The Empress of Konin Read online

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  If you are unfamiliar with this name, M.D. Loveheart is not one author, but two. My husband Don and I work together on each project that bears our shared penname. While this may sound odd, we don’t look at it that way. For us, writing is a uniquely liberating experience that allows us to express our ideas and work together as a couple.

  Don and I started writing the Konin Romances together towards the end of 2017, when Don finally retired from his decades-long job in sales (though I had already been retired for some years). We were looking for something to do together to occupy the time in our retirement and began talking about a faraway world, where Emperors and magic ruled.

  We both share an interest in romance novels and are self-described sticklers for ancient history, so naturally a world like Konin simply made sense. We bounced ideas off of each other for weeks, until we finally had a decent roadmap of what these stories would look like.

  I got started right away with the draft for The Empress of Konin, while Don began work on The Mermaid of Konin. While my tale was more rooted in politics and the idea of aristocracy, my husband’s story focused more on the supernatural. Despite some tonal differences, both stories fit well in this new world we’d created together.

  Though we each wrote separate drafts, the final result of each story has both of our hands in it. I edited and rewrote some of his, while he edited and rewrote some of mine. I truly believe Don’s involvement has improved my writing, as my involvement has also improved his. Our shared voice works to create a uniquely special prose.

  After the success of these two stories, we got to work on a follow-up tale set 20 years after both of those books called The Princess of Konin. We each wrote about 50% of that draft and blended the unique tones from both novels into one cohesive story. Frankly, I consider it the best in the series.

  I hope you enjoy the world that Don and I have put together. This series is the product of the decades-long love we share for one another. I sincerely hope our words put a smile on your face and I thank you for taking this journey into the world my husband and I have created.

  - Mary

  Chapter 1

  Isis swept her legs over the side of her bed. The wooden frame creaked as if it were waking up for the day as well. She stretched her long arms out in front of her and pulled them over her head. The musky, hot air that blew in from outside hung in the air. Isis’s eyelids fluttered closed, attempting to wet them, although she knew that if she wanted to wet her eyes that she’d be blinking all day due to the desert heat.

  She raised her hand and tucked a strand of her sable colored hair behind her ear. I feel so weary. Isis rose to her feet. Her sandals rested on the side of the bed, and she slipped one foot into each of them. Isis turned towards the window. The sun rose overhead and it was moving towards the center of the sky.

  It must be nearly noon. Isis had grown accustomed to sleeping until the afternoon had begun or until one of the servants wrapped their knuckles against the door clutching a tray of food. Isis brushed her hands against the silky, sheer material of her cream-colored nightgown. In the many years since the Emperor had gathered a group of his most trusted men, and his most skilled fighters, and shoved off towards the west, Isis's attention had drifted towards making each day that the Emperor was gone go by in the blink of an eye.

  For the first few months that the Emperor had been gone, Isis would walk among the people in their kingdom and host dinners for nobility. Men would press their elbows into the dense wood of the table in the dining hall and lean forward until they risked falling into the food on their plate. Isis leaned in with them, a move that separated her from most other women alone. She boasted about the gold, the wine, and the wheat that her husband, Emperor Abasi, would bring along with him when the warships sailed into the docks.

  When a season turned into three seasons, and four winters had come and gone, Isis had finally abandoned the dinners and the parties. She took to her bed, and only allowed Raina, a servant that she’d all but raised, to bring her a goblet filled with wine and the bread that’d been made fresh that morning.

  Isis scowled upon seeing her reflection in the mirror. She raised her palm and held it out in front of her face. It looks like I’ve risen from the dead, not a restful sleep. The corners of her lips turned down into a frown. Had it been restful? She couldn't remember the last time that she stretched out on her bed and got good sleep. When she'd wake up every morning, a stiffness had settled in between the joints in her wrists, ankles, and knees.

