Liu Qian's figure vanished into the shadows of the corridor.
Without stopping, he headed straight for a room at the other end of the castle.
It was a guest room slightly smaller than Sansa's, but just as comfortably furnished.
A faint fragrance of incense hung in the air.
Roslin Frey sat in a high-backed chair by the window, nervously twisting the expensive lace on her skirt with both hands.
She wore a pale purple silk gown that set off her slender figure and her lovely young face.
But now, that face, which should have been radiant with newlywed joy, held only profound fear.
Her eyes swept uneasily over the room's unfamiliar furnishings-the heavy tapestries, the carved wooden cabinets, the cold stone walls. Every object reminded her that she was far from home, her fate uncertain.
Ever since that mysterious person had taken her from the Twins and brought her on a jolting journey to this distant eastern castle, her heart had been in her throat.
Lord Edmure... what had happened to him?
What would that terrifying Eastern King... do with her?
The door opened soundlessly.
Roslin sprang up like a startled rabbit.
She saw that tall figure walk in, his face so handsome it seemed almost unreal, but his black eyes, as deep as icy pools, filled her with a sense of his authority.
From the mysterious person, she had learned that this was the domain of the renowned Eastern King.
"Y-Your Majesty!"
Roslin hastily curtsied, not even daring to look up at him, her gaze fixed firmly on the carpet beneath her feet.
Liu Qian did not answer immediately. Instead, he rested his gaze on Roslin and looked her over several times.
Only after a long while did Liu Qian say, "My lady, there is no need for such