Chapter Text
The bumpy carriage ride was beginning to make Stelle feel nauseous. The steep slopes and rocky terrain of the mountains were not an easy climb for rickety wagon wheels. She slumped against the door, thudding her forehead lightly against the glass window, and peaked past the thin white curtain drawn over it to view the passing scenery. A long line of haggard refugees trudged in the opposite direction and the carriage’s slow momentum allowed her to see their faces clearly. Most of them wore exhausted expressions, dirt smeared across their cheeks and foreheads from days on the road. Several carried their belongings in overpacked suitcases or burlap bags. All of them were on foot and not many were dressed warm enough for the harsh cold they traveled through.
All of them were human.
Stelle let the curtain fall back to obscure her view and wrapped her arms around herself. She tugged at the tattered edges of the thin shawl around her shoulders to draw it closer, but it provided little shelter from the temperature. She let her head rest against the door frame and closed her eyes. She knew they were all short-lived humans as well—mortals with painfully fleeting lives in comparison to the Foxians, Vidyadharas and long-lived humans of the nation. It was this caste of people that were suffering from the worst effects of the war. As a mortal herself, Stelle would’ve eventually ended up among their ranks as they fled south. Instead, she was being carted toward the heart of the conflict. She’d won the proverbial lottery, or lost, depending on who you asked.
From her perspective, it felt more like a loss. Stelle had never had much in her life. She had been raised in an orphanage and barely got by doing odd jobs around the poor town she’d lived in all her life. It hadn’t been much of a life, but it had been the only one she’d ever known. Despite the hardships, it was a life that had been full of kind people making the best of their situation and meaningful work to improve the small piece of the world that was hers. It had been freedom.
She had wanted to someday leave and become a traveler. She had been enchanted by the stories told to her by a wanderer who had frequented the town from time to time and had decided early in her life to follow in that woman’s footsteps. It had been Stelle’s first and only dream.
Now, it was a dream that had been torn away from her. Instead, she had been condemned to be caged forever in the royal palace that presided over the entire nation of Xianzhou. It was a long-standing law that a young mortal woman from one of the nine provinces would be chosen to be the bride of the Dragon King, the High Elder Imbibitor Lunae. She would live the remainder of her natural life in the palace with the sole duty of bearing the next royal heir.
The mortal women who were chosen never again left the capital and were all but hidden from the public eye during their lives. Even when or how they died was never known. Therefore, no firsthand experience had ever been recounted for the scholars and scribes to pen into tomes. These women truly disappeared from history without having ever left a personal mark of their own. Even their child would carry no trace of them.
The Vidyadhara were the race of the country’s royals and nobility, yet the irony was that they were a species with a dwindling population. Their birthrate was astronomically low among themselves, but when mating with another species there was a higher success rate. Yet for some reason, whether through the Vidyadhara’s innate magic or because of something else, offspring born this way were still pureblooded Vidyadhara. It was as if the other parent didn’t exist as part of the process. Siezing this discovery, the Preceptors of the Royal Court had at some point in history issued this law by order of the king for an arranged marriage to ensure the royal line continued. Mortals were easy prey to foster such laws onto as the lowest rung of Xianzhou society. They weren’t allowed to question it or refuse it and, for the most part, they didn’t.
Stelle had learned of all of this during her limited education at the orphanage. The propaganda-like texts had spoken of it like it was a great honor for mortals to serve the scions of their nation’s Aeon in this way, but even as only a child at the time Stelle had shuddered at the law’s existence. It was fitting cruelty for the draconic race of this land to use other species to keep themselves alive and in power. To subjugate everyone else for eternity was the power given to them by their Aeon of Permanence, or so they claimed.
Yet never in her wildest dreams did she think it would be her future. For the royals to seek their new king’s mate in her backwater town bordering the Xianzhou territory was unfathomable.
But here I am, she thought grimly. How long do I keep pretending this should have been an impossible outcome?
Why or how they chose who would be the king’s bride was unknown. There was no way for her to rationalize why she had drawn the short straw. Perhaps it was better for her sanity to stop trying to understand it. She wondered what the other women in her position had felt. In the end, an heir has always been born. Did all of them simply reach acceptance? Or was it as horrific as she pictured and that they weren’t given a choice in the end.
To die in obscurity as no one was somehow the most frightening part of it all.
