SILIN

"Hello, Queen."

Violet eyes, brutally lashed. Thick blonde hair that must've taken hours to curl. Perfume so overwhelming that the entire room is practically soaked in it. It's the only thing I can smell, the nauseous fragrance of roses.

Han smiles, directly towards me.

"My newest concubine." He says, as Rumi Lia curtsies with a glimmer of snakelike eyes. "How do you like her, my beautiful Queen? From what she tells me, you treated her in the most unjustified way."

Don't.

Silin, do not get sucked into this.

"I banished her." I reply calmly, when my heart feels like it might just implode with fury. "For forcing herself upon one of my most precious people. Before your reign."

Just looking at her makes me remember things that I want to rip apart and burn into ashes.

She grins. Her heavily shaded lips spread in a thin crescent of scarlet.

And I see her on top of Taehyung, her legs wrapped around his waist as she smiles that same smile. She runs her hands down his exposed chest, rubbing herself shamelessly against him. Under her, I see his lost, disoriented crimson eyes.

Calm down.

Calm down.

"Well, it's my reign now." Han whispers nonchalantly next to me. "And I decided that your punishment was a bit harsh on her, Queen."

He's trying to get to me. He's taking his revenge.

Rumi Lia would be his key to building his reputation back up and striking mine down. I could already see her flaunting in and out between the elite socialites, running her mouth on how I'd given her such a harsh sentence and spreading false rumors left and right.

On how I had lied about Han. On how I was so terrible that the King had to bring her in as a concubine. Slipping laughs here and there.

Anything. Who knew what this acrylic bitch might say.

As Queen, I was stuck half the day in my office working. As a concubine, the only work she had was warm Han's bed and run her mouth in parties. She had all the advantage.

My head hurts viciously.

How do I fix this? Was there even any—

"She will be staying in the Palace." Han continues, grazing his armrest. "Her quarters are next to that Tarakan boy. You're fine with that, Queen, aren't you—"

"No."

The word tumbles out of me before I can even
stop myself. And they are like hyenas, surrounding me in seconds. I am the only one fending for myself in this massive room. There is no one else.

Han had forced Jimin out way earlier.

His eyes narrow. "What do you mean no?"

My voice rises. I can't control myself, not anymore.

"What do you mean that she will be staying next to his quarters?" I say sharply, finally meeting his eyes. "I banished her for sexually assaulting him
in the first place. She will do it again. I—"

Rumi Lia scoffs. She curls one finger around a lick of her blonde hair, twisting it before letting it unravel. Her violet eyes roll up to the ceiling.

"Relax, Queen. We all know that you're fucking that boy nightly anyways. He's all yours."

I can't speak.

...what had she just said to my face?

And I realize how truly powerless I really am.

"You really think you're clever, do you?" Han says, clicking his tongue. "Did you think that this Palace is blind? Nearly every night, you two meet. Even yesterday. He went into your room at twilight, didn't he?"

He leans in closer.

"So if you want to keep that damn boy alive, I suggest you stay in your own place."

In the corner of my eye, I see Rumi Lia giggle.

"Unless you want me to publicly have him burned on a stake for adultery with a Royal."

_________________________________

There's a knock my office door.

The pen stops in its tracks. And I look up, thinking that it's Jimin. I'd had him go gather information on that silver-eyes noble I'd seen in the Banquet. Was he back already?

"Come in."

I regret my words the moment the door clicks open.

Taehyung sweeps in, dressed head to toe in soldier uniform. A thick, dark cloak of elite rank is clasped with a golden emblem of the Asura over his throat. The front of his uniform is stained freshly with drying blood. I see the newly embedded mark of honor on his right chest.

My lips purse.

His expression is so full of disappointment.

"Where were you, Mistress?"

The Warrior's Trial. I'd missed it completely, too mentally disoriented after meeting with Han.

"I'm sorry." I whisper, realizing that I hadn't even had the chance to send him a messenger. Right now, even looking at his face hurts. His downcast, crimson eyes send daggers piercing through my heart. I don't understand how I've let him get this close.

