Father announced to the court that I’d officially returned to the Imperial Palace and the council was not happy about that so I had my men visit each and every one of their homes to show that I’m someone they should be wary of.

Obviously now, this gets spread throughout the empire and soon many are sending me gifts but I refuse them all, not out of disrespect but because I’m not officially their princess yet, I ask everyone to please be patient until my coronation and then I’ll meet them all officially.

My siblings and their mothers have been restless this past two weeks because I refused to see them and only allowed Xian Le and Ling Tian to see me, with my father’s permission of course.

Currently, I’m in Xieye paying my respects to my Godfather.

Godfather looks at me angrily with tears in his eyes. Sighing he rubs the bridge of his nose, “Ye Rucheng!”

Lowering my head I answer, “Yes, Godfather.”

He sighs again, “YuMi, do you know how long you’ve been gone?”

“It’s been eleven years, Godfather,” I answer timidly.

He slams his fist on the armrest, “Answer me, why did you leave?”

Raising my head I looked him in the eyes, “Godfather, I hated my life here in Xieye, I’ve always hated it! I lost my best friend and I was pitied. I was bullied for being fatherless, I hated it and I hated everyone who ever said anything against me. I knew deep down in my heart that I did not belong here but I stayed because I had you. I had my mother. My grandparents and Yu Sheng, that’s the only reason why. That day at An Cheng’s Banquet, I knew that the princesses planned something for me and I took it. I’ve been planning years in advance on leave and the two princesses gave me the perfect opportunity to leave so please Godfather, don’t blame the princesses… although they schemed against me, they weren’t the reason why I left.

Originally I wanted to head straight for Jilei to see what the empire was like but then I remembered that I didn’t visit the Naiad empire so that is where I went. I was supposed to meet up with Yu Sheng at a check point but I never because I started enjoying my life in Naiad… I met many people there and by the time I realized it five years had gone by and that’s when Yu Sheng and I met up again. After I met with Yu Sheng I was reminded of the life that was taken from me so I decided to return to Jilei… on my way, I’ve met more people that delayed my plans but I don’t regret it.”

Sighing I looked at my Godfather, the generals, my grandparents, parents, Yu Sheng, An Cheng and his sisters, “It’s not that I hated any of you it’s just that I’m not someone who just stays in one place and accepts what is given to me. I like to fight. I prefer sleeping on stones than in a comfortable bed. I enjoy the outdoors, not staying inside and pretending my shit doesn’t stink. I’m not perfect and I like that about myself. I’m a deadly person although I don’t look like it. I’ve fought with mountain tigers and I’ve had swords at my throat and still, I’d prefer that lifestyle over living a comfortable life. I go looking for danger because that is what I like.”

Sighing I suck my bottom lip into my mouth, “I returned to Jilei and fell in love with my brothers; yes I wanted to make the Wang royals know that I was alive and make them suffer but I changed my mind and plotted with fake poison and I was ready to have an all-out battle with them at my execution just to scare them just because I felt like it – being accepted as their princess is not something I want but my plans changed after hearing the Emperors words.”

Turning to look at my mother I say, “I know you want nothing to do with Jilei mamma but you have to know that you and I are two different people and I won’t always be your baby girl, I’m a grown woman and I have been for years… you should have learnt this when I walked out on you eleven years ago, for disappointing you and the expectations you had for me, I am truly sorry that I can’t please you… I am my own person and I’ve known that since I stopped mourning for Gaowan. I love you yes but not as much as you love me and that is why I can’t understand what you experienced have believed that you lost me and I wouldn’t have left you if I didn’t believe that pappa could take care of you, so please can you just live your life happily and be with your husband. You don’t have to come visit me in Jilei but just so you know – I will be coronated as their princess and I will be their Empress in the future.”

Bowing my head, I look at Yu Sheng and he smiles. He bows his head at everyone and we leave. Before exiting the court I stop, turning to look at them I give them a bone-chilling smile, “No one besides me can set my fate and if whoever the poor soul is that tries to change my fate, he’ll lose his life.”

Helping me onto my horse, I look down at him; he smiles at me from ear to ear and whispers words that only he and I can hear, “I love you.”

Beaming down at my husband I nod, “You better!”

