so frankly about me in a language that I can understand, and right in front of my face at that. But I hold my tongue. Perhaps they don’t know that I can understand them, or if they do, at least I can finally hear what’s being said.
“I’m surprised. I’ve never known you to turn down a warm body,” the emperor says and then pauses. “She refused you, didn’t she?”
Luo snorts but doesn’t say anything.
“There really is a first time for everything!” The emperor says with a dark laugh. “Are you sure you don’t want to call off our bet now, brother?”
I feel Luo’s body stiffen beside me. It takes every ounce of willpower for me not to look up at them in shock at this revelation. No wonder Luo acted with such arrogance! I stare down at my bowl of rice, unseeing as I try to process what this might mean for me and my men…
“Out!” Luo suddenly shouts. Within a matter of seconds, only the three of us are left remaining in the room.
“For her?” Luo finally says with a scoff. “Not likely.”
“Good. Then I’ll take her as one of my own.”
“You can’t do that!”
“I can do whatever I like. After all, I’m the emperor.”
“You may be the emperor, but this isn’t what we agreed upon earlier,” Luo growls as he leaps up from the table. I can’t help but look up as he towers over us, his nostrils flaring.
“Then call off the bet,” the emperor says slowly, the corner of his lip turning up into a nasty smile as he leans back and drops a piece of fruit into his mouth.
“You know I can’t.”
The emperor shrugs. “Then it seems we are at an impasse.”
Luo looks down at me, and for a brief moment, I am sure that I see pity in his eyes. He turns away from me just as quickly, but I’m already disturbed beyond measure.
“It seems that we are,” Luo says through gritted teeth.
Reaching down, Luo takes his cup of liquor and downs it before striding across the room to the door. He reaches out to grab hold of the heavy curtain, but hesitates for a long moment before turning his head ever so slightly in my direction.
“I’m sorry.”
And with those final words, I’m left alone with the emperor as he smiles maniacally at me from across the table.
Seven
Li
I’m growing tired of being thrown into cells. Though that’s probably the understatement of the century, if not the millennia.
From the way the light has changed, I’d have to guess that it’s been at least a few hours since Roan and I were chained up in this cell. I would have suggested shifting if I thought that it would do us any good, but I think it would only do more harm given our current circumstances and how tight this particular set of metal bands already feels around my wrists. At least we aren’t gagged anymore.
“I’ve been such an idiot,” Roan groans to himself, his head slumped between his knees.
“I won’t argue with you on that,” I say flatly. “I’ve never seen someone run through an unknown city causing such a huge scene—”
“Not about that,” Roan interrupts, looking up at me with annoyance. “I mean I’ve been an idiot when it comes to Annalise.”
“Oh,” I say,
hoping my tone indicates that this is not the time nor the place to discuss their relationship.
“Who would treat someone they loved the way I’ve treated her over the past…what, month?”
“Try a little longer, and I’m not the one everyone’s now calling the Red Devil.”
“My point is—” Roan says, completely ignoring what I’ve just said.
“Roan, whatever you’re trying to say, you need to tell her, not me,” I finally snap. “What we need to focus on right now is finding a way out of this cell. If you really love Annalise as much as you seem to, then think about what could be happening to her with every passing moment that we’re trapped in here.”
Roan’s jaw tightens, but he nods. “You’re right. Have any ideas?”
“I think shifting is out of the question. Our bonds are already too tight, and we’d run the risk of severely damaging our bodies if our arms were suddenly replaced by thicker leopard legs.”
“Okay, so do you actually have any good ideas?”
“Not yet,” I admit after a long pause. “All I know right now is that we’re inside the imperial palace, so at least once we’re out of here, we should be able to track down Annalise without too much trouble.”
“Yeah, the big problem being that we can’t get out of here.”
“Shh,” I say suddenly. “Do you hear that?”
Roan and I listen intently as heavy footsteps draw steadily nearer and then stop outside our cell. A key turns in the lock, and we hold our breath as the door swings open.
“I’ve made a terrible mistake,” Luo says.
“Where’s Annalise?” Roan shouts. “What have you done to her?”
“I haven’t done anything, but I can’t say that she’ll be out of harm’s way for much longer.”
“So, help her!”
“I can’t, but perhaps you can.”
Eight
Annalise
I sit in uneasy silence, pretending to be interested in the food as I wait for the emperor to say or do something.
“I’ve never been with a foreign woman before.”
I freeze, the phrase sickeningly familiar.
“Have you been with a man like me before?” the emperor asks lazily through a mouthful of fruit.
“No,” I answer shakily, trying to find the right words in the language he’s using. “I…I must admit, I’m not sure what you mean by the question.”
“Hmm, so you do understand the language. Anyway, I doubt very much you’ve misunderstood my meaning,” the emperor says with slight annoyance. “I see you somehow managed to keep Luo at a distance. He has quite the appetite for women, doesn’t he?”
I don’t respond and shift uncomfortably in my seat. I’m starting to wonder if I even care about trying to ask for his help. Why does it seem that no matter where I am in the world, power corrupts everyone?
“No matter,” the emperor says. “It just means I’ll have another thing to lord over my older brother.”
I frown. Did he really just say older brother? Perhaps my grasp of this language isn’t quite as good as I thought.
“You said,” I start hesitantly, “that you had a bet with Luo?”
“I did.”
“May I ask what the bet is?”
The emperor looks over at me, his eyes steely. “You may, but you’ll never leave here alive if you do.”
“You called each other brother,” I say in an effort to change the subject. “Are you really brothers?”
His jaw tightens, but the expression passes quickly and turns to one of boredom instead.
