“Make me your wife your one and only, I’ll give you everything you need
I’ll give you sons I’ll give you glory, for I was born to be your queen
When they refuse and they oppose you, remember the ancestors are in your heed
You are the king and you must have and must believe, that I was born to be your queen
Make me your wife, your one and only, I’ll give you everything you need
I give you sons, I’ll give you glory, for I was born to be your queen
For watch me rise, I’m never coming down, in time they’ll love and honour me
I’ll prove them wrong and I will earn my crown, for I was born to be your queen
So beat the drums this coronation day, just wait and see what I can be
Wait and see what I can be, the history books will celebrate my name
Celebrate my name, for I will be this kingdoms queen,” I sing as I sit on the cold cement floors in the prison cell. My hands are cuffed to the walls attached to metal chains.
My bloodied body dressed in a white shirt and pants soaks in most of the red liquid seeping from my wounds. My body feels weak and is in a numb paining state that I’ve felt before so I’m not afraid.
Looking at Xian Le who is in tears breaking down before me with his head between his arms bowed that’s holding him up gripping the cold bars of the cell.
He’s been there since an hour ago along with his brother, Prince Ling Tian whose eyes are bloodshot with his hands clenched into fists at his sides.
My bloodied and dried throat bleeds from my singing but I don’t care…
Xian Le has the hiccups from crying too long. I smile at the two of them because they’re the only two who’s had my back this whole time but I’m sorry that I’ve disappointed them so.
Five guards come in and pull the two princes out who put up a fight but are too weak against them. After the screaming and yells of the two muffle out, I look at the two guards who come in and have wretched smiles across their faces.
Unlocking the chains at my wrist and tying new ones at my back while forcing me up, they drag me down a dark and chilly dungeon. Walking up a flight of stairs, my heavy steps get pulled by the two guards.
Forced to my knees I look up at the people ahead of me and around me. The palace doors were opened today to watch my execution after the last of my interrogation.
Raising my head to the stands, I see the royal family glaring my way. Xian Le and Ling Tian are staring me down with pained expressions and aren’t crying. Sweeping my gaze over slowly I gulp when my eyes lock onto those of my husband.
I can see that he has fury blazing in his eyes and his hands are shaking at his sides. Lowering my head I avoid looking at him any further, today, this day, is the day he never wanted to happen but he couldn’t stop it from happening - its fate.
Three strong men with authority stand before me, The Marquis, General Wen and the minister of disciplinary, Minister Gu, a very ruthless man but he is trustworthy – I’ll give him that.
The three of them have a look on their faces that tell me they can’t wait to skin me alive. Turning my head to the right; here stands the executioner with a sword in his hand. I heard stories when I was little about the executioners, they are tortured men that lost their souls in their childhood and that’s why they can easily kill you.
Gulping, I lick my dried and cut up lips that sting.
“Quiet, the questioning shall commence,” calls Minister Gu.
I raise my head to look at him and his dark eyes stare at me trying to find the answers he never got.
“Qin Yue Mian, you entered the palace as Prince Xian Le’s escort, is that correct?”
“Yes,” I answer weakly.
“You’ve stayed by his side for eight months, is that correct?”
“Yes,” I answer gritting my teeth.
“Prince Xian Le and Prince Ling Tian were saved by you yet you had malicious intent towards them this whole time, is that true?”
“NO!” I answer glaring at him.
“If that is not true then explain to us WHY you went into the kitchen and poisoned the food the head chef was preparing for breakfast, if that is not malicious intent then answer me why did you do it!”
Swallowing my saliva that burned my throat I remained silent.
Minister Gu Scoffed, “Your silence proves that you are guilty. A traveller with no background, no family, plotted against the princes to gain their trust to enter the Imperial Palace and kill the royal family… what secrets are you hiding?”
“I didn’t plot to gain the princes' trust, they trusted me because I’m a trustworthy person,” I say glaring at his lies.
“Trustworthy? You trustworthy? It was a mistake for the princes to trust you, such a conniving wench like you!”
“Then.so.be.it,” I grit out not giving him a choice.
The Marquis touches Minister Gu’s shoulder, looking at me he says in a calming voice, “Qin Yue Mian, ever since you entered the palace, I’ve been watching you, you’ve never shown any malice towards anyone so I don’t understand why would you suddenly want to poison the royal family. The princes trusted you and you let them down, not only them but you let me, General Wen and the other people who said you have a good future ahead of you.
You said before that it was a coincidence that you met Prince Ling Tian and Prince Xian Le, you also said that the person who was behind the attack is a noble. After you said this Emperor Wang instructed myself and the minister of defence to investigate this but there were no leads – this only makes you seem guiltier since there is nothing else besides your statement.”
