**Chapter 93 – The Snake in Silk**
The next morning dawned with a veil of mist cloaking the Jade Palace. Zara stood by the carved balcony of her guest chamber, staring out into the silent gardens where the fog drifted like ghosts over the pond. The words in Maeven's note echoed in her mind: *Trust no one.*
There was no time for weakness. Not here.
A soft knock pulled her from her thoughts.
"My lady," a maid called gently, "you're requested at the Lotus Hall. The emperor is hosting a morning court for selected nobles."
Zara's heart skipped. The first true test had begun.
***
By mid-morning, the Lotus Hall brimmed with color and tension. The nobles of the Eastern Kingdom sat in tiers along the edges, their gazes sharp and assessing. Music played softly in the background, but the real game was in the glances, the whispered rumors, and the politics pulsing beneath the surface.
Zara entered gracefully, adorned in a silver and blue gown gifted by the Eastern seamstresses, her steps measured, her chin high. As she approached the Emperor's dais, she noticed that today, she wasn't seated at his side.
Instead, a woman already occupied that place.
Tall, elegant, and draped in crimson silk that shimmered like blood, the woman gave Zara a slow, venomous smile. Her dark eyes sparkled with mischief and challenge.
Zara's heart dropped.
"Princess Zara," the Emperor greeted. "Allow me to present Lady Sumei, First Daughter of the Crimson House and a trusted advisor."
Zara curtsied. "An honor, Lady Sumei."
"The honor is mine," Sumei replied in a voice like honey and poison. "I've heard so many things about you. They say your husband is a beast in court and in bed. I wonder which part you like best."
Gasps rose around the room.
Zara's lips twitched, but she remained composed. "I find that a beast can be tamed if one is brave enough to hold the leash."
A quiet murmur of amusement rippled among the nobles. Sumei's eyes darkened slightly.
The Emperor leaned forward, clearly entertained. "Lady Sumei was just advising me on how best to proceed with the trade agreement your husband seeks. She believes the West offers too little in return for the grain routes they desire."
Zara responded, her voice clear and confident. "Perhaps that's because she doesn't understand what my husband is offering."
"And what is that?" Sumei asked, tilting her head mockingly.
"Peace," Zara said. "And stability. Two things your empire values but lacks in certain provinces. If Maeven sends soldiers instead of a bride, there will be no room left for trade."
That silenced the room.
The Emperor exhaled slowly, his eyes glittering with thought.
Sumei, however, only smiled more sweetly. "How impressive. The little bride speaks like a lioness."
Zara met her gaze. "The world teaches you to speak loudly when you've lived long in silence."
Sumei's lips curled. "We shall see how loud you remain in the coming days."
***
Later, in the privacy of the garden courtyard, Zara paced restlessly. She could feel the noose tightening around her neck—Sumei was no ordinary noble. Her influence on the emperor was undeniable, and her hostility was deliberate. She wanted Zara humiliated, dismissed—or worse, dead.
"You hold your tongue well," said a voice from the shadows.
Zara turned sharply. It was Lord Huan, one of the lesser nobles she had briefly spoken to the day before. He stepped forward, his long robe brushing the stone path.
"But in the Eastern court," he continued, "a sharp tongue makes a thousand enemies faster than a dull sword."
"I have no choice," Zara said, folding her arms. "I wasn't sent here to bow."
He looked at her for a long moment, then said, "Be careful of Lady Sumei. She is the emperor's cousin. And she despises your husband."
Zara's brows lifted. "Why?"
"Because her brother died at Maeven's hands in the Southern Wars," Lord Huan said. "She believes your prince is a butcher—and she would love to hang his wife as a message."
Zara's heart thundered.
"Then why hasn't she acted?"
"Because the emperor enjoys the game. He'll protect you for as long as he's entertained. But when he grows bored…" Huan let the words trail off.
Zara swallowed. "Then I need to keep him entertained."
"And outwit Sumei," Huan added. "She's already preparing something. I saw her send a courier to the outer village this morning."
Zara narrowed her eyes. "Do you know who she sent?"
"No. But I know what she wants: you out of the court. And I believe… she will try to frame you."
***
That night, Zara barely touched her dinner. Her guards remained stationed outside her door, unaware of the invisible threads of danger slowly closing in.
She stared out the window, recalling every word, every glance, every warning.
If Sumei was going to frame her, then Zara needed to move first.
She went to her writing desk, pulled out a scroll, and began drafting a letter—not to Maeven, but to his most trusted warlord stationed near the border: General Cael.
> *General,*
> *There are signs of conspiracy within the Eastern court. I suspect an attempt will be made against my position—or my life. I write not to ask for rescue, but for proof. If anyone near the palace gates receives a message from Lady Sumei or the Crimson House, intercept it.*
> *Do not act unless I am removed from court. Then, and only then, unleash your fury.*
> — *Zara*
She sealed it, and at midnight, she summoned one of her guards.
"Deliver this to General Cael. No one must see you leave or return."
The guard hesitated. "It is dangerous, my lady."
"So is staying silent."
He nodded and disappeared into the night.
***
The next morning came with thunderclouds. The palace buzzed with unease.
And then it happened.
Zara was summoned to the Lotus Hall again, but this time, it was different. The guards looked tense. The nobles were silent.
At the center of the room stood Lady Sumei, smiling coldly.
"My Emperor," she said, holding up a silk pouch. "This was found beneath the princess's bed. Inside… is powdered belladonna."
Poison.
A collective gasp filled the air.
Zara's blood turned to ice.
Ryun's eyes flicked to her. "Princess. What do you say to this?"
"I say," Zara said, stepping forward with measured calm, "that someone planted it there."
Sumei's voice dripped with mock sorrow. "So predictable."
But before Ryun could respond, the chamber doors opened, and a soldier stepped inside, bowing low.
"Forgive the interruption, Your Majesty, but a messenger has arrived from the Western border. He carries evidence related to a courier dispatched by the Crimson House."
Zara's heart leapt.
The Emperor raised a brow. "Present it."
The soldier stepped forward and handed over a small scroll. Ryun opened it and scanned the contents slowly.
Then, his expression shifted.
He looked at Sumei.
"You sent a message to the apothecary in Kaoling, instructing them to prepare belladonna and deliver it under the name of Zara Maeven."
Gasps turned into shocked whispers.
Sumei's face paled.
"That is a lie," she spat. "A forged letter!"
"Your seal was on the courier's pouch," the Emperor said coldly. "And three witnesses saw your servant enter the compound. You plotted to frame the Western princess."
Sumei turned to Zara, fury flashing in her eyes.
"This isn't over," she hissed.
Zara stepped close, her voice soft. "You're right. It's just beginning."
The Emperor waved his hand. "Sumei, you are confined to the Crimson Wing until I decide your fate. The court will not be threatened from within."
The guards seized her, and she was dragged away—her silk robes fluttering like the wings of a dying bird.
Zara stood alone in the silence, her breath shaking in her chest.
She had won—but the game was far from over.
She turned slowly to Ryun.
"Now that the snake has shown her fangs," she said, "shall we speak again of peace?"
The Emperor smiled thinly. "Indeed, Princess. Let us begin anew."