"GanJiang and Moye, the yin and yang of swords. Made from human sacrifice, these swords bring misfortune upon anyone who wields them. It was said that the previous dynasty possessed the twin swords, and those swords became their doom as the Kuo family massacred the entire palace."

The Twin Swords—An Investiture of High Immortals

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

Bowen walked me to Qiliu Court as I stumbled along the way, leaning onto him for support. It was difficult for a half-High Immortal to be inebriated, but five caskets of cheap wine were enough to even knock me down. I lost Bowen after leaving the pier and wandered my way out of the lantern parade and back into the main city square. When he found me, I was vomiting my innards into the river.

"Get a warm bath and rest immediately," he ordered. "You've drunk enough wine to kill a horse."

"I've good alcohol tolerance," I slurred.

My head pounded, and I had trouble staying upright. Everything was fuzzy and shaking like a man trapped outside during winter. For some reason, Bowen had four eyes. I didn't remember him having four eyes. Wait... I wasn't sure if humans had two or four eyes. Maybe it was four.

"Watch the steps!" He caught my arm, holding me steady as I teetered to the right.

I poked him in the chest. "I'm trying."

He rolled his eyes, sighed, and swept me into his arms.

I giggled. It was like being carried by Zhenjin as we went past the dandelion fields. He called them weeds, but they didn't look like weeds. They were so soft... and so fluffy.

"You're going to rue your actions tomorrow morning." The second prince shook his head as he entered my bedchambers.

Bowen stank of sweat, smoke, and incense, but I was too tired to complain.

He carried me to my chambers, kicked the door open, and entered.

Bowen would have placed me on the bed, but Wulin was sitting there, his face dark.

"Well," Bowen said. "What a pleasant surprise."

Wulin drew to his feet. He was half a head taller than Bowen, and he stared him down.

"Oh, hi there." I giggled.

Wulin didn't smile. Instead, he glared at his brother. "Where did you take Qara?"

"I didn't take her anywhere," Bowen scoffed. "She ran out of the palace of her own accord. She's not your pet. Wherever she goes is none of your business."

Wulin sized Bowen up, nostrils flaring.

"She's my escort. Wherever she goes, I must know."

Bowen ignored him and set me down on the bed, making sure my head was comfortably nestled on the pillow.

"She's not your toy," he replied after tucking me in.

I placed my hands to my ears. Why were they shouting? My head hurt from all that screaming.

Wulin laughed. "You stole her out of the palace for a whole day, played with her, and you dare accuse me of treating her as my toy?"

"As I said before, I did not force her out of the palace. I met her in the city."

"While you're off gambling with those good-for-nothing fools of friends, am I right? If she considers you as her friend, fine. But don't rub your loathsome behavior onto her."

"I know what you're doing to her," Bowen said. "You're turning her into some mascot, so the people would make her the Empress while you secure your seat on the throne."

"Do you really think for once I would let the kingdom, my kingdom, fall into your hands?"

Through fuzzy vision, I saw Bowen run his long fingers through his hair, sighing in exasperation. I never noticed how silky his hair was. Lovely. Maybe I could cut off a lock when he was asleep. He'd never notice.

"You know very well I want nothing to do with the throne."

Wulin threw back his head and laughed. "You're nothing but a bastard. Yet, father doted on you, loved you more than he loved my mother and me. No matter what I did, it would never be enough. Tell me, little brother. What do I have to do in order to make father love me as he loved you? How many more despicable things do I have to carry out get my birthright? I have fought tooth and nail for the throne, yet father throws it away to some bumbling fool."

"He loves us equally," Bowen said. "Stop being ridiculous."

Wulin seized Bowen by the front of the shirt and slammed him into the wall.

Oh no, they were fighting. Fighting was not good. Despite my pounding headache, I sat up and cried. "Stop it, you two!"

The two princes ignored me.

Wulin's voice was low. "If father indeed loved us equally, I wouldn't have to do all things unspeakable just to ensure my ascension. My mother was the Empress. Your mother was just a whore father fucked when he was drunk."

It was Bowen's turn to seethe. "Don't talk about my mother like that."

"Your mother was a whore. A whore!"

With a scream, Bowen launched himself upon Wulin, delivering a wide punch onto his face. One punch led to another, and soon chaos ensued, furniture was upended, and shadows razed past the walls.

This was bad. Really bad. I threw myself onto the ground and dragged my body over to the two fighting princes. "For the High Immortals' sake, STOP IT!"

I threw as much power as I could muster into the scream. The force of it tore my throat, and I coughed.

Wulin and Bowen froze. Bowen had a swollen eye and a cut lip, while Wulin's nose was broken.

My head hurt so much, the sound of the two of them squabbling would split it into two.

"She is right." Wulin brushed the dirt off his robes. "We're disgracing ourselves."

He knelt down and gently helped me to my feet. Then, he looked up at Bowen. "I don't want to see you anywhere near Qara ever again. Do you hear me?"

"I am not your servant," Bowen growled. "I am not obliged to obey you."

