Heavenly Tyrant (Iron Widow, #2)

by Xiran Jay Zhao

He glances in disgust at the outline of my bound feet beneath the covers. “Look at you, made physically useless for the sake of vanity.” A sourness prickles like acid beneath my skin. “It wasn’t my decision,” I say, though I don’t know why I’m defending myself. I shouldn’t have to. “It better not have been. I cannot stand women content to be nothing but a pretty face and a birthing vessel. Once you recover from the surgery, I expect you to do your fair share of labor.” I’m about to argue most women don’t get a choice, but something else sticks out in what he said. “Surgery? What surgery?” “I had your foot situation reversed.” He twirls a finger above my covers. “The best that the top orthopedic surgeon of this era could do, anyhow. The bones realigned, the flesh reattached, implants used where necessary.” I hurl my covers off my legs. I thought my feet felt weird because whoever clothed me messed up the binding technique, but my feet are, in fact, noticeably longer and wrapped in medical bandages.