It was all made worse by not knowing anything about the man she was being promised to. What did Imbibitor Lunae even look like? Their current king was relatively new and had only taken the throne two years ago. As far as she knew, he had never appeared anywhere in person. Even if he had, it would certainly not be in places she could’ve easily visited. In fact, the first time she had even met a Vidyadhara had been the sharply dressed man that had arrived in her town to announce her selection. His most notable features had been long, pointed ears and a faint coloring of blue scales peeking out from the high collar of his fancy tunic. It had surprised her that there wasn’t more to him. They were dragons, after all. She expected them to at least have a tail.
Abruptly, Stelle realized the bumpy ride had gotten a lot smoother. Peaking past the curtain again, she began to see the beginning of civilization after several days of travel. Houses with architecture she’d never seen before and paved roads winding around the rocky hills. She realized they must be close to the capital now and she felt her heart sink. Closer than ever before to what would be imprisonment in all but name.
She sank low in her seat and found that her nausea had not gotten any better despite the smoother road beneath the carriage.
The gray skies and bitter cold air were a most inhospitable welcome, but it was to be expected given their location. The current royal palace sat on a high mountain peak that overlooked the expansive city below. It was surrounded by even taller mountains that provided ample protection from both natural and manmade threats. It was a suitable location in wartime—strategic and difficult to invade. It was also painfully isolated which meant any attempted attacks on it would spare the city below. It had been a wise decision to relocate here even if Jing Yuan missed the oceanic scenery of the main palace. There was a peaceful serenity to it that made it nicer to look at.
Still, he was impressed by how the royalty’s staff had spruced up the surrounding scenery. Tall trees that had been planted and matured in a manner of days, healthy grass still thriving despite the cold and flowers that bloomed as if it were springtime despite the low sunlight. It all added a livelier atmosphere to the otherwise gray and white surroundings. While all the greenery selected already had a natural tendency to survive in harsh conditions, he knew it was the influence of draconic magic that made them bloom so explosively and stay so healthy. The magic Vidyadhara wielded was quite versatile indeed.
He stood at ease in the spacious courtyard, scanning the horizon for anything noteworthy. The paved road that led up to the cast iron gates remained empty and so the waiting continued. He glanced upwards towards the grey clouds. The distinct smell of snow was in the air. He hoped the carriage arrived before it began, or they would be waiting longer still.
Beside him, Jingliu crossed her arms. The long, thick cloak she wore over her usual armor swept vigorously across the grass with her movements. “This is absurd,” she scoffed under her breath. “What could those bastards in the Royal Court be thinking?”
Jing Yuan lowered his gaze to look at her. Her brows furrowed and lips set in a thin line spoke volumes of her frustration. “I suppose with only one scion left and the war growing closer to us, they have begun to grow nervous,” he chuckled sardonically.
Jingliu tapped her finger against her arm impatiently. “The war should be taking our time and resources, not this. This is only going to add fuel to the righteous fury of the rebels in the problem provinces.”
“I want to believe there is still a chance for a mutual agreement,” Jing Yuan replied quietly.
“That chance has long passed. The war has already killed the previous High Elder. The Preceptors will continue to use his death to justify prolonging the slaughter.”
“Don’t let Yingxing and Baiheng hear you say that.”
Her gaze was colder than the winter air. “Their delusions that Dan Feng somehow survived won’t change the reality of our situation.”
Jing Yuan resisted the urge to sigh and instead fell silent. Her mood was worse than usual, but it was to be expected. The arrival of the newest High Elder’s would-be mate had stirred a decent amount of anxiousness within the palace. Mortals made up a large part of the rebel faction and whispers that this woman could be a spy or an assassin had started circulating almost immediately following the announcement of her selection. It was an unfavorable atmosphere to deal with since it fell to them keep temperaments calm.
This on top of the added stress of the war had left the remaining members of the High Cloud Quintet in a stressful position. They were fighting on the frontlines to turn the tides of battle yet now were also expected to be peacekeepers for the palace. He shared Jingliu’s frustration with the double duty, but he admittedly didn’t mind having to return to the palace like this. They all needed a break from the horrors of war and while they weren’t here for a leisurely time off, they were at least allowed time to recuperate. Greeting the king’s future bride when she arrived wasn’t typically their job either but protecting the High Elder that would receive her was.
As time went on, however, Jing Yuan began to wonder if he would even show up. His reclusive nature was infamous, but he wasn’t one to shirk his duties either.
As if reading his mind, Jingliu spoke, “She better not arrive before he does.”
