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The tension in the hall had not yet faded.
Golden light from the high windows stretched across the polished floor, illuminating the distance between two figures standing within the vast chamber.
On one side stood Princess Xiao Lihua.
On the other stood her older brother, Emperor Xiao Zhenyu.
The silence between them felt heavier than before.
Lihua's words still lingered in the air.
That does not mean I have no heart.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Zhenyu turned away slightly, his gaze drifting toward the tall window overlooking the palace courtyard.
From this height, the imperial gardens looked peaceful-tiny figures of servants moving quietly along the stone paths, the wind stirring gently through flowering trees.
But the emperor knew better than anyone that the palace was rarely peaceful beneath the surface.
Politics never slept.
He exhaled slowly.
"Lihua," he said quietly, "you misunderstand me."
The princess remained still.
"I understand perfectly," she replied softly.
Zhenyu turned back toward her.
"You believe I am forcing you into this marriage without consideration."
Her silence was answer enough.
The emperor walked slowly toward the long table covered with official scrolls.
His fingers brushed against one of the documents before he lifted it slightly.
"This alliance with Kingdom of Guo'an did not appear overnight."
Lihua watched him cautiously.
"For months," Zhenyu continued, "our ministers have been negotiating trade agreements, military cooperation, and border protections."
He placed the scroll down again.
"This marriage is the final piece of that agreement."
Lihua lowered her gaze slightly.
"And so I am the price of peace."
"That is not what I said."
"But it is what you mean."
Her voice remained calm, yet there was a faint bitterness beneath it.
Zhenyu frowned.
"You speak as though this arrangement benefits only the empire."
"Does it not?"
The emperor paused.
He knew the answer would not satisfy her.
Still, he spoke.
"Peace between kingdoms saves thousands of lives."
Lihua's eyes lifted again.
"And sacrificing one life is acceptable?"
Zhenyu's voice hardened.
"This is not sacrifice. This is duty."
The word echoed through the chamber.
Lihua's hands tightened slightly within her sleeves.
"Duty," she repeated.
"Yes."
"You speak of duty as if it is simple."
"It is simple."
"Then tell me, brother," she said quietly, "does duty ever ask what we want?"
The emperor's expression darkened.
"Want has little place in ruling an empire."
Lihua took a slow breath.
"That may be true for you."
Her eyes met his.
"But I am not the emperor."
Zhenyu stepped closer.
"You are the princess of this empire."
"And because of that," she replied, "I must marry a stranger."
"He is not a stranger."
"The crown prince of Guo'an," she said.
"Guo Mingze."
"Yes."
"I have never even met him."
Zhenyu folded his arms.
"He is known to be honorable, well educated, and respected by his people."
"That may all be true," she said softly.
"But I do not love him."
The room fell silent again.
The emperor studied his sister carefully.
He knew Lihua had always been gentle.
Sensitive.
Far more emotional than he was.
But this... this resistance surprised him.
"Love," he said slowly, "is not always necessary for marriage."
Lihua's eyes widened slightly.
"You cannot truly believe that."
"I do."
"You would marry someone you do not love?"
"If it protected the empire, yes."
The answer came without hesitation.
Lihua felt a sharp ache in her chest.
"Then you are stronger than I am."
Zhenyu's brows drew together.
"This is not about strength."
"Then what is it about?"
"Responsibility."
The word landed like a stone between them.
Lihua turned away, pacing slowly across the hall.
Her voice grew quieter.
"You say this marriage will protect Tianzhou."
She glanced back at him.
"But is our empire truly so fragile that it requires my happiness as payment?"
Zhenyu's jaw tightened.
"You underestimate the dangers surrounding us."
"I know we have enemies."
"Yes."
His voice deepened.
"Among them the most dangerous is the northern rival-Kingdom of Liangyu."
Lihua recognized the name immediately.
The empire ruled by Emperor Liang Jianyu.
Their armies had clashed with Tianzhou many times throughout history.
"Our borders remain tense," Zhenyu continued.
"An alliance with Guo'an strengthens our position."
"And my marriage is meant to secure that alliance."
"Yes."
She stopped walking.
"And if I refuse?"
The question hung in the air.
Zhenyu's voice lowered.
"Refusing would weaken our diplomatic standing."
"Meaning?"
"It would insult Guo'an."
"And that could lead to conflict."
"Possibly."
Lihua laughed softly, though there was no humor in it.
"So either way, someone suffers."
Zhenyu watched her carefully.
"You believe I have not thought about this?"
"I do not know what you have thought about."
"Then listen to me."
His voice carried a sharp edge now.
"Every day I sit on that throne and decide the fate of this empire."
He gestured toward the palace beyond the window.
"Millions of lives depend on those decisions."
Lihua's eyes softened slightly.
"I know you carry that burden."
"Do you?"
His tone was quieter now.
"Because right now it feels as though you see me only as a tyrant forcing you into a marriage."
"That is not what I said."
"It is what you imply."
She hesitated.
Zhenyu exhaled slowly.
"You think I want to send you away?"
The question startled her.
"You are the only family I have left."
The emperor rarely spoke so openly.
For a moment, Lihua felt the anger inside her weaken.
"When our parents died," he continued quietly, "I promised myself I would protect you."
Her chest tightened.
"But protecting you sometimes means making decisions you may hate."
Lihua shook her head slowly.
"Sending me to another kingdom is not protection."
"It ensures peace."
"But it takes me away from home."
Zhenyu did not answer.
Tears glimmered faintly in Lihua's eyes.
"And what if I cannot be happy there?"
"You will adapt."
"That is easy for you to say."
"You think ruling this empire makes my life easy?"
"No."
"But at least you chose this path."
Zhenyu's expression turned cold.
"Do you truly believe that?"
The question caught her off guard.
"You were born the crown prince."
"Yes."
"And that meant I had no choice either."
The princess fell silent.
Zhenyu's voice softened.
"None of us in this family are free."
The words settled heavily between them.
Lihua turned toward the window.
Beyond the palace walls, the empire stretched endlessly.
So vast.
So powerful.
And yet she felt so small within it.
After a long silence, she spoke again.
"Have you ever loved someone?"
The question surprised him.
Zhenyu hesitated.
"That is not relevant."
"It is to me."
The emperor looked away.
His silence was answer enough.
Lihua nodded slowly.
"I thought so."
She turned back toward him.
"Then how can you expect me to give up something you have never even experienced?"
Zhenyu's voice hardened again.
"This is not a storybook romance."
"I know."
"Real life requires sacrifice."
"Then perhaps," she said quietly, "you should sacrifice something too."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"What do you mean?"
"If this marriage is truly so important," she said, "why must I be the one to make it?"
The question hung between them.
Zhenyu understood what she meant.
But the answer remained the same.
"Because you are the princess."
The words felt final.
Lihua closed her eyes briefly.
For the first time since the conversation began, she felt truly exhausted.
When she opened them again, her voice was softer.
"If I agree to this marriage..."
Zhenyu watched her carefully.
"...will you promise me something?"
"What?"
"That I may meet him first."
"The crown prince?"
"Yes."
"I want to see him with my own eyes."
Zhenyu considered the request.
"That can be arranged."
She nodded slowly.
"And if I still cannot accept it?"
The emperor's expression hardened once more.
"Then we will speak about it again."
It was not a promise.
But it was the closest compromise either of them could reach.
For now.
Outside the palace, the wind stirred the branches of the garden trees.
And somewhere beyond the borders of Tianzhou, the future was already beginning to move toward them.
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(End of Chapter 10)