The Price of Power

The day of the wedding loomed on the horizon like a dark cloud, each passing hour bringing Lin Yue closer to a fate she could no longer escape. The entire empire was buzzing with excitement, the grand preparations for the union of Tianlong's emperor and the Phoenix Princess filling the air with a tense anticipation.

But for Lin Yue, it was not a celebration.

Dressed in her wedding finery, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. The delicate red and gold robes draped over her slender frame, shimmering in the dim candlelight. Her hair had been styled in an elaborate crown of braids, adorned with golden phoenix pins and jade ornaments. The necklace the emperor had gifted her rested against her collarbone, the weight of it both physical and symbolic.

She barely recognized herself.