He laughs and jumps up on his horse, turning to look at me, “So where to next?”

Shrugging I look forward, “Jilei is two days away, lets head out. Tell the soldiers to leave after us and send one ahead to notify Emperor Wang that we’ll arrive three days later; you and I can leave now… let's surprise them.”

He nods slowly, “So you and I are taking the long way back?”

Raising a brow at him I smile, “Well I can’t make you wait now can I?” Yu Sheng sucks in a deep breath and looks away. The two of us head out after waving our parents off and blowing air kisses. I look back and see the tears in my mother’s eyes – I’d prefer that she’d stand by my side but it's okay if she doesn’t, I have my husband, daughter and son, not to mention, the little one on the way.”

*

We arrived at the Imperial Palace exhausted after the activity we performed in the woods. We rushed to my palace and dismissed all the servants after ordering a bath. Yu Sheng sat behind me and we relaxed for a while before I had to meet with my siblings, the noble wives, empress and my father officially.

Letting him dress me in the royal blue attire, he looks down at me lovingly, tilting his head to the side and squinting his eyes at me, he smiles and leans down to give me a kiss, “Rucheng, please behave and don’t act like the fool you are in front of them… remember you represent your husband and they’ll think I’m not fit for you since you behave like a fool.”

My eyes widen at his shameless comment. About to say something but he invades my mouth with his tongue. Pushing him away I cross my arms before my chest, “After that mean comment you still want something from me?”

He laughs and rolls his eyes, bowing he says, “Princess, I’ll be at the training grounds if you need me.” Waving him away I nod and look at the servant waiting outside, “Where’s lunch being held?”

She bows, “Answering to Her Highness, lunch is being held at the main palace’s garden.” Nodding my head, I motion for her to lead the way. She leads me through the many passages and courtyards to the inner palace and I can smell the food scent wafting in the air.

We arrive garden but its shield off by a screen. The servant bows ready to announce my arrival but before she can, I raise my foot and kick the screen-like door open. She looks at me shocked as the door falls to the ground and so does everyone else.

I smile at the servant and shoo her away and walk-in. the door is quickly picked up by two eunuchs. I walk down the path leading to the pavilion where everyone is seated around a table.

It’s a beautiful garden that has a pond around the pavilion with koi fish and angle fish in it. Stopping in front of everyone I smile, “Am I late?” I ask them even though I know I am late.

My father sits in the middle, while the empress sits beside him on the right. Xian Rong beside his mother and the rest of the siblings following suit. On the left of the emperor sits his wives from the first to the fourth and they’re all looking at me nervously.

I take my seat across the emperor since it’s the only seat open, with Ling Tian on my left and You Ming on my right. It’s quiet for a moment before Ling Tian speaks up, “Sister YuMi, I’ve already introduced you to the princes’ and princesses’… so, let me introduce you to our mothers,” I nod as he clears his throat.

I can see that he and everyone here is on edge having me here so I smile at him while raising a brow. He swallows and starts, “Next to our father is our mother and Empress Lanhua. Next to our father is our mother first noble wife Hana, next to our first mother we have our second mother noble wife Kaihua… third noble wife Dal and fourth noble wife Byeol,” he finally finishes.

Bowing my head slightly I say, “It’s an honour meeting you all, Emperor Wang truly has the most beautiful women in his palace.”

They look almost embarrassed hearing my compliment. “Princess Rucheng, you’re more beautiful than us older woman… but that is to be expected, Ni Xing is a beautiful woman herself so her daughter’s beauty is exceptional too, right sisters?” Second noble wife Kaihua says while looking between her sisters and myself.

Smiling I answer, “Thank you for the compliment. I may be beautiful but my mother will always outshine myself and anyone who stands beside her and we shouldn’t forget the handsome princes’ and beautiful princesses seated with us.” The two of us chuckle while the rest smile awkwardly.

The servants come in with the first out of five courses… a salad. Looking down at the herbs in my bowl I raise it to my lips with a heavy heart. I’m not one for eating food that someone else makes but I guess I have no choice since I was ordered to behave.