“You are too hard on him, Master. This was never his burden to bear.”
He expected another bitter retort, but Jingliu remained silent. Approaching footsteps caused him to glance over his shoulder. He was relieved to see the High Elder round the corner. Hopefully his arrival would stem Jingliu’s irritation somewhat.
“You’re late,” she scolded when he stepped into the courtyard to join them.
The two moved aside with obligatory respect so that he could stand in front of them. He didn’t respond to her reprimand. Jing Yuan stared at his back with a somber expression. Fine, silk robes and a thick furry overcoat were wrapped around his slender frame to keep the cold out, but there was still a noticeable slump to his shoulders that caught his attention.
“You were unsuccessful, then,” Jing Yuan said softly.
“It was useless to try,” Jingliu remarked. “The Preceptors burned all of Dan Feng’s proposed laws the very second they declared him dead.”
“I haven’t given up,” he replied quietly, “but for now, I don’t have any other choice.”
Jing Yuan hummed sadly. “Indeed.”
A sharp knocking on the glass divide startled Stelle from her daydreaming. She turned her head to see the carriage driver waving at her from the other side. She leaned forward and unlatched it, sliding it smoothly open.
“We’ll be arriving any minute, miss,” the man said politely, dropping his hand. His head never turned to look at her as he focused on controlling the reigns of the deer-like animals that pulled them forward.
“Okay. Thank you,” Stelle replied dully and quickly snapped the divide shut before he could say anything else.
The knot in her stomach tightened as she slumped back into her seat. The arduous journey had taken several days, but it was finally at its end. While she was relieved to be freed from the confines of this small carriage, she had to admit that it had been fun to stop each night in a different place. Stelle had never traveled this far before and every town had seemed so different than the last. She had never truly comprehended the scope of her country until now. If only she had been able to explore these towns, but the two guards that had followed the carriage the entire way were too vigilant. During one of the first stops, she had asked one of them while they stood guard outside her inn door if she could go out, only to be politely, but coldly, told to stay put.
So much for enjoying the remaining remnants of her freedom. The chains had been tightened around her neck the moment the royalty’s representative had stepped foot into her town.
She had closed the curtains at the beginning of today’s journey when the anxiety of what she was seeing became too much. Now, she took a deep breath and pulled them back. The scenery was back to being mostly remote, but the greenery was much livelier. She watched it roll past as the carriage began to slow. It was all so untouched by the ravages of the war.
When she watched them pass by a tall gate, they finally came to a complete stop. She remained still and let the curtain fall closed once more. Stelle waited patiently and kept her heart carefully devoid of feelings. She asked herself what her plan was, but in her heart, she already knew the answer.
Eventually the carriage door swung open, and the driver was there to greet her, as were the two guards. The cold air that rushed in caused her to shiver. She tugged her shawl closer to her body in an automatic response. Stelle picked up her small suitcase that contained everything she owned in one hand and took bunches of her long skirt in the other. She climbed down, refusing help from both the driver and the guards, and her feet met the ground uneasily. Her legs were wobbly from how long she’d been sitting, and she paused briefly to steady herself.
She swung her head forward as the door clicked shut and her gaze fell on the enormous palace before her. It was a pristine white with black roofing and decorative golden trimmings. She noted even more, much smaller buildings attached to the largest one, but all of them were bigger than her entire town. It overwhelmed her instantly and her head spun. As she was prodded by the guards to start walking forward towards the castle, her gaze lowered instead to the figures standing in front of it.
A tall man with gentle golden eyes and a shorter woman with an icy stare flanked an individual who was undeniable the king. The translucent horns that rose from his crown and his elongated ears gave him away first, followed by the extravagantly styled white robes he was draped in. Long hair fell past his waist and as she drew closer, she could see a turquoise undertone and a noticeable red streak. His eyes were bright and glowing, their aqua color offset by red markings around the corners. His face may as well have been made of stone for how expressionless it was.
He was undeniably handsome—beautiful, even—but in an ethereal way that was distinctly inhuman. All Stelle could feel when she looked at him was deep uneasiness. She knew she was staring at a dragon sheltered in a human body and that such a creature regarded her like she regarded a fly. A small shiver ran down her spine.
Stelle stopped before him. The guards behind her bowed at the waist in greeting, heads and gaze lowered in respect. She lifted her chin in defiance instead and met his eyes with an unwavering glare. His stare was intimidating, but she refused to be afraid. She tried to search his face to discern even a sliver of what he might be thinking, but he gave nothing away. Tension grew thicker in the air the longer she stood unmoving.