“No. We grew up together, but we’re not blood brothers. Old habits die hard, I guess.”
I’m not quite sure what to make of the emperor, but one thing I’m certain of is that I do not like him. There’s something off about him, and I can’t quite figure out exactly what it is.
“My name is Gao,” the emperor says. “Tonight, that is what you will call me.”
The sudden informality of him giving me his name makes me even more uncomfortable. There is never a good reason for someone so powerful to want to be called by their personal name.
Gao slowly rises from his place at the table, and I’m surprised to find he’s nearly as tall as Luo. They are both attractive men, although Gao is younger in appearance and there is something I don’t like when I look into his eyes.
The emperor leans down and takes one of the clay jugs from the table before striding over to the bed and sitting down.
“Join me.”
I wonder how far I can get if I try to escape, a ridiculous idea as I’d probably never even make it out of the room. Taking my time, I get to my feet and make my way toward Gao, trying to think through everything that might happen next and how I might be able to get out of it. At least he doesn’t seem particularly eager to rush anything—for now.
I take a seat on the bed, as far from the emperor as I dare.
“Here,” Gao says, handing me the jug he’s holding. “Drink.”
Raising the bottle to my lips, my nose wrinkles in disgust at the heavy scent of alcohol. “No thank you.”
“It wasn’t a request,” Gao snaps. “Drink!”
I breathe deeply and then take a gulp of the fiery liquid, my eyes watering and my stomach churning as I do.
“Again.”
Every part of me is repulsed by the idea, but once again I sip from the bottle. I can already feel the dizzying effects of the liquor starting to set in.
Gao takes the jug from me and places it on a nearby table. “Get up,” he demands.
The whole situation is humiliating, being ordered around as if I was some plaything. As I stand, I am instantly made aware of the reason behind his request as the blood rushes through me and I am nearly thrown off balance by the effects of the liquor.
“Strong, isn’t it?” Gao says with a sly smile.
I nod but stop as my vision blurs and I have to reach out to stabilize myself on one of the bed’s four posters. Gao rises from his place on the bed and steps close to me, taking hold of my chin with the tips of his long fingers.
“I find it’s better if the woman is a little numb to feeling,” he says with a curl of his lip. “At least for me.”
My head is spinning, and I can’t tell if it’s because the alcohol was really so strong or if I’ve actually been drugged.
The emperor’s hands find their way down my body until they begin pulling at the wrappings of my dress, loosening it.
“I…” I start to say but can’t seem to find any words.
“Shh…”
Gao pulls the neckline of my dress open and down over my shoulders, stopping just short of revealing my breasts to him. Instead of continuing, the emperor undoes the ties holding his own robe together, letting it fall open and exposing his completely naked body beneath. I’d be lying if I said he wasn’t beautifully built, but I would also be lying if I said it made me want him.
The emperor steps back, letting his robe fall to the floor, throwing his arms wide and posing.
“Look at me,” he says, grinning with pride. “Have you ever seen anything so perfect?”
I wish I could laugh without fearing for my own safety. Instead, I do the next best thing and remain silent, not that I could say much right now.
Gao’s grin fades slightly. He walks back to the bed and reaches under it to pull out a wooden box. Flipping it open, he pulls out several pieces of rope and a strip of cloth before returning to stand in front of me.
Grabbing my hands, he ties them in front of me. I want to protest, but by the time my body catches up with my thoughts, Gao has already finished binding and gagging me. He gives a rough shove in the center of my chest and I fall backward onto the bed, which I’m thankful to find is not nearly as hard as the one onboard the ship.
The emperor looks at me for a moment, frowning, and then turns back to his box and pulls out a long strip of leather. I watch as he winds part of the leather tightly around his wrist until it’s sec
urely grasped in his hand, the long ends dangling. My eyes widen in fear as Gao looks directly at me and cracks the leather in the air. My mind finally understands what this man gets pleasure from.
I squirm, but I can barely move in my current state. Gao grins widely, and this time cracks the leather across my thighs. The fabric of my dress makes a ripping sound but protects my skin from the sting of the leather.
The leather cracks against me once again, tearing at yet another part of my dress. My heart is beating out of my chest as Gao reaches down and takes me by the ropes that bind my hands and adjusts my position on the bed so that he can straddle my legs. I can barely keep myself from shaking as he strikes me once again with his makeshift whip, this time actually tearing through the fabric around the waist of my dress and revealing more of my skin to him.
This seems to excite him even more as he suddenly grabs the tear and rips the dress around my entire waist and flips me over so that I’m pressed face-first into the bed. Gao runs his free hand across the sliver of visible skin and then grabs the dress and tears it from my waist up to my neck, pulling it open to reveal my back.
“Your skin is so pure,” Gao murmurs as he runs his fingers and then the leather lightly across my back, sending unpleasant shivers down my spine. “I’m going to enjoy this.”
It takes a moment for me to register the sting of the leather against my skin, but as soon as I do, the tears well up in my eyes and I cry out, my voice muffled by the gag.
“You bleed even easier than I could have hoped for,” the emperor says as he runs a finger across the mark he’s just made on my back before lifting his hand to his mouth and I see him taste my blood out of the corner of my eye. I’m disgusted by his actions, but what scares me more is the change in his face. As soon as my blood touches his tongue, his eyes flash red and he smiles widely, revealing long fangs.
I scream into my gag and struggle to get away as Gao tears savagely at the remaining half of my clothes. My mind and body seem to momentarily snap back together as my eyes focus in on the clay jug of alcohol set on a small table next to the bed.
