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Of all the things an Empress could bestow upon one of her citizens, this was not one of them. At least, not in a way that could be known outside of the tryst, and even that was quite dangerous.

Secrets could be the ruin of empires, and what could be more incendiary than the nascent passions between two beautiful creatures?

Yet, this did not stop her. What kept her firmly embedded was the understanding that this was the way of the world – and yes, she had been quite foolish to think it was not! She understood well that an Emperor could not be sated by one woman, but what of an Empress?

She deserved worship, as the Emperor deserved servitude.

Was it true that she must live out the rest of her days in the frigidity and secrecy that Shenlei shared with her? Men spilt blood to assuage such discomfort, and Yue sought nothing more than a pair of warm arms to hold her. In an unfair and cruel world, this had to count for something.

No, the tender caressing of female flesh was not a larger sin than bloodshed – a fact that Yue repeated in her own mind, over and over again, until it was as rhythmic as her own heartbeat.

The behaviors others displayed toward her were rarely unique, and followed many patterns – leaving clear signs to the Empress when she was being manipulated. Somehow, Batu continually subverted her expectations, and she found it thrilling. The orchid wondered, again, what Batu’s end goal could be – and, maybe it was the stirring of her blood, but she could not fathom any besides the type of humble desire that she felt herself.

Maybe it was that Batu was taking advantage of her wounding, or maybe he had taken it upon himself to show her an enticingly new perspective – it did not matter, because Yue was fairly convinced that she, herself, was doing the manipulating.

After all, what was she truly risking? The ire of Shenlei over a lover was nothing compared to the instability of siring unsanctioned progeny, and she simply did not fear Batu's exerting a touch she did not explicitly invite. Not in her own land. Not with the attention of the Emperor soon to be upon her. Not when the future of a dynasty relied of the purity of her womb.

Even when consumed by lust, no one would so explicitly sign their own death warrant.

Neither her lineage or physical safety was at risk, but the same could not be said for the man who embraced her so fervently. He had pledged to face death in the pursuit of her wholeness before, but Yue felt if she did not remind him now, then she was indeed using him for her personal gain.

She feasted on his guttural utterances, and inspired by him, her vocal cords came to life.

A soft vibrato denoted the effervescent energy that bubbled within her chest. Is it worth your life, Batu, to kiss this very throat? she asked him, exhaling, but not rescinding the offer of her exposed flesh.

He had to know, even if it was difficult to form words.

We may stop now, and never speak of this again…

Yue was willing to understand if the man realized he had gotten caught up in a moment – it would haunt her, but she would understand. To be close to Yue, after all, was to face death in a thousand unprecedented ways.

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