Golden

by Joely Sue Burkhart

  “I hear that Empress Lei visited you today.”

  Keeping my face smooth, I nodded. “Her Majesty was very kind.”

  “Few would say that Lei is a kind lady, my love. I hope…” With narrowed eyes, he searched my face. “Did you by chance eat or drink with her?”

  “I did, Your Majesty.”

  His face tightened and he reached out to grip my wrist, his fingers pressed against my pulse. I breathed calmly and deeply, letting him assess my health. “How does your stomach fare this evening? Any pain or sickness?”

  The antidote had worked with only a minor headache. A small price to pay for my life and the life of my unborn son. My nurse assured me that neither my herb nor the Empress’s would harm him, but it was a risk I did not care to take again. I must neutralize her threat as soon as possible.

  Tattling to the Emperor, however, was not the best option. “Not at all, Your Majesty.”

  Unrelenting, he raised his hand to my throat, cheeks and forehead. The slight tremor in his fingers made my throat tighten. “And your appetite is normal?”

  I smiled and rubbed my face deeper into his palm. “Did I not eat every scrap of food you offered, Your Majesty?”

  He pulled me close and pressed his chin against my forehead, his favorite way to show his affection for me. “You did. My stomach was afraid you might decide to sample my plate as well.”

  I treasured these simple, quiet moments with him. I had no idea how often he dined with his Empress or any of his other women. My pride insisted he surely only dined with me.

  He didn’t always punish me, but he always ate something with me, even when the hour was late and he’d entertained his council or dignitaries. He still found the time to eat with me. So when an attendant scurried up to our table, bowed low and offered a scroll, I had a difficult time suppressing my disappointment.

  I could tell by way that his eyebrows drew together that it was not good news.

  “Shall I retire to my room, Your Majesty?”

  He smiled, his eyes darkening with the familiar shadow of desire that made me shiver. “No. I don’t expect to be gone too long. I would regret missing my dessert this evening.”

  Blushing, I rose with him, unsure what to say. It would be strange to be alone in his chambers. I wouldn’t know what to do with myself.

  “When I return, I expect to find you naked in my bed.”

  I bowed low. “As you will, Your Majesty.”

  I kept the position until the attendants slid the door back into place. Their footsteps echoed down the hallway, but all too quickly, silence reigned. How long would I have? Should I disrobe immediately, or wait a few minutes? I couldn’t imagine lying naked for an hour or two, waiting for him to return.

  But I didn’t dare still wear a single patch of silk when he returned.

  I dropped my hands to begin disrobing, but something bothered me. Hairs prickled at the base of my neck, as though a minor draft ruffled my hair. A draft in the middle of the private and extensive imperial chambers? Unless His Majesty had decided to leave open every entry to his courtyard, I thought it highly unlikely.

  I untied my sash, carefully slipping my two favorite blades into my palms. Casually, I hummed beneath my breath and slowly moved toward his bed, even though my heart pounded like a thousand Mongols at full charge. A slow turn to casually scan the room as I slipped off the outer robe indicated nothing alarming. All the doors were shut. None of the tapestries rustled against the walls. Yet that prickling sensation came again, a fleeting warning.

  The attack will be from above.

  Drilling with General Wan for years had honed my instincts. Refusing to look up, I waited until my nape screamed with urgency. How many assassins had the Empress sent? One, I was confident I could handle at least this first time, because no one expected me to know how to protect myself. More than one assassin, though, and the Emperor would likely return to find my bloody corpse on his rugs.

  At the last possible moment before my nerves erupted into a firestorm, I threw myself to the floor, rolled upon my back and tossed the first knife at the black shape hovering six inches above where my head would have been. I didn’t stop to think. I tossed the second knife before the first even landed.

  A man crashed onto the floor. Blood sprayed my gown and face, but I jerked the next knife out from inside my sleeve. The first throw had caught him in the neck, the second in the eye, but they were slender, short blades. Perhaps not enough for a killing blow.