  She narrowed her eyes at the ashen face of the woman in front of her. Even an Empress can’t stop the aging process. Isis leaned forward and rested one palm on the smooth wood of her dresser. A U-shaped mirror with gold around the edges told the story of a woman that felt her beauty slipping away because of the loneliness that hung over her. It was like a veil draped over shoulders. The servants that had been under her the longest couldn't keep their eyes from lingering in the places where age had seeped in. When dinner was delivered, the bright, wide eyes of the dinner servant lingered on the sharp lines around her eyes. When it was time to be bathed, the curious eyes of her ladies scanned the deep lines on either side of her lips.

  Isis lifted her hand. It hovered just above the sharp part in the middle of her hair.

  “Your Majesty, may I come in? Are you decent?”

  Isis’s icy blue eyes shifted from her reflection in the mirror and towards the door to her chambers on the other side of the room. She pushed her shoulders back and cleared her throat before replying, “I’ve just woken up. What is it?”

  “Ah. It’s Raina. I have breakfast and… news.”

  Isis’s heart fell into her stomach. She inhaled, then exhaled. Have they found the Emperor and his ship? Have we lost? Isis moved towards the door and pulled it open. Raina drifted inside with her small hands clenched around a brass colored food tray. She pushed it towards Isis. A bowl of grapes and a fresh piece of bread sat beside one another.

  Isis wrinkled her nose and lifted the bowl of grapes off of the tray. “Thank you for breakfast, Raina. What’s your news?”

  Raina wore a sheepish grin as she lifted her eyes to Isis’s and said, “The Emperor’s ship has pulled into the harbor.”

  A wave of shock passed over Isis’s body. Her hands flew to her face and the bowl of grapes clattered against the floor. A couple of grapes snapped off of the vine and rolled through the room. Isis’s hands trembled and she repeated, “The ship is in the harbor?”

  Raina nodded and her lips spread into a wide smile. “He is, and he’s at the docks, Empress. The Emperor has finally returned.”

  Isis’s face lit up with a light that hadn’t been in her eyes for several years. She set one of her delicate hands on Raina’s shoulders and said, “Raina, I need you to help me pick a gown to wear. I don’t want the Emperor to think that I’ve withered away since he’s been gone.”

  “You look just as beautiful as you did when he left,” Raina said.

  Isis grinned. "You're kind.” She whipped her head around and narrowed her eyes into slits as she looked at the reflection in the mirror. "I hope that he doesn't think that I've lost my beauty."

  Raina’s footsteps moved behind her, and she watched the petite girl’s form move past the mirror and to the other side of the room. With a laborious grunt, Raina pulled the tall double doors of the Empress’s closet wide open. Isis watched as Raina reappeared with two gowns draped over her arms. Raina’s bouncy, black curls slouched over her shoulders as she lowered her head to the floor. She pushed the dresses forward and said, “You might prefer one of these, Empress.”

  Isis gingerly lifted the dresses off of Raina’s arms and ran her fingers over the silky material of each one. O
ne of the dresses was a pale yellow color, reminding Isis of the way the sun looked in the middle of the afternoon. It made her heart calm, and it made her think of how she’d look at the bright ball of light, grateful to be the wife of one of the most powerful men in the world. The second garment was a deep crimson color, the bottom of the dress swept against the floor, and she remembered that it had a defined slit for her long legs to peek out from underneath. Isis turned her head to the side. Although it had been years, she still fondly remembered the way that the Emperor would brush his thumb across her lips when they were painted red, and he’d say that red was the only real color that demanded power.

  I have a powerful Emperor that brought us out this war. I should dress the part. She slid the crimson dress off of Raina’s arms and said, “I’ll wear this one. Thank you, Raina.”

  Raina nodded and turned on her heel. She disappeared into the closet and returned to find Isis standing at the entrance. Her eyes carried a soft expression, and the expensive dress dangled off of her arm.

  Raina blinked and asked, “Is there a problem, Empress? Is there a tear in the garment?”

  Isis shook her head and flashed her a rare smile. “No, I just wanted to thank you, Raina. You’ve always been loyal, and you’ve never expected more like the other servants. Thank you for taking care of me while the Emperor was gone.”

