The Imperial Banquet Hall – Twilight
Lanterns floated in the dusk sky like spirits bearing witness to a storm about to unfold. The palace shimmered with gold and crimson, as if anticipating bloodshed beneath all the grandeur. Nobles, ministers, royal families, and concubines gathered in the massive banquet hall adorned with silk banners and towering columns etched with dragon carvings.
The air buzzed not with celebration—but tension.
All waited.
And then…
Seraphina entered.
Draped in a gown of golden phoenix feathers and silver embroidery, she walked with the poise of a born empress. The room fell into stunned silence. Whispers rippled.
"She's glowing…"
"Isn't that the phoenix crest of the founding empress?"
Even Concubine Sun, seated proudly near the Emperor's seat, flinched for the first time. Her perfectly arched brows twitched, and her wine cup paused mid-air.
Seraphina met her gaze—direct, unflinching, deadly.
The war had officially begun.
---
Moments Earlier – Lotus Pavilion
Arabella hid behind a carved pillar, clutching the crimson charm in her hand.
"It was buried beneath her floorboard," Mira whispered, glancing behind them. "This charm… it's made with soul blood. It's illegal."
Arabella's heart pounded. "She's been using forbidden rituals. This proves she's tied to the cult that cursed the late Empress…"
She clenched her fist.
They had to get this to Seraphina before it was too late.
---
Back in the Banquet Hall
Music played softly in the background, dulcimers and flutes weaving a fragile calm. Dishes were served, laughter feigned, and masks well-worn.
Then, Concubine Sun rose.
Her expression was calm, but her eyes sparkled with venom. She held a small wooden box, its surface carved with peonies and phoenixes.
"A gift," she announced sweetly. "For the future Empress. A token of memory... from someone she once dearly loved."
A hush fell.
Seraphina's eyes narrowed.
The moment she opened the box, a folded parchment fell out — aged, but sealed with a blood-red wax. The crowd leaned in.
Gasps erupted.
"Mason…" someone whispered.
The forged letter bore Mason's name. It claimed Seraphina still loved him, that she had plotted with him, that she mourned his death. It was meant to disgrace her, to cast doubt on her loyalty before the Emperor could marry her.
Seraphina's hand trembled.
But not from fear.
She raised her gaze and smiled.
"Concubine Sun… your gift is as shallow as your schemes."
Before anyone could speak, she clapped her hands.
Arabella and Mira appeared at the side doors, holding the crimson soul charm high.
"This—" Seraphina said, her voice cutting through the chamber like a blade, "was found hidden in your chambers. Do you deny it?"
Concubine Sun's smile froze.
The nobles shifted in their seats.
"That charm," Seraphina continued, "was used in a blood ritual that killed the previous Empress. The very same forbidden technique your brother used on the battlefield, banned by the imperial court."
"Lies!" Sun shrieked, standing abruptly. "You think you can humiliate me with theatrics?!"
One of the concubines behind her—a quiet, frail woman named Lady Mei—suddenly dropped to her knees.
"Forgive me, Lady Seraphina. I was forced to obey her… she used soul charms on me too… I'll testify!"
Chaos broke loose.
Concubine Sun turned white. "You traitor!"
She reached forward and slapped Seraphina across the face in blind fury.
The crowd gasped.
A dead silence fell.
No one was allowed to lay hands on the future Empress—not even the Emperor himself before the coronation.
But Seraphina did not flinch. She simply turned her face back, blood dripping slightly from her lip, and smiled.
"You've just slapped away your own fate."
At that exact moment, the Emperor walked in.
His gaze swept over the scene—the slap mark, the charm in Mira's hand, Lady Mei trembling on the floor, Concubine Sun frozen in the middle of the hall.
Then his voice rang cold and final:
"I've heard enough."
Emperor Kai's voice sliced through the banquet like the edge of a blade.
"I've heard enough."
The entire hall dropped to its knees. Even the wine stopped flowing as servants froze mid-motion.
Seraphina straightened slowly, the red streak on her lip glowing like war paint beneath the glimmer of the lanterns. But her eyes… her eyes were calm. Icy. Triumphant.
Emperor Kai stepped down from his raised dais, each footfall echoing like the rhythm of judgment.
His eyes landed on Concubine Sun.
"You slapped the future Empress of this empire," he said, voice chillingly low. "And you dared to present her with a cursed charm?"
Concubine Sun opened her mouth, but no words came out.
"I—I only meant—"
He raised a hand. Silence.
"Your brother might have fought for this empire. But you have shamed his name, the imperial court, and me."
"No! Wait, Your Majesty! That girl—Arabella—she's supposed to be dead! This must be some witchcraft—some deception!"
Arabella stepped forward, fury glowing behind her usually gentle expression. "You burned me in that fire. You made sure the guards never searched for me. And now, when truth returns to haunt you… you call it witchcraft?"
Gasps echoed through the crowd.
Even some concubines began murmuring, realization dawning in their eyes.
"She's… she's the lost princess girl."
"Concubine Sun tried to silence her…"
The Emperor's hand curled into a fist. "Do not speak another lie, Sun."
Suddenly, Lady Mei cried out, pointing to her own wrist. "She forced us to bind our souls to her charm, Your Majesty! I have the mark! Look!"
Mira quickly stepped forward, gently rolling up Lady Mei's sleeve.
The room fell into stunned silence again.
There, seared into her skin, was the dark sigil of soul binding—a forbidden magic banned generations ago.
The Emperor's face paled.
"Guards," he said through gritted teeth. "Arrest Concubine Sun."
"No! I am loyal!" she screamed, struggling as armored guards seized her arms. "You'll regret this! I did it for you, for the throne—!"
"Enough!" Emperor Kai thundered. "You did it for yourself."
Concubine Sun shrieked and kicked, but she was dragged out of the hall, her screams echoing into the distance like the final cries of a dying serpent.
---
Silence fell.
All eyes turned to Seraphina.
Despite the blood on her lip, despite the chaos, she stood radiant—untouched by the darkness around her.
The Emperor stepped closer, gently taking her hand. "You've endured more than any woman should. And still, you rise stronger."
He turned to the audience. "In two days' time, she will become the rightful Empress of this land. Let no one question her again."
He raised their clasped hands for all to see.
The hall erupted into stunned applause. Some clapped slowly, reluctantly. Others, like Arabella and Mira, smiled with tears in their eyes.
But in the shadows—behind a column—someone else was watching.
Leon.
His eyes were unreadable.
And beside him… stood someone cloaked in black, whispering into his ear.
"She's more dangerous than we thought."
Leon's lips curved into a small smile. "Or maybe… she's exactly what I've been waiting for."