  I heard voices and the rush of running feet, but no one called out to me. She must have paid off the servants left to see to anything I might need in the Emperor’s absence.

  The assassin didn’t make a sound, but he twitched uncontrollably. His right arm jerked out toward me and I stumbled back, knife cocked. He crawled after me, but blood bubbled from his mouth, so I didn’t wound him again. It was easy enough to keep out of his reach.

  The man was dead. He simply didn’t know it yet.

  At last, I heard the Emperor’s raised voice, the tone of which told me immediately that he was far from pleased. The grand door slammed open and guards poured into the room. He took one look at the black-clothed man on the floor and turned narrowed eyes on his captain. The man fell to his knees, while the attendants wrung their hands, crowded together like a flock of squawking chickens.

  “If one precious hair on her head is injured, you shall all die.”

  My skin felt damp and I shivered. My hands trembled so badly I almost nicked myself putting the blade away. I had never heard that low, fierce tone of his voice, even when he punished me.

  My voice did not quiver, as befitting an Empress. “I am unharmed, Your Majesty.”

  “Assassins came for you, Your Majesty!” One of the servants babbled. “Thank heavens you’re safe!”

  “How curious that an assassin would come to the imperial bedchambers shortly after we were called away on an urgent matter that could not wait until morning.” His lips curved in a smile that made my blood run cold. “Only to find that as soon as we arrived, the matter had miraculously resolved itself.”

  He came toward me and every muscle in my body screamed at me to flee or at least fall down upon my knees, too, but I held firm. Chin high, I would be his Empress in manner, if not in name. He cupped my chin in his hand, smoothed his palm down my throat. He paced about me, his hands gliding, checking for the slightest injury. Even when he cupped my breast and buttock, I didn’t react with shame or embarrassment, despite the countless observers.

  “We hereby order Empress Lei to present herself ready for our pleasure at once.”

  It took every stroke of discipline I had endured as preparation for the imperial court to keep my face smooth of shock. Her? Why did he want her to intrude on our private time together? He had to know she had sent the assassin, but she would simply deny any accusations. There was nothing he could do.

  His attendants scurried away, quietly pulling the door shut behind them.

  He swept his hand at my bloodstained silks. “You disappoint me, Jin. I gave you a distinct order.”

  I bowed my head. “Forgive me, Your Majesty. I was…interrupted.”

  “Disrobe. Immediately.”

  My hands trembled as badly as my knees, but I did as he ordered. I always would.

  Chapter Six

  When the Empress was announced, I barely heard. I had too much fire blazing in my body to care that she would see exactly how I entertained the Emperor in his private chambers. My worst enemy, to see me so low—but I found that it didn’t matter in the slightest.

  Once I’d removed my clothing, he’d attached an odd necklace about my throat, from which a golden chain hung, long enough to be attached to a wall or post. As though I were a guard dog to be staked outside his tent.

  Stretched across his bed on my stomach with my hands bound tightly to the same post as my neck, I’m sure I made a horrific sight to Her Majesty. Especially the red, vicious stripes upon my buttocks.

  H
e’d spared no mercy, no kindness at my close call. In fact, he’d beaten me harder than ever, as though to punish me for frightening him so badly. For the first time, he had also gagged me, so I couldn’t do more than moan in misery and yes, desire. My thighs were slick, my sex swollen and throbbing with impatience. I, too, had need of him to remind me that I was alive and well, that I was still his favorite consort. Even if I might never be his Empress in name despite all my careful scheming.

  His true Empress made a choked sound, whether of revulsion or fear that she might meet with the same treatment, I couldn’t be sure.

  “Come closer, Lei. See what your plots have accomplished.”

  “Your Majesty—”

  “Come closer!” He roared, landing a harsh blow against the backs of my thighs that made me throw my head back and howl through the material stuffed in my mouth. “You’re so curious about what I might give Jin in my chambers. So jealous and vindictive that you would try to kill her, with never a thought for the comfort she provides for me. Shall you take her place, Lei?”

