Betrothed to the Emperor (Emperor’s Assassin #1)

Four

T he room was suddenly very still. No one spoke as the emperor approached. He was taller than me. Unsurprising, given that I took after my mother in height instead of my father.

Tallu had changed his robes, although the rich, imperial purple was the same. The circlet on his brow glinted and his eyes were sharp enough to take in the scene with one glance. His plush lips pulled unhappily, as though the man who had been given everything his entire life had any reason for unhappiness.

I had to look up, raising my chin to see the emperor as he got closer. It gave me more of a defiant look than I thought I should use with him, but I couldn’t look away, not once I saw those red-brown eyes, the sharpness in them similar to a hunting hawk who sighted prey.