The morning sun crept gently through the brocade curtains, bathing the grand chamber in a golden glow. Lola stirred, a faint smile gracing her lips. Rarely did sleep come so sweetly to her. For a fleeting moment, she felt like royalty.
But her stretch was interrupted. Something, or rather, someone was holding her down.
Brows furrowed, she glanced down and froze.
A hand. A large, masculine hand. One that certainly did not belong to her.
Panic twisted in her chest as she slowly turned her head, fully expecting to see one of her friends playing some cruel joke.
Instead, she found herself face to face with him.
The emperor.
Lola shrieked, a piercing scream that echoed through the high ceilings of the East Wing.
"Christ, woman, must you be so loud in the morning?" Xander groaned, shielding his eyes from the sunlight with a lazy hand.
Lola leapt from the bed as though it had caught fire, stumbling toward the door.
"What are you doing here?!" she shouted, gathering the fabric of her nightdress as if it could protect her dignity.
Xander merely yawned and sat up, entirely too amused. "What a dramatic morning. This ought to be fun," he muttered, then rose with all the leisure of a man who had no regrets.
Lola burst into the main hall, breathless and scandalised, only to come to a stunned halt.
There, around an opulent breakfast table laden with fruits, pastries, and silver pots of tea, sat her friends laughing, eating, and chatting as though they hadn't spent the previous evening being detained.
"What on earth...?" Lola trailed off, bewildered.
"You all won't believe what happened to me!" she cried, rushing forward.
Julian sighed, lifting his teacup. "Here she goes again."
"I'm being serious!" she insisted. "I woke up to find that man in bed with me! His arms…his arms were around my waist!"
Emily gasped dramatically, though the twinkle in her eye betrayed her amusement.
"Is that so?" Liam asked, smirking behind a bite of croissant.
Lola threw her hands up. "I didn't know the emperor was a scoundrel! What manner of man slips into a maiden's bed without permission?"
"I would watch my words, if I were you," came Gabriel's voice as he approached, his tone light but teasing. "Some ears are more royal than others."
"Well, perhaps your emperor should be taught proper manners," Lola huffed.
A deep chuckle echoed through the room.
All heads turned as Xander descended the grand staircase with slow, measured steps. He wore a smile that bordered on wickedness.
"Manners, you say?" he drawled. "Would you care to instruct your emperor, milady?"
Lola's eyes narrowed. "What game are you playing, my Lord?"
Xander leaned against a marble pillar, thoroughly entertained. "Is it a game, or merely your own misunderstanding?"
Gabriel, meanwhile, found his attention drifting once again. The quiet girl, the one who had captivated him last night sat at the far end of the table, untouched tea before her, eyes lowered. She hadn't spoken a word. When she turned slightly, he looked away too quickly.
"I demand to know why you were in my chamber," Lola snapped.
"Your chamber?" Xander repeated, clearly enjoying himself.
"Yes," she said, stomping her foot with indignation. "You placed me there, did you not?"
A smirk touched Xander's lips. "Tell me, madam… who gives prisoners a master suite with silk linens and feather pillows?"
A sudden silence fell over the table as realization dawned.
Julian leaned toward Emily and whispered, "Always as naïve as she's ever been."
Lola's eyes widened as the pieces fit together. She turned to the emperor, who now wore a smile so devilish it could have been carved by the underworld itself.