Rose Banquet [Western Fantasy]

"Valeska, god of rebellion; Amaimon, god of famine; Azrael, god of plague." The pope bent forward on his throne, his compassionate gaze settling on the crown of her head. "They are utterly wicked, and the people have suffered enough from the poison spread by those three brothers." "Cecilia Lopez, sow discord between them. Only a god can kill a god. Make them pay for what they have done." Cecilia had no intention of listening to his sermon. She wanted to escape the Church's control. After weighing her options, and being rejected when she confessed to the god of famine, Cecilia decided that he was the most gentlemanly and tender of the three. She would get him to help her escape. On the night she eloped with the god of famine, Cecilia rose onto her toes and leaned toward the corner of Amaimon's lips. "Amaimon, I like you." Amaimon held her down and said calmly, "I won't kiss you before we're engaged." Oh, what a gentleman! Cecilia was thrilled inside, but lowered her head with a disappointed look. But just as they reached the carriage side by side, Cecilia felt a powerful hand lift her by the waist. Amaimon's restrained voice and heavy breathing pounded against her eardrums. "To hell with getting engaged." As they kissed passionately, Cecilia made a disheveled escape. The palace gates opened before her, and the god of rebellion grabbed her by the throat, snarling, "Have you fallen for my brother?" Cecilia fled in a panic, wrenched herself free, and dashed up the stairs. She ran into her bedroom, only to find the god of plague rising from her bed. "You can't flirt with a god and then run away without paying the price, sweetheart." Reader's guide: Not a collection of short stories. One-on-one romance. The heroine is a gorgeous, flirtatious little minx who keeps the men in her orbit. [Preorder: Historical Romance] A Stranger to Her Husband Gu Yingying, the most beautiful woman in Chang'an, has been married to Yang Hui for four years. She has poor eyesight, yet tirelessly manages his household. When he leaves the capital to take up an official post, he abandons her and heads south to Jiangnan with several favored concubines. At the end of the year, Yang Hui leaves her in the care of his friend Zhang Yunjin. Gu Yingying cannot see clearly and stumbles over the threshold. Before Yang Hui has gone far, Zhang Yunjin takes her hand and smiles. "Careful, madam." Yingying tries to pull her hand away, but Zhang Yunjin's grip is like an iron clamp. She looks up and meets his gaze for a moment. A chill runs through her entire body. Zhang Yunjin, the powerful chancellor of the court, is known for keeping his distance from women and for his upright, incorruptible character. It is only after entering his household that Gu Yingying discovers how depraved, extravagant, and immoral his life really is. He is unfathomably cunning, seasoned and calculating. Using both force and persuasion, threats and inducements, he finally forces her into his bed. Zhang Yunjin is a wolf in sheep's clothing. He wants not only to keep the beauty in his arms, but also to make sure Yang Hui dies without a burial place. So he gives Yingying his family's treasured seal of authority, promises her the title of an appointed noblewoman, and sets a wedding date with her. Then he sends her back to Yang Hui to spy on him. When Yingying arrives in Jiangnan, she learns that an imperial inspector will soon be coming to investigate. This is her only chance to escape Yang Hui and Zhang Yunjin. Summoning her courage, she goes to the inspector's residence in the middle of the night. Wearing only a plain hairpin, she pushes open his door and kneels before him, trembling. "My husband is impotent, and the chancellor has defiled me. If you can save me from this misery, I am willing to do anything for you..." Gu Yingying doesn't know that the imperial inspector is Zhang Yunjin himself, traveling south in disguise to surprise his future bride. Theme: Love must be sincere.