I don't know where to even start.

"There were a lot of things— going on." I say, my hand instinctively reaching for the top of his head. He tenses, as if he's trying to decide whether to shy away from my touch. To show how unhappy he was with me.

But I see it soon melt away. He lets me rest my hand on him, and sinks into my warmth. His bronze seal of Captain Guard glows gold in the sunlight.

"Captain now, are you?" I continue, as he nods into my palm. I laugh quietly. "You must be the youngest one that Asura has ever seen."

My voice dips into worry.

"But that will also mean that many others won't give you the respect you deserve." I say, in hopes that at least some of my advice will reach him. "They will try to put you down. Undermine you in every way possible."

Just like Han had done to me yesterday.

He suddenly wraps a gloved hand around mine and brings it to his chest. His eyes fix on me.

"I am your champion, my Queen."

"I will never let your reputation be tarnished because of me. I swear it."

My face shadows.

Yet I'd let myself be tarnished down to this point.

It was time to tell him.

"Taehyung." I say, my chest heavy. I didn't like telling him these kinds of things, when he should be celebrating his new position as Captain Guard. He'd earned it through hours of bloodbath and cutthroat battle.

"The King has taken in a concubine."

"Rumi Lia. And he has put her right next to your quarters." I whisper, voice hushed. Just thinking about it makes my blood boil. I see the way he recognizes her name. From the way he tenses, and how the shadows lengthen on his masked cheekbones.

"I don't want you next to her." I say. "You'll be moving to a new room tomorrow. I just wanted to let you know beforeha—"

"Can't you have a concubine, Mistress?"

...what?

My eyes instantly turn sharp.

"What do you mean?"

"It's just that—" His hand tightens on mine. "I'm worried. That someone will start talking, that I've been visiting your room far too often. I don't want your name to be associated with—"

Adultery.

I laugh. Had he read my mind?

But what is this ridiculous thing he is suggesting.

"So you want me to make you my concubine? You are Captain Guard, Taehyung. That will break your reputation down to nothing."

"I don't care." He whispers. "Reputation isn't important to me, my Queen. All I care about is being able to see your face without any repercussions."

My brows furrow.

He knows too much.

"You heard," I murmur, looking up to meet his gaze. He freezes, confirming my doubts. "You heard me and Han in that room. How long did it take you to try and come up with this solution?"

His jaw flexes.

"...and if I did?"

Anger steels his eyes. "Yes. I heard it all, Mistress. I heard the both of them threaten you and how you couldn't say anything back because of me. I wanted to run my sword through both of their heads and couldn't."

My voice is quiet. One of the candles lose life, dimming the light in the room.

"Do you realize the things you'll face if you choose to become my concubine?"

He blinks slowly. Then he brings my hand to his masked lips, brushing a kiss over the back of it. His eyes glimmer with resolve.

"I do."

Making him my concubine would fix everything, for me. I'd be able to truly make him one of my people. Even Han wouldn't be able to treat him roughly or make threats. And it would hush some rumors, if the nobles heard that both the King and Queen had taken on concubines of their own.

It would actually shift the favor to my side, adding fuel to the rumor that our relationship was not peaceful. More blame would fall to Han, with what I'd already slipped about how First Night had gone.

But for Taehyung.

"No, I don't think you do." I say, smoothing down a crease in his sleeve with a fingertip. "You will lose all respect as Captain Guard. None of the soldiers will want to follow the orders of a man who supposedly sleeps with the Queen. Everyone will whisper behind your back and—"

"Mistress."

He bends down. His hand wraps so naturally against the curve of my waist that I almost don't even notice at first. He whispers into my ear.

"I am a Tarakan slave, bought in an auction."

"Respect wasn't something given to me from the start," He continues, and I tense. "I'm used to the whispers. I'm used to all of it. I make them fear me. That is how I force respect."

He presses a masked kiss against my cheek. His hand is still on my waist.

How bold he has become, this sinful boy. His eyes burn. Almost as if he wants me to take responsibility for how he has turned out to be.

"It is you who have taught me so."