The Thorn Below the Claw

“You are my only disciple.” Simply because she was a princess of Aousis, Ana Rosa was sold into a political marriage at the age of 12 to the old emperor of the rival empire. Though everyone pitied her, neither her mother nor anyone else came to her rescue. Seeing Ana Rosa trembling but standing firm against the emperor’s imposing presence, the emperor decided to raise her not as a wife, but as his only disciple. Their relationship was more like that of a master and disciple than a married couple, more affectionate than even blood-related parent and child. Knowing the end would come someday, Ana Rosa had been avoiding the inevitable, but the emperor’s death loomed closer, spurred by the ...