Between the silence, a throat clears. Looking to my right I see its Ling Xiao. She’s looking at me while everyone is looking at her. I raise a brow at her and she blushes. “Uh… sister… Yue Mian, you’re from Xieye, right? Is it possible for you to tell us what it's like living there?” she asks me timidly.

I nod but wait for the servants to set the second course down – soup. Once they leave I take a sip of my tea; “I don’t mind but be specific,” I say as the attention of everyone turns to me.

“What about your childhood?” First noble wife says making me raise a brow. “Or you don’t have to if you prefer not to,” she interjects.

Smiling I nod, “I don’t mind it's just that so much shit happened so I don’t know where to start.” I say making Xian Le choke on his soup. Raising a brow at him he waves me off and You Ming whispers, “Language,” making me smile.

“Well then let’s start at the beginning. My mother was originally best friends with Emperor An and since his father and my grandfather were army buddies and they saw that their children were getting along, they decided to wed them. But as much as Emperor An loved my mother, my mother only saw him as a brother and she refused to marry him… Emperor An understood my mother’s feelings so he helped her escape the marriage on the night before their wedding. She came to Jilei and helped the elders of Jilei so that she could receive silver to survive on without having to register because she was still being hunted down by the previous emperor.

Then after a year of working one of the aunties who she worked for informed her of the servants being accepted by the palace to work and she got in… she worked for a few years and met the crown prince who fell in love with her and then they had me. After she returned home to Xieye, my grandfather named me and raised me along with my grandmother, mother and uncles but mostly I was raised by my grandfather in the army. Do you all know of the yearly tournament held in Xieye?” I ask and they nod.

“Well according to Godfather. The following year after we returned home I rejected An Cheng’s marriage proposal as a baby.”

“Really?” asked Xian Le. Nodding my head, “Mn… Well more like he grew curious about the baby in his father’s arms and after Godfather asked him if I was beautiful he said yes. The proposal was also indirectly rejected by my grandfather because he didn’t want to force marriage on me because he was afraid that history would repeat itself being me running away from the marriage as my mother did.

Godfather understood my grandfather’s standpoint but An Cheng refused to accept it and we’ve been engaged until I was twelve. Godfather revoked the title after my grandfather told him that I am Emperor Wang’s child and gave me the title of Goddaughter.”

Sighing I sipped on the tea continuing, “An Cheng and I had a falling out after I lost my dog at the age of five… we, my pet and I went fishing one day after my martial arts training. After we caught the biggest fish I’ve ever seen, I packed up and we were on our way back to the base camp when Gaowan suddenly started barking. I turned around to look at what it was and it was an adult mountain tiger.

It tried getting me but Gaowan fought him off. It was my first time seeing such a bloody battle and I was so scared; I can’t remember how it ended but all I know is that he was lying on the ground looking at me and the mountain tiger walked off bleeding. I cried so hard when his eyes rolled into the back of his head. I watched the last breath leave the body of my best friend and I couldn’t handle it. My mind went blank and fell asleep.

I woke up later with flies and crows around me eating his insides. When I realized what had happened to him, hatred grew in my heart. I took my clothes off pushed his organs back into his body and wrapped his body in my clothes so they wouldn’t fall out. I carried him on my back to the army base and when I felt that I could no longer carry him I heard my name being called. When I looked up the one who caught my falling body was my pappa… he along with my mother, grandfather, uncles and the rest of the army came looking for me.

I mourned for a whole week and then I became dead inside. I had a falling out with the noble children and An Cheng. I started resenting everyone and everything… as we grew older we grew apart and I was being teased by the nobles and other royals being called a bastard, a nobody and a fatherless bastard too… I would beat them up and grandfather and Godfather would yell at me and it was a never-ending story. I hated An Cheng because he let everyone bully me and he hated me because I didn’t love him.

An Cheng stopped speaking to his parents after they told him I was no longer going to be his wife and he and I ended up having a very long and troubling conversation about it because I also did not know why I was no longer going to be the crown princess but he didn’t give up and we became close again afterwords but before our falling out my mother told me about who my father is and why we weren’t together.

Did I mention that his sisters hate me?” I ask with a frown.

I look at everyone and they all have this uncomfortable look on their faces. Xian Le is muffling his cry while looking at me and noble wives Kaihua and Hana have tears in their eyes.

