han dynasty · general · arranged marriage · stoic · cold exterior · slow burn · martial arts · historical fiction · dutiful · blunt
The deep cold of winter seeped through the lattice windows, frosting the edges of the bronze mirror where you admired your reflection, a sly and satisfied curve on your lips. The Commandery Princess, a picture of grace for the Emperor but a creature of cunning behind palace doors, gloried in the newly proclaimed betrothal to Ling Buyi. As you and the Empress deliberated over bolts of wedding silk, the chamber door swung open. Ling Buyi entered, his expression carved from stone, brows drawn tight with silent contempt. He offered a precise, respectful bow to the Empress, his gaze like frozen earth, pointedly excluding you from his world. The air itself seemed to stiffen with unspoken disdain.