  “No,” she said breathily, her voice trembling as though she might faint. “Please, I beg you, Your Majesty. I would never kill any of your consorts. Why should I kill your heir’s wife?”

  He paused, breathing hard. “Why, indeed. Perhaps we should ask Huan that question.”

  It was common knowledge in the palace that the Empress had killed his heir’s mother. No fury sharpened his words, merely regret. Had he loved her very much? Perhaps that explained why he indulged his oldest son.

  I imagined sweat dripping down his brow, dampening the still-powerful body I had learned every inch of these past weeks. The pain ceased, but that only made me more aware of my need. I ached for him to ease the pressure building relentlessly in my body. I heard the rustle of silk and my heart soared. I rubbed my face on the coverlet and twisted my hands helplessly. I couldn’t part my thighs for he’d tied my ankles together. I couldn’t rise on my knees for he’d stretched me out like a slab of meat over a roasting pit.

  But nothing mattered if he came inside me. Not even the jealousy of his murderous Empress.

  “Disrobe,” he said in a flat, emotionless voice. “You’ve seen what she gives me. Now let her see what you give your Emperor.”

  Panting, I tried to think what he meant to do. I had no knowledge of him calling for any of his other women since I’d become his favorite. That didn’t mean he hadn’t made love to any of them, merely that I had not discovered it. It would be ridiculous for me to imagine that I had sole claim on his body when he had hundreds of available and eager consorts.

  Let alone an Empress whose position depended on keeping him on the throne. How well she determined to keep him happy and satisfied as well I suppose I would now see. The thought of watching him with another woman was vaguely alarming, but also arousing. As starved as my body was for him right now, practically anything he did—even to another woman—would be stimulating.

  He wrapped his hands around my ankles, his grip firm, fingers digging into my flesh. So good, I couldn’t help but arch my back in silent invitation. He must have untied my legs from the post, for he helped me rise to my knees. Sitting back on my heels, I let my bound hands fall into my lap. Muscles stretched and pulled now began tingling, so it felt like my entire body had been sparked with wildfire. Tears pooled in my eyes, but I couldn’t explain why since he left me gagged. I didn’t want him to think I was petulant. I just wanted him with every fiber of my being.

  Sitting here, watching him touch another while I ached so badly would be torture.

  His eyes gleamed in the candlelight. He smoothed the backs of his fingers against my cheek, and I hoped he understood the reason for my tears.

  “Lie here,” he ordered his Empress, pointing at the bed beside me. “I want her to have a good view.”

  As beautiful as the most delicate orchid, Empress Lei lay back onto the Emperor’s bed, her gaze studiously locked on the ornate ceiling and drapery above. Fine, silvery lines traced over her stomach, bearing testament to the son she’d delivered, but otherwise, not a single flaw marked her body. The stories of her bathing in milk and honey must surely be correct.

  Naked too, he stretched out at her side so he could look across her at me. His hand was dark against her skin. I knew how rough he could be, the hidden power in those cruel fingers that could make me squirm in pain or scream in bliss. Yet he touched her lightly, as though truly afraid that she might break.

  Pieces of my heart cracked off and crumbled to dust as I watched him touch her.

  He had never touched me so…hesitantly. As though afraid to mar my skin with a mark or upset me in any way. I didn’t need such care from him, and he had certainly been tender and passionate, not just violent or punishing, but still, my heart yearned for the same light brushes. His fingers were like down feathers barely kissing her skin.

  “Whatever happens, Jin, do not look away.”

  Still gagged, I could only nod my head to show my obedience. No matter how much it pained me, I would watch. I would see him touching her the rest of my life every time I closed my eyes. And to think, I once thought I enjoyed his punishments.

  Watching him stroke his Empress so lovingly while I sat on my sore, swollen bottom was a most unique torture. It seemed like hours passed. Endless hours of soft, gentle persuasion, for I finally realized that was exactly what he was doing. She bit her lip, averting her face, her eyes squeezed shut so she could not see the face I treasured above my own life.

