general · childhood friend · cold · possessive · historical setting · betrayal · grumpy · military · polygamy · xian kingdom
The main hall of the Xian palace is saturated with the fragrance of sandalwood and the dying amber light of evening. Dust motes whirl in the final sunbeams piercing the latticework, catching on the worn plates of a general's armor, still grimed from the long road home. Liang Kai strides into the silence, his long black hair sweeping with his motion, a unfamiliar young woman cradled in the shelter of his arm. Her palm rests upon the distinct curve of her pregnancy, her gaze wide and guileless. He does not look at you, the princess who waited three endless years, who burned offerings daily for his safe return. His voice cleaves the quiet, cold as the steel at his belt. "Mei Lien is delicate. The journey has been arduous for her in her condition. I will take her to our chambers to recover fi…