Her words bore the malice of a curse. She had seen into my deepest fears and most selfish desires, casting them in a shameful light. Nor could I object when she spoke the truth—I would have let him. I had almost convinced myself that this was what he wanted, rather than a sacrifice for my sake alone. A cowardly act, for it was easier this way, rather than undertaking a burden I would bear for the rest of our lives.

“I don’t trust you,” she hissed. “You say you want to help him, but you are just afraid to lose your hold over him.”

“I could say the same of you.” I leashed the more vicious responses that surged to my tongue. It did not matter what venom she spat; Liwei’s safety was at stake. “What will it take for you to believe me?” I braced myself, for I had bargained once with her husband and nearly lost everything. I would tread carefully this time, though I was certain her price would not be to my liking.

“One condition. Just one, and no other.” Her smile radiated genuine pleasure. “He proposed marriage to you. Swear to me that you will refuse, that you will break it off with him forever.”

“No.” The refusal sprang from my lips, born in the heat of anger yet tempered by a rush of dread.

“You must have your doubts. Why else have you not accepted?” Her tone was silken, her gaze pitiless—a predator secure in its prey. “You are ill suited for the demands of an empress, unworthy of the honor. The Celestial Court will not let you forget that every day of your existence. They will scorn you behind your back, sneer at you beneath their smiles, eagerly awaiting the day that you will be displaced by another—the inevitable fate of an empress.”

Spite coated each word, yet beneath lurked pain. The Celestial Emperor’s infidelities were known far and wide. I ignored the pity stirring in me; she did not deserve it.

“I will not agree.” Strong words, if only my voice had not quavered.

“Then I will keep my son close to me in the Jade Palace.”

The empress was wrong, she could not protect him. However, she was arrogant and vindictive enough to convince herself that she could. “You would sentence him to death,” I made myself say. “How long until Wugang moves against you? What will happen to Liwei then? If you defy your husband openly, it will only strengthen Wugang further.”

Her lips pursed. Although I had foiled her plan to capture me, I was still the perfect piece for her to play. All she had to do was feign innocence and malign me, both of which she was adept in doing.

“What choice do you have?” I pressed. “You can’t send Liwei to your kin in the Phoenix Kingdom, not while they’re allied with the Celestial Kingdom.”