The tremble, the full-body, bone-deep, soul-shaking tremble, was there. The anger, the burning, furious, impotent anger, was there. But also the greed. The quiet, shameful, hidden greed. The desire for more. The knowledge that she had broken through a decade-old bottleneck because of his seed. That if she... if she let him...
'No. This is wrong. This is taboo. I cannot. I will not. I am a princess. I am Brother Mu's ally. I will not become this man's...'
She bit her lip. The blood, the small drop, was there.
"No," she said. Her voice was quiet. "I don't."
The words, the whispered, painful, conflicted words, were there. She gave a bow. To Tianlong. The bow, the formal, princess-to-emperor bow, was there. The bow of a woman who was submitting not to his authority but to her own need. Her own greed. Her own desire for power.
"Please stay here," she said. Her voice was steady. The words, the forced, painful, steady words, were there.