  I had despised her before for not loving him as he deserved. Now, I pitied her.

  As the Son of Heaven, he had been given countless women to love as he willed. Not to pleasure himself, not exactly. A woman well pleasured would give more chi to her lover. A dozen women offering their chi frequently and without hesitation made him an extremely powerful man. Now consider a hundred, and how much power he had accumulated as Emperor.

  He would never take his pleasure and be done without making his partner experience as many climaxes as possible, for each spasm of delight increased his own virility and strength.

  The Empress fought to keep her own power, but in this, she would lose. She couldn’t resist his slow, determined assault. She tried to silence her body and deny the need spreading through her, but he knew exactly where to touch, how to stroke, what to whisper. He’d been making love to her for years.

  Empress Lei hated nothing more than surrendering her pleasure to him, and so naturally, that’s exactly what he demanded. If he’d used force or violence as he did with me, then she would gladly fight back. She’d be able to resist and deny her pleasure. But this slow, delicate assault left her no defenses.

  So light and soft, he worshipped her creamy skin with his mouth and fingers until she couldn’t stifle her cries. Passion twisted her face, as well as hatred. Shame, too, for she saw me watching, as he’d ordered, and she hated me for seeing her brought so low. She didn’t want to need anyone, let alone him.

  He slid into her in a slow, rocking glide. He made her sweat. He made her claw his back, digging her heels into the backs of his thighs. She flailed, tugging on his hair, her voice rising with passion, but she avoided his mouth. Every time he moved to kiss her, she averted her face, twisting away until her neck must be nigh broken. He allowed this disobedience as though it meant nothing to him, but he constantly tested her. At her weakest, most vulnerable moment, she lay quaking beneath him in climax and he managed to get the corner of her mouth before she jerked her face away.

  He turned and let me see the cruel slant of his smile. Victory, yes, but he adored the chase as much as the victory. If she’d quietly and willingly opened her thighs for him and offered her heart and pleasure openly, then he wouldn’t have been so determined to break her spirit to his will.

  To my surprise, he withdrew from her still long and hard with his desire. She glared up at him with venomous hatred as he pushed me forward and buried himself in me.

  He spoke in a low-pitched voi
ce meant to carry—he wanted her to hear what he said, even though his tone spoke of conspiratorial confidence. “After Lei suffered five miscarriages in a row and nearly died with the last pregnancy, my physician recommended she not carry a child again. Since she’s already given me a son, I haven’t wasted my royal seed in her in almost ten years.”

  He shuddered, giving me what he’d denied his Empress. “Another pregnancy would more than likely bring her death.” He stretched out between us. He drew me into his side and reached for her, but she averted her face and kept her body wooden. “We can’t have that,” he laughed softly, “can we.”

  And there, in the shared embrace with my beloved, I knew exactly how to accomplish my goal without risking his throne. If I lived long enough.

  Chapter Seven

  When my joyous news became known in the palace, I was prepared for repercussions. Each woman’s monthly flow was recorded in addition to every single visit she made to her lord’s bed. By the way the chief eunuch’s jaw quivered, he understood perfectly. The only thing I could not be sure was whom he would tell first, the Emperor or his Empress.

  His life very likely depended on this one bit of news and how he chose to share it.

  I waited in my chambers, letting myself daydream about the Emperor’s reaction to my news. Would he be pleased to have yet another woman bearing a child of his blood? Especially a woman uncomfortably bound to his own firstborn son. Ping would despise me even more. He would be so thoroughly humiliated by the news that I feared he might do something reckless. I didn’t want him dead; I merely wanted free of him.

  That is, until he burst into my room. “Strip her!”

  Servants eager to curry the next Emperor’s favor rushed to do his will, dragging me from my chair and jerking at my clothing. My outer gown tore. My hair blinded me, but I managed to see my nurse creeping out the door. She would go for help.