The Betrayal

The Eve of the Wedding

The fortress was cloaked in silence.

Tomorrow, Li Yue would marry Feng Xuan and her fate would be sealed.

She sat before the bronze mirror, her reflection barely recognizable. Her attendants had brushed her hair until it shone, draping her in silk robes embroidered with delicate gold-threaded chrysanthemums. She was dressed as a bride, but she felt like a prisoner awaiting her sentence.

Her fingers tightened around the wooden armrest of her chair.

She had accepted this. Resigned herself to being a pawn in this political game.

But tonight… something felt wrong.

A shadow had been following her these past few days—not a literal one, but the lingering unease that something was about to change.

And then came the knock.

Three short taps.

Her breath caught in her throat.

It was Lin Cheng's signal.

For the first time that evening, her heart flickered with warmth. She rose from her seat and hurried to the door, her silken sleeves brushing against her arms.

When she opened it, Lin Cheng stood there, his familiar face half-shrouded in the dim torchlight. But something was different.

His armor was gone. He wore dark traveling robes instead, his expression unreadable.

A strange unease coiled in her chest.

"You shouldn't be here," she whispered.

"We need to talk," he said, his voice calm. Too calm.

She stepped back, allowing him in, then shut the door behind them.

"Lin Cheng, what is this about?" she asked.

He stood before her, watching her closely, as if searching for something in her eyes.

"You can't marry him, Yue," he said.

She exhaled sharply. "We've had this conversation before. I don't have a choice—"

"You do."

He pulled something from his sleeve—a parchment, its edges curled from being hidden.

"Read it."

Li Yue hesitated, then unfolded it. Her eyes scanned the inked words, and her stomach dropped.

An agreement.

Between Lin Cheng and her father's former generals.

A plan.

To overthrow Feng Xuan.

To seize control of the kingdom.

And to use her as their figurehead.

Her breath turned shallow. She raised her gaze, her fingers trembling. "You… you planned this?"

"I had to," he said, stepping closer. "This is the only way to free you."

"Free me?" she whispered. "Or control me?"

Lin Cheng's jaw clenched. "I would never hurt you."

Her heart pounded. "You lied to me. You swore to protect me—"

"And I am protecting you!" His voice was raw, desperate. "Do you know what will happen once you become his wife? Do you think he'll let you go? This marriage isn't peace, Yue—it's a cage!"

"And this?" She shook the parchment. "This is another cage, Lin Cheng. One of your making."

He inhaled sharply, his fists tightening.

"You don't understand."

"Then make me understand," she shot back.

Silence.

Then, finally, he said, "I did it because I love you."

The words struck her like a knife.

Love?

Was this love?

Love did not deceive. Love did not betray.

She had spent years believing Lin Cheng was the one person she could trust. And now, he was just another man who saw her as a means to an end.

A hollow ache filled her chest.

"I won't help you," she said.

His expression darkened. "You don't have a choice."

Her blood turned cold.

Before she could react, Lin Cheng grabbed her wrist.

"You'll thank me for this," he said, voice tight with regret.

Then, pain exploded at the back of her head.

Her vision blurred.

And the world fell away.

Li Yue awoke to the scent of smoke.

Her head throbbed. The room around her swayed, and for a moment, she couldn't remember where she was.

Then, the memories crashed back.

Lin Cheng.

The betrayal.

She tried to move, but her wrists were bound. The silk of her wedding robes was damp with something warm—blood.

Not hers.

Voices echoed beyond the wooden doors.

"We strike before dawn. Feng Xuan cannot leave this fortress alive."

Her heart pounded.

They were going to kill him.

She twisted her hands, struggling against the bindings. If they succeeded, what would happen to her? Would they force her onto the throne? Would she be a queen in name only while Lin Cheng and the conspirators ruled from the shadows?

No.

She would not let this happen.

A flicker of movement caught her eye.

A knife.

Left carelessly on a wooden table beside her.

Li Yue shifted, inching closer, her fingers stretching toward the blade.

She could hear the footsteps outside.

They were coming for her.

With a sharp breath, she grasped the knife and began sawing through the ropes.

Her hands burned, but she didn't stop.

The moment the bonds snapped, the doors burst open.

Lin Cheng.

And three other men.

His eyes widened when he saw her standing, the knife clenched in her hand.

"Yue—"

She didn't hesitate.

She lunged.

The blade sliced across his arm. Blood spattered against the floor, and he staggered back, cursing.

"Seize her!" one of the men shouted.

She ran.

Darting past them, she bolted down the corridor, her bare feet slapping against the stone. The fortress was alight with torches, the scent of fire and steel thick in the air.

She had to warn Feng Xuan.

The warlord may have been her captor, but he was also the only one standing between her and total ruin.

The sound of pursuit echoed behind her.

She pushed herself forward, her breath ragged.

Then—

A pair of strong arms caught her.

A blade pressed against her throat.

Lin Cheng's voice was low, pained. "Stop fighting me."

Tears burned in her eyes. "I trusted you."

His grip tightened. "I never wanted to hurt you."

"Then let me go."

His hesitation was brief—just a fraction of a second.

It was enough.

She drove her elbow into his ribs, twisting free. The knife in her hand flashed, and Lin Cheng barely managed to stumble back, the blade grazing his cheek.

And then—

A thunderous roar filled the halls.

The sound of men dying.

Feng Xuan's soldiers had found them.

Lin Cheng's expression shifted.

Not fear. Not regret.

Determination.

He stepped forward. "I'll come back for you," he said.

And then, before she could react, he vanished into the chaos.

Li Yue stood there, chest heaving, surrounded by flames and death.

Then—

A hand grabbed her wrist.

She spun, the knife raised—

Only to find herself face-to-face with Feng Xuan.

The warlord's gaze swept over her, taking in the torn silk, and the blood on her hands. His expression was unreadable, but his grip on her wrist was firm.

"You betrayed me," he said.

Her heart pounded. "No."

Feng Xuan tilted his head.

"You knew," he said simply.

She swallowed hard. "And I chose you."

A long silence stretched between them.

Then, slowly, his grip loosened.

"Good," he murmured.

And with that, he turned—walking through the flames, expecting her to follow.

Li Yue hesitated only for a moment.

Then she stepped forward.

Toward the future, she had chosen.

Toward the man she had once feared.

And behind her, Lin Cheng disappeared into the shadows, his betrayal still fresh, his promise lingering in her mind.

"I'll come back for you."

She knew he would.

But next time, she would be ready.