Until We Meet

3|🎗️ Restitute

🥀

Palace life never sat right with me. The suffocating etiquette, the stifling expectations, it all felt like a gilded cage. While other princesses might have reveled in the luxurious silk gowns and endless feasts, I yearned for the freedom of the wind in my hair and the thrill of adventure. That's why I found myself scaling the palace walls almost daily, a mischievous grin plastered on my face as I defied the stern rules.

But today, my usual thrill was absent, replaced by a knot of unease in my stomach. The news of the third concubine's death hung heavy in the air, another casualty in a string of unfortunate events. This wasn't the first time, nor the second. It seemed to have become a grim tradition - every year, after the Lantern Festival, a concubine would meet her demise. The same fate befell my father's brothers just a few years after my birth.

Investigations, year after year, proved fruitless, leaving behind a trail of unanswered questions and lingering fear.

As I walked towards the throne room, flanked by watchful guards, my eyes flitted across the scene. A'Ying, her usual lively spirit subdued, mirrored my own apprehension. The air in the room crackled with tension as the ministers, the Duke, and the General gathered, their solemn expressions reflecting the gravity of the situation.
Describing the palace isn't something easy to do.

There are a lot of large rooms, gardens, yards and corridors all over with guards placed everywhere. The hallway has two walls separating it from the other rooms. At the end of each hall has beautiful designs on the wall and ceilings, not to talk of the main chambers.

Stepping over the threshold of the throne room, I paused, my heart hammering against my ribs. As my name echoed through the chamber, I squeezed my eyes shut, briefly wishing for the comforting anonymity of the forest. However, the duke's voice shattered the illusion of escape.

"Princess You Rong."

I opened my eyes, the harsh glare of the assembled ministers pinning me in place. It felt as if invisible chains bound my ankles, rendering me immobile. Minister Wu's voice rose above the murmurs, his words dripping with disdain.

"She ran from the palace! What kind of a princess does that at this period?" He brandished a blank scroll, his voice laced with accusation. His outburst sparked a chorus of disapproving murmurs from the other ministers, their eyes mirroring his murderous glare. Shame and helplessness flooded my veins, anchoring me to the spot.

Bai Ying, her usual vibrancy dimmed, stood beside me, her head bowed in silent support. In the past, a forced smile might have deflected the tension, but the gravity of the situation demanded a different approach. The recent death, coupled with my escape, had thrown the palace into chaos, and I, as usual, was the scapegoat.

"And you!" The Duke bellowed, his voice resonating across the room. He gestured towards Bai Ying, his anger palpable. "You help her leave the palace? When you know of what is going on?"

He settled into his throne, his imposing figure casting a long shadow over me. Silence, thick and suffocating, filled the room. Not a single minister dared to speak in my defense. Perhaps they never had. They had never viewed me favorably, not since I was a child. Fifteen years had passed, but their disdain remained constant, fueled by the whispers of a curse that followed me like a persistent shadow.

Yes, a curse. That was the label bestowed upon me, not just within the palace walls but throughout the kingdom. Every death, every misfortune, was attributed to my alleged jinx. And now, another life had been extinguished, further solidifying their unfounded beliefs.

Remembering correctly, the death of the second consort, third consort, Emperor and Empress are all blamed on me, as though I can kill my own parents.

Sadly, I don't really remember what happened that day. Physicians who checked up on me say I might never remember, unless I spot something or someone from that day.