“That’s because you and the minister of defence are incompetent,” I say making him frown.
He nods his head, “That may be the case but I can’t help but think you must be the culprit behind it after your actions.”
“Marquis if I may,” I ask. He nods his head giving me the space to speak.
“Since you want so desperately to know the reasons behind my actions, let me make this clear – from the very beginning, no wait, since I found out what happened in the past, I’ve had my mind set on coming to Jilei and killing the royal family, ALL OF THEM. They ruined my life, they ruined my CHILDHOOD, DO YOU ALL REALLY THINK THAT YOUR ACTIONS AGAINST ME WILL END HERE? EVEN IF I’M EXECUTED TODAY, MY PEOPLE WILL COME AFTER YOU AND GET MY REVENGE,” gasps fill the courtyard from the commoners who are watching.
Turning my gaze back to the Marquis from glaring at the royals I say while a genuine smile tugs at my lips, “I was still wondering how the fuck I’m going to enter the palace when those two fuckers introduced themselves as the princes of Jilei, I felt bad at the fact that it was so easy to get into the palace so I decided to sneak away but wooohooo that little prince called me and told me to follow them… like I said before it was merely a coincidence meeting them but now that I think about it, it’s a bitch called fate that allowed me to meet your two princes… I could have killed you all off in the beginning but I grew soft-hearted and I’m ever so sorry that I did because now I can’t complete my revenge, but whatever, dragging this shit out is useless, hurry the fuck up and cut my head off so I can reincarnate and plot my revenge again.”
“YOU EVIL WENCH!” was screamed my way through the crowd of people and it started many name calling and stuff to be thrown my way.
“SILENCE!!” rang through the courtyard, coming from Minister Gu. He stared me down with his livid facial expression, “Explain yourself!”
I rolled my eyes at him and shook my head, “Just fucking kill me already,” I say and lower my body so that my head leans against the stone before me.
I make eye contact with the executioner. He looks at me then looks to the front.
“Since you want it, execute her!” he orders.
The big man turned to me. I keep my eyes open to stare him down; he raises his hands above his head gripping the sword tightly in his hands. Arching his body forward he takes in a deep breath and at full strength brings his hands down.
“STOP!!!” The executioner freezes with the sword stopping right above my neck. I frown as hurried steps rush my way. The executioner is pushed to the side stumbling but doesn’t fall.
My body is raised up after two small hands touch my shoulders. Feeling the arms wrap around me as a blanket is pulled over my shoulders.
I turn to my left and come face to face with someone I don’t know. She’s beautiful, looks about the same age as my mother. My head whips in Yu Sheng's direction and I see him quickly shake his head unnoticeably.
My eyes quickly fly back to this woman, she’s glaring in the emperors’ direction. The three powerful men before me pull out their swords and point it in our direction.
“Your majesty,” she says with a bow.
“Mistress Han, what’s the meaning of this?” he asks, his husky voice travelling throughout the courtyard.
“Your majesty, I mean no disrespect but I must inform you that killing this child will be your biggest downfall,” she says making me frown. I look at her, “Who are you?”
She turns to face me with tears in her eyes. Stroking my hair she turns back to the emperor, “Your majesty, trust me, this girl, although she is a threat, she doesn’t mean harm.”
“Mistress Han, wha…” I cut the emperor off. My eyes go dark as my voice turns harsh, “I asked you a question,” I say.
Her body trembles while holding me. Her eyes widen and she pulls away from me; her head lowers, “Forgive me Your Highness, I didn’t mean to touch you,” she whispers with a bowed head and steps away from me.
Her actions catch everyone’s attention. My brows knit, this woman knows who I am?
“Mistress Han?” Marquis Feng calls her.
She looks up and a sword is pointed at her throat, “Repeat what you called her,” he says with his hands visibly trembling. Mistress Han’s voice trembles as she says loud enough in the silent courtyard, “D-don’t k-kill h-her, s-she’s o-our p-princess,” and my heart drops.
Raising a brow I looked at her confused, masking my fury. Marquis Feng looks at me and I question him too with my look.
He turns his head to the emperor. My father stands up and looks at me then back at mistress Han. “Our princess? What princess?”
“Your daughter!” she spits back and the sword at her neck drops. Gasping starts up along with whispers.
Tilting my head I ask her, “Are you sure you’re not confusing me with someone else?”
She looks at me quickly then back at my father, dropping to her knees she bows her head then looks back up at him, “Your Majesty, many years ago you fell in love with your servant, the two of you became intimate and a baby was conceived leading you to marry her but when the baby came you weren’t allowed to see your child because your child was born female instead of male so your marriage was annulled and your wife and daughter exiled out of the palace.
