The Empress's Twelfth Hour

Synopsis

In the industrializing empire of Sao-Lan, succession is decided by the Twelve Hours: one night, twelve courtiers, twelve questions, and no movement from the throne until dawn. Wei Qun has survived six years as Princess Lu Min's decoy, trained to imitate her voice, tears, handwriting, and childhood scars. She is told the real princess will replace her before the seventh hour, when the Hand-of-Verification reads the heir's palm. Two hours into the vigil, Wei Qun realizes Lu Min is dead, the swap will never come, and one wrong answer will expose her as an impostor. Trapped in a sealed throne hall with the empire watching through ritual screens, Wei Qun must answer as a princess, think as a detective, and become more dangerous than the conspiracy that meant to kill her.

Chapters

Comments