The Viper's Winter

It begins on an ordinary morning: I am steeping my spiced tea when I find a poisoned glass dagger embedded in my floorboards, wrapped in a missive bearing Laleh Moradi's wax seal. Quietly ruthless, I vow to destroy her for the assassination attempt. I know she is a pariah, isolated and feared. So, I do not attack with steel; I infiltrate her lonely life as a sympathetic, listening friend. For three years, I endure her quiet companionship, convincing myself this is merely a political mission of vengeance, devoid of any foolish romance. I dismantle her faction from the shadows. Finally, the trap springs: I publicly strip away her ancestral titles and announce my marriage to Roxana, her most vicious rival. Laleh is cast out into the freezing wastes in absolute disgrace. But as the dust settles, my double agent delivers a hidden diary - penned in my own handwriting. My past self orchestrated the assassination and wiped my memories, knowing my flawless, heartless betrayal was the only way to strip Laleh of the rank that would have doomed her in the Emperor's impending purge. Shattered by my own success, I abandon my bride. Now, I must kneel in the unforgiving snow outside Laleh's exiled cabin for days, begging for an audience. Will she ever forgive the man who broke her life to save it?