Aiden woke up in the Empress's private bedchamber. The room was dim, lit only by a single lantern on a side table.
His white hair stuck to his scalp in clumps of dried blood. Dark fracture lines cut across his bare chest and shoulders like cracks in stone.
Every shift of his weight sent fresh pain through his ribs. He tried to push himself up on one elbow and failed. A low groan escaped his throat.
The Empress sat on the edge of the wide bed. Her amber hair was pulled back into a simple knot. Red eyes watched him without blinking. She had already sent the servants away.
A bowl of clean water and strips of linen rested beside her. She dipped a cloth and pressed it to the worst wound on his side.
"You lost a lot of blood in the throne room," she said. Her voice was flat, businesslike. "Stay still."
Aiden's golden eyes narrowed. "How long was I out?"
