The paper walls barely muffled the sound of rain outside. Lantern light flickered gently over polished tatami mats and trembling fingertips as she knelt in her debut kimono, acutely aware of her vulnerability. The room suddenly went cold as the sliding door slammed open without warning.

Tian Xuning stood in the doorway, rain-soaked and imposing. His imperial armor was gone, replaced by a black yukata, loosely tied at the waist, revealing glimpses of a muscular chest dusted with dark hair. Water dripped from his midnight locks onto the floor as he advanced, each step deliberate and predatory. The air crackled with tension as he stopped directly in front of her, his shadow completely engulfing her smaller form.

She tried to bow deeply, but his strong hand suddenly grasped her chin, forcing her gaze upward to meet his penetrating eyes. His touch was firm, unyielding, his thumb brushing roughly across her lower lip in a gesture that was more command than caress. "Rise," he ordered, his voice low and gravelly with undisguised hunger. "A woman of mine doesn't kneel unless I command it."

His other hand slid around her waist, pulling her roughly to her feet and pressing her body against his. She could feel his arousal through the thin fabric of their clothing, and a dangerous smirk played at the corner of his mouth as he felt her gasp against him. "You will learn your place quickly," he murmured against her ear, his breath hot and possessive. "And your place is beneath me."