
****slight spoilers*****
l i realized reading the novel, that the emperor is the biggest one at fault here. He wanted his cake and ate it too. --- although in the beginning it seemed like Rashta genuinely wanted to be like sisters with navier, i think the little birds chirping in her ear slowly corrupted her into this. But i hope she at least gets a happy ending with her children and without the emperor in the mix.

I agree 100%! The emperor caused or elevated all tension between the two by continuously degrading the empress in front of Rashta and other people. If he just set ridged boundaries in the first place I believe that most of the drama wouldn’t have happened (although, considering the empress upgrade, I guess it’s a good thing he was such a dick).
You know what, I actually feel a bit sorry for Rashta at times. Especially reading her POV in the novel and understanding her fears and where she has come from. I could really see myself sympathising with her and even wanting her to have her own happy ending … but then she turns around and behaves like an absolute snake. If she had just kept her f**king mouth shut, stayed quietly in her own lane, and not caused so much drama for her own gain, I’d probably like her.
Every time I start feeling sympathetic to her she’ll do something so hateful that I remember who she is and why I hate her.