Olivia stood before the towering, gilded doors of the Emperor's private study, her fingertips tracing the intricate filigree of the imperial crest. For a few long, breathless moments, she merely stared at the carved wood, quietly donning her armor of cold resolve. A guard stepped forward, offering a profound bow before slipping inside to announce her presence. A moment later, the heavy doors parted, and she stepped into the ambient warmth of the chamber.
"Greetings, Your Majesty," she said, her voice steady and deliberate as she executed a flawlessly polite, measured curtsey.
"Do not bow, Olivia," the Emperor interrupted, his voice uncharacteristically soft. He rose immediately from the sofa, gesturing toward it. "Come, sit beside me."