  Raina’s pale cheeks were tinged bright red and she lowered her eyes to the ground. “It’s my pleasure as always, Empress.”

  Isis nodded and said, “Please help me get dressed. It’s been a long time since I’ve dressed to be in the presence of the Emperor.”

  ***

  The wind carried the smell of saltwater along with it as a breeze wafted through the harbor. The folds of Isis’s dress teased her ankles. Pieces of the crimson fabric kissed the planks of the dock beneath her as she moved forward. Raina trailed behind her, and Isis looked over her shoulder for a reassuring smile. Isis smoothed the front of her dress down. I hope that he loves it. It’s been so long since I’ve seen Abasi.

  Isis's sandal slapped against the dock as she moved towards the Emperor. She could faintly make out the sight of his golden armor. The sun glinted against it as Abasi thrust his arms into the air.

  She spread her lips into a smile. Some of Abasi’s men and a few generals that she’d only spoken to on one occasion had gathered around her husband. They’ll have to wait. No one is more concerned with seeing him than I am. Isis’s heart skipped a beat as Abasi’s dark eyes briefly connected with hers. A thick salt and pepper beard covered his cheeks. His skin was tanned from countless days spent on the battlefield in the unforgiving heat.

  Isis grinned and said, “Abasi, you’re finally home.”

  One of the generals, Aharon, narrowed his eyes as Isis approached. He ran his eyes over her face and the plunging neckline of the crimson gown that she wore. Aharon had always been a tough man to be around. Isis remembered how furious she felt when she'd had her first dinner with Aharon years before. It wasn't uncommon for a man to feel that a woman's role was to complement the man beside her and to give him a few sons when the time came, but Aharon never had the decency to treat her like an Empress. He would hold up his hand if she spoke for longer than he thought was necessary, and would send a questioning glance in Abasi's direction whenever Isis excused herself without asking for Abasi's permission.

  Isis put on her best smile and said, “Welcome back, Aharon. I imagine the cooks will be preparing an incredible feast so that you can be properly welcomed home.”

  Aharon grinned. The war hadn't left him with the same salt and pepper hairs that Abasi had. His beard was dark and thick. A curly mop of dark hair sat on his once bald head. Isis braced herself for something crass to slide past his lips, but he returned his eyes to Abasi.

  Abasi, although he was already wearing a thick set of armor, puffed his chest out and swept his eyes over the small crowd around him. “There were too many times that I thought we wouldn’t make it. I thought that I might not ever make it home to my palace, or my wife-”

  Isis weaved her way through the herd of hulking men and slipped her arm around Abasi’s waist. The armor was cold and hard against her smooth skin. To Aharon’s displeasure, she parted her lips and said, “But you are home. I’m so grateful to have my Emperor back on his own land after so many years.”

  Abasi grinned and said, “We’re lucky men. We’ve got wives and sons and daughters that have been anxiously awaiting our return! But there are others who cannot be here today. We must also reflect on the slain men that we could not bring back with us from Covington. They sacrificed their lives for Konin.” Abasi slipped out of Isis’s grip and moved down the docks. His armor clinked as he moved towards the palace. His men followed behind him.

  Isis briefly met eyes with Aharon. He grinned and said, “Thank you for welcoming us home. I’m sure that you’re eager to speak with the Emperor.” His booming voice was low and his tone was biting.

  Isis erected her best mask and took long, graceful steps ahead. She brushed past a couple of Abasi’s men and fell into step behind him. Her eyes shifted toward him and she said, “I’m so happy that you’ve made it home.” Isis kept her mask in place as her voice drifted into the growing voices of the men that surrounded her. With every attempt, her words were lost in the sea of words that spilled from Abasi’s mouth, and the chatter of his men.

  Chapter 2

  Blood red wine splashed against Isis’s goblet. She offered a nod of thanks to the servant that hovered over her with a bottle of wine. The servant smiled in return and made his way to the next seat at the table. Aharon held his glass out towards the servant and directed his attention to Abasi.

