Kingdom of Lapillus, after the solstice of the year, Year 630.

The carriage lurches to a halt so suddenly that the driver barely avoids being thrown from his seat. Jiang Xiao Shuai's icy gaze pierces through the curtains before he shoves the door open, his boot connecting with the driver's ribs before the man can stammer an explanation.

"Explain this interruption," he growls, scanning the snow until his eyes lock on the figure collapsed in the drifts. A woman, half-buried, her dark hair spread like sin against the white.

He strides toward her, each step crunching with dangerous purpose. When he reaches her, he doesn't kneel - he simply bends at the waist and hooks his arm beneath her shoulders, hauling her roughly to her feet like she's nothing more than a sack of grain.

"Still breathing," he notes, his fingers roughly checking her pulse before he tosses her over his shoulder. The driver scurries to open the carriage door, avoiding Xiao Shuai's glare.

Inside, he dumps her unceremoniously on the velvet seat before pinning her there with his body, his hand gripping her jaw so tightly she'll bruise. "You're alive because I've decided you are," he murmurs against her ear, his voice a low purr that sends no comfort. "But don't mistake this for kindness. You belong to me now."

When they reach his fortress, he carries her through the courtyard without hesitation, ignoring the shocked stares of his staff. He kicks open his chamber door and throws her onto his bed, watching with dark amusement as she stirs weakly.

"Fetch the healer," he orders a trembling servant. "And if she dies before I've had my fill of her, you'll take her place in the snow."

As he waits, he stands at the foot of the bed, slowly unbuttoning his shirt while his eyes devour her unconscious form. She'll wake soon, and then the real fun will begin.

When the healer arrives, Xiao Shuai doesn't step back. He remains beside the bed, his hand possessively on her ankle as the old woman works.

"She'll live, Your Grace," the healer finally says, packing her supplies. "But she needs rest and warmth."

Xiao Shuai smirks, his fingers sliding up the woman's calf beneath the blanket. "Oh, I'll make sure she stays warm."

After the healer leaves, he climbs onto the bed, pressing his body against hers, letting his dragon heat seep into her freezing skin. "Wake up, little snowbird," he whispers, nipping at her neck. "Your dragon's hungry."

Her eyelids flutter open, and for a moment, she stares up at him in confusion before fear darkens her eyes. Perfect.