章 44: The Wedding
Even before the bells were done ringing, Tianshi Xue already stormed inside the shack. She pushed her bed to block the door from opening. Once she was alone, she screamed her heart out. She wanted to die. Now. She could only hope that another death would lead her to a new body.
Every other body would be better than getting married to Prince Qui.
She needed a plan. But there was no plan. Her mind was already filled with sad thoughts and hopelessness that she could not come up with anything that would potentially save her from this situation.
She collapsed to the floor, a few tears streaming down her cheeks. Prince Qui had been somewhat kind to her the past two days but it would not wipe out his history of killing people. There was blood on his hands.
She wouldn't want to get married to a murderer.
Just the thought made her want to crawl out of this body's skin.
Before she could even collect herself, the door swung open and she lifted her head.
"Did you forget that your door opens on both directions?" Prince Qui eyed the bed by the entrance, her half-assed attempt to keep people out.
"Go away," she croaked. "I don't want to marry you. I'm going to marry Prince Xiaodan. If we travel back now we would be able to reach the palace before nightfall. I'll marry him immediately. Even right by the gates."
Prince Qui sighed and pushed the bed with his right foot, just enough that he was able to get in and shut the door behind him. "Listen to me, we can't travel back without getting married. I'm sure your uncle's men are waiting for us by the gates. If we will not present any proof that we got married, then all of this would be all for nothing. They would try to take you. If they succeed, you will be off to marry a King who is three times your age."
Tianshi Xue wiped her nose. "Maybe that's better than marrying you."
If the Prince had been hurt by what she said, he did not show. His face was a stony as ever. It was like they were not having a rather tolerable conversation last night. They both closed the doors on that.
She already knew that the prince would only return her hostility so she was not that surprised when he said, "Do you think I want to marry you?" he scoffed. "I don't want that either."
Tianshi Xue averted her eyes at him. They both hated each other. So why was there a sudden chipping in her heart?
"We will get divorced as soon as it would be possible."
She lifted her head, surprised at his offer.
"It's not the end of the world," he said with a roll of his eyes. "You'll have another chance marrying Xiaodan if you want. I don't care."
"You'll do that?"
"Why wouldn't I? As I said, I don't want to be married either. Let's get this thing over and done with so we can all go home." Then Prince Qui stepped out of the shack.
Tianshi Xue wiped her face. She could not believe that she was going to get married at the age of twenty-two. She did not know the age of the princess but she must be of legal age already. Twenty one years today as the prince greeted her earlier.
She swallowed all her fears and went out the door.
**
Doctor Jung and Prince Qui were already waiting for her. The soldiers were all standing upright with their hands behind their back, all lined at the side. They would be the witnesses.
"I didn't think that you're an augur, Doctor," she said, standing in front of Prince Qui who had his eyes at something from afar.
"Traitor, isn't he?" the prince muttered and the doctor only bowed at the two of them.
"Shall we start the ceremony?" Doctor Jung asked.
"The fast one," Prince Qui said. "Let's get to the getting married part already."
"As you wish, Your Highness," Doctor Jung said and opened up the slightly thick book. He did not even have to look for the page. It was already there. Tianshi Xue cursed The Emperor in her mind. He must've planned for this already. As if it was not enough that he had kidnapped the princess from her homeland. He had to have her married to his vile son.
Prince Qui pulled out his sword and Tianshi Xue placed her palms one at the top and one at the bottom of the blade. Prince Qui's hand got in between hers in the same position.
Doctor Jung cleared his throat. "We are gathered here today to witness the marriage of Prince Yang Qui of Heping Empire and Princess Lin Yingyue of Shanmai Empire. Please state your vows."
Tianshi Xue knew that eye contact was a requirement in stating the words so she lifted her head and stared at the depthless black eyes of the prince as he spoke, "I, Yang Qui, take you, Lin Yingyue, to be my lawfully wedded wife. From this day until the end of my days, I am yours and you are mine."
"I, Lin Yingyue, take you, Yang Qui, to be my lawfully wedded husband. From this day until the end of my days, I am yours and you are mine."
A shiver ran through Tianshi Xue's spine. She was half-tempted to use the sword that they were holding and plunge it in her stomach. Or the prince's stomach. She would've been an instant widow.
Doctor Jung spoke again. "You may now bow to each other, as a sign of respect and love, for from this day on you are equal and one."
It was a pain to make her back bend, like her bones and muscles were straining to keep her upright. She could not believe she was bowing to the man she wanted to stab.
"You are now, husband and wife."
Tianshi Xue almost lost it. That was it. Her life was over. She was never going to find happiness again. She would never be able to go back to her own body.
Being a famous actress in her previous life, she had been to a lot of weddings. This one was incomplete. "Is that it?" she asked the doctor-slash-augur.
It was Prince Qui who answered. "Why? Do you want to kiss me?"
Tianshi Xue had never had a stronger urge to slap someone. But she could never slap the prince. He could chop her head off if he wanted. Instead of answering, she turned her face away.
"That's what I thought," he sneered and sheathed the sword. "Pack up, Princess. We're going home tomorrow."
Home, she thought. Where was home?
A week ago, she would've said 'the beautiful bungalow in an exclusive neighborhood'. But now, home meant the Heping Palace.
A week ago, she was Tianshi Xue, the most hated actress according to the polls—which was her greatest achievement as she played the villainess in the top drama Ace of Hearts.
Now, she was in the body of Princess Lin Yingyue, the daughter of The Tyrant Emperor, the hostage of the Heping Empire, wife of the youngest general, Prince Yang Qui, The Conqueror.
Tianshi Xue cried in her mind. Of all the bodies she could get reincarnated to, it had to be this poor princess'.
"Don't worry," Prince Qui said, walking away. As cold as ever. "I'll be the first to sign the divorce papers when we get back."
How dare this prince think like he was the one most aggravated in this situation? Tianshi Xue made the princess' lips smile. "Thank you, my prince."
Prince Qui looked back and lowered his face so he could see her eye-to-eye. There was a look of confusion and mirth in his eyes. "I don't know what the hell happened when I was gone for a year—"
"Oh believe me," she cut him off, "a lot of unbelievable things happened while you were outside the walls… my prince," she followed as an afterthought.
Prince Qui laughed but it sounded menacing. "Keep that attitude up and I MIGHT—just might—not let you come back to your precious Prince Xiaodan."
"Ooh," she said, daring him. He was the one who had made the offer and now he was trying to retract it? She flicked a nonexistent dirt from his shoulder. "Didn't you hear what the augur said? I am now your equal."
"Do you really want to set down on this road, Princess?" he asked as if it was a challenge. "At one point during our stay here I thought we could keep things civil. Stay out of each other's way. Do you really want to make an enemy out of me?"
"Why?" she accepted the challenge. "I'm your wife and the emperor wants nothing but to ensure that I am happy. What are you going to do about it?"
Tianshi Xue was convinced she was out of her mind. What was she doing starting a fight with one of the greatest minds of the empire?
Prince Qui tugged her to him with a jerk. This was the first time that he had touched her out of her will. He stared down at her and she almost cowered. It took every last bit of will inside of her to not back down. His rough hand held her face in place. For a second, Tianshi Xue thought the prince was going to force himself on her but he remained in his place.
"I like you," he said, his eyebrow twitching in amusement, his eyes roaming her face. "I don't feel like returning you to my stupid brother now." He bared his teeth in a smile that resembled a lion's. "I think I'm going to keep you."
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