After what felt like an eternity, the man beside the king unexpectedly chuckled, “Actually, I think she’ll fit right in.” His words earned him an unimpressed look from the white-haired woman.
Suddenly, the High Elder’s gaze shifted sideways to stare at the ground. Stelle blinked. She would swear he’d lost his nerve. After a short pause, he turned around and began to walk back towards the palace.
“I’ll show you to your room,” was all he said. His voice was so quiet she almost didn’t hear him.
He ascended the three wooden steps of the engawa that wrapped around the entire palace. She noted the long, teal colored dragon tail that followed him as he went. He looked much more like what she pictured a Vidyadhara to be like.
Stelle took another deep breath and walked after him. The two guards remained and as she ascended the steps, the man and woman took their place behind her. They were both much more imposing than the guards, so Stelle kept her eyes glued to her feet as she shuffled along. She followed the twitching end of the dragon’s tail and the fabric of his robe that dragged along the floor.
It felt like they walked in silence for a long time before the High Elder stopped abruptly. Stelle stumbled, narrowly avoiding stepping on the end of his robe, and looked up sharply. She had no idea where she was within this huge structure as her gaze focused on the door in front of him. He pulled it open and stepped aside without looking at her, gesturing for her to go through.
She hesitantly stepped inside and paused. The lavish room within was bigger than her entire house had been, yet it seemed smaller for their king. It was only upon letting her eyes sweep over the room more carefully did Stelle realize it was devoid of any personal touches. Beyond the necessary furniture, the room was empty. She had expected to be forced to share his, but this couldn’t possibly belong to him.
“It’s… mine?” she mumbled out loud before she could stop herself.
The High Elder nodded. “Yes. No one will enter without your permission.”
Stelle’s hands tightened on the handle of her suitcase. She doubted that rule applied to him, which made her uncomfortable, but there was still a feeling of relief to have a room to herself. Realizing she was standing close to him encouraged her to enter the room properly and approach the bed. It was so much bigger than she was used to.
The tall man cleared his throat. “Your Majesty,” he said pointedly. There was a small trace of amusement laced in his tone.
Stelle glanced towards him with sudden curiosity. Although he had called to the High Elder, he was looking at her with an easy smile and an open expression. It made her want to trust him, but she knew better than to let her guard down.
“Oh,” came the belated reply from the king.
Her gaze dropped to him naturally only to find him still looking away from her. After a brief pause, he spoke reluctantly, “What is your name?”
“Stelle.”
She watched him lift his head to stare at her. Curiosity was alight in his otherwise passive expression and her heart rate suddenly increased in alarm. There’s no way he could know, she told herself firmly. His lips parted as if he wanted to say something, but he lapsed into silence again.
“Welcome, Miss Stelle,” the man replied kindly. “My name is Jing Yuan, and this woman here is my master and fellow commander, Jingliu. Should you see us around and need anything, please do not hesitate to ask.”
Stelle shifted on her feet, unsure how to respond. Although he and Jingliu looked human, she knew they were long-life humans. They were a species said to have been blessed by the Aeon of Permanence, Long, for the express purpose of serving His earthly embodiments, the Vidyadhara. Therefore, they were often in positions of power alongside them. Only long-life humans could be serving in the royal palace. They were the only other race allowed to do so. To her, despite their appearance, they were just as inhuman as the Vidyadhara. She took another glance around to take in this new space that was now exclusively her own. She barely had enough belongings to fill one drawer of the giant dresser near the bed, let alone enough to fill the rest of it.
“Are we done?” Jingliu asked impatiently. “There are more important matters I need to attend to.”
“You can go,” the High Elder told her softly. “The Preceptors wanted me back anyway.”
The sharp clicking of her heels signaled her retreat. Stelle turned around and watched Jing Yuan address the king with a wave of his hand. “Shall I escort you back?”
“I’m fine. Go help Jingliu.”
Without looking back at her, the High Elder left the doorway and disappeared from her sight. Jing Yuan, however, turned to her with a helpless smile. He gave a small, respectful bow of his head before politely pulling her door shut. The soft click it made sounded incredibly loud in the silence. Suddenly dazed, Stelle let her suitcase rest on the floor and sat heavily on the edge of the bed.
She felt the weight of the situation finally crack the careful wall she had built around her heart, and tears stung the corners of her eyes.