Coincidence did not exist, especially in the Tughril palace. That was why Lady Naram felt a surge of bitterness when she saw Princess Lian Zhi. The consort of another prince was casually strolling out of the private wing of the Great Khan, Naram's own fiancé.
There she was, standing beneath the carved wooden beams of the eastern corridor, after being denied to enter the Khan's wings, for the dozenth time. And yet, Lian Zhi was escorted by her fiancé's personal guard, like she was a guest of honor.
Naram had heard the rumors that Lian Zhi was often seen coming in and out of the Khan's quarters, but seeing it in person brought a sharp sting in her heart. And it wasn't jealousy.
Since the marriage decree, the Khan had barely summoned her. They occasionally met at formal meetings and gatherings, sitting at opposite ends of long tables, but he barely looked at her. He nodded to acknowledge her in public when protocol demanded it, but that was all.
