The Eunuch and the Unlocked Door

Li Tianyuan, the all-powerful emperor of the Great Dynasty, has everything a ruler could want-land, power, concubines, and the loyalty of every subject in the palace. But he has never had someone who looks at him and sees just a man, not the dragon throne he sits on. That changes the day he spots a quiet young eunuch stopping to save an injured stray cat, a small act of kindness no other courtier would ever bother with.

He claims the eunuch too quickly, too roughly, driven by a hunger he has never felt before, and pushes the terrified boy into running from his chambers. Now, he is determined to wait: he gives the eunuch better quarters, sends his favorite sweets every meal, and shows up night after night with small, gentle gifts, never pushing for more than the eunuch is willing to give. He even gives the eunuch what he begs for: distance, indifference, the normalcy he craves.

But every night, the emperor leaves the door to his private chambers unlocked. He knows the fear in the eunuch.