Marked [COMPLETE]

five

"The Lost Princess has been found. The next generation has returned. We can now unify the nation once again." The emperor announced, earning gasps from the crowd again.

Some spoke in agreement and praise, while others spoke in a disappointed and negative tone. I looked to my parents for help, but my mother looked away in shame. Turning to Qianli, he looked guilty and ashamed.

"What does this phrase mean, Qianli?" I asked, earning a disapproving look. "Your Highness, Zhiyan, please explain this phrase to your younger."

"No need for him to do so, for I will tell you myself." His father said, making me turn to him. "This country has been warring for ten years now, the only way for peace was for the former emperor to step down and promise unity through marriage."

"He, he had no heirs except me, how would he bring such a promise to fruition?" I asked, confused about the matter.

"While you do have siblings now, Your Highness, you were in fact promised. If found, unity can be bestowed, and your parents will be left free. If not, they would die for our freedom from tyranny." He replied, making my heart sink. I turned to Qianli in anger, rage in my chest from his lies.

"You lied to me?" I asked, making his guilt-ridden face even more shameful. "I trusted you, but you turned out to be a bastard!"

My words caused an uproar of ministers screaming not to curse in front of the Son of Heaven, but I couldn't care about any of it. I ran at him, dropping him to the floor with one harsh punch to the jaw. He looked at me with surprise, awe, and shock. Guards came in and grabbed me, holding me back from attacking him further.

"I'll never marry into your family, even if it means my death!" I screamed, not caring that they dragged me out and locked me into my residence.

I was angered, betrayed, and bitter. My parents were hurt, his parents were to blame for it, and he lied to me about the whole thing. With a smile to hide it, I believed every word.

"Ruilin, dear, this was promised. It is your duty as Princess to fulfill the words of your parents. The sentence cannot be taken lightly." My mother softly said, placing her hand on my window.

I'd been locked inside for a week, and I wasn't allowed any visitors. But she came to me every day, standing outside and talking to me, urging me to marry Qianli.

"I don't want to marry someone I cannot trust," I responded, sighing as I placed my hand on the window as well, pretending we were holding hands.

"No one does. But that is the duty of an empress. To marry those whom you do not want." She replied, sighing a bit before she took her hand off the window. "The wedding will be held on the next auspicious day, you will be ready and happy no matter what."

Two months later, I was finally released from my residence, but I was not happy at all. My make-up and hair were done up exquisitely, my dress extravagant, but my face held a scowl no matter what joyful expressions were found on everyone else's faces.

"You should smile, Yusheng," Qianli whispered, looking as unhappy as my parents. Being younger, he wasn't as good at hiding it as they were, but I still loathed his soul. He deserved to be saddened on his wedding day.

"Zhiyan, I will never smile at you again. You'll never see me happy until the day I die." I replied, hurting him even more as I sipped my wine, ignoring his attempt at holding my hand.

Everyone turned as we heard a commotion outside the hall, the doors slamming open as the servants and eunuchs were pushed aside with the force of an angered bull. While everyone else began to scream in fear, I stood up with a smile of relief.

"Yanli Ge!" I cried out, turning to run to him as he glared at all in the room. His eyes softened when they saw me, happily running towards him.

"Ruilin, I've been looking for you this whole time." He said, walking in my direction. We were just about to meet when a sword was unsheathed in between us, aiming at my neck.

"You will not leave with her," Qianli announced, glaring at Yanli. "She is either my wife or dead alongside her parents."

"She's my wife, and you will not kill her parents," Yanli replied, pulling out his own sword.

The two of them began clashing swords while the unarmed guests began fleeing out of the hall, some guards protecting the emperor as they went through a different door to avoid the crowd. I ran to my parents, grabbing them and pulling them out of the building.

"Who is that young man? Why is he saying you belong to him?" My mother asked, holding my arm and stopping me from going back inside.

"He is the son of the man who took me all those years ago. He has been protecting me this whole time." I explained, looking back towards the hall with fear. "I need him to not hurt anyone, please let me go back and stop him."

"You need to marry Zhiyan, even if you don't want to. It's for the best for the empire." My father said, making my heart ache.

"I will stop Yanli from killing His Highness, but I will not marry that bastard," I replied, shoving my mother's hand from my wrist and running inside.

When I got inside, the two of them had each other at the throat, both swords shining brightly from the light's reflections. Both men were breathing heavy and glaring at one another. I grabbed a sword nearby off of the floor and held it to my own throat.

"If you don't stop fighting, you won't have me to win." I threatened, earning their attention.