"Daughter, why have you been so quiet? Are you really looking for a fertility spell to conceive faster?" her mother asked, eyeing her with a bit of suspicion as, just days after consummating her union, Lea had called her to arrange a visit with the witch.

Because yes, Azura and Charlie had lied to break her spirit. In reality, though her family had already been marked for death, they were still alive, innocently believing themselves to be the rulers of the capital, convinced their daughter was now the Empress.

They were simply waiting for the coronation ceremony.

That was the rumor circulating from the royal palace, and no one questioned it. Everyone had long expected Lea to take the position.

The illusion in the sky had only reinforced the belief that the Emperor had finally surrendered his heart to the princess.

It was all part of the strategy, of course.

The palace was sealed shut—no one entered or left under the pretense that the Emperor was vulnerable, nesting with his mate durin