CHAPTER 2: THE WEDDING DAY
1477 Words
The city feels too bright today, like even the air is pretending nothing can go wrong...
Nanshi is alive in a way I haven’t seen in a long time.
Red banners stretch across every street I can see from the palace windows. Flower petals drift down slowly, sticking to rooftops, to hair, to armor. Music carries through the city, soft and constant, like it doesn’t plan to stop. Children run through crowds without fear of being pulled back or warned. People smile at strangers like it is normal.
They are smiling for me.
My wedding day.
Inside the palace, everything is moving too fast. Servants rush through halls carrying trays, fabrics, gifts, and things I don’t even recognize anymore.
“Careful with that!” someone shouts.
“The wine goes to the west hall!” another voice follows.
“Who moved the flower arrangements?”
No one really has time to answer anything. Everything is already decided, but still being adjusted like it isn’t.
General Ron is standing near the entrance. Arms crossed. Face stiff.
His eyes are red.
Minister Zhao looks at him and sighs.
“Why are you crying again, General Ron?”
Ron wipes his face quickly.
“Our king is getting married.”
“You’ve said that thirty times,” Zhao replies.
Ron doesn’t care.
“He used to hide behind trees during sword training,” he says, like he’s remembering something far away.
“He still does,” Mizuno answers from the side without looking up.
That makes Ron laugh through his tears.
Ravel speaks after a moment.
“Today, nobody is allowed to ruin his happiness.”
Nobody argues with that. Not even Zhao.
Even the ministers who usually complain just stay quiet and watch the palace move like it is breathing.
For once, it feels like everyone agrees on something.
…
Before everything begins, I stand in front of a mirror.
The robes are heavier than I expected. Not heavy like armor. Heavy in a different way. Like they are reminding me that I cannot move freely anymore.
I adjust my sleeves and look at myself again.
“Do… people breathe in these?” I ask.
Ravel is behind me, fixing my collar.
“Try not to embarrass yourself.”
“I never embarrass myself,” I say.
Mizuno looks at me.
“You tripped five minutes ago.”
“That was a strategic fall,” I reply.
General Ron laughs loudly, like the room needs it.
For a moment, it feels normal. No war. No orders. No urgency. Just noise that doesn’t mean anything dangerous.
Ravel’s hands slow down.
“You’ve changed, my lord,” he says quietly.
I blink.
“…What?”
“You smile more now,” he adds.
The room goes a little quiet after that.
I look toward the window. Light comes in slowly.
“I think…” I pause.
“…I’m happy.”
I say it like I’m testing the word.
“No wars. No rebellions. No pressure from the court. Just the woman I love waiting for me.”
I let out a small breath.
I’ve carried too much for too long.
Maybe this is the part where it finally stops being heavy.
…
Yue Xin is alone when I am not there.
The room is quiet in a way that feels different from peace. It feels like waiting.
Her wedding dress catches the candlelight. Soft shine. Carefully made. Her hands are not steady.
A maid looks at her and smiles.
“You look beautiful.”
Another servant nods.
“His Majesty won’t be able to look away.”
Yue Xin forces a smile.
“Thank you.”
Her voice doesn’t fully match her face.
After they leave, the door closes. Silence fills the room completely.
Then the corner darkens.
Black mist gathers there. Slowly at first, then like it already knows the shape it wants to take.
A voice follows it.
“You know what you must do.”
Yue Xin freezes. Her eyes widen slightly.
“No…” she whispers. “No, I told you—”
The mist becomes a figure. Not fully solid. Not fully gone either.
Lord Morvane stands there like he has always been there.
“You lied,” she says. Her voice shakes. “You told me he would become a tyrant.”
Morvane tilts his head slightly.
“And if he does?”
“That is not—”
“You have seen the visions,” he interrupts. His voice overlaps itself, like more than one person is speaking at once.
Yue Xin covers her ears.
“Stop.”
The voice continues anyway.
“If you love the people… if you wish to save the future… you must kill him.”
Her breathing breaks.
“I… love him,” she says, but it sounds more like something she is trying to hold onto than something she is sure of.
Morvane’s tone softens.
“Then sacrifice him,” he says. “True love always requires difficult choices.”
The mist fades.
The room becomes quiet again.
Yue Xin stays standing, but her strength is not there anymore.
Her head lowers slowly.
“I don’t know what to do,” she whispers.
“…Brother Neko… I’m sorry.”
…
The balcony is empty when I find her.
Nanshi stretches beneath us. The city is glowing. Lanterns everywhere. Thousands of small lights moving like stars that fell too close to the ground.
Yue Xin is standing near the edge, holding the railing lightly.
I walk closer without making much sound.
“Nervous, Yue Xin?” I ask.
She lets out a small laugh. It doesn’t fully carry her usual warmth.
“A little, Brother Neko.”
I stand beside her.
“I’ve faced armies,” I say. “I’ve negotiated with kings. I’ve survived assassination attempts.”
I pause.
“…But this is different.”
She looks at me.
“Different how?”
I rub the back of my neck.
“I might step on your dress.”
She stares at me for a second.
“…That’s your biggest fear?”
“It’s expensive,” I say.
That makes her laugh for real this time. I feel it more than I hear it.
I take her hand.
“I don’t know what the future holds,” I say, “but I know one thing.”
I tighten my fingers slightly.
“I will spend my life making sure you never regret choosing me.”
Her eyes widen a little.
“Brother Kuero…” she starts.
“…If something happens—”
I frown slightly.
“What do you mean?”
She quickly shakes her head.
“Nothing.”
A pause.
Then she says it quietly.
“I love you, Brother Neko.”
I smile.
“I know.”
“I love you too, Yue Xin.”
We stand there a little longer.
Neither of us understands that some words don’t stay simple once they are spoken.
…
The hall is full, too full.
Nobles. Generals. Foreign envoys. Merchants. Citizens chosen to witness it. Everyone packed into one place, watching like they are part of something important.
Music fills the air.
The priest raises his voice.
“We gather today to celebrate the union of His Majesty, King Kuero Neko, and Lady Yue Xin.”
Applause spreads through the hall.
I turn slightly and look at Yue Xin. She is standing there in her wedding dress. Still. Beautiful.
The priest continues.
“Do you take this woman as your wife?”
“I do,” I answer immediately.
The crowd reacts with cheers.
Then the priest turns.
“And do you take this man as your husband?”
Silence.
It stretches longer than it should.
I notice it.
Yue Xin is not moving.
Her hand trembles slightly. Her eyes don’t stay on me for long. They keep breaking away and returning. Like she is caught between two places in her mind.
I see it.
Something is wrong.
“Yue Xin?” I whisper.
Her lips part, but no sound comes out at first.
Inside her, something is breaking. I can’t see it clearly, but I can feel the distance growing in that silence.
Then she moves, a small motion.
A dagger appears in her hand.
The entire hall reacts at once.
Gasps. Shouts. Chairs shifting. Guards stepping forward.
But I don’t move.
Not yet.
My eyes stay on her.
Not on the blade. Not on the guards. Only on her face.
Yue Xin’s hand shakes violently. The dagger is not steady.
“Yue Xin…” I say slowly. “…tell me this isn’t real.”
Her head lowers. She cannot look at me.
Outside, the sky is still clear.
Inside, everything has already started falling apart.
Far below, unseen by anyone here, something in the dark watches without blinking.
- Writer