“No, you did not mention that,” says Lanshan. I clear my throat and nod, “Well they do or they did, its mostly because their father spoilt me more than them… I tried telling them before that I didn’t really enjoy being spoilt but they didn’t believe me… my mother also asked Godfather to stop but he said he can’t. he said to her that he cant help but spend time with me and saw me as his own child, whereas my grandfather thinks its because he wishes that I was the child between him and my mother but whatever… I didn’t want to get married so I hid the fact that I was a woman from them…

I became one at the age of twelve and Yu Sheng helped me hid it and so we’ve been working on a way to get me out of Xieye and it was all thanks to the princesses plotting a scheme against me when it was the coming of age banquet… I left or well ran away and lived in Naiad where I met many people and made many friends I am also the founder of the dragon moon assassination guild…”

“YOU WHAT!” yells the empress as she stands up. I look up at her and smile, “Must I repeat myself?”

“Rucheng, this isn’t a topic which you can just randomly claim,” says the Xian Rong who finally decided to speak.

I smile as I gaze into his eyes, “What makes you think I’m lying?”

“Rucheng, it's impossible for you to be the founder, I’ve spoken to him myself,” he says and I shake my head. “When you requested an appearance I refused because I already knew who you were. Originally I wanted Yu Sheng to meet up with you with a mask on but he said it was too risky so I had one of our subordinates pretend to be the founder while Yu Sheng and stood beside him wearing our masks… if you don’t believe me then we can discuss your request,” I say shrugging.

Turning to our father I say, “I told you before that I’m not someone that anyone can just mess with. You already experienced it yourself, Yu Sheng had his sword at your throat and ‘your’ executioner was my warrior that has been working for you for how long?”

Smirking I continue, “I’m a very influential person and almost no one knows who I am at the same time… Master of the trading alliance is another title I own not to mention the many whore houses I get my information from… you all wanted to know what my life is like but that’s something that you’ll regret finding out eventually.”

Xian Rong stands up and looks at me, “You and I need to speak in private, follow me and let me emphasize the importance of these words said by our sister, this doesn’t leave here do you understand me?” he says looking at our siblings, mothers, and especially the servants who immediately bow their heads shivering. He turns to look at his mother and glares at her, “Do YOU understand?”

I raise a brow when I see the terrified look in his mother’s eyes while she nods at him. He walks away and I follow him waving back at Xian Le who looks worried.

Following behind him we arrive at his palace and he dismisses his servants and guards. Closing the door behind us he leads me to his bed and moves a shelf. Lifting the Persian carpet off the floor I see a trap door and my eyes immediately sparkle.

Following behind him we walk down a passage lit dimly and enter a door which he closes behind us. Walking to a table and chair after lighting candles he sits down and looks at me.

Holding his hand out to sit on the chair opposite him he smiles at me. I sit down with my hand holding my chin while leaning against the table.

“I seem to have underestimated you, Rucheng,” he says in a calm voice. I look at my brother with a raised brow and smile.

“But, you shouldn’t underestimate me,” he says sparking my interest. I nod saying, “Crown Prince Xian Rong, I’ve never underestimated you. I know perfectly well what you are capable of.”

He nods his head while tapping his finger against the table. “Our father has told me your plans but I can’t say I am all too happy hearing about it.”

Tilting my head to the side I nod, “That’s not surprising, I didn’t expect you to agree to any of my suggestions.”

He nods and looks at me with no emotion on his face. After a moment of silence he asks, “Why would I allow my wife to have another man?”

Stunned. That’s all I can say, “What do you mean?” I ask him, trying to figure him out.

“What I mean is, why would I let the one who I looked forward to marrying my whole life, marry someone else?” he says making my heart beat fast.

After a moment of silence, I ask, “That be as it may, have you never considered the chance of me already having another man? Or me, never making it this far?”

He frowns slightly, “I have but even if you’ve had another, I’ll still make you mine… and if you never made it here, that is fine too, you would have still been my Empress in death.”

“You’re willing to go that far?” I ask. He nods making me speechless. He continues, “I’ll let you marry whoever you want but don’t think, I won’t have you every night.”

Oh wow, another fucked up man!