Your Majesty, your wife and daughter were living peacefully until one night, ten men arrived at the house you left them in and attempted to kill your wife and daughter, what they didn’t know, what you and every one of the royal family doesn’t know is that Ni Xing isn’t an ordinary maiden.
Ni Xing…. No, Ye Ni Xing is a woman who can hold her own against an army of one hundred men! Ye Ni Xing is the Imperial Xieye Empires General Ye’s daughter… trained by him her whole childhood to stand on her own and fight.
That night those ten assassins tried to kill her but failed and after they failed, they never returned home because they died at your wife’s hands. After she killed them she left everything behind and took her daughter with her. The two of them came to my establishment and stayed over; Ni Xing asked me to send people to the house and clean up the bodies of those men.
I did as my friend asked me because we have years of friendship between us starting from the generation before us. Ni Xing and her nameless daughter stayed in my establishment for a whole month, that is why no one could find them. I asked her to stay but she refused saying that it was time for her to return home after being gone for so many years.
After they left my establishment there was a rumour that spread throughout the empire of the devilish beast that slaughtered the bandits of the clearing between Jilei and Xieye which was no beast it was your wife. Those men saw her and didn’t leave after she threatened them leading to their deaths.
After she arrived at the army base of Xieye with her nameless daughter, General Ye and his sons welcomed their runaway daughter and sister back… she asked her father to name her daughter in your place since Your Majesty did not have a chance to.
Your child was named Ye Yue Mian, formally known as Ye Rucheng. Yue because she has eyes as big and beautiful as the moon and Mian because she has her mother’s round face, Rucheng because she is graceful and always be loved.
Your daughter Ye Yue Mian was once engaged to the Crown Prince An Cheng of Xieye and after some deliberation, her title as Crown Princess was removed and retitle the Emperor of Xieye’s Goddaughter.
Your Majesty, your daughter, Ni Xing’s daughter… she… I don’t know why she has returned to Jilei and I know for a fact that her being here isn’t because she wants to kill any of you, why she poisoned the food… I cannot explain but please Your Majesty please believe me… I’ve sent word to Ni Xing that she’s here and is going to be executed… please Your Majesty, please wait and until she arrives… if you really can’t wait, ask Yu Sheng!”
She ends pointing at him. I look up and my husband already has his sword against my father’s throat. Screams and clamouring arise and people start panicking.
“Lan Zhan~” I sing in a deep and threatening voice after sighing.
A grunt is heard and the executioner walks up to me. Helping me up, he slashes his sword against the chains holding me, releasing them. I rub my wrists and stretch out my body while Lan Zhan takes off his black mask.
He hands me a gourd filled with water.
“ENOUGH!!” I hear Yu Sheng’s voice echo, making everyone silent.
Taking in the last sip of water, I had Lan Zhan the gourd back which he just chucks to the side. I listlessly look at Mistress Han then look towards Yu Sheng that has many swords pointed at him while he is pinning down His Majesty, my father, down with no care and a smirk on his face.
“Yu Sheng, why are you doing this?” My father asks him.
“Sorry uncle, but I don’t answer to you,” he says with a chuckle.
I raise a brow at his childishness and turn my attention to Xian Le who has tears running down his cheeks again while looking at me in disbelief. I smile at him then look back at Mistress Han.
“I won’t kill you since you are the one who helped us back then but that won’t save you from your punishment of telling everyone of my personal details,” I say making her shiver.
“Yue Mian, your mother has been worried sick about you, you’ve been gone for eleven years, why don’t you just stop?” she asks pleadingly.
“Aunty, I’m just following in her footsteps, she ran away from home so I did it too,” I say annoyed.
“But,” I cut her off, “But nothing, you may have helped us before but I won’t show you any mercy… I wasn’t going to die and you ruined my plans, so you have to be punished.”
Turning to face my father who is looking down at me in disbelief not minding the sword at his throat. Once he sees that he has my attention he asks, “I-is it true?”
“Is what true?” I ask.
“Are you really my child?” he asks trembling.
“Well I don’t know, but you should, you saw my mother in me but kept silent your majesty, why is that?” I ask tilting my head to the side.
He looks at me and I see his eyes watering which sends me into a panic, “You know what? How about we talk about this over a cup of tea Your Majesty?”
Small arms wrap around my waist and tackle’s me towards the back. Lan Zhan catches my falling body and my head hits his hard chest. The impact sends me into a dizzy spiral as black dots appear before my eyes; looking down I see Xian Le crying into my hold.
My eyes roll back and I fall unconscious – well I guess I’m too tired to carry on.
