❀ lotus pond ❀

@王妃² ❀ wei ʷʰᵉᵉ // tw: blood, self-harm

She was older than he was, and the wife of his wife's older brother. He had no choice to to bend his knee, his jaw clenched as he repeats his apology to the princess consort once more. But how dare she. How dare she look down on him for being different. How dare she treat him like scum. He was a prince, the crown prince of his land, he was the rightful heir to a throne too.

Pathetic. That's what he had been for the past ten years living as half a man in this false paradise. This was not his home and never will be. This shouldn't have to be his son's home where no one will ever respect him, a son of a concubine, born to a fallen prince. No, he had to do something, change something. No more living like a weakling, looked down upon by everyone in this filthy place. No, they'll pay the price of his pain. They'll all pay.

"Second princess consort, if my apology is not enough for you, perhaps nothing I do will be. Because I'm a foreigner, and my son is too. So I will teach him well. I'll teach him never to bow down to people like you." he looks up, a chilling smile spreading across his face, not breaking his gaze as he straightens his back and rises to his feet. "Perhaps my blood should appease you better? Since that's what your people like isn't it?" he plucks a hairpin from her hair, and slits it across his palm until red seeps through his flesh, stuffing the pin back into her hand, with the sharp, bloodied end pointed away from her. Slowly, he lets his blood drip before her feet. "This should be enough of an apology, wouldn't it? Come, Jianyu. We shall leave." he takes his son's hand with his good one and walks away from Wei calmly. That would be the last time Southern blood will be spilled on this land.

It was time he avenged his parents.

@驸马 ❀ xiahua ʰᵃʰʷᵃ @王¹ ❀ fenghu ᵖᵒᵒⁿᵍʰᵒ Suran craved for both silence and solace. It was the only thing that could have brought her unsettling mind to peace after witnessing how small she was compared to the forbidden city, watching the crowd she will never fit in
even when they dressed the same way. How could she possibly? While these nobles are trying to charm their ways to the royal family, she only wants to hide, as if the longer she is exposed to the crowd, the easier someone might catch a clue of her difference from everyone. It was not as easy to let her servant stay at the tables, when her owner — the army general has instructed her otherwise; 'you must protect her at all times', well-selected words that he had used against the ill-educated girl, when Suran knew he just needed to plant a pair of eyes around her.

But, Suran has her way too. Which explains how she could come here by herself, enjoying the peace away from the banquet, with a glass of wine in hand. The cacophony felt distant the more she walked, trying to keep her routes simple so that she would not forget the way to head back in any instances. Just that the plan had not rang in her head so far, not when she was just starting to enjoy the peace settling in her chest. The air was cold, but it helped her to stay awake, eyes clear as she carefully scanned her surroundings before coming to a stop. There under the moonlight, in front of the lotus pond, were there two men? She slowly made her way nearer without making any sounds, curiosity immediately creeping up at the distance kept between the two. Well, this definitely didn't look like a very normal scene to her. Suran has been proud of keeping some of her 'talents' from the slums — eavesdropping, and they didn't seem to notice her too. Although she might have been more curious about what their relationship is, when they just had to sneak out in the middle of a royal banquet just to...kiss each other.

Suran gasps when the man leans in to the other man on top of the distance, stepping onto a branch when she tried to retreat, but it was all too late.

@王妃¹ ❀ suran @王¹ ❀ fenghu ᵖᵒᵒⁿᵍʰᵒ Xiahua’s mind was at peace. His chest glowed with the fond memory of the previous night, the way his body had the pleasant buzz of sensitivity to the senses after what he’d endured. He couldn’t help but glance over and catch his lover’s eye whenever possible. Had Fenghu noticed the subtly teasing was he’d dressed? The way that when he walked, his clothes would shift with him, not hugging his frame so much, and once or twice even daring to reveal his collar slightly more. He was careful, however. He would not draw conversation towards the marks if anyone’s eyes were to linger for too long on studying the Duke’s skin. Not that he thought they would. He played his role well, contributing to idle political chatter from his wife’s side. None would suspect his longing glances in another direction to be craving for Fenghu’s company.

The way their eyes locked was more than enough for a lowly murmured excuse and farewell was offered to the faces he stood with that he’d never see again. He offered them a charming smile before he slipped away, letting his footsteps remain casual despite how he itched to enter a jog. Even for him, the fresh breeze was a relief. His stride matched the prince’s, only speaking as they began to approach the well maintained pond. “Were your siblings becoming too much for you to handle, or did you miss me even in the few hours we’ve been apart, your highness?” The Duke’s voice carried a note of teasing as he stepped close to the water, that coy smile working its way back onto his lips. Xiahua cast a swift glance around them, ensuring they were alone. To be seen as they were, none would question a Duke simply sharing a quiet conversation with one of the prince’s. However Xiahua was a greedy man, satisfied only by his lover. He stepped close to the Prince, a hand raised to brush over the soft skin of his cheek, thumb rubbing carefully over the smooth flesh. With a second hesitant survey of their surroundings, his lips came to rest softly against the man’s, kissing him lightly before he pulled away. “Are you alright, Fenghu?”

