Chapter 42. An (arranged) ceremony?
IN A BIT
MEI SHEN’S POINT OF VIEW:
It had been only a handful of days since the rain began to fall. Not the violent, terrifying downpour that had once ripped through the palace gardens, but a softer, patient rain, one that seeped deep into the cracked ground as if it understood how thirsty the earth had been. The scent of wet soil clung to the air, heavy and sweet, and everywhere I went, I could see the land slowly breathing again.
The people were smiling more. The lines on the farmer’s faces had softened. I saw children splashing barefoot in puddles, their thin legs splattered with mud as they laughed, a sound I hadn’t heard in weeks. And though I was grateful, I could not ignore the truth that lay under all that joy. The famine was easing... but it was not over. And somewhere beyond the veil of this world, danger was still moving toward us. It was on the fourth morning that the whispers began. At first, they were just casual, harmless remarks.
"You and His majesty should marry soon." An old woman told me in the marketplace, pressing a wrinkled hand over mine. "It will bless the kingdom."
I thought she was simply sentimental. I smiled politely, gave a small laugh, and thought nothing of it. But then another came. A middle aged farmer stopped me on the road, bowing low.
"A royal wedding now would give the people something to hope for, my lady. Hope feeds the heart as bread feeds the body."She said.
And then it came from the palace ministers.
"Your highness." One of them said with practiced politeness. "If there was ever a time to bind our Emperor and his chosen Empress before the eyes of the people... it is now. A grand celebration would reassure the provinces that peace and stability have returned."
It was no longer just a whisper. It was an expectation. They wanted me and Lianwei married, not someday, not after the famine had fully passed, but now. Before trouble returned. At first, I told myself they were being foolish.
"There’s still too much to do." I argued in the council chamber. "The granaries aren’t full. The outer provinces still struggle. We should focus on relief, not festivities."
But they didn’t relent. It was as if it wasn’t my option anymore.