  Abasi leaned back in his chair. His fingers were tightly wrapped around the stem of his goblet. He tilted it back and slurped wine into his mouth. A thin, blood-colored line dribbled from his lips and he cackled as he set the goblet onto the table. "I hope that I don't soften up, eating and drinking like this again will leave me sorely underprepared for our next battle!"

  The table erupted into a round of guffaws, some were sincere and some were meant to flatter. Isis flexed her fingers. A couple of droplets of Abasi's wine had made its way onto the cream-colored dress that she wore. It clung to her soft curves and made her long legs go on forever. Raina was so careful in picking this dress for me.

  She knitted her eyebrows together and lifted her hand. Isis placed her hand on top of Abasi’s larger one and said, “We’re happy to have you home, and I think that the rest of the palace would prefer it if you never sailed out to war again.” She smiled here, just like she’d practiced in her head and in the mirror.

  Her hand went flying back towards her chest as Abasi abruptly snatched his hand out from under hers and pointed one of his large, meaty fingers in the direction of a servant. The table’s attention was drawn to a young boy, his dark hair shot out in all directions, and his eyes were wide with fright.

  “Y-yes, Your Majesty?”

  Abasi slurred, "You're doing a fine job, young man. Just be careful not to spill any more of that wine near my generals or you'll be the one sailing off to war next time.” The table chuckled at this and Abasi said, "you could use a little wartime. You could get a little muscle to distract from that baby face."

  The servant's cheeks were bright enough to rival the skin of a ripe tomato. The corners of Isis's lips turned down and she said, "That's enough Abasi. The boy is simply doing his job."

  This earned her a glare from Aharon. Isis met his stare with a wide-eyed glare of her own and Aharon was the first to look away. He rested his eyes on Abasi, who held his drink towards the servant.

  “I need you to refill my cup. This wine is delicious!”

  The servant nodded and scrambled over to the other end of the table. His hands shook as he poured the wine into Abasi’s glass. Abasi’s penetrating gaze landed on the boy’s face and he said, “This is all in jest, you know that, don’t you?”

  A wave of sympa
thy washed over Isis’s body and she said, “The Emperor is excited to be back on his own lands,” she smiled and said, “please don’t take offense.”

  “I would never!” the servant objected. A forced chuckle fell past his lips. “I could never. I’m honored that the Emperor would like to share a joke with me.”

  “Very good, young man. If you keep impressing me tonight, maybe I can get one of the ladies at the table to take you back to her chambers. How would you like that?”

  The servant's jaw dropped in horror and Isis could barely contain her own disgust as Abasi pointed at every other woman at the table. He jerked his finger at a woman with long, dark hair that framed her heart-shaped face.

  Her full lips came together in a smile as Abasi said, “How about her? You could wrap your fingers in her hair and hold on for the ride.”

  Aharon and a couple of Abasi’s men burst into laughter. Isis lowered her eyes to her plate. A whole slice of cheese rested on the plate, right beside a freshly cut piece of lamb’s meat.

  The servant sputtered, “Your Majesty, I-”

  Abasi had already moved on and pointed at a younger woman at the end of the table. Isis assumed that she was the daughter of one of the men here.

  Her eyes widened. She can’t be more than fifteen. On some level, Isis knew that it wasn’t uncommon for a girl to look for a husband around her age, and that might explain her presence at tonight’s dinner. However, Abasi was at least fifteen years her senior, and her Emperor.

  “How about her? Seems petite, like you can toss her around as much as you like. I’d bet that she can take it.” Isis’s hands curled into fists. The girl at the other end of the table lowered her eyes to her plate and pushed her food around.

  The servant shook his head and moved to the other side of the table with the wine. “That’s alright, Your Majesty.”

  Abasi turned up his nose and said, “Maybe he already has a woman waiting for him in his quarters.” He turned to Aharon and said, “How lovely would that be? A woman already on her back with her legs spread? I’m the Emperor and I don’t receive that kind of treatment.”