@驸马 ❀ xiahua ʰᵃʰʷᵃ @王妃¹ ❀ suran Suffocating. FengHu felt like he was suffocating. The stench of the palace, the façade of perfection he'd made to hold up in front of his father and the Empress, and the silent disapproving looks and whispers of his siblings-- How much oxygen could they away right from his lungs before the Prince couldn't take it anymore? FengHu wasn't weak. He'd known that long before he'd left home and his years of exile had only solidified his determination, his strength; yet here in the trenches FengHu needed a breath, a single breath before he could continue on with the falsities of the evening.

What better breath of fresh air for the Prince than that of his lover? It was dangerous, he knew, to steal a moment away with Xihua at such a crowded event, but it would only be five minutes. Five minutes with the Duke and the Prince would have enough to make it through the evening. It wasn't as if FengHu hadn't noticed his lover by now, the loose, soft fabric he wore, threatening to reveal the marks FengHu had left the previous evening in a lustful stupor. The clothing choice, the Prince was sure, was all done to entice him, and torture him when his mind was meant to be elsewhere. He'd seem them after all-- the looks from a distance, the coy smile drawn elegantly onto Xiahua's lips. The Duke was a master of seduction and of capturing FengHu's attention. How FengHu kept his distance most days, he wasn't quite sure.

The Prince's eyes scanned the small crowd of individuals and it didn't take long for the Prince to find his target, standing tall next to his wife, FengHu's sister. The man's lips lilted into a conspiratorial smile, caught just in his lover's gaze. The Prince said nothing, didn't mouth a single word, the look in his eyes enough to whisper between them, 'Accompany me?' The Prince tore his eyes away from the beautiful creature he meant to entice and without so much as a glance back, he made his disappearance into the crowd and out to the lake, the cold air a heaven sent from the stuffy indoors.

@驸马⁴ ❀ tonglun ᵈᵒⁿᵍʳʸᵘⁿ After pampering and coddling her delicate husband for hours, Wei needed a break. Taking care of the Second Prince was almost a full time job, and Wei didn’t sign up to work. She had never worked a day in her life. When she asked her parents to find her a husband that would give her the world, she didn’t expect to be a babysitter. But she had to make do with what she was given. Prince Yuqiang was her precious husband and Wei would do everything she had in her power to get him on the throne.

She closed her eyes as she felt the wind gently dancing around her ankles, her chin lifting to catch the last bit of its tail. It was times like these that she cherished the peace and quiet, no anger, no seething rage. The moment didn’t last long. Her peace was shattered when something flew and smacked her right in the face, her perfectly carved body stumbling back in shock. And just like that, heat burned across her cheeks and poison coursed through her veins as her eyes, dipped in dark fury, landed on the feeble child. She clenched her jaw, a sweet smile forced on her lips as she intertwined her fingers in front of her. “How impudent.” She breathed. “When you apologize, shouldn’t you go lower?” Her voice was low and sweet, laced with just enough venom to show how displeased she was. She closed her fan and pressed it onto the duke’s head, nudging him to bow lower until he was practically on his knees. “Lower. Lower. If you’re going to teach the child, I suggest you should teach him the right way. But I suppose you wouldn’t have known. Since…” she tilted her head, motioning to Tonglun’s face.

@王妃 ❀ wei ʷʰᵉᵉ "Careful, don't fall in!" Tonglun chases after his nimble and agile little three year old. For such a young child, he was so quick and full of energy. "Look, father!" he laughs, pulling along his little paper kite that trailed after him just a couple of meters above his head. "Jianyu, watch-" his eyes widened when he witnessed the young boy run into someone, but before he could complete his warning, the young child whipped around, landing his low flying kite in the face of the woman he very nearly ran into.

Rushing over, he raised his arms in greeting of the woman he recognized as the second prince's wife, and bowed his head in apology. "My deepest apologies, second princess consort, my son was just playing and he did not mean to hit you." he spoke without looking her in the eye, a sign of deep respect for her- something he learnt in his many years as a foreigner living in a land that barely welcomed him. "Jianyu, say sorry." he nudged his son. "My deepest apologies, second princess consort." the little boy copied his father, giving her a low bow.