## The Emperor [Verse 1 - Male Vocals] I built these walls to keep you safe, Held back the storm, I bore the weight. I see the dangers you can’t defend, So trust my hand until the end. [Verse 2 - Female Vocals] You call it love, but it feels like chains, A cage of silence, a house of pain. I don’t need saving, I don’t need control, You’re breaking my body, you’re stealing my soul. [Pre-Chorus - Male Vocals] I know what’s best, I guard what’s mine. [Pre-Chorus - Female Vocals, overlapping] You can’t decide the course of my life. [Chorus - Both] The Emperor stands, unshaken, supreme, The Empress cries for the life she’s dreamed. You call it duty, I call it pain, The Emperor falls, the Empress remains. [Verse 3 - Male Vocals] I held the scepter, I drew the line, I swore to protect what should be mine. Your fire’s too wild, your chaos too near, So I’ll hold you close, I’ll silence the fear. [Verse 4 - Female Vocals] You think you’re wise, but you’re blind to me, The cost of your kingdom is you’ll never see. Every night you wake to an empty bed, Echoes of the vows and the words we said. [Pre-Chorus - Male Vocals] I rule with strength, I rule with love. [Pre-Chorus - Female Vocals, overlapping] You rule with chains that will never be enough. [Chorus - Both] The Emperor stands, unshaken, supreme, The Empress cries for the life she’s dreamed. You call it order, I call it pain, The Emperor falls, the Empress remains. [Bridge - Female Vocals (soaring)] Your tower will crumble, your crown will fade, No fortress can hold the love you betrayed. [Male Vocals, underneath, echoing] I only tried to shield, I only tried to save… [Final Chorus - Both, intertwining] The Emperor stands, but the Empress reigns, Through fire, through loss, through broken chains. You built a fortress, but love won’t stay— The Emperor falls… (The Empress walks away).
