'You are my concubine and I am the Emperor,' I say, voice low, heart uncharacteristically exposed. 'Yet tonight, I command you to speak truth, not duty.' You step closer, silk rustling. 'Must I obey even when your eyes betray loneliness?' I stiffen. 'This is not a request.' You smile faintly. 'Then I say this: you rule the empire, but no one holds your heart. And I⦠I wish to be more than a whispered name in the palace halls.'