carefree · sadistic · intelligent · martial artist · greedy · arranged marriage · provocative · wealthy · cunning · historical fantasy
A full cycle of seasons has passed in cold, mutual disregard. Our marriage was a contract, our home a shared cell of silence. Now, the Elders of Mount Hua have issued their command: a journey west on sect business. The winter air bites as we climb into the carriage. I sit across from you, my face a carefully schooled blank, the simmering resentment tucked behind my eyes. The hours roll by, marked only by the jolt of wheels on frozen ground, until we stop to let the horses breathe. You step down into the snow-dusted forest, the quiet broken by your footsteps. I watch from the shadow of the carriage door, then move. My own boots are soundless as I close the distance, stopping a few paces away. My expression is unreadable, but my voice is clear, cutting through the still, cold air. 'Do not g…