** THE PRINCESS BENEATH THE VEIL **
"Have you heard? The new consort is a princess from Lian," another girl whispered excitedly, and for a second, the air caught painfully in my throat.
My head snapped toward them instantly. "Wait…" I said, staring at their faces in confusion. "The Princess of Lian is still arriving tonight?"
The girls exchanged irritated looks. "What nonsense is she saying now?" one muttered under her breath before dismissing me completely.
They quickly returned to their gossip as though I hadn't spoken at all.
"I heard she's incredibly beautiful," another girl sighed dreamily.
Another girl scoffed softly. "Beautiful or not, what's the use? Women sent into this palace never end well."
"Shh! Lower your voice!"
"What? Everyone knows His Majesty doesn't even treat women well."
"That's just a rumor."
"A rumor?" the girl snorted. "Then explain why none of the women sent to him ever stay favored for long."
One of the girls leaned closer, lowering her voice dramatically. "I heard the imperial shaman personally chose this consort because of some prophecy."
"A prophecy?"
"Yes. She's supposedly destined to bear the emperor's heir."
At those words, my entire body stiffened beneath their hands. Xiu Mei!
A strange uneasiness twisted painfully inside my chest. Is she really alive? Is she really coming? I questioned silently in my head, but couldn't find any answer to it.
I lowered my eyes silently as the girls continued gossiping around me. Maybe I should go to the ceremony and see for myself if Xiu Mei is really not dead.
........
The ceremony began at dusk at the Xuan Imperial Hall.
Rows of palace elders and noble officials sat quietly on both sides of the grand hall, their embroidered robes sweeping across the polished black floors. Incense curled through the air while musicians played soft ceremonial melodies from the corners.
At the highest seat sat the Emperor of Xuan.
His expression remained unreadable, one hand resting lazily against the arm of his throne. Beside him sat the Empress, elegant and composed in deep crimson robes, though the coldness in her eyes betrayed her true feelings toward tonight's occasion.
Behind them stood the Imperial Shaman, dressed in flowing white robes, prayer beads hanging loosely from her wrist as she observed the ceremony in silence.
To the emperor's right sat Prince Liang, the emperor's younger brother and the highest-ranking royal beneath the throne itself. And beside him lounged his only son, Liang Wei.
Unlike the stiff elders around him, Liang Wei looked entirely uninterested in the ceremony. Several women surrounded him, laughing softly over nothing while he entertained them lazily with a wine cup dangling between his fingers.
Liang Wei was popularly known as the Crown Prince of Xuan. If the emperor failed to produce an heir, Liang Wei would become the next man closest to the throne.
Standing silently behind him in dark military robes was Zhao Ren.
The moment I spotted him among the royal guards, my heart skipped uneasily.
"He works for the palace?"
Before I could think further, drums suddenly echoed through the hall. The music shifted.
"The new consort has arrived!"
Everyone turned toward the palace entrance at once. A lavish carriage stopped before the grand staircase outside the hall while servants hurried forward respectfully.
Then slowly, the bride stepped out.
My breath caught instantly. Even beneath the heavy red bridal veil, I recognized the embroidered phoenix robes immediately.
Xiu Mei. My fingers tightened unconsciously. She's alive?
A strange wave of relief crashed over me so suddenly that I nearly forgot where I was standing.
I hadn't really seen her die. Back at Black Peak, my vision had already blurred from blood loss before the fighting ended. I had only heard swords clashing before everything went dark. Maybe… just maybe she truly survived.
The palace attendants guided her carefully into the hall while the elders welcomed her formally into the Xuan royal family.
Then she was led to her seat beneath the high platform, still hidden beneath the bridal veil.
"Prepare the dancers," one servant whispered sharply behind us, and then the music changed again.
One by one, the dancers stepped into the center of the hall. I lowered my gaze and followed them, moving carefully despite the lingering pain in my stomach.
At first, I tried not to attract attention, but my eyes kept drifting back toward the veiled bride seated above.
Is she really Xiu Mei? Is she truly alright? I thought. Then another thought followed. What if she's not Xiu Mei?
Without realizing it, my feet carried me farther ahead than the others. There was only one way to know. I had to get closer to her.
The moment the rhythm shifted, my instinct took over. Back in Lian, I was best known for my dancing skills.
My sleeves spun through the air as I moved gracefully across the polished floor, each step flowing naturally into the next. The music seemed to follow my body rather than the other way around.
The other dancers slowly faded behind me. I danced toward the high platform almost unconsciously, unable to take my eyes off the veiled figure seated there.
Soft murmurs spread through the hall immediately. "She's incredible…" "That dancer…" Even the palace musicians seemed briefly stunned.
Liang Wei straightened in his seat, his playful expression disappearing completely as his eyes locked onto me. He couldn't look away. Neither could the emperor. Both gazes followed every movement I made.
I was almost close enough to reach the bride when suddenly, the music stopped.
Realizing myself, I froze instantly. My heart skipped. I had stepped too far ahead.
For one dangerous second, silence filled the hall, and then applause erupted around me.
The nobles praised the performance while the other dancers quickly bowed and began retreating from the center floor. I lowered my head immediately and followed them out, forcing myself not to look back again.
But before leaving completely, I caught movement from the high platform.
The emperor leaned slightly toward one of the guards standing nearby and spoke quietly. "Send that dancer to my chambers tonight."
Liang Wei lazily swirled the wine in his cup without taking his eyes off me. "I want her brought to the Moon Pavilion," he said calmly to Zhao Ren behind him. "No one else touches her before I arrive."