One Night with the Emperor || Royalty Series #1 ||

PROLOGUE: The Emperor's Court

The grand hall of the Fhorion Palace was as imposing as the Emperor himself. Massive stone pillars stretched to the high ceiling, their surfaces etched with the intricate history of the empire. A deep crimson carpet ran the length of the hall, soft beneath the feet of those fortunate—or unfortunate—enough to stand before the Emperor's throne. Today, the hall was filled with a tense stillness, as if the very air held its breath.

Emperor Alistair Fhorion sat upon his towering throne, eyes cold and calculating as he observed the noblemen kneeling before him. His black, regal robes were trimmed with silver, and a thin, almost indifferent smirk played on his lips. The noblemen spoke in hushed tones, pleading their case about some land dispute in a distant province, but Alistair barely listened. He had long since learned that ruling through fear yielded more results than entertaining their trivial complaints.

Suddenly, the grand doors of the hall creaked open, and a woman was led inside. Her dark eyes darted nervously around the room, her hands trembling ever so slightly. Her figure was delicate, but there was a fire behind her uncertainty—a spark that caught Alistair’s attention.

Sidhi Reyes had never seen the inside of the palace before. The grandeur of it overwhelmed her, but she forced herself to stand tall. The men who had summoned her whispered behind her back, and she could feel their eyes tracing her every movement. She wasn’t of noble blood, but the recent rumors about her café’s popularity had apparently reached even the most elite circles.

“Approach,” Alistair’s voice cut through the silence like a blade, sharp and commanding.

Sidhi swallowed hard, stepping forward as instructed. The closer she came to the Emperor, the more palpable his presence became. She could feel the weight of his gaze on her, cold and assessing, as though he were stripping away every layer of her soul with just a glance.

“You are the one they speak of, aren’t you?” His voice was low, almost predatory, his eyes never leaving her. “The woman whose kindness is legendary in your village.”

“I… I only try to help where I can, Your Majesty,” Sidhi replied, her voice wavering slightly despite her best efforts to remain composed. She could feel the eyes of the court on her, each one waiting for her to make a mistake.

Alistair leaned forward, resting his chin on his hand as he considered her. “Kindness,” he murmured, almost as if the word itself tasted foreign to him. “A rare trait in these halls.”

Sidhi stood silent, unsure if she was meant to respond. She had heard stories of the Emperor’s ruthlessness, his cold and terrifying demeanor, yet here he was, speaking of kindness as though it were an artifact from a forgotten age.

The Emperor’s gaze lingered on her for a moment longer before he dismissed the court without warning, the noblemen scattering like leaves in a storm. The doors closed, and the room fell into an eerie silence, leaving Sidhi alone in the Emperor's presence.

"Tell me," Alistair began, his voice softer now, though still laced with an unmistakable authority, "why would a woman like you, with such a reputation, find herself in the company of those who speak nothing but flattery and deceit?"

Sidhi’s heart pounded in her chest. She had no answer for him. It was as though the Emperor could see right through her, unraveling every secret she had ever kept.

"I... I did not come by choice, Your Majesty," she finally stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. "I was summoned."

The Emperor's eyes flickered with interest. "Summoned," he repeated, his smirk returning. "Very well. You may go... for now."

As Sidhi quickly turned to leave, a sense of dread crept over her. There was no mistaking the way Alistair’s gaze lingered on her as she exited the hall, as if this encounter had only been the beginning of something far more dangerous.