The memory still made her sick. She'd stared at the vial of slow-acting toxin in her trembling hands, knowing that she held the life of the man she loved.
On one side: her emperor, her savior, the person she'd devoted her entire adult life to serving.
On the other: Xiao, her baby brother, the last remnant of the family that had died to save them both.
'What choice did I have? What choice was there?'
She'd wept as she'd mixed the poison into his evening tea, her hands shaking so badly she'd nearly dropped the cup.
Every sip he'd taken had felt like a dagger in her heart, but she'd forced herself to watch, to be present for what she'd done.
'I'm a murderer. A betrayer. The worst kind of servant.'