"True, you're not my servant. But you're my brother, and two years younger. By family law, you must obey everything I say. If I ever catch you near Qara, I will ensure you'll be thrown so far away, you will never see the Jade Palace again."

Bowen walked toward the door, stopped, and turned back to glare at his elder brother. "If you had the power to do so, you would have thrown me out the moment I was born."

With that, he exited, leaving thunderstruck silence in the chambers.

"You shouldn't have done that." I winched as Wulin sat me down on the bed. Oh, what wouldn't I give to ease my ridiculous headache. I was never going to drink again. I swear to the High Immortals.

"Done what?" Wulin said.

"Taunt him. Contrary to what you believe, Bowen is not a bad person."

Wulin appraised me with scorn. "You've only known him for two months. I've known him my entire life."

"Just don't hurt him," I said.

Wulin scoffed. "I did not hurt him."

"You punched him."

"He punched me first."

I placed my hand on his chest in an attempt to calm him down. "No matter what, you taunted him. You're at fault."

The buzz of the alcohol was beginning to dull, thanks to my High Immortal blood. It cleared my head slightly, and I was able to think with reason.

"The crown prince is never at fault," Wulin said, then laughed when I rolled my eyes.

"I was looking for you," he said in a soft voice. "I tried to find you at the banquet, but you vanished. I was so worried."

"I can take care of myself. You don't have to worry."

Wulin closed his hands around mine, running his thumbs up and down the back of my hand. "You're my escort."

"By name," I said. "You're forgetting we're doing this because we have a binding contract. If I don't obey, you'll kill me."

Wulin's eyes glittered. "What if, I release you from the contract?"

I stared at him. His hands were warm on mine, and our faces were inches apart. I felt his fluttering breath, smelled the faint woody scent that always hung around him. He was so close—close enough for me to stab him right here and now if I wanted to, and there would be no one fast enough to stop me.

"What if I told you I wanted you to be my escort not because of political reasons, but because I truly wanted you to remain at my side?"

I looked away. "This is not funny."

He reached for my face, running his fingers over my cheekbones and down to my lips. "The crown prince never jokes." He brushed away a stray strand of hair from my face and kissed me. His lips were soft against mine, hungering for more. Then, he pushed me onto the bed, leaving a trail of kisses from my lips to my neck and down to my breasts.

My body reacted defensively at once. I curled up into a ball and swatted him away.

No, I cannot and would not love an Imperial. Repulse sparked within me, spitting at his touch. He was an Imperial. He just wanted to use me, just like the other men in the Pavilion. Terrible memories bombarded me, and I squeezed myself tighter, trying to strangle out the flitting shadows in my mind.

"It's alright," Wulin's voice brought me back to reality. "I won't hurt you."

This is your chance. Seduce him. Make him fall for you. Remember what Donghwa said? Would you let your friends die just to nurse your disgust? Make him love you, and nothing will stand in your way when you kill him.

I didn't have my scalpel—it was too bulky to be hidden under the thin chemise I was allowed to wear with this dress. But I remembered the sweet graze of the Godly metal against human flesh, slicing it apart. I didn't even need it now if I wanted a weapon. I had countless pins in my hair—trivial things which men had never even thought would have the potential to be used as weapons.

I remembered that I was here on a mission. Gathering all my strength, I broke through the turmoil of darkness within me and I kissed him full on the lips.

Unlike the men in the Pavilion who ripped into me like ravenous animals, he was careful, but at the same time passionate. He reached out for me, embracing every part of me, moaning as I bit his lip, gently, then harder.

He slid my sleeves down and peeled off my beautiful dress. Soon, there was nothing between us but skin.

My fingers were tangled in his hair. I hoisted myself up and wrapped my legs around his waist. Years of experience triggered muscle memory, and I spiraled into a pit of darkness that kept me detached from the moment.

I allowed him to claim me, to mark me as his.

And I was marking him with a death sentence. My fingers clutched one of the small pins that I slid from my hair. He didn't even notice as I rolled the pin against his chest and snaked it all the way up to his heart.

One stab and it would be over.

"Father has agreed to make me Emperor," he whispered in my ear. "I will be crowned in a fortnight."

I froze, keeping the pin hidden beneath my palm.

"He has given his blessing for our union. Do you know what this means?"

His legal wife. The Empress of Erden.

I let the pin fall from my fingers, then brushed it off the mattress. It clattered onto the ground, letting off a faint chime as it hit the marble.

My chance to avenge every person who had suffered the cruelty of the Imperials. My only chance to right the wrong. There would be no more slavery. No more babes torn from their mothers. No more tortured screams of children and the elderly.

"Marry me, Qara." He kissed me again. "Be my Empress and rule by my side. You've proven yourself worthy and loyal of my love."

I closed my eyes, feeling the burn of my consciousness.

Which is it, Sarna? My inner voice hissed. Zichuan Theater or the freedom of the slaves?

I leaned forward, wrapping my arms around his neck, bringing him closer. Deeper.

"Yes, my prince."