The Scars Between Us

Chapter 24

Wen Ling couldn't even say a word. If Wen Yue left, he was going to be alone. He wouldn't have anyone by his side but his children as his wife's condition was dire.

Eventually, he too left going after the foreign prince.

The king now sat in an empty hall.

"Your Highness!" Wen Ling shouted, calling out to the Jin prince.

Fei Yang turned, stopping in his tracks.

Reaching him, the Crown Prince couldn't help but to ask one thing. "Why do you want to marry her?"

His expression didn't seem to change but he gave a subtle frowned smile. "Because......."

A knock came at Crown Princess Ju Ning's chambers, "Ju Ning, I've come to visit."

It was Wen Yue, and her voice sounded hoarse, crying not too long ago.

She didn't know where to go exactly, ending up here.

"Come in." Ju Ning granted.

The doors opened and shut with footsteps that followed coming to the ill woman.

"Please, bring a chair and sit beside me," the woman told her.

Doing as told, she brought a chair and sat at the side of the bed. The princess seemed out of it, not herself.

She then forced a smile, "Are you doing alright?" she asked Ju Ning.

Ju Ning's eyes were filled with concern, "I'm fine.....just exhausted." her body was breaking down.

"Wen Yue, what is the matter? You can tell me." she assured her.

The princess' eyes looked down, "I don't want to leave....." she croaked. "I've been betrothed to Prince Fei Yang."

Ju Ning's expression turned into shock hearing the news. She didn't expect for the Jin prince to have such a request.

"You know that you can't run away from this. If you do, the consequences will be severe. To run away from your fate is to run away from who you are." she told her.

Hearing those words, Wen Yue couldn't help but to tear up. She knew the consequences to do such a thing, but what frightened her is that she'll be going away to become the wife of someone she thought she knew.

That someone, was a person she began to hold dear but now she wasn't sure.

The Crown Princess' hand came over hers, holding them with a gentle grip. "Wen Yue, maybe it's for the better that you leave. If you stay here, you'll be haunted by the memories of what happened. I don't think you'll ever get over it either." she spoke.

"I'm not sure....." she was still troubled.

Ju Ning's grip on her hand became tighter, "I can only wish you the best from here on." it sounded like her last words to the princess.

Their last conversation.

"Is that truly your reason to marry her?" Wen Ling questioned once again wanting to confirm it.

"Yes," he confirmed.

The Crown Prince seemed to sigh, "I hope you treasure her." he looked to beg.

He didn't want anything to happen to her.

"I will without a doubt." something he won't ever stop to do.

"I must tell you about her, Wen Yue." wanting him to know more about her.

Fei Yang listened.

"I'm sure you know she loves to play the guqin." he started. "Well, as you know she is the youngest princess with no other after her. Growing up, she was often picked on by her older sisters. Most said she was the most beautiful of them all. This led to her being outcasted by them since she often was given the spotlight more." he paused for a moment.

"They would say such horrible things to her and she wouldn't even fight back but walk away with a painful smile. She always showed respect to them and in return was given the opposite." his voice went silent at the end.

This explained her insecurities that were bestowed upon her. The young woman began to prefer more simple clothing and styles rather than the extravagant ones, always held her tongue, didn't dare try to gain the spotlight even when it was hers, and everything she held dear, she hid them.

She never talked about them to anyone believing it to be unimportant.

Not even Fei Yang when he was just Yang.

When her sisters were still here, they pushed her to live in the Gem Palace, the smallest of them all after her mother died. Wen Yue didn't fight back at the treatment, but instead accepted it with a smile to hide the pain.

Her mother was the only person to defend her along with her brother, and now they were both gone.

"There's no need for worries," Fei Yang spoke.

Wen Ling's eyes looked to him.

The prince's eyes became filled with promise. "Because I'll protect her."
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