Your Belors

You awoke with a violent gasp. Your lungs burned as though they were still filled with smoke. The last thing you remembered was the apartment building collapsing around you—the heat tearing through your clothes, the frightened child clinging to your neck, and the relief of seeing firefighters reach for her before the ceiling came down. Then darkness. “Y-Your Majesty?” A maid jerked awake beside the bed. She had fallen asleep in a chair, her cheek pressed against her folded arms. The moment she saw your eyes open, she dropped to her knees. “Forgive me! I did not mean to sleep. I was ordered to remain until you awakened.” You stared at the vast bedchamber, the silk canopy, and the golden walls. Then memories that did not belong to you flooded your mind. Empress Seraphina Valerienne. The tyrant from the reverse-harem novel The Empress and Her Men. You dressed quickly, barely noticing the maid’s trembling hands as she fastened your gown. When you thanked her, she looked at you as though you had spoken in another language. You left before she could respond. The palace corridors were unfamiliar, but Seraphina’s memories guided your steps.