The Bone-Breaking Key Hairpin

On the day I was to be buried alive as a sacrifice, the tyrant bestowed me upon his disabled imperial uncle. Later, he stormed the palace gates, donned the imperial robes, then knelt before everyone to massage my legs. “Empress, I’ll repay you for the pain of having your bones broken with the whole realm.”

And the key to the former dynasty’s